Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 28th Nov 2022
View this newsletter in fullThe U.S. is 'certainly' still in a Covid-19 pandemic, Dr. Fauci says
Dr. Anthony Fauci said the U.S. is “certainly” still in the middle of a Covid-19 pandemic and he is “very troubled” by the divisive state of American politics. “I don’t care if you’re a far-right Republican or a far-left Democrat, everybody deserves to have the safety of good public health and that’s not happening.”
27th Nov 2022 - CNBC
Protests in Shanghai and Beijing as anger over China's COVID curbs mounts
Hundreds of demonstrators and police clashed in Shanghai on Sunday night as protests over China's stringent COVID restrictions flared for a third day and spread to several cities in the wake of a deadly fire in the country's far west. The wave of civil disobedience is unprecedented in mainland China since President Xi Jinping assumed power a decade ago, as frustration mounts over his signature zero-COVID policy nearly three years into the pandemic. The COVID measures are also exacting a heavy toll on the world's second-largest economy.
27th Nov 2022 - Reuters
China's Covid Cases Jump to a Record as Outbreaks Persist
China’s daily Covid infections climbed to a record high, exceeding the previous peak in April, as it battles an outbreak that has grown since the country adopted a more targeted approach to containing the virus. The country reported 29,754 new cases for Wednesday, more than the 28,973 infections recorded in mid-April when the financial hub of Shanghai was in the midst of a grueling two-month lockdown that saw residents struggle to access food and medical services. China’s official figures separately report symptomatic and asymptomatic patients, which can lead to inflated numbers when people are re-classified after developing symptoms.
25th Nov 2022 - Bloomberg
Health visitors warn of 'lasting impact' of Covid-19 on families
The Covid-19 pandemic is having a “lasting impact” on the health and wellbeing of children, health visitors have warned in a new report. The report, published by the Institute of Health Visiting and the First 1001 Days Movement, surveyed 555 professionals from across the UK, with more than half of them health visitors, on the effect of the pandemic on babies, young children, their carers, and the health services that support them.
25th Nov 2022 - Nursing Times
China's COVID infections hit record as economic outlook darkens
China reported record high COVID-19 infections on Thursday, with cities nationwide imposing localised lockdowns, mass testing and other curbs that are fuelling frustration and darkening the outlook for the world's second largest economy. The resurgence of infections, nearly three years after the pandemic emerged in the central city of Wuhan, casts doubt on investor hopes for China to ease its rigid zero-COVID policy soon, despite recent more targeted measures.
24th Nov 2022 - Reuters
China Covid Cases Hit Record, Topping Shanghai Omicron Outbreak
China’s daily Covid infections climbed to a record high, exceeding the previous peak in April, as it battles an outbreak that has grown since the country adopted a more targeted approach to containing the virus. The country reported 29,754 new cases for Wednesday, more than the 28,973 infections recorded in mid-April when the financial hub of Shanghai was in the midst of a grueling two-month lockdown that saw residents struggle to access food and medical services. China’s official figures separately report symptomatic and asymptomatic patients, which can lead to inflated numbers when people are re-classified after developing symptoms. The Bloomberg News tally counts all local cases, regardless of symptoms, and removes the double-counting issue.
24th Nov 2022 - Bloomberg
China’s Covid Curbs Return as Deaths Emerge, Casting Reopening Into Doubt
Barely a week in, China’s lighter-touch Covid Zero policy is already running into trouble. Surging infections are threatening to overwhelm some of the country’s biggest and most important cities, with local officials stymied over how to control the contagion without the usual tools of mass citywide testing and snap lockdowns. Three Covid deaths in the capital Beijing, the first in more than six months, provided a reality check for a population that’s been shielded from the pathogen by the stringent approach.
21st Nov 2022 - Bloomberg
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 21st Nov 2022
View this newsletter in fullCovid cases double in NSW and Victoria in a fortnight as fourth wave surges across eastern states
Covid cases are continuing to surge, doubling in New South Wales and Victoria in just a fortnight. Hospitalisations and deaths have also risen sharply, prompting NSW health authorities to mandate a limited return to mask-wearing to curb the rise in cases. NSW Health updated its Covid risk rating to amber on Friday, requiring masks in all areas of public hospitals and health facilities along with limited visitor numbers.
20th Nov 2022 - The Guardian
China Reports First Covid Death Since May Amid Growing Outbreak
China reported its first Covid death in almost six months on Sunday as the virus outbreak in the country continues unabated. A 87-year-old man in Beijing died on Saturday after his condition worsened, the official Beijing Daily reported. He first displayed Covid symptoms on Nov. 11 and was confirmed infected two days later, according to the report. It was the first documented death from Covid since May 26, when officials in Shanghai reported one fatality.
20th Nov 2022 - Bloomberg
Beijing district urges staying home for weekend as COVID cases rise
Beijing's biggest district urged people to stay home during the weekend and COVID-19 outbreaks grew in numerous Chinese cities on Friday, even as China further fine-tuned its COVID rules by removing capacity limits at entertainment venues. Under a series of measures unveiled last week, authorities have sought to be more targeted in applying COVID-19 curbs that are taking a heavy toll on the economy and fuelling public frustration and anger, sparking investor hopes this week for more significant easing.
18th Nov 2022 - Reuters
China State Media Reinforce Covid Zero as Cases Jump in Cities
China’s state media reaffirmed the country’s commitment to Covid Zero, even as a spike in infections across major cities seemingly reflected a greater tolerance for outbreaks. Nationwide, there were 17,298 new cases on Monday, the highest since late-April. The southern manufacturing hub of Guangzhou accounts for the majority, with 5,124 cases despite lockdowns being extended in three of the city’s districts. The southwestern megacity of Chongqing has also seen a spike in infections, which climbed to 2,948.
15th Nov 2022 - Bloomberg
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 14th Nov 2022
View this newsletter in fullNew York is becoming an 'emerging hotspot' for the XBB family of COVID variants that hit Singapore, as BQ closes in on U.S. dominance
A wave of infections involving an extremely immune-evasive COVID strain that started spreading in New York and recently reached California is about to engulf the rest of the U.S., according to a report from federal health officials released Friday. Two variants of the BQ strain are projected to comprise 35% of U.S. infections, according to a COVID forecast from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That puts the variant family just slightly behind BA.5, which still led U.S. cases on Friday, at an estimated 39%.
12th Nov 2022 - Fortune
Cruise ship with 800 Covid cases docks in Sydney after touring NZ
The Majestic Princess cruise liner docked in Sydney this morning with hundreds infected after departing from the same port two weeks ago, Nine News reports. The ship had just finished a 12-day tour of New Zealand - having dropped anchor in ports around Auckland, Wellington, Dunedin, Bay of Islands, and Fiordland National Park. In a joint statement, the Ministry of Health and Te Whatu Ora told 1News that health officials were aware of cases onboard when the ship visited Auckland on Tuesday. "The last port visited in New Zealand was Auckland on 8 November when 180 cases on board were reported before the ship departed for Australia," it said.
12th Nov 2022 - 1News
Australia seeks to reassure citizens on COVID after cruise ship outbreak
Australia's Home Affairs Minister on Saturday sought to reassure the public that COVID-19 protocols were adequate after a cruise ship with hundreds of infected passengers docked in Sydney. Carnival Australia's Majestic Princess cruise ship was docked in Sydney, the capital of the most populous state, New South Wales, with "in the vicinity" of 800 passengers on board testing positive to the virus, the company said.
12th Nov 2022 - Reuters
Covid-19 case numbers exploding across Australia as fourth wave takes off
The number of active Covid cases has exploded across the country as Australia enters its fourth wave, prompting renewed warnings to protect vulnerable aged care residents. Jurisdictions collectively recorded more than 58,000 new cases of Covid in the past week, with some states reporting a doubling in the number of people hospitalised with the virus. New South Wales recorded 19,800 new cases in the past seven days, Victoria had 16,636 new cases, and Western Australia recorded more than 8,000. South Australia had 6,867 new cases in the past week, Queensland recorded 5,828, and the ACT and NT had 1,194 and 369 new cases respectively. Tasmania was yet to publish its weekly case numbers by 3.30pm on Friday.
11th Nov 2022 - The Guardian
China’s manufacturing hub Guangzhou partially locked down as Covid outbreak widens
China's southern metropolis of Guangzhou has locked down a third district, as authorities rush to stamp out a widening Covid outbreak and avoid activating the kind of citywide lockdown that devastated Shanghai earlier this year.
10th Nov 2022 - CNN on MSN.com
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 7th Nov 2022
View this newsletter in fullChina posts 6-month high COVID count as it sticks with strategy
China on Sunday reported its highest number of new COVID-19 infections in six months, a day after health officials said they were sticking with strict coronavirus curbs, likely disappointing recent investor hopes for an easing. China recorded 4,420 new locally transmitted COVID-19 infections on Saturday, the National Health Commission said, the most since May 6 and compared up from 3,659 new local cases a day earlier.
6th Nov 2022 - Reuters
Rumours of zero-Covid easing spread in China amid anger at restrictions
Waves of outrage and frustration over China’s lockdown measures this week have demonstrated widening cracks in the general compliance with the government’s zero-Covid policy. Rising anger has been driven by the tragic death of a toddler, and highly public problematic lockdowns in the Henan capital, Zhengzhou. Officials were left scrambling to control the narrative, amid swirling rumours of imminent policy shifts and a former government health expert saying on Friday that “substantive changes will happen soon”. Chinese authorities have been trying to contain sporadic outbreaks across the country by using the same strict response measures that had been so successful early in the pandemic
5th Nov 2022 - The Guardian
Headteacher support plea as anxiety levels double amid Covid
Ministers must provide better support for headteachers to “shore up sustainable leadership”, experts said, after a report revealed their work-related anxiety more than doubled at the peak of the pandemic. UCL’s Institute of Education (IOE) researchers also said their study revealed “shocking” differences in anxiety between leaders and classroom teachers that exposed the “additional strain” on heads. A survey of more than 13,000 teachers and heads shows little difference in the anxiety levels of both during the run up to pandemic, between October 2019 and February 2020. One in four (25 per cent) of headteachers were “highly anxious” about work, while the level for teachers was 20 per cent.
5th Nov 2022 - Schools Week
Covid infections in the over-70s rise in UK after new 'nightmare' Omicron variant found
Coronavirus cases in the over-70s have risen slightly in the last week, as two new mutant variants have been discovered in the UK. More than 1,590,000 people, equivalent to one in 35, tested positive in England in the last week, the latest figures released by the Office of National Statistics (ONS) showed. The figures for Scotland are also equivalent to one in 35 with 141,400 positive cases. In Wales, one in 40 people (77,500 cases) have the infection, and in Northern Ireland one in 30 (61,200 cases) have Covid. The government data, released today, showed infections to the week ending Monday, October 24.
5th Nov 2022 - The Mirror
iPhone Factory Worker Walked 25 Miles to Escape Covid Lockdown in China
It was Sunday when Dong Wanwan decided to give up her job at the world’s largest iPhone factory and walk home. The 20-year-old had been working for the past three months on the production lines at Foxconn Technology Group’s plant in Zhengzhou, one of tens of thousands helping put together Apple Inc. iPhones that would be sent around the globe. It was a coveted job, among the country’s best-paid blue-collar gigs.
1st Nov 2022 - Bloomberg
China COVID curbs hit iPhone output, shut Shanghai Disney
China's COVID-19 curbs forced the temporary closure of Disney's Shanghai resort on Monday, while production of Apple Inc iPhones at a major contract manufacturing facility could drop by 30% in November due to coronavirus restrictions, a source told Reuters. In Zhengzhou, a Foxconn plant that makes iPhones and employs about 200,000 people has been rocked by discontent over stringent measures to curb the spread of COVID-19, with numerous staff fleeing the facility, prompting nearby cities to draw up plans to isolate migrant workers returning to their home towns.
1st Nov 2022 - Reuters
Chinese cities clamp down on COVID as cases rise before winter season
Officials in Chinese cities and provinces across the country are pulling no punches in stamping out sporadic COVID-19 outbreaks as winter nears, quickly closing venues and enforcing longer temporary lockdowns on millions of people. Cases in mainland China hit 2,898 on Sunday, topping 2,000 for a second straight day and pressuring the country's controversial zero-COVID policy, which has hamstrung the economy and exasperated its citizens.
31st Oct 2022 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 31st Oct 2022
View this newsletter in fullXBB variant, spreading fast in Singapore, detected in Tokyo
Six cases of the highly transmissible coronavirus variant XBB have been detected in Tokyo, according to the metropolitan government’s COVID-19 infection monitoring committee. XBB — a virus formed from a combination of the omicron subvariants BA.2.75 and BA.2 — was first reported by Singapore in September and has since been confirmed in 35 countries. The subvariant features several mutations in its spike protein — the part of the coronavirus that latches onto cells to gain entry — giving it an exceptional ability to evade immunity acquired through past infections or vaccination. But its severity is not yet known, the monitoring committee said Thursday.
29th Oct 2022 - The Japan Times
China locks down part of Wuhan, nearly three years after first Covid case emerged
Chinese cities from Wuhan in central China to Xining in the north-west are doubling down on Covid-19 curbs, sealing up buildings, locking down districts and throwing millions into distress in a scramble to halt widening outbreaks. China on Thursday reported a third straight day of more than 1,000 new Covid cases nationwide, a modest tally compared with the tens of thousands a day that sent Shanghai into a full-blown lockdown earlier this year but enough to trigger more curbs and restrictions across the country.
Wuhan, site of the world’s first Covid-19 outbreak in late 2019, reported about 20 to 25 new infections a day this week. The city has registered 240 cases over the past 14 days. Local authorities ordered more than 800,000 people in one district to stay at home until 30 October.
29th Oct 2022 - The Guardian
Pfizer's (PFE) Paxlovid Given Less Often to Black, Hispanic People
Pfizer Inc.’s Paxlovid antiviral was prescribed to Black and Hispanic Covid-19 patients at much lower rates than those who were White, according to a study that calls into question efforts to bolster access to drugs that fight the coronavirus. From April to July, as Paxlovid’s use peaked, Black US patients received it about a third less often than White patients, according to the report published Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Stark disparities were also seen among Hispanic patients, who were nearly 30% less likely to get Paxlovid than White patients. Asian people were prescribed the drug about 19% less frequently than White counterparts.
28th Oct 2022 - Bloomberg
Global COVID cases will increase in coming months, but at a slower pace -report
Daily global COVID-19 infections are projected to rise slowly to about 18.7 million by February from the current 16.7 million aveage daily cases, driven by the northern hemisphere's winter months, the University of Washington said in an analysis. Far fewer infections are expected than last winter's estimated peak daily average of about 80 million cases in January of 2022 that was driven by the rapid spread of the Omicron variant, according to the report.
25th Oct 2022 - Reuters
Carnival's Costa Cruises Pulls Asia Trips as China's Covid Zero Policy Bites
Costa Cruises, a unit of cruising giant Carnival Corp. that targets the nascent Chinese market, is canceling all future Asia departures amid waning expectations Beijing will ease its zero-tolerance Covid policy and border restrictions any time soon. Port stops in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Japan and South Korea will be canceled since international cruises in those locations still haven’t resumed, the Genoa, Italy-based company said in a statement, adding that it’s reorganizing its business in the region.
25th Oct 2022 - Bloomberg
A new Omicron variant, BQ.1.1, is spreading throughout France
Detected in France in September, a new subvariant of Omicron named "BQ.1.1" is continuing its inexorable progression, seemingly set to supplant the BA.5 variant of Omicron, which is currently in the majority. BQ.1.1 derives from the sublineage BQ.1, which itself originated from BA.5. The new variant appears to have emerged in Nigeria in July. It has since spread to Europe, including France, Belgium, Denmark and Italy, as well as to other countries, including Japan, the United States and Australia.
25th Oct 2022 - Le Monde
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 24th Oct 2022
View this newsletter in fullModerna to Supply 100 Million Covid Vaccines to Poor Countries
Moderna Inc. will provide as many as 100 million doses of Covid-19 shots that specifically target variants for vaccine alliance Gavi to distribute in lower-income countries in 2023. Under the agreement, Moderna will supply these mRNA variant-targeting shots for Gavi at the lowest of its tiered prices. The shots will then be distributed to poor countries through the Covax facility, backed by the World Health Organization to ensure vaccine equity around the world, Gavi said Monday. Gavi will also cancel the delivery of remaining volumes of vaccines under a previous agreement as health providers shift to updated shots that work specifically against Covid’s new variants.
19th Oct 2022 - Bloomberg
Weekly COVID-related deaths up by nearly 40% in England and Wales
The number of COVID-related deaths in England and Wales increased by nearly 40% in a week and reached their highest number since August, figures show. The latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows some 400 deaths registered in the seven days to 7 October mentioned coronavirus on the death certificate. The figure climbed 39% from 287 the week earlier, according to the figures. Of those 400 deaths, 63.5% (254 deaths) had COVID recorded as the underlying cause of death, slightly higher than the week before when it was 63.1% (181 deaths).
19th Oct 2022 - Sky News
Long Covid Disables Millions Worldwide, Even as Rates Ease, Study Shows
Long Covid eases with time, according to a study that found about 1% of coronavirus patients had persistent symptoms for a year or more. In the first rigorous assessment of the magnitude of long Covid on a global scale, researchers found 6.2% of people who had Covid-19 in the pandemic’s first two years experienced at least one of three main groups of symptoms three months later. Of those patients, 15% were still afflicted after a year, they found. Although the probability of having chronic health problems from Covid is relatively low, the vast number of cases -- at least 670 million worldwide -- leaves a substantial burden of disability, said Christopher Murray, director of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, where the study was conducted.
16th Oct 2022 - Bloomberg
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 17th Oct 2022
View this newsletter in full'Short and sharp': COVID-19 wave of XBB infections in Singapore likely to peak in mid-November
“This is likely to be a short and sharp wave,” said Mr Ong, saying that Singapore is likely to see about 15,000 daily cases on average. "By around mid-November, we should see the wave subsiding." He added that on certain days when more cases tend to be reported, such as on Tuesdays, the caseload could reach 20,000 or 25,000. The Ministry of Health (MOH) said that using the BA.5 wave as an indication, hospitalised cases peaked at 800 in July, and hospitals in Singapore, while stretched, were able to cope. The proportion of cases with the XBB strain, an Omicron subvariant, has been on the rise in Singapore over the past month. While highly transmissible, it has not caused more severe disease than previous variants thus far.
15th Oct 2022 - CNA
New Omicron Covid-19 Subvariants on the Rise in U.S., CDC Says
Two of the Omicron subvariants, both related to the BA.5 version that drove the most recent U.S. surge, are called BQ.1 and BQ.1.1. They were estimated to represent a combined 11.4% of U.S. Covid-19 cases by mid-October, according to estimates the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released Friday.
BA.5 remains the dominant version of the virus circulating in the U.S. at about 68% of recent cases, according to CDC estimates. But the subvariant landscape has become busier as the virus that causes Covid-19 continues to mutate. Another version virus experts are watching because of its potential to spread easily, called BA.2.72.2, represented an estimated 1.4% of cases in the latest CDC report.
14th Oct 2022 - The Wall Street Journal
Beijing reports 16 symptomatic, 8 asymptomatic COVID cases for Oct 13
China's capital Beijing reported 16 symptomatic new locally transmitted COVID-19 infections and eight asymptomatic cases for Oct. 13, local government authorities said on Friday. This compared with 12 symptomatic and six asymptomatic cases the day before. Three cases on Thursday were found outside quarantined areas.
14th Oct 2022 - Reuters
China Covid Cases Rebound as Party Gears Up for Key Congress
The nation recorded 1,645 new Covid infections on Saturday, the highest total since Sept. 2. While Inner Mongolia and Xinjiang had the biggest clusters, both Beijing and Shanghai found new cases outside of quarantine, suggesting the virus might be still spreading. While the eight new cases reported in the capital on Saturday is relatively few, any rebound in infections would pose a headache for leaders. Some 3,000 delegates are gathering in the city to attend the twice-a-decade congress starting Oct. 16 that’s expected to hand Xi a norm-breaking third term in power. A preparatory meeting of roughly 370 members and alternate members of the Central Committee is scheduled to begin today.
9th Oct 2022 - Bloomberg
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 10th Oct 2022
View this newsletter in fullAutumn COVID variants look shockingly similar and powerful for these 2 reasons
Earlier this year, fears of a new “super strain” of Omicron were real—and rising.
A researcher in Cyprus identified a COVID-19 variant that had features of both the deadly Delta and the highly transmissible, immune-evasive Omicron variants. “Deltacron,” as the new variant became known, was a bit of a “frankenvirus” that combined the two strains. Deltacron failed to take off, and it soon disappeared. A second Delta-Omicron hybrid later arose then also subsided. But the phenomenon that caused it is likely to come into play this fall. Scientists expect a sizable wave of COVID cases October through January, fueled by multiple Omicron spinoffs that look increasingly alike—both to each other and to older versions of the scourge.
9th Oct 2022 - Fortune
Covid-19 Cases and Hospitalizations Climb Again in England
Covid-19 infections and hospitalizations are rising again in England, with officials warning of climbing case numbers in hospitals and care homes. The number of suspected outbreaks increased 61% last week, while the hospital admission rate climbed 45% to 10.83 per 100,000 population, the UK Health Security Agency said on Thursday. Hospital admission rates were highest in southwest England after soaring 250% since mid-September.
9th Oct 2022 - Bloomberg
No Covid restrictions mean flu is set for a big comeback
It’s strongly advised that people in the UK get the flu vaccine and ensure they are up to date with their COVID vaccine boosters. Scientists aren’t sure how these viruses will dovetail, but evidence suggests that being infected with both viruses simultaneously greatly increases the risk of severe disease and death. About 33 million people in the UK are eligible for a free flu vaccine, including those aged 50 or older, pregnant women, people in residential care, and frontline healthcare workers. There is also a nasal-spray vaccine for children aged two years and older, with many vaccine rollouts delivered in schools.
9th Oct 2022 - Belfast Live
COVID in California: Merck's antiviral no better than placebo in trials
After a precipitous drop over the past two months, California’s COVID-19 trends have hit a plateau. Cases have fallen only 5% in the past week and the test positive rate inched down a tenth of a percentage point. In a worrisome sign, cases in Europe are starting to climb again as winter approaches. Even so, rules and tracking in the U.S. continue to be eased: The CDC said Thursday that it will stop reporting case and death data on a daily basis and has quietly dropped its masking recommendation for school nurses’ offices. On a brighter note, Moderna released safety data for its bivalent booster and a small NIH-backed study suggests that antiviral medication Paxlovid does not cause COVID-19 rebound.
8th Oct 2022 - San Francisco Chronicle
Effectiveness and durability of BNT162b2 vaccine against hospital and emergency department admissions due to SARS-CoV-2 omicron sub-lineages BA.1 and BA.2 in a large health system in the USA: a test-negative, case-control study
Two doses of BNT162b2 provided only partial protection against BA.1-related and BA.2-related hospital and emergency department admission, which underscores the need for booster doses against omicron. Although three doses offered high levels of protection (≥70%) against hospitalisation, variant-adapted vaccines are probably needed to improve protection against less severe endpoints, like emergency department admission, especially for BA.2.
7th Oct 2022 - The Lancet
South West sees Covid-19 surge as hospital admissions rocket to highest in country
There has been a surge in Covid-19 hospital admissions across the South West, latest figures show. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said the region has seen a 250 per cent increase in admissions since the middle of September. Recent Government data shows that the South West has a current hospital admission rate for coronavirus of 16.67 per 100,000 people - the highest out of any region in the nation. This regional figure was 4.79 per 100,000 in September. The national average for hospital admissions is 10.83 per 100,000, according to data from the last seven days. This marks a 45 per cent increase from the previous week.
6th Oct 2022 - Bristol Post
UK ‘blind’ to new immune-evasive Covid variants creating ‘perfect storm’ for devastating wave
The UK is heading into a “devastating” Covid wave this autumn exacerbated by a drop in testing and inadequate surveillance of new immune-evasive subvariants, experts have warned. Covid-19 infections in the UK have risen 14 per cent, according to the latest figures.
2nd Oct 2022 - The Independent
Australia’s tough Covid quarantine rules finally end
Australia will finally end some of the world’s toughest pandemic restrictions when it abandons mandatory five-day quarantine after testing positive.“We want a policy that promotes resilience and capacity-building and reduces a reliance on government intervention."
30th Sep 2022 - The Times
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 3rd Oct 2022
View this newsletter in fullCovid infections rise by 14% in a week in UK
Covid infections in the UK are rising and have topped more than one million, according to official estimates. There has been a 14% rise in people testing positive - which is the biggest weekly increase since the summer.
30th Sep 2022 - BBC News
Covid fourth wave fears as hospital admissions surge 48% in a week
The UK is feared to be in the midst of another Covid wave as hospital admissions have jumped almost double in a week. Latest figures show the number of patients testing positive for coronavirus is up 48%, compared to seven days ago. Fears have already been raised among the medical community the approaching colder weather could boost numbers. Now, a total of 7,024 people with coronavirus were in hospital as of 8am on September 28, according to NHS England. The number is half the 14,000 in mid-July at the peak of the wave of infections caused by the Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants of the virus.
29th Sep 2022 - The Mirror
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 26th Sep 2022
View this newsletter in fullChina's Anti-COVID Policies in Tibet Trigger Resentment, Rare Online Outcry
The harsh COVID-19 containment restrictions China is imposing across Tibet are leading to public resentment in the capital of Lhasa, where residents who have tested positive are being quarantined in empty stadiums, schools, warehouses and unfinished buildings. Beijing's actions in Tibet reflect the draconian "zero-covid" policy of President Xi Jinping that has caused discontent and even protests in major cities such as Shanghai and Chengdu. Social media videos from Lhasa show people waiting to be bused at night to an estimated 20 makeshift quarantine camps. For Lhasa residents the "midnight bus" represents their fears of what they may find once they arrive at crowded and locked quarantine sites.
25th Sep 2022 - Voice of America
Coronavirus: China sticks to zero-Covid as management failures and misery mount
Public apologies from government officials in China for mishandled duties are extraordinarily rare events. After all, career success is largely determined by their supervisors, not by the people they serve. But since the coronavirus pandemic began sweeping across China, public admissions of failures have become more frequent. From food shortages to denied hospital access for sick people or pregnant women during lockdowns, from the eastern financial hub of Shanghai to Lhasa in Tibet, several local government officials have claimed deep remorse for their blunders. In the latest case, officials from the Guiyang municipal government bowed to say sorry for the deaths of 27 people on a bus that had been making an early morning journey to a remote quarantine facility.
25th Sep 2022 - South China Morning Post
US Seeks to Secure Medical Supply Chain in Covid-19 Fight
The Biden administration will help set up a clearinghouse of medical supplies with other nations to fight Covid-19, and will expand a “test-to-treat” program in 10 countries to distribute therapeutic drugs, a senior State Department official said.
Countries that back the Global Action Plan on Covid-19 will pledge to create a mechanism to secure and distribute the goods -- such as masks and oxygen -- and raw materials required to combat a pandemic, according to the official, who asked not to be identified discussing plans that still aren’t public.
24th Sep 2022 - Bloomberg
Japan PM says to ease COVID border control requirements next month
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Thursday his country will ease COVID-19 border control requirements next month, a key step in fostering a recovery in Japan's tourism sector, which is eager to take advantage of the yen's slide to a 24-year low.
23rd Sep 2022 - Reuters
Covid: First rise in infections in UK since July
Covid infection rates have increased in the UK for the first time since the middle of July, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). One in 70 tested positive, with the largest rise in secondary school children in the week to 14 September. Infections increased in England and Wales while rates fell in Scotland and Northern Ireland. The ONS says it will closely monitor the data to see the impact of schools returning over the coming weeks. Infections rose by 5% in the most recent period covered by the survey, although the total number testing positive is still close to its lowest point of the year. Booster jabs are now being offered to the most vulnerable, to help protection over the winter.
23rd Sep 2022 - BBC News
Where to Get the Moderna Booster Shot? Some US Pharmacies See Shortages
Some pharmacies are reporting shortages of Moderna Inc.’s new bivalent booster shot for Covid-19 as one factory used in producing the vaccine remains offline following a safety inspection. The US government supply of Moderna’s shot is currently limited, causing appointments for the product to vary across the country, a Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. pharmacy spokesperson said in an emailed statement. Meanwhile, CVS Health Corp. says some of its drugstores have used all of the updated shots they received from the government, and the company is trying to get more doses.
22nd Sep 2022 - Bloomberg
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 18th Sep 2022
View this newsletter in full'Understaffed and overworked': Thousands of Minnesota nurses go on strike
Some 15,000 nurses in Minnesota walked off the job on Monday to protest hospital understaffing that their union says has harmed patient care and exhausted health workers as they negotiate a new contract with hospital executives. The strike, slated to last three days and described by the Minnesota Nurses Association as one of the largest in United States history, highlights nationwide health worker shortages that have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
12th Sep 2022 - Reuters
U.S. COVID cases continue to decline, as Minnesota nurses stage 3-day walkout over pay and understaffing
U.S. known cases of COVID are continuing to ease and now stand at their lowest level since early May, although the true tally is likely higher given how many people are testing at home, where the data are not being collected. The daily average for new cases stood at 66,159 on Sunday, according to a New York Times tracker, down 25% from two weeks ago. Cases are now rising in just three states: South Carolina, Missouri and Texas. They are flat in West Virginia and falling everywhere else, the tracker shows. The daily average for hospitalizations was down 8% at 35,249, while the daily average for deaths is down 22% to 375. In Minnesota, thousands of nurses launched a three-day walkout on Monday in protest over issues of pay and understaffing that they say has got worse because of the pandemic, the Associated Press reported.
12th Sep 2022 - MarketWatch
Covid-19 Is Still Killing Hundreds of Americans Daily
Mark Pfundheller promptly got his first two Covid-19 shots and a booster, his family said, knowing the disease was a threat related to treatment for an inflammatory disorder that compromised his immune system. The 66-year-old former aviation consultant for Wisconsin’s Transportation Department caught the virus in April at a family wedding near his home in southern Wisconsin, where many guests were infected. Mr. Pfundheller died in a Madison, Wis., hospital on July 2 after an illness including time on a ventilator. His was one of nearly 200,000 Covid-19 deaths in the U.S. this year, according to death-certificate data. While the virus has become less risky for many thanks in part to immunity from vaccines and prior infections, it is still killing hundreds each day. Most are older people, and many have underlying health conditions and compromised immune systems, doctors said.
11th Sep 2022 - The Wall Street Journal
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 5th Sep 2022
View this newsletter in fullShenzhen Tells Most Residents to Stay Home, as Covid-19 Controls Tighten Across China
China’s southern technology hub of Shenzhen is shutting down the city center over the weekend, as more parts of the country tighten Covid-19 controls to battle a new wave of infections just weeks ahead of a high-profile Communist Party congress.
4th Sep 2022 - The Wall Street Journal
‘70 per cent of hospital beds for children with Covid already full in Hong Kong’
Some children have been admitted to adult wards instead, Hospital Authority Chief Manager Dr Lau Ka-hin says. Professor Lau Yu-lung also predicts more transmissible Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants may account for 90 per cent of city’s caseload.
2nd Sep 2022 - South China Morning Post
'Uncertain trend' of Covid-19 infections in Northern Ireland as positive cases rise
The Office for National Statistics has said there is an “uncertain trend” in Covid-19 infections in Northern Ireland after around one in 50 people tested positive last month. It's despite falling levels in the rest of the UK, with England dropping below one million for the first time since the start of June. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the uncertain trend here comes after 35,800 people were likely to have tested positive for Covid-19 in the week to August 23, the equivalent of around one in 50. This is up from 26,400, or one in 70, in the week to August 16.
2nd Sep 2022 - Belfast Telegraph
Russia reports most daily COVID-19 cases since March
Russia recorded 50,952 new COVID-19 infections over the last 24 hours, the government's coronavirus task force said on Friday, the highest daily tally in almost six months. Case numbers have climbed across Russia over the last six weeks, fuelled by the spread of new highly-transmissible variants of the coronavirus. Friday's tally was the highest number of new cases reported in a 24-hour period since March 10.
2nd Sep 2022 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 2nd Sep 2022
View this newsletter in fullNZ to review COVID-19 settings this month
New Zealand won't be rushed into ditching its remaining COVID-19 restrictions as Australia opts to loosen pandemic rules. This week, Australian leaders agreed to cut isolation requirements from seven days to five for all but workers in high-risk settings, while also ditching masks on domestic flights.
2nd Sep 2022 - The Advocate
WHO: New COVID cases, deaths keep falling nearly everywhere
The number of new coronavirus cases and deaths reported globally continued to fall nearly everywhere in the world in what the World Health Organization described as a “welcome decline” at a media briefing on Wednesday
1st Sep 2022 - The Independent
Chengdu locks down 21.2 million people as Chinese cities battle Covid-19
One of China’s biggest cities, Chengdu, announced a lockdown of its 21.2 million residents as it launched four days of citywide Covid-19 testing, as some of country’s most populous and economically important urban centers battle outbreaks. All residents in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, were ordered to stay largely at home from 6 p.m. on Thursday, with households allowed to send one person per day to shop for necessities, the city government said in a statement.
1st Sep 2022 - CNBC
Hong Kong COVID cases hit 10586 amid concerns over tighter restrictions
Hong Kong reported 10,586 new COVID-19 infections on Thursday as a rise in daily cases triggers concerns that authorities will tighten COVID-19 restrictions just as the government has gradually relaxed some of the world's most stringent measures. Government advisers have said the recent rise in infections was expected and dismissed the need for tighter restrictions, according to local media.
1st Sep 2022 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 1st Sep 2022
View this newsletter in full‘Elderly residents make up four-fifths’ of Hong Kong’s hospitalised Covid cases
Hospital Authority Chief Manager Dr Lau Ka-hin says 2,100 of the coronavirus patients sent to public facilities were aged 60 and above. But former authority chief executive calls for clearer guidelines on types of chronic illnesses that require patient observation to help ease demand for hospital beds
30th Aug 2022 - South China Morning Post
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 31st Aug 2022
View this newsletter in fullCoronavirus: UAE reports 512 Covid-19 cases, 536 recoveries, no deaths
The UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention on Tuesday reported 512 cases of the Covid-19 coronavirus, along with 536 recoveries and no deaths. Total active cases stand at 18,818. The new cases were detected through 346,725 additional tests.
The total number of cases in UAE as on August 30 are 1,014,899, while total recoveries stand at 993,740. The death toll now stands at 2,341.
30th Aug 2022 - Khaleej Times
Flu season could be 'worse than previous two years' amid fears of Covid-19 surge
Flu season may be worse than the previous two years, health officials have warned - amid fears there could be a "surge" in Covid-19 cases. Health leaders need to prepare an “agile response” to the impending flu season, global health officials have said. It has been suggested the flu season may be worse than the previous two years, when people were still largely adopting preventative measures to avoid Covid-19 and social distancing and mask wearing may have kept many flu cases at bay. The European arm of the World Health Organisation (WHO) said it is too early to predict whether the UK could face a bad flu season but said health systems need to be ready.
30th Aug 2022 - Wales Online
COVID-19 tracker: Tokyo reports 14,219 new cases, down by about 7,500 from week before
Tokyo reported 14,219 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, down by about 7,500 the week before, the metropolitan government said. Of the reported patients, 1,537 were age 65 and older while 3,106 people were 19 years old and younger. The government said 26 people died from the disease. Japan’s daily coronavirus tally totaled 95,916 cases on Monday, falling below 100,000 for the first time in six weeks. While numbers for Mondays are typically lower than for other days due to reduced testing on the weekend, the last time the nationwide tally was below six digits was on July 19.
30th Aug 2022 - Japan Times
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 30th Aug 2022
View this newsletter in fullHong Kong daily Covid numbers set to hit 10,000 mark ‘in coming days’
Government advisers say latest developments are expected, further tightening of social-distancing rules not required. Health officials report 9,708 new infections, including 213 imported cases, on Sunday while 10 more deaths are recorded
28th Aug 2022 - South China Morning Post
Pandemic's impact on U.S. productivity may be a wash, research shows
The coronavirus pandemic touched off a scramble among U.S. firms and households to adapt their work lives and business models, with work-from-home arrangements and teleconferencing tools boosting what some employees could do, and new technology helping even the smallest cafes do more with less. But the crisis also brought a wave of inefficiency in the form of snarled supply chains, time and money spent on cleaning and health management, and hiring difficulties that still keep some businesses below capacity.
27th Aug 2022 - Reuters
Egypt sees 55% decline in coronavirus cases, 37% drop in fatalities: Health minister - Health - Egypt
Egypt has seen a drop of 55 percent in coronavirus infections and a decline of 37 percent in pandemic-linked deaths, Health Minister Khaled Abdel-Ghaffar said in a cabinet meeting on Thursday.
27th Aug 2022 - Ahram Online
Chinese city’s residents made to queue for Covid tests in heat above 40C
Residents of the south-western Chinese city of Chongqing have been queueing on the streets to be tested for Covid, despite extreme temperatures that have soared past 40C (104F) this week. Photos posted on Chinese social media also showed health workers testing residents while wearing full hazmat suits in the heatwave. Other images showed that the tests were being carried out while bushfires raged in the background, prompting descriptions of the situation as “apocalyptic”. The city of more than 31 million people reported eight new confirmed Covid cases on Friday. Authorities said that as of midnight on Thursday, Chongqing had had 105 cases.
26th Aug 2022 - The Guardian
Hainan’s Covid chaos exposes the bad, ugly – and scary – of China’s virus control measures
My family’s 23-day holiday nightmare is finally over. But it serves as more that just a cautionary tale for travellers in zero-Covid China. It’s a story of local officials ignoring direct orders from Beijing, and an arbitrary, abusable health code system being used for social control.
26th Aug 2022 - South China Morning Post
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 26th Aug 2022
View this newsletter in fullCovid-19 death registrations fall for second week in a row
Deaths involving Covid-19 registered in England and Wales have fallen for the second week in a row, suggesting they are now on a downward trend. Some 592 deaths registered in the seven days to August 12 mentioned coronavirus on the death certificate, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) – down 18% on the previous week. Deaths had risen during June and July due to the wave of infections caused by the BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron subvariants of Covid-19. But the latest figures confirm this wave peaked at 810 deaths in the week to July 29.
25th Aug 2022 - The Independent
N. Korea sees suspected COVID-19 cases after victory claim
North Korea on Thursday said it found four new fever cases in its border region with China that may have been caused by coronavirus infections, two weeks after leader Kim Jong Un declared a widely disputed victory over COVID-19
25th Aug 2022 - The Independent
N.Korea reports unknown fever cases near China border, denies COVID
North Korea's state media said on Thursday that a fever outbreak of unknown origin has emerged in a region bordering China, but it was not the novel coronavirus over which the country declared victory this month. Four fever cases "suspected of being infected with malignant epidemic" were reported from Ryanggang Province near the border with China on Tuesday, prompting authorities to immediately lock down the area and mobilise medical teams, the official KCNA news agency said, citing the State Emergency Epidemic Prevention Headquarters.
25th Aug 2022 - Reuters
Why have there been excess deaths this summer?
The first two years of the pandemic brought a tragic loss of life, with over 120,000 excess deaths, almost all of which were a direct result of COVID-19. Early in 2022 there were fewer deaths than normal for the time of year. The picture worsened as we moved into spring and summer, with the Office for National Statistics reporting 11,600 more deaths than average in the last eight weeks, only a small fraction of which arose during the heatwave. Excess deaths, typically a niche interest for actuaries and demographers, have made front page news. Speculation is rife as to the underlying causes with suggestions such as ‘lockdown effects feared to be killing more people than COVID’.
25th Aug 2022 - UK in a Changing Europe
Malaysia continues to record two-digit Covid-19 fatalities, slight dip in cases
The country continued to record two-digit Covid-19 fatalities while new daily cases showed a slight dip with 2,636 infections on Wednesday (Aug 24). Health Ministry's CovidNow portal today reported that five of the new cases were imported while 2,631 were locally transmitted cases. On Aug 24, the country reported 2,722 daily Covid-19 infections and 11 deaths.
25th Aug 2022 - New Straits Times
Singapore must prepare for year-end Covid-19 wave possibly caused by variant of concern
With around seven in 10 people here having been infected with Covid-19, the next big wave will likely be a wave of reinfections. While Singapore is more resilient now given that its current wave has just subsided, the Republic needs to be prepared for a year-end wave that may be caused by a variant of concern that dodges immunity from past infection, said Health Minister Ong Ye Kung on Wednesday morning (Aug 24). Mr Ong noted at a multi-ministry task force (MTF) on Covid-19 press conference that reinfection cases have climbed to about 5.5 per cent of infections here this month, compared with about 3 per cent of cases the last time he updated Parliament.
25th Aug 2022 - The Straits Times
Twice as many people died with Covid in UK this summer compared with 2021
Twice as many deaths involving Covid occurred this summer compared with last summer, according to analysis of new data – though rates have fallen in recent weeks as the latest wave decreases in severity in the UK. Although the overall number of deaths of people with Covid in 2022 remains far below last year, the summer months have bucked that trend. More than 5,700 Covid deaths have been registered since 8 June when two Omicron subvariants became dominant. This is 95% higher than in the same period last year when there were 2,936 deaths involving Covid across the UK. However, the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) also indicate that deaths caused by the latest Covid wave – fuelled by the two more transmissible Omicron subvariants, BA.4 and BA.5, which became dominant in early June – are on the wane.
23rd Aug 2022 - The Guardian
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 25th Aug 2022
View this newsletter in fullChinese mainland reports 380 new local confirmed COVID-19 cases
The Chinese mainland on Tuesday reported 380 locally-transmitted confirmed COVID-19 cases, of which 264 were in Hainan Province, the National Health Commission said Wednesday. Altogether 1,261 local asymptomatic carriers were newly identified on Tuesday, including 543 in Tibet and 336 in Hainan, said the commission in its report. A total of 718 COVID-19 patients were discharged from hospitals after recovery on the Chinese mainland on Tuesday.
24th Aug 2022 - Xinhua
Covid-19: India logs 10,649 new infections, active cases reduce to 96,442
India has recorded 10,649 new Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours, taking the country's cumulative caseload to 4,43,68,195, according to Union Health Ministry data on Wednesday. Currently, the country's active caseload stands below one-lakh mark, that is, 96,442 infections. The active cases comprises 0.22 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 98.59%, the health ministry said. The daily positivity rate was recorded at 2.62% and the weekly positivity rate was recorded at 3.32%. A total of 4,37,44,301 have been recovered from the coronavirus infection in the country since the onset of pandemic, including 10,677 recoveries recorded in the span of 24 hours.
24th Aug 2022 - Mint
Covid 19: How many lives did NZ's pandemic response save?
A new analysis has shown how New Zealand's pandemic response left it with one of the lowest rates of excess mortality in the world – sparing it the thousands of extra deaths seen even in "elimination" countries like Taiwan and Australia. But the Otago University public health experts who crunched the data say that, with the Zero-Covid era now well behind us, there's much more the Government could be doing to keep Kiwis safer. It comes as the Ministry of Health announced another 17 virus-related deaths today, and 3140 new Covid-19 cases.
24th Aug 2022 - New Zealand Herald
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 24th Aug 2022
View this newsletter in fullChinese tourists stranded in Tibet as coronavirus cases in China reach three-month high
The Tibetan local government says more than 4,000 tourists are stranded in the region. The outbreak in the south-west province is spreading across China, inlcuding to Shanghai. Coronavirus cases numbers in China are at a three-month high
24th Aug 2022 - ABC News
China reopens the door to foreign students after 2 years of Covid lockouts
Students with valid residence permits will be able to re-enter the country from Wednesday, according to notices at various embassies. Decision only applies to long-term academic study and not to vocational courses
24th Aug 2022 - South China Morning Post
Coronavirus: UAE reports 612 Covid-19 cases, 591 recoveries, no deaths
The UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention on Tuesday reported 612 cases of the Covid-19 coronavirus, along with 591 recoveries and no deaths. Total active cases stand at 19,292. The new cases were detected through 225,410 additional tests. The total number of cases in UAE as on August 23 are 1,011,011, while total recoveries stand at 989,378. The death toll now stands at 2,341.
23rd Aug 2022 - Khaleej Times
New South Australian COVID-19 modelling shows next wave of cases coming in November
There have been fewer than 1,000 new COVID-19 each day in South Australia
A new wave is expected in November. The Health Minister says the modelling does not take into account any new variants
23rd Aug 2022 - ABC News
Japan reports record daily COVID-19 deaths at over 330
Japan saw a record 343 daily COVID-19 deaths on Tuesday amid the ongoing seventh wave of coronavirus infections, exceeding the previous high of 327 logged during the previous wave in late February, according to a tally of new cases across the country. The death toll is also quickly mounting as monthly virus-related deaths exceeded 5,000 for the first time on Tuesday with more than a week left to go in August. Newly confirmed infections also reached 208,551 after dipping under 200,000 the previous day, heightening concern that as infection cases remain high, related deaths are likely to increase further. Osaka Prefecture reported 42 new deaths from coronavirus infection, while there were 25 confirmed in both Tokyo and neighboring Kanagawa and 19 each in Saitama and Fukuoka.
23rd Aug 2022 - Kyodo News Plus
Hong Kong police chief tests positive for Covid-19; rise in serious cases 'expected' expert says
Hong Kong’s police chief has become the latest high-profile figure to test positive for Covid-19, as a leading microbiologist said that the steady rise in cases requiring hospital treatment was “within expectation.” The government announced on Tuesday that the Commissioner of Police Raymond Siu tested positive for Covid-19 through a rapid antigen test and was undergoing isolation.
23rd Aug 2022 - Hong Kong Free Press
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 23rd Aug 2022
View this newsletter in fullMarshall Islands Face First COVID-19 Outbreak
Covid-19 infection numbers have recently surged in the Marshall Islands, days after the first detected local spread of the virus. In the capital city of Majuro, total cases have nearly doubled since Friday. Reportedly, approximately 75% of the islands’ rests were returning as positive. Previous stringent COVID-19 restrictions meant that several Pacific islands were able to keep COVID-19 at bay. On Monday, the first local spread was confirmed. The government declared a “state of health disaster”, closing schools and introducing a variety of public health measures.
22nd Aug 2022 - YAHOO!News
Covid-19 cases on the decline in Delhi, positivity rate at 7.25%
The highest positivity rate recorded during the current surge of infections was 19.20 per cent when fewer tests were conducted on Independence Day, reported a day later on the health bulletin for August 16.
22nd Aug 2022 - The Indian Express
Pakistan reports 416 new COVID-19 cases, 3 more deaths
Pakistan recorded 416 new COVID-19 cases and three new deaths from the pandemic on Sunday, its ministry of health said on Monday. The total tally of the infected people increased to 1,566,652 in the country with the fresh cases, according to data released by the ministry. According to the ministry's statistics, a total of 30,555 people died of COVID-19 in Pakistan with the three newly reported ones. On Sunday, 16,764 tests were conducted across Pakistan, and the positivity rate stood at 2.48 percent.
22nd Aug 2022 - Xinhua
COVID-19 tracker: Tokyo reports 15085 new cases
Tokyo confirmed 15,085 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday, down by about 8,000 from a week before. The finding comes after the daily caseload in the capital rose week-on-week for the third straight day through Sunday. The seven-day average of new infections in Tokyo came to 24,742.6, compared with 26,379.1 a week before, while the number of COVID patients with severe symptoms under Tokyo’s criteria fell by two from Sunday to 36. Twenty-two deaths linked to the virus were also reported Monday. On Sunday, 226,171 new cases were reported across the country, up by some 47,800 from a week before and standing above 200,000 for the fifth straight day.
22nd Aug 2022 - The Japan Times
UK Covid-19 Infections at Lowest Level for Two Months
Covid-19 infections in the UK have fallen to their lowest level for two months, in fresh evidence the current wave of the virus is receding, figures show. The number of patients in hospital with the virus is also continuing to drop, though health experts warned infections are likely to rise again in the autumn and winter. A new booster jab will be offered to everyone in the UK aged 50 and over from next month, as well as those with underlying health conditions, to increase protection ahead of the future waves of the virus.
22nd Aug 2022 - Bloomberg
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 22nd Aug 2022
View this newsletter in fullChina's Virus Hotspots Keep Cases Elevated, Fuel Fears of Spread
China reported its worst week of Covid infections since mid-May, fueled by outbreaks in vacation hotspots that risk spreading across the country as travelers return. The country reported 2,678 cases for Thursday, down from 3,424 a day earlier. Still, there were more than 18,000 new local infections in the seven days through Aug. 18, China’s worst week since mid-May, amid outbreaks in Hainan, Tibet and Xinjiang that stranded tourists and threw the travel plans of thousands of people into disarray.
20th Aug 2022 - Bloomberg
Covid 19 Omicron outbreak: 3302 new cases, 10 virus-related deaths as subvariant takes over Aotearoa
There are 3302 new community cases of Covid-19 in New Zealand today, the Ministry of Health reports. There have been a further 10 deaths of people with Covid, with 467 people in hospital and seven in ICU. The seven-day rolling average of hospitalisations is 515, while last Saturday there were 594 people in hospital. The spread of people in hospital by area includes: Northland: 17; Waitematā: 61; Counties Manukau: 39; Auckland: 54; Waikato: 76; Bay of Plenty: 19; Lakes: 11; Hawke's Bay: 41; MidCentral: 25; Whanganui: 4; Taranaki: 8; Tairawhiti: 1; Wairarapa: 3; Capital & Coast: 19; Hutt Valley: 15; Nelson Marlborough: 6; Canterbury: 40; West Coast: 4; South Canterbury: 6; Southern: 18. There are now a total of 1824 deaths confirmed as attributable to Covid, either as the underlying cause of death or as a contributing factor.
20th Aug 2022 - New Zealand Herald
Chinese mainland reports 578 new local confirmed COVID-19 cases
The Chinese mainland on Friday reported 578 locally-transmitted confirmed COVID-19 cases, of which 469 were in Hainan Province, the National Health Commission said Saturday
20th Aug 2022 - Xinhua
UK Covid-19 infections at lowest level for two months
Covid-19 infections in the UK have fallen to their lowest level for two months, in fresh evidence the current wave of the virus is receding, figures show. The number of patients in hospital with Covid-19 is also continuing to drop, though health experts warned infections are likely to rise again in the autumn and winter. A new booster jab will be offered to everyone in the UK aged 50 and over from next month, as well as those with underlying health conditions, to increase protection ahead of future waves. A total of 1.7 million people in private households are estimated to have had Covid-19 in the week to August 8, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
19th Aug 2022 - The Independent
Sask.'s 1st monthly COVID-19 report details increase in confirmed outbreaks, hospital admissions
Saskatchewan's first monthly COVID-19 epidemiology report, released Thursday, says 27 people with the virus died from July 17 to Aug. 13. The number of confirmed outbreaks in the province jumped to 46 in this reporting period from three in the previous three weeks. Saskatchewan only tracks outbreaks at long-term care and personal care homes — or where the risk of severe health outcomes is the highest. In those facilities outbreaks are declared when at least one person (a patient, resident or health-care worker) tests positive for COVID-19.
19th Aug 2022 - CBC.ca
Hong Kong Reopens Major Covid Site as Cases Hit Four-Month High
Hong Kong will reopen one of its biggest Covid-19 isolation facilities as case numbers hit the highest in more than four months, putting strain on the hospital system and sparking uncertainty around whether the city can further ease virus policies. Officials will have an additional 200 beds at Asia World Expo starting next week, with 100 health care workers to staff the facility, Lau Ka-hin, chief manager of quality and standards at the Hospital Authority, said at a briefing on Friday. It’s part of a new stage of Covid management to alleviate pressure on the health-care system. Non-emergency services at hospitals will also be further reduced in order to free up beds and manpower, he said.
19th Aug 2022 - Bloomberg
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 19th Aug 2022
View this newsletter in fullTaiwan confirms first domestic cluster of COVID-19 BA.4 subvariant
The first domestic cluster infection of the BA.4 Omicron subvariant of the COVID-19 virus has been confirmed in northern Taiwan, within a single family, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said Thursday. The latest BA.4 infection has been found in the wife of a man who was listed Monday as the country's first domestic case of that variant, Lo Yi-chun, deputy head of the CECC's response division, said at a press briefing. Four members of the family -- the couple and their two children -- all tested positive for COVID-19 a few days ago, and genome sequencing has confirmed that both parents are infected with the BA.4 variant, Lo said.
18th Aug 2022 - Focus Taiwan
Malaysia reports 3516 new COVID-19 infections, 15 new deaths
Malaysia reported 3,516 new COVID-19 infections as of midnight Wednesday, bringing the national total to 4,744,929, according to the health ministry. There were three new imported cases, with 3,513 cases being local transmissions, data released on the ministry's website showed. Another 15 deaths were reported, pushing the death toll to 36,117. The ministry reported 2,541 new recoveries, bringing the total number of cured and discharged to 4,667,11
18th Aug 2022 - Xinhua
2,143 new Covid inpatients, 29 more deaths
The country registered 29 more Covid-19 fatalities and 2,143 new cases admitted to hospitals during the previous 24 hours, the Public Health Ministry announced on Thursday morning.
18th Aug 2022 - ฺBangkok Post
Singapore reports 3762 new COVID-19 cases
Singapore reported 3,762 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, bringing the country's total tally to 1,805,698. Of the new cases, 382 cases were detected through PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests and 3,380 through antigen rapid tests (ART), according to statistics released by the Ministry of Health. Among the PCR-confirmed cases, 352 were local transmissions and 30 were imported cases. Among the ART-confirmed cases with mild symptoms and assessed to be of low risk, there were 3,207 local transmissions and 173 imported cases, respectively.
A total of 479 cases are currently warded in hospitals, with 11 cases in intensive care units.
18th Aug 2022 - Xinhua
China's Covid Cases Surge to Three-Month High on Hainan Outbreak
China’s Covid-19 cases surged to a three-month high, driven by a worsening outbreak in the southern island province of Hainan that has become the country’s biggest since Shanghai was locked down in the spring. The rising number of infections in other hot spots is also causing alarm, with hundreds of vehicles stuck on a state highway in Tibet after a neighboring province refused to allow travelers from the region -- which is experiencing its own nascent outbreak -- to enter. Authorities in the coastal city of Xiamen, meanwhile, began testing fishermen and their daily catches for the virus, for fear that it may be spreading through illegal trade and interaction among fishermen.
18th Aug 2022 - Bloomberg
COVID-19 hospitalizations due to Omicron are vastly underreported: grassroots organization
With provinces releasing less frequent data on COVID-19 three years into the pandemic, a group of volunteer experts has been releasing their own analysis of cases, highlighting a vast underreporting of hospitalizations and deaths in Canada due to the Omicron variant. Recent figures based on this analysis show that expected hospitalizations from Omicron could be 70 per cent higher on average than what has been reported since Dec. 2, 2021, if the rest of the country reported as Quebec did. "If each province reported in a similar fashion as Quebec, which is the gold standard in Canada for complete and timely reporting of severe COVID outcomes, then these numbers would look very different from those that have been reported," Tara Moriarty, an infectious disease expert at the University of Toronto and the co-founder of COVID-19 Resources Canada, told CTVNews.ca on Tuesday.
18th Aug 2022 - CTV News
Most people with Omicron didn't even realise they had COVID-19, study finds
Most people who were infected with the Omicron variant didn't even realise they had COVID-19, according to a new study from Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre in the US. The lack of public awareness about being infected means that people can't take steps to prevent themselves transmitting the virus further, which is a major stumbling block for addressing new waves of the pandemic. "More than one in every two people who were infected with Omicron didn't know they had it," said Dr Susan Cheng, a corresponding author of the study which is published in JAMA Network Open.
18th Aug 2022 - Sky News
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 18th Aug 2022
View this newsletter in fullTwo test positive for COVID-19 after traveling back to Shanghai
Shanghai reported two COVID-19 community infections on Wednesday, both asymptomatic cases who traveled back from other Chinese provinces recently. The 33-year-old female, who lives in downtown Huangpu District, had traveled to southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region. The other case, a 27-year-old male truck driver from Hongkou District, returned from a self-driving tour outside Shanghai on Sunday. "Apart from the cases related to a foot massage parlor in Xuhui (District), most local infections reported recently had traveled to other provinces or cities," said Zhao Dandan, deputy director of the Shanghai Health Commission.
18th Aug 2022 - SHINE
Covid 19 coronavirus: How many Kiwis haven't had the virus?
One year on from the day New Zealand forever left the Covid-free comfort of Level 1, a modeller says Kiwis who haven't yet caught the virus are now a minority. But without a nationwide infection prevalence survey – soon to be launched by the Ministry of Health – it remains unclear just how many Kiwis have been exposed to Covid-19. As at today, the official case tally stood at 1,696,239 – that's a third of our resident population – of which just 28,775 were probable reinfections. But as Professor Michael Plank, of Covid-19 Modelling Aotearoa, pointed out, these were only those cases that had been notified after people got themselves tested and reported their results. "The proportion of infections that are reported is probably somewhere between 40 per cent and 65 per cent," Plank said.
17th Aug 2022 - New Zealand Herald
COVID-19 levels remain high in Ottawa as indicators decline
While many of the key indicators of COVID-19 levels in Ottawa have dropped, public health officials say levels remain high in the community. Ottawa Public Health (OPH) says the local vaccination rate of children under five is among the highest in the province. Earlier this month, the province's chief medical officer of health said the seventh wave of COVID-19 in Ontario had peaked. Health officials say the current wave is driven by the BA.5 coronavirus subvariant, and is again straining a health-care system already stretched thin by staff shortages.
17th Aug 2022 - CBC.ca
Russia's daily COVID cases cross 30000 for first time since mid-March
Russia reported 33,106 new daily coronavirus cases on Wednesday, authorities said, the highest figure since mid-March this year. Sixty-three people in Russia died of coronavirus over the past day, the country's taskforce against the virus said. Russia said in early July that it was ending all restrictions to combat the spread of COVID-19, including the requirement to wear masks, citing a steady decline in deaths from the virus.
17th Aug 2022 - Reuters
China reports 3036 new COVID cases for Aug 16 vs 2526 day earlier
China reported 3,036 new coronavirus cases for Aug. 16, of which 637 were symptomatic and 2,399 were asymptomatic, the National Health Commission said on Wednesday. That compared with 2,526 new cases a day earlier - 591 symptomatic and 1,935 asymptomatic infections, which China counts separately.
There were no new deaths, leaving the nation's death count at 5,226. As of Aug. 16, mainland China had confirmed 236,898 cases with symptoms.
17th Aug 2022 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 17th Aug 2022
View this newsletter in fullEgypt's COVID-19 situation remains stable, cases down 50%: Minister
Minister of Health and Population Khaled Abdel-Ghaffar said on Monday that the epidemiological situation of the coronavirus in Egypt is currently stable. “We are in a safe stage, and we have had a decrease in the last two weeks in the number of community cases by up to 50 percent in infections, and 26 percent in deaths,” he explained. The Minister of Health explained that the hospital occupancy rate of coronavirus patients is currently very low – the lowest point since the beginning of the pandemic. He added that his ministry had reserved considering the current situation as a sixth wave, as it has already declined in a short period.
16th Aug 2022 - Egypt Independent
N.S. COVID-19: Rise in cases, hospitalizations in July
Nova Scotia is reporting a rise in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations for the month of July, while the number of deaths decreased compared to previous months, according to the provincial government’s monthly COVID-19 summary. During July, health officials say nine people died from COVID-19, six fewer than what was reported for the month of June. Of the nine deaths, six people were aged 70 and older, and three were living in a long-term care facility.
16th Aug 2022 - CTV News Atlantic
China's service sector sustains recovery amid COVID-19 resurgence
China's service sector, a key driver of its economic growth, has sustained recovery momentum in July despite a resurgence of sporadic COVID-19 cases and a weak property market. The services production index grew 0.6 percent year on year last month, data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed. In the first seven months, the index dropped by 0.3 percent year on year, narrowing 0.1 percentage points from that of the first six months.
16th Aug 2022 - Xinhua
Chinese mainland reports 530 new local confirmed COVID-19 cases
The Chinese mainland on Monday reported 530 locally-transmitted confirmed COVID-19 cases, of which 426 were in Hainan Province, the National Health Commission said Tuesday. Altogether 1,838 local asymptomatic carriers were newly identified on the day, including 785 in Hainan, 629 in Tibet Autonomous Region and 248 in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, said the commission in its report. A total of 117 COVID-19 patients were discharged from hospitals after recovery on the Chinese mainland on Monday. The total number of COVID-19 patients discharged from hospitals after recovery reached 224,688 on the Chinese mainland as of Monday.
16th Aug 2022 - Xinhua
Shanghai reports 3 new local asymptomatic COVID cases, no symptomatic for Aug 15
Shanghai reported three new domestically transmitted asymptomatic coronavirus cases for Aug. 15, down from five a day earlier, while no local symptomatic cases were reported, versus one the day before, the city government said on Tuesday.
No cases were reported outside quarantined areas, compared with one the day before. Shanghai recorded no COVID-19-related deaths for Aug. 15, unchanged from a day earlier.
16th Aug 2022 - Reuters
China Covid Cases Near Three-Month High With Hainan, Tibet Outbreaks
China reported more than 2,000 new coronavirus infections for a fourth day as outbreaks flare across the country, raising the prospect of more disruptive restrictions in line with its Covid Zero strategy. Nationwide, there were 2,368 cases for Monday, near the highest level since May. More than half the infections are in the tropical island of Hainan, where an outbreak has stranded more than 150,000 tourists who have faced lockdowns, frequent testing and a dearth of flights.
16th Aug 2022 - Bloomberg
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 16th Aug 2022
View this newsletter in fullIkea Shanghai Lockdown: Panic After China Authorities Try to Quarantine Shoppers
Scenes of mayhem unfolded in an Ikea in Shanghai as health authorities tried to lock down the store on Saturday and quarantine those on site after learning someone who had been in contact with a Covid-19 patient had visited. News of the flash shutdown sent shoppers fleeing and screaming in an effort to get out of the building before the doors were locked, videos on social media showed. Shanghai’s 25 million residents are well versed in lockdowns, after being barred from leaving their homes for two months this spring in an effort to eradicate the virus.
16th Aug 2022 - Bloomberg
China Covid-19 Cases Top 2000 as More Lockdowns Imposed
China reported more than 2,000 local Covid-19 cases on Friday as infections in the southern Hainan island edged higher despite stricter curbs imposed earlier this week. The southern province, a popular tourist destination, reported 1,426 cases. More than 1,230 of them were in the beach resort city of Sanya, where more restrictions were added on Thursday. Hainan’s authorities had aimed to eliminate community transmission by Aug. 12.
15th Aug 2022 - Bloomberg
S.Korea reports 62078 new COVID-19 cases
South Korea recorded 62,078 new COVID-19 cases as of midnight Sunday compared to 24 hours ago, raising the total number of infections to 21,418,036, the health authorities said Monday. The daily caseload was down from 119,603 in the previous day due to fewer virus tests on the weekend, but it was higher than 55,262 tallied a week earlier, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). For the past week, the daily average number of confirmed cases was 124,829.
15th Aug 2022 - Xinhua
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 15th Aug 2022
View this newsletter in fullCovid reinfections: How likely are you to catch coronavirus again?
More than two years on from the first Covid case in the UK, millions of Britons have caught the virus and some have had it multiple times. Around one in 25 people in England are now testing positive for the virus,
12th Aug 2022 - The Independent
COVID-19: WHO names disease caused by new coronavirus
The announcement came as the death toll in mainland China has now reached more than 1,000, after 108 people died from the virus on Monday – the highest daily toll since the outbreak began late last year in the central Chinese city of Wuhan. Tedros said that “CO” stands for “corona”, “VI” for “virus” and “D” for “disease”, while “19” was for the year, as the outbreak was first identified on December 31. The WHO chief said the name had been chosen to avoid references to a specific geographical location, animal species or group of people in line with international recommendations for naming aimed at preventing stigmatisation.
12th Aug 2022 - Al Jazeera
FDA says 3 negative rapid tests needed for asymptomatic Covid cases
The Food and Drug Administration now recommends that people who have been exposed to the coronavirus should have three negative at-home tests, even if they don’t have symptoms. The FDA made the change Thursday based on evidence that people with an omicron infection — but who are asymptomatic — need multiple negative rapid antigen tests over a number of days to be sure they don’t have Covid. Rapid at-home tests are more likely to give a false negative result in asymptomatic cases. “If repeat testing is not performed after a negative result, an infection may be missed and people may unknowingly spread the SARS-CoV-2 virus to others, especially if they are not experiencing symptoms,” the FDA tweeted.
12th Aug 2022 - The Guardian
People Exposed to Coronavirus May Need to Take as Many as Three At-Home Tests, F.D.A. Says
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a new recommendation on Thursday that asymptomatic people who are using coronavirus antigen tests take at least three tests, each spaced 48 hours apart, to reduce the odds of missing an infection. People who have Covid-19 symptoms should take at least two tests, 48 hours apart, according to the agency.
The new guidelines come as the highly transmissible BA.5 subvariant of Omicron continues to spread, and after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention eased its recommendation for routine surveillance testing in most circumstances.
12th Aug 2022 - The New York Times
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 12th Aug 2022
View this newsletter in fullSingapore reports 7776 new COVID-19 cases
Singapore reported 7,776 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, bringing the total tally to 1,781,162. Of the new cases, 537 cases were detected through PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests and 7,239 through ART (antigen rapid test) tests, according to statistics released by the Ministry of Health. Among the PCR cases, 506 were local transmissions and 31 were imported cases. Among the ART cases with mild symptoms and assessed to be of low risk, there were 6,756 local transmissions and 483 imported cases, respectively. A total of 686 cases are currently warded in hospitals, with 22 cases in intensive care units.
12th Aug 2022 - Xinhua
WHO: COVID-19 deaths fall overall by 9%, infections stable
The number of coronavirus deaths fell by 9% in the last week while new cases remained relatively stable, according to the latest weekly pandemic report released by the World Health Organization Wednesday. The U.N. health agency said there were more than 14,000 COVID-19 deaths in the last week and nearly 7 million new infections. The Western Pacific reported a 30% jump in cases while Africa reported a 46% drop. Cases also fell by more than 20% in the Americas and the Middle East. The number of new deaths rose by 19% in the Middle East, while dropping by more than 70% in Africa, 15% in Europe and 10% in the Americas.
11th Aug 2022 - The Independent
Hospital admissions continue to fall as Covid-19 wave recedes
The rate of Covid-19 admissions to hospitals in England has fallen for the third week in a row, in fresh evidence the current wave of infections is receding. The overall number of patients testing positive for the virus is also continuing to drop and is down 40% from the recent peak. Infection levels rose from the end of May to mid-July, driven by the spread of the BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron subvariants. But data in the last few weeks has suggested the virus is now becoming less prevalent across the country.
11th Aug 2022 - Belfast Telegraph
COVID-19, arguably, has become endemic in India
It is time to deal with COVID-19 just like any other health condition and integrate COVID-19 interventions in general health service. The infectious disease ‘outbreaks’ or ‘epidemics’ or ‘pandemics’ share a fate — there is a day when the majority of them run their course and fade away. However, a small proportion (of epidemics or pandemics) transitions to the stage of endemicity, i.e., a level of transmission which is not considered to be a broad threat.
11th Aug 2022 - The Hindu
Number of people in Alberta hospitals with COVID-19 increases
The number of people in Alberta hospitals with COVID-19 continues to rise. New numbers released by the Alberta government on Wednesday revealed there were 748 patients in hospitals with COVID-19 on Aug. 8, up from 702 a week earlier. Of those patients, 28 are being treated in intensive-care units.
11th Aug 2022 - Global News
Health panel issues warning over COVID-19 in Japan
A health ministry advisory board has issued a warning over the coronavirus situation, saying that new infection cases remain at the highest level. The medical system has been under heavy strain, and the situation could become even more severe, the panel of experts said. The situation needs to be watched with the utmost caution as close contact opportunities are expected to increase amid the summer holiday season, it said. "New infection cases are starting to decrease in some areas, but we cannot be optimistic," National Institute of Infectious Diseases chief Takaji Wakita, who heads the advisory board, told a news conference after the panel's meeting on Wednesday. "We are concerned about future developments in the situation."
11th Aug 2022 - The Japan Times
Covid-19 cases mild but underreported, says Health experts amid rise in infection | Mint
As India is seeing a rise in Covid-19 cases, especially in the national capital, ahead of the festival season, experts feel that the infections are mild but are underreported. According to Dr S Chatterjee, Senior Consultant Internal Medicine at Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, it seems as if the coronavirus next wave has already started as a huge number of cases are coming and most of them are underreported. "The number of cases are huge at this moment in the city. I think it has been underreported because quite a few people not even getting themselves tested. The doctors also not advising and the patients are also not getting tested," Dr Chatterjee. He further said that if the testing is increased then the daily number of cases will also increase.
11th Aug 2022 - Mint
Russia's daily coronavirus cases jump to 25815
Russia reported 25,815 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, authorities said, the highest such figure since March 23. Fifty-two people in Russia died of coronavirus over the last day, the country's taskforce against COVID-19 said.
11th Aug 2022 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 11th Aug 2022
View this newsletter in fullAt 852, Covid cases in Mumbai spike by 79% in 24 hours
Mumbai on Wednesday reported 852 Covid-19 cases, the highest daily rise after July 1, and a single fatality, taking the tally to 11,29,285 and the toll to 19,661, the city civic body said. On July 1, the Metropolis reported 978 cases and two fatalities, before the daily number of cases started dipping gradually. Barring the first two days of this month, Mumbai has been reporting more than 400 coronavirus infections every day. The spike in the number of cases in the past 24 hours is nearly 79 per cent or 376 more compared to 476 infections reported on Tuesday.
11th Aug 2022 - The Indian Express
Covid-19: Delhi sees 2,146 new cases, 8 fatalities
The national capital saw 1,372 infections and six deaths on Sunday as the case positivity rate rose to 17.85 per cent, the highest since January 21, it said. On Tuesday, Delhi had reported 2,495 new coronavirus cases with a positivity rate of 15.41 per cent and seven fatalities.
11th Aug 2022 - Economic Times
China reports 1094 new COVID cases for Aug 9 vs 939 day earlier
Mainland China reported 1,094 new coronavirus cases for Aug. 9, of which 444 were symptomatic and 650 were asymptomatic, the National Health Commission said on Wednesday. That compared with 939 new cases a day earlier, made up of 399 symptomatic and 540 asymptomatic infections. China counts the symptomatic and asymptomatic cases separately. There were no new deaths, keeping the nation's fatalities at 5,226. As of Aug. 9, mainland China had confirmed 232,109 cases with symptoms.
10th Aug 2022 - Reuters
More Transmissible Omicron Sub-Variant Detected In Delhi
A new sub-variant of the coronavirus strain Omicron has been detected in samples sent for genome sequencing in Delhi's Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital, a top medical officer of the hospital said. The Omicron sub-variant BA 2.75 has been detected in many samples, LNJP Hospital Medical Director Dr Suresh Kumar told NDTV. The sub-variant has been found amid a sharp rise in COVID-19 cases and positivity rate, or cases per 100 tests, in the national capital. The number of people getting admitted to the hospital is also rising, the Medical Director said. This Omicron variant is spreading faster and likely escaping immunity from previous infection and vaccination, Dr Kumar said. "Omicron's sub-variant BA 2.75 has been found in the report. It has more transmission rate. This has emerged in the study report of 90 samples sent for genome sequencing. This new sub-variant also attacks people already having antibodies and also those who have taken vaccines," Dr Kumar said, news agency PTI reported.
10th Aug 2022 - NDTV
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 10th Aug 2022
View this newsletter in fullCovid-19: Covid-19: New Zealand to stay at orange as 5939 new community cases announced, 15 in ICU
Minister for Covid-19 Response Ayesha Verrall has confirmed that the country will stay at the orange traffic light setting as 5939 new community cases of Covid-19 in Aotearoa were reported by the Ministry of Health. She said there was still “significant pressure” on hospitals from winter illnesses though it was thought that Covid-19 cases may have peaked about 11,000 cases per day in mid-July. “Our response to Omicron is moving in the right direction, but loosening settings before we are completely on top of it risk infections going up again,” she said. “We just need to stay the course a little longer.”
9th Aug 2022 - Stuff
UAE reaches one million Covid-19 cases
The UAE on Tuesday surpassed one million Covid-19 infections since the start of the global outbreak. This milestone figure was reached after a further 919 cases were confirmed. The country's overall tally now stands at 1,000,556. Recoveries climbed to 979,362 after another 859 people beat the virus in the past 24 hours. There were no coronavirus-related deaths during the latest reporting period, with the toll standing at 2,337.
9th Aug 2022 - The National
India logs over 12,000 fresh Covid-19 cases in past 24 hours
For the third consecutive day, Covid-19 cases in India witnessed a downward journey on Tuesday with the country logging 12,751 new infections in the past 24 hours, according to the Union Health Ministry data. With this, the country's active caseload currently stands at 1,31,807. On Monday, India recorded 16,167 new Covid-19 cases, while the country had more than 18,000 infections on Sunday and over 19,000 cases on Saturday. The data shows that a total of 16,412 people recovered from the coronavirus infection in the last 24 hours, taking the country's cumulative recoveries to 4,35,16,071. The recovery rate remains consistent at 98.51%.
9th Aug 2022 - Mint
Rise in Covid-19 death registrations shows signs of slowing
The number of deaths involving Covid-19 registered each week in England and Wales has risen for the sixth week in a row – but there are signs the increase may be slowing down. A total of 810 deaths registered in the seven days to July 29 mentioned coronavirus on the death certificate, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). This is up 9% on the previous week and is the highest number since the seven days to April 29. It is the smallest percentage increase since mid-June, however
9th Aug 2022 - Evening Standard
Toyota suspends some Japan factory production due to COVID outbreak
Toyota Motor Corp said it would suspend the night shift operation on Tuesday at one production line at its factory in central Japan due to an outbreak of COVID-19, after it suspended operations there also on Monday night. The suspension comes as the Japanese automaker seeks to boost its production in earnest after COVID-19 lockdowns in China and a global chip shortage forced it to repeatedly scale back output in the April-June quarter, falling about 10% short of its initially planned target.
9th Aug 2022 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 9th Aug 2022
View this newsletter in fullCOVID-19 nation's third biggest killer
More Australians are expected to have died from COVID-19 so far this year than some of the country's traditionally largest killers, such as cardiovascular disease and lung cancer. New analysis by the Actuaries Institute has shown the COVID-19 death toll to the end of July to be 7100, making it the third largest cause of death in 2022. Only ischaemic heart diseases and dementia are expected to be a bigger cause of death than COVID-10, with each responsible for about 10,000 fatalities.
The analysis revealed deaths from cardiovascular disease, such as strokes, and lung cancer were expected to be about 5500 and 5400 respectively this year.
In the year to the end of April, excess mortality was 13 per cent, or 6800 deaths, with more than half of that due to COVID-19.
8th Aug 2022 - The West Australian
Omicron outbreak: Child among 13 Covid-related deaths, 4006 new cases today
A child under the age of 10 is among 13 deaths linked to Covid in today's Ministry of Health update. There are 4006 new community cases of Covid-19 in New Zealand today. There are 654 people in hospital with the virus, including 16 in intensive care. Health officials have reported a further 13 Covid-related deaths - including a child under the age of 10.
8th Aug 2022 - New Zealand Herald
Queensland's latest COVID-19 wave has passed, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says
Queensland has passed the peak of the third COVID-19 wave with it expected to end in the coming weeks, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says. Ms Palaszczuk made the announcement at the Ekka on Monday with hospitalisation numbers falling steadily since last month. "We actually peaked around July 25 … that's excellent news," she said. Chief Health Officer John Gerrard said the news came much earlier than national modelling had predicted. "We believe this fantastic result is because Queenslanders have responded to national advice. Namely to get heir boosters, stay at home when sick, take anti-viral medicines and wear a mask in indoor crowded environments," he said.
8th Aug 2022 - ABC News
India's daily COVID-19 caseload falls to 16167
India reported 16,167 new cases of COVID-19 during the past 24 hours, taking the total tally to 44,161,899 in the country, according to federal health ministry data released on Monday morning. Monday's new cases marked a decrease in comparison to the daily caseload of Sunday which was 18,738. Currently, India's active caseload stands at 135,510. The country also logged 41 related deaths during the past 24 hours, pushing the overall death toll to 526,730 since the beginning of the pandemic, the ministry said.
8th Aug 2022 - Xinhuanet
ONS records a continued fall in UK COVID-19 infections
Around 2.6 million people reported that they had the virus in the week to 26 July, while the previous week had recorded 3.2 million cases. The number of those in hospital with COVID-19 has also seen a significant decrease. Despite the considerable fall in infections, experts are still cautioning against complacency, warning that COVID-19 cases are still prevalent, with one in 25 people in England currently having the virus. However, vaccines are still helping protect people from severe illness. The COVID-19 infection rates from the ONS come from data collated by testing thousands of people from UK households – regardless of whether they have symptoms or not – in order to gauge how much of the virus is circulating.
8th Aug 2022 - PMLiVE
China's Tibet region faces rare COVID flareup, fresh curbs imposed
The Chinese autonomous region of Tibet, which had barely reported COVID patients for more than two years, is facing a spate of new infections, forcing it to impose various restriction in its second largest city. Tibet reported one infection with confirmed symptoms in January 2020, and then remained clear of cases for over 900 days, the best record among Chinese regions and provinces under China's "dynamic zero COVID" policy. Its disclosure of asymptomatic infections, which China counts separately, was less clear.
8th Aug 2022 - Reuters
China reports 940 new COVID cases for Aug 7 vs 868 a day earlier
China's Hainan, an island province dependent on tourism, locked down more areas on Monday, state media reported, as it battles its worst COVID-19 outbreak after seeing very few cases in the past two years compared with many other regions in the country. The province, which recorded just two local symptomatic COVID cases last year, has reported more than 1,500 domestically transmitted infections this month, including over 1,000 symptomatic ones. Although that is low by global standards, it is Hainan's biggest outbreak since the virus was first reported in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019.
8th Aug 2022 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 8th Aug 2022
View this newsletter in fullTamil Nadu sees 1,094 new Covid-19 cases
Tamil Nadu logged 1,094 new Covid-19 cases, including two returnees from Maharashtra and Karnataka, pushing the tally to 35,51,641 till date, the Health Department said on Saturday. There were no fresh fatalities and the death toll remained unchanged at 38,033, a bulletin said. As many as 1,431 people have recuperated from the virus in the last 24 hours, aggregating to 35,03,347 leaving, 10,261 active cases. Two districts accounted for most of the new cases with Chennai recording 239, Coimbatore 127 and the rest were spread across other districts. The neighboring Chengalpet, which has been reporting fresh cases in three districts till Friday, has added 94 new infections, indicating a decline in the cases.
7th Aug 2022 - The Indian Express
Top covid symptom is ‘sore throat’, says latest data
Covid-19 infections in the UK have jumped by around 7 per cent, with the ongoing rise still driven by the newest Omicron variants BA.4 and BA.5. Hospital numbers are also continuing to increase, with early signs of a rise in intensive care admissions among older age groups. A total of 3.8 million people in private households are estimated to have had in the week up to 14 July, according to the latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures. The previous week there were around 3.3 million cases across the UK. That is the highest estimate for total infections since late April, but is still some way below the record high of 4.9 million seen at the peak of the Omicron BA.2 wave at the end of March.
5th Aug 2022 - The Independent
How A Covid-19 Infection May Affect Your Period
Recently, Dr. Leslie Farland, an assistant professor at the University of Arizona’s Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, and a team of her colleagues studied menstruation changes after Covid infections. The research was conducted in 127 people ranging from ages 18 to 45 beginning in May 2020. All participants tested positive for Covid at some point between the beginning of the pandemic and now; the study is still ongoing. “Approximately 16% of menstruating participants who had Covid-19 reported changes to their menstrual cycle following infection,” Farland tells HuffPost. Participants most commonly reported irregular menstruation, an increase in premenstrual syndrome symptoms like mood swings and tiredness, and infrequent menstruation.
5th Aug 2022 - HuffPost UK
Covid-19: One in eight adults develops long covid symptoms, study suggests
One in eight covid-19 patients (12.7%) is likely to experience long term symptoms, a study from the Netherlands has reported. Using digital questionnaires, researchers collected data on the frequency of 23 symptoms commonly associated with covid in an uninfected population and in people who had had a covid diagnosis. The findings, published in the Lancet,1 found that 21.4% (381/1782) of adults who had had covid experienced at least one new or severely increased symptom three to five months after infection when compared with before. This compared with only 8.7% (361/4130) of uninfected people followed over the same period. The core long covid symptoms highlighted by the researchers include chest pain, difficulties breathing, pain when breathing, painful muscles, loss of taste and smell, tingling extremities, lump in throat, feeling hot and cold, heavy arms or legs, and general tiredness.
5th Aug 2022 - The BMJ
Even Mild Covid-19 May Cause Lasting Brain Fog
In previous installments of this series, we looked at new research that suggests even mild SARS-CoV-2 infection can impair cognitive function. The first step in this chain of events happens when the virus sets off an intense inflammatory response that eventually reaches the brain. Once there, inflammation triggers reactivity of microglial cells —the resident immune cells of the central nervous system— which produce yet more inflammation and interfere with the normal functioning of important cells, including oligodendrocytes and neural precursor cells (Figure 1).
Schematic of the pathway through which general inflammation causes cognitive dysfunction. But given that all of this happens off the back of inflammation, which we experience during any number of infections or injuries, wouldn’t we expect to see something similar unfold in other viral diseases? As part of their research, Fernández-Castañeda et al. asked themselves this same question. In the search for an answer, they turned to influenza.
Like Covid-19, the flu has also been associated with cognitive and neurological issues. And like SARS-CoV-2, influenza is rarely neuroinvasive — even though both viruses can infect the brain directly, as can many other viruses, it seems to happen only infrequently. It could be, then, that influenza causes cognitive issues through a similar mechanism as Covid.
5th Aug 2022 - Forbes
What is GBS, the syndrome behind SA’s first Covid-19 vaccine-related death?
The South African patient got vaccinated against the coronavirus, choosing the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 jab. But what happened soon after had everyone stumped and many health professionals floored. The patient developed Guillain Barré Syndrome (GBS), one of the possible side effects of the Janssen Covid-19 vaccine. A mere 100 000 people, globally, are affected by this disease a year – and few of them die from it. What is even more puzzling about this SA patient, whose details were withheld, is that they seemed relatively healthy and had no other diseases which could have led to their sudden death.
5th Aug 2022 - News24
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 5th Aug 2022
View this newsletter in fullAustralia's winter COVID wave may have peaked early, health minister says
Australia's COVID-19 winter outbreak fuelled by the new Omicron sub-variants BA.4/5 may have peaked early, Health Minister Mark Butler said on Thursday, as hospitals reported a steady fall in admissions over the past week. Australia is battling one of its worst flare-ups of the coronavirus driven by the fast-moving new Omicron sub-variants, putting severe strain on hospitals and retirement homes. But Health Minister Mark Butler flagged the worst could be over.
4th Aug 2022 - Reuters
Hong Kong reports 5020 new COVID cases on Thursday
Hong Kong reported more than 5,000 new COVID-19 infections on Thursday and three new deaths, as daily infections continue to rise. The Chinese-ruled city, which enforces some of the toughest COVID restrictions in the world, is expected to ease quarantine requirements for travellers in coming days. Its COVID policies are not as strict as in mainland China.
4th Aug 2022 - Reuters
Russia sees largest COVID cases daily increase since April
Russia registered 17,126 new cases of coronavirus in the last 24 hours, the highest daily increase since April 2, the country's anti-pandemic taskforce said in a statement. The taskforce said 44 people in Russia died of the disease in the previous day.
4th Aug 2022 - Reuters
New COVID case numbers in New Zealand trending lower, signs wave peaked
New Zealand's health ministry sees strong signs that the country's latest COVID-19 wave has peaked, as new cases continue to trend lower. The number of people in hospitals with COVID is also down on late July. "The case rates have continued to trend lower across all regions for the second week running," Andrew Old, head of the New Zealand Public Health Agency, told reporters on Thursday. In the past seven days there were on average 6,142 new cases daily of COVID, down from a seven-day rolling average of 7,776 new cases a week earlier, according to Health Ministry data released on Thursday.
4th Aug 2022 - Reuters
Global COVID cases trend down, with surges in Japan, Korea
After global cases rose through June, COVID activity appears to be declining, with a 9% drop last week compared to the week before, the WHO said. Two regions, however, reported increases, the Western Pacific, where cases rose 20%, and Africa, where illnesses were up 5%. The WHO has urged caution in interpreting trends based on cases, due to declines in testing and surveillance. In the Western Pacific region, the highest jumps were in Japan, which reported a 42% increase, and South Korea, which reported a 25% rise compared to the week before. Japan's cases are averaging more than 200,000 per day, with healthcare systems feeling pressure in some areas, partly due to COVID-19 illnesses in staff, according to the Japan Times. South Korea is reporting more than 100,000 cases a day, the highest since the middle of April, according to the Korea Herald.
4th Aug 2022 - CIDRAP
Utah's COVID-19 deaths jump, case counts dip, state reports
Another 28 Utahns died of COVID-19 in the past week, a dozen more than were reported a week ago, state health officials announced Thursday. As of Thursday, there have been 4,928 COVID-19 deaths in Utah since the start of the pandemic, according to the Utah Department of Health and Human Services. All but six of the deaths reported in the past week were Utahns ages 65 or older. Ten of those who died were 85 or older. Utah’s latest COVID-19 metrics released Thursday showed a 14% decrease in newly documented coronavirus cases since last week. But 70.6% of Utah wastewater sites continue to report high levels of the virus in sewers. Case counts are generally considered underreported because home tests are not recorded.
4th Aug 2022 - Salt Lake Tribune
Photo exposes stark difference in China’s Covid-19 lockdown rules
One photo has summed up the mind-boggling difference in Covid rules between two neighboring Chinese districts. The image, shared on social media by Council on Foreign Relations senior fellow for global health Yanzhong Huang, shows locals on one side of a street lining up for Covid tests, while on the other, diners are enjoying their restaurant meals. Dr Huang said the photo represented a “tale of two districts in Chengdu, (a city in) Sichuan province”. “Residents of Chenghua district (left) line up to be tested on Covid, while residents of Jinniu district (right) wait to get a nice meal,” he wrote. He said the Chenghua district was currently under strict lockdown rules after a concentration of Covid cases in the area.
4th Aug 2022 - New York Post
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 4th Aug 2022
View this newsletter in fullEli Lilly to make COVID-19 antibody drug commercially available from August
Eli Lilly and Co said on Wednesday it plans to make its COVID-19 antibody drug commercially available to U.S. states as well as hospitals and other healthcare providers from August. The drug, bebtelovimab, had received authorization in the United States in February for the treatment of mild-to-moderate COVID-19 among adults and children. Eli Lilly entered an agreement in June to supply an additional 150,000 doses of the drug to the U.S. government. The U.S. government will exhaust their supply of bebtelovimab as early as the week of August 22 and, without congressional appropriations, does not have the funds to purchase more, Lilly told Reuters.
4th Aug 2022 - Financial Post
Covid-19 Omicron outbreak: 6440 new Covid cases, 28 deaths, 704 in hospital
There are 6440 new Covid community cases reported today, with 704 people in hospital. There were 28 virus-related deaths reported in the Ministry of Health's latest daily update. The seven-day rolling average of cases is 6355. Last Wednesday, it was 8111. After today's update, there have been 1589 deaths confirmed to date as attributable to Covid-19 in New Zealand, either as the underlying cause of death or as a contributing factor.
3rd Aug 2022 - New Zealand Herald
Japan's daily COVID-19 cases hit record high of nearly 250,000
Japan reported 249,830 daily coronavirus cases Wednesday, hitting a record tally as the quickly soaring number renewed concerns over a straining medical system.
It was the second day running that the country saw over 200,000 new cases, with the last record reaching 233,000 cases Thursday last week as Japan faces its seventh wave of the pandemic. Tokyo saw 38,940 new cases, while Osaka Prefecture had 24,038 cases. Hyogo Prefecture, which reported 11,201 cases, and Aichi Prefecture, at 17,778, were among 24 areas reporting record infections Wednesday.
3rd Aug 2022 - Kyodo News Plus
Sri Lankan president says COVID-19 cases are rising again
COVID-19 cases and deaths are rising in Sri Lanka, and citizens should receive a fourth vaccine dose to prevent a possible surge of the coronavirus, the president said Tuesday. President Ranil Wickremesinghe said there were only three reported COVID-19 deaths in June. That rose to 35 in July, including 28 who succumbed after July 18. There were 283 confirmed cases in June and 1,616 in July, he said.
Wickremesinghe said in a statement that only 22,623 people have received a fourth vaccine dose, compared to 8 million who received a third dose. Sri Lanka has reported a total of 665,847 confirmed cases and 16,559 deaths from the virus.
3rd Aug 2022 - The Independent
COVID deaths: US stuck in 'horrible plateau,' experts say. Here's why.
"COVID is over" might trend within social media circles, but weekly U.S. death tolls tell a different story. The pace of COVID-19 deaths has remained relatively steady since May, despite an uptick in July to about 400 a day, according to a USA TODAY analysis of Johns Hopkins University data. “We’re sitting on this horrible plateau,” said Dr. Daniel Griffin, an infectious disease specialist with Pro Health Care in New York and a clinical instructor of medicine at Columbia University. “It’s been this way for the past couple of months, and we’re getting used to it.”
3rd Aug 2022 - USA TODAY
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 3rd Aug 2022
View this newsletter in fullCovid-19: Two months of 'substantially lower infections' ahead
New Zealand is likely in for “a couple of months” of lower Covid-19 infections now the second Omicron peak has passed, experts say. However, there are plenty of other viruses circulating and people should keep up health measures, such as wearing masks and staying home when sick, they say. A panel of health experts answered reader questions on all things Covid-19 – including what we should expect in the next six months – in a live discussion on Stuff.
2nd Aug 2022 - Stuff.co.nz
South Korea reports 3-month peak in daily COVID-19 cases
South Korea on Tuesday registered over 110,000 new cases of the novel coronavirus, the highest single-day number in three months, local media reported. As many as 111,789 new cases were confirmed over the past 24 hours, bringing the total caseload to over 19.93 million, according to the Yonhap News Agency. This represents a sharp rise from 44,689 cases reported on Monday. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency attributed the surge, which started in late June, to the omicron subvariant BA.5. The daily count climbed to over 10,000 on June 29 for the first time, before doubling by July 9 and hitting 100,000 last week.
2nd Aug 2022 - Anadolu Agency
Number of Covid-19 hospital patients in England down a quarter since latest peak
The number of hospital patients in England testing positive for Covid-19 has fallen by more than a quarter in just two weeks, in the latest sign the current wave of infections is receding. A total of 10,417 people with coronavirus were in hospital as of 8am on August 1, according to NHS England
2nd Aug 2022 - The Independent
Covid-19 deaths rise for fifth week in a row but levels remain low
The number of deaths involving Covid-19 registered each week in England and Wales has risen for the fifth week in a row, but levels continue to remain well below those seen in the early part of the pandemic. A total of 745 deaths registered in the seven days to July 22 mentioned coronavirus on the death certificate, according to the Office for National Statistics,
2nd Aug 2022 - Evening Standard
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 2nd Aug 2022
View this newsletter in fullCovid-19: Ontario hospitals close wards as nursing shortage bites
At least 14 hospitals in Canada’s most populous province are operating without key services this weekend as exhausted and depleted nursing staff struggle to cope with a surge in patients with covid-19. The closures include the intensive care unit at Bowmanville’s hospital and emergency departments at Wingham and Listowel. Hospitals in Alexandria, Brampton, Clinton, and Perth have also shut their emergency departments at times in recent weeks. “This decision was not made lightly,” a spokeswoman for the Bowmanville hospital told CTV News, explaining that intensive care patients would be transferred to Ajax Pickering and Oshawa hospitals. “We recognise the impact of this temporary relocation on patients and their families.” Toronto’s University Health Network revealed this week that the emergency department of Toronto Western Hospital was so understaffed last weekend that nursing students were called in.
1st Aug 2022 - The BMJ
Covid-19: Staff absences in July surged amid ongoing pressure on hospitals
NHS staff absences in England reached the highest peak in July since mid-April, amid continuing high numbers of SARS-CoV-2 infections and unrelenting demand for hospital beds. In a joint editorial published last week the editors of The BMJ and Health Service Journal, Kamran Abbasi and Alastair McLellan, sounded the alarm at the current situation and lamented the government’s inaction in tackling the “covid-driven collapse in services.” They argued, “The constant pressure created by repeated covid waves is already the main reason that the NHS is nowhere near reaching the activity levels needed to begin to recover performance. “The nation’s attempt to ‘live with covid’ is the straw that is breaking the NHS’s back. The government must stop gaslighting the public and be honest about the threat the pandemic still poses to them and the NHS.” Given the current trends, the editors also questioned the government’s assertion that the link between infections and hospital admissions had been broken.
1st Aug 2022 - The BMJ
China reports 393 new COVID cases for July 31 vs 541 day earlier
China reported 393 new coronavirus cases for July 31, of which 84 were symptomatic and 309 were asymptomatic, the National Health Commission said on Monday. That compared with 541 new cases a day earlier, 116 symptomatic and 425 asymptomatic infections, which China counts separately. There were no new deaths, leaving the nation's fatalities at 5,226. As of July 31, mainland China had confirmed 229,594 cases with symptoms.
1st Aug 2022 - Reuters
Biden feeling well, isolating after rebound case of COVID
U.S. President Joe Biden is feeling well and continuing his isolation measures after again testing positive for COVID-19, his physician said in a memo released by the White House on Sunday. Biden tested positive for COVID again on Saturday in what the White House doctor described as a "rebound" case seen in a small percentage of patients who take the antiviral drug Paxlovid."Given his rebound positivity which we reported yesterday, we continued daily monitoring. This morning, unsurprisingly, his SARS-CoV-2 antigen testing remained positive," the physician, Dr. Kevin O'Connor, said in the memo on Sunday.
1st Aug 2022 - Reuters
'Living with COVID': Where the pandemic could go next
As the third winter of the coronavirus pandemic looms in the northern hemisphere, scientists are warning weary governments and populations alike to brace for more waves of COVID-19. In the United States alone, there could be up to a million infections a day this winter, Chris Murray, head of the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), an independent modeling group at the University of Washington that has been tracking the pandemic, told Reuters. That would be around double the current daily tally.
1st Aug 2022 - Reuters
China factory activity sees shock contraction on Covid-19 outbreaks
China’s factory activity unexpectedly contracted in July, reversing earlier economic momentum as sporadic Covid-19 outbreaks weigh on the recovery. The official manufacturing purchasing managers index fell to 49 from 50.2 in June, the National Bureau of Statistics said Sunday. Economists had expected a reading of 50.3, according to the median estimate in a Bloomberg survey of economists. A reading above 50 indicates expansion from the previous month, while anything below indicates contraction. The non-manufacturing gauge, which measures activity in the construction and services sectors, decreased to 53.8 from 54.7 the previous month. That was below the consensus forecast of 53.9.
1st Aug 2022 - News24
COVID in WA: Pressure eased on hospitals as virus admissions fall but AMA warns ‘worst still to come’
WA has reported a dip in COVID hospitalisations and continued its downward trend in active cases providing hope the worst of the winter Omicron wave may have passed. Speaking form Karratha, Premier Mark McGowan announced the number of West Australians in hospital with COVID fell to 418 on Thursday, down from 442 the previous day. There was also a slight fall in ICU patients from 17 to 16. Mr McGowan said both figures were “good news” while 4961 new infections were reported – down from 5422 on Wednesday. Five more West Australians died with COVID in the latest reporting period although the Premier did not detail their ages.
1st Aug 2022 - PerthNow
Australia's Covid-19 wave at record levels, prompting push to work from home again
Australia's surging Covid-19 outbreak has prompted debate about whether workplaces should again be encouraging staff to work from home. As hospitalisations reached record levels last Tuesday (July 26), the health authorities and experts have urged employers to allow staff to work from home if feasible. The nation's chief medical officer Paul Kelly warned on July 19 that Australia was "at the start of this wave, not the end", and that staff should talk to their employers to see if they can work from home. "If it's possible for you to work from home during the next couple of weeks, that will make a big difference," he told Channel Seven. Some of Australia's biggest firms have heeded this advice.
1st Aug 2022 - The Straits Times
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 1st Aug 2022
View this newsletter in fullRise of Omicron subvariants sends UK staff absence soaring
“I visited the Butler’s Wharf Chop House earlier this week and when I asked about our general manager he was off with Covid,” said the D&D boss, who oversees 2,000 staff in outlets across the UK, France and US. For Gunewardena, the latest round of pandemic-induced shortages have compounded an already tough market. The number of people going off sick has “gone up considerably,” he said, “piling on the problems that our London restaurants have already faced from a 10% staff shortage, the heatwave during which we lost 30% of our business and the £1m we lost in the week of rail and tube strikes”. The rapid spread of Covid-19 infections in the past month has sent the number of workers taking sick leave soaring, according to official figures, making staff shortages even worse and forcing many employers to shut down parts of their business.
29th Jul 2022 - The Guardian
Omicron outbreak: 7605 Covid cases, 41 deaths - Bloomfield's final message for NZ
Deaths linked to Covid have hit 41 in today's update, with 7605 new community cases of the virus reported. A total of 799 people are in hospital with the virus, including 25 patients in ICU. Of today's 41 deaths, one was aged in their 50s, one was in their 60s, eight were in their 70s, 12 were in their 80s and 19 were aged over 90. Of these people, 22 were women and 19 were men. Fourteen of these people were from Auckland region, three were from Waikato, two were from Bay of Plenty, three were from Lakes, two were from Hawke's Bay, one was from Taranaki, two were from MidCentral, two were from Whanganui, two were from Wellington region, seven were from Canterbury, three were from Southern.
29th Jul 2022 - New Zealand Herald
Covid-19 infections drop for first time in two months
Covid-19 infections in the UK have dropped for the first time in two months, though prevalence of the virus remains high, new figures show. It is the first time total infections have fallen since the week ending May 28 and is the biggest sign so far that the current wave may have peaked. This comes as the number of hospital patients with Covid-19 has also started to fall. Estimates suggest 3.2 million people in private households in the UK have had the virus in the week to 20 July, down 16% from 3.8 million in the previous week, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). However, infections are not on a clear downwards trend in all parts of the country.
29th Jul 2022 - Liverpool Echo
COVID infections fall in New Zealand, worst case scenario likely avoided
New Zealand's government said on Wednesday new COVID-19 cases were trending down and it looked likely the country would avoid a feared worst-case scenario of 20,000 infections daily. In the last seven days there were on average 8,111 new cases daily of COVID, down from a seven-day rolling average of 9,367 new cases in the week prior, according to Health Ministry data released on Wednesday. Currently 808 people were in hospital with COVID, which was also a lower number than earlier, data showed.
29th Jul 2022 - Reuters
Japan urges regions to mount COVID fight as variant spreads
Japan is encouraging regional authorities to take steps to contain a new coronavirus variant that has sent cases to record levels, but there is no plan for sweeping national measures. A seventh wave of COVID-19 pushed the daily tally of new cases in Japan to a record 233,094 on Thursday as the BA.5 variant spreads, putting pressure on medical services and disrupting some company operations.
Japan has never imposed national lockdowns on the scale of some other countries and has instead periodically asked people to stay at home as much as possible and limited the opening hours of restaurants and bars.
29th Jul 2022 - Reuters
Russia daily COVID cases hit highest since April
Russia reported 11,515 new daily coronavirus cases on Thursday, authorities said, the highest such figure since April 13. Forty-one people in Russia died of coronavirus over the last day, the country's anti-COVID-19 taskforce said in an update. Russia has recorded 18,565,551 cases of COVID since April 2020, at the beginning of the pandemic in the country. Russia said earlier this month it was ending all restrictions to combat the spread of COVID-19, including the requirement to wear masks, citing a steady decline in deaths from the virus
29th Jul 2022 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 29th Jul 2022
View this newsletter in fullHong Kong May Not Be Ready for Another COVID-19 Surge
COVID-19 finally came to the Kei Tak (Tai Hang) Home For the Aged on Feb. 13, after sparing it for two years and four previous waves of the disease. The next day, 17 residents tested positive. The day after that, it was 30. Soon, 98% of the residents had been infected—and after two months, 27 of the nursing home’s 200 residents had died. “Our elderly home turned into a battlefield as hospitals were overloaded and the healthcare system collapsed,” said Wong, who has worked at Kei Tak for more than 10 years.
28th Jul 2022 - TIME
Tokyo's daily COVID cases to exceed 40000 in record high -FNN, citing govt sources
The daily number of COVID-19 cases in Tokyo is set to exceed 40,000 on Thursday, a record high, broadcaster FNN reported citing government sources. Japan has seen a spike in cases recently, with total domestic cases topping 200,000 on Wednesday, according to NHK.
28th Jul 2022 - Reuters
Russia daily COVID cases hit highest since April
Russia reported 11,515 new daily coronavirus cases on Thursday, authorities said, the highest such figure since April 13. Forty-one people in Russia died of coronavirus over the last day, the country's anti-COVID-19 taskforce said in an update. Russia has recorded 18,565,551 cases of COVID since April 2020, at the beginning of the pandemic in the country. Russia said earlier this month it was ending all restrictions to combat the spread of COVID-19, including the requirement to wear masks, citing a steady decline in deaths from the virus.
28th Jul 2022 - Reuters
COVID Hospitalization Rate in NYC Soars 70% in Month, ICU Patient Tally Nearly Doubles
BA.5 more easily transmits and escapes immunity, leading many to call it the "worst version" of omicron yet. Breakthrough hospitalizations are rising, too, but it might not just be the variant causing the spike
28th Jul 2022 - NBC New York
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 28th Jul 2022
View this newsletter in fullSouth Korea reports 100,285 new Covid-19 cases; fatality rate at 0.13%
South Korea reported 100,285 new COVID-19 cases as of midnight Tuesday compared to 24 hours ago, raising the total number of infections to 19,446,946, the health authorities said on Wednesday. The daily caseload was up from 99,327 the previous day, and higher than 76,379 tallied a week earlier, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). For the past week, the daily average number of confirmed cases was 72,735. Among the new cases, 532 were imported from overseas, lifting the total to 42,683.
27th Jul 2022 - Business Standard
Covid-19: Hong Kong logs 4508 cases as Penny's Bay camp for the infected reaches 60% capacity
Hong Kong reported 4,508 Covid-19 infections on Wednesday – the highest in almost three months. The infection figures exceeded 4,000 for the seventh day in a row, with 10 deaths also reported on Wednesday. The recent surge has seen the city’s only operational isolation camp reach 60 per cent capacity, according to the Security Bureau, which manages the facility.
27th Jul 2022 - Hong Kong Free Press
New Zealand COVID-19 cases trend downwards and steer clear of feared infection peak
New Zealand's Health Director-General Ashley Bloomfield says the shift in case rates was supported by waste-water testing. Omicron BA.5 sub-variant has been driving the current wave in New Zealand. The country has recorded a total of about 1.6 million infections and 1,427 deaths, although the way it records deaths is changing
27th Jul 2022 - ABC News
newsGP - Almost one in every two Australians has had COVID-19
Almost one in two Australians had COVID-19 in the six months leading up to June, the results of a new blood survey indicate – and that figure is likely to be a significant understatement. Researchers at UNSW’s Kirby Institute at UNSW Sydney and the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance (NCIRS) have released the results of their most recent study into the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in the wider community. The research involved analysing 5139 de-identified blood donor specimens from around Australia from donations given from 9–18 June.
27th Jul 2022 - RACGP
China reports 703 new COVID cases for July 26 vs 976 day earlier
China reported 703 new coronavirus cases for July 26, of which 120 were symptomatic and 583 were asymptomatic, the National Health Commission said on Wednesday. That compared with 976 new cases a day earlier - 148 symptomatic and 828 asymptomatic infections, which China counts separately. There were no new deaths, leaving the nation's fatalities at 5,226. As of July 26, mainland China had confirmed 229,066 cases with symptoms.
27th Jul 2022 - Reuters
No new daily COVID cases in Macau for first time in over a month
Authorities in Macau reported no new COVID-19 infections on Wednesday for the first time since mid-June, after the city's worst outbreak of the disease led to a 12-day closure of casinos and locked down most of the world's biggest gambling hub.
The tally of infections since June 18 stood at 1,816, the government said in a statement, as the city grapples with the fast-spreading Omicron variant for the first time.
27th Jul 2022 - Reuters
Toyota suspends some Japan factory output over COVID outbreak
Toyota Motor Corp has suspended night shift operations at one production line of its Takaoka factory in central Japan because of a COVID-19 outbreak, the company said on Wednesday. The cancellation came after eight plant workers caught the virus, it said. Toyota suspended night shift production of the line on Tuesday. The partial suspension would affect vehicle output of about 650 units from the two shifts, a Toyota spokesperson told Reuters.
27th Jul 2022 - Reuters
COVID infections fall in New Zealand, worst case scenario likely avoided
New Zealand's government said on Wednesday new COVID-19 cases were trending down and it looked likely the country would avoid a feared worst-case scenario of 20,000 infections daily. In the last seven days there were on average 8,111 new cases daily of COVID, down from a seven-day rolling average of 9,367 new cases in the week prior, according to Health Ministry data released on Wednesday. Currently 808 people were in hospital with COVID, which was also a lower number than earlier, data showed
27th Jul 2022 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 27th Jul 2022
View this newsletter in fullCovid-19: Hospital visitors refusing to wear masks, ward outbreaks 'unavoidable'
Hospital visitors who refuse to wear masks or walk around wards visiting different patients are creating difficulties for Northland hospitals trying to manage Covid-19 infections. Dargaville Hospital’s general ward reopened to visitors on Tuesday, a week after rising infection numbers put a halt to visits. Whangārei Hospital’s ward 1, an orthopaedic ward, has not had any visitors since July 14 because of a spike in Covid-19 infections. It will reopen to visitors on Wednesday, as long as there are no further Covid-19 cases.
26th Jul 2022 - Stuff
Covid-19: 9256 new case numbers, 822 hospitalisations
The Ministry of Health has reported 9256 new community cases of Covid-19 and 822 current hospitalisations, including 24 in intensive care or high dependency units. In the past seven days there have been an average of 17 deaths confirmed each day as being attributable to Covid-19. The seven-day rolling average of community case numbers on Tuesday is 8335. On Monday, the ministry reported 6910 new community cases and 836 current hospitalisations, including 27 people in intensive care or high dependency units.
26th Jul 2022 - Stuff
Micronesia's first COVID-19 outbreak balloons, causing alarm
Micronesia's first outbreak of COVID-19 grew in one week to more than 1,000 cases by Tuesday, causing alarm in the Pacific island nation. Last week, Micronesia likely became the final nation in the world with a population of more than 100,000 to experience an outbreak of the disease, after avoiding it for 2 1/2 years thanks to its geographic isolation
26th Jul 2022 - The Independent
Number of Covid-19 hospital patients in England shows signs of falling
The number of hospital patients in England testing positive for Covid-19 is showing early signs of falling, suggesting the latest wave of infections may have peaked.
A total of 12,529 people with coronavirus were in hospital on July 25, down 11% on the previous week. It is the sixth day in a row the week-on-week change has shown a drop. Patient numbers had been climbing through much of June and the first half of July, driven by the current wave of Covid-19 infections. But the latest figures, from NHS England, show this rise appears to have come to a halt after peaking at 14,044 on July 18.
26th Jul 2022 - North Wales Pioneer
Omicron BA.5 makes up 82% of COVID variants in U.S. - CDC
The BA.5 subvariant of Omicron was estimated to make up 81.9% of the circulating coronavirus variants in the United States for the week ended July 23, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Tuesday. This was higher than the 75.9% prevalence estimated in the preceding week. BA.5 has been driving a surge of new infections globally and has shown to be particularly good at evading the immune protection afforded either by vaccination or prior infection.
26th Jul 2022 - Reuters
Australia's COVID hospital admissions, deaths rise as variant surges
Hospital admissions for COVID-19 in Australia have reached a new high for a second straight day, data showed on Tuesday, while the daily death toll rose to its second-highest as an outbreak fuelled by a coronavirus sub-variant sweeps the country. Nearly 5,600 patients infected with COVID are in hospital while 100 new deaths were reported, just short of a record 102 deaths on Saturday. Nearly 330,000 infections have been reported over the last seven days but authorities say the real numbers could be double that.
26th Jul 2022 - Reuters
Record number of COVID-hit Australians in hospital as Omicron surges
The number of Australians admitted to hospitals with COVID-19 hit a record of about 5,450 on Monday, official data showed, as the spread of highly contagious new Omicron sub-variants strains the healthcare system nationwide. The figure has grown since late June, as the BA.4 and BA.5 strains became dominant since they can evade immune protection, whether from vaccination or prior infection, while some experts say the latter can be as infectious as measles.
26th Jul 2022 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 26th Jul 2022
View this newsletter in fullCovid 19 Omicron: School attendance rates plummet below 50 per cent
School attendance rates for term 1 plummeted below 50 per cent - the lowest in at least a decade, as the Omicron outbreak ripped through communities. Record low levels of school attendance hit Māori and Pasifika hardest with fewer than a third of those populations attending school regularly (attending more than 90 per cent of the time). The latest Ministry of Education data showed overall 46.1 per cent of all students were attending school regularly. This was down from 72.8 per cent in term 1 2019, pre-Covid, 50.5 per cent in 2020 and 66.8 per cent in 2021. In term 4 last year it was 65 per cent. The Ministry noted the Covid-19 Omicron outbreak resulted in "high levels of absences for both students and staff".
25th Jul 2022 - New Zealand Herald
Covid-19: 6910 new community cases, 836 hospitalisations and further 16 deaths
The Ministry of Health has reported 6910 new community cases of Covid-19 and 836 current hospitalisations, including 27 in intensive care or high dependency units. A further 16 people with the virus have died. All these deaths occurred in the past three days. The seven-day rolling average of community case numbers on Monday is 8498. There has been a recent downturn in numbers suggesting the second wave has peaked.
25th Jul 2022 - Stuff
Australia's COVID-19 cases and death rates currently among world's highest per capita
Australia ranked third in cases per million people in the past seven days. Experts are pleading with the public to wear masks, get PCR tests if symptomatic and get boosters. Health workers say they are bearing the the strain of the ongoing pandemic
25th Jul 2022 - ABC News
India's daily COVID-19 caseload slips to 16866
After days of reporting over 20,000 new cases a day, India's daily caseload on Monday slipped to 16,866, officials said. According to federal health ministry data released on Monday morning, 16,866 new cases of COVID-19 were reported during the past 24 hours, taking the total tally to 43,905,621 in the country. The cases reported on Monday mark a decrease in comparison to the daily caseload of Sunday (20,279). With the reporting of fresh cases, India's active caseload currently stands at 150,877.
25th Jul 2022 - Xinhuanet
China's Shenzhen reports 8 symptomatic, 13 asymptomatic COVID cases for July 24
China's southern technology hub of Shenzhen reported 21 new locally transmitted COVID-19 infections on Sunday, up from 19 a day earlier, official data showed on Monday. Of Sunday's local infections, eight were confirmed to be symptomatic, while 13 were asymptomatic, the Shenzhen Health Commission said. Of the new Shenzhen cases, all except five were found in quarantined areas.
25th Jul 2022 - Reuters
New Zealand's prime minister says there are early signs that COVID cases falling
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Monday that there were early signs that new COVID-19 cases were falling, even as hospitalisations jumped to their highest level since March. New Zealand recorded 6,910 new COVID cases on Monday, well below average levels over the past week, according to data from the health ministry. However, the number of people in hospital with COVID jumped to 836, the most since March 29 when 842 COVID patients were in hospital.
25th Jul 2022 - Reuters
COVID-19 cases decline 9% worldwide in week but Asia up 26% with Japan 200,000 daily
Despite a worldwide 9% decline in COVID-19 cases in the past week, the virus is spiking in Asia with a 26% gain, including surpassing 200,000 cases for the first time in Japan. Deaths were down 4% and remain at among the lowest levels since the pandemic was declared in March 2020. On Sunday, Japan reported 176,554 infections for a total of 11,389,392 in 11th place with 200,975 on Saturday. Deaths were 25 for a total of 31,915 in 31st.
25th Jul 2022 - UPI News
Texas lieutenant guv tests positive a second time for COVID
Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick tested positive for COVID-19 for the second time in the last seven months, his campaign said Sunday. Patrick, 72, tested positive on Saturday and was experiencing mild symptoms, according to a campaign statement. Patrick was isolating at his house and planned to work from home this week. His campaign said the two-term Republican is fully vaccinated and received a booster last year. Patrick had previously tested positive on Dec. 27 and experienced mild symptoms.
25th Jul 2022 - The Associated Press
China reports 800 new COVID cases for July 24 vs 982 day earlier
Mainland China reported 800 new coronavirus cases for July 24, of which 150 were symptomatic and 650 were asymptomatic, the National Health Commission said on Monday. That compared with 982 new cases a day earlier - 129 symptomatic and 853 asymptomatic infections, which China counts separately. There were zero new deaths, keeping the nation's fatalities at 5,226. As of Sunday, mainland China had confirmed 228,798 cases with symptoms.
25th Jul 2022 - Reuters
Record number of COVID-hit Australians in hospital as Omicron surges
The number of Australians admitted to hospitals with COVID-19 hit a record of about 5,450 on Monday, official data showed, as the spread of highly contagious new Omicron sub-variants strains the healthcare system nationwide. The figure has grown since late June, as the BA.4 and BA.5 strains became dominant since they can evade immune protection, whether from vaccination or prior infection, while some experts say the latter can be as infectious as measles.
25th Jul 2022 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 25th Jul 2022
View this newsletter in fullMask wearing required in Kentucky's largest school district
Kentucky’s largest school district will require universal masking on school property as Jefferson County moves into the highest level of COVID-19 community spread.
The change begins Monday and lasts until Jefferson County comes out of the red, media outlets reported. It comes a little more than two weeks before classes resume in Jefferson County Public Schools. Everyone, regardless of vaccination status, will be required to wear a mask on district property or on school buses. District policy automatically requires universal masking whenever the county has a high level of COVID-19 community spread. When community spread in Jefferson County drops, masks in JCPS become optional.
24th Jul 2022 - The Associated Press
China reports 982 new COVID cases for July 23 vs 817 a day earlier
Mainland China reported 982 new coronavirus cases for July 23, of which 129 were symptomatic and 853 were asymptomatic, the National Health Commission said on Sunday. That compares with 817 new cases a day earlier - 164 symptomatic and 653 asymptomatic infections, which China counts separately. The bulk of the cases were in the northwestern province of Gansu and the southern region of Guangxi.
24th Jul 2022 - Reuters
India logs 21,411 new COVID-19 cases, 67 deaths
India reported 21,411 fresh Covid-19 cases on Saturday with a daily positivity rate of 4.46 per cent. The death toll increased to 5,25,997 as 67 more people succumbed to the disease. The active cases increased to 1,50,100, holding 0.34 per cent of the total infections. The ministry data said that the weekly positivity rate stood at 4.46 per cent and the national recovery rate was recorded at 98.46 per cent. The number of people who have recovered from the disease surged to 4,31,92,379. The case fatality rate was recorded at 1.20 per cent, the ministry data added.
23rd Jul 2022 - Economic Times
China Reports Fewer Covid Cases as Gansu Outbreak Eases
China said all its leaders received locally-made Covid-19 shots, the first time a confirmation was made in the absence of a vaccine mandate for the country with the world’s strictest controls against the virus. The Chinese leadership is “highly confident” in domestic vaccines, National Health Commission official Zeng Yixin said at a briefing on Saturday. The department also addressed concerns surrounding the shots, saying the vaccines won’t trigger illnesses such as leukemia and diabetes.
23rd Jul 2022 - Bloomberg
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 22nd Jul 2022
View this newsletter in fullActive COVID-19 cases hit 5-month high in West Virginia
Active cases of COVID-19 hit their highest levels in West Virginia in five months Thursday. There were at least 3,221 ongoing cases in the state, the highest since 3,339 on Feb. 24, according to the Department of Health and Human Resources’ COVID-19 dashboard. Active cases statewide had plunged to 263 on April 4 after surpassing 21,000 in January. Confirmed daily cases in West Virginia surpassed 480 on Tuesday and Wednesday after falling below 400 on each of the previous four days.
21st Jul 2022 - The Associated Press
China Covid Latest: Macau Now Targets Filipino Workers as High-Risk Group
Macau ordered any resident who holds a Philippine passport to take a daily nucleic acid test, with officials singling them out as more at risk for infection even though they account for a small number of cases in a Covid-19 wave that’s abating. The testing regimen will start Friday, health official Leong Iek Hou said at a briefing Thursday. Government data show Filipinos have accounted for 9.5% of the city’s total Covid cases this outbreak, Leong said. “Our epidemiology research found they tend to have more gatherings, like meetings among friends,” Leong said. “It’s likely that they have more interactions within their own ethnicity, so we need to find out whether there are hidden sources of infections among them via frequent testing.”
21st Jul 2022 - Bloomberg
Rise in Covid-19 hospital patients in England levels off
The latest rise in the number of hospital patients in England testing positive for Covid-19 looks to have come to a halt, with figures levelling off slightly below the previous peak. A total of 13,375 people with coronavirus were in hospital as of 8am on July 21, down 3% on the previous week. It is the second day in a row the total has shown a week-on-week fall. The rate of increase has been slowing steadily since the start of July, after rising as high as 39%. The figures suggest the impact of the current wave of Covid-19 may be starting to ease – and that patient levels will not reach the sort of levels seen during the surge in infections earlier this year.
21st Jul 2022 - The Independent on MSN.com
Mask and sanitiser plea as Covid-19 cases rise in Walsall
People living in Walsall in the West Midlands are being urged to to wear masks and use sanitiser due to a rise Covid cases. Latest figures show there were 608 positive cases recorded in the seven days up to 10 July, a 4.6 per cent increase on the previous week. The current rate in the town is 221 per 100,000 population, lower than the national rate of 309.4. People must do all they can to protect themselves, public health bosses said. The total number of cases in the town is 96,296.
Nearly 3.5 million people, or one in 18, has the virus - up from 2.7m, or one in 25, the week before. "We continue to see a weekly increase in the number of positive cases in Walsall," Stephen Gunther, Walsall's Director of Public Health said.
21st Jul 2022 - BBC News
BA.5 is causing more Covid-19 reinfections, data suggests, but they don't appear to be more frequent
It's not your imagination: As the rapidly spreading BA.5 coronavirus subvariant causes a surge in infections across the United States, more people are catching Covid-19 for the second or third time. But on average, these reinfections do not seem to be happening more rapidly, according to a new analysis from the gene sequencing company Helix. BA.5, another offshoot of the Omicron variant, is now causing about 80% of new Covid-19 infections in the United States, according to the latest data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Helix, which sequences Covid-19 tests to monitor variants, recently plumbed its data to find out how many times the same person tested positive for Covid-19 and whether there are more reinfections now compared to earlier waves.
21st Jul 2022 - CNN
Biden tests positive for the coronavirus.
President Biden tested positive on Thursday for the coronavirus, raising health concerns for the 79-year-old president and underscoring how the virus remains a persistent, if muted, threat in a country trying to put the pandemic in the past. Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House press secretary, said in a statement that Mr. Biden had “tested positive for Covid-19. He is fully vaccinated and twice boosted and experiencing very mild symptoms.” The president will “continue to carry out all of his duties fully” during this time, she said. Dr. Kevin O’Connor, the president’s physician, said in a letter released by the White House Thursday morning that Mr. Biden felt fatigued, had a runny nose and an occasional dry cough and that his symptoms began on Wednesday evening.
21st Jul 2022 - The New York Times
Australia battles fresh Omicron outbreak as COVID deaths rise
Australia reported one of its highest daily death tolls from the novel coronavirus on Thursday while hospital admissions hovered near record levels, as authorities struggle to get ahead of highly contagious Omicron variants. The BA.4/5 variants are good at evading immune protection from vaccination or prior infection and have been driving a surge of new infections globally. Australia is reporting the highest daily numbers since the first Omicron wave earlier this year, with 89 deaths from the coronavirus on Thursday and 90 on Wednesday. Just over 55,600 new cases were recorded on Thursday, the highest since May 18. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said state leaders and federal health officials have not recommended making masks mandatory in indoor venues, despite calls by some doctors to do so.
21st Jul 2022 - Yahoo News UK
China's Shenzhen vows to 'mobilise all resources' to curb COVID spread
China's southern megacity of Shenzhen vowed to "mobilise all resources" to curb a slowly spreading COVID-19 outbreak, ordering strict implementation of testing and temperature checks, and lockdowns for COVID-affected buildings.
21st Jul 2022 - Reuters
Active COVID-19 cases hit 5-month high in West Virginia
Active cases of COVID-19 hit their highest levels in West Virginia in five months Thursday. There were at least 3,221 ongoing cases in the state, the highest since 3,339 on Feb. 24, according to the Department of Health and Human Resources’ COVID-19 dashboard. Active cases statewide had plunged to 263 on April 4 after surpassing 21,000 in January. Confirmed daily cases in West Virginia surpassed 480 on Tuesday and Wednesday after falling below 400 on each of the previous four days.
21st Jul 2022 - Associated Press
Oregon urges return to mask wearing as hospitals feel strain
Oregon health officials are urging people in 21 counties with high COVID-19 cases — including the three Portland-area counties — to return to mask wearing because the hospital system is again under extreme strain. While COVID-19 hospitalizations are lower than past surges, staff shortages, patients who delayed care and elevated COVID-19 infections have substantially reduced hospital systems’ capacity to care for patients, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported.
21st Jul 2022 - Associated Press
Micronesia last of bigger nations to have COVID-19 outbreak
Micronesia has likely become the final nation in the world with a population of more than 100,000 to experience an outbreak of COVID-19. For more than two-and-a-half years, the Pacific archipelago managed to avoid any outbreaks thanks to its geographic isolation and border controls. Those people who flew into the country with the disease didn’t spread it because all new arrivals were required to quarantine. But as has been the case in several other Pacific nations this year, those defenses couldn’t keep out the more transmissible omicron variant forever.
21st Jul 2022 - Associated Press
Global COVID-19 cases plateau, but deaths rise
Global COVID-19 activity stayed high and largely even last week, as deaths rose, the World Health Organization (WHO) said today in its latest weekly update on the pandemic. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) yesterday signed off on its advisory committee's recommendation for the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine primary series in those ages 18 years and older.
20th Jul 2022 - CIDRAP
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 21st Jul 2022
View this newsletter in fullAsia stepping up fight against more infectious Covid-19 variants
Governments across Asia are doubling down on efforts to protect their populations from the newer and more infectious strains of Covid-19 that have caused cases to surge in recent days. South Korea on Sunday (July 17) said infection numbers on Saturday doubled from a week ago, largely due to the highly contagious BA.5 Omicron sub-variant and waning immunity among its population. Data from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency shows the daily Covid-19 cases during the 24 hours of Saturday was 40,342. Health experts anticipated daily infection numbers could increase more than the government expected, given the current pace of the spread. The discovery of a newer strain of Omicron, BA.2.75, also known as "centaurus", was also posing a threat.
20th Jul 2022 - The Straits Times
Lockdown ruled out as Turkey faces less serious COVID-19 surge
Turkey will not go under a new lockdown or similar restrictions, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said after a Cabinet meeting, amid a dramatic climb in coronavirus cases, as he pointed out that they already have vaccines and drugs
20th Jul 2022 - Daily Sabah
2,886 new Covid cases, 19 more deaths
There were 19 more Covid-19 fatalities and 2,886 new cases admitted to hospitals on Tuesday, the Ministry of Public Health reported on Wednesday. This compared with 18 coronavirus-related deaths and 2,125 cases admitted to hospitals on Monday, as reported on Tuesday.
20th Jul 2022 - ฺBangkok Post
Macau Casinos to Reopen Saturday After Covid-19 Shutdown
Casinos in the gambling hub of Macau will be allowed to reopen Saturday after a nearly two-week shutdown amid a Covid-19 outbreak, according to the government.
The citywide lockdown that began July 11 was the first shutdown of casinos in Macau since the early days of the pandemic in 2020. The government said most nonessential industries, companies and venues will be allowed to reopen starting Saturday through July 30. Las Vegas Sands Corp which operates several casinos in Macau, is scheduled to report quarterly earnings Wednesday, the first of the three U.S.-based operators in Macau to update investors since the closures this month. Industry executives have continued to express confidence in a Macau comeback, but analysts have lowered gambling revenue forecasts for the Chinese territory this year, and some predict a full recovery won’t come until 2024.
20th Jul 2022 - The Wall Street Journal
China Covid Cases Near 1,000 in Test of Zero Tolerance as Outbreak Spreads
New Covid-19 cases in China surged to almost 1,000, as social media posts showed residents in previously hard-hit areas literally climbing fences and running through the streets to try to escape renewed lockdowns. China reported 935 cases for Tuesday, up from 699 Monday, and the highest daily tally since May 21. While most of the outbreak is hitting beyond major cities, some neighborhoods in Shenzhen implemented new lockdowns and infections in Shanghai continue to spread -- spooking residents who endured previous isolation efforts.
20th Jul 2022 - Bloomberg
North Korea says nearing end of COVID crisis
North Korea is on the path to “finally defuse” a crisis stemming from its first acknowledged outbreak of COVID-19, the state news agency said on Monday, while Asian neighbours battle a new wave of infections driven by Omicron subvariants.
The North says 99.98 percent of its 4.77 million fever patients since late April have fully recovered, but due to an apparent lack of testing, it has not released any figures for those who tested positive.
19th Jul 2022 - Al Jazeera English
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 18th Jul 2022
View this newsletter in fullJapan daily COVID infections exceed 110000 to hit record -Jiji
Japan's daily COVID-19 infections hit a record of more than 110,000, Jiji news agency reported on Saturday. Faced with a seventh COVID wave, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Thursday urged the public to exercise maximum vigilance.
16th Jul 2022 - Reuters
China reports 547 new COVID cases on July 15 vs 533 a day earlier
Mainland China reported 547 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, of which 129 were symptomatic and 418 were asymptomatic, the National Health Commission said on Saturday. That compares with 533 new cases a day earlier - 113 symptomatic and 420 asymptomatic infections, which China counts separately. China's capital, Beijing, reported another day of no new infections. The financial hub of Shanghai reported 28 new asymptomatic coronavirus cases for Friday, down from 42 a day earlier, with symptomatic cases at five, compared with six the previous day, the local government said on Saturday. All the infections were in quarantined areas.
16th Jul 2022 - Reuters
Japan Covid Cases Hit Record Ahead of Summer Holidays, NHK Says
Japan found a record 110,600 new Covid cases on Saturday, surpassing the previous high set in February, just as the country prepares for the summer holidays, public broadcaster NHK said. Deaths and severe illness have remained at relatively low levels so far in the current wave. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told a July 14 news conference that he wasn’t planning any return to restrictions on people’s movements, nor thinking of strengthening border controls at that point.
16th Jul 2022 - Bloomberg
UK Covid infections rise by almost 30% in a week
Covid infection levels in the UK have risen by almost 30% in a week, with an estimated 3.5 million people thought to have had the disease in the first week of July, as a leading epidemiologist called for a return of free lateral flow tests. Figures from the Office for National Statistics based on swabs collected from randomly selected households show that 2,873,600 people in the community in England are estimated to have had Covid in the week ending 6 July – about one in 19 people. The week before, the figure was 2,154,000 people – or about one in 25. Increases were also seen in other parts of the UK with an estimated one in 16 people in Scotland and one in 17 in both Wales and Northern Ireland thought to have had Covid in the most recent week.
16th Jul 2022 - The Guardian
There’s a BA.5 Covid wave in the US – should you be worried? Everything you need to know
Over the past two weeks, cases have increased in 38 US states, and hospitalizations have increased in 43 states. Some of the greatest case increases are among states with the lowest vaccination rates, including Louisiana, Wyoming and Arkansas – despite widespread infection in previous waves, pointing to the greater protection offered by vaccines. According to official case numbers, the US has been in a plateau for several weeks, but the total case count – in addition to being vastly under-reported – cloaked the concurrent fall of BA.2 subvariants and the rapid rise of BA.5. The ascension of the new, more immune-evasive variant shows no signs of slowing. The US is now seeing the likely beginning of a surge, with more than 120,000 new cases confirmed each day and hospitalizations rising by 12% last week from the week before.
15th Jul 2022 - The Guardian
Coronavirus sub-variant 'Centaurus' spreads across India and parts of Europe
An Omicron sub-variant that is spreading rapidly in India and has been detected in several European countries may be better than other coronavirus strains at overcoming immunity provided by prior infection and vaccines. BA.2.75, which has been nicknamed Centaurus, appeared to have mutated in a way that could indicate “major immune escape”, said the World Health Organization’s chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan, adding that it showed a “clear growth advantage” over other variants in India. Global health authorities issued a similar warning when the highly mutated Omicron variant emerged late last year.
15th Jul 2022 - Financial Times
More than 15,000 Covid-19 cases and seven deaths in last week
Seven coronavirus deaths and 15,386 new infections were recorded between July 8 and 14, the health ministry said on Friday. According to the report, the new cases were detected from 122,335 rapid and PCR tests, with a positivity rate of 12.58 per cent. The deaths concerned an 87-year-old man who died on July 9, a man, aged 76, and a woman, aged 87, who both died on July 10 and a man, aged 76, who died on 11 July. An 87-year-old man, a 76-year-old woman and an 87-year-old woman also died from the virus on July 12. This brings the total number of Covid-19 fatalities to 1,086.
15th Jul 2022 - Cyprus Mail
Covid-19: High prevalence and lack of hospital beds putting “intense pressure” on ambulances
All 11 ambulance services in England are working under extreme pressure because of rising rates of covid-19 and a lack of available hospital beds, and leaders are now asking the public to take extra precautions in the hot weather to avoid adding to the already overwhelming workload. In a statement issued on 12 July, Martin Flaherty, managing director of the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives said that the NHS ambulance sector was “under intense pressure” and was now operating at the highest level of their local resource escalation action plans, which is normally reserved for “major incidents or short term periods of unusual demand.”
In their Resource Escalation Action Plan there are four levels used to describe the pressure that ambulance services are under, with level 1 being “steady state” and level 4 “extreme pressure.” Positive tests for SARS-CoV-2 rose 32% at the end of June, with an estimated 2.3 million people infected.2
15th Jul 2022 - The BMJ
UK weekly COVID-19 infections rise nearly 30% to 3.5 million - ONS
An estimated 3.5 million people in Britain had COVID-19 in the latest week of available data, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said on Friday, up nearly 30% on the 2.7 million recorded in the previous week. Separately, the government announced that a new COVID booster jab programme would begin later this year.
"The percentage of people testing positive for coronavirus (COVID-19) continued to increase across the UK," the ONS said. "These increases were likely caused by increases in infections compatible with Omicron variants BA.4 and BA.5." An estimated 1 in 19 people in England were testing positive in the week to July 6, the ONS said, up from around 1 in 25 the previous week.
15th Jul 2022 - Reuters on MSN.com
Most of U.S. Population Now in Areas With High Covid-19 Levels as BA.5 Subvariant Spreads
More than half the U.S. population lives in counties where Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations are high enough that people should wear masks in indoor public settings, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. The CDC’s latest assessment represents a significant jump from the week before, reflecting the added pressure that the easily spread Omicron BA.5 subvariant is putting on the U.S. since it became the dominant Covid-19 strain. Over a third of U.S. counties now fall into the CDC’s “high” category, up from one in five counties a week earlier. Los Angeles County—the largest in the country, with more than 10 million people—recently joined the list. And if it stays there for two weeks, officials say they will reinstate an indoor masking requirement on July 29.
15th Jul 2022 - The Wall Street Journal
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 15th Jul 2022
View this newsletter in fullSt Lucia confirms first case of new Covid variant
St Lucia has confirmed its first case of the new Covid-19 variant. Trinidad-based Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) confirmed the BA5 variant of the coronavirus has been detected on the island. The case has been confirmed in a 36-year-old woman from Vieux Fort, chief medical officer Dr Sharon Belmar George said. The woman, does not have a history of travelling. Experts now believe the BA5 variant could be spreading across the Eastern Caribbean nation. This comes as the World Health Organisation (WHO) warned that the Covid-19 pandemic is not over.
15th Jul 2022 - The Voice Online
Jersey in fifth wave of Covid infections as case numbers rise
Jersey's new Health Minister says the island is now in a fifth wave of Covid infections. There are just over 1,500 known active infections and Deputy Karen Wilson is encouraging everyone to take sensible steps this summer to curb the spread. She explained: “It is in this period of high infection rates that I would like to encourage islanders to continue to follow the current guidance, which includes wearing masks in recommended settings. “If islanders work together and follow the current guidance issued by Public Health, we will be able to move through the wave more quickly and ensure that we can enjoy a safe summer.”
15th Jul 2022 - ITV News
Hospital staff absences due to Covid-19 highest for nearly three months
Staff absences at NHS hospitals in England due to Covid-19 have jumped to their highest level for nearly three months, putting further pressure on health teams struggling to clear a record backlog of treatment, new figures show. It comes as the number of patients testing positive for the virus continues to rise across the country, driven by the latest wave of infections. An average of 22,918 hospital staff in England were absent each day in the week to July 6, either because they were sick with Covid-19 or were self-isolating. This is up 30% on the previous week, and is the highest since 23,813 absences in the week to April 20.
14th Jul 2022 - The Independent
COVID-19 cases in WA hospitals surpass previous peak amid calls for new mask mandate
There are now 329 people with COVID-19 in WA hospitals. The previous record of 327 hospital cases was recorded on May 18. The peak groups for doctors and nurses want broader mask rules
14th Jul 2022 - ABC News
COVID-19’s fifth wave hits the Gaza Strip: health ministry
The Hamas-run Health Ministry said on Wednesday evening that the besieged impoverished coastal enclave has been involved in the fifth wave of the coronavirus pandemic. The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza said Wednesday evening that the besieged and impoverished coastal enclave is officially experiencing the COVID-19 pandemic's fifth wave due to "the significant increase" of daily infections.
In a press statement sent to The New Arab, the ministry said that “the significant increase in daily recorded infections with the coronavirus, mostly driven by the omicron variant BA.5, which spreads faster than the other variants.”
14th Jul 2022 - The New Arab
COVID cases down in Americas but Omicron subvariants driving new infections -PAHO
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) on Wednesday warned of the growing number of COVID-19 cases caused by the highly infectious BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron subvariants of the coronavirus even as overall cases dipped in the Americas. There were 1,562,967 new COVID-19 cases in the Americas last week, a 0.9% decrease, PAHO said at a news conference, while deaths fell 3.5% to 4,789.
But PAHO Director Dr. Carissa Etienne cautioned that the Omicron subvariants, now dominant in the United States and several other countries, "is driving new infections across the Americas."
14th Jul 2022 - Reuters
Explainer: What is the COVID BA.5 variant and why is it reinfecting so many people?
BA.5, part of the Omicron family, is the latest coronavirus variant to cause widespread waves of infection globally. According to the World Health Organization's most recent report, it was behind 52% of cases sequenced in late June, up from 37% in one week. In the United States, it is estimated to be causing around 65% of infections
14th Jul 2022 - Reuters
Fresh COVID wave sweeps Asia; New Zealand warns of pressure on hospitals
A new wave of coronavirus infections is rapidly spreading through Asia, prompting warnings for residents from New Zealand to Japan to take precautions to slow the outbreak and help prevent healthcare systems from being overwhelmed. The renewed surge in cases, mostly of the BA.4/5 Omicron variants, provides a further challenge for authorities grappling with the economic fallout of earlier waves of the pandemic while trying to avoid extending or reintroducing unpopular restrictions.
14th Jul 2022 - Reuters
Covid rise deepens Lake District staffing crisis
Tourism businesses in the Lake District say the rise in Covid infections is making their recruitment crisis even worse. More than 170,000 positions are thought to be unfilled in the UK. In May, for the first time ever, the number of vacancies across the UK was higher than the number of unemployed. It means businesses like The Lancrigg Hotel in Grasmere are trying to offer the same service with fewer staff. It is proving difficult for the manager, Paul Criscuolo-Wray.
14th Jul 2022 - ITV News
Summer COVID spike is less severe - but relentless pressure on emergency departments is taking its toll
The North West has seen a rise of between 50% and 200% in COVID infections in recent weeks. And this comes at a time when the Royal Preston Hospital emergency department is struggling to cope with the sheer number of patients coming through its doors.
14th Jul 2022 - Sky News
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 14th Jul 2022
View this newsletter in fullWHO warns coronavirus 'running freely' as BA.4, BA.5 subvariants drive infections
“The virus is running freely,” the World Health Organization warns as the latest omicron offshoots drive up coronavirus infections around the world. Many countries have lifted restrictions and reduced coronavirus tracking as they grapple with pandemic fatigue. But “new waves of the virus demonstrate again that covid-19 is nowhere near over,” according to WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. He appealed to governments Tuesday to pour efforts back into testing and improving vaccine deployment and said rising cases were straining medical systems already stretched by the pandemic.
13th Jul 2022 - The Washington Post
‘Centaurus’: virologists express concern at new Covid subvariant
Virologists have voiced concerns about the emergence of another fast-spreading Omicron variant, which is rapidly gaining ground in India and has already arrived in the UK. The warning came as MPs called for redoubled efforts to persuade the nearly 3 million adults in England who have not yet received a single dose of Covid vaccine, to take up the offer of vaccination. The BA.2.75 variant – nicknamed “Centaurus” – was first detected in India in early May. Cases in the UK have since risen steeply – and apparently faster than those of the extremely transmissible BA.5 variant, which is also present in India, and is rapidly displacing the previously dominant BA.2 variant in many countries.
13th Jul 2022 - The Guardian
Premier Mark McGowan labels WA's rising number of COVID-19 cases in hospital 'concerning'
During Western Australia's most significant wave of COVID infections almost two months ago, there was a peak of more than 90,000 active cases recorded in the state. Around that time, on May 18, there were 327 people with COVID in hospital – the state's highest figure yet – and medical groups warned of a "system collapse" if that trajectory continued.
13th Jul 2022 - ABC News
Japan's new COVID-19 cases top 90000, 1st time in 5 months
Japan's new COVID-19 cases topped 90,000 for the first time since Feb. 17 on Wednesday, official data showed, as public health experts said the highly transmissible BA.5 subvariant of Omicron is fueling a seventh wave of infections.
The 94,493 cases come close to the peak number of cases of some 104,000 that the country saw in February. The Tokyo metropolitan government reported 16,878 coronavirus cases, surpassing the 10,000 mark for a second straight day and more than doubling from the level a week earlier. Osaka Prefecture also logged 10,452 cases, topping 10,000 for the first time since Feb. 26. Health minister Shigeyuki Goto said in a meeting of a panel of experts that the government forecasts new infections will continue to increase in many areas of the country.
13th Jul 2022 - Kyodo News Plus
Infectious disease expert says N.S. in midst of seventh COVID-19 wave
An infectious disease expert says Nova Scotia is now in the midst of its seventh wave of COVID-19. Tara Moriarty, an infectious diseases researcher at the University of Toronto, says eased restrictions and Omicron's increased spread has caused an increase in hospitalizations. The province's current situation marks a turnaround from the beginning of the pandemic when Nova Scotia, as a part of the Atlantic Bubble, was considered an example of how to best deal with the public health crisis. Moriarty talked to reporter Danielle Edwards about how events are changing in the province during this emerging wave of the disease.
13th Jul 2022 - CBC.ca
Deaths involving COVID in UK pass 200,000, ONS says
The UK has surpassed 200,000 deaths involving coronavirus, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics. Up to the start of July, a total of 200,247 COVID deaths were registered, the ONS said on Wednesday. The 200,000 milestone was reached on 25 June, but not revealed until today due to a delay in registration. In the week ending 1 July, 11,828 deaths were registered nationwide, with 412 (3.48%) involving coronavirus. COVID deaths were up 65 on the previous week.
13th Jul 2022 - Sky News
Calls for return of Covid controls after UK death toll passes 200,000
Doctors and people bereaved by Covid have described the 200,000th death from the virus in the UK as a “tragic milestone” and called for the return of infection control measures, including mask wearing and better sick pay amid concern about rising cases and new variants. Prof Philip Banfield, council chair of the British Medical Association, said: “This terrible loss of life must serve as an important reminder that Covid-19 has not gone away and remains a serious threat to public health.” Care home residents’ representatives said reaching the landmark death toll was “heartbreaking”.
13th Jul 2022 - The Guardian
World Health Organization warns COVID-19 is 'running freely' and global deaths are unacceptably high
The head of the World Health Organisaton (WHO) has urged governments across the world to deploy measures like masking and improved ventilation amid unacceptably high numbers of deaths. While many governments of wealthier countries have all but abandoned coronavirus restrictions following successful vaccine rollouts, the organisation's director-general emphasised that the pandemic is "nowhere near over". Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said sub-variants of Omicron continue to drive new waves of cases, hospitalisations and deaths around the world.
13th Jul 2022 - Sky News
South Korea's PM warns of COVID surge as cases hit two-month high
Daily COVID-19 infections in South Korea have jumped above 40,000 for the first time in two months, with the government warning of a potential five-fold surge in the coming months. "Daily infections could soar to as many as 200,000 between mid-August and late September," Prime Minister Han Duck-soo told a government COVID response meeting, citing the view of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) and experts.
13th Jul 2022 - Reuters
U.S. CDC director: BA.5 estimated to represent 65% of circulating COVID-19 variants
The fast-spreading BA.5 sub-lineage of Omicron is estimated to make up 65% of the coronavirus variants in the United States as of last week, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky said on Tuesday. The BA.5 and BA.4 variants together accounted for more than 80% of circulating variants last week, with BA.4 making up 16 %, Walensky told reporters at a White House briefing, adding that the seven-day average of COVID-19 hospital admissions has doubled since early May.
13th Jul 2022 - Reuters
Shanghai sweats over small, but stubborn COVID outbreak already hampering economy
Anxiety levels rose along with temperatures in Shanghai on Wednesday, as medical workers sweated beneath their hazmat suits while administering compulsory mass testing for COVID-19 in a city that recently emerged from a painful two-month lockdown. China's commercial hub is battling an outbreak that has seen dozens of new infections recorded daily for the past week, and though the numbers are relatively low it has unnerved many among the city's 25 million people, after their ordeal in April and May.
13th Jul 2022 - Reuters
WHO Chief Warns of Rising Infections, Deaths From New Covid Wave
The World Health Organization urged governments and health care systems to take steps to curb Covid-19 transmission as a fresh wave of infections moves across Europe and the US. Sub-variants of the omicron strain are lifting case numbers and leading to further fatalities, Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a briefing in Geneva on Tuesday. Tedros, as the head of the WHO is known, recommended the revival of protocols like mask-wearing to stop the spread. “New waves of the virus demonstrate that Covid-19 is nowhere near over,” Tedros said, adding that he is “concerned about a rising trend of deaths.”
12th Jul 2022 - Bloomberg
Covid-19 Strikes Wyoming's Most Populous Prison as US Cases Rise
One in four inmates at Wyoming’s most populous prison has tested positive for Covid-19 as cases rise again across the US. The Wyoming Medium Correctional Facility in Torrington houses about 645 inmates and tests last week resulted in 162 positive readings, the Casper Star-Tribune reports. Twenty staff members also tested positive and the prison is on lock-down, the newspaper said.
12th Jul 2022 - Bloomberg
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 13th Jul 2022
View this newsletter in fullCovid-19: 11548 new community cases, 19 deaths reported
There are 11,548 new community cases of Covid-19, as officials report a further 19 deaths in people with the virus over the past four days. There are 710 people in hospital, 17 of whom are in an intensive care or high dependency care unit, the Ministry of Health said on Tuesday afternoon. The seven-day rolling average of cases is 9550, up from 7246 last Tuesday, and the average of hospitalisations is 613, from 436 this time last week.
12th Jul 2022 - Stuff
New Brunswick has 'high' COVID-19 hazard index, warns researcher
New Brunswick's COVID-19 hazard index score is "high" right now, with an estimated 1,700 people being infected with Omicron for the first time each day, according to COVID-19 Resources Canada, a research group funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada. That's 213 infections per 100,000 New Brunswickers, as of July 9 — nearly 2½ times the national average of 87, says Tara Moriarty, co-founder of the group. The number of infections is likely even higher when reinfections are included, said Moriarty, an associate professor and infectious disease researcher at the University of Toronto. "You can probably add another 30 per cent," she said, or 510 infections, raising the estimated provincial daily total to 2,210.
12th Jul 2022 - CBC.ca
Covid-19: Experts 'concerned' as daily cases hit three-month high
Experts say the second Omicron wave has hit, with hospitalisations expected to be higher than during the first peak. On Tuesday, the Ministry of Health recorded 11,548 new community cases of Covid-19 – the highest number of daily cases since April 7, when 11,634 cases were recorded. Hospitalisations have also not been this high since April 4. Dr Emily Harvey, a researcher with Covid-19 Modelling Aotearoa, said Tuesday's daily case numbers had left her concerned.
12th Jul 2022 - Stuff
Hospital wards and aged care homes battling COVID-19 outbreaks as Tasmania records 1,812 new cases
Tasmania has recorded 1,812 new cases of COVID-19. Acting State Health Commander Dale Webster said an outbreak management team is meeting regularly to monitor the situation. The Launceston General Hospital and the North West Regional Hospital remain at level three of their COVID-19 management plans.
12th Jul 2022 - ABC News
Omicron subvariants threaten COVID-19 resurgence across US
Health officials are once again raising the alarm about the threat of a resurgence of COVID-19 infections across the country, as concerns grow about the new omicron subvariant, BA.5, which is now the dominant viral strain in the U.S. The BA.5 variant, first detected in South Africa earlier this year, is currently estimated to account for more than half -- 53.6% -- of all new COVID-19 cases in the states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. BA.5 appears to have a growth advantage over the original omicron variant, according to the World Health Organization, and scientists are closely monitoring the increase in reported cases observed in many countries across the globe.
12th Jul 2022 - ABC News
COVID-19 cases in Queensland hospitals likely to pass 1,000, CHO says, as isolation rules change
More than 2,300 Queensland health staff are off work due to COVID-19. Isolation rules around the COVID reinfection period cut from 12 weeks to four weeks
Queensland CHO John Gerrard says COVID hospitalisations are "getting close" to exceeding 1,000 during the current third wave.
12th Jul 2022 - ABC News
Growing concern over COVID-19 reinfections
CBS News reports on "Growing concern over COVID-19 reinfections as two super-infectious omicron strains become dominant variants in the United States",
12th Jul 2022 - CBS News
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 12th Jul 2022
View this newsletter in fullCasino Stocks Fall as Macau Shuts Businesses Amid Covid-19 Outbreak
The latest restrictions in Macau come as the city struggles to contain an outbreak that had already shuttered venues such as cinemas, salons and swimming pools. The Chinese gambling hub has recorded hundreds of cases in recent weeks, its worst-ever outbreak after keeping to China’s zero-Covid strategy for most of the pandemic. Macau’s chief executive, Ho Iat-seng, had said last month that shutting down all casinos “would affect many employees,” and as such the city’s more than 40 casinos had been allowed to continue operations. Macau relies on the gambling sector for much of its economic growth and employment. Macau has a population of about 650,000. Throughout the pandemic, it has maintained strict Covid-containment measures. At one point, quarantine for travelers from what it deemed very high-risk countries was as long as 28 days.
11th Jul 2022 - The Wall Street Journal
Coronavirus BA.5 and BA.4 variants to blame for surge in infection rates
Two new subvariants of coronavirus are driving a surge in infection rates and hospitalisations across the globe. Health experts identified the strains - known as BA.5 and BA.4 - in Botswana and South Africa in March, and cases have quickly spread across Europe, the United States and Australia. In the wake of the surge in infection rates, health experts are urging people to ensure that they are up to date with their vaccinations and boosters. Everyone over the age of five can have the first two shots, with those aged 16 and over will be eligible for a booster shot. Those aged 75 and over, those who live in care homes, and people aged 12 and over who have a weakened immune system, will be offered a spring booster.
11th Jul 2022 - Wales Online
COVID-19: New mutant raises concerns in India, beyond
The quickly changing coronavirus has spawned yet another super contagious omicron mutant that’s worrying scientists as it gains ground in India and pops up in numerous other countries, including the United States. Scientists say the variant – called BA.2.75 – may be able to spread rapidly and get around immunity from vaccines and previous infection. It’s unclear whether it could cause more serious disease than other omicron variants, including the globally prominent BA.5.
“It’s still really early on for us to draw too many conclusions,” said Matthew Binnicker, director of clinical virology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. “But it does look like, especially in India, the rates of transmission are showing kind of that exponential increase.” Whether it will outcompete BA.5, he said, is yet to be determined.
11th Jul 2022 - The Associated Press
Hong Kong mulls movement restrictions as COVID cases rise
Hong Kong authorities are considering implementing a health code system in the city that would restrict the movements of those infected with the coronavirus and overseas arrivals, as infections rise again. The system is similar to that of mainland China, in which a red code completely restricts a person’s movement, a yellow code is for partial restriction, while a green code means freedom of movement. The colors would appear on Hong Kong’s risk-exposure app LeaveHomeSafe. Hong Kong’s health chief said Monday that if such a system is implemented, real-name registration would be required and those who test positive for COVID-19 would be given a red code “to identify those who have been infected” and prevent them from interacting with the community. Authorities are also considering reducing the current seven-day hotel quarantine for incoming travelers, and moving part of it to home isolation and health monitoring.
11th Jul 2022 - The Associated Press
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 11th Jul 2022
View this newsletter in fullBA.4 and BA.5 power a surge of known infections in Europe, officials say.
The rapidly spreading Omicron subvariants known as BA.4 and BA.5 are driving a summertime surge of the coronavirus in Europe, health officials say, after most Covid policies were removed in spring and a more relaxed approach to the pandemic has become the norm during the warmer months. Known cases in Europe rose to 57 cases per 100,000 as of Wednesday from 33 cases per day per 100,000 just two weeks earlier, according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. That is the sharpest increase — a rise of about 70 percent — of any region of the world over the same period. It comes as the summer travel season in European countries is in full swing, with warmer weather and easing coronavirus policies prompting a surge of movement in the region.
8th Jul 2022 - The New York Times
Ontario's COVID-19 test positivity climbs to 13.5% as new details of 7th wave emerge
New details are emerging about the severity of Ontario's newest wave of COVID-19, with the province reporting another 33 deaths related to the virus over the last week, as well as rising numbers of hospitalizations and ICU admissions. Test positivity has also climbed to 13.5, the highest percentage reported since May, it reported Thursday. The province says 712 people are currently in hospital with COVID-19, up from 585 at this time last week. There are 110 patients in intensive care due to the virus, up from 95 last Thursday.
8th Jul 2022 - CBC.ca
Covid-19 numbers double since start of week, with 13344 new cases on Friday
A computer glitch meant the Ministry of Health has wrongly reported 4000 extra cases in Friday’s numbers. The error meant that some cases already reported on Thursday were double-counted, resulting in Friday’s case numbers being incorrectly reported as 13,344, the ministry said in a statement on Friday afternoon. The correct figure was 9318, which was around the same level as case numbers reported for the past three days. A further 275 imported cases were reported – which was also corrected from initially being published as 390 cases.
8th Jul 2022 - Stuff
COVID-19: New wave of Omicron mutations spreading across Europe, EU Medicines Agency warns
A new wave of Covid-19 is sweeping across Europe driven by Omicron mutations, an EU Medicines Agency official has warned. Head of vaccines at the agency, Marco Cavaleri, has said "the increase in transmission among older age groups is starting to translate into severe disease". The increase in the number of people testing positive is being driven by the BA.4 and BA.5 mutations of the Omicron variant.
8th Jul 2022 - Sky News
Covid-19: UK infections are up but does it matter?
Covid infections continue to rise across the UK, with one in 25 people in England, one in 20 in Wales and one in 17 in Scotland infected with the virus.What does the latest data say? Covid-19 infections continue to rise across the UK, driven by the Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants. Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that 2.7 million people in private households are estimated to have had Covid-19 last week, up 18% from 2.3 million the previous week. This is the highest estimate for total infections since late April, but is still below the record high of 4.9 million which was reached during the Omicron BA.2 wave at the end of March.
8th Jul 2022 - Evening Standard
Shanghai faces 'relatively high' risk of further COVID community spread
China's commercial hub Shanghai faces a "relatively high" risk of further community transmission of COVID-19, Lei Zhenglong, an official at the National Health Commission, said on Friday. Shanghai reopened most cinemas on Friday, sticking to a plan of gradual resumption of daily activities after lifting a two-month COVID-19 lockdown in June, while also trying, like several other Chinese cities, to contain resurgent infections.
8th Jul 2022 - Reuters
Macau uses two more casino hotels for COVID medical facilities
Macau authorities have added two hotels in popular casino resorts to be used as COVID-19 medical facilities from Friday as they try to increase capacity to handle a surge of infections in the world's biggest gambling hub. The east wing of Grand Lisboa Palace owned by SJM Holdings and the Grand Hyatt hotel owned by Melco Resorts will together provide close to 800 rooms, they said. Sands China's Sheraton hotel and Londoner resort have already been used as quarantine facilities.
8th Jul 2022 - Reuters
Sweden sees increase in COVID-19 cases, more expected over summer
Sweden is seeing an increase in COVID-19 cases and healthcare can expect an increase in pressure over the summer, the health minister said on Thursday. "Quite a few are ill even though we are in the middle of the summer. We also see a small increase in the number of COVID-19 patients who need hospital care and intensive care," Minister of Health Lena Hallengren told a news conference. "However, we don't see the type of impact we saw earlier in the pandemic, I want to stress that," she said.
7th Jul 2022 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 8th Jul 2022
View this newsletter in fullCoronavirus: Hong Kong’s daily tally surpasses 3,000 as city reveals new arrangements for travellers heading to mainland China
Hong Kong has recorded more than 3,000 new coronavirus infections, the highest daily figure since April 5, as authorities revealed plans to allow more people to travel to mainland China through a special corridor to Shenzhen. Health authorities on Thursday reported 3,028 Covid-19 cases, 172 of which were imported, and one virus-related death. The city’s overall coronavirus tally currently stands at 1,261,868 cases, with 9,407 fatalities.
7th Jul 2022 - South China Morning Post on MSN.com
NZ Defence Force, medical team deployed to Niue after COVID-19 outbreak
New Zealand Defence Force said on Wednesday it had flown a team of civilian doctors, nurses and defence force personnel along with personal protective gear to tiny pacific island Niue to help with the country's COVID-19 outbreak. Niue, a self governing state that is in free association with New Zealand, had kept COVID out of the community having largely closed its borders in the early days of the pandemic. However, following its first quarantine-free flight on June 27 a number of passengers tested positive for COVID.
7th Jul 2022 - Reuters
Millions tested in Shanghai as China grapples COVID resurgence
Millions of people in Shanghai queued for a third day of mass COVID-19 testing on Thursday as authorities in several Chinese cities scrambled to stamp out new outbreaks that have rekindled worries about growth in the world's second-largest economy. Unless local officials succeed in preventing the virus from spreading, they could be compelled to invoke prolonged, major restrictions on residents' movement, under China's "dynamic zero COVID" strategy.
7th Jul 2022 - Reuters
Iraq sees rebound in Covid-19 infections as nation records 4,819 cases
Iraq is witnessing a noticeable rebound in the Covid-19 infections as the country's Health Ministry reported 4,819 new cases, the highest daily hike since February 8.
The newly registered cases raised the nationwide caseload to 2,369,272, while the death toll from the virus rose by two to 25,249, Xinhua news agency reported, citing a statement by the ministry.
7th Jul 2022 - Business Standard
Experts warn of new COVID-19 wave
Türkiye may face a new wave of COVID infections as the actual number of coronavirus infections is more than detected, experts have warned. As people have stopped wearing face masks while traveling on public transport or indoor spaces, it has triggered the recent spike in coronavirus cases, the experts said. Earlier this week, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca reported that the number of virus cases increased from 26,635 between June 20 and 26 to 57,113 between June 27 and July 3. Last week 25 people died from COVID-19, up from 17 fatalities due to the pandemic in the previous week.
7th Jul 2022 - Hurriyet Daily News
Health experts warn Covid-19 wave to peak next week
Health experts have warned that the peak of the current wave of Covid-19 is expected next week. Professor of Immunology in DCU Christine Loscher said there are two-to-three times more positive cases than are being reported via PCR and antigen tests. She said the pattern is that subvariants have arisen every three months and that Ireland will move on from BA.4 and BA.5 variants, but it is unknown if the next variant will be mild or not. Speaking on RTÉ's Today with Claire Byrne, Prof Loscher added that there are a lot of unknowns but a decision on the vaccine strategy is a priority.
7th Jul 2022 - RTE.ie
New West Australian COVID-19 wave expected, with cases likely to exceed 10,000, says state's Chief Health Officer
The state's Chief Health Officer has warned West Australians to expect another "significant wave" of COVID-19 infections within the next six weeks. While it was hard to predict what the next outbreak would look like, Andy Robertson said Western Australia could expect to see daily COVID-19 cases mirror that of previous outbreaks. "In our previous peaks, we had an initial peak of around 10 [thousand], and then a further peak of around 17 [thousand], so it's probably going to be in that sort of ball park," Dr Robertson told ABC Radio Perth .
7th Jul 2022 - ABC News
Australia's Covid hospital admissions at highest level since summer
Covid hospital admissions have reached their highest level since early February when Australia’s health system faced great pressure at the end of the first Omicron wave. The surge has prompted calls from leading epidemiologists and the Australian Medical Association (AMA) for stronger mask mandates, with concerns there are double the number of infections silently spreading through the community than official figures suggest. The national total of hospital admissions reached 3,781 on Wednesday, up from 3,740 on Tuesday and 3,511 on Monday – the highest numbers have been since 8 February. The nation is recording on average 33,000 cases each day.
7th Jul 2022 - The Guardian
Shanghai back on alert as China battles COVID outbreaks
Millions of people in Shanghai queued for a third day of mass COVID-19 testing on Thursday as authorities in several Chinese cities scrambled to stamp out new outbreaks that have rekindled worries about growth in the world's second-largest economy. Unless local officials succeed in preventing the virus from spreading, they could be compelled to invoke prolonged, major restrictions on residents' movement, under China's "dynamic zero COVID" strategy.
7th Jul 2022 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 7th Jul 2022
View this newsletter in fullCovid-19 Vaccine Doses, Once in High Demand, Now Thrown Away
Governments, drugmakers and vaccination sites are discarding tens of millions of unused Covid-19 vaccine doses amid sagging demand, a sharp reversal from the early days of the mass-vaccination campaign, when doses were scarce. Vaccine manufacturer Moderna Inc. recently discarded about 30 million doses of its Covid-19 shot after failing to find takers, while pharmacies and clinics have had to throw out unused doses from multi-dose vials from Moderna and from Pfizer Inc. and its partner BioNTech SE that have a short shelf life once they are opened.
7th Jul 2022 - The Wall Street Journal
Covid-19: 10290 new community cases reported
New community case numbers remain high with the Ministry of Health reporting 10,290 new cases on Wednesday. There are 522 people in hospital and 12 people with the virus have died since July 1, the ministry said. On Tuesday, case numbers soared by more than 3000 in a single day, rising from 6498 on Monday to 9629 on Tuesday. The seven-day rolling average of community case numbers on Tuesday was 7246 – a rise of about 32% on the same time last year. The seven-day rolling average of community case numbers on Wednesday was 7591.
6th Jul 2022 - Stuff
BA.4/5 COVID-19 variants now dominant in all US regions
Combined, the two subvariants make up more than 70% of recently sequenced samples, up sharply from 52.3% the previous week. Of the variants CDC is tracking, BA.5 now makes up 53.6%, and BA.4 makes up 16.5%. The proportion of BA.2.12.1—first detected in New York—continues to decline. South-central states were the first to see BA.4 and BA.5 become dominant. The two subvariants are more transmissible and have mutations linked to immune escape.
6th Jul 2022 - CIDRAP
Beijing city reports three new local COVID cases
China's capital on Wednesday mandated COVID-19 vaccinations for most people to enter crowded venues such as libraries, cinemas and gyms, the first such move by Beijing which it coupled with a slight easing of domestic travel curbs. From July 11, people wanting to enter certain public would need to be vaccinated unless they have issues that render them unsuitable for shots, a city official told a news briefing. Restaurants and public transportation are exempt from the rule.
6th Jul 2022 - Reuters
Romania COVID cases nearly double in a week
The number of new COVID-19 infections in Romania nearly doubled over the last week, with a peak of 10,000 daily cases expected in mid-August, Health Minister Alexandru Rafila said on Monday. Romania is the European Union's second-least vaccinated state, with just over 42% of the population fully inoculated amid distrust of state institutions and poor vaccine education. The number of new infections approached 8,000 over the last week, compared with 3,974 new cases in the previous week, data showed, but the number of hospitalisations and deaths remained low.
6th Jul 2022 - Reuters
Italy daily COVID cases exceed 100000 for first time since February
Italy reported 132,274 COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, health ministry official figures showed, surpassing 100,000 for the first time since Feb. 8. Italy, whose death tally since the beginning of the pandemic is the eight-highest in the world, also reported 94 deaths on Tuesday.
6th Jul 2022 - Reuters
China battles karaoke COVID cluster in Shanghai among other outbreaks
China is fighting nascent COVID-19 flare-ups across the country with mass testing and fresh restrictions, including in weary Shanghai where new cases have been linked to a building which houses a karaoke lounge that was operating illegally.
6th Jul 2022 - Reuters
Macau shuts popular shopping mall in race to contain COVID outbreak
Macau shut down a popular shopping mall adjacent to MGM China's casino resort on the city's main peninsula after several COVID-19 infections were found, as authorities raced to the biggest outbreak yet in the world's biggest gambling hub.
One Central shopping mall will be shut for one week, while more than a dozen other zones or buildings, have also been ordered to close, authorities said.
6th Jul 2022 - Reuters
China reports 409 new COVID cases for July 6 vs 427 day earlier
Mainland China reported 409 new coronavirus cases for July 6, of which 124 were symptomatic and 285 were asymptomatic, the National Health Commission said on Thursday. That compared with 427 new cases a day earlier - 141 symptomatic and 286 asymptomatic infections, which China counts separately. There were zero new deaths, same as a day earlier, keeping the nation's fatalities at 5,226. As of Wednesday, mainland China had confirmed 226,300 cases with symptoms.
6th Jul 2022 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 6th Jul 2022
View this newsletter in fullCovid-19 NZ: Understanding the Omicron variant BA.5 and why it's fuelling a second wave
The second Omicron wave appears to have started. Case numbers – along with hospitalisations – are trending upwards. Underlying this is the rise of a new Covid subvariant called BA.5 which experts have suggested is starting to snowball.
This is a snapshot of what’s going on and what you need to know. Um, what is BA.5? Alpha, Beta, Delta, Omicron - all are distinct Covid-19 variants. Just like BA.1 (which was dominant here) and BA.2 (which is now dominant), BA.5 is another member of the growing Omicron family.
5th Jul 2022 - Stuff
Covid-19: New cases soar by more than 3000 in a single day, reaching 9629
New cases of Covid-19 have soared by more than 3000 in a single day, rising from 6498 on Monday to 9629 on Tuesday, the Ministry of Health says. There are also 493 people in hospital, and 24 people with the virus have died in the period since April 14, the ministry said. The seven-day rolling average of community case numbers on Tuesday is 7246 – a rise of about 32 per cent on the same time last year. University of Canterbury professor and Covid-19 modeller Michael Plank said the increasing trend in cases over the past week made a second wave of Omicron “likely”.
5th Jul 2022 - Stuff
Iran records over 1,000 daily Covid-19 cases
Iran's daily recorded coronavirus cases on Monday exceeded 1,000 for the first time since late April, according to the country's health ministry. Authorities recorded 1,007 new cases within 24 hours on Monday, with 122 of the new patients needing to be hospitalised. This was the first time over 1,000 cases had been recorded since 27 April. In recent weeks, daily cases in Iran have rarely exceeded 200, with some days seeing less than 100 infections. The total number of identified coronavirus cases in Iran since the start of the pandemic in February 2020 is 7,240,564, and a total of 141,404 people have died from Covid-19.
5th Jul 2022 - The New Arab
Covid-19: Sharp rise in infections seen across the UK
Covid-19 infections in the UK are up 32% on the previous week with an estimated 2.3 million people infected, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).1
Rates have continued to increase across all four UK countries, likely driven by the growth of the BA.4 and BA.5 omicron subvariants, the ONS said. In the week ending 25 June an estimated 1 829 100 people would have tested positive for covid in England—around one in 30 people—according to the ONS coronavirus infection survey. A week earlier that rate was one in 40.
5th Jul 2022 - The BMJ
Covid-19 deaths at low level despite growing wave of infections
Covid-19 deaths in England and Wales remain at a low level, despite the latest wave of infections, new figures show. There were 285 deaths registered in the week to June 24 where coronavirus was mentioned on the death certificate, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). This is broadly unchanged on the previous two weeks, and is well below the 1,125 deaths registered in the peak week of the Omicron BA.2 wave of infections earlier in the year.
5th Jul 2022 - The Independent
Romania COVID cases nearly double in a week
The number of new COVID-19 infections in Romania nearly doubled over the last week, with a peak of 10,000 daily cases expected in mid-August, Health Minister Alexandru Rafila said on Monday. Romania is the European Union's second-least vaccinated state, with just over 42% of the population fully inoculated amid distrust of state institutions and poor vaccine education. The number of new infections approached 8,000 over the last week, compared with 3,974 new cases in the previous week, data showed, but the number of hospitalisations and deaths remained low.
5th Jul 2022 - Reuters
Macau COVID outbreak hits more than 900 as infections spread
Macau reported 89 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday, taking the total to more than 900 infections since mid-June, as authorities in the world's biggest gambling hub race to contain its largest outbreak since the pandemic began. More than 13,000 people are under quarantine in the Chinese special administrative region, which has effectively shut down to limit the spread of coronavirus. The city's more than 600,000 residents are subject to three citywide COVID-19 tests this week, with people also required to take rapid antigen tests in between.
5th Jul 2022 - Reuters
Macau steps up COVID testing as infections surge
Macau kicked off a new round of COVID-19 testing for its more than 600,000 residents on Monday, as officials in the world's biggest gambling hub raced to limit spiralling infections in the city's worst outbreak since the pandemic began. All residents face three rounds of tests this week, in addition to rapid antigen tests, as Monday's 68 new infections took the tally in the former Portuguese colony to 852 since the middle of June. About 12,000 people are in quarantine.
5th Jul 2022 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 5th Jul 2022
View this newsletter in fullChennai makes masks mandatory in public places as Covid-19 cases rise
Chennai has made masks mandatory again in public places after Covid-19 cases rose again in the southern state Tamil Nadu. As per the data provided by the state health department, Tamil Nadu had recorded 2,672 fresh infections on Sunday, while 2,385 cases on Saturday. The death toll, however, stands at zero. On the other hand, in the past 24 hours, the state had seen 1,487 recoveries; the active toll rose to 14,504, official data suggested.
4th Jul 2022 - India Times
Covid-19 Omicron outbreak: BA.5 expected to become dominant sub-variant in fortnight as case numbers increase
A new Covid-19 variant is expected to become the dominant strain in the community within weeks as cases surge and an expert warns we could be "losing the arms race with the virus". University of Otago epidemiologist Professor Michael Baker has again urged Kiwis to brace for the second Omicron wave as the community case average increased by almost 50 per cent in nine days. Baker described the 49 per cent increase of the seven-day rolling average of cases on June 25 (4737) to today (7046) as an "abrupt rise" and indicative that New Zealand could be at the beginning of another infection wave. Earlier today, health officials reported 6498 community cases, a further eight deaths, and 487 hospitalisations. The weekly rolling average of hospitalisations has increased from 335 this time last week to 420 today.
4th Jul 2022 - New Zealand Herald
Active Covid-19 infections in Italy surpass 1 million after surge in cases
The number of active cases of coronavirus surpassed 1 million in Italy on Sunday, the result of a swift increase in cases over the last two weeks. As recently as June 17, Italy had fewer than 5,75,000 active cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. On Sunday, that number totalled 1.01 million, an increase of more than 75 per cent in a span of 16 days. The Ministry of Health has said the increases in the infection rate are mostly due to the Omicron-5 sub-variant of the virus. Italy became the fourth country in the world to have more than 1 million active cases, following the United States, with 3.5 million, Germany, with 1.5 million, and France, with 1.4 million, according to data from the World Health Organization.
4th Jul 2022 - Business Standard
New Omicron sub-variants cause COVID-19 cases to rise in the UK
COVID-19 cases are rising across the UK, with the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showing the number of people infected has more than doubled since the start of June. The surge in cases is due to two new fast-spreading sub-variants of Omicron, BA.4 and BA.5. Research in the New England Journal of Medicine shows that BA.4 and BA.5 can ‘substantially escape’ the protection from either vaccination or infection. In the week ending 24 June, the ONS estimated COVID-19 rates were one in 30 in England and Wales, one in 25 in Northern Ireland, and one in 18 in Scotland. In its analysis of England’s figures, the ONS found infections were going up in all regions and in all age groups. The two new variants were added to the World Health Organization's (WHO) monitoring list in March and have also been designated as variants of concern in Europe.
4th Jul 2022 - PMLiVE
Several eastern Chinese areas in mass COVID testing to curb new waves of infections
Parts of eastern China are running fresh rounds of mass COVID-19 testing, as the country faces new waves of infections while recovering from impact of the spring outbreaks that hit Beijing and Shanghai. China continues to demand local authorities detect and contain new infections as soon as possible in its "dynamic COVID zero" strategy, although it has warned against expanding strict curbs unnecessarily as it struggles to revive the economy. Daily numbers of locally transmitted infections in mainland China increased to more than 300 over the weekend compared with a few dozens in late June. While tiny by global standards, local officials have still closed some businesses and locked down more than a million people.
4th Jul 2022 - Investing.com
Macau steps up COVID testing as infections surge
Macau kicked off a new round of COVID-19 testing for its more than 600,000 residents on Monday, as officials in the world's biggest gambling hub raced to limit spiralling infections in the city's worst outbreak since the pandemic began. All residents face three rounds of tests this week, in addition to rapid antigen tests, as Monday's 68 new infections took the tally in the former Portuguese colony to 852 since the middle of June. About 12,000 people are in quarantine.
4th Jul 2022 - Reuters
Eastern China cities tighten COVID curbs as new clusters emerge
Cities in eastern China tightened COVID-19 curbs on Sunday as coronavirus clusters emerge, posing a new threat to China's economic recovery under the government's strict zero-COVID policy. Wuxi, a manufacturing hub in the Yangtze Delta on the central coast, halted operations at many public venues located underground, including shops and supermarkets. Dine-in services in restaurants were suspended, and the government advised people to work from home.
4th Jul 2022 - Reuters
New York City Ends Its Coronavirus Alert System as Cases Rise
New York City health officials have ended its Covid-19 alert system that informed residents about periods of higher transmission of the virus. The change took place this week and visitors to the city’s website are now met with a message that reads: “We are evaluating the city’s COVID Alert system. Before the color-coded alert categorization was dropped, the city was last at a ‘medium risk level’ on Tuesday with New Yorkers being encouraged to continue wearing a mask in public indoor setting
1st Jul 2022 - Bloomberg
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 4th Jul 2022
View this newsletter in fullA viral reprise: When COVID-19 strikes again and again
Medical experts warn that repeat infections are getting more likely as the pandemic drags on and the virus evolves – and some people are bound to get hit more than twice. Emerging research suggests that could put them at higher risk for health problems. There’s no comprehensive data on people getting COVID-19 more than twice, although some states collect information on reinfections in general. New York, for example, reports around 277,000 reinfections out of 5.8 million total infections during the pandemic. Experts say actual numbers are much higher because so many home COVID-19 tests go unreported.
3rd Jul 2022 - The Associated Press
For now, wary US treads water with transformed COVID-19
The fast-changing coronavirus has kicked off summer in the U.S. with lots of infections but relatively few deaths compared to its prior incarnations. COVID-19 is still killing hundreds of Americans each day, but is not nearly as dangerous as it was last fall and winter. “It’s going to be a good summer and we deserve this break,” said Ali Mokdad, a professor of health metrics sciences at the University of Washington in Seattle. With more Americans shielded from severe illness through vaccination and infection, COVID-19 has transformed — for now at least — into an unpleasant, inconvenient nuisance for many. “It feels cautiously good right now,” said Dr. Dan Kaul, an infectious diseases specialist at the University of Michigan Medical Center in Ann Arbor. “For the first time that I can remember, pretty much since it started, we don’t have any (COVID-19) patients in the ICU.”
3rd Jul 2022 - The Associated Press
Eastern China cities tighten COVID curbs as new clusters emerge
Cities in eastern China tightened COVID-19 curbs on Sunday as coronavirus clusters emerge, posing a new threat to China's economic recovery under the government's strict zero-COVID policy. Wuxi, a manufacturing hub in the Yangtze Delta on the central coast, halted operations at many public venues located underground, including shops and supermarkets. Dine-in services in restaurants were suspended, and the government advised people to work from home.
3rd Jul 2022 - Reuters
Why You'll Probably Get Covid (Again) Soon
The question used to be: “Have you had Covid?” Now it’s: “How many times have you had it?” Both of us have had a Covid (re)infection in recent months. Many of us know people currently sick with Covid or recently recovered. In the week ending June 24, an estimated 1 in 30 people in the UK (some 2.3 million people) were infected with Covid, up 32% from the previous week.
1st Jul 2022 - Bloomberg
FT Omicron variants drive surge in UK Covid-19 infections
Covid-19 infections in England have jumped by 34 per cent in a week as new Omicron variants drive a wave of cases across the UK, according to the Office for National Statistics. More than one in 30 people in the UK are carrying the virus, according to ONS, with half a million more people infected than a week earlier. The data released on Friday, covering the week to June 24, show that an estimated 1.8mn people — 3.35 per cent of the population in England — would test positive for Covid.
1st Jul 2022 - The Financial Times
Covid-19 infections in UK jump by more than half a million in a week
Covid-19 infections in the UK have jumped by more than half a million in a week, with the rise likely to be driven by the latest Omicron variants BA.4 and BA.5, figures show. Hospital numbers are also continuing to increase, with early signs of a rise in intensive care admissions among older age groups. A total of 2.3 million people in private households are estimated to have had the virus last week, up 32% from a week earlier, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). This is the highest estimate for total infections since late April, but is still some way below the record high of 4.9 million seen at the peak of the Omicron BA.2 wave at the end of March.
1st Jul 2022 - Evening Standard
UK Covid Cases Surge 32% in One Week as BA.4, BA.5 Omicron Subvariants Spread
Britain’s Covid-19 infections are rising sharply with omicron subvariants sparking new outbreaks across the country and raising concerns that the latest wave could upend health systems and businesses. The number of people testing positive for Covid-19 is estimated at 2.3 million in the week through June 24, up 32% from the previous week, according to data published by the Office for National Statistics on Friday. News of a country-wide jump in cases comes a day after regulators reported that England’s hospital admissions are climbing again, with intensive-care cases spreading among older age groups.
1st Jul 2022 - Bloomberg
UK Sees ICU Admissions Rise Among Elderly as Covid Cases Climb
UK hospital admissions linked to Covid are climbing again as omicron subvariants cause new outbreaks across the country. England’s hospital admission rate for the week through June 26 stood at 11.11 per 100,000 people, jumping nearly 40% from 7.98 in the previous week, according to the UK Health Security Agency, with intensive-care cases spreading among older age groups. “We continue to see an increase in Covid-19 data, with a rise in case rates and hospitalizations in those aged 65 years and over, and outbreaks in care homes,” said Mary Ramsay, director of clinical programs at the agency.
30th Jun 2022 - Bloomberg
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 1st Jul 2022
View this newsletter in fullYes, the number of Covid cases in the UK is rising – but that is no cause for alarm
Although infections are rising, we are not being swamped by yet another Covid wave. Just as we come forward each year for our flu inoculation, we must do the same for our yearly Covid vaccine. The solution to rising cases is not lockdowns or restrictions on our liberties, but vaccines. This is not just the case in Britain, but around the world. Covid is a global virus, so needs global solutions. Because while Covid is endemic here, it is still having a major impact on much of the developing world.
30th Jun 2022 - The Guardian
North Korea’s woes overflow as Kim Jong-un battles flooding, Covid-19 outbreak
Major rivers in the country are in spate following torrential rains since last week, prompting officials to step up disaster response efforts amid a wave of infections
Experts say the North’s problems are only going to worsen as it can’t receive aid from Seoul due to frosty inter-Korean ties and stringent Western sanctions
30th Jun 2022 - South China Morning Post
Coronavirus outbreak in Hong Kong shifting from pandemic to endemic says government health adviser
Professor Ivan Hung, a top infectious disease expert, says Hong Kong has fulfilled necessary criteria for city to transition from pandemic to endemic. Health officials on Thursday log 2,358 coronavirus infections, of which 162 were imported, and two Covid-related deaths
30th Jun 2022 - South China Morning Post
WHO: COVID-19 cases rising nearly everywhere in the world
The number of new coronavirus cases rose by 18% in the last week, with more than 4.1 million cases reported globally, according to the World Health Organization. The U.N. health agency said in its latest weekly report on the pandemic that the worldwide number of deaths remained relatively similar to the week before, at about 8,500. COVID-related deaths increased in three regions: the Middle East, Southeast Asia and the Americas. The biggest weekly rise in new COVID-19 cases was seen in the Middle East, where they increased by 47%, according to the report released late Wednesday. Infections rose by about 32% in Europe and Southeast Asia, and by about 14% in the Americas, WHO said. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said cases were on the rise in 110 countries, mostly driven by the omicron variants BA.4 and BA.5.
30th Jun 2022 - Associated Press
Macau COVID infections rise as spread extends to medics, police
Authorities in the world's biggest gambling hub Macau are scrambling to contain the city's biggest coronavirus outbreak since the pandemic began, requiring all residents test daily and stay home as much as possible. Health, police and fire services staff are among the more than 570 infected cases, the government said on Thursday. Residents must test daily for the virus using Rapid Antigen kits.
The Chinese special administrative region carried out three city-wide mass coronavirus tests for its more than 600,000 residents in the space of a week. More than 7,000 people are in mandatory quarantine.
30th Jun 2022 - Reuters
France's new wave of COVID infections expected to peak end-July -scientist
A new wave in France of COVID-19 infections fuelled by emerging variants of the disease should peak towards end-July, the French government's top scientific adviser Jean-Francois Delfraissy said on Thursday. "The peak is not yet here, this peak of infections will probably be for end-July," Delfraissy told RTL radio.
"Then the BA.5 variant will reappear, if it is not overtaken by another variant ...in autumn," he added.
30th Jun 2022 - Reuters
Global COVID cases rise as BA.4 and BA.5 expand
Four of the six WHO regions saw rises last week: the Eastern Mediterranean, Europe, Southeast Asia, and the Americas. Globally, deaths stayed level, but were up in the Eastern Mediterranean, Southeast Asian, and Americas regions. About 4.1 million cases were reported to the WHO last week, likely an undercount given reduced testing in many countries. The United States, Germany, Brazil, Italy, and China reported the most cases. At a briefing today of the WHO's Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), officials said cases rose in all four subregions in the Americas, with a jump of 24.6% in South America. Cases in North America rose 7.7% last week, mainly due to rises in the United States and Mexico.
29th Jun 2022 - CIDRAP
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 30th Jun 2022
View this newsletter in fullBristol covid latest as cases spike in two areas
Bristol is not immune to this rise in covid cases, and two areas in particular are now above 400 cases per 100,000 people: Stapleton (423.8) and Downend South (512). These numbers are for the seven days ending June 23, the most recent date for which data is available, and are likely to have increased further in the days since. Most of central Bristol is between 100 and 199 cases per 100,000 people during the same time period, while the city's suburbs and outer areas are slightly higher at between 200 and 399 cases per 100,000 people. The areas with the lowest case rates are Hengrove (98.9 per 100,000), Lawrence Weston (96.5 per 100,000), Barton Hill (83.6 per 100,000), and Lockleaze (78.5 per 100,000).
30th Jun 2022 - Bristol Live
U.S. Agrees to Pay $3.2 Billion for More Pfizer Covid Vaccines
The Biden administration has agreed to pay $3.2 billion for 105 million doses of Pfizer Inc.’s Covid-19 vaccine. The deal would provide supplies for the federal government’s planned fall booster campaign, which administration officials are devising to blunt a potential wave in cases, possibly driven by variants of the Omicron strain now spreading across the U.S. Under the deal, the federal government would have the option to buy 195 million additional doses, the Health and Human Services Department said Wednesday. Pfizer, which developed and makes the vaccine with partner BioNTech SE, would make whatever type of vaccine federal health regulators decide should be featured in the fall campaign.
30th Jun 2022 - The Wall Street Journal
Quebec reports uptick in COVID-19 hospitalizations amid rise of new variants nationwide
Quebec's public health director Dr. Luc Boileau will be holding a news conference at 11:30 a.m. today, as the province sees an uptick in hospitalizations related to COVID-19. On Tuesday, the province reported 1,226 hospitalizations — an increase of 113 since Friday — and 36 people in intensive care. It also reported five more deaths.
29th Jun 2022 - CBC.ca on MSN.com
Hong Kong daily COVID cases rise above 2000, highest since April
Hong Kong reported more than 2,000 new coronavirus infections on Wednesday, the highest since April, as daily COVID-19 cases rise ahead of celebrations to mark the city's 25th anniversary of its handover to China.
29th Jun 2022 - Reuters
Scores of Glastonbury revellers test positive for COVID as experts warn of fifth wave
A number of Glastonbury Festival revellers have reported testing positive for COVID-19 in the days after the music event. An estimated 200,000 music fans flocked to Worthy Farm in east Somerset for the 37th iteration of Glastonbury last week. Crowds gathered to watch headliners Billie Eilish, Paul McCartney and Kendrick Lamar along with scores of other artists for the world's biggest outdoor festival. Following three years of cancellations due to COVID restrictions, tens of thousands of music fans did not hold back as they soaked up their favourite artists, shoulder to shoulder with other fans. But the fun was soon over after many revellers took to Twitter to report bringing COVID-19 home with them.
29th Jun 2022 - Sky News
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 29th Jun 2022
View this newsletter in fullCovid-19 deaths remain low while infections and hospital numbers rise
The number of Covid-19 deaths registered in England and Wales continues to remain low, with no evidence yet of the impact of the latest rise in infections. A total of 264 deaths registered in the seven days to June 17 mentioned coronavirus on the death certificate, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). This is down slightly from 284 deaths in the previous week and remains well below the 1,125 recorded in the peak week of the Omicron BA.2 wave of infections earlier in the year.
28th Jun 2022 - South Wales Guardian
Singapore reports 11504 new COVID-19 cases, highest daily number of infections in more than 3 months
Singapore reported 11,504 new COVID-19 cases as of noon on Tuesday (Jun 28), comprising 10,732 local infections and 772 imported cases. There was one fatality, taking the death toll from coronavirus complications to 1,410. Cases tend to increase on Tuesdays, with Health Minister Ong Ye Kung previously referring to such a pattern, writing on Facebook in October 2021 that numbers would "always spike after the weekends". The last time Singapore reported more daily infections than Tuesday was on Mar 22, when 13,166 COVID-19 new cases were reported.
28th Jun 2022 - CNA
Covid pandemic not over warns Northamptonshire health experts
Health experts have warned the Covid-19 pandemic "isn't over", as a county saw cases rise by 20% in a week and an increase in people going to hospital. In the week to 22 June, Northamptonshire has 886 cases, up from 736 in the previous week. The county's two councils said two new subvariants of Omicron appeared to be more infectious than other variants. Sally Burns, interim director of Public Health for West Northamptonshire, said people should "take precautions". Both North Northamptonshire and West Northamptonshire councils said there was an increase in hospital admissions from the rise in cases. Northampton General has 16 people in hospital with Covid-19 - an increase from 13 in the previous week, and Kettering General has 21 in hospital - a rise from 17.
28th Jun 2022 - BBC News
Ireland puts army on standby to help at Dublin airport amid COVID surge
Ireland agreed on Tuesday to put the army on standby to help with security at Dublin airport should staffing be hit by a resurgence of COVID-19 during the rest of the busy summer travel period. Ireland's main airport is one of many around Europe that has struggled to hire staff fast enough to deal with a sharp rebound in travel, although it has had relatively few issues since more than 1,000 passengers missed their flights in a single day last month.
28th Jun 2022 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 28th Jun 2022
View this newsletter in fullLebanon faces new wave of Covid; health ministry urges public to get shots
The Lebanese Ministry of Public Health warned on Saturday that the country is facing a new wave of COVID-19, urging the public to get vaccinated as soon as possible. The warning was issued in a statement by the ministry after its Vaccine Executive Committee held an emergency meeting on the latest epidemiological developments, the Lebanese National News Agency reported. "We are facing a new wave of the coronavirus, which is expected to be more contagious and the fastest spreading, according to the infection figures in Lebanon and in the rest of the world, which are experiencing an alarming rise," the statement said.
27th Jun 2022 - Business Standard
Covid in Scotland: public told to act over new Covid-19 surge
The use of facemasks in crowded places and staying away from work or school if infected are “small prices to pay” to reduce the latest spike in Covid-19 cases, Scotland’s national clinical director has said. Professor Jason Leitch said that mandatory restrictions to curb the rise were unnecessary because of the vaccination programme, recently developed antiviral drugs and increased knowledge among the public of how to protect themselves.
27th Jun 2022 - The Times
COVID-19's sixth wave hits Palestinian Territories
In a press statement sent to The New Arab, the ministry said it reported more than 1,000 new cases infected with the deadly coronavirus in the West Bank in a single day. The Ramallah-based Palestinian Health Ministry announced on Monday that the sixth wave of the coronavirus has hit the region. In a press statement sent to The New Arab, the ministry said it reported more than 1,000 new cases infected with the deadly coronavirus in the West Bank in a single day. Mai al-Kaila, the health minister, expressed her concerns about the current health situation, urging the public to immediately receive booster vaccinations and abide by precautionary and preventive measures. The Palestinian minister warned that its ministry may call on local authorities to impose several strict measures to curb the virus's spread.
27th Jun 2022 - The New Arab
Peru facing fourth wave of COVID-19: government
Peru's government on Sunday declared that a fourth wave of COVID-19 infections had begun to hit the country, which has one of the highest mortality rates from the virus in the world. "We are currently in a fourth wave, as we have seen the increase (of cases)... in different provinces of our country, such as Junin, Arequipa, Cusco and the capital," Health Minister Jorge Lopez told local broadcaster RPP radio.
According to official figures, infections increased from 1,800 per week at the beginning of the month to more than 11,000 in the last week.
27th Jun 2022 - Medical Xpress
China reports 106 new COVID cases for June 26 vs 116 day earlier
Mainland China reported 106 new coronavirus cases for June 26, of which 39 were symptomatic and 67 were asymptomatic, the National Health Commission said on Monday. That compared with 116 new cases a day earlier - 39 symptomatic and 77 asymptomatic infections, which China counts separately. There were no new deaths, keeping the nation's fatalities at 5,226. As of Sunday, mainland China had confirmed 225,565 cases with symptoms.
27th Jun 2022 - Reuters
Pakistan orders masks on domestic flights as COVID numbers rise
Pakistan’s aviation regulator has made masks mandatory on domestic flights given a gradual rise in the number of COVID-19 cases across the country, it said a statement. The order comes a day after Pakistan's biggest city, Karachi, reported that its COVID-19 positivity ratio, or the rate of positive cases out of all tests conducted, rose to 21% compared with a national rate of 2.8%. "With immediate effect, mask wearing will be mandatory onboard domestic flights,” the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) said in the statement late on Sunday.
27th Jun 2022 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 27th Jun 2022
View this newsletter in full2,378 new Covid cases, 17 more deaths
The country registered 2,378 more Covid-19 cases and 17 new fatalities during the previous 24 hours, the Public Health Ministry announced on Sunday morning. This compared with 2,236 new cases and 16 coronavirus-related fatalities reported on Saturday morning. The country has registered more than 2,000 new cases every day since Wednesday. Saturday's figures were the second highest during the period after the 2,387 found on Wednesday. Saturday’s figures, which were reported on Sunday, did not include 3,521 positive results from antigen tests over the past 24 hours. This would raise the total to 5,899.
26th Jun 2022 - ฺBangkok Post
Coronavirus work from home warning as spring boosters 'drop off'
Coronavirus has been branded ‘concerning’ again in Manchester amid soaring case numbers ‘across all ages’, according to public health chiefs. The rise comes as there has been a significant ‘dropoff’ of eligible people coming forward to get spring Covid-19 vaccination booster jabs. The health bosses warned that people should work from home and children should stay at home from school if they have symptoms to prevent the spread. Greater Manchester doctors have also sounded alarms that another Covid wave could be hitting the region, saying 'next Covid wave inbound? Staff, patients, colleagues, friends, family, neighbours all succumbing again'.
25th Jun 2022 - Manchester Evening News
Shanghai records zero COVID cases for first time since March
China has reported zero new COVID-19 infections in Shanghai for the first time since March, as the country’s latest outbreak subsides after months of lockdowns and other restrictions. China is the last major economy committed to a zero-COVID strategy, stamping out all infections with a combination of targeted lockdowns, mass testing and long quarantine periods.
25th Jun 2022 - Al Jazeera English
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 24th Jun 2022
View this newsletter in fullUK Covid cases double as 'severe' Omicron subvariants cause infections to rise by 98%
Covid cases have almost doubled this month, according to the latest figures.
Symptomatic daily infections, which stood at 114,030 on June 1, have jumped by 105 per cent, or 119,790 to 223,820, according to the ZOE Covid study app. The increase means infection rates are now at the highest they have been for all but a few weeks of the pandemic so far, although remain well below the record of 349,011 on March 31.
23rd Jun 2022 - iNews
Coronavirus: 2 top Hong Kong officials infected, Beijing ‘deeply concerned’
Two top Hong Kong officials who are members of Chief Executive-designate John Lee Ka-chiu's new cabinet, including the government's incoming No 2 minister, have tested positive for Covid-19 ahead of next week's celebrations to mark the 25th anniversary of the city's return to Chinese sovereignty. Their infections raised concerns over possible changes or adjustments to a much anticipated visit by state leaders as part of the celebration and the swearing-in of Lee's new government on July 1. The government revealed on Thursday that Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Erick Tsang Kwok-wai and Chief Executive's Office director Eric Chan Kwok-ki had returned positive results for their nucleic acid tests. Chan's wife earlier tested positive for the virus.
23rd Jun 2022 - South China Morning Post on MSN.com
Covid-19 cases rise in Southeast Asia, Middle East and Europe: WHO report
The number of new Covid cases rose in Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Europe last week, while the number of deaths globally dropped by 16 per cent, according to WHO's latest weekly pandemic report
23rd Jun 2022 - Business Standard
Britain is being swamped by yet another Covid wave – how can we stop them coming?
We are at the beginning of another wave of Covid – the third in six months. Roughly one in 50 people in England are currently infected, while that figure is as high as one in 30 in Scotland. An estimated 1.4 million people in the UK – more than 2% of the population – would have tested positive last week according to the latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) infection survey. Chances are you know someone who’s got the disease. Covid hospitalisations have also been rising for the past couple of weeks. On Monday there were more than 1,000 admissions in England – the first time we’ve reached that level since April. It’s possible that some of the stark 40% week-on-week rise in prevalence reported last Friday is due to large numbers of people getting together over the extended platinum jubilee weekend. However, scientists who have been monitoring the Covid situation closely have been predicting an uptick for a while now. Two new subvariants – BA.4 and BA.5 – of the Omicron variant have been increasing their share of UK infections for several weeks. Last week they finally overtook the BA.2 version of Omicron responsible for the most recent wave that the UK experienced, in March and April.
23rd Jun 2022 - The Guardian
France is facing a new COVID-19 wave - French vaccination chief
France is facing a new wave of COVID-19 infections fuelled by new variants of the disease, French vaccination chief Alain Fischer said on Wednesday, as daily new cases reached an almost two-month peak the day before at more than 95,000. Speaking on France 2 television, he said there was no doubt there was once again an upsurge of the pandemic in the country, adding he was personally in favour of reinstating mandatory face mask wearing on public transport. The question is: 'what intensity does this wave have?'" Fischer said. Other European countries, especially Portugal, are also seeing an increase, due two new Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5, which, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, are likely to become dominant in the region.
22nd Jun 2022 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 23rd Jun 2022
View this newsletter in fullSingapore’s Covid-19 infections rise amid new subvariants but no change to rules – although health ministry urges boosters
The health ministry said on Tuesday night that the proportion of BA.4 and BA.5 infections is rising, contributing to about a third of Singapore's Covid-19 cases. This compared to 17 per cent, 8 per cent and 3 per cent in the previous three weeks. Singapore was hit by the Omicron wave earlier this year and saw close to 20,000 daily infections, the bulk of them being the BA.2 subvariant. On Tuesday, it reported 7,109 cases.
22nd Jun 2022 - South China Morning Post on MSN.com
Covid reinfections in the UK: how likely are you to catch coronavirus again?
Though rare at the start of the pandemic, reinfections have become increasingly common as the months and years wear on – particularly since the arrival of Omicron, which prompted a 15-fold increase in the rate of reinfections, data from the Office for National Statistics suggests. In part, this is because of a decline in protective antibodies triggered by infection and/or vaccination over time, but the virus has also evolved to evade some of these immune defences, making reinfection more likely.
22nd Jun 2022 - The Guardian
4-year-old dies from COVID-19 complications, new MIS-C case reported
The 4-year-old girl was taken to the hospital on June 14 after developing a fever and muscle spasms. She tested positive for COVID-19 and was diagnosed with encephalitis, or inflammation of the brain. Her condition continued to deteriorate after she was admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) the next day. She later developed liver, kidney, and brainstem dysfunction, and passed away due to sudden bleeding in her lungs on June 17, the CECC said. The new MIS-C case is a 9-year-old boy who tested positive for COVID-19 on May 19. He initially had a three-day fever, stuffy nose, and a headache but soon recovered.
22nd Jun 2022 - Focus Taiwan News Channel
New Zealand reports 5,499 new Covid-19 community cases, 18 deaths
New Zealand recorded 5,499 new community cases of Covid-19 with 18 more deaths, the Ministry of Health said on Wednesday. Among the new community infections, 1,637 were reported in the largest city Auckland, the ministry was quoted as saying by Xinhua news agency. In addition, 78 new cases of Covid-19 were detected at the New Zealand border. Currently, 334 Covid-19 patients are being treated in hospitals, including four in intensive care units or high dependency units.
22nd Jun 2022 - Business Standard
Singapore reports 7,109 new Covid-19 cases and one monkeypox infection
Singapore reported 7,109 new COVID-19 cases as of noon on Tuesday, comprising 6,393 local infections and 716 imported ones. A monkeypox infection has also been confirmed, according to media reports. There have been 13,78,090 coronavirus cases and 1,405 deaths in Singapore since the start of the pandemic. Singapore has seen a 23 per cent week-on-week increase in COVID-19 community infections, largely driven by increased spread of newer Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5, said the Ministry of Health (MOH). Although the BA.2 subvariant still accounts for the bulk of Singapore's COVID-19 infections, the Health Ministry said the proportion of BA.4 and BA.5 infections is rising.
22nd Jun 2022 - Business Standard
Beijing city reports three local COVID cases on Wednesday as of 3 p.m.
Chinese capital Beijing reported three new local COVID-19 cases on Wednesday as of 3 p.m., all found during community screening, a local health official said. Uncertainty over Beijing city's COVID prevention and control situation has increased with new community cases emerging continuously, Liu Xiaofeng, deputy director at Beijing Center for Disease Prevention and Control, told a news briefing. The three infections were found in the city's economic-technological development zone, Liu said.
22nd Jun 2022 - Reuters
France is facing a new COVID-19 wave - French vaccination chief
France is facing a new wave of COVID-19 infections fuelled by new variants of the disease, French vaccination chief Alain Fischer said on Wednesday, as daily new cases reached an almost two-month peak the day before at more than 95,000. Speaking on France 2 television, he said there was no doubt there was once again an upsurge of the pandemic in the country, adding he was personally in favour of reinstating mandatory face mask wearing on public transport.
22nd Jun 2022 - Reuters
New York City Lowers Covid-19 Risk Level to Medium as Cases Drop
New York City Mayor Eric Adams and health officials lowered the city’s Covid-19 alert level to medium from high Tuesday, citing declining case counts and hospitalization rates. The shift comes a little more than a month after the city moved the Covid-19 alert level to high as a wave of new cases spread throughout the city. “Day after day, New Yorkers are stepping up and doing their part, and because of our collective efforts we are winning the fight against Covid-19,” Adams and City Health Commissioner Ashwin Vasan said in a joint statement.
22nd Jun 2022 - Bloomberg
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 22nd Jun 2022
View this newsletter in fullIndonesia Tightens Screening at Large Events as Covid Cases Rise
Indonesia is tightening guidelines around organizing large-scale events to minimize the spread of Covid-19 virus as new cases increased to a two-month high. Participants should be fully vaccinated in order to attend events involving 1,000 people or more, while unvaccinated children are discouraged from joining, Covid-19 Task Force Spokesman Wiku Adisasmito said in a briefing Tuesday. The new directive takes effect immediately, and a regulation detailing all the measures will be issued shortly. “The rise in infections is unavoidable as people’s mobility increases, regardless of the variants,” Adisasmito said.
21st Jun 2022 - Bloomberg
FACTBOX-Worldwide coronavirus cases cross 537.65 million, death toll at 6,731,188
Infections have been reported in more than 210 countries and territories since the first cases were identified in Mainland China in December 2019. The following table lists the top 50 countries by the number of reported cases. A complete list is available with the above links.
21st Jun 2022 - Reuters
Covid-19 patients in hospital rise by 24%
The number of patients in English hospitals with Covid-19 has increased 24 per cent in a week, figures reveal.
21st Jun 2022 - The Times
Covid-19: 5630 new community cases, 17 further deaths reported on Tuesday
The Ministry of Health is reporting 5630 new community cases of Covid-19 on Tuesday, and 17 further deaths in people who had the virus. Of the 17 deaths reported today, one was a child under the age of ten, the Ministry of Health said in a statement. There are 362 people in hospital with Covid-19, four of whom are in an intensive care or a high dependency care unit, the Ministry said.
21st Jun 2022 - Stuff
Covid hospitalisations in England up 24 per cent from last week
Coronavirus hospitalisations in England have surged by almost 25 per cent in the last week, as cases spread like wildfire once more across the globe. New figures released by the NHS this week highlight 5,726 beds occupied by Covid patients as of 20 June, up from 4,602 on the previous Monday. The spike in cases represents a 24 per cent increase in England, as the virus once more rears its ahead around the world. There was also a major spike in cases following the Platinum Jubilee half term break, and as the weather heats up, and Brits enjoy more socialising.
21st Jun 2022 - City AM
UK Covid cases will exceed 200,000 a day by weekend as infections surge beyond predicted levels, expert says
Daily Covid infections will exceed 200,000 by the weekend – for the first time since late April – and carry on rising for another fortnight, a leading forecaster predicts.
Daily symptomatic cases in the UK have jumped by 70 per cent this month to 193,767, according to the latest figures from the ZOE Covid study app. And they will “very soon” cross the 200,000 mark, according to Tim Spector, the King’s College London professor who runs the app.
21st Jun 2022 - iNews
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 21st Jun 2022
View this newsletter in fullCovid-19: Rise in infections in Wales according to ONS
Covid-19 infections in Wales have risen to their highest levels in a month. One in 45 people had Covid in the week ending 11 June, according to estimates by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). That is 64,800 people - or 2.13% of the population. It's up from last week, when only one in 75 people were estimated to have Covid. The findings are based on a weekly swab survey, which took samples from more than 4,800 people in Wales.
18th Jun 2022 - BBC News
Covid-19: 4404 new community cases, 356 in hospital, and 11 deaths
The Ministry of Health is reporting 4404 new community cases of Covid-19 on Saturday, 356 hospitalisations, and 11 deaths. The seven-day rolling average of community case numbers today is 5154 – last Saturday it was 5914. Of the deaths reported on Saturday, one was a person in their 40s, one was in their 50s, five were in their 70s, one was in their 80s, and three were aged over 90. Four were women and seven were men.
18th Jun 2022 - Stuff
Canada seeing rise in COVID-19 subvariants. Could this lead to a summer surge?
Canada is seeing an increase in several fast-spreading COVID-19 variants that have been fuelling new outbreaks in the United States and Europe, Canada’s top doctors said Friday. The BA.4 and BA.5 strains of the virus, which are subvariants of Omicron, have been detected in Canada since May, and the BA.2.12 subvariant has been showing growth in the country since March. On Friday, Canada’s chief public health officer, Dr. Theresa Tam, made note of the rise in the number of these cases in the country and said that these subvariants have “demonstrated a growth advantage and additional immune escape” over Omicron and other strains of the virus. “COVID-19 has shown us over the past few years that there may be more surprises ahead,” Tam said during the briefing.
18th Jun 2022 - Global News
Another three deaths recorded in Northern Ireland's latest weekly Covid-19 update
Three deaths linked to Covid-19 have been recorded in Northern Ireland in the latest weekly update. The fatalities, in the week ending June 10, take the total number of coronavirus-linked deaths recorded by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (Nisra) to 4,643. The figure is drawn from different data sources and is always higher than the Department of Health’s total as it provides a broader picture of the impact of Covid-19. The department’s statistics focus primarily on hospital deaths and include only people who have tested positive for the virus.
18th Jun 2022 - Belfast Telegraph
The covid waves continue to come
We are just over five months into 2022 and have already seen two record highs of coronavirus infection in England, with population prevalence peaking at 7% in early January (omicron BA.1) and 8% in late March (omicron BA.2).1 After eight weeks of declining prevalence, infections have started to increase again with the rise of yet another set of omicron variants. Instead of just one new variant, we currently have four: BA.2.12.1 (dominant in the US), BA.4 and BA.5 (dominant in South Africa), and BA.5.1 (dominant in Portugal). Together, these four variants became dominant in England in early June,2 and it looks as if BA.5 and BA.5.1 will likely win out to become the overall dominant variants.3 So what does this mean for the shorter and longer term? In the short term, we will see another wave of infections here, likely peaking at the end of June/early July. South Africa’s BA.4/5 wave has now passed, with fewer hospital admissions and deaths than in their BA.1 wave in December.
18th Jun 2022 - The BMJ
UAE records 1,464 new Covid-19 cases and two deaths
The UAE recorded 1,464 new Covid-19 cases on Saturday, taking the overall tally of infections to 925,898. Another 1,401 people overcame the virus as the number of recoveries climbed to 906,577. Two coronavirus-related deaths were announced, raising the toll to 2,308. The number of active cases stands at 17,013.
The latest cases were identified as a result of 324,877 additional PCR tests. More than 166.8 million tests have been conducted to date as part of the country's mass screening strategy.
18th Jun 2022 - The National
Beijing declares initial COVID victory as bar-linked surge eases
The city of Beijing on Thursday declared an initial victory in its latest battle with COVID-19 after testing millions of people and quarantining thousands in the past week to stem an outbreak prolonged by a sudden wave of cases linked to a bar.
The flare-up at the popular Heaven Supermarket Bar known for its cheap liquor and rowdy nights emerged just days after the Chinese capital started to lift widespread curbs. Restrictions had been in place for around a month in Beijing to tackle a broader outbreak that began in late April.
18th Jun 2022 - Reuters
COVID-19: Infections rise by nearly half a million in a week
COVID-19 cases have surged by nearly half in a week, official figures show. Last week, an estimated 1,415,600 people had coronavirus in the UK, up 425,800 or 43%. This is the highest estimate for infections since the start of May, but is still well below the record high of 4.9 million at the end of March. Cases rose in all four nations of the UK - and increased across all age groups. In England, around one in 50 people had the virus, according to the coronavirus infection survey by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
17th Jun 2022 - Sky News
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 17th Jun 2022
View this newsletter in fullCovid-19 Disrupts Summer Plans as Variants Keep Case Numbers High
Many people are embarking on a summer of vacations, concerts and weddings put off during the height of the pandemic. Covid-19 is still finding ways to disrupt some of those plans. Covid-19 isn’t causing acute illness and death on the scale it once did, thanks in part to protection built up by vaccines and prior infections. But Covid-19 is far from under control, epidemiologists say, and the virus is sickening and sidelining people from work or social events as it continues to spread.“People can’t come to work. People are short-staffed,” said Jason Salemi, an associate professor of epidemiology at the University of South Florida College of Public Health. “Covid-19 is still inflicting enough damage.”
16th Jun 2022 - The Wall Street Journal
WHO: COVID-19 deaths rise, reversing a 5-week decline
After five weeks of declining coronavirus deaths, the number of fatalities reported globally increased by 4% last week, according to the World Health Organization.
In its weekly assessment of the pandemic issued on Thursday, the U.N. health agency said there were 8,700 COVID-19 deaths last week, with a 21% jump in the Americas and a 17% increase in the Western Pacific. WHO said coronavirus cases continued to fall, with about 3.2 million new cases reported last week, extending a decline in COVID-19 infections since the peak in January. Still, there were significant spikes of infection in some regions, with the Middle East and Southeast Asia reporting increases of 58% and 33% respectively.
16th Jun 2022 - The Associated Press
India records 12213 new daily cases of COVID-19
India recorded 12,213 new coronavirus infections in the past 24 hours, the health ministry said on Thursday, its highest such tally in nearly four months. The country's richest state of Maharashtra had 4,024 new infections on Wednesday, with the capital, New Delhi, reporting more than 1,000 daily cases for a second successive day. Thursday's figure is the highest since February 26, a Reuters tally showed.
16th Jun 2022 - Reuters India
Beijing declares initial COVID victory as bar-linked surge eases
The city of Beijing on Thursday declared an initial victory in its latest battle with COVID-19 after testing millions of people and quarantining thousands in the past week to stem an outbreak prolonged by a sudden wave of cases linked to a bar.
The flare-up at the popular Heaven Supermarket Bar known for its cheap liquor and rowdy nights emerged just days after the Chinese capital started to lift widespread curbs. Restrictions had been in place for around a month in Beijing to tackle a broader outbreak that began in late April. The surge since June 9 is very modest by global standards, with a total of 351 cases found so far, but reflects how challenging it is, with the high transmissibility of the Omicron variant, for China to make a success out of its strategy of stamping out each cluster of cases as soon as it materialises. "After eight days of hard fighting and the concerted efforts of Beijing residents in the battle, the swift and decisive measures have shown their effect," Beijing city government spokesperson Xu Hejian said.
16th Jun 2022 - Reuters
North Korea faces infectious disease outbreak amid COVID battle
North Korea reported an outbreak of an unidentified intestinal epidemic in a farming region on Thursday, putting further strain on the isolated country as it battles chronic food shortages and a wave of COVID-19 infections. Leader Kim Jong Un sent medicines to the western port city of Haeju on Wednesday to help patients suffering from the "acute enteric epidemic", state news agency KCNA said, without giving the number affected, or identifying the disease.
16th Jun 2022 - Reuters
Is there a new Covid wave? How many cases there are in the UK and why there are concerns over new variant
Covid infections have shot up by 47 per cent this month, prompting fears the UK is embarking on its third wave of the year. Daily symptomatic infections have increased by 53,943, from 114,030 on 1 June to 167,973 on Tuesday, according to the latest figures from the ZOE Covid study app. The four-day weekend of Platinum Jubilee celebrations kicked off on 2 June, so much of the rise has been put down to street parties and other events held across the country to mark the occasion.
But the post-Jubilee increase was expected to peak at about 150,000 cases a day before dropping a bit and stabilising. Instead, numbers have carried on going up, with substantial daily increases in recent days.
It is entirely possible that cases could soon peak and begin to fall, but there are growing fears we are in the early stages of a new wave driven by the new Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5.
16th Jun 2022 - iNews
Portugal’s COVID deaths grow as tourism season kicks off
Marie Braud until recently considered herself an anomaly. Despite travelling extensively for her work, the recruiter had managed to avoid testing positive for COVID-19 throughout the coronavirus pandemic. But that all changed in June. The 37-year-old began to experience fever and fatigue shortly after attending the Santos Populares festival. She thought it was a cold at first, but after taking a PCR test on June 8, it was confirmed she had COVID-19.
16th Jun 2022 - AlJazeera
PAHO: COVID-19 Infections Increase by 11% In the Americas
Of the 34 countries and territories, Covid-19 hospitalizations rose in 15 during the previous week in the Americas. Cuba marked the difference with the 11th day with less than 100 infections. COVID-19 cases in the Americas increased 11 percent last week over the previous week, with a total of 1.2 million new cases and 4,069 new deaths reported, according to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) in its most recent update of pandemic data in the region.
15th Jun 2022 - teleSUR English
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 16th Jun 2022
View this newsletter in fullCOVID-19: Is the UK on the brink of a new wave – and is 'immune imprinting' to blame?
Scientists tell Sky News that it is getting harder to predict how the UK will fare with different COVID variants because of 'immune imprinting', which means everyone's immune system reacts to them differently depending on their specific infection and vaccine history.
15th Jun 2022 - Sky News
Health boss warning over rise in East Yorkshire Covid cases
Coronavirus cases are expected to increase in East Yorkshire over the coming weeks, a council meeting heard. East Riding Council's Public Health Director Andy Kingdom said more people were getting coronavirus as their vaccine protection began to fade. He added that hospital admissions and deaths were expected to rise by mid-July, but the size of the wave would be smaller than previous ones. The county's current infection rate is estimated at around 2%. "We're expecting more waves but they won't be as big because of our levels of immunity, Mr Kingdom said.
"Infections are rising in working-age groups because they had their third jabs in around November and December so the effectiveness is beginning to wane.
15th Jun 2022 - BBC News
Covid 19 Omicron outbreak: Latest cases as Auckland trust concerned over reinfections
Today there are 5554 new cases of Covid-19 in the community, says the Ministry of Health. The ministry is also reporting 11 virus-related deaths, and 368 people in hospital, including seven in intensive care. Of today's deaths, two were in their 60s, five were in their 70s, one in their 80s, and three were aged over 90. The average age of those in northern regional hospitals is 61. Today's community cases are in Northland (138), Auckland (1659), Waikato (372), Bay of Plenty (194), Lakes (76), Hawke's Bay (179), MidCentral (223), Whanganui (54), Taranaki (188), Tairāwhiti (46), Wairarapa (71), Capital and Coast (506), Hutt Valley (219), Nelson Marlborough (227), Canterbury (839), South Canterbury (76), Southern (442), West Coast (40), Unknown (5). There are also 70 new imported border cases. The ministry says they have been planning for a challenging winter.
15th Jun 2022 - New Zealand Herald
COVID-19: Is the UK on the brink of a new coronavirus wave – and should we be worried?
New COVID data suggests that after months of declining case rates, the number of people testing positive across the UK is starting to go up again. For the week ending 2 June, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said there were "early signs of a possible increase in percentage of people testing positive for coronavirus". It was most noticeable in England and Northern Ireland, where the positivity rate is one in every 70 people and one in every 65 people respectively. And it is being driven by new sub-variants of Omicron - BA.4 and BA.5. A separate Imperial College study released on Tuesday suggests that being infected with Omicron does not provide much immune protection from being reinfected.
15th Jun 2022 - Sky News
Chinese capital has reported 327 COVID cases linked to bar - health official
China's capital Beijing has reported a total of 327 COVID cases linked to a bar as of Wednesday afternoon, a health official said. Beijing reported seven new local COVID cases on Wednesday up to 3 p.m., Liu Xiaofeng added.
15th Jun 2022 - Reuters
Hong Kong reports 1047 new coronavirus infections
Hong Kong reported 1,047 new COVID-19 infections on Wednesday, the first time the daily tally has topped 1,000 since mid-April, as cases crept up ahead of celebrations of the 25th anniversary of the city's handover to mainland China.
15th Jun 2022 - Reuters
Beijing in 'race against time' to contain COVID surge
Authorities in China's capital warned on Tuesday that a COVID-19 surge in cases linked to a 24-hour bar was critical and the city of 22 million was in a "race against time" to get to grips with its most serious outbreak since the pandemic began. The flare-up means millions of people are facing mandatory testing and thousands are under targeted lockdowns, just days after the city started to lift widespread curbs that had run for more than a month to tackle a broader outbreak since late April
15th Jun 2022 - Reuters
Omicron sub-variants BA.4, BA.5 account for 21% of COVID variants in U.S. - CDC
The BA.4 and BA.5 sub-variants of Omicron are estimated to make up about 8.3% and 13.3% of the coronavirus variants in the United States as of June 11, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Tuesday. The two fast-spreading sublineages were added to the World Health Organization's monitoring list in March and have also been designated as variants of concern in Europe.
The European Union's disease prevention agency said on Monday the new subvariants are spreading more quickly than other variants, which could lead to more hospitalizations and deaths as they become dominant in the continent.
14th Jun 2022 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 15th Jun 2022
View this newsletter in fullCovid back on the rise in Scotland — but vaccines should hold the line
Scotland faces another wave of coronavirus over the summer but vaccines are expected to hold out against serious illness, government advisers have predicted.Positive cases are rising again among people aged 30 to 40,
14th Jun 2022 - The Times
Beijing Investigates Bar Staff as Covid-19 Outbreak Worsens
Chinese police are investigating staff at a Beijing bar that has become a Covid-19 hot spot, authorities said Tuesday, as an outbreak traced to the venue spread citywide just a week after many businesses reopened in the capital. All of the 287 cases reported in Beijing over the past six days have been linked to the Heaven Supermarket Bar in the capital’s Sanlitun district, local health officials said Tuesday. The bar’s managers are under criminal investigation on suspicion of hindering Covid prevention measures, a Beijing Public Security Bureau spokesman told a news conference Tuesday. That bar and others in Sanlitun entertainment district, as well as shops and restaurants, have been forced to close again in recent days as Beijing struggles to contain a resurgence in new Covid cases to a three-week high.
14th Jun 2022 - The Wall Street Journal
Two-thirds of hospital patients with Covid-19 there because of the virus, amid heavy demand
The number of people in hospital with Covid-19 continues to be about twice as high as what was modelled – roughly two-thirds of whom are in hospital with the virus as the primary cause, officials say. It comes as respiratory viruses are putting a “very significant burden” on not just the country’s hospitals, but also primary care. The rate of reported Covid-19 cases continues to decrease, to 8.3 per 1000 people this week, down from 9.3 the week before. As of Tuesday, 377 people are in hospital with the virus, including seven in intensive care.
14th Jun 2022 - Stuff
EU agency sees risk of COVID deaths rising as Omicron subvariants spread
Two new subvariants of Omicron, BA.4 and BA.5, are spreading more quickly than other corovanirus variants in Europe, which could lead to more hospitalisations and deaths as they become dominant,the EU's disease prevention agency said on Monday.
14th Jun 2022 - Reuters
Beijing in 'race against time' to contain COVID surge
Authorities in China's capital warned on Tuesday that a COVID-19 surge in cases linked to a 24-hour bar was critical and the city of 22 million was in a "race against time" to get to grips with its most serious outbreak since the pandemic began. The flare-up means millions of people are facing mandatory testing and thousands are under targeted lockdowns, just days after the city started to lift widespread curbs that had run for more than a month to tackle a broader outbreak since late April.
14th Jun 2022 - Reuters
United Airlines cites jump in global travel searches after U.S. ends COVID testing
United Airlines said on Monday searches for international travel have increased after the United States ended a 17-month-old requirement that air travelers arriving in the country test negative for COVID-19.
14th Jun 2022 - Reuters on MSN.com
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 14th Jun 2022
View this newsletter in fullCoronavirus: no need for Hong Kong to tighten Covid curbs despite rebound in cases, medical experts say
Schools report 275 new infections as leading health official warns daily number of coronavirus cases in city could go up to four digits. Until new variant emerges that can overwhelm local hospitals with severe cases, rules do not need to be tightened, PolyU associate professor says
13th Jun 2022 - South China Morning Post
Coronavirus: UAE reports 1,319 Covid-19 cases, 1,076 recoveries, no deaths
The UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention on Monday reported 1,319 cases of the Covid-19 coronavirus, along with 1,076 recoveries and no deaths. Total active cases stand at 16,152. The new cases were detected through 180,075 additional tests. The total number of cases in UAE as on June 13 are 917,815, while total recoveries stand at 900,358. The death toll now stands at 2,305.
13th Jun 2022 - Khaleej Times
North Korea reports 40060 more people with fever symptoms amid COVID outbreak
North Korea on Sunday reported 40,060 new people showing fever symptoms and one death amid the isolated nation's first confirmed COVID-19 outbreak, state media KCNA said.
13th Jun 2022 - Reuters
Beijing halts offline sports events from June 13 due to COVID outbreak
Beijing will suspend all offline sports events starting from June 13 citing high transmission risks of a recent COVID-19 outbreak linked to a bar in the city, Beijing Municipal Bureau of Sports said in a statement on Monday. As of June 12, some 166 cases have been linked so far to the outbreak at the Chaoyang Heaven Supermarket Bar, which emerged last week.
13th Jun 2022 - Reuters
Beijing tests millions, isolates thousands over COVID cluster at 24-hour bar
Authorities in China's capital Beijing on Monday raced to contain a COVID-19 outbreak traced to a raucous 24-hour bar known for cheap liquor and big crowds, with millions facing mandatory testing and thousands under targeted lockdowns. The outbreak of nearly 200 cases linked to the city centre Heaven Supermarket Bar, which had just reopened as curbs in Beijing eased last week, highlights how hard it will be for China to make a success of its "zero COVID" policy as much of the rest of the world opts to learn how to live with the virus.
13th Jun 2022 - Reuters
Hugh Jackman Tests Positive for COVID the Day After His Tony Awards Performance
One day after performing “The Music Man” at the 2022 Tony Awards ceremony, nominee Hugh Jackman has announced that he has tested positive for COVID. “I wanted you guys to hear it from me first that unfortunately this morning I have frustratingly been tested positive for COVID again,” Jackman says in a video posted on his Twitter account. “My incredible stand-by, Max Clayton, is gonna go on for me.”
13th Jun 2022 - Variety
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 13th Jun 2022
View this newsletter in fullDozens of Covid cases linked to Beijing bar
All residents living in the area where the bar is located will be tested over the next three days. The number of infections in the city is low by international standards but high for China, which is the world's only major economy still maintaining a "zero Covid" policy. The outbreak was traced to a venue called the Heaven Supermarket Bar, in the well-known entertainment area of Sanlitun in Chaoyang district. Two buildings housing hundreds of people in Chaoyang were put under strict lockdown on Sunday after a positive case was reported, a residential committee worker told Reuters news agency.
12th Jun 2022 - BBC News on MSN.com
North Korea reports 40060 more people with fever symptoms amid COVID outbreak
North Korea on Sunday reported 40,060 new people showing fever symptoms and one death amid the isolated nation's first confirmed COVID-19 outbreak, state media KCNA said.
12th Jun 2022 - Reuters
Mass COVID testing announced for Beijing district amid 'ferocious' outbreak
Beijing's most populous district Chaoyang announced three rounds of mass testing to quell a "ferocious" COVID-19 outbreak that emerged at a bar in a nightlife and shopping area last week, shortly after the city relaxed curbs imposed during an outbreak in April. City health officials said that so far there have been 166 confirmed cases linked to the outbreak that began at the Heaven Supermarket bar in the Sanlitun area on Thursday, 145 of them bar patrons.
12th Jun 2022 - Reuters
Hong Kong's Quarantine Occupancy Rates Jump as Infections Rise
Hong Kong’s quarantine facilities are the fullest in more than three months after officials revived the Covid Zero tactic of mandatory centralized isolation to contain the spread of new sub-variants. More than 50 people -- close contacts of people who test positive for a sub-variant -- are in government-run facilities, with occupancy hitting the highest since February this month. The overall number is likely higher as the government doesn’t release figures for Penny’s Bay, the biggest isolation camp for confirmed Covid cases and close contacts.
10th Jun 2022 - Bloomberg
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 10th Jun 2022
View this newsletter in fullCovid-19: 7927 new community cases and 27 further deaths
There are 7927 new community cases of Covid-19 and a further 27 deaths, the Ministry of Health released in an update on Thursday afternoon. There are 393 people in hospital with the virus, 12 are in an intensive care or high dependency unit. The seven-day rolling average of community case numbers is 6059 – last Thursday, it was 6937. Of the 27 deaths reported today, 22 of the people died in the past five days, while the other five deaths were since March 29. The number of publicly reported deaths with Covid-19 is now 1294, and the seven-day rolling average of reported deaths is 14.
9th Jun 2022 - Stuff
Taiwan reports 72967 new COVID-19 cases, 211 deaths
Taiwan reported 72,967 new COVID-19 cases -- 72,921 domestically transmitted and 46 imported infections -- and 211 deaths from the disease on Thursday, according to the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC). The 211 deaths were another single-day high, surpassing the 159 recorded Wednesday, CECC data showed. The deceased, ranging in age from 17 to over 90, included 197 who had chronic illnesses or other severe diseases, and 83 who had been unvaccinated, the CECC said.
9th Jun 2022 - Focus Taiwan News Channel
India records 7,240 new COVID-19 cases, 8 deaths
The single-day rise in new coronavirus infections in the country was recorded over 7,000 after 99 days, registering around 39 per cent jump in daily cases, while the daily positivity rate crossed 2 per cent after 111 days, the Union Health Ministry said on Thursday. A total of 7,240 infections were recorded in a span of 24 hours taking India's total tally of COVID-19 cases to 4,31,97,522, while the death toll has climbed to 5,24,723 with eight fresh fatalities
9th Jun 2022 - Economic Times
Community hospital in Borders closed to admissions due to Covid-19 outbreak
A community hospital in the Scottish Borders is closed to admissions due to a Covid-19 outbreak. All but essential visiting is currently suspended at the Knoll Community Hospital in Duns. NHS Borders say the situation is being kept under regular review and restrictions will be eased as soon as it is safe to do so. Essential visits include: a person receiving end-of-life care - supporting someone with a mental health issue, learning disability, autism or dementia in circumstances where not being present would cause the patient to be distressed - when someone is receiving information about life-changing illness or treatments - where support from another person is essential for advocacy and wellbeing
9th Jun 2022 - ITV News
India reports highest coronavirus daily cases since March 2
India reported 7,240 new coronavirus infections in the last 24 hours, the health ministry said on Thursday, its highest number of daily cases since March 2. India's financial capital Mumbai, which has seen a rapid rise in cases, reported 1,765 new infections late on Wednesday, an increase of more than 500 cases from its Tuesday caseload. The country reported eight deaths from COVID-19, the ministry said, taking the official death toll to 524,723 on Thursday
9th Jun 2022 - Reuters
China reports 240 new confirmed COVID cases on June 8 vs 216 a day earlier
China reported 240 new coronavirus cases on June 8, of which 70 were symptomatic and 170 were asymptomatic, the National Health Commission said on Thursday. That compares with 216 new cases a day earlier - 67 symptomatic and 149 asymptomatic infections, which China counts separately. There were no new deaths, keeping the nation's death count unchanged at 5,226. As of June 8, mainland China had confirmed 224,535 cases with symptoms.
9th Jun 2022 - Reuters
S. Africa Child Admissions Exceed Elderly Amid Covid Strains
The number of South African children younger than nine admitted to hospital with Covid-19 has overtaken the proportion of patients aged over 80 for the first time as new omicron strains dominate infections, the country’s biggest health insurer said. During South Africa’s fifth wave of coronavirus infections from April 13 to May 27, 17% of all Covid-19 related admissions were children in that age group, Johannesburg-based Discovery Health Ltd. said in a statement sent to Bloomberg that detailed the results of a study of its members. That exceeded admissions for people older than 80 by five percentage points.
9th Jun 2022 - Bloomberg
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 9th Jun 2022
View this newsletter in fullCoronavirus: Hong Kong logs 558 new infections, even after officials tighten rules on caseloads
After too many residents submitted misleading results, government now only includes checked results in daily tally. All residents who declare a positive RAT result on the official online portal must take a confirmatory PCR test
8th Jun 2022 - South China Morning Post
South Korea reports 13,358 new Covid-19 cases, tally rises to 18,188,200
Article reports that South Korea reported 13,358 new COVID-19 cases as of midnight Tuesday compared to 24 hours ago, raising the total number of infections to 18,188,200, the health authorities said Wednesday. The daily caseload was up from 6,172 in the previous day, but it was lower than 15,790 tallied a week ago, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). For the past week, the daily average number of confirmed cases was 9,839. Among the new cases, 59 were imported from overseas, lifting the total to 33,117.
8th Jun 2022 - Business Standard
Omicron sub-variants BA.4 and BA.5 account for up to 13% of COVID variants in U.S. - CDC
The BA.4 and BA.5 sub-variants of Omicron are estimated to make up nearly 5% and 8% of the coronavirus variants in the United States as of June 4, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Tuesday. The two sublineages, which were added to the World Health Organization's monitoring list in March and designated as variants of concern by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), were present in all U.S. regions.
8th Jun 2022 - Reuters
New coronavirus infections in India jump to cross 5,000-mark
Daily coronavirus infections in India were recorded above 5,000 after 93 days taking the total tally of Covid-19 cases to 43,190,282, while the active cases rose to 28,857, according to the Union health ministry data updated on Wednesday. A total of 5,233 infections were recorded in a span of 24 hours, while the death toll climbed to 524,715 with seven fresh fatalities, the data updated at 8 am stated.
The active cases comprise 0.07 per cent of the total infections, while the national Covid-19 recovery rate was 98.72 per cent, the ministry said.
8th Jun 2022 - Business Standard
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 8th Jun 2022
View this newsletter in fullOmicron sub-variants BA.4 and BA.5 account for up to 13% of COVID variants in U.S. - CDC
The BA.4 and BA.5 sub-variants of Omicron are estimated to make up nearly 5% and 8% of the coronavirus variants in the United States as of June 4, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Tuesday. The two sublineages, which were added to the World Health Organization's monitoring list in March and designated as variants of concern by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), were present in all U.S. regions.
7th Jun 2022 - Reuters
N.Korea reports 61730 more people with fever amid COVID outbreak -KCNA
North Korea reported 61,730 more people with fever symptoms amid its first-ever coronavirus outbreak, North Korean state media KCNA said on Tuesday.
7th Jun 2022 - Reuters
Washington hospitals again strained by COVID-19 spread
Hospital officials in Washington are warning that facilities are heading toward another COVID-19 case peak amid high spread in the community. Washington State Hospital Association CEO Cassie Sauer on Monday said at the end of last week, almost 600 people with COVID-19 were in hospitals across the state with about 20-25 patients a day on ventilators, The News Tribune reported. That compares with an average of around 230 hospitalized cases in the daily census in April and 1,700 in February during the Omicron wave. In response to the rising hospitalizations, officials on a media briefing call Monday implored people to wear high-quality masks indoors in crowded, public spaces, and to get COVID-19 booster shots on top of vaccinations. "It’s still something you don’t want to get and we want to urge you to do everything you can to protect yourself,” said Cassie Sauer, Washington State Hospital Association CEO. Community spread is also affecting health care workers and straining hospital staffing levels, officials said.
7th Jun 2022 - The Associated Press
U.S. Treasury approves first state projects from $10 bln COVID broadband fund
The U.S. Treasury on Tuesday announced the first state awards from a $10 billion COVID-19 aid program aimed at boosting broadband internet access in underserved communities, funding $583 million worth of projects in Virginia, West Virginia, Louisiana and New Hampshire. The Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund, a relatively unheralded portion of President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act, provides money for broadband infrastructure and other projects that enable work, education and healthcare monitoring.
7th Jun 2022 - Reuters
US, other nations track shifts in COVID-19 activity
The 7-day average for new daily COVID-19 cases is 105,576, with 269 daily deaths, according to the Washington Post tracker. Over the past week, cases dropped 1% after rising slowly since about the middle of April. Hospitalizations over the past week rose 8%, while deaths dropped 27%. The nation faces an uncertain summer, with the more transmissible BA.2.12.1 Omicron subvariant—first seen in New York—becoming the dominant strain over the past 2 weeks. Officials are closely watching two other more transmissible subvariants, BA.4 and BA.5, that recently triggered a modest wave in South Africa and have been linked to a fresh rise in cases in Portugal.
6th Jun 2022 - CIDRAP
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 7th Jun 2022
View this newsletter in fullIndia reports 4,518 new Covid-19 cases, 9 deaths in last 24 hours
India reported 4,518 new Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours, according to the Union health ministry data. With this, the country's total tally of coronavirus cases rose to 4,31,81,335. It is for the second consecutive day that India reported over 4,000 coronavirus cases. India on Sunday reported 4,270 Covid-19 cases. With 9 fresh fatalities, India's Covid-19 death toll climbed to 5,24,701. The country's active coronavirus caseload currently stands at 25,782.
6th Jun 2022 - Times of India
Egypt pledges 30 mln COVID-19 vaccine doses to African states
President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi says that Egypt would supply fellow African states with 30 million doses of anti-COVID-19 vaccines. The president made this announcement on Sunday during the maiden edition of Africa Health ExCon, online news portal, Egypt today reported. This is in fulfilment of the country's selection as one of six African states that would receive the mRNA technology used in the manufacturing of vaccines and other medical drugs necessary to confront many incurable diseases. Egypt was among Senegal, Kenya, South Africa, Tunisia and Nigeria that were selected for this purpose in early 2022. Africa Health ExCon is held by the Egyptian Authority for Unified Procurement (UPA) and is attended by participants from around 100 countries.
6th Jun 2022 - Africanews English
Delhi records 247 fresh COVID-19 cases, positivity rate rise to 3.47 pc
Delhi on Monday logged 247 fresh COVID-19 cases with a positivity rate of 3.47 per cent while no new death was reported due to the viral disease, according to data shared by the city health department. This is the highest positivity rate since May 12 when 3.47 per cent of those tested turned out positive. With this, the national capital's COVID-19 case tally increased to 19,08,977, while the death toll stood at 26,212.
6th Jun 2022 - India Times
Coronavirus: Hong Kong health experts warn of rebound in cases, as city logs 543 new infections
Dr Ho Pak-leung of the University of Hong Kong says trend in daily caseloads has been on the rise, but public need not to be too worried. Rise expected after easing of social-distancing measures; hospital admissions and number of patients with serious symptoms have not increased
6th Jun 2022 - South China Morning Post
Singapore could expect new Omicron COVID-19 wave in July or August as antibodies wane: Ong Ye Kung
Singapore could expect a new Omicron wave “possibly emerging” in July or August, as COVID-19 antibodies start to wane, said Health Minister Ong Ye Kung on Sunday (Jun 5). Speaking on the sidelines of a visit to an upcoming sports and community hub in Bukit Canberra on Sunday, Mr Ong said the Ministry of Health has detected some COVID-19 cases of the new BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants.
However, it has not “overtaken” the BA.2 subvariant, said Mr Ong, referring to the Omicron variation which made up 99 per cent of the local COVID-19 infections sequenced in April. “The reason is because we all have very high antibodies, because of our vaccination, because of our recent Omicron wave.
6th Jun 2022 - CNA
Active COVID-19 cases rise to 25,782
India logged 4,518 new coronavirus infections taking the tally of COVID-19 cases to 4,31,81,335, while the active cases increased to 25,782, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Monday. The death toll climbed to 5,24,701 with nine fresh fatalities, the data updated at 8 am stated. The active cases comprise 0.06 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 98.73 per cent, the ministry said.
6th Jun 2022 - Economic Times
Beijing city reports zero local COVID case during 15 hours to 3pm Monday
Beijing reported no new domestically transmitted COVID-19 infection cases during the 15 hours to 3 p.m. local time (0700 GMT) on Monday, a disease control official said on Monday. The Chinese capital Beijing has had 1,822 COVID infections as of 3 p.m. local time Monday since April 22, Pang Xinghuo, deputy director at Beijing Center for Disease Prevention and Control, told a news briefing.
6th Jun 2022 - Reuters
North Korea reports some 73,780 people with fever amid COVID wave, KCNA says
North Korea reported some 73,780 more people with fever symptoms amid its first-ever coronavirus outbreak, North Korean state media KCNA said on Sunday.
5th Jun 2022 - Reuers
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 6th Jun 2022
View this newsletter in fullLatest U.S. Covid-19 Surge Moves West as Pressure Eases in Northeast
The latest Covid-19 wave in the U.S. has shifted westward, hitting places like the San Francisco area, while pressure eases in recent Northeast hot spots. The Western U.S. region, which includes mountain and coastal states, has recently eclipsed the Northeast to have the nation’s highest rate of known cases per 100,000 people, a Wall Street Journal analysis of CDC data shows. Recent increases in parts of the West come amid declines in the Northeast.
5th Jun 2022 - The Wall Street Journal
4,400 Covid-19 cases on Sunday, 8 deaths recorded
There are 4,400 new community Covid-19 cases in New Zealand, the Ministry of Health has announced on Sunday. The numbers were reported over the last 24 hours. There are 371 people in hospital with the virus, two more than on Saturday, 6 people are in ICU and 8 have died. The number of new cases at the border is 50.
Sunday's reported deaths take the total number of publicly reported deaths with Covid-19 to 1,229 and the seven-day rolling average of reported deaths is 12. Of the people whose deaths are reported; two were from the Auckland region; two from Hawke's Bay; two from Canterbury; one from Taranaki; one from Nelson-Marlborough.
5th Jun 2022 - 1News
North Korea reports some 73780 people with fever amid COVID wave, KCNA says
North Korea reported some 73,780 more people with fever symptoms amid its first-ever coronavirus outbreak, North Korean state media KCNA said on Sunday.
5th Jun 2022 - Reuters
U.S. doctors urged to test for monkeypox, CDC says risk to public low
U.S. health officials on Friday urged doctors to test for monkeypox if they suspect cases, saying there may be community-level spread but that the overall public health risk remained low. So far, there have been 21 cases of the disease in at least 11 states. Affected patients are isolating to help prevent spreading the virus, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) officials told reporters in a conference call. The CDC said it was aware of 700 cases of monkeypox that have been reported globally outside of parts of Africa, where the disease is endemic. No deaths have been reported so far.
4th Jun 2022 - Reuters
Hong Kong Reports 76 More Covid Cases From Nightclub Clusters
Hong Kong on Saturday reported another 76 Covid cases from clusters at four nightclubs in the city’s Central district where a total of about 200 infections have been detected. The infections from the nightclubs were first uncovered about a week ago, following a relaxing of social-distancing measures in the city. A total of 466 new Covid cases were reported Saturday by the city’s health authorities. Of the total new cases, 64 were imported, the health officials said at a briefing. No new virus-related deaths were recorded.
4th Jun 2022 - Bloomberg
China reports 171 new COVID cases for June 3 vs 157 a day earlier
China recorded 171 new coronavirus cases on June 3, of which 46 were symptomatic and 125 were asymptomatic, the National Health Commission said on Saturday. That compares with 157 new cases a day earlier - 37 symptomatic and 120 asymptomatic, which China counts separately. There were no new deaths, leaving the nation's death at 5,226. As of Friday, mainland China had confirmed 224,254 cases with symptoms.
4th Jun 2022 - Reuters
In Shanghai, lockdown blues make way for COVID testing gripes
Shanghai residents' relief over the easing of a two-month COVID-19 lockdown is giving way to frustration as they face hours waiting in line for virus tests and must show negative results to be permitted to enter public spaces.
China's biggest city and business hub lifted lockdowns for most of its 25 million residents on Wednesday. But citizens are required to have proof they have taken a COVID test within the last 72 hours in order to enter areas like malls and offices - or even to use subways and buses.
3rd Jun 2022 - Reuters
Omicron sub-variant fuels Portugal's COVID-19 surge
An Omicron sub-variant has fuelled a surge in COVID-19 cases in Portugal that now has the world's second-highest infection rate, potentially threatening the tourism sector's recovery. Portugal registered an average of 2,447 new cases per million people over the last seven days. That compares to neighbouring Spain's 449 and Britain's 70, according to tracker Our World In Data. The rolling average has subsided slightly in the past few days and is just over a third of the Jan. 31 Omicron peak.
2nd Jun 2022 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 1st Jun 2022
View this newsletter in fullRussia records 3,526 daily COVID-19 cases — crisis center
Russia’s COVID-19 case tally rose by 3,526 over the past day to 18,331,363, the anti-coronavirus crisis center reported on Tuesday, TASS reports. In relative terms, the growth rate reached 0.02%. As many as 2,536 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 in Russia over the past day, up 184.6% from a day earlier. The number of hospitalized patients increased in 72 regions, while in eight regions the figure increased. The situation remained unchanged in five regions. A day earlier, 891 people were rushed to hospitals
31st May 2022 - Kazinform
4,985 new Covid-19 cases reported in S'pore, up from 2,389 cases on May 30
The number of new Covid-19 cases reported in Singapore surged on Tuesday (May 31) to 4,985 said the Ministry of Health (MOH) in an update on its website.
This was more than double the 2,389 cases reported on Monday (May 30), but lower than last Tuesday's (May 24) cases, where 5,727 were reported. Case numbers on Tuesdays tend to be higher compared with the rest of the week as they reflect the spike in infections after the weekend, when more people are out in various social settings.
31st May 2022 - The Straits Times
Covid-19: Only one hospital admission in Wales in a day
For the second time in the pandemic, only one patient has been admitted to hospital in Wales with Covid in a day. The single admission, on Monday, was in Cardiff and Vale, according to latest figures from Digital Health and Care Wales. This has only happened once before during the pandemic, on a day in late June last year. Meanwhile, deaths involving Covid-19 were at their lowest for nine months. According to the latest statistics, numbers of Covid hospital admissions - and also those in critical care - are at their lowest since mid-July 2.
31st May 2022 - BBC News
Beijing reports 16 new symptomatic COVID cases for May 30, 2 asymptomatic cases
China's capital Beijing reported 16 new domestically transmitted symptomatic coronavirus cases for May 30, up from eight a day earlier, the city government said on Tuesday. Local asymptomatic cases fell to two from four from the previous day, it said.
31st May 2022 - Investing.com
Hong Kong to distribute 240,000 RAT kits following sewage COVID-19 detection
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government said Tuesday that it will distribute about 240,000 sets of COVID-19 rapid antigen test (RAT) kits to people in some areas of the city as part of a follow-up on recent detection of the COVID-19 virus in sewage samples. The test kits will be distributed to residents, cleaning workers, and property management staff working in the areas with positive sewage testing results showing relatively high viral loads, in order to help identify infected persons, it said. The HKSAR government also urged RAT kit users to report any positive results for COVID-19 via the government's online platform.
31st May 2022 - English News.cn
Covid 19 Omicron outbreak: 8436 community cases, 18 virus-related deaths, 389 people in hospital
There are 8436 new community cases of Covid-19 in New Zealand today. The Ministry of Health also reported a further 18 virus-related deaths. They include three people from Northland, two from the Auckland region, one from Waikato, one from Taranaki, two from MidCentral, two from Nelson Marlborough, three from Canterbury, two from West Coast and two from the Southern region. One person was aged in their 50s, two were in their 60s, one was in their 70s, eight were in their 80s and six were over 90. Ten were male and eight were female, the ministry said in today's update. This brings the total number of publicly reported Covid-19 deaths to 1172.
31st May 2022 - New Zealand Herald
Covid-19 weekly deaths lowest since last summer
The number of deaths involving coronavirus registered each week in England and Wales has fallen to its lowest level for nine months. A total of 547 deaths registered in the seven days to May 20 mentioned Covid-19 on the death certificate, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). This is down 24% on the previous week and is the lowest total since early August 2021. It is the third week in a row that deaths have decreased, which suggests the figures are now on a downwards trend. There have been similarly sharp falls in recent months in the number of Covid-19 infections and patients in hospital with the virus. Infections in both England and Wales hit an all-time high at the end of March, but in England they have dropped to levels last seen in November 2021 and in Wales they are back to where they were in September.
31st May 2022 - Wales Online
Shanghai Ready to Exit Lockdown as Covid Cases Drop
After four straight days with no Covid-19 deaths and with new cases at their lowest levels since early March, Shanghai is preparing to end more than two months of lockdowns. The easing of restrictions takes effect Wednesday, but already Tuesday evening social-media posts showed residents swarming the streets, chanting and dancing and posting images of themselves eating out at local restaurants. The majority of the 25 million residents of China’s financial capital can leave their homes and return to work starting Wednesday, the Shanghai government said. Aside from those in high-risk areas, all businesses can reopen, buses and trains will resume normal operations, and restrictions on private vehicles will be lifted. Shopping malls and other commercial centers can run at 75% of capacity.
31st May 2022 - The Wall Street Journal
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 31st May 2022
View this newsletter in fullAs summer begins, US COVID-19 cases six times higher than last year
As the US marks Memorial Day weekend and the unofficial start of summer, the seven-day average for COVID-19 cases in the U.S. are more than six times what they were a year ago. The Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center showed a seven-day average of 119,725 cases as of Saturday. That figure held at 17,887 cases on May 28 of last year. Despite the rising infection rate, COVID-related deaths were down from last year, a sign of increased immunity through vaccines and prior infections, along with wider availability of treatments. The seven-day average of 470 deaths reported on Friday marked a decrease from 637 on the same day last year.
30th May 2022 - The Hill
Covid-19 update: 5836 new cases and five deaths reported in the community
There are 403 people in hospital with the coronavirus, the ministry said in a statement. That compares with 283 people in hospital, with four in ICU, in the update yesterday. There were also nine more deaths and 4841 community cases of the virus announced yesterday. The total number of publicly reported deaths of people with Covid-19 is now 1154. Of the five deaths reported today; two were from the Auckland region, one was from Taranaki, one from Canterbury, and one was the Southern region. One person was in their 70s, three were in their 80s and one was over 90. Of these, three were male and two were female. Covid-19 is also having an impact on Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's trade mission to the United States.
30th May 2022 - RNZ
Taiwan reports 60103 new COVID-19 cases, 109 deaths
Taiwan on Monday recorded 60,103 new COVID-19 cases -- 60,042 domestically transmitted and 61 imported -- and 109 deaths, according to the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC). The 109 patients reported Monday to have died of COVID-19 complications ranged in age from their 40s to 90s, including 106 who had chronic illnesses or other severe diseases, the CECC said.
30th May 2022 - Focus Taiwan News Channel
Covid-19: Case rises in the Americas driven by increases in North and Central America
At a briefing on 18 May, PAHO officials said they were concerned that health systems in the region could be unprepared for a resurgence of SARS-CoV-2. Many countries have reduced testing and lifted restrictions on mask wearing and social distancing in recent months following a drop in infections after the surge driven by the omicron variant in January. PAHO director Carissa Etienne said some governments were letting their guard down despite them not having reached high levels of vaccine coverage. Only 14 of 51 countries in the Americas and territories have reached the World Health Organization’s goal of 70% vaccination coverage, leaving them vulnerable to future surges, particularly if new variants emerge. Etienne called on governments to strengthen testing infrastructure and maintain high levels of hospital capacity so that health services can quickly be scaled-up should infections surge. Governments must also do more to make sure vaccines reach the oldest and most vulnerable populations, officials said.
30th May 2022 - The BMJ
China reports 184 new COVID cases on May 29 vs 293 a day earlier
Mainland China reported 184 new coronavirus cases on May 29, of which 34 were symptomatic and 150 were asymptomatic, the National Health Commission said on Monday. That compares with 293 new cases a day earlier, 82 symptomatic and 211 asymptomatic infections, which China counts separately. There were no new deaths, leaving the death toll at 5,226. As of May 29, mainland China had 224,049 confirmed cases.
30th May 2022 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 30th May 2022
View this newsletter in fullCovid-19 infections continue to fall in much of UK but rise in Scotland
Covid-19 infections are continuing to fall in most parts of the UK but have risen slightly in Scotland, figures show. A total of 1.1 million people in private households across the UK are estimated to have had the virus in the week to 21 May, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). This is down from 1.3 million the previous week and is the lowest estimate for the whole country since the end of November 2021, when virus levels were just starting to rise due to the spread of the original Omicron variant. Total infections have now fallen by 78 per cent since the peak of the recent BA.2 Omicron wave in late March, when a record 4.9 million were estimated to have Covid-19.
28th May 2022 - The Independent
North Korea tests rivers, air, garbage as anti-COVID efforts gather steam
North Korean health officials are testing rivers, lakes, the air and household wastewater and garbage for the coronavirus as the country intensifies its fight against its first outbreak, state media said on Friday. The isolated country has been in a heated battle against an unprecedented COVID wave since declaring a state of emergency and imposing a nationwide lockdown this month, fuelling concerns about a lack of vaccines, medical supplies and food shortages.
28th May 2022 - Reuters
North Korea stockpiled Chinese masks, vaccines before reporting COVID outbreak
In the months before it acknowledged its first official COVID-19 outbreak, North Korea suddenly imported millions of face masks, 1,000 ventilators, and possibly vaccines from China, trade data released by Beijing showed. Two weeks ago state media revealed the outbreak, fuelling concerns about a lack of vaccines, medical supplies and food shortages. Chinese data show that even before that announcement, the North had begun stocking up.
28th May 2022 - Reuters
China reports 362 new COVID cases for May 27 vs 444 a day earlier
Mainland China reported 362 new coronavirus cases on May 27, of which 96 were symptomatic and 266 were asymptomatic, the National Health Commission said on Saturday. That compares with 444 new cases a day earlier - 102 symptomatic and 342 asymptomatic infections, which China counts separately. There were no new deaths, leaving the death toll at 5,226. As of May 27, mainland China had confirmed 223,933 cases.
28th May 2022 - Reuters
North Korea says new fever cases under 100000 as virus fight heats up
North Korea's daily fever cases dropped to below 100,000 for the first time, state media said on Saturday, less than three weeks after the country's first acknowledgement of a COVID-19 outbreak. The isolated country has been in a heated battle against an unprecedented COVID wave since declaring a state of emergency and imposing a nationwide lockdown this month, fuelling concerns about lack of vaccines, medical supplies and food shortages.
28th May 2022 - Reuters
Taiwan's COVID cases reach plateau, government says
The COVID-19 pandemic in Taiwan has reached a plateau, with cases at a high but stable level, the government said on Friday, as it maintained a policy of gradually easing restrictions and letting the island live with the virus. Health Minister Chen Shih-chung said infections could stay near the current level for a while before declining. He has previously forecast a peak could appear in late May. The more than 94,800 cases and 126 COVID-related deaths reported for the latest 24 hours were both records, but Chen pointed to the trend.
27th May 2022 - Reuters
Chinese province neighbouring North Korea reports border area COVID cases
Border areas in China's northeastern province of Jilin, which shares a long frontier with coronavirus-hit North Korea, reported domestically transmitted COVID-19 infections of unknown origin, a Chinese health official said on Friday. The outbreak had shown a trend of spreading from border areas to inland areas, Lei Zhenglong, of China's National Health Commission, told a news briefing.
27th May 2022 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 27th May 2022
View this newsletter in fullMyanmar's COVID-19 tally rises to 613,260
The total number of COVID-19 infections in Myanmar rose to 613,260 on Thursday after four new cases were confirmed in the past 24 hours, according to the ministry of health. The ministry said health authorities tested 6,624 people for COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, and the daily positivity rate was 0.06 percent. The death toll from COVID-19 in the country remained unchanged at 19,434 as no new deaths were confirmed in the past 24 hours, the ministry's figures showed. The total number of patients who recovered from COVID-19 in the country has reached 592,244 on Thursday with 15 more patients recovered in the past 24 hours, the ministry's figures showed.
26th May 2022 - English News.cn
Maharashtra, Manipur, UP record highest number of COVID-19 deaths in 2020
Maharashtra, followed by Manipur and Uttar Pradesh, have recorded the highest number of COVID-19 deaths in 2020, when 1.6 lakh people succumbed to the virus in the country. In 2020, the total number of registered deaths in the country was 81,15,882 of which 18,11,688 were medically certified deaths.
26th May 2022 - India Times
Dominant coronavirus mutant contains ghost of pandemic past
The coronavirus mutant that is now dominant in the United States is a member of the omicron family but scientists say it spreads faster than its omicron predecessors, is adept at escaping immunity and might possibly cause more serious disease. Why? Because it combines properties of both omicron and delta, the nation's dominant variant in the middle of last year. A genetic trait that harkens back to the pandemic's past, known as a “delta mutation," appears to allow the virus "to escape pre-existing immunity from vaccination and prior infection, especially if you were infected in the omicron wave," said Dr. Wesley Long, a pathologist at Houston Methodist in Texas. That's because the original omicron strain that swept the world didn’t have the mutation.
26th May 2022 - The Independent
Latino and Indigenous Mexican farm-working communities face high risk of COVID-19
Although everyone has been affected by COVID-19 and the pandemic it spawned, not all populations have been affected equally. In the United States, for example, COVID-19 cases and death rates have been disproportionately high in Latino and Indigenous populations. To understand how determinants of health affect perceptions of the coronavirus, its spread, and decision making around COVID-19 testing and vaccination in vulnerable populations, a team of researchers at the University of California, Riverside, conducted a study in the Eastern Coachella Valley region of inland Southern California, home to Latino and Indigenous Mexican farm-working communities. Led by Ann Cheney, an associate professor of social medicine, population, and public health in the School of Medicine, the team reports in BMC Public Health that these immigrant populations are vulnerable to inequalities that increase their risk of COVID-19 exposure, morbidity, and mortality.
26th May 2022 - News-Medical.Net
Two children under 5 die from COVID-19 complications
Two girls under the age of 5 were among the 104 deaths linked to COVID-19 reported Thursday, bringing the number of children under 10 who have passed away from the disease in Taiwan to seven, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said. One of the two girls was a 1-year-old who died of septic shock after contracting COVID-19, and the other was a 4-year-old who had developed encephalitis, or inflammation of the brain, and then suffered multiple organ failure, said Lo Yi-chun (羅一鈞), deputy head of the CECC's medical response division.
The two tested positive for COVID-19 on May 17 and May 11, respectively, and passed away on May 23 and May 20. Lo also reported that a 7-year-old boy had developed a severe infection of COVID-19.
26th May 2022 - Focus Taiwan News Channel
WHO: COVID-19 cases mostly drop, except for the Americas
The number of new coronavirus cases and deaths are still falling globally after peaking in January, the World Health Organization said. In its latest weekly assessment of the pandemic, the U.N. health agency said there were more than 3.7 million new infections and 9,000 deaths in the last week, drops of 3% and 11% respectively. COVID-19 cases rose in only two regions of the world: the Americas and the Western Pacific. Deaths increased by 30% in the Middle East, but were stable or decreased everywhere else. WHO said it is tracking all omicron subvariants as “variants of concern.” It noted that countries which had a significant wave of disease caused by the omicron subvariant BA.2 appeared to be less affected by other subvariants like BA.4 and BA.5, which were responsible for the latest surge of disease in South Africa.
26th May 2022 - The Independent
China reports 545 new COVID cases on May 25 vs 590 a day earlier
China reported 545 new coronavirus cases on May 25, of which 130 were symptomatic and 415 were asymptomatic, the National Health Commission said on Thursday. That compares with 590 new cases a day earlier - 117 symptomatic and 473 asymptomatic infections, which China counts separately. There were 1 new deaths, bringing the death toll to 5,225.
26th May 2022 - Reuters
WHO: COVID-19 cases mostly drop, except for the Americas
The number of new coronavirus cases and deaths are still falling globally after peaking in January, the World Health Organization said. In its latest weekly assessment of the pandemic, the U.N. health agency said there were more than 3.7 million new infections and 9,000 deaths in the last week, drops of 3% and 11% respectively. COVID-19 cases rose in only two regions of the world: the Americas and the Western Pacific. Deaths increased by 30% in the Middle East, but were stable or decreased everywhere else. WHO said it is tracking all omicron subvariants as “variants of concern.” It noted that countries which had a significant wave of disease caused by the omicron subvariant BA.2 appeared to be less affected by other subvariants like BA.4 and BA.5, which were responsible for the latest surge of disease in South Africa.
26th May 2022 - The Associated Press
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 26th May 2022
View this newsletter in fullVaccines bring optimism as COVID cases soar in South America
After a reprieve of months, confirmed cases of COVID-19 are surging in the southern tip of South America. But officials in Argentina, Chile and Uruguay hope high vaccination rates mean this latest wave will not be as deadly as previous ones.
At the same time, there is concern that many people are not ready to once again take on the prevention measures that authorities say are needed to ensure cases remain manageable. Cases have been steadily increasing for weeks, largely fueled by the BA.2 version of the omicron variant. In Chile, the number of weekly confirmed cases more than doubled by late May when compared to the beginning of the month. In Argentina, cases rose 146 percent in the same period, while in Uruguay, the increase was almost 200 percent.
25th May 2022 - Yahoo News UK
Queensland records over 1,000 COVID-19 deaths as doctors warn booster shots remain 'critically important'
Queensland surpassed 1,000 COVID-19 deaths today, with the pandemic virus on course to feature among the state's leading reasons for lives lost this year. Lea King's much-loved husband Colin was one of them. The father of four and grandfather of 10 died in February, just before they were due to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. The 74-year-old crossword lover, who lived in Logan, south of Brisbane, was being treated for lung cancer when he caught SARS-CoV-2 — the virus that causes COVID-19. But Mrs King said "it was the COVID that got him and that's on the death certificate that the COVID pneumonia is the cause of death".
25th May 2022 - ABC News
Nation's latest COVID-19 wave largely hidden from view, health experts say
Current COVID-19 cases are just a fraction of what they were at the peak of the omicron wave. But many people in the country may be noticing what seems to be a flood of cases in their social circles. Health experts say this anecdotal evidence may not be simply coincidence, as the U.S. may be in a “hidden” wave — one much larger than reported data would suggest. “There's a lot of COVID out there. I see it in my social circles, in my kids' schools and in the hospital employee infection numbers,” Dr. Shira Doron, an infectious disease physician and hospital epidemiologist at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, told ABC News. “We are clearly in a wave.”
25th May 2022 - ABC News
N.Korea reports no new deaths for second day amid 'stable' COVID trend
North Korea reported no new deaths among fever patients for a second consecutive day, state media KCNA said on Wednesday, a day after it said the country's first confirmed coronavirus outbreak was being stably managed. The COVID outbreak, which the isolated country confirmed about two weeks ago, has stoked concerns about a lack of vaccines and medical supplies, while experts said a nationwide lockdown could deepen a food crisis in the country of 25 million.
Pyongyang said on Tuesday its anti-virus campaign was having "successes" in curbing and controlling the outbreak and "maintaining the clearly stable situation.
25th May 2022 - Reuters
Platinum Jubilee celebrations could increase Covid infections by 50 per cent in summer spike, scientists warn
Covid infections will jump by up to 50 per cent following the Jubilee celebrations after falling by two-thirds in the past two months, leading scientists have warned.
New symptomatic infections have tumbled from a record 349,011 a day on 31 March to an estimated 117,136 cases today – with cases relatively stable over the past fortnight, according to the ZOE Covid study app. But Professor Tim Spector, who runs the ZOE app, believes greater social mixing over the extended bank holiday weekend, alongside waning immunity, will see infections rise sharply from their current level of 1 in 37 people across the UK.
25th May 2022 - iNews
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 25th May 2022
View this newsletter in fullOmicron outbreak: 8435 new cases, 15 virus-related deaths; how to download new vaccine pass
There are 8435 new Covid community cases today as the country faces at least five more weeks at the orange traffic light setting. The Ministry of Health reported a further 15 Covid-related deaths. One of these people was aged in their 40s, two were in their 60s, one was in their 70s, three were in their 80s and eight were aged over 90. The deaths took place over the past four days. There are 327 people in hospital with the virus, including 10 in intensive care. The seven-day rolling average of cases today is 7507, compared to 7795 last Tuesday, the ministry said.
24th May 2022 - New Zealand Herald
Covid-19 death registrations fall for second week in a row
The number of deaths involving coronavirus registered in England and Wales has fallen for the second week in a row. Some 719 deaths registered in the seven days to May 13 mentioned Covid-19 on the death certificate, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). This is down 2% week-on-week and is the lowest total since mid-March, when numbers were just starting to rise due to the surge in infections caused by the Omicron BA.2 variant. The drop comes despite the latest figures including a backlog of deaths that needed to be registered following the bank holiday on May 2, when most council offices were closed.
24th May 2022 - Belfast Telegraph
Are UK coronavirus cases actually going down or are they just harder to count?
For almost two years we’ve been glued to a set of numbers: the grim trio of cases, hospitalisations and deaths that defined coronavirus in the UK. The daily figures led news reports for more than a year: people watched in horror as the height of the Omicron wave brought the highest ever daily caseload on Tuesday 4 January 2022 when 275,618 people tested positive. And they saw how many people died: a number that peaked on Tuesday 19 January 2021, when 1,366 people died, making it the the worst day of the pandemic*. Since March 2022 case numbers from the daily government dashboard have tumbled. A fall that has coincided with the government’s Living with Covid plan: as restrictions fell away in England, so did cases. The government ended restrictions including the legal requirement to self-isolate on 24 February and cut the provision of free tests on 1 April.
24th May 2022 - The Guardian
North Korea says COVID-19 outbreak under control, but analyst says claim 'essentially nonsense'
For the first time since North Korea — which is unable to confirm COVID-19 cases — revealed it had a fever outbreak, state media is reporting no new deaths and a "stable" downward trend in cases — claims doubted by experts. North Korea's COVID-19 wave, first declared on May 12, has fuelled concerns over a lack of vaccines, inadequate medical infrastructure and a potential food crisis in the country of 25 million. But the North said it was reporting "successes" in stemming the spread of the virus, and there was no new fever deaths reported as of Monday evening, despite officials recording 134,510 new patients. The statistic marked a third consecutive day the daily figure stayed below 200,000.
24th May 2022 - ABC News
N.Korea says no new fever deaths, COVID situation under control
North Korea said on Tuesday there were no new deaths among fever patients in the country, the first time since it flagged a COVID-19 outbreak nearly two weeks ago, adding that it was seeing a "stable" downward trend in pandemic-related cases. The COVID-19 wave, which North Korea first declared on May 12, has fuelled concerns over a lack of vaccines, inadequate medical infrastructure and a potential food crisis in the country of 25 million.
24th May 2022 - Reuters
Beijing reports 41 new symptomatic COVID cases, 7 asymptomatic cases for May 23
China's capital Beijing recorded 41 new symptomatic coronavirus cases for May 23, down from 83 a day earlier, state broadcaster CCTV said on Tuesday, citing official data. Asymptomatic cases fell to 7 from 16 the previous day, it said.
24th May 2022 - Reuters
Taiwan kept COVID below 15000 cases for all 2021. Now it has 80000 a day, testing its 'new model'
Billed a COVID-19 success story as its economy boomed through the pandemic, Taiwan is now battling a record wave of infections as it eases restrictions that had kept outbreaks at bay to start life with the virus. For the whole of 2021, Taiwan reported less than 15,000 locally transmitted cases. Now, it's registering around 80,000 cases a day - a startling reversal after the effectiveness of its long-standing zero-COVID policy won it international praise.
24th May 2022 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 24th May 2022
View this newsletter in fullCalifornia coronavirus spread significantly worsens, with cases doubling in some areas
The number of coronavirus cases in California significantly worsened last week, hitting a level not seen since the winter’s omicron surge and raising concerns about the possibility of a big jump in infections this summer. Weekly coronavirus cases roughly doubled across wide swaths of California, including Riverside and Santa Barbara counties, as well as the Central Valley and Silicon Valley. They rose by roughly 85% in Orange, San Bernardino and Ventura counties. Statewide, the increase was 63%, bringing the case rate to 231 for every 100,000 residents. A rate of 100 and above is considered a high rate of transmission.
23rd May 2022 - Seattle Times
Covid-19: 6000 community cases on Monday, nine deaths
The Ministry of Health is today reporting 6000 community cases, 363 hospitalisations and nine deaths. There are 363 people in hospital, including 14 in intensive care with Covid-19. The seven-day rolling average of case numbers is 7712 – last Monday it was 7702. On Sunday, the ministry reported 4990 community cases and 10 deaths.
23rd May 2022 - Stuff.co.nz
Two cases of new Covid-19 variant of concern confirmed in Ireland
Two cases of a newly classified Covid-19 variant of concern have been confirmed in Ireland. On May 12 the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control reclassified two sub-lineages of the Omicron variant of Covid-19, BA.4 and BA.5, from variants of interest to variants of concern. In the chief medical officer’s latest weekly report on Covid-19 to Health Minister Stephen Donnelly, he says that two cases of BA.4 have been identified as of the week beginning May 7. Dr Tony Holohan said: “In the context of the international situation in relation to these variants, it should be noted that, as of week 18 2022 (May 7), two cases of BA.4 and no cases of BA.5 have been identified in Ireland.”
23rd May 2022 - Belfast Telegraph
Covid cases in Africa pass 11.59 million-mark
The number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in Africa reached 11,596,707, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has said. The specialized healthcare agency of the African Union (AU) said the death toll across the continent stands at 252,892 and that 10,918,957 patients have recovered from the disease, South Africa, Morocco, Tunisia and Libya are among the countries with the most cases on the continent, the most cases on the continent, said the Africa CDC.
23rd May 2022 - The Times of India
China reports 869 new COVID cases on May 22 vs 898 a day earlier
Mainland China reported 869 new coronavirus cases on May 22, of which 187 were symptomatic and 682 were asymptomatic, the National Health Commission said on Monday. That compares with 898 new cases a day earlier - 169 symptomatic and 729 asymptomatic infections, which China counts separately. There was one new death, bringing the death toll to 5,223. As of May 22, mainland China had confirmed 223,332 cases.
23rd May 2022 - Reuters
North Korea's fever cases under 200000 for second day amid silence on aid offer
North Korea's daily fever cases stayed below 200,000 for a second day in a row, state media said on Monday, as Pyongyang remained silent on South Korean and U.S. offers to help fight its first confirmed COVID-19 outbreak. The COVID wave, declared on May 12, has fuelled concerns over a lack of vaccines, inadequate medical infrastructure and a potential food crisis in the country of 25 million. U.S. President Joe Biden said on Saturday that Washington had offered COVID-19 vaccines to China and North Korea, but "got no response."
23rd May 2022 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 23rd May 2022
View this newsletter in fullWhats Your Risk of Catching Covid? This $150 Device Helped Me Find Out
My boyfriend wasn’t feeling well. Then again, that wasn’t too surprising. We had just spent a weekend at New Orleans’ annual jazz festival, where we spent long days baking in 90 degree weather and drinking plenty of beer to stay cool. But hangovers and heatstroke weren’t the only potential culprits. The risk of Covid was everywhere. I knew that because for weeks I had been carrying around a palm-sized, $150 carbon dioxide monitor that assesses exactly that. Then Jesse told me that he couldn’t smell anything. A bright pink line soon confirmed the answer I’d been dreading. He had Covid. Three days later — after two years of avoiding it — I tested positive, too.
22nd May 2022 - Bloomberg
North Korea reports 'positive trend' in COVID fight as fever cases dip
For the first time in nearly 10 days North Korea's daily "fever" cases dropped below 200,000, state media said on Sunday, reporting "a positive trend" after measures were taken to control the country's first acknowledged COVID-19 outbreak. The COVID wave, declared on May 12, has fuelled concerns over a lack of vaccines, inadequate medical infrastructure and a potential food crisis in the country of 25 million. It has refused most outside help, kept its borders shut and allows no independent confirmation of official data. Apparently lacking in testing supplies, North Korea has not confirmed the total number of people testing positive for the coronavirus. Instead, health authorities report the number with fever symptoms, making it difficult to assess the scale of the COVID wave, experts have said.
22nd May 2022 - Reuters
Shanghai reopens some public transport, still on high COVID alert
Shanghai reopened a small part of the world's longest subway system on Sunday after some lines had been closed for almost two months, as the city paves the way for a more complete lifting of its painful COVID-19 lockdown next week. With most residents not allowed to leave their homes and restrictions tightening in parts of China's most populous city, commuters early on Sunday needed strong reasons to travel. Shanghai's lockdown and curbs in other cities have battered consumption, industrial output and other sectors of the Chinese economy in recent months, prompting pledges of support from policymakers
22nd May 2022 - Reuters
COVID may be factor in lack of North Korea response to outreach, White House official says
U.S. President Joe Biden, in Seoul before heading to Japan as part of his first Asia trip as president, had a simple message for North Korea's Kim Jong Un: "Hello... period," he told reporters on the last day of his visit to South Korea on Sunday. Biden said he was "not concerned" about new North Korean nuclear tests, which would be the first in nearly five years. But his wry response when asked what message he had for Kim underscored the administration's low-key approach to the unresolved tensions with North Korea. It is a stark contrast with former President Donald Trump's showy threats, summits, and "love letters" with Kim.
22nd May 2022 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 20th May 2022
View this newsletter in fullCOVID-19 deaths dropped by 21% last week but cases rising: World Health Organization
North Korea reported more than 2,62,000 more suspected cases on May 19, 2022, as its caseload approaches two million. The number of coronavirus deaths globally dropped by about 21% in the past week while cases rose in most parts of the world, according to the World Health Organization. In its weekly report on the pandemic released on May 19, the U. N. health agency said the number of new COVID-19 cases appears to have stabilised after weeks of decline since late March, with about 3.5 million new cases last week, or a 1% rise. WHO said cases increased in the Americas, Middle East, Africa and the Western Pacific, while falling in Europe and Southeast Asia. Some 9,000 deaths were recorded.
19th May 2022 - The Hindu
COVID-19 outbreak in 'mass spread' stage, to peak in late May: MOHW
Taiwan's COVID-19 outbreak has entered the "mass community spread" stage and is likely to reach a peak number of infections in late May, according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW). In a report to the Legislature Thursday, the ministry said Taiwan reported 475,497 new COVID-19 infections from May 12-18, marking "a significant increase" over the 302,597 cases recorded from May 5-11. The rising case numbers indicate Taiwan has entered the "mass community spread" stage of the disease, the ministry said, while noting that imported cases have dropped in the last week but "remain a risk."
19th May 2022 - Focus Taiwan News Channel
Portugal worries surge in COVID-19 cases may affect tourism
The increase in COVID-19 cases could affect the tourism and services sector’s recovery, Economic Minister António Costa Silva said on Wednesday. “The virus can play more tricks on us, as it did before, and that is why it is very important to stress that the virus has not disappeared,” Silva told journalists on the sidelines of a meeting with businesspeople in Aveiro. The minister argued that it is necessary to “continue to take all measures and do everything to contain this threat,” warning that “the worst that can happen is to come out of one crisis and enter another, or worse than that, a cascade of crises that combine.” This year, according to Silva, the government estimates that the tourism and services sector will generate €16 billion, which is only 85% of what was made in 2019.
19th May 2022 - EURACTIV
On-campus COVID-19 measures couldn't contain Omicron
A study assessing Cornell University's COVID-19 surveillance and vaccination programs during the Omicron variant surge suggests that vaccination protected against severe infection, but it and other mitigation measures—including mass testing—didn't prevent rapid viral transmission. The study, published today in JAMA Network Open, describes the outcomes of the university's SARS-CoV-2 transmission-prevention programs implemented after the campus reopened for in-person instruction in fall 2021. Steps included mandatory vaccination for students, urging of vaccination for employees, and an on-campus mask requirement. In addition, isolation and contact tracing took place within hours of all COVID-19–positive tests.
19th May 2022 - CIDRAP
It's happening again: COVID-19 cases are back on the rise. There are 3 main reasons why.
COVID-19 infections continue to rise, driven by new and more infectious omicron subvariants, waning immunity from both vaccines and previous infections and fewer people masking up, health officials said at a White House briefing Wednesday. About a third of Americans now live in an area with medium or high COVID-19 rates, with reported cases up 26% from last week, said Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control an Prevention. On average, about 3,000 Americans are being hospitalized per day and 275 are dying. Walensky urged people in communities with higher infection and hospitalization rates to protect themselves by masking in indoor public places and to get a booster shot if vaccinated and to get vaccinated if they're not.
19th May 2022 - USA TODAY
North Korea's suspected COVID-19 caseload nears 2 million
North Korea on Thursday reported 262,270 more suspected COVID-19 cases as its pandemic caseload neared 2 million — a week after the country acknowledged the outbreak and scrambled to slow infections in its unvaccinated population. The country is also trying to prevent its fragile economy from deteriorating further, but the outbreak could be worse than officially reported since the country lacks virus tests and other health care resources and may be underreporting deaths to soften the political impact on authoritarian leader Kim Jong Un.
19th May 2022 - Associated Press
Biden Health Officials Warn of Substantial Increase in Virus Cases
Federal health officials warned on Wednesday that a third of Americans live in areas where the threat of Covid-19 is now so high that they should consider wearing a mask in indoor public settings. They cited new data showing a substantial jump in both the spread of the coronavirus and hospitalizations over the past week.
Dr. Rochelle P. Walensky, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said that the seven-day average of hospital admissions from Covid rose 19 percent over the previous week. About 3,000 people a day were being admitted with Covid, she said, although death rates, a lagging indicator, remained low.
18th May 2022 - The New York Times
Tea and infomercials: N. Korea fights COVID with few tools
On a recent nighttime visit to a drugstore, a double-masked Kim Jong Un lamented the slow delivery of medicine. Separately, the North Korean leader’s lieutenants have quarantined hundreds of thousands of suspected COVID-19 patients and urged people with mild symptoms to take willow leaf or honeysuckle tea. Despite what the North’s propaganda is describing as an all-out effort, the fear is palpable among citizens, according to defectors in South Korea with contacts in the North, and some outside observers worry the outbreak may get much worse, with much of an impoverished, unvaccinated population left without enough hospital care and struggling to afford even simple medicine.
18th May 2022 - Associated Press
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 19th May 2022
View this newsletter in fullDeaths of people with Covid-19 top 1000, 32 reported on Wednesday
New Zealand has now surpassed more than 1000 deaths of people with Covid-19.
The Ministry of Health reported 32 new deaths in a statement released at 1pm on Wednesday, with the total number of reported Covid deaths now sitting at 1017. The rolling seven-day average is 17. It comes as the Ministry announced a new way of reporting deaths with Covid. There were also 9570 new community cases and 425 hospitalisations, including nine in ICU.
18th May 2022 - Stuff
Victorian schools hit with staff shortages amid COVID-19 and flu outbreaks
One government and one private school have had to return to remote learning because of staff shortages. Some schools have experienced a doubling in absenteeism among students because of illness. An infectious diseases expert says schools should remain open.
18th May 2022 - ABC News
China reports 1305 new COVID cases for May 17 vs 1100 a day earlier
Mainland China reported 1,305 new coronavirus cases on May 17, of which 240 were symptomatic and 1,065 were asymptomatic, the National Health Commission said on Wednesday. That compares with 1,100 new cases a day earlier, consisting of 175 symptomatic and 925 asymptomatic infections, which China counts separately. There were three new deaths, bringing the death toll to 5,217. As of May 17, mainland China had confirmed 222,370 coronavirus cases.
18th May 2022 - Reuters
As U.S. COVID-19 cases rise, so does demand for antivirals
Rising COVID-19 cases are driving up the use of therapeutics, with Pfizer Inc's oral antiviral treatment Paxlovid seeing a 315% jump over the past four weeks, U.S. health officials said on Tuesday. The increase in U.S. cases and hospitalizations is starting to affect recommendations on behavior, with New York City, the nation's most populous city, advising stricter mask usage but stopping short of new mandates. Apple has scrapped return to office plans
18th May 2022 - Reuters
North Korea boasts recovery as WHO worries over missing data
North Korea on Wednesday added hundreds of thousands of infections to its growing pandemic caseload but also said that a million people have already recovered from suspected COVID-19 just a week after disclosing an outbreak, a public health crisis it appears to be trying to manage in isolation as global experts express deep concern about dire consequences. The country’s anti-virus headquarters announced 232,880 new cases of fever and another six deaths in state media Wednesday. Those figures raise its totals to 62 deaths and more than 1.7 million fever cases since late April. It said more than a million people recovered but at least 691,170 remain in quarantine. Outside experts believe most of the fevers are from COVID-19 but North Korea lacks tests to confirm so many. The outbreak is almost certainly larger than the fever tally, since some virus carriers may not develop fevers or other symptoms.
18th May 2022 - The Associated Press
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 18th May 2022
View this newsletter in fullHow big is the latest U.S. coronavirus wave? No one really knows.
Eileen Wassermann struggles to calculate her daily risks at this stage of the coronavirus pandemic — with infections drastically undercounted and mask mandates gone. The immunocompromised 69-year-old ensconces herself in her SUV for the half-hour ferry ride across the Puget Sound from her home on Bainbridge Island to Seattle, where she undergoes treatment for the rare inflammatory condition sarcoidosis. A retired scientist and lawyer who worked with drug companies, Wassermann is comfortable analyzing coronavirus data. But she said current numbers, which don’t account for most at-home test results, are unreliable. “My mode, which sounds ridiculous maybe at this point, is to be as cautious as I was at the beginning of 2020,” said Wassermann, who has received two booster doses of the coronavirus vaccine.
17th May 2022 - The Washington Post
CDC: Africa tourism favorite now at 'high' risk for Covid-19
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has placed a popular African destination in its "high" Covid-19 risk category for travelers.South Africa -- renowned for its stunning vistas, wildlife, wineries and culture -- is now at Level 3. In total, the CDC moved up four destinations to the "high" risk column on Monday:
17th May 2022 - CNN
Covid-19 deaths fall as bank holiday affects registrations
The number of deaths involving coronavirus registered in England and Wales has fallen for the first time in nine weeks – though the figure is likely to been affected by the May bank holiday. A total of 735 deaths registered in the seven days to May 6 mentioned Covid-19 on the death certificate, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). This is down 35% week-on-week and is the lowest number since mid-March. It is also the first percentage drop since the beginning of March.
17th May 2022 - The Independent
North Korea on brink of Covid-19 catastrophe, say experts
North Korea stands on the brink of a Covid-19 catastrophe unless swift action is taken to provide vaccines and drug treatments, experts have said, as the number of people reported to have fallen ill rose to almost 1.5 million. The isolated country reported another big rise in new cases of what it continues to refer to as “fever” on Tuesday, days after it admitted it had identified Covid-19 infections for the first time since the start of the global pandemic. It recorded 269,510 additional cases and six more deaths, bringing the total number killed to 56 since late last month. About 1.48 million people have become ill with the virus since the first case was reported last Thursday and at least 663,910 people were in quarantine, according to official figures. The outbreak is almost certainly greater than the official tally, given a lack of tests and resources to monitor and treat the sick.
17th May 2022 - The Guardian
North Korean planes pick up medical supplies in China, media report
North Korea has sent aircraft to China to pick up medical supplies days after it confirmed its first COVID-19 outbreak, media reported on Tuesday. In some of its first international flights since the coronavirus pandemic began more than two years ago, three Air Koryo planes from North Korea flew to the Chinese city of Shenyang on Monday, and flew back with medical supplies later in the day, South Korea's Yonhap news agency said, citing unidentified sources.
17th May 2022 - Reuters
Shanghai reports 77 symptomatic, 746 asymptomatic COVID cases for May 16
The Chinese financial hub of Shanghai reported 746 new local asymptomatic coronavirus cases for May 16, down from 869 a day earlier, data released on Tuesday showed. Confirmed symptomatic cases rose to 77 from 69 the previous day. There were zero cases found outside quarantined areas, same as reported a day earlier. The city reported one new COVID-19 related death, compared with four a day earlier.
17th May 2022 - Reuters
North Korea COVID outbreak could have 'devastating' impact on human rights, U.N. says
Measures taken in North Korea to fight the first reported COVID-19 outbreak could have "devastating" consequences for human rights in the country, a spokesperson for the U.N. human rights office said on Tuesday. New restrictions could have dire consequences for people to meet their basic needs, including getting enough food, Liz Throssell told a briefing, adding that any measures taken against the pandemic should be proportionate and necessary. The isolated country confirmed its first acknowledged COVID-19 outbreak last week, fuelling concerns over a major crisis due to lack of vaccines and medical infrastructure
17th May 2022 - Reuters
North Korea reports another fever surge amid COVID-19 crisis
North Korea on Tuesday reported another large jump in illnesses believed to be COVID-19 and encouraged good health habits, as a mass outbreak spreads through its unvaccinated population and military officers were deployed to distribute medicine. State media said the anti-virus headquarters reported another 269,510 people were found with fevers and six had died. That raises North Korea’s deaths to 56 after more than 1.48 million people became ill with fever since late April. North Korea lacks test kits to confirm coronavirus infections in large numbers, and the report didn’t say how many of the fever cases were COVID-19. The outbreak is almost certainly greater than the fever tally, considering the lack of tests and resources to monitor and treat the sick. North Korea’s virus response comes down to isolating people with symptoms at shelters, and as of Tuesday, at least 663,910 people were in quarantine.
17th May 2022 - Associated Press
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 17th May 2022
View this newsletter in fullNYC Nears High Covid-Alert Level, May Consider Requiring Masks
New York City is preparing to hit a high Covid-transmission level in the coming days that would have it reconsidering mask requirements in public places. “If NYC’s Alert Level is raised to High, the City will consider requiring face masks in all public indoor settings,” according to guidance on the city health department’s website. Alert levels take into account cases, hospital admissions and the percentage of inpatient beds that are occupied by Covid-19 patients. Early in May, the city moved to a medium alert from low after surpassing 200 new cases per 100,000 people over a seven-day period.
17th May 2022 - Bloomberg
N.Korea reports 6 new COVID deaths as military mobilised for supplies
North Korea has mobilised its military to distribute COVID medications and deployed more than 10,000 health workers to help trace potential patients as it fights a sweeping coronavirus wave, state media KCNA said on Tuesday. The isolated country is grappling with its first acknowledged COVID-19 outbreak, which it confirmed last week, fuelling concerns over a major crisis due to a lack of vaccines and adequate medical infrastructure. The state emergency epidemic prevention headquarters reported 269,510 more people with fever symptoms, bringing the total to 1,483,060, while the death toll grew to 56 as of Monday evening, KCNA said. It did not say how many people have tested positive for COVID-19.
16th May 2022 - Reuters
Coronavirus cases proliferate, especially in the Midwest, as the U.S. death toll nears one million.
Coronavirus cases are spreading at an alarming rate across the United States, particularly in the Northeast and the Midwest, as the country’s death toll nears the one million mark. An average of more than 90,
16th May 2022 - New York Times
Taiwan Navy confirms multiple COVID-19 cases on warship
Taiwan's Navy said Monday it had ordered one of its warships to return to base and everyone on board to get tested for COVID-19, as several crew members had obtained positive rapid antigen test results. The Navy, however, did not say how many people were on the Knox-class frigate, nor did it specify the number that had tested positive for COVID-19, saying only that everyone on board the "Fong Yang" had been asked to do rapid tests. Those who tested positive have been asked to take PCR tests, the Navy Command said in press release.
16th May 2022 - Focus Taiwan News Channel
7061 Covid cases today, five virus-related deaths, 415 people in hospital
There are 7061 new community cases of Covid in the community today. The Ministry of Health reported a further five Covid-related deaths. Of the five deaths reported today, three people were from the Southern region, one person was from Auckland and one person was from Bay of Plenty. One person was in their 50s, one person was in their 70s, and three were aged over 90, the ministry said in today's update. There are 415 people in hospital with the virus, including 11 in intensive care.
16th May 2022 - New Zealand Herald
Two COVID-19 deaths in South Australia as state government launches primary school vaccination hubs
Two people with COVID-19 have died in South Australia as the state government launches an initiative to increase the vaccination rate among children. SA Health has reported 3,392 new COVID-19 cases today, the lowest figure since last Monday, following a spike in numbers over the past week. The two deaths were a man and a woman, both in their 70s. Yesterday, 3,796 new cases were reported, following 3,816 on Saturday. There are now 248 people with COVID-19 in hospital, including seven people in intensive care.
16th May 2022 - ABC News
Kim Jong-un calls in the army to respond to North Korea’s Covid-19 crisis
Kim Jong-un has criticised North Korea’s pandemic response and ordered the army to help distribute medicine, state media said Monday, as the country said 50 people had died since first reporting an outbreak of Covid-19. More than one million people have been sickened by what Pyongyang is referring to as “fever”, state media said, despite Kim ordering nationwide lockdowns in a bid to slow the spread of disease through the unvaccinated population. After two years denying North Korea had any cases of Covid-19, last week officials confirmed that there had been a Covid outbreak in the country.
16th May 2022 - The Guardian
COVID-19 may spread rapidly in North Korea, WHO warns
The World Health Organization warned on Monday that COVID-19 may spread rapidly in North Korea, where it said vaccination programmes had yet to begin. "With the country yet to initiate COVID-19 vaccination, there is risk that the virus may spread rapidly among the masses unless curtailed with immediate and appropriate measures," said Poonam Khetrapal Singh, WHO's regional director for South-East Asia, in a statement sent to journalists.
16th May 2022 - Reuters
China reports 1227 new COVID cases for May 15 vs 1789 a day earlier
Mainland China reported 1,227 new coronavirus cases for May 15, of which 151 were symptomatic and 1,076 were asymptomatic, the National Health Commission said on Monday. That compares with 1,789 new cases a day earlier, consisting of 239 symptomatic and 1,550 asymptomatic infections, which China counts separately. There were four new deaths, bringing the death toll to 5,213. As of May 15, mainland China had confirmed 221,955 coronavirus cases.
16th May 2022 - Reuters
N.Korea's Kim orders military to stabilise supply of COVID drugs
Leader Kim Jong Un has ordered North Korea's military to stabilise distribution of COVID-19 medicine in the capital, Pyongyang, in the battle against the country's first confirmed outbreak of the disease, state media said. Last week brought the North's first acknowledgment of an "explosive" outbreak, with experts warning it could devastate a country with limited medical supplies and no vaccine programme.
16th May 2022 - Reuters
North Korea Covid Surge Accelerates as Unvaccinated Population Keeps Working
North Korea reported its biggest daily surge in fever cases during a nationwide outbreak of Covid-19 but didn’t respond to a South Korean offer of vaccines even as the North’s leader Kim Jong Un berated officials for failing to contain the disease. At the inter-Korean border, people could be seen walking around villages on the northern side Monday without face masks and working in groups in fields during the rice planting season, showing how unvaccinated North Korea is far from a strict lockdown that some nations have used to stop the spread of Covid.
16th May 2022 - The Wall Street Journal
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 16th May 2022
View this newsletter in full1000 people could be in hospital with Covid-19 daily during winter peak – Govt
Thousands of people could be hospitalised with respiratory illnesses daily over winter, including more than 1000 at a time with Covid-19 at what could potentially be a “quite high” peak, the Government is warning. On Friday, Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield outlined modelling around planning for winter. It was expected Aotearoa would see a resurgence of Covid-19, alongside influenza and RSV outbreaks. New data showed while the Southern region was seeing the highest number of cases per 1000 people (particularly in Canterbury and Dunedin) and the seven-day rolling average remains steady overall, case numbers were “creeping up again” in Auckland.
13th May 2022 - Stuff.co.nz
North Korea reports first Covid-19 death due to Omicron variant
North Korea said on Friday that six people have died and 350,000 have been treated since April for an “obscure febrile disease”, a day after the isolated country confirmed the presence of coronavirus within its borders for the first time. State news agency KCNA reported that 18,000 people had been identified on Thursday as having “a fever whose cause couldn’t be identified” and 187,800 were in quarantine. Authorities said one of the dead was infected with Covid-19, adding that the person had contracted the highly transmissible BA.2 Omicron coronavirus sub-variant.
13th May 2022 - Financial Times
China reports 2532 new COVID cases on May 12 vs 1917 a day earlier
Mainland China reported 2,532 new coronavirus cases on May 12, of which 331 were symptomatic and 2,201 were asymptomatic, the National Health Commission said on Friday. That compares with 1,917 new cases a day earlier, consisting of 237 symptomatic and 1,680 asymptomatic infections, which China counts separately. There were two new deaths, bringing the death toll to 5,205. As of May 12, mainland China had confirmed 221,289 coronavirus cases.
13th May 2022 - Reuters
England's COVID prevalence falls again - ONS survey
The prevalence of COVID-19 infections in England fell to 1 in 45 people in the week ending May 7, the Office for National Statistics' Infection Survey said, down from an estimated 1 in 35 people who had the infection the previous week.
13th May 2022 - Reuters
North Korea reports first COVID-19 death as fever spreads 'explosively'
At least one person confirmed to have COVID-19 has died in North Korea and hundreds of thousands have shown fever symptoms, state media said on Friday, offering hints at the potentially dire scale of country's first confirmed outbreak of the pandemic.
13th May 2022 - Reuters
Shanghai reports 1869 new local asymptomatic COVID-19 cases for May 12
The Chinese financial hub of Shanghai reported 1,869 new local asymptomatic coronavirus cases for May 12, up from 1,305 a day earlier, the city's health authority said on Friday.
13th May 2022 - Reuters
South Africa's COVID-19 spike intensifies
At a briefing, WHO officials said Africa's cases have risen for a third straight week, with 87% of the cases from Southern Africa. Also, neighboring Eswatini and Namibia have reported case rises of 50% over the past 2 weeks, compared to the previous 2 weeks. In South Africa, the hot spot, cases have quadrupled over the past 3 weeks. Hospitalizations are still low, but in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal provinces, hospitalizations and deaths have jumped 90% to 100% in the past 2 weeks. Abdou Salam Gueye, MD, MPH, the regional office's emergency preparedness director, said, "This uptick in cases is an early warning sign which we are closely monitoring. Now is the time for countries to step up preparedness and ensure that they can mount an effective response in the event of a fresh pandemic wave." Officials warned that Africa's last four waves occurred around the middle and end of the year, coinciding with winter seasons and high population movements over the holidays. Gueye said major pushes are needed to ensure that everyone completes their primary vaccine series and that people in high-risk groups get their booster doses.
12th May 2022 - CIDRAP
Latest BC COVID-19 data appears to show a rise in ICU patients
Another 59 people died in B.C. last week after testing positive for COVID-19, while the number of patients in intensive care with the disease appears to have surged, according to the province's latest reports on the pandemic. As of Thursday, 596 people are in hospital with the novel coronavirus, including 54 in intensive care, according to the B.C. COVID-19 dashboard. That would represent an increase of eight per cent in overall hospitalizations from the numbers last Thursday, when the province reported 550 people in hospital. The number of patients in ICU is up 38 per cent from 39 a week ago. But all of the figures released by the province are preliminary, and making comparisons from week to week has become difficult.
12th May 2022 - CBC.ca
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 13th May 2022
View this newsletter in fullBiden marks one million U.S. COVID deaths after losing political battles
President Joe Biden on Thursday commemorated the COVID-19 deaths of 1 million people in the United States, marking what he called "a tragic milestone" and urging Americans to "remain vigilant" during the ongoing pandemic.
13th May 2022 - Reuters
North Korean state media confirms first Covid death
Six people have died amid an “explosive” spread of fever, North Korean state media has announced, a day after it admitted for the first time ever that an outbreak of Covid had occurred. There were 187,800 people being treated in isolation after a fever of unidentified origin spread in the country since late April, the official KCNA news agency reported. Around 350,000 people had shown signs of that fever with 162,200 of them treated so far. At least six people who showed fever symptoms died, with one of those cases confirmed to have contracted the Omicron variant of the virus, KCNA said. The North Korean ruler, Kim Jong-un, visited the anti-virus command centre on Tuesday, a day after declaring the “gravest state emergency” and ordering a national lockdown.
13th May 2022 - The Guardian
N.Korea reports first COVID-19 death after 350000 sickened with fever
At least one person confirmed to have COVID-19 has died in North Korea and hundreds of thousands have shown fever symptoms, state media said on Friday, offering hints at the potentially dire scale of country's first confirmed outbreak of the pandemic. About 187,800 people are being treated in isolation after a fever of unidentified origin has "explosively spread nationwide" since late April, the official KCNA news agency reported.
13th May 2022 - Reuters
COVID-19: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un wears face mask for the first time amid outbreak
North Korea has imposed a nationwide lockdown to control a COVID-19 outbreak after holding for more than two years to a widely doubted claim of a perfect record in keeping out the virus that has spread to nearly every place in the world.
12th May 2022 - Sky News
Coronavirus: signs of ‘large cluster’ at Hong Kong’s Kennedy Town, university says in warning to staff and students
A “large Covid-19 cluster” could be developing in and around Kennedy Town, the University of Hong Kong’s medical school has warned, urging staff and students not to visit the area for lunch this week.
12th May 2022 - South China Morning Post
Number of Covid-19 hospital patients in England lowest since Christmas
The number of people with Covid-19 in hospital in England has fallen to its lowest level since last Christmas, new figures show. A total of 7,034 patients were in hospital as of 8am on May 11, down 21% week-on-week, according to NHS England. This is the lowest figure since December 21 2021, when it stood at 6,902. It was in late December that patient numbers started to rise sharply, driven by the spread of the original Omicron variant of coronavirus. They peaked at 17,120 on January 10 2022, then fell back – only to rise again due to the subsequent wave of infections caused by Omicron BA.2, hitting a slightly lower peak of 16,600 on April 7. Numbers have been dropping for the past month, with all regions of England now showing a steady decline. In south-east England, they have fallen to levels last seen in mid-October 2021. The trend reflects the large drop in the prevalence of the virus in recent weeks, as reported by the Office for National Statistics in its regular infection survey.
12th May 2022 - Wales Online
Analysis: COVID crisis could deepen N.Korea food shortages amid drought warnings
North Korea's coronavirus outbreak threatens to deepen its already dire food situation this year, as a nationwide lockdown would hamper ongoing anti-drought efforts and the mobilisation of labour, analysts said.
12th May 2022 - Reuters
S.Africa's new COVID cases cross 10000 for first time since January
South Africa's National Institute for Communicable Diseases on Wednesday reported 10,017 new COVID-19 cases, the first day since January the institute has reported more than 10,000 new infections.
12th May 2022 - Reuters
Omicron sub-variants driving Africa's COVID surge - WHO
Sub-variants of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 and a relaxation of public health measures are driving a current surge in infections in southern Africa, a senior official from the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday.
12th May 2022 - Reuters
COVID claims 1 million US lives
The United States has now recorded more than 1 million COVID-19 deaths, according to a Reuters tally, crossing a once-unthinkable milestone about two years after the first cases upended everyday life and quickly transformed it.
12th May 2022 - Reuters
Shanghai reports 1305 new asymptomatic COVID cases, 144 symptomatic cases for May 11
The Chinese financial hub of Shanghai reported 1,305 new local asymptomatic coronavirus cases for May 11, up from 1,259 a day earlier, the city's health authority said on Thursday.
12th May 2022 - Reuters
North Korea admits to Covid outbreak for first time and declares ‘severe national emergency’
North Korea has declared a “severe national emergency” after confirming its first outbreak of Covid-19, prompting its leader, Kim Jong-un, to vow to quickly eliminate the virus. State media reported on Thursday that a sub-variant of the highly transmissible Omicron virus, known as BA.2, had been detected in the capital, Pyongyang. “There has been the biggest emergency incident in the country, with a hole in our emergency quarantine front, that has been kept safely over the past two years and three months since February 2020,” the official KCNA news agency said.
12th May 2022 - The Guardian
WHO: COVID-19 falling everywhere, except Americas and Africa
The number of new coronavirus cases reported worldwide has continued to fall except in the Americas and Africa, the World Health Organization said in its latest assessment of the pandemic. The decline comes as Europe marked a COVID-19 death milestone: 2 million on the continent. In its weekly pandemic report released late Tuesday, the U.N. health agency said about 3.5 million new cases and more than 25,000 deaths were reported globally, which respectively represent decreases of 12% and 25%.
12th May 2022 - The Associated Press
Shanghai hunts down COVID cases, Beijing curbs taxi services
Beijing denied it was heading for lockdown as panic buying gripped the capital on Thursday, while Shanghai combed the city for lingering COVID-19 cases in the hope of clearing the way to escape from weeks of painful restrictions.
12th May 2022 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 12th May 2022
View this newsletter in fullSome with positive rapid test results to be counted as COVID-19 cases
The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) on Wednesday released more details on a new policy that will allow certain individuals in Taiwan who receive a positive result from a COVID-19 rapid antigen test to be counted as a confirmed case without having to undergo a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test. Previously, all individuals in Taiwan were only listed as a COVID-19 case after a positive PCR test result. The new policy, which will be launched Thursday, applies only to people who are following the "3+4" isolation protocol for close contacts of people who test positive for COVID-19, as well as travelers who are in quarantine after arriving in Taiwan, the CECC said.
11th May 2022 - Focus Taiwan News Channel
Growing share of Covid-19 deaths are among vaccinated people, but booster shots substantially lower the risk
Since Covid-19 vaccines became widely available, there has been a wide gap in deaths between the vaccinated and unvaccinated. But recent Covid deaths are much more evenly split as highly transmissible variants take hold, vaccine protection wanes and booster uptake stagnates. Breakthrough infections have become more common in recent months, putting vulnerable populations at increased risk of severe disease or death as more and more transmissible variants continue to spread. This seems to be especially true for seniors in the United States, who were among the first to get their initial vaccine series.
In the second half of September -- the height of the Delta wave -- less than a quarter of all Covid-19 deaths were among vaccinated people, federal data shows. But in January and February, amid the Omicron surge, more than 40% of Covid-19 deaths were among vaccinated people
11th May 2022 - CNN
China reports 1927 new COVID cases on May 10 vs 3475 a day earlier
China reported 1,927 new coronavirus cases on May 10, of which 324 were symptomatic and 1,603 were asymptomatic, the National Health Commission said on Wednesday. That compares with 3,475 new cases a day earlier, consisting of 357 symptomatic and 3,118 asymptomatic infections, which China counts separately. There were seven new deaths, bringing the death toll to 5,198. As of May 10, mainland China had confirmed 220,721 coronavirus cases.
11th May 2022 - Reuters
WHO: Subvariants fueling COVID rises in more than 50 countries
At a briefing today, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, PhD, the WHO's director-general, said the Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants are driving South Africa's surge, with the BA.2 subvariant dominant across the world and COVID-19 cases rising in more than 50 nations. Relatively high population immunity from vaccination or previous infection are so far keeping hospitalizations and deaths at a lower levels than previous surges. "But this is not guaranteed for places where vaccination coverage is low." He said South African scientists are pushing more vaccination to blunt the impact of the next pandemic wave. Along with saving lives and protecting health systems, immunization has the potential to minimize long COVID, which can be devastating for individuals, communities, and economies, Tedros added.
10th May 2022 - CIDRAP
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 11th May 2022
View this newsletter in fullPakistan reports first case of Covid-19 Omicron sub-variant BA.2.12.1
Pakistan on Monday reported the first case of COVID-19 Omicron sub-variant BA.2.12.1. This new sub-variant is causing an increasing number of cases in different countries, said the National Institute of Health (NIH) in a statement, reported ARY News. "NIH has detected the first case of Omicron sub-variant BA.2.12.1. This new sub-variant is causing increasing number of cases in different countries," tweeted the health body. It advised people to take the best preventive measure to avoid contracting the virus, which is vaccination against it, reported ARY News.
10th May 2022 - Business Standard
Ontario reports 1,555 COVID-19 hospitalizations, 19 more deaths
Ontario reported 1,555 people in hospital with COVID-19 on Tuesday, as well as 19 more deaths linked to the virus. Today's reported hospitalizations mark a slight jump from Monday, when 1,213 patients were in hospital with COVID-19 — though it's important to note that not all hospitals report those figures on weekends, which would affect Monday's number. Of those hospitalized, 188 are in intensive care, with 78 requiring a ventilator to breathe. Both of those figures mark a drop from Monday, when 201 patients were in ICU, of which 87 were on ventilators.
10th May 2022 - CBC.ca
Portugal records most new COVID-19 cases in EU
Portugal recorded the highest number of daily new COVID-19 cases per million inhabitants in the last seven days compared to other EU countries, according to the statistical website Our World in Data. With a daily average of 1,150 new cases per million inhabitants, Portugal is ahead of Germany (826), Finland (766), Luxembourg (743) and Italy (696). The daily average in the EU is 447 new daily cases, while the world average is 64.
10th May 2022 - Euractiv
Shanghai reports 6 new COVID-related deaths for May 9
The Chinese financial and commercial centre of Shanghai reported six new COVID 19-related deaths on May 9, down from 11 a day earlier, the city's health authority said on Tuesday. Shanghai reported 2,780 new local asymptomatic coronavirus cases on May 9, down from 3,625 a day earlier. Confirmed symptomatic cases also fell to 234, from 322 the previous day. The city is battling China's biggest coronavirus outbreak, with most of the city's 25 million residents under some form of lockdown.
10th May 2022 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 10th May 2022
View this newsletter in fullThe CDC is investigating a Covid-19 outbreak on board a Carnival cruise ship
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating a recent Covid-19 outbreak on a Carnival cruise ship that docked in Seattle after a two-week voyage.
The Carnival Spirit, which sailed through the Panama Canal, departed Miami on April 17 and arrived in Seattle on May 3, according to a statement from the cruise line. The ship holds 2,124 guests and 930 crew members, Carnival said. The CDC says it's not permitted to publicly share the number of passengers and crew members who quarantined or tested positive. But the ship is labeled as orange status per the agency's cruise ship Covid-19 threshold, indicating that 0.3% or more of total passengers and or crew members tested positive, according to CDC's guidelines.
9th May 2022 - CNN
Taiwan reports 40304 new COVID-19 cases, 12 deaths
Taiwan's single-day COVID-19 cases exceeded 40,000 for the third consecutive day on Monday, with 40,304 new cases and 12 deaths from the disease, according to the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC). The new cases consisted of 40,263 domestically transmitted infections and 41 cases that were contracted abroad, the CECC said at their daily press conference.
9th May 2022 - Focus Taiwan News Channel
BA.5 arrives: Aotearoa's Covid-19 case numbers will rise - expert
Epidemiologist Michael Baker is predicting New Zealand's Covid-19 case numbers will rise again over the coming months - resulting in increased hospitalisations and deaths. Baker said he was not surprised at confirmation that the BA.5 variant had entered Aotearoa, and expected it has already spread into the community. On 1 May, the BA.4 was earlier confirmed to have reached New Zealand. Baker said new variants were among several factors that would force Covid-19 numbers upwards this winter.
9th May 2022 - RNZ
8-month-old baby becomes Taiwan's youngest severe COVID-19 case
An 8-month-old infant has become the youngest person in Taiwan to develop a severe COVID-19 infection after being reported as one of Monday's severe domestic COVID-19 cases by the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC). The baby girl, who has no underlying conditions and is unvaccinated against COVID-19, developed a fever of up to 39 degrees Celsius on May 4 and her parents sought medical attention at a hospital emergency room, said Taiwan Centers for Disease Control Deputy Director-General Lo Yi-chun
9th May 2022 - Focus Taiwan News Channel
Covid-19 Cases Rise in Parts of U.S. With High Vaccination Rates
Some of the places that have avoided the worst of the Covid-19 pandemic, including Puerto Rico and Northern New England states, are coping with elevated cases and hospitalizations as the latest highly contagious iterations of the virus circulate. Most counties in Vermont, as well as a growing number in Maine and southern New England, now have community Covid-19 levels categorized as “high” by the CDC based on case and hospitalization trends. Puerto Rico recently has had the highest rate of newly reported Covid-19 cases in the U.S., along with climbing hospitalizations. Some of these places, including Puerto Rico and Vermont, have below-average rates of prior infections, recent CDC data show. Epidemiologists and health officials believe immunity from vaccines and heavy exposure to the virus at the national level may be limiting severe illness from the latest subvariants. The New England region and Puerto Rico have among the highest vaccination rates in the U.S.
9th May 2022 - The Wall Street Journal
Covid-19 Cases, Hospitalizations Rise in New England and Puerto Rico
Some of the places that have avoided the worst of the Covid-19 pandemic, including Puerto Rico and Northern New England states, are coping with elevated cases and hospitalizations as the latest highly contagious iterations of the virus circulate. Most counties in Vermont, as well as a growing number in Maine and southern New England, now have community Covid-19 levels categorized as “high” by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention based on case and hospitalization trends. Puerto Rico recently has had the highest rate of newly reported Covid-19 cases in the U.S., along with climbing hospitalizations. Some of these places, including Puerto Rico and Vermont, have below-average rates of prior infections, recent CDC data show.
9th May 2022 - The Wall Street Journal
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 9th May 2022
View this newsletter in fullNew York Governor Hochul Tested Positive for Covid -19
New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced in a tweet Sunday afternoon that she had tested positive for Covid-19. Governor Hochul says she is vaccinated and boosted against the virus, and is feeling asymptomatic. Due to the positive test result, she will isolate and work remotely this week.
9th May 2022 - Bloomberg
New Zealand's Ardern Isolating After Partner Tests Positive
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is isolating after partner Clarke Gayford tested positive for Covid-19. Ardern and daughter Neve are both fine but will quarantine at home for seven days, as required under current government guidelines for close contacts, Ardern said in a Facebook post Sunday in Wellington. Gayford is “definitely crook, but he’s doing okay,” she told Radio New Zealand on Monday. “We’re having the same experience that many New Zealanders have had over the course of the past three months,” she said. “Juggling a few things but doing just fine thanks.”
8th May 2022 - Bloomberg
Turkey reports 1,480 new coronavirus cases, 9 more deaths
Turkey's confirmed cases of the coronavirus increased by 1,480 in the past 24 hours, and 9 more people have died, the Health Ministry announced on May 8. The ministry’s infographic said that some 1,526 patients recovered in the last 24 hours.
It also added that 98,758 tests were conducted over the past day. The infographic also showed that Turkey has so far administered over 147.5 million doses since it launched a mass vaccination campaign in January, 2021. More than 57.8 million people have received their first doses, while over 53 million have been fully vaccinated.
8th May 2022 - Hurriyet Daily News
Potential Covid surge in fall and winter could lead to 100m infections, officials warn
A Biden administration official warned Friday that there could be 100m Covid-19 infections this fall and winter, potentially spurring a surge in hospitalizations and deaths. The White House is preparing backup plans for providing vaccines to US residents if lawmakers refuse to provide more funds for coronavirus response efforts, the New York Times reported.
8th May 2022 - The Guardian
Coronavirus: 3,195 new cases, 23 deaths
Greek health authorities announced 3,195 new coronavirus cases, along with 23 deaths, for the 24-hour period ending 9 a.m. Sunday. Cases declined significantly from the 4,698 announced a day earlier, but this may well be due to fewer tests being administered over the weekend. Deaths did rise, from 19 a day ago. There are also 204 patients on ventilators, down from 210 Saturday and 238 last Sunday.
Since the start of the pandemic, there have been 3,361,779 confirmed coronavirus cases, of which an estimated 125,954, or 3.6%, are reinfections, along with 29,392 fatalities, 217 of them over the past week.
8th May 2022 - Kathimerini
Pakistan reports 46 fresh Coronavirus cases and three more deaths
Pakistan reported a total of 46 new COVID-19 cases and three deaths on Saturday, the country's ministry of health said on Sunday. This comes amid World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that suggest that the actual number of COVID-19 deaths in Pakistan was eight times the figure reported by the government. The tally of infected people increased to 1,528,736 after adding the new cases, according to the data released by the ministry, as per Xinhua. The overall death toll rose to 30,375 after three more deaths were recorded on Saturday, according to the ministry's statistics.
8th May 2022 - Business Standard
Coronavirus: UAE records 225 new cases
The UAE recorded 225 new Covid-19 cases on Sunday, taking the overall tally of infections to 900,251. Another 253 people overcame the virus as total recoveries climbed to 884,228. The latest cases were confirmed after 195,790 additional PCR tests were conducted over the past 24 hours. No Covid-related deaths have been reported since March 7 and the toll remains at 2,302.
8th May 2022 - The National
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 6th May 2022
View this newsletter in fullVictoria passes 3,000 COVID-19 deaths as families remember those they've lost during the pandemic
Victoria is the first Australia jurisdiction to pass 3,000 COVID deaths. Australia's death rate for COVID is one of the lowest in the world at 0.12 per cent. An estimated 30,000 Victorians have been affected by a COVID death to date
5th May 2022 - ABC News
Subvariants fuel COVID-19 rises in Africa and the Americas
Cases declined for a sixth week in a row, and deaths are at the lowest level since March 2020. Though the trends are welcome, they don't tell the whole story, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, PhD, director-general of the WHO, said today at a briefing. He said Omicron subvariants are driving increases in Africa and the Americas. In Africa, cases were up 31% compared to the week before, and in the Americas, case rose 13%. In Africa, 12 countries last week saw cases rise by more than 20%, but most of the new infections were reported by South Africa, which saw a 67% increase compared with the previous week. Last week, the country's health officials said the country was experiencing rising proportions of BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants, and they warned that a fifth surge could be under way.
5th May 2022 - CIDRAP
COVID-19: Deaths involving coronavirus rise for sixth successive week in England and Wales, ONS says
Deaths involving COVID in England and Wales have risen for the sixth successive week, figures show. A total of 1,042 deaths registered in the seven days to 22 April mentioned COVID-19 on the death certificate, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Deaths also increased by 4% in the previous week. The latest figures would likely have been higher as they were affected by Good Friday on 15 April and bank holiday Monday on 18 April, when very few deaths were registered.
The continuing rise comes despite the latest figures covering a period that includes the Easter Monday bank holiday, when most register offices were closed.
5th May 2022 - Sky News
India's Covid-19 toll highest in the world - WHO
Article reports that more than 4.7 million people in India - nearly 10 times higher than official records suggest - are thought to have died because of Covid-19, according to a new World Health Organization (WHO) report. India's government has rejected the figure, saying the methodology is flawed. Will we ever know how many Indians died in the pandemic? In November 2020, researchers at the World Mortality Dataset - a global repository that provides updated data on deaths from all causes - asked authorities in India to provide information. "These are not available," India's main statistical office told the researchers, according to Ariel Karlinsky, a scientist who co-created the dataset and is a member of an advisory group set up by the the WHO for its estimates of excess deaths caused by Covid globally during 2020 and 2021.
5th May 2022 - BBC News
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 5th May 2022
View this newsletter in fullCOVID Americas cases up, N. American cases up for 5th week -PAHO
COVID-19 cases in the Americas increased by 12.7% last week from the prior week, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) said on Wednesday, as infections continued to rise in Central and North America. The Americas reported more than 616,000 new cases last week, while the death toll was down by less than 1% in the same comparison to 4,200, the organization said. PAHO's director, Dr. Carissa F. Etienne, called for stronger measures to tackle the pandemic as cases and hospitalizations rise.
4th May 2022 - Reuters
Pakistan reports 39 new COVID-19 cases
Pakistan recorded 39 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, the country's ministry of health said on Wednesday. The tally of infected people increased to 1,528,603 across the country after adding the new cases, according to the data released by the ministry. A total of 30,372 people have died due to COVID-19 in Pakistan so far, with no death recorded on Tuesday. On Tuesday, 9,712 tests were conducted in Pakistan while the positivity rate stood at 0.40 percent. Currently there are 108 active cases who are in critical condition in the South Asian country.
4th May 2022 - China Internet Information Center
Iran reveals COVID-19 data for May 4
As many as 252 people have been infected with the coronavirus (COVID-19) in the past 24 hours in Iran, reads the statement of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education of Iran, Trend reports. In addition, 7 people have died from the coronavirus over the past day. At the same time, the condition of 1,024 people remains critical. So far, more than 51.3 million tests have been conducted in Iran for the diagnosis of coronavirus. In total, over 149 million doses of vaccines have been used in Iran so far. A total of 64.4 million doses have been used in the first stage, 57.6 million doses - in the second stage, and 27 million doses – in the third stage
4th May 2022 - Trend News Agency
Chinese Gen-Z carries on Long March spirit to fight COVID-19 epidemic
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Youth League of China (CYLC) and the Chinese youth today, mostly comprising of Gen-Z, are also making great contributions and sacrifices toward overcoming the serious challenge of their time - the COVID-19 epidemic. Since the coronavirus disease hit Wuhan in 2020, numerous Chinese young have proven themselves as fully capable and qualified of playing a key role in safeguarding the country and its people from the epidemic. These are just some of the stories received recounting how China's youth are so valiantly fighting against the epidemic.
4th May 2022 - Global Times
Factory in China tests North Korean workers for COVID after 20 show symptoms
Around 800 North Korean workers in the northeastern Chinese city of Dandong spent their May Day holiday getting tested for COVID-19 after about 20 of their coworkers began showing symptoms for the disease and were quarantined, sources in China told RFA. The North Korean women are employed by a clothing company in the city’s Zhenan district. They are among the 80,000 to 100,000 North Koreans dispatched to China’s three northeastern provinces to earn foreign currency for their cash-strapped government. Dandong has been locked down as part of China’s zero-COVID policy since last week. Workers would typically have off for May Day, an annual celebration of the fight for labor rights and an important holiday in communist countries. But workers were instead called into the factory for testing, a source in the city told RFA’s Korean Service on condition of anonymity for security reasons.
4th May 2022 - Radio Free Asia
Covid-19 now endemic in Hong Kong, expert says; city reports 313 new infections
Although infections continue to drop, completely eradicating virus is difficult, notes Professor David Hui from Chinese University. If Covid-19 is bound to persist in Hong Kong, what does that mean for city’s containment approach modelled on mainland China’s, they ask
4th May 2022 - South China Morning Post
Covid-19 update: 24 deaths and 8454 new community cases today
One of those deaths included a child under 10 years old and another young person between the age of 10 and 19. In a statement, the Ministry of Health said 481 people were in hospital, including 14 in ICU. The deaths include 12 people died over the past three days and an additional 12 people died since 5 March. Delays to reporting can be associated with people dying with Covid-19, rather than from Covid-19, and the virus being discovered only after they have died. The deaths take the total number of publicly-reported deaths with Covid-19 to 801 and the seven-day rolling average of reported deaths is 13. Nine people who died were from Auckland, four from Waikato, two from Bay of Plenty, one from Whanganui, one from MidCentral, two from the Greater Wellington region, three from Canterbury and two from Southern.
4th May 2022 - RNZ
Kids' COVID-19 cases rise in US as Shanghai eases restrictions
Globally, some of the stricter lockdown measures are easing in Shanghai, China's most populous city, with restrictions lessening in 5 of its 16 districts. Residents there have been in a tightly controlled lockdown for weeks as the country attempts to maintain a zero-COVID policy. Reuters reports that some residents were briefly allowed to leave their homes for walks and to buy groceries. Elsewhere in China, the city of Zhengzhou—population 12.5 million—was put on a week-long restriction, and Beijing officials announced they will keep schools closed another week after the Labor Day (May Day) holiday ends tomorrow. Visitors to that city will also be required to show a negative COVID-19 test taken within 48 hours of arrival.
4th May 2022 - CIDRAP
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 4th May 2022
View this newsletter in fullWhat might rising Covid cases in South Africa mean for the UK?
Dr Nicole Wolter of South Africa’s National Institute for Communicable Diseases, said the wave was possibly due to BA.4 and BA.5 having mutations in the spike protein, meaning the virus might be able to dodge the body’s immunity to some degree, as well as waning immunity from previous waves. “In addition, we have had a relaxing of restrictions, as well as moving into winter and therefore experiencing colder temperatures,” she said.
3rd May 2022 - The Guardian
Covid-19 update: 20 deaths, 9109 new community cases
In a statement, the Ministy of Health said 481 people were in hospital, including 10 in ICU. The deaths reported today included people who have died over the previous eight days. These deaths take the total number of publicly reported deaths with Covid-19 to 777 and the seven-day rolling average of reported deaths is 13. Of the people whose deaths we are reporting today; one person was from Northland, one from Auckland, two from Waikato, two from Bay of Plenty, four from Tairawhiti, four from the Greater Wellington region, five from Canterbury and one from Southern. One person was in their 50s; three in their 60s; three in their 70s; eight in their 80s and five were aged over 90.
3rd May 2022 - RNZ
China's COVID-19 battle continues in 2 key hot spots
With Shanghai's lockdown in effect for about a month, cases are slowly declining, but health officials are alarmed about more infections reported outside of quarantine facilities. Meanwhile, cases are still rising in Beijing, where health officials continue to tighten measures. Meanwhile, in the United States, cases continue to grow, especially in the Northeast, though the level of hospitalizations and deaths are still low.
3rd May 2022 - CIDRAP
Big fall in Wirral’s Covid-19 numbers as pressure on hospitals eases
The number of people in Wirral’s hospitals with Covid-19 has fallen massively, with cases also down. In March, the picture looked worrying. At the start of the month the borough had just 15 patients, but by early April around 100 people were being treated for the virus in Wirral’s hospitals. In recent weeks, things have dramatically improved. On April 12, the borough had 98 covid patients, but on the most recent figures, for April 26, this had fallen to 58.
3rd May 2022 - Liverpool Echo
Beijing preps COVID-19 hospital spaces, though new cases low
Beijing is preparing new hospital facilities to deal with a spike in COVID-19 cases, even though the numbers of new cases remain low. State media reported Tuesday a 1,000-bed hospital at Xiaotangshan in the northeastern suburbs built for the 2003 SARS outbreak has been refurbished in case it's needed. Unofficial reports online say thousands of beds have been prepared in a centralized quarantine center near the airport, but state media has not confirmed those preparations in what could be an attempt to avoid stoking public fears. New cases in Beijing have remained steady, with another 62 recorded on Monday, 11 of them showing no symptoms, up just slightly from about 50 per day over the weekend. Beijing has reported about 450 cases in the two-week-old outbreak.
3rd May 2022 - The Independent
China reports 6074 new COVID cases on May 2, down from previous day
Mainland China reported 6,074 new COVID-19 cases on May 2, including 384 symptomatic cases and 5,690 asymptomatic infections, the National Health Commission said on Tuesday. That was down from 7,822 new cases a day earlier, of which 865 were symptomatic and 6,957 were asymptomatic. There were 20 new deaths, all in the financial hub of Shanghai, taking the toll to 5,112. Mainland China had 217,836 confirmed infections by May 2, authorities said.
3rd May 2022 - Reuters
Shanghai reports COVID cases outside lockdown areas
Article reports that China's commercial capital of Shanghai was dealt a blow on Monday (May 2) as authorities reported 58 new COVID-19 cases outside areas under lockdown, in a setback following news that no cases had been confirmed outside areas under lockdown for two days at the weekend
3rd May 2022 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 3rd May 2022
View this newsletter in fullBeijing reports 36 new symptomatic local COVID cases for May 1
China's capital of Beijing reported 36 new symptomatic COVID-19 cases for May 1, down from 53 cases a day earlier, Xinhua news agency said on Monday. The city also recorded five asymptomatic cases for May 1, versus six a day earlier, it said.
2nd May 2022 - Reuters
Shanghai marks COVID milestone, Beijing on edge
Shanghai said on Saturday it had detected no new daily COVID-19 cases outside quarantine areas, marking a milestone in its battle to contain the virus, which has paralysed the city of 25 million and put residents in the capital Beijing on edge. Streets in Beijing were eerily quiet at the start of a five-day Labour Day break, with residents anxious that authorities would impose further restrictions during a holiday when many typically travel or socialise.
1st May 2022 - Reuters
Six Shanghai districts reach 'zero-COVID' status
China's financial hub of Shanghai has reined in COVID transmission risks at the community level, excluding cases in quarantine centres, with six of its 16 districts attaining zero-COVID status, an official said on Sunday. This status is achieved when a district has three consecutive days with no new daily increases in infections, city government official Gu Honghui told a news conference. Public transport will be allowed to resume in five of the six districts, a city health official added, but did not say when.
1st May 2022 - Reuters
China’s Manufacturing Activity Contracted Further in April
Readings of Chinese factory and service-sector activity worsened dramatically in April, falling to their lowest levels since the early days of the Covid-19 outbreak, as recent lockdowns in dozens of cities across the country shut factories and pummeled consumer spending. China’s National Bureau of Statistics said Saturday that its official manufacturing purchasing managers index dropped to 47.4 in April, from 49.5 in March, falling to its lowest level since February 2020. The result fell short of the median forecast of 48.0 among economists polled by The Wall Street Journal, and well below the 50 mark that separates expansion from contraction.
The subindex of factory production plummeted to 44.4 in April from 48.8 in March, the statistics bureau said. The sharp decline came as factories reduced or halted production due to the spreading virus, said Zhao Qinghe, a senior official at the statistics bureau.
30th Apr 2022 - The Wall Street Journal
South Africa says it may be entering fifth COVID wave
South Africa may be entering a fifth COVID wave earlier than expected after a sustained rise in infections over the past 14 days that seems to be driven by the BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron sub-variants, health officials and scientists said on Friday.
The country that has recorded the most coronavirus cases and deaths on the African continent only exited a fourth wave around January and had predicted a fifth wave could start in May or June, early in the southern hemisphere winter.
30th Apr 2022 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 29th Apr 2022
View this newsletter in fullAfrica seeing uptick in COVID cases driven by S.Africa, WHO says
Africa is seeing an uptick in COVID-19 infections, largely driven by a doubling in cases reported in South Africa, the World Health Organization said on Thursday, urging people across the continent to continue to get vaccinated. Africa had been experiencing a lull in COVID cases, with the WHO earlier this month pointing to the longest-running decline in weekly infections on the continent since the start of the pandemic. But last week cases started to pick up in South Africa -- the country that has recorded the most infections and deaths in Africa to date -- and health authorities there are monitoring for signs of a fifth infection wave. "This week new COVID-19 cases and deaths on the continent increased for the first time after a decline of more than two months for cases and one month for deaths," Benido Impouma, director for communicable and non-communicable diseases at the WHO's Africa office, told an online news conference.
28th Apr 2022 - Reuters
Taiwan's daily COVID cases top 10000 for first time
Taiwan reported on Thursday that the daily number of confirmed domestic COVID-19 cases had topped 10,000 for the first time, in line with predictions, and the health minister said infections would continue to rise. Taiwan, population 23 million, has reported a spike in cases since the start of the year - 51,504 so far - after having previously well controlled the pandemic with tight border controls and tough quarantines. With a well-vaccinated population, more than 99% of those infected in the current wave are either asymptomatic or have not fallen seriously ill. Only seven people have died since Jan. 1.
28th Apr 2022 - Reuters
Taiwan faces largest COVID-19 outbreak yet
Taiwan, which had been living mostly free of COVID-19, is now facing its worst outbreak since the beginning of the pandemic with over 11,000 new cases reported Thursday. Cases have been on the upswing since late March. In April, the island’s central authorities announced that they would no longer maintain a “zero-COVID” policy like the Chinese government’s in which they would centrally quarantine positive cases. Instead, the government is asking people to quarantine at home if they test positive, unless they show moderate to severe symptoms. Chen Shih-chung, the island’s health minister, announced Thursday they had found 11,353 new cases, along with two deaths. During the daily press briefing held by the Central Epidemic Command Center, he said 99.7% of the cases in the current outbreak either had no symptoms or had mild symptoms.
28th Apr 2022 - The Associated Press
Global COVID deaths drop to lowest since early pandemic months
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, PhD, said cases and deaths continue to drop, with just over 15,000 deaths reported to the WHO last week, which he said is the lowest weekly total since March 2020. He said the welcome news comes with the caveat that countries are reducing their testing, and the WHO is receiving less information on transmission and evolution. "But this virus won't go away just because countries stop looking for it," Tedros said. "It's still spreading, it's still changing, and it's still killing." The threat of new variants is still very real, and scientists still don't understand the long-term consequences of infection, he said, repeating the WHO's call for countries to maintain their surveillance activities. In China, Beijing has completed its first round of mass testing, which targeted 20 million people and yielded 12 cases. Cases in the city have been slowly rising, prompting mass testing and fears that residents of the country's capital could face a lockdown, similar to Shanghai's—which has been in effect for about a month.
27th Apr 2022 - CIDRAP
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 28th Apr 2022
View this newsletter in fullItaly reports 29575 coronavirus cases on Tuesday, 146 deaths
Italy reported 29,575 COVID-19 related cases on Tuesday, against 24,878 the day before, the health ministry said, while the daily number of deaths rose to 146 from 93. Italy has registered 162,927 deaths linked to COVID-19 since its outbreak emerged in February 2020, the second-highest toll in Europe after Britain and the eighth highest in the world. The country has reported 16.2 million cases to date.
Patients in hospital with COVID-19 - not including those in intensive care - stood at 10,328 on Tuesday, up from 10,050 a day earlier.
27th Apr 2022 - Reuters
China's capital in race to detect COVID cases, avoid Shanghai's distress
Millions of people in Beijing took their second COVID-19 tests of the week on Wednesday as the Chinese capital tried to keep an outbreak numbering in the dozens from spiralling into a crisis like the one the locked-down city of Shanghai is enduring. Evidence that Shanghai's month-long isolation has become almost unbearable for many of the city's 25 million people is emerging on an almost daily basis on the country's heavily censored internet.
27th Apr 2022 - Reuters
China Covid: Shanghai Cases Fall Fourth Day; Beijing Finds More Infections
Shanghai hinted at an easing of lockdown measures as coronavirus infections dropped to the lowest in three weeks, while the number of new cases in Beijing remained below 50, in a potential sign authorities are starting to bring the twin outbreaks under control. Cases in Shanghai fell for a fourth consecutive day to 13,562, though the city added another 48 fatalities. While the financial hub remains in an unprecedented lockdown that’s left much of the city’s 25 million residents confined to their homes for a month or more, an official signaled on Wednesday there may be some easing for certain areas.
27th Apr 2022 - Bloomberg
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 26th Apr 2022
View this newsletter in fullVietnam reports 7,417 new Covid-19 cases and confirms all are domestic cases on Monday (April 25)
Vietnam reported 7,417 new Covid-19 cases on Monday, down 1,395 from Sunday, according to its Ministry of Health. The new infections, recorded in 60 provinces and cities, were all domestically transmitted. The Vietnamese capital Hanoi remained the epidemic hotspot with 941 cases on Monday, followed by the northern provinces of Phu Tho with 493 and Quang Ninh with 411. Also on Monday, local health authorities of northern Vietnam's Bac Giang province reported 853 previously detected Covid-19 cases. The infections brought the total tally to 10,571,772 with 43,021 deaths.
25th Apr 2022 - The Star
Italy reports 56263 new coronavirus cases, 79 deaths
Italy reported 56,263 new COVID-19 related cases on Sunday, against 70,520 the day before, the health ministry said, while the daily number of deaths fell to 79 from 143. Italy has registered 162,688 deaths linked to COVID-19 since its outbreak emerged in February 2020, the second highest toll in Europe after Britain and the eighth highest in the world. The country has reported 16.1 million cases to date.
Patients in hospital with COVID-19 - not including those in intensive care - stood at 9,895 on Sunday, down from 9,914 a day earlier.
25th Apr 2022 - Reuters
Shanghai reports 51 COVID-related deaths for April 24, up from 39 a day earlier
Chinese financial hub Shanghai reported 51 new deaths among its COVID-19 patients on April 24, up from 39 the day before, the local government said on Monday. The city also recorded 16,983 new local asymptomatic coronavirus cases, down from 19,657 a day earlier. The number of confirmed symptomatic infections stood at 2,472, up from 1,401 the previous day. Shanghai is currently battling China's biggest-ever COVID-19 outbreak.
25th Apr 2022 - Reuters
Shanghai Reports Record Daily Covid Deaths in Current Outbreak
Shanghai reported its highest number of daily Covid-19 deaths in the current outbreak, as China continues to stick to its Covid Zero policy with strict lockdown measures imposed in the city. The city recorded 39 fatalities for Saturday, bringing its total number of virus-related deaths to 87 since late February, according to a report on Sunday by the Shanghai Health Commission. The average age of the people who died was 78.7 and all had underlying diseases, according to the report.
Shanghai logged 21,058 new local Covid infections, the vast majority of which were mild or asymptomatic cases, the commission said. The previous day, the city reported 23,370 new local cases and 12 deaths.
24th Apr 2022 - Bloomberg
Malaysia reports 4,006 new Covid-19 infections, eight new deaths
Malaysia reported 4,006 new COVID-19 infections as of midnight Sunday, bringing the national total to 4,431,073, according to the health ministry. There are seven new imported cases and 3,999 local transmissions, data released on the ministry's website showed. A further eight deaths have been reported, bringing the death toll to 35,499. The ministry reported 10,223 new recoveries, bringing the total number
23rd Apr 2022 - Business Standard
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 25th Apr 2022
View this newsletter in fullShanghai reports 39 new COVID-related deaths on April 23
The Chinese financial hub of Shanghai reported 39 new deaths among its COVID-19 patients on April 23, up from 12 the day before, the local government said on Sunday. The city also recorded 19,657 new local asymptomatic coronavirus cases, down from 20,634 a day earlier. The number of confirmed symptomatic infections stood at 1,401, also down from 2,736 the previous day. Shanghai is currently battling China's biggest-ever COVID-19 outbreak.
24th Apr 2022 - Reuters
Shanghai Reports 39 New COVID-related Deaths on April 23
The Chinese financial hub of Shanghai reported 39 new deaths among its COVID-19 patients on April 23, up from 12 the day before, the local government said on Sunday. The city also recorded 19,657 new local asymptomatic coronavirus cases, down from 20,634 a day earlier. The number of confirmed symptomatic infections stood at 1,401, also down from 2,736 the previous day. Shanghai is currently battling China's biggest-ever COVID-19 outbreak.
24th Apr 2022 - Reuters
20,052 new Covid cases, 129 more deaths
The country registered 20,052 more Covid-19 cases and 129 new fatalities during the previous 24 hours, the Public Health Ministry announced on Saturday morning.
Friday’s figures did not include 19,936 positive results from antigen tests over the past 24 hours. This would raise the total to 39,988. This compared with 21,808 new cases and 128 coronavirus-related fatalities reported on Friday morning. As of Friday, a total of 188,342 people received Covid-19 treatment, including 45,847 in hospitals (down from 49,711 the previous day). The remainder were in hospitel facilities or in home/community isolation, according to the daily update posted by the Department of Disease Control.
23rd Apr 2022 - Bangkok Post
Shanghai Covid Cases Bounce Back as Strict Lockdown Persists
Shanghai reported higher Covid-19 cases and deaths on Friday, following five straight daily declines, as the city vows to step up lockdown enforcement to stamp out community spread in China’s worst virus outbreak. There were 23,370 new local infections reported in the financial hub Friday, compared with 17,629 cases the day before, the Shanghai Health Commission said Saturday morning. The city is entering its fourth week of strict lockdown since April 1, while people living in the eastern part or neighborhoods with earlier reported cases have been confined to their apartments for even longer. Frustration among residents has been building due to lack of access to food or medical care, moldy government rations, and the location of quarantine centers.
23rd Apr 2022 - Bloomberg
NZ has first case of Covid XE variant; two children under 9 among deaths
Two young children are among 19 deaths of people with Covid-19 announced today. New Zealand also has its first known case of the XE variant of Omicron, discovered in a traveller on April 20, a day after they arrived in New Zealand. It's the first known detection in New Zealand of the variant, a combination of the BA.1 and BA.2 sub variants of Omicron and for which early evidence indicates might be slightly more transmissible than BA.2, which itself is more transmissible than BA.1.
The variant was discovered through whole genome sequencing and the person was isolating at home, the Health Ministry said. XE had been spreading overseas and its arrival here wasn't unexpected. "At this stage, the public health settings already in place to manage other Omicron variants are assessed to be appropriate for managing XE and no changes are required. "There is no evidence to date that XE causes more severe disease than other Omicron lineages, noting that it takes weeks or months to identify the severity of each new variant."
22nd Apr 2022 - New Zealand Herald
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 22nd Apr 2022
View this newsletter in fullCOVID cases down in the Americas even as North America faces increase -PAHO
COVID-19 cases and deaths are declining in the Americas, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) said on Wednesday, with infections last week having dropped 2.3% and deaths falling 15.2% from the prior week. The broad trend comes even as cases have scaled up in North America with an 11.2% increase last week, the organization said, noting that in Canada hospitalizations rose by more than 20% as the proportion of Omicron BA.2 cases grew. As borders have re-opened and tourism has ramped up, cases have also surged in some Caribbean countries and territories, with Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Barbados and Saint Martin having recorded the largest relative increases.
21st Apr 2022 - Reuters
Italy reports 99848 coronavirus cases on Wednesday, 205 deaths
Italy reported 99,848 COVID-19 related cases on Wednesday, against 27,214 the day before, the health ministry said, while the daily number of deaths rose to 205 from 127. Italy has registered 162,098 deaths linked to COVID-19 since its outbreak emerged in February 2020, the second-highest toll in Europe after Britain and the eighth highest in the world. The country has reported 15.86 million cases to date. Patients in hospital with COVID-19 - not including those in intensive care - stood at 10,207 on Wednesday, down from 10,214 a day earlier. There were 44 new admissions to intensive care units, up from 38 on Tuesday. The total number of intensive care patients stood at 413, decreasing from a previous 422.
21st Apr 2022 - Reuters
WHO says global COVID cases, deaths declined again last week
The World Health Organization says that the number of reported new COVID-19 cases worldwide decreased by nearly a quarter last week, continuing a decline since the end of March. The Geneva-based U.N. health agency said in a weekly report that nearly 5.59 million cases were reported between April 11 and 17, 24% fewer than in the previous week. The number of newly reported deaths dropped 21% to 18,215. WHO said new cases declined in every region, though only by 2% in the Americas. The report was dated late Wednesday and sent to journalists on Thursday. The agency said that “these trends should be interpreted with caution as several countries are progressively changing their COVID-19 testing strategies, resulting in lower overall numbers of tests performed and consequently lower numbers of cases detected.”
21st Apr 2022 - The Associated Press
Surprisingly low Shanghai COVID death count spurs questions
Lu Muying died on April 1 in a government quarantine facility in Shanghai, with her family on the phone as doctors tried to resuscitate her. She had tested positive for COVID-19 in late March and was moved there in line with government policy that all coronavirus cases be centrally isolated. But the 99-year-old, who was just two weeks shy of her 100th birthday, was not counted as a COVID-19 death in Shanghai’s official tally. In fact, the city of more than 25 million has only reported 25 coronavirus deaths despite an outbreak that has spanned nearly two months and infected hundreds of thousands of people in the world’s third-largest city. Lu’s death underscores how the true extent of the virus toll in Shanghai has been obscured by Chinese authorities. Doctors told Lu’s relatives she died because COVID-19 exacerbated her underlying heart disease and high blood pressure, yet she still was not counted.
21st Apr 2022 - The Associated Press
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 21st Apr 2022
View this newsletter in fullDelhi makes masks mandatory again after COVID cases rise
New Delhi authorities on Wednesday made the wearing of masks compulsory again after COVID-19 infections rose in the Indian capital in recent days. "In view of the rise in COVID positive cases recently and as advised by the experts, it was decided to enhance testing, focus on vaccination coverage of targeted population and ensure strict enforcement of COVID appropriate behaviour," Delhi's Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal said on Twitter.
20th Apr 2022 - Reuters
Taiwan may see 10000 daily COVID cases by month-end
Taiwan may see domestic COVID-19 infections top 10,000 a day by the end of the month, Health Minister Chen Shih-chung said on Wednesday, calling on people to exercise caution and stick to wearing face masks. The island of 23 million people moved early to control the pandemic, adopting measures such as largely closing its borders and tracing contacts of those infected, but it has seen a rise in infections since the beginning of the year. The 13,164 domestic cases since Jan. 1 have been driven by the more infectious Omicron variant, though more than 99% have shown only mild symptoms or none at all.
20th Apr 2022 - Reuters
Shanghai hopes COVID tide turning, with fewer cases outside quarantine areas
China's commercial capital of Shanghai reported no new COVID-19 infections outside quarantine areas in two districts on Wednesday, fanning hopes that the tide is turning in its pandemic battle, as some factories began to return to work. State media trumpeted the resumption of production by electric car company Tesla Inc at its Shanghai plant, after a halt of more than three weeks. The U.S. carmaker was on a list of 666 firms the Chinese government said last week would get priority to reopen, or keep operations running, in Shanghai.
20th Apr 2022 - Reuters
Omicron BA.2 overall makes up more than 90% of COVID variants in U.S. - CDC
The BA.2 sub-variant of Omicron and its sublineage BA.2.12.1 is estimated to make up more than 90% of the coronavirus variants in the United States as of April 16, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Tuesday. Overall cases have dropped sharply nationally since hitting record levels in January, but COVID-19 infections have been on the rise during the last few weeks, particularly in Northeast states like New York, and Connecticut. A resurgence in COVID-19 cases in parts of Asia and Europe has raised concerns that another wave could follow in the U.S, as has been the case with previous surges during the pandemic
19th Apr 2022 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 20th Apr 2022
View this newsletter in fullTaiwan faces tough choices as COVID-19 cases hit record levels
Last Tuesday, Taiwan’s health minister said the island could see 1,000 local COVID-19 cases a day by the end of the month. It hit that level just three days later, and must now choose between living with the virus like New Zealand or sticking with elimination strategies like in Hong Kong. Local cases hit a new record of 1,390 on Monday and have averaged 1,176 over the past five days. The surge rattled many of the island’s 23 million people, which has seen just 854 COVID-19 deaths from local infection over the entire pandemic.
“The scale of the pandemic right now is very large,” Health Minister Chen Shih-chung said at a briefing Friday, adding Taiwan may one day see tens of thousands — or even millions — of cases. “The point is not about the case counts, but about whether we can prevent a disastrous impact.”
19th Apr 2022 - The Japan Times
COVID-19: Shanghai confirms seven coronavirus deaths of latest outbreak as strict lockdown continues
Seven people infected with coronavirus in Shanghai have died, the first new deaths during the city's current outbreak. The deaths come after roughly 26 million people were placed under extremely strict lockdown restrictions for several weeks. All of those who died are reported to have been elderly and with underlying health conditions. People are banned from leaving their homes and are relying on the government to deliver food, with small-scale protests breaking out as some people have been unable to get enough. Police in hazmat suits were seen dispersing people protesting against the city's harsh COVID rules last week.
19th Apr 2022 - Sky News
Taiwan sees first death of young child due to COVID-19
A two-year-old boy from New Taipei on Tuesday became the first child in Taiwan to die of COVID-19 since the pandemic began, which doctors attributed to the rapid deterioration of his condition after he developed symptoms. The hospital said in a statement that although it tried hard to save the boy, who tested positive for COVID-19 on April 14 and was admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) later the same day, he died of brain stem encephalitis, which resulted from septicemia triggered by the COVID-19 infection. The hospital said the boy was pronounced dead at 3:46 a.m. Tuesday with his parents by his side.
19th Apr 2022 - Focus Taiwan News Channel
COVID-19 tracker: Downward trend in Tokyo cases continues
Tokyo confirmed 5,583 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, falling by about 1,300 from the week before as a downward trend continued in the capital. The seven-day average of new cases in the capital came to 6,377.1 compared with 7,589.9 from a week before, as infections have been on a downtrend in the past several days. The number of severe cases under Tokyo’s standards remained the same as Monday at 15, while four new deaths linked to COVID-19 were reported Tuesday. On Monday, Japan confirmed 24,258 new cases, down by some 9,000 from a week before, while the number of very ill patients rose by three from Sunday to 222. New COVID-19 fatalities across the country totaled 27.
19th Apr 2022 - The Japan Times
India's COVID infections hit month-high, one state reports spike in deaths
India's tally of daily COVID-19 cases nearly doubled on Monday from the previous day to more than 2,000 for the first time in a month, government data showed, and the southern state of Kerala reported a big jump in deaths. India was at the centre of the global COVID crisis this time last year but the situation has improved since then and most precautions including the wearing of masks have recently been dropped. But cases have been creeping up in the country of 1.35 billion people in the past few days
19th Apr 2022 - Reuters
Shanghai records first official Covid deaths since lockdown imposed
Three Covid-19 fatalities have been reported in Shanghai, the first to be officially counted since the beginning of the city’s lockdown. The three people reported on Monday included two women aged 89 and 91, and a 91-year-old man, who also had underlying health conditions, and were reportedly unvaccinated. Shanghai municipal authorities said the three were admitted to hospital and became critically ill. They died on Sunday “after all efforts were made to rescue them”. As of 5 April, more than 92 million Chinese people over 65, including 20.2 million over the age of 80, were not fully vaccinated.
19th Apr 2022 - The Guardian
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 19th Apr 2022
View this newsletter in fullH.K. Reports 747 New Covid Cases as Infections Continue to Drop
The Chinese Communist Party’s flagship newspaper called on the nation to support President Xi Jinping’s Covid Zero strategy, showing any shift in policy is unlikely even as lockdowns in Shanghai and elsewhere threaten to hurt the economy. In a front-page commentary Monday, the People’s Daily said Xi’s strategy to snuff out the virus has proven “correct and effective” and China should be “uniting more closely around the party’s leadership with Xi Jinping as the core.” Citizens should follow the strategy “unswervingly and unrelentingly” with “earlier, faster, stricter and more practical” measures, it said. “At present, it is the most difficult critical period for epidemic prevention and control,” the People’s Daily commentary said. China can “never let the hard-earned achievements of epidemic prevention and control be wasted,” it added.
18th Apr 2022 - Bloomberg
Shanghai reports three deaths among COVID patients on April 17
The Chinese financial hub of Shanghai said three people infected with COVID-19 died on Sunday, the first time during the current outbreak that it reported deaths among coronavirus patients. The city reported 19,831 new daily asymptomatic COVID-19 cases on April 17, down from 21,582 on the previous day. New symptomatic cases stood at 2,417, down from 3,238. The city has conducted more than 200 million nucleic acid tests since March 10 in a bid to curb China's biggest COVID-19 outbreak since the coronavirus was first discovered in Wuhan in late 2019.
18th Apr 2022 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 14th Apr 2022
View this newsletter in fullCovid-19 cases trend up again in the US, driven by the growth of BA.2
According to the latest estimates from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, BA.2 caused 86% of new Covid-19 cases nationwide last week.
In some ways, this feels like a familiar place. Cases are going up again. At least one major city is reinstating its mask mandate. Broadway shows have canceled some performances. But there continue to be reasons for optimism. Despite BA.2's near-complete takeover from two other circulating Omicron subvariants, BA.1 and BA 1.1, US hospitalizations are at record low levels, and they continue to drop. Deaths also continue to fall.
13th Apr 2022 - CNN
Nearly 86% of U.S. COVID caused by BA.2 Omicron subvariant -CDC
The BA.2 Omicron subvariant of the coronavirus is now responsible for 86% of U.S. COVID-19 cases and more than 90% of infections in the Northeast, according to data on Tuesday from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
COVID-19 infections have been back on the rise during the last few weeks, particularly in Northeast states such as New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts, although overall cases have dropped sharply nationally since hitting record levels in January, according to data from the agency. A resurgence in COVID-19 cases in parts of Asia and Europe has raised concerns that another wave could follow in the United States, as has been the case with previous surges during the pandemic.
13th Apr 2022 - Reuters
Taiwan says it's at only early stage of COVID outbreak, cases will rise
Taiwan is in only the early stages of a COVID-19 outbreak and domestic cases will keep rising for the time being, its health minister said on Wednesday, as the island recorded its highest number of daily COVID infections since the pandemic began.
Unlike much of the rest of the world, Taiwan has kept the pandemic well under control with strict and early measures, including implementing an efficient contact-tracing system and largely closing borders. But local cases have been steadily rising since the start of this year, though the numbers are still relatively small at 4,932 discovered since January 1. Only 16 people have been classified as even moderately ill and just two have died. Taiwan's population is 23 million.
13th Apr 2022 - Reuters
Covid Cancellations Hit Broadway as BA.2 Variant Spreads
Covid is wreaking havoc on stage, again. Broadway’s “Plaza Suite” has extended its run to allow for ticket rescheduling after stars Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick both tested positive. It was put on pause through April 13. “Americano” will resume April 18 and has set a new opening night for May 1. Performances of “At The Wedding” will resume April 18, with “Paradise Square” returning April 19. “A Strange Loop” pushed its opening to April 14. And “Heartland” canceled all remaining performances after Covid spread throughout its company.
13th Apr 2022 - Bloomberg
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 13th Apr 2022
View this newsletter in fullNew Covid XJ variant which could evade vaccines spreading as more cases found
A number of cases of Omicron XJ - the newest variant - were detected in Finland at the end of March. Now a case has been identified in Italy, and validated by the Istituto Superiore di Sanit. At the same time a case has been detected in Thailand. The country's Medical Sciences Department has found the XJ genetic code in a delivery driver diagnosed with Covid in Bangkok. The man had been vaccinated. The department's director Supakit Kirilak said: "It is highly likely to be the XJ recombinant. He met many people due to the nature of his job. That made him vulnerable to infection." Supakit said the variant detected is definitely not the XE strain - which was first detected in the United Kingdom in January. As of 22 March 2022, there were 763 XE cases in the UK.
12th Apr 2022 - Manchester Evening News
U.S. Supreme Court to stop public access in April as COVID cases rise
The United States Supreme Court said on Monday it will stop allowing the public to attend courtroom sessions in person during the month of April as coronavirus cases rise in the District of Columbia. Despite infections remaining relatively flat nationwide, a number of high-profile political figures in Washington D.C. have tested positive for COVID-19 recently, including members of President Joe Biden's Cabinet and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
12th Apr 2022 - Reuters
Canada's Ontario in sixth COVID wave, hospitalizations likely to rise -official
Ontario is in the sixth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic driven by the highly transmissible BA.2 sub-variant of the Omicron coronavirus and hospitalizations are likely to rise over the coming weeks, the most populous Canadian province's top doctor said on Monday. "In the last few weeks we have seen an increase in the percent positivity and upward trend in wastewater surveillance and a rise in hospitalizations. These trends are likely to continue for the next several weeks," Ontario's chief medical officer Kieran Moore said at a briefing.
12th Apr 2022 - Reuters
French COVID-19 hospitalisations at a peak since early March
French health authorities said on Monday the number of patients hospitalised for COVID-19 over the past 24 hours jumped by 579 to 24,205, the highest level since March 1, as new cases are picking up again. On a week-on-week basis, daily COVID-19 infections have been rising again in the last three days after declining during the six previous days, prompting Health Minister Olivier Veran to say last week the current pandemic wave was past its peak. Most of the country's COVID-19 restrictions were lifted in early March.
12th Apr 2022 - Reuters
New Zealand business confidence worsens as COVID continues to impact
New Zealand business confidence and demand worsened in the first quarter of this year due to the ongoing damage the COVID-19 outbreak is having on the economy, a private think tank said on Tuesday. A net 40% of firms surveyed expected general business conditions to deteriorate compared with 28% pessimism in the previous quarter, the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research's (NZIER) quarterly survey of business opinion (QSBO) showed. On a seasonally adjusted basis, 33% expected business conditions to worsen, versus 35% pessimism recorded in the previous period. The survey's measure of capacity utilisation rose to 97.1%, from the previous quarter's 92.7%.
12th Apr 2022 - Reuters
Taiwan sees 1000 daily local COVID cases by end of month
Taiwan expects daily domestic COVID-19 infections to top 1,000 a day by the end of the month, Health Minister Chen Shih-chung said on Tuesday, calling on people not to panic about a wave that is causing few serious cases. Taiwan has been a model for how to control the pandemic. It moved early and effectively with such measures as largely closing its borders and implementing highly efficient contact tracing. But since the beginning of this year the island of 23 million people has recorded some 4,000 domestic infections, driven by the more infectious Omicron variant, though more than 99% of those have involved only minor symptoms or none at all.
12th Apr 2022 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 12th Apr 2022
View this newsletter in fullTaiwan reports 630 new COVID-19 cases, including 439 domestic
Taiwan reported 630 new COVID-19 cases on Monday -- 439 domestically transmitted and 191 that originated abroad -- and no new deaths from the disease, according to the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC). It marked the 11th consecutive day that new domestic infections exceeded 100 and the third straight day they went past 400. New Taipei had the highest number of new domestic cases, with 145, followed by Taipei with 100, and Keelung with 36. Kaohsiung reported 32 cases, Taoyuan 25, Hualien County 21, Yilan County 14, and Hsinchu County 12, while 10 each were reported in Hsinchu City and Pingtung County.
11th Apr 2022 - Focus Taiwan News Channel
More people in hospital with COVID-19 just days before mask mandates set to go
South Australia has recorded the highest number of COVID-related hospitalisations since February 1, just days out from the expected easing of mask rules. There are 236 people with COVID-19 in hospital – an increase of 14 since yesterday’s figures.
It is the highest figure since February 1, when 273 people were in hospital. Thirteen people are in intensive care, with two on ventilators. The number of new cases remained steady with 4,281 new infections reported and no deaths.
11th Apr 2022 - ABC News
COVID-19 infections switch from young to older people as hospital cases spike to record level
Tasmania's COVID-19 hospitalisation rate has reached its highest level since the pandemic began, with experts saying that is due to increasing numbers of older Tasmanians becoming infected. Monday's figures show that 56 COVID-positive patients are in hospital, with 27 being treated specifically for symptoms of the virus.
It's the highest number of COVID-related hospital admissions in the state since the pandemic began, eclipsing the previous high of 44 recorded last Tuesday. Royal Australian College of General Practitioners chairman Tim Jackson said younger adults had predominantly caught the virus soon after the December 15 border reopening, but that it had spread to older Tasmanians since the school year began.
11th Apr 2022 - ABC News
Covid-19 Cases Up 49% In NYC, Mayor Eric Adams Tests Positive
With the more transmissible BA.2 Omicron subvariant spreading, the lack of a truly proactive surveillance system, and many people being more lax about Covid-19 precautions, things can change in a New York minute. And now, surprise, surprise, New York City (NYC) is experiencing an uptick in Covid-19 cases. Over the past two weeks, the average number of new reported Covid-19 cases per day has gone up by 49% to 1,688, according to data from The New York Times. In fact, over that same time period, this number for all of New York state has increased by 61% to 4,238 with Covid-19-related hospitalizations edging up by 2%.
11th Apr 2022 - Forbes
Covid-19: Hospital and ambulance services struggle with huge demand and staff illness
Hospitals and ambulance services in England are facing “extreme pressures” and a high volume of staff absences, forcing some to declare critical incidents and others to warn of 12 hour waits for patients in hospital emergency departments. Portsmouth’s Queen Alexandra Hospital and South Central Ambulance Service both declared critical incidents on 6 April, with the hospital warning, “Our beds are full and our emergency department remains full with patients requiring admission . . . We are only able to treat patients with life threatening conditions and injuries.”1 The ambulance service reported a “large volume of calls being received throughout the day and into the night and increased challenges in releasing some of our ambulances from busy acute hospitals
11th Apr 2022 - The BMJ
Japan reports first case of COVID variant XE
The Japanese health ministry on Monday reported the country's first case of coronavirus variant XE, in a woman who arrived at a Narita airport from the United States on March 26.
11th Apr 2022 - Reuters
Italy reports 53253 coronavirus cases, 90 deaths on Sunday
Italy reported 53,253 COVID-19 related cases on Sunday, down from 63,992 the day before, the health ministry said, while the number of deaths fell to 90 from 112.
Italy has registered 160,748 deaths linked to COVID-19 since its outbreak emerged in February 2020, the second-highest toll in Europe after Britain and the eighth highest in the world. Some 352,265 tests for COVID-19 were carried out in the past day, well below the previous day's 438,449, the health ministry said. Patients in hospital with COVID-19 - excluding those in intensive care - edged up to 10,038 on Sunday, from 10,023 a day earlier.
11th Apr 2022 - Reuters
Shanghai's COVID infections rise as city looks to get moving again
China's financial centre of Shanghai started easing its lockdown in some areas on Monday despite reporting a record of more than 25,000 new COVID-19 infections, as authorities sought to get the city moving again after more than two weeks.
Pressure has been mounting on authorities in China's most populous city, and one of its wealthiest, from residents growing increasingly frustrated as the curbs dragged on, leaving some struggling to find enough food and medicine. City officials announced on Monday morning that they were grouping residential units into three risk categories as a step towards allowing "appropriate activity" by those in neighbourhoods with no positive cases during a two-week stretch, adding that district authorities would publish further details.
11th Apr 2022 - Reuters
China Covid Outbreak Spreads in Shanghai With Over 26,000 Cases
China’s largest Covid-19 outbreak in two years continues to spread despite an extended lockdown of Shanghai’s 25 million people, with the restrictions weighing on a fragile economy and straining global supply chains. There were 26,087 new daily infections reported in the Chinese financial hub Sunday, an all-time high. Residents have been locked down for weeks now, with frustration building among the population as they struggle to get access to food and medical care. Elsewhere, the southern metropolis of Guangzhou is implementing a series of restrictions after local authorities warned the 20 cases they found last week could be the tip of the iceberg.
11th Apr 2022 - Bloomberg
The BA.2 Variant Is Spreading. Do You Need to Worry?
You’re going to the movies and eating indoors. Your kid stopped wearing a mask to school; you no longer wear one to work. After two years of Covid precautions, you finally feel normal again. Well, mostly. BA.2—a subvariant of the Omicron variant that tore through the U.S. this winter—is spreading. It’s now the dominant variant throughout the country and has triggered recent surges in Europe. If you live somewhere where local statistics suggest cases are rising but the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention map still shades your county low-risk green, it can be tough to figure out what to do. So, do you need to worry? When? And how do you know what to look for?
11th Apr 2022 - The Wall Street Journal
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 11th Apr 2022
View this newsletter in fullNew COVID-19 variant Deltacron has been detected in Australia, here's what we know
A new variant of COVID-19 has been detected in Australia, which is a hybrid of two previous strains. Deltacron has been described as mixture of the Delta variant, which spread through Australia last year, and the Omicron variant, which led to high case loads across the nation over the Christmas holidays and into this year. The new variant was initially detected in February in the north of France and has been steadily popping up around the world, particularly in Europe and the United States.
Confirmation that the first Deltacron case in Australia was reported by New South Wales on Friday and on Saturday Queensland Health said "a number of cases" had also been detected here through genomic sequencing.
9th Apr 2022 - ABC News
China reports 1350 new confirmed COVID cases on April 8 vs 1576 a day earlier
China reported 1,350 new confirmed coronavirus cases on April 8, the country's national health authority said on Saturday, compared with 1,576 a day earlier. Of the new cases, 1,334 were locally transmitted, the National Health Commission said, compared with 1,540 a day earlier. The number of new asymptomatic cases, which China counts separately, stood at 23,815 compared with 22,648 a day earlier.
9th Apr 2022 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 8th Apr 2022
View this newsletter in fullThe five states with the highest number of COVID-19 cases
The rate of new COVID-19 cases is at the lowest it’s been since last summer as the omicron wave subsides. As state governments have begun to move past pandemic-era restrictions, some health experts have said that another surge is unlikely until at least the fall and winter of this year, and are hopeful new cases will continue dropping throughout the summer. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 95 percent of the country currently has low COVID-19 community levels. While case rates remain low across the country, a handful of states still have elevated risk levels. Here are the five states with the highest levels of new cases per 100,000:
7th Apr 2022 - The Hill
French hospital system not in danger as current COVID-19 wave reached peak - Veran
The current COVID-19 wave hitting France has now reached its peak, which means the country's hospital system is not in danger, Health Minister Olivier Veran said in an interview with RTL radio on Thursday. "We are still at a high level, with 150,000 new cases per day, but the trend is going down since five days," Veran said.
7th Apr 2022 - Reuters
China reports 1323 new COVID cases on April 6 vs 1415 a day earlier
Mainland China reported 1,323 new confirmed coronavirus cases on April 6, the country's national health authority said on Thursday, compared with 1,415 a day earlier. Of the new cases, 1,284 were locally transmitted, the National Health Commission said, compared with 1,383 a day earlier. The number of new asymptomatic cases, which China counts separately, stood at 21,784 compared with 19,199 a day earlier.
7th Apr 2022 - Reuters
Hong Kong reports 2644 new COVID cases
Hong Kong health authorities reported 2,644 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, down from 2,777 the previous day, and 97 deaths as cases in the global financial centre continue to fall from daily highs of more than 58,000 in March.
7th Apr 2022 - Reuters
Taiwan aims for zero serious COVID cases as infections edge up
Taiwan is aiming for zero serious COVID-19 infections and an "effective" control of the virus, President Tsai Ing-wen said on Wednesday, responding to a gradual increase in the number of domestic cases as it pledges to keep its reopening on track. Unlike large parts of the rest of the world, Taiwan has kept the pandemic well under control with strict and early control measures, including an efficient contact tracing system and largely closing its borders. Since the beginning of this year, Taiwan has reported 2,061 domestic cases, with only five people classified as being seriously ill and just one death.
7th Apr 2022 - Reuters
Record COVID rates in England still rising in over-55s - study
England recorded its highest ever COVID-19 infection prevalence in March and cases were still increasing in the over-55s at the end of the month, an Imperial College London survey said on Wednesday, adding that Omicron subvariant BA.2 was now dominant. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has lifted all COVID-19 restrictions in England, citing the experience with a wave of Omicron infections over new year which saw record cases, but did not produce an equivalent wave of deaths in Britain's highly vaccinated population. Imperial's study showed that the peak in infections in March surpassed the highs of the BA.1 Omicron wave in January, reinforcing findings by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) that cases have hit an all time high
7th Apr 2022 - Reuters UK
Shanghai Calls on China Communist Party Members to Fight Covid
China’s Communist Party issued a rare call imploring rank-and-file members to help contain the coronavirus in Shanghai, showing the strain the locked-down financial hub is under as its worst outbreak to date spreads. “We must dare to draw our swords and fight against all kinds of behaviors that interfere with and undermine the overall situation of the fight against the epidemic,” the top party branch in Shanghai wrote to members late Wednesday, the same day the number of new cases in the city rose to more than 19,900. “Wherever there is a need, there must be a Communist Party member,” it added in the open letter posted on an official government social media account.
7th Apr 2022 - Bloomberg
U.K. Covid Cases at Highest Level as Immunity Wanes, Study Finds
Covid-19 infections in England reached their highest level in March since the pandemic began, driven by the omicron subvariant BA.2 and waning immunity among older adults, according to a new study. The overall Covid prevalence rate more than doubled last month from February when infection rates were falling from the omicron-led January peak, the React-1 study led by Imperial College London found. Since then the emergence of BA.2 -- a more-transmissible version of omicron- has accelerated new infections and become the dominant strain in England, accounting for about 90% of the samples that tested positive. The higher infection rates may result in an increase in hospitalizations despite the higher levels of vaccination among the population, said Paul Elliott, director of the React program, and chair in Epidemiology and Public Health Medicine, Imperial College London.
6th Apr 2022 - Bloomberg
COVID cases falling in Americas, but risk of further surges remains - PAHO
COVID-19 infections and deaths have dropped across most countries and territories in the Americas over the past few weeks but the risk of further surges cannot be ignored as restrictions are relaxed and 240 million people remain unvaccinated, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) said on Wednesday.
"Many countries and territories in the Americas have scaled back public health measures, and some have done so prematurely," PAHO director Carissa Etienne said, noting that case counts have risen recently in places that rely on tourism, especially in parts of North America and the Caribbean where vaccination coverage is low.
6th Apr 2022 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 7th Apr 2022
View this newsletter in fullDeaths at Shanghai Elderly Facility Spark a Dispute Over Cremation
Families of patients who died recently at Shanghai’s biggest elderly-care facility are demanding to know whether a Covid-19 outbreak that hit in the past few weeks led to their deaths, with some refusing a request by the hospital to cremate the bodies.
At least 20 patients died in recent weeks at the Donghai Elderly Care Hospital, according to members of several families, who said they are still trying to understand why. The facility asked for the families’ agreement in the past few days to cremate the bodies that were being kept in the hospital morgue, the relatives said. Several relatives said while some families had agreed, fearing the bodies would start to decompose, they had refused, demanding to protect evidence that might show how the deaths happened. One of the families said they had demanded an autopsy.
6th Apr 2022 - The Wall Street Journal
Washington's unwelcome party guest: COVID crashes capital's reopening
As Washington emerges from its COVID cocoon, with tourists returning to the U.S. Capitol and officials attending a white-tie party that had been scotched for the past two years, the coronavirus is again stalking the halls of power. At least a half-dozen senior officials, including members of President Joe Biden's Cabinet and lawmakers, have tested positive for COVID-19 in recent days, even as caseloads drop across the country. Days after the Gridiron dinner, usually a highlight of the Washington social calendar, Attorney General Merrick Garland, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and Democratic Representatives Adam Schiff and Joaquin Castro tested positive.
6th Apr 2022 - Reuters
More Australians are reporting catching COVID-19 twice, but there's limited data on reinfections
A growing number of Australians are catching COVID-19 for a second time as the country grapples with another surge in infections, but a lack of official data makes it hard to pinpoint exactly who is getting it twice. Raelene Roede is a 50-year-old kindergarten teacher from Geelong, south-west of Melbourne, who caught COVID-19 for the first time after New Year's Eve in January. After an extended bout of isolation – made longer due to January's infamous testing delays – and a week spent feeling pretty sick, Ms Roede made a full recovery and returned to her daily gym routine.
6th Apr 2022 - ABC News
Worries of more school disruptions are rising alongside COVID-19 cases
As the spring weather improves, Montrealer Doug Bentley understands people feeling a pent-up desire to return to pre-pandemic normalcy. Still, as a parent with two kids attending elementary school, he remains "ill at ease" about classrooms amid COVID-19. "I don't feel particularly comfortable about the situation in the schools," he said. "There's a lot of denial going on about the sixth wave that has started." With capacity limits, mask mandates and other restrictions lingering in some areas but gone in others, Canadian regions remain in varying stages of easing pandemic mitigation measures. Yet as health experts warn again of rising new COVID-19 infection and hospitalization rates in parts of the country, parents and school officials are bracing for what a sixth wave may bring to classrooms.
6th Apr 2022 - CBC.ca
India reports first case of COVID variant XE - report
India's first case of coronavirus variant XE was detected in Mumbai, NDTV reported on Wednesday.
6th Apr 2022 - Reuters
China reports 1415 new confirmed coronavirus cases on April 5 vs 1235 a day earlier
Mainland China reported 1,415 new confirmed coronavirus cases on April 5, the country's national health authority said on Wednesday, compared with 1,235 a day earlier. Of the new cases, 1,383 were locally transmitted, the National Health Commission said, compared with 1,173 a day earlier. The number of new asymptomatic cases, which China counts separately, stood at 19,199 compared with 15,355 a day earlier. There were no new deaths, leaving the death toll unchanged at 4,638.
6th Apr 2022 - Reuters
Quebec extends mask mandate as new COVID wave spreads in Canada
Quebec will require masks to be worn in indoor public spaces for all of April, delaying a plan to relax the measure by the middle of the month as it and other Canadian provinces face a new COVID-19 wave, a top public health official said on Tuesday. The province, the second most populous in Canada, will become one of the last parts of North America to continue a mask mandate in public indoor places like stores, with health officials projecting a rise in cases and hospitalizations. "We do not expect the mask will be needed after the month of April," Dr. Luc Boileau, the province's interim public health director, told reporters.
6th Apr 2022 - Reuters
Taiwan aims for zero serious COVID cases as infections edge up
Taiwan is aiming for zero serious COVID-19 infections and an "effective" control of the virus, President Tsai Ing-wen said on Wednesday, responding to a gradual increase in the number of domestic cases as it pledges to keep its reopening on track. Unlike large parts of the rest of the world, Taiwan has kept the pandemic well under control with strict and early control measures, including an efficient contact tracing system and largely closing its borders. Since the beginning of this year, Taiwan has reported 2,061 domestic cases, with only five people classified as being seriously ill and just one death.
6th Apr 2022 - Reuters
Record COVID rates in England still rising in over-55s - study
England recorded its highest ever COVID-19 infection prevalence in March and cases were still increasing in the over-55s at the end of the month, an Imperial College London survey said on Wednesday, adding that Omicron subvariant BA.2 was now dominant. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has lifted all COVID-19 restrictions in England, citing the experience with a wave of Omicron infections over new year which saw record cases, but did not produce an equivalent wave of deaths in Britain's highly vaccinated population. Imperial's study showed that the peak in infections in March surpassed the highs of the BA.1 Omicron wave in January, reinforcing findings by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) that cases have hit an all time high.
6th Apr 2022 - Reuters
China relies on traditional medicine to fight COVID surge in Shanghai
Shanghai is distributing to residents millions of boxes of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), such as herbal products and flu capsules, which it says can treat COVID-19 in the battle to control its largest virus outbreak. China's commercial capital, now under an extended lockdown, reported more than 17,000 new COVID-19 infections on April 5, including 311 symptomatic cases, among a population of more than 26 million. "Facing the extremely transmissible Omicron variant, we should use TCM treatment as soon as possible," said Fang Min, president of the city's Shuguang Hospital.
6th Apr 2022 - Reuters
China's services sector activity hit hard by Omicron surge - Caixin PMI
Activity in China's services sector contracted at the sharpest pace in two years in March as a surge in coronavirus cases restricted mobility and weighed on demand, a private sector survey showed on Wednesday. The Caixin services Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) dived to 42.0 in March from 50.2 in February, dropping below the 50-point mark that separates growth from contraction on a monthly basis. The reading indicates the sharpest activity decline since the initial onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in February 2020. The survey, which focuses more on small firms in coastal regions, tallied with an official survey, which also showed deterioration in the services sector
6th Apr 2022 - Reuters
'So many bodies piled up': Hong Kong funeral services overwhelmed by COVID
Traditional wooden coffins are running short in Hong Kong as authorities scramble to add mortuary space in the global financial hub's battle on COVID-19, which is swamping funeral parlours. "I have never seen so many bodies piled up together," said funeral director Lok Chung, 37, who has been working round the clock, with about 40 funerals organised in March, up from roughly 15 in an average month.
"I have never seen family members so upset, so disappointed, so helpless," Chung, wearing a sober grey suit with a black polo T-shirt, told Reuters.
6th Apr 2022 - Reuters
UK Covid Cases Hit Peak on BA.2 Omicron, Waning Immunity: Study
Covid-19 infections in England reached their highest level in March since the pandemic began, driven by the omicron subvariant BA.2 and waning immunity among older adults, according to a new study. The overall Covid prevalence rate more than doubled last month from February when infection rates were falling from the omicron-led January peak, the React-1 study led by Imperial College London found. Since then the emergence of BA.2 -- a more-transmissible version of omicron- has accelerated new infections and become the dominant strain in England, accounting for about 90% of the samples that tested positive. The higher infection rates may result in an increase in hospitalizations despite the higher levels of vaccination among the population, said Paul Elliott, director of the React program, and chair in Epidemiology and Public Health Medicine, Imperial College London.
6th Apr 2022 - Bloomberg
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 6th Apr 2022
View this newsletter in fullHong Kong reports 3,254 new COVID-19 cases
Hong Kong health authorities reported 3,254 new COVID-19 infections on Tuesday, up from 3,138 on Monday, and 87 deaths as cases in the global financial centre continue a broader downward trend.
5th Apr 2022 - Reuters
Quebec extends mask mandate to end of April as COVID hospitalizations rise
Quebec will require masks to be worn in indoor public spaces for all of April, delaying a plan to relax the measure by the middle of the month as it and other Canadian provinces face a new COVID-19 wave, a top public health official said on Tuesday. The province, the second most populous in Canada, will become one of the last parts of North America to continue a mask mandate in public indoor places like stores, with health officials projecting a rise in cases and hospitalizations.
5th Apr 2022 - Reuters
Doctors believe thousands of new COVID-19 cases each day are going unreported in NSW
NSW public health physicians believe the state's daily COVID-19 figures are at least 50 per cent higher than the reported number, due to unreported positive results. Between 15,000 and 20,000 positive results are being recorded each day, which Health Minister Brad Hazzard described as a "big underestimate". "Many people are not, it would appear, not actually reporting the positive cases," he said. "We understand that they may have symptoms that are very mild and they just don't think it's necessary.
5th Apr 2022 - ABC News
Four people with COVID-19 die in SA as state sets new predicted peak of 5,500 daily cases
New modelling from SA Health shows the state will reach a peak of 5,500 new COVID-19 cases per day — a level already reached last week, with a similar number of new cases possible tomorrow. The state reported four COVID-linked deaths and 5,068 new cases today. Almost 5,500 new cases were reported last Wednesday and a similar number could be recorded this Wednesday — typically the peak day of the week. Previous modelling had predicted a peak of 8,000 cases per day in mid-April.
5th Apr 2022 - ABC News
Covid-related deaths rise in England with infections at record high
Covid-related deaths in England have jumped to their highest level since mid-February, according to the latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
There were 780 deaths where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate in the seven days leading up to 25 March – up 14% on the previous week. This increase follows several weeks where deaths appeared to have levelled off. Coronavirus infections have been rising across the UK since early March, driven by the Omicron BA.2 variant. Prevalence of the virus is currently at a record high, with ONS figures suggesting approximately 4.9 million had Covid in the week to 26 March. This increase may now be having an impact on the number of deaths, which typically lag behind infections by several weeks.
5th Apr 2022 - The Guardian
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 5th Apr 2022
View this newsletter in fullCOVID-19 hospitalisations rising in NSW, Victoria
Hospitalisation numbers for COVID-19 patients have risen in both New South Wales and Victoria, though intensive care numbers remain fairly steady. NSW recorded 15,572 new COVID-19 cases today, down from 16,807 yesterday and 16,199 last Monday. In the past week, hospitalisations have risen from 1270 to 1418, with 56 in intensive care, compared to 55 last Monday.
4th Apr 2022 - 9News
Hong Kong reports 3138 new COVID-19 cases
Hong Kong health authorities reported 3,138 new COVID-19 infections on Monday, down from 3,709 the previous day, and 90 deaths as cases in the global financial centre continue to fall.
4th Apr 2022 - Reuters
Surging COVID cases force easyJet to cancel UK flights over staff shortages
A renewed surge of COVID-19 in Britain has forced airlines including easyJet to cancel hundreds of flights in recent days as staff sickness levels soar. England dropped all its coronavirus restrictions earlier this year, including a legal requirement to self-isolate when testing positive and the need to wear masks in public places. Cases started to surge in Britain near the beginning of last month and by the end of the March 26 week, one in 13 people were believed to be positive with the virus, the highest figure since the pandemic began.
4th Apr 2022 - Reuters
COVID-19: Despite the end of free testing, the virus is stronger than ever
You'd be forgiven for thinking the COVID pandemic was on its way out. But today's data show that, from the virus' perspective at least, it's stronger than ever. On the same day free COVID testing comes to an end in England, infection levels have reached the highest ever recorded.
4th Apr 2022 - Sky News
China Covid Crisis Grows With Cases Surging, New Sub-Strains
China’s Covid-19 situation is on a knife edge, with a lockdown of its financial hub intensifying over the weekend amid a surge in new cases and reports of new sub-strains of the omicron variant emerging. The country, which managed to live much of the pandemic effectively virus free after quashing its initial outbreak in Wuhan, is experiencing its biggest jump in daily infections since 2020. Shanghai reported 9,006 cases for Sunday as the city prepares to test all its 25 million residents in another effort to weed out infections, amid accounts of un-reported deaths in a nursing home and ongoing food shortages.
4th Apr 2022 - Bloomberg
China sends military, doctors to Shanghai to test 26 million residents for COVID
Shanghai will remain under lockdown as it reviews results of an exercise to test all of its 26 million residents for COVID-19, authorities said on Monday. The city began its two-stage lockdown on March 28, initially in Shanghai's eastern districts, and later expanded to cover the whole city. The curbs, which have massively disrupted daily life and business operations in China's financial hub, were initially scheduled to end at 5 a.m. local time (9 p.m. GMT) on Tuesday. "The city will continue to implement seal and control management and strictly implement 'staying at home', except for medical treatment," the city government said on its official WeChat account.
4th Apr 2022 - Reuters
Hong Kong reports 3138 new COVID-19 cases
Hong Kong health authorities reported 3,138 new COVID-19 infections on Monday, down from 3,709 the previous day, and 90 deaths as cases in the global financial centre continue to fall.
4th Apr 2022 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 4th Apr 2022
View this newsletter in fullUK's Covid infections hit record high as free tests end
Rates of Covid infection have hit a record high in the UK, official data showed today, just as free government testing ended for millions in England. Some 4.9 million people in the UK are estimated to have had Covid-19 in the week ending 26 March, or 600,000 more than the previous week, the latest survey by the Office for National Statistics said. It said one in 13 people in England are estimated to have had Covid during that week, up from one in 16 the week before. The rate in Scotland was higher still, at one in 12.
2nd Apr 2022 - RTE.ie
Covid infection levels hit record high in the UK
Covid infection levels have hit a record high ... England comes to an end. Some 4.9 million people in the UK are estimated to have had Covid-19 in the week ending March 26, up from 4.3 million in the previous week, the Office for National Statistics said ...
2nd Apr 2022 - Yahoo Style
Covid infection rates are now at their highest ever level in Wales
Coronavirus infection rates have now reached their highest levels on record in Wales, new data from the Office for National Statistics has revealed. Their latest weekly bulletin, published on April 1, showed that an estimated 212,000 people had the virus in Wales in the week ending March 26. That equates to 6.97% of the population or around one in 14 people. This tops the previous record of 6.35%, which was recorded the week before, and the January 2022 peak of 5.56% when Omicron first swept the nation. However infection rates are thought to be even higher in some other parts of the UK. In England the ONS estimates that 4,122,700 people had Covid-19 in the week ending March 26, which equates to 7.56% of the population or around one in 13 people. In Scotland as many as one in 12 people are thought to have the virus over the same period while in Northern Ireland it's one in 15.
2nd Apr 2022 - Wales Online
COVID-19: Record 4.9 million people in UK had coronavirus in week to 26 March, ONS says
A record number of people in the UK are estimated to have COVID-19 in the week leading up to 26 March, data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows. It said that 4.9 million people in the UK are estimated to have had the virus, up from 4.3 million in the previous week. In England, around one in 13 people were likely to test positive for COVID last week, or 4.1 million people - up from one in 16, or 3.5 million people, in the week to 19 March. Both England and Wales are now recording record infection levels. The latest data also shows that the percentage of people testing positive for COVID-19 has continued to increase across all regions of England.
2nd Apr 2022 - Sky News
Shanghai Battles Covid-19 Outbreaks in Another Elderly-Care Hospital
At least two major elderly-care facilities in Shanghai are battling Covid-19 outbreaks, highlighting the threat posed to the city’s large senior population from a wave of infections with the Omicron variant. Over the past week, Shanghai Tongkang Hospital, with more than 1,000 patients, has been quarantining a group of Covid-infected patients and medical workers in a designated building, according to relatives of some of the patients. On Thursday, the Journal reported that at least 100 patients had tested positive for Covid-19 and many patients died at Donghai Elderly Care Hospital, the city’s biggest elderly-care facility by capacity, according to orderlies brought in recently to fill in for workers sent away to quarantine and other people familiar with the situation. Shanghai’s government hasn’t reported any Covid outbreak at either Donghai Hospital or Tongkang Hospital. Nor has it reported any Covid-related death at any of its hundreds of elderly-care centers.
2nd Apr 2022 - The Wall Street Journal
England's COVID-19 prevalence hits record high – ONS
The prevalence of COVID-19 among people in England rose to its highest since the pandemic began in 2020, data from Britain's Office for National Statistics showed on Friday. One 1 in 13 people were believed to have the coronavirus in the week ending March 26, the fourth consecutive increase and higher than 1 in 16 recorded in the previous week. The ONS estimated 4.1 million people in England had COVID-19. The reading came on the day that free testing for COVID-19 ended for the general public. A self-test kit costs now typically around 2 pounds ($2.63), while a PCR test at a lab could cost between 40 and 90 pounds.
1st Apr 2022 - Reuters
Records: 28,379 new Covid cases, 92 more deaths
There were 92 Covid-19 fatalities, the highest so far in the latest wave, and an all-time high of 28,379 cases during the previous 24 hours, the Public Health Ministry reported on Friday. This compared with the 85 coronavirus-related fatalities and 27,560 new cases reported on Thursday. The figures did not include 22,331 positive results from antigen tests over the past 24 hours. This would raise the total to 50,710 (up from 43,639 the previous day).
1st Apr 2022 - ฺBangkok Post
Why Are Covid Case Rates So High Yet Again?
Covid cases have started to climb once again, with more than half a million people testing positive over the last week. This works out to roughly one in 11 people in Scotland, one in 16 people in England and Wales and one in 17 people in Northern Ireland. Although still a long way off the record number of cases seen only in January this year, the current rates are still among the highest seen throughout the pandemic, and are particularly affecting school children and hospital staff. Yet, self-isolation rules for positive cases were dropped last month and travel rules have been completely relaxed for UK arrivals as the government pushes its living with Covid agenda. What’s behind this latest spike and just how worried should we be?
29th Mar 2022 - HuffPost UK
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 1st Apr 2022
View this newsletter in fullCovid pandemic will remain 'unpredictable' for up to two years, says Jenny Harries
The Covid pandemic is likely to remain “unpredictable” for the next 18 months to two years, Dr Jenny Harries, chief executive of the UK Health Security Agency has said. Britain must learn to “come to terms” with the virus in a similar way to flu, with an annual booster vaccination programme “not an unreasonable position to reach”, Dr Harries said. Around three and a half million people had Covid in England in the week up to March 25 as infections rose to their second highest level ever, with the BA.2 variant continuing to spread.
31st Mar 2022 - iNews
About one-third of COVID-19 cases in Western Australia aged under 18, as 9,727 new infections recorded
Western Australia's COVID-19 cases are still yet to reach their expected peak, with new figures revealing about one-third of last week's infections occurred in children aged under 18. COVID-19 hospitalisations and ICU admissions remain steady in WA, with the state still yet to break the 10,000 new daily cases mark. It comes after restrictions were eased today, reducing capacity limits and the number of venues where check-ins are required. As of 8pm last night, there were 219 people in hospital, up from 208 yesterday, and seven in intensive care.
31st Mar 2022 - ABC News
They were Covid-19 success stories -- then they saw massive outbreaks. These charts show what's really going on
Millions of people in China are under lockdown. Hong Kong morgues are overwhelmed. And South Korea is reporting the most cases per capita worldwide.
For much of the pandemic, these places were held up as Covid-19 success stories, as stringent border rules helped them avoid high cases and deaths -- even as the pandemic took hold around the world. Now, they're among a number of places across Asia Pacific battling unprecedented outbreaks. While the surge in cases can partly be explained by the highly contagious Omicron variant breaking through the region's defenses, that's not the whole story. In some places, rising case numbers are a symptom of living with Covid as governments accept that trying to eradicate the virus is an unrealistic pursuit. In other places, skyrocketing cases are being blamed on a lack of planning by authorities caught off guard, despite two years of warning.
31st Mar 2022 - CNN
A Covid-19 spike like the one in China is unlikely in the US, experts say. Here's why
The Omicron coronavirus variant may be reaching around the world, but different places are seeing significantly different effects. In the United States, Covid-19 case numbers have been falling since January. They may have hit a plateau as a subvariant of Omicron, BA.2, becomes the main cause of infections. But in China, an area of the world that has had few spikes during the pandemic, there has been a dramatic increase in cases as BA.2 rips through the country. The difference, experts say, is part policy and part population-level immunity. What's happening in China doesn't necessarily mean the US is in for another huge spike in cases.
31st Mar 2022 - CNN
China reports 1839 new COVID cases for March 30 vs 1629 a day earlier
China reported 1,839 confirmed coronavirus cases for March 30, the national health authority said on Thursday, compared with 1,629 a day earlier. Of the new cases, 1,803 were locally transmitted, the National Health Commission said, versus 1,565 a day earlier. The number of new asymptomatic cases, which China does not classify as confirmed cases, stood at 6,720 compared with 7,196 a day earlier. There were no new deaths, leaving the death toll at 4,638. As of March 30, mainland China had confirmed 149,276 cases.
31st Mar 2022 - Reuters
Hong Kong reports 6646 new coronavirus infections
Hong Kong reported 6,646 new coronavirus infections on Thursday, down from 6,981 the previous day, and 119 deaths as daily infections continue to decline in the global financial hub, which is gradually easing restrictions.
31st Mar 2022 - Reuters
Canada faces rising COVID wave as restrictions ease
Much of Canada is facing a fresh COVID-19 wave just as authorities ease measures meant to curb the spread of the virus, emboldened by a brief drop in cases and relatively high vaccination rates. Public health experts are urging caution as COVID-19 levels in wastewater rise. Political analysts say looming elections in Ontario and Quebec, the most populous of Canada's 10 provinces, could deter politicians from reinstating pandemic health measures. Meanwhile, less testing is making it hard for individuals to do the personal risk assessments politicians are urging.
31st Mar 2022 - Reuters
Global COVID cases ebb amid testing blind-spot worries
The world's COVID-19 cases dropped 14% last week, compared to the week before, with decreases seen across all of the WHO's regions. However, deaths rose 45%, primarily due to changes in how some countries define COVID deaths and retrospective adjustments from others. Overall, about 10 million cases were reported to the WHO last week. The five countries reporting the most cases were South Korea, Germany, Vietnam, France, and Italy. The WHO noted that recent case rises earlier this month occurred despite reduced testing in many countries, which it says is a sign that the virus is still circulating at very high levels. It warned that a decline in testing could lead to less robust data that makes it harder to track the virus and how it is spreading and evolving. The situation could impair how quickly countries can respond with targeted control measures to reduce hospitalizations and deaths. In its weekly report, the WHO said the Omicron variant makes up 99.5% of sequenced samples. Officials added that they're monitoring recombinant viruses, including a BA.1-BA.2 version that was first observed in the United Kingdom and appears to be about 10% more transmissible than the Omicron's BA.2 subvariant.
30th Mar 2022 - CIDRAP
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 31st Mar 2022
View this newsletter in fullU.K. Hospitalizations Rise After Covid Cases Edge Back Up
Covid-19 infections in the U.K. have edged back up following the easing of restrictions and rapid spread of a more-transmissible subvariant of omicron. In the U.K. more than 574,000 people have tested positive and about 15,530 hospitalized in the last week. Still, this wave may be close to peaking, according to Chief Scientific Adviser Patrick Vallance. While omicron has proven to be more mild in general compared to previous strains, it would be wrong to assume that the coronavirus will continue evolving into a less severe infection, Vallance told the Science and Technology parliamentary committee on Wednesday.
30th Mar 2022 - Bloomberg
NYC Covid Cases Are Rising Again, Mostly Among Those 25 to 34
New York City Covid-19 cases are rising again, particularly among people 25 to 34 years old, according to city officials. The surge appears to be concentrated in Manhattan, the most vaccinated borough. In an unusual move, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene posted a warning on Twitter on Wednesday, saying they “strongly recommend” New Yorkers mask-up indoors and get booster shots. The warning came in contrast to the city’s Covid alert system, which identifies the Covid alert level as ‘low risk.’
30th Mar 2022 - Bloomberg
Covid 19 Omicron outbreak: 15,918 cases, 14 deaths as Government outlines vaccine mandates, passes
There are 15,918 new cases today, Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins announced this afternoon. It comes as a new initiative aimed at improving access to rapid-antigen testing to people in rural areas is announced, as cases continue to rise in various spots around the country. But Hipkins wouldn't be drawn on Auckland's chances of moving from red to orange under the traffic light system, having already passed its Omicron peak. He said he was yet to have "a firm leaning" for Cabinet's review of traffic light settings on Monday. There are 817 people in hospital with the virus, including 24 in intensive care, the Ministry of Health announced this afternoon.
30th Mar 2022 - New Zealand Herald
New Zealand reports 15,918 community cases of Covid-19 in 24 hours
New Zealand reported 15,918 new community cases of Covid-19 on Wednesday, the Ministry of Health said in a statement. There are also 14 new deaths due to Covid in the country, fewer than the 34 deaths reported on Tuesday, the highest daily fatality number reported by the ministry, Xinhua news agency reported. Among the new community infections, 2,691 were recorded in the largest city Auckland. The rest of the cases were identified across the nation, including 2,535 in Canterbury, according to the ministry.
30th Mar 2022 - Business Standard
Covid-19 news: Just 64 per cent are self-isolating in England
Self-isolation rate dropped from 80 per cent to 64 per cent after the legal requirement changed to guidance. Fewer than two-thirds of people who test positive for covid-19 in England are choosing to self-isolate, according to an Office for National Statistics (ONS) survey. Using the NHS Test and Trace database, 1369 adults in England who tested positive for covid-19 before 24 February, when the legal requirement to self-isolate was dropped, were asked about their behaviour while infected. They were interviewed between 28 February and 8 March, when self-isolation was advised but not legally required. Fewer than two-thirds (64 per cent) said they fully self-isolated, compared with 80 per cent in a similar survey last month.
30th Mar 2022 - New Scientist
China reports 1629 new COVID cases for March 29 vs 1293 a day earlier
China reported 1,629 confirmed coronavirus cases for March 29, the national health authority said on Wednesday, compared with 1,293 a day earlier. Of the new cases, 1,565 were locally transmitted, the National Health Commission said, versus 1,228 a day earlier. The number of new asymptomatic cases, which China does not classify as confirmed cases, stood at 7,196 compared with 5,758 a day earlier. There were no new deaths, leaving the death toll at 4,638.
30th Mar 2022 - Reuters
France reports over 217000 new COVID-19 infections - health ministry
France on Tuesday reported 217,480 new COVID-19 infections over the last 24 hours, a level unseen since early February. 1,538 people are currently in intensive care units, France's health ministry said, 5 more than on Monday.
30th Mar 2022 - Reuters
COVID cases in Asia surpass 100 million - Reuters tally
Coronavirus infections in Asia passed 100 million on Wednesday, according to a Reuters tally, as the region records a resurgence in cases, dominated by the BA.2 Omicron sub-variant. The region is reporting over 1 million new COVID-19 cases about every two days, according to a Reuters analysis. With more than half of the world's population, Asia contributes 21% of all reported COVID-19 cases. The highly contagious but less deadly BA.2 sub-variant of Omicron has pushed the figures to greater highs in recent weeks in countries such as South Korea, China and Vietnam. BA.2 now represents nearly 86% of all sequenced cases, according to the World Health Organization.
30th Mar 2022 - Reuters
WHO: COVID deaths jump by 40%, but cases falling globally
The number of people killed by the coronavirus surged by more than 40% last week, likely due to changes in how COVID-19 deaths were reported across the Americas and by newly adjusted figures from India, according to a World Health Organization report released Wednesday. In its latest weekly report on the pandemic, the U.N. health agency said the number of new coronavirus cases fell everywhere, including in WHO’s Western Pacific region, where they had been rising since December. About 10 million new COVID-19 infections and more than 45,000 deaths were reported worldwide over the past week, following a 23% drop in fatalities the week before. The jump in reported deaths, up from 33,000 last week, was due mainly to an accounting change; WHO noted that countries including Chile and the United States altered how they define COVID-19 deaths.
30th Mar 2022 - The Associated Press
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 30th Mar 2022
View this newsletter in fullCovid-19: Containing BA.2 variant would need 'extreme measures', Donnelly says
The Minister for Health has said the extra transmissibility of the BA.2 variant means “quite extreme measures” would be needed to contain it. Stephen Donnelly is understood to have told an online meeting of Fianna Fáil members on Monday night that there are likely several hundred thousand cases of Covid every week, with daily numbers several times higher than those being tracked by PCR and antigen tests. Sources indicated that Mr Donnelly told the meeting said that the current transmissibility of the variant meant that extremely restrictive measures would be needed, and said that he is told by the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) that extra restrictions of this level are not currently advised. This is due to the fact that despite the massive pressure coming onto the hospital system arising from the enormous levels of infection, associated staff absenteeism, and infection prevention and control measures.
29th Mar 2022 - The Irish Times
UK records another 215,001 Covid-19 cases and 217 deaths as hospitalisations keep rising
The UK has recorded another 215,001 Covid-19 cases and 217 deaths, it was revealed on Monday. The number of cases in the latest update is the second highest since the pandemic began. However figures are Monday are usually much higher than any other weekday as they now include positive tests confirmed over the weekend. The figures show the number of hospital patients with the virus has risen again, reaching 17,685 on Friday. It means a run of daily rises in hospitalisations is continuing, and has now stretched back more than three weeks to March 5, when the figure was 1,0867.
29th Mar 2022 - Evening Standard
COVID-19: Less than two-thirds of people self-isolating after testing positive for coronavirus, figures show
The number of people self-isolating after testing positive for coronavirus has fallen "significantly" since it stopped being a legal requirement - with less than two thirds of those who know they have the virus following government advice, figures show.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) spoke to 1,369 people over 18 who tested positive for coronavirus up to two days before 24 February 2022, when the legal requirement to self isolate for at least five days was removed. The respondents were interviewed between 28 February and 8 March 2022 when self-isolation was advised but not legally required. The survey found 876 respondents (64%) were self-isolating after testing positive for COVID.
29th Mar 2022 - Sky News
France sees highest daily jump in COVID-19 hospitalisations since Feb 1
French health authorities said on Monday the number of patients hospitalised for COVID-19 over the past 24 hours jumped by 467 to 21,073, the highest daily rise since Feb 1. On a week-on-week basis, the hospitalisations figure is up 1.8% and it has been now increasing for the fifth day running, after a steady decline since early February. COVID-19 infections have been rising again since early March, with the seven-day moving average of new cases at a six-week high of 127,488. Generally, such a trend inversion translates into hospital figures with a two-week delay.
29th Mar 2022 - Reuters
Hong Kong reports 7596 new daily coronavirus infections
Hong Kong reported 7,596 new coronavirus infections on Tuesday, as daily infections continued a steadily decline and the government prepared to ease some of the city's stringent COVID-19 measures starting in April.
29th Mar 2022 - Reuters
China reports 1293 new COVID cases for March 28 vs 1275 a day earlier
China reported 1,293 confirmed coronavirus cases for March 28, the national health authority said on Tuesday, compared with 1,275 a day earlier. Of the new cases, 1,228 were locally transmitted, the National Health Commission said, versus 1,219 a day earlier. The number of new asymptomatic cases, which China does not classify as confirmed cases, stood at 5,758 compared with 5,134 a day earlier. There were no new deaths, leaving the death toll at 4,638. As of March 28, mainland China had confirmed 145,808 cases.
29th Mar 2022 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 29th Mar 2022
View this newsletter in fullChina reports 1,293 new COVID cases for March 28 vs 1,275 a day earlier
China reported 1,293 confirmed coronavirus cases for March 28, the national health authority said on Tuesday, compared with 1,275 a day earlier. Of the new cases, 1,228 were locally transmitted, the National Health Commission said, versus 1,219 a day earlier. The number of new asymptomatic cases, which China does not classify as confirmed cases, stood at 5,758 compared with 5,134 a day earlier. There were no new deaths, leaving the death toll at 4,638.
29th Mar 2022 - Reuters
Nearly 15,600 new COVID-19 cases
A full 15,596 new coronavirus cases were diagnosed Sunday, Israel's Health Ministry reported Monday morning. The new cases represent 22.08% of those whose test results were received that day. There are now 65,799 active COVID-19 cases in Israel. Though the percentage of positive cases remains quite high, the infection coefficient, which indicates whether the pandemic is expanding or contracting, continues its decline, dropping to 1.28 from its high last week of 1.43.
28th Mar 2022 - Arutz Sheva
Scottish Covid-19 patient numbers increase again to another record high
Article reports that the number of coronavirus patients in Scotland’s hospitals has reached another record high – for the sixth time in the past eight days.Scottish Government figures showed that on Sunday there were 2,360 people with recently confirmed Covid-19 in hospital, the highest number since the start of the pandemic.
The latest peak in hospital numbers comes after a slight fall in the total.
28th Mar 2022 - Evening Standard
Covid-19: 'Huge stress' on health system as number in hospital tops 1600
Article reports that the Minister for Health has said the extra transmissibility of the BA.2 variant means “quite extreme measures” would be needed to contain it. Stephen Donnelly is understood to have told an online meeting of Fianna Fáil members on Monday night that there are likely several hundred thousand cases of Covid every week, with daily numbers several times higher than those being tracked by PCR and antigen tests. Sources indicated that Mr Donnelly told the meeting said that the current transmissibility of the variant meant that extremely restrictive measures would be needed, and said that he is told by the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) that extra restrictions of this level are not currently advised.
28th Mar 2022 - The Irish Times
China reports 1275 new COVID cases for March 27 vs 1254 a day earlier
China reported 1,275 confirmed coronavirus cases for March 27, the national health authority said on Monday, compared with 1,254 a day earlier. Of the new cases, 1,219 were locally transmitted, the National Health Commission said, versus 1,217 a day earlier. The number of new asymptomatic cases, which China does not classify as confirmed cases, stood at 5,134 compared with 4,448 a day earlier. There were no new deaths, leaving the death toll at 4,638.
28th Mar 2022 - Reuters
South Korea’s omicron surge has likely peaked, officials say
Article reports that South Korea’s daily average of new COVID-19 cases declined last week for the first time in more than two months, but the number of critically ill patients and deaths will likely continue to rise amid the omicron-driven outbreak, officials said Monday. South Korea reported an average of about 350,000 new cases last week, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said Monday. It was the first drop in the weekly average in 11 weeks, KDCA Commissioner Jeong Eun-kyeong said. The current outbreak has likely peaked and is expected to trend downward, Jeong said citing expert studies. But new cases in South Korea will likely drop slowly because of relaxed social distancing rules, an expansion of in-person school classes and rising infections due to the coronavirus mutant widely known as “stealth omicron,” she said.
28th Mar 2022 - The Associated Press
Hong Kong reports 7685 new COVID cases
Hong Kong reported 7,685 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, down slightly from the previous day, as infections in the global financial hub gradually stabilise and the government eases some coronavirus restrictions.
27th Mar 2022 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 28th Mar 2022
View this newsletter in fullAustralian Medical Association reveals full strain on the nation’s hospital system
Australia’s hospital system is “showing cracks” under the weight of increased demand and underfunding, according to the country’s peak professional body. The Australian Medical Association’s annual public health system report card has revealed just how dire the situation is nationwide, as emergency departments have buckled under the pressure of the Covid-19 pandemic. More than one in three people have waited longer than the clinically-recommended 30 minutes to receive urgent care. AMA president Omar Khorshid said only 63 per cent of patients had been seen within the recommended period in the past year. “One in three people who present to an ED will wait longer than four hours to be either discharged or admitted,” Dr Khorshid said.
27th Mar 2022 - Perth Now
25,821 new Covid cases, 84 more deaths
The country registered 25,821 daily Covid-19 cases, 413 fewer than the prior 24 hours, the Public Health Ministry announced on Sunday morning. The daily Covid death toll jumped by 17 to 84. Just 56 of the new caseload were imported, with the remaining 25,765 transmitted inside the country. The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) said in the afternoon that the 84 new fatalities were between the ages of six and 104, all of them Thai nationals.
27th Mar 2022 - ฺBangkok Post
Hong Kong logs 8,841 Covid-19 cases; flight suspension rules could be eased
Hong Kong’s leader has said thresholds for suspending incoming flights found to be carrying coronavirus-infected passengers could be scaled back, but refused to call it a “major concession”, as the city reported a month-low 8,841 Covid-19 cases on Saturday. Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor also pledged to provide more quarantine hotels for travellers, as she faced fresh calls for a gradual reopening of the city for international travel and business activities including from her top adviser, a global aviation body and local industry. Bernard Chan, convenor of the Executive Council, Lam’s de facto cabinet, conceded that many multinational companies which had used Hong Kong as their Asian base had already moved to rival cities such as Singapore and Dubai, and the chances of them returning were dropping by the day.
27th Mar 2022 - South China Morning Post
Hong Kong reports 8841 new daily coronavirus infections
Hong Kong reported 8,841 new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday, down from 10,405 on Friday, as its latest wave of infections continues to ease. There were 139 deaths reported, authorities said. The global financial hub hit a record high of over 58,000 infections on March 9.
26th Mar 2022 - Reuters
India records 4,100 Covid deaths in 24 hours with backlog numbers added
With backlog numbers added, India recorded 4,100 coronavirus-linked deaths in the last 24 hours, the health ministry data showed, as 1,660 new patients were reported (marginally lower than the previous day). The latest jump in the number of deaths takes the overall figure to 5,20,855. The country has been recording less than 100 deaths in a day since Monday. Maharashtra and Kerala revised the Covid death data, and a majority of deaths were recorded from Maharashtra. India has been registering less than 2,000 cases in a day since March 20 even as some countries in the world see fresh Covid spike. Germany, for instance, saw over 300,000 cases for the first time on Thursday
26th Mar 2022 - Hindustan Times
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 25th Mar 2022
View this newsletter in fullTwo years on from UK's first Covid lockdown, cases may be rising but deaths remain low
Two years on from the start of the UK’s first Covid lockdown, when cases were rising rapidly and there was no timeline for a vaccine, the threat of the virus has changed significantly in the UK. Prime Minister Boris Johnson marked the milestone by paying tribute to the “heroic efforts” of the NHS on Wednesday, while giving sympathies to the families of those who died from Covid, and said Britain’s 187,000 coronavirus casualties “will never be out of our hearts and minds”. The UK is now one of the few places globally with nearly zero Covid restrictions in place despite a recent rise in cases driven by the Omicron variant, but Health Secretary Sajid Javid has insisted there is “no particular cause for concern”, with the “wall of defence” from vaccines keeping the situation stable.
24th Mar 2022 - iNews
South Australia records 4,742 new COVID-19 cases and another two deaths
South Australia has recorded 4,742 COVID-19 cases, its second highest daily caseload on record since the start of the pandemic. Another two people with COVID-19 have died, both of them men, one of whom is aged in his 60s and the other in his 70s.There are 157 people in hospital with COVID-19, four fewer than yesterday. The hospitalisation number includes 10 cases in intensive care and one person on a ventilator.
24th Mar 2022 - ABC News
HSE 'really struggling' amid latest Covid-19 surge
The Department of Health has been notified of 8,910 PCR-confirmed cases of Covid-19, as well as 14,215 positive antigen tests logged through the HSE portal. As of 8am, there were 1,425 Covid patients in hospital, up 30 on the same time yesterday morning. Of them, 53 patients were being treated in ICU, a decrease of 2 from Wednesday. Meanwhile, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said people should continue to be cautious and to wear masks in crowded situations, but that the current Covid wave was less "impactful" and virulent than earlier variants, so no new economic restrictions were warranted.
24th Mar 2022 - RTE.ie
Shanghai's daily COVID caseload at nearly 1000, but containment in sight
New daily COVID-19 cases in the Chinese commercial hub of Shanghai remained close to 1,000 on Thursday as authorities scrambled to identify and isolate asymptomatic infections, though a leading expert said the outbreak was being contained. Though the number of cases in Shanghai remains small by global standards, the densely populated city has become a testing ground for China's "zero-COVID" strategy as it tries to bring the highly infectious Omicron variant under control. In a meeting on Wednesday, Shanghai's Communist Party leaders emphasised the need to continue testing, implementing "closed loops" and cutting off transmission chains in order to bring new infections to zero as soon as possible.
24th Mar 2022 - Reuters
Global COVID-19 cases climb for second week in a row
Last week marked a turnaround in a 5-week decline in cases. In the continued rise this week, cases were up 7% compared to the week before, the WHO said. Cases were up 21% in the Western Pacific region, an area that includes locations experiencing surges, including South Korea, Vietnam, and Hong Kong. The European region's cases remained steady, while levels declined in the Eastern Mediterranean, Africa, South East Asia, and Americas regions. Deaths overall declined 23% compared to the week before, though they were up 5% in the Western Pacific region. The WHO received reports of 12 million cases last week. Countries reporting the most cases were South Korea, Vietnam, Germany, France, and Australia. Also, there were 33,000 deaths across the globe, with Russia nudging ahead of the United States in reporting the most weekly fatalities.
23rd Mar 2022 - CIDRAP
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 24th Mar 2022
View this newsletter in fullWHO blames rising Covid cases in Europe on curbs lifted too soon
Several European countries lifted their coronavirus restrictions too soon, the World Health Organization (WHO) has said, and as a result are now witnessing sharp rises in infections probably linked to the new, more transmissible BA2 subvariant.
Hans Kluge, director of the WHO’s Europe region, said countries including Germany, France, Italy and Britain had lifted their Covid curbs “brutally – from too much to too few”. Infections are rising in 18 out of the region’s 53 countries, he said. Kluge told journalists in Moldova on Tuesday that more than 5.1 million new cases – often linked to the BA2 variant, which experts say is about 30% more contagious – and 12,496 deaths have been reported in the region over the past seven days.
23rd Mar 2022 - The Guardian
Queensland authorities monitor spread of COVID-19 BA.2 Omicron sub-variant after jump in cases
Queensland health authorities say they are "concerned" about the increasing spread of COVID-19 as the state recorded a more than 15 per cent rise in new case numbers in a day. The state recorded 10,476 new known cases in the latest reporting period, compared to 8,881 yesterday. It is the highest daily jump in cases since January 29. Seven more COVID-related deaths were recorded. There are 252 people being treated in hospital for symptoms, including seven in intensive care.
23rd Mar 2022 - ABC News
Hong Kong reports 12240 new COVID-19 cases
Hong Kong reported 12,240 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, down from more than 14,000 the previous day, as the city starts to ease some of the world's most stringent restrictions that have triggered an exodus of people and hurt business. The government reported 205 new deaths.
23rd Mar 2022 - Reuters
WHO: COVID-19 cases rise for 2nd straight week, deaths fall
Article reports that the number of new coronavirus cases globally increased by 7% in the last week, driven by rising infections in the Western Pacific, even as reported deaths from COVID-19 fell, the World Health Organization said. There were more than 12 million new weekly cases and just under 33,000 deaths, a 23% decline in mortality, according to the U.N. health agency’s report on the pandemic issued late Tuesday. Confirmed cases of the virus had been falling steadily worldwide since January but rose again last week, due to the more infectious omicron variant and the suspension of COVID-19 protocols in numerous countries in Europe, North America and elsewhere. Health officials have said repeatedly that omicron causes milder disease than previous versions of the coronavirus and that vaccination, including a booster, appears highly protective.
23rd Mar 2022 - The Independent
COVID-19: Soaring virus-related absences in England's state schools could 'seriously damage' exam grades, headteachers say
Levels of COVID-related pupil absences in state schools in England have more than tripled, leading to concerns over how it may impact grades. In total, 201,600 pupils were off for COVID-related reasons on 17 March, up from 45,100 on 3 March, the latest government figures show. The rate of COVID-linked absences rose to 2.5% of students on 17 March, up from 0.7% on 3 March. The rising COVID cases have prompted concerns from headteachers about the potential impact absences will have on grades.
23rd Mar 2022 - Sky News
Covid-19: 'Vaccine tracers' brought in as county Covid rate trebles
A team of "vaccine tracers" have been brought in as the number of Covid infections in a county almost trebled in three weeks. Latest data shows more than 11,045 cases were recorded in Hertfordshire in the seven days to 16 March, representing a rate of 923.7 per 100,000 of the population. It is almost three times the 328.6 case rate recorded on 28 February. The new team aims to boost vaccination levels across the county. Hertfordshire's director of public health Jim McManus warned that the case rate had changed "quite dramatically" in recent weeks, with cases increasing in most age groups, including the more vulnerable over-60s, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.
23rd Mar 2022 - BBC News
A third of U.S. COVID now caused by Omicron BA.2 as overall cases fall
About one-in-three COVID-19 cases in the United States are now caused by the BA.2 Omicron sub-variant of the coronavirus, according to government data on Tuesday that also showed overall infections still declining from January's record highs. Despite the rise of the extremely contagious sub-variant also seen in other countries, U.S. health experts say a major wave of new infections here appears unlikely. U.S. COVID-19 infections have receded sharply since January, although a resurgence in parts of Asia and Europe have raised concerns that one will follow in the United States given previous patterns during the two years of the pandemic.
23rd Mar 2022 - Reuters
Hong Kong reports 12240 new COVID-19 cases
Hong Kong reported 12,240 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, down from more than 14,000 the previous day, as the city starts to ease some of the world's most stringent restrictions that have triggered an exodus of people and hurt business. The government reported 205 new deaths.
23rd Mar 2022 - Reuters
S.Korea's total COVID cases top 10 million as crematoria, funeral homes overwhelmed
Article reports that South Korea's total coronavirus infections topped 10 million, or nearly 20% of its population, authorities said on Wednesday, as surging severe cases and deaths increasingly put a strain on crematories and funeral homes nationwide. The country has been battling a record COVID-19 wave driven by the highly infectious Omicron variant even as it largely scrapped its once aggressive tracing and quarantine efforts and eased social distancing curbs. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) reported 490,881 cases for Tuesday, the second highest daily tally after it peaked at 621,205 on March 16. The total caseload rose to 10,427,247, with 13,432 deaths, up 291 a day before.
23rd Mar 2022 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 23rd Mar 2022
View this newsletter in fullSA Premier says COVID-19 case numbers to jump in a 'significant way' with elective surgeries already cancelled
South Australian health officials quietly reintroduced a pause on some elective surgeries just one day before last Saturday's election, new Premier Peter Malinauskas has revealed. The ban was introduced but not announced amid a rise in the state's COVID numbers, with Mr Malinauskas warning new government modelling showed cases were set to "escalate in a rather significant way". He said the elective surgery ban impacted all non-urgent overnight elective surgery in public hospitals. "Needless to say, I was rather disappointed and somewhat shocked to learn that an elective surgery ban has now been reinstated in some instances here in South Australia," he said.
22nd Mar 2022 - ABC News
South Korea's COVID-19 deaths strain crematories, hospitals
Health officials in South Korea have instructed crematories to burn more bodies per day and funeral homes to add more refrigerators to store the dead as families struggle with funeral arrangements amid a rise in COVID-19 deaths. The country has been dealing with a massive coronavirus outbreak driven by the fast-moving omicron variant, which has compromised a once robust pandemic response and is driving up hospitalizations and fatalities. Officials have already allowed the 60 crematories across country to burn for longer hours starting last week, which raised their combined capacity from around 1,000 to 1,400 cremations per day. But that hasn’t been enough to meaningfully ease the backlog of bodies waiting to be cremated in the densely populated Seoul metropolitan area, which is home to half of South Korea’s 52 million people and the center of its COVID-19 outbreak.
22nd Mar 2022 - The Independent
Covid school absences triple in two weeks as 202,000 pupils off sick or isolating in England
The number of pupils missing school in England because of Covid-19 has more than tripled in two weeks. Figures from the Department for Education show that last Thursday, 202,000 state school pupils were not in class because of reasons related to Covid, up from 58,000 pupils on 3 March. Among these students, there were 16,000 pupils with a suspected Covid case and 159,000 with a confirmed case.
22nd Mar 2022 - iNews
Covid-19 update: 'Risky to assume that the pandemic is over' - McKee
Europe faces a revival of a revival of virus risks as cases spread rapidly, accelerated by the emergence of the more-transmissible BA.2 Omicron strain. Germany is now setting fresh records for infection rates almost daily, while Austria has also reached new highs and cases in the Netherlands have doubled since lifting curbs on Feb. 25. “The messaging from politicians is encouraging many people who were taking precautions to mix with others,” says Martin McKee, professor of public health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. “It does seem very courageous, and indeed risky, to assume that the pandemic is over.”
22nd Mar 2022 - Pharmaceutical Technology
COVID-19: Number in Scottish hospitals with virus hits new record alongside 2022 peak in southern England
The number of people in hospital with COVID in Scotland has hit the highest level seen during the pandemic, as the same figure in two regions in England is also surging. The latest figures reveal 2,128 hospital patients in Scotland recently tested positive for the virus, compared to a previous peak of 2,053 in last January.
The figures come as most of the remaining legal COVID restrictions in Scotland have come to an end.
22nd Mar 2022 - Sky News
Omicron sub-variant BA.2 makes up about 35% of COVID variants in U.S. - CDC
About one-in-three COVID-19 cases in the United States are now caused by the BA.2 Omicron sub-variant of the coronavirus, according to government data on Tuesday that also showed overall infections still declining from January's record highs. Despite the rise of the extremely contagious sub-variant also seen in other countries, U.S. health experts say a major wave of new infections here appears unlikely. U.S. COVID-19 infections have receded sharply since January, although a resurgence in parts of Asia and Europe have raised concerns that one will follow in the United States given previous patterns during the two years of the pandemic.
22nd Mar 2022 - Reuters
France's COVID-19 infections spike week-on-week following easing of restrictions
Article reports that France reported an average of close to 90,000 new coronavirus infections over the last seven days, marking a 36% rise from one week ago when most COVID-19 health protocol measures were lifted by the government just ahead of the country's elections. New cases over the previous 24 hours published on Sunday stood at 81,283, pushing a 7-day moving average to 89,002, compared with just over 60,000 average new cases one week earlier. The number of cases per 100,000 inhabitants also reached their highest value level since Feb. 18. The government of French President Emmanuel Macron, who will stand for re-election in less than three weeks time followed by legislative elections later this year, decided to lift most COVID-19 restrictions on March 14, citing a positive trend.
22nd Mar 2022 - Reuters
Covid’s Fifth Wave Shows Us How to Live With the Virus
Covid cases are on the rise in several European countries. Upticks are visible again in France, Italy and the U.K. Infection rates in both Austria and Germany eclipse previous waves of the virus (based on cases per million). China is grappling with new highs in terms of case counts. The U.S. may soon follow. This fifth wave of the virus is likely to be mercifully short-lived in many areas, but the picture varies around the world. This divergence gives us something of a report card on the efficacy of the Covid policies in place.
22nd Mar 2022 - Bloomberg
Hong Kong reports 14,152 new daily coronavirus infections
Hong Kong reported 14,152 new coronavirus infections and 245 deaths on Tuesday, slightly higher than the 14,068 infections a day earlier, as authorities said infections are likely to fall after hitting a peak earlier in March.
22nd Mar 2022 - Reuters
Shanghai's local COVID cases hit daily record as Jilin outbreak persists
China's financial hub Shanghai on Tuesday reported a fifth consecutive daily record for locally transmitted COVID-19 asymptomatic cases as the highly infectious Omicron variant complicates efforts to stop the virus spreading. Although small compared with the number of infections in many outbreaks overseas, the rise is significant as Shanghai redoubles its efforts to implement China's "dynamic clearance" policy designed to curb each flare-up. The city is pressing ahead with a block by block testing scheme after already completing more than 30 million tests.
22nd Mar 2022 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 21st Mar 2022
View this newsletter in fullHong Kong Covid crisis: why is the death rate so high?
Hong Kong is in the grip of its worst Covid outbreak. The surge in infections during the fifth wave has outpaced other cities around the world. Analysis of government data by Hong Kong Free Press showed there were almost 900 confirmed infections per 100,000 Hong Kong citizens in early March, when cases peaked. The all-time high for the pandemic was previously held by New York City, with 500 cases per 100,000 residents, in January.
20th Mar 2022 - The Guardian
China reports first coronavirus deaths in over a year amid omicron surge
China’s national health authorities reported two Coronavirus deaths on Saturday, the first recorded rise in the death toll since January last year, as the country battles an omicron-driven surge. The deaths, both in north-eastern Jilin province, bring the country’s coronavirus death toll to 4,638. China reported 2,157 new community transmissions on Saturday, with the majority in Jilin. The province has instituted a travel ban, with people needing permission from police to travel across borders.
20th Mar 2022 - The Guardian
Shanghai's New Covid Cases Hit Record on Mass Mandated Tests
China’s financial hub Shanghai reported record high new Covid infections as it implemented mass mandated testing to reduce transmissions of the virus. The new cases as of Saturday include 17 confirmed local infections and 492 that are asymptomatic, Wu Jinglei, director of the Shanghai Heath Commission, said at a press conference on Sunday. Wu called for increased effort to scale up testing, which has been effective in identifying cases and helping block further transmission. China has allowed the use of rapid antigen tests kits to ease the demand from people to be diagnosed.
20th Mar 2022 - Bloomberg
China reports first COVID deaths in more than a year
Mainland China reported its first COVID-19 deaths in more than a year on Saturday, according to a post on the National Health Commission's website that said two people died in the northeastern region of Jilin. China reported only two COVID deaths for all of 2021, the last of those on Jan. 25. The country is maintaining a "dynamic clearance" approach which aims to cut transmission as soon as possible, using stringent measures such as short and targeted shutdowns and quick testing schemes where cases are found
20th Mar 2022 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 18th Mar 2022
View this newsletter in fullRising Covid cases mean we need to stay vigilant, but vaccines mean we don't need to panic
You’d think, now that there’s a war on, that we’ve had enough of pestilence. One horseman of the apocalypse at a time, please. But, inconsiderately, it appears that Covid-19 cases in the UK are on the rise again. Not anywhere near the levels of the Omicron peak two months ago, when about 200,000 new cases were being detected a day, but we are seeing as many cases as we did during the second wave in January 2021, and numbers are still going up. It’s reasonable to worry about it, and we should definitely keep an eye on it. But we don’t need to panic.
17th Mar 2022 - iNews
Scientists fear U.K. is easing coronavirus testing and monitoring too soon
After dropping nearly all coronavirus restrictions last month, Britain is now ending some of its most widespread testing and monitoring programs, a move some scientists fear will complicate efforts to track the virus and detect worrisome new variants. Officials have largely dismissed those concerns, despite a recent uptick in cases across Europe, insisting that high immunization rates will help dampen future waves of disease. Based on how quickly new variants have arisen, some experts suggest the next one could arrive as early as May. They warn that U.K. authorities should be using the time to prepare, rather than winding down their pandemic defenses. Mark Woolhouse, an epidemiologist at the University of Edinburgh, called it “an unfortunate pattern” that has been seen repeatedly throughout the outbreak.
17th Mar 2022 - The New York Times
Covid-19: Hong Kong reports world's highest death rate as zero covid strategy fails
Coronavirus infections are surging in Hong Kong as the city has reported the highest number of covid-19 deaths for population size in the world. Previously a global model for covid containment, transmission of SARS-CoV-2 has soared as Hong Kong’s zero covid strategy has failed to contain the more contagious omicron variant. The city’s low vaccine coverage is also aiding transmission and leading to more fatalities, said epidemiologists. Hong Kong’s isolation centres, hospitals, and morgues are overflowing, and some shops have empty shelves as residents are hoarding supplies in anticipation of a potential city-wide lockdown, the news agency Reuters has reported.The covid death rate in Hong Kong is now above 25 per 100 000 residents—higher than in the UK last December when the omicron variant first appeared. In Hong Kong’s largely unvaccinated elderly population the death rate is comparable to that in the UK during the first wave of coronavirus infections before vaccines were rolled out, said Julian Tang, clinical virologist at the University of Leicester, UK.
17th Mar 2022 - The BMJ
COVID-19 retreating in the Americas, says regional health agency
COVID-19 infections and deaths are declining in most of the Americas, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) said on Wednesday, with the exception of the Caribbean and Atlantic Ocean Islands where cases increased by 56.6% in the past week. In Central America, COVID-19 deaths decreased 28%, it said. The regional health agency warned, however, transmission is not yet under control and cases are rising again in other parts of the world, such as the Western Pacific and Africa, while 21 countries and territories in the Americas have yet to vaccinate half of their population.
17th Mar 2022 - Reuters
WHO says global rise in COVID cases is 'tip of the iceberg'
Figures showing a global rise in COVID-19 cases could herald a much bigger problem as some countries also report a drop in testing rates, the WHO said on Tuesday, warning nations to remain vigilant against the virus. After more than a month of decline, COVID cases started to increase around the world last week, the WHO said, with lockdowns in Asia and China's Jilin province battling to contain an outbreak. A combination of factors was causing the increases, including the highly transmissible Omicron variant and its BA.2 sublineage, and the lifting of public health and social measures, the WHO said.
17th Mar 2022 - Reuters
How One Country Is Beating Covid Despite 600000 New Cases a Day
South Korea has reached two seemingly contradictory pandemic milestones: It recorded more than 600,000 new Covid-19 infections on Thursday, the most of anywhere in the world. At the same time, the country has one of the lowest virus death rates globally. While anywhere else an infection surge of this size would signal an out-of-control outbreak soon to be followed by a spike in fatalities, in South Korea -- which is about the size of Indiana -- the picture is more complex. The sky-high caseload reflects the nation’s consistent deployment of mass testing, largely abandoned by many places as Covid becomes endemic but a key reason behind Korea’s sliding death rate, according to its virus fighters.
17th Mar 2022 - Bloomberg
South Korea’s omicron deaths surge amid faltering response
Officials in South Korea tried to calm public fears amid concerns about a faltering pandemic response as daily cases and deaths reached record highs Thursday.
The 429 deaths reported in the latest 24 hours were nearly 140 more than the previous one-day record set on Tuesday. Fatalities may further rise in coming weeks considering the intervals between infections, hospitalizations and deaths.
The 621,266 new coronavirus cases diagnosed by health workers were also a record daily jump, shattering Wednesday’s previous high of 400,624. That pushed the national caseload to over 8.2 million, with more than 7.4 million cases added since the start of February.
17th Mar 2022 - The Associated Press
Global COVID cases rising again
After 5 weeks of declining cases, global COVID-19 cases rose last week, fueled by increasing cases in three regions, the World Health Organization (WHO) said yesterday in its latest weekly update. In the United States, levels of the more transmissible BA.2 subvariant showed more signs of rising, as the country grapples with funding the ongoing pandemic response.
16th Mar 2022 - CIDRAP
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 17th Mar 2022
View this newsletter in fullOne out of every nine people testing for coronavirus is positive
Israel's Health Ministry on Wednesday morning reported that on Tuesday, 6,310 new coronavirus cases were diagnosed in Israel, representing 10.93% of the coronavirus test results received that day. The infection coefficient, meanwhile, continues to rise, and on March 5, the last day for which it is available, stood at 0.9.
As of Wednesday morning, 789 coronavirus patients were hospitalized, with 335 in serious condition or worse. That number includes 169 whose condition is critical, 151 who are intubated, and 23 who are on ECMO (heart and lung) machines. Since the start of the pandemic, 10,401 people have died due to coronavirus in Israel.
16th Mar 2022 - Arutz Sheva
Coronavirus: Hong Kong set to run out of coffins within days
Hong Kong is running out of coffins as it fights a devastating surge in coronavirus deaths. Kwok Hoi-bong, president of the Funeral Business Association, said that the city would use up its remaining 300 coffins in the next two to three days. Families would have to delay funeral services if the problem was not be addressed, he added.
16th Mar 2022 - The Times
Germany hits record Covid infection rate since start of pandemic
Germany has recorded its highest rate of Covid-19 infections since the start of the pandemic, as mask-wearing mandates in shops, restaurants and schools will come to an end in many parts of the country this weekend. The country’s disease control agency on Wednesday reported a record incidence rate of 1,607 new infections per 100,000 people over the past seven days, one of the highest in Europe. Germany’s Robert Koch Institute has recorded a total of 262,593 confirmed new cases and 269 new deaths over the past 24 hours. Experts say the true number of cases could be even higher as testing facilities have reached full capacity and those who test positive with a lateral flow test are no longer required to carry out a PCR test that would show up in the statistics.
16th Mar 2022 - The Guardian
Europe thought it was done with Covid-19. But the virus isn't done with Europe
It has been two years since the Covid-19 pandemic became a reality for millions of people in Europe and many of the region's leaders now believe it is time to move on. But as countries shed restrictions, cases and hospitalizations are slowly inching up and public health experts are worried about the consequences. Covid-19 cases are rising in Britain just two weeks after UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson lifted most mitigation measures. Infections were 48% higher last week compared with the one before and hospitalizations were up 17% over the same period, CNN's Brenda Goodman and Deidre McPhillips report. The country's daily case rate -- about 55,000 a day -- is still less than a third of what it was during the Omicron peak, but cases are rising as fast as they were falling just two weeks earlier, when self-isolation rules for infected people ended in the UK.
16th Mar 2022 - CNN
France's current rebound of COVID infections should peak soon - health minister
French Health Minister Olivier Veran said on Wednesday the current rebound of daily new COVID-19 infections should peak by the end of the month, adding France had been right to lift most restrictions put in place to contain the pandemic. Tuesday, new cases over 24 hours went beyond the 100,000 limit for the first time since a month, reaching 116,618.
16th Mar 2022 - Reuters
S.Korea reports record 400741 new daily COVID cases - KDCA
South Korea reported a record 400,741 new daily COVID-19 cases, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said on Wednesday, as the country seeks to further ease social distancing rules despite a wave of Omicron infections.
16th Mar 2022 - Reuters
Hong Kong reports 29272 new COVID cases, 217 deaths
Hong Kong health authorities reported 29,272 COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, up from 27,765 on Tuesday and 217 deaths, compared with 228 in the previous 24 hours.
16th Mar 2022 - Reuters
Analysis: China's COVID governance under pressure as Omicron spreads
China's public health governance is expected to come under acute pressure in coming weeks as the biggest wave of COVID-19 cases since the 2020 Wuhan outbreak stretches medical resources, tests the country's ability to contain infections and strains the economy. In the past 10 weeks, China has reported more new local symptomatic cases - more than 14,000 - than in all of 2021 amid the rapid spread of the Omicron variant, fuelling fears of hard lockdowns of cities and economic instability. Some parts of China are already feeling the crunch as they scramble to test local populations and quarantine the infected under China's strict COVID-19 playbook, despite relatively low caseloads by global standards.
16th Mar 2022 - Reuters
WHO: New COVID deaths fell 17% last week, but cases rising
The number of new coronavirus deaths reported worldwide fell by 17% in the last week while COVID-19 infections rose, reversing a decline in cases that first began in January, according to the World Health Organization. In the U.N. health agency’s weekly report on the pandemic issued late Tuesday, WHO said there were more than 11 million new COVID-19 infections last week - about an 8% rise - and 43,000 new deaths. The number of COVID-19 deaths globally has been dropping for the past three weeks. The biggest increase in cases were seen in the Western Pacific and Africa, where infections rose by 29% and 12% respectively. Elsewhere, cases dropped by more than 20% in the Middle East, Southeast Asia and the Americas. In Europe, cases inched up by about 2%.
16th Mar 2022 - The Associated Press
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 16th Mar 2022
View this newsletter in fullHow Hong Kong went from Zero Covid success story to the world’s worst Omicron wave
For a long time, Hong Kong was held up as one of the great success stories of Covid. When the pandemic started, it shut down: it closed its borders. For eight whole months, there was not a single case of Covid-19 detected within it. And life for Hong Kongers was relatively normal, at least from a public health perspective. Restaurants were open, schools were open. There were no lockdowns, no bans on household mixing. Meanwhile, in the UK, tens of thousands were dying; our children were barred from schools; I spent my 40th birthday drinking cans with one friend on a park bench, because larger gatherings were banned. Life was not normal. But now, Hong Kong is living through a disaster. At the absolute peak of Britain’s second wave, about 18 people in every million were dying from Covid a day, and our health service was creaking under the strain. On 13 March, in Hong Kong, nearly 38 people out of every million died.
15th Mar 2022 - iNews
Rise in COVID-19 infections overseas may foreshadow increase in US, experts say
When the coronavirus receded across much of the globe last month and the omicron surge declined, many Americans were hopeful that was perhaps the signal that the United States was entering a new phase of the pandemic. However, new data indicators, domestically and internationally, suggest that the virus continues to spread. Although official counts of COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations are still declining, new wastewater data updated this week from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows the United States may be seeing the beginnings of an uptick in COVID-19 infections. Between Feb. 24 and March 10, 37% of wastewater sites that are monitored by the CDC have seen an increase of 100% or more in the presence of the COVID-19 virus in their wastewater.
15th Mar 2022 - ABC News
China Covid cases hit two-year high with millions in lockdown as outbreak spreads
China has posted a steep jump in daily Covid-19 infections with new cases more than doubling from a day earlier to a two-year high as a virus outbreak expanded rapidly in the north-east. A total of 3,507 domestically transmitted cases with confirmed symptoms were reported on Monday across more than a dozen provinces and municipalities, the National Health Commission said, up from 1,337 a day earlier. Since the coronavirus first emerged in the central city of Wuhan in late 2019, China had successfully suppressed large-scale outbreaks through its strict “zero-Covid” strategy, which involved hard lockdowns that confined huge sections of the population to their homes.
15th Mar 2022 - The Guardian
What rising Covid-19 infections in the UK and Europe could mean for the US
Two weeks after the United Kingdom dropped its last remaining Covid-19 mitigation measure -- a requirement that people who test positive for the virus isolate for five days -- the country is seeing cases and hospitalizations climb once again. Covid-19 cases were up 48% in the UK last week compared with the week before. Hospitalizations were up 17% over the same period. The country's daily case rate -- about 55,000 a day -- is still less than a third of the Omicron peak, but cases are rising as fast as they were falling just two weeks earlier, when the country removed pandemic-related restrictions.
15th Mar 2022 - CNN
Germany reports record COVID-19 incidence before easing curbs
Germany reported a record high seven-day incidence of the coronavirus on Tuesday, just days before the planned easing of restrictions. The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) registered 198,888 new infections, that is 42,000 higher than a week ago, bringing the total number of infections to more than 17.4 million. The seven-day incidence rose to a new high of 1,585.4 infections per 1,000 people, up from 1,543.0 the day before. Another 283 people died, bringing the total to 125,873 people. This week, the government wants to adopt a slimmed-down law that will significantly reduce restrictions around Germany
15th Mar 2022 - Reuters
China's soaring COVID case load raises concerns about costs of containment
China posted a steep jump in daily COVID-19 infections on Tuesday, with new cases more than doubling from a day earlier to hit a two-year high, raising concerns about the rising economic costs of its tough measures to contain the disease. A total of 3,507 domestically transmitted cases with confirmed symptoms were reported on Monday across more than a dozen provinces and municipalities, up from 1,337 a day earlier, the National Health Commission said. Most of the new cases were in the northeastern province of Jilin.
15th Mar 2022 - Reuters
China’s Covid-19 Surge Shuts Down Plants in Manufacturing Hubs Shenzhen and Changchun
A surge in Covid-19 cases led Chinese manufacturing hubs Shenzhen and Changchun to lock down in recent days, halting production at many electronics and auto factories in the latest threat to the world’s battered supply chain. A number of manufacturers including Foxconn, Technology Group, a major assembler of Apple Inc.’s iPhones, said they were halting operations in Shenzhen in compliance with the local government’s policy. The government placed the city into lockdown for at least a week and said everyone in the city would have to undergo three rounds of testing after 86 new cases of domestic Covid-19 infections were detected Sunday.
15th Mar 2022 - The Wall Street Journal
Nearly Half of Hong Kong's Population Has Likely Caught Covid
About half of Hong Kong’s 7.4 million people have already been infected with Covid-19, according to an estimate of the damage caused by the deadly omicron wave that’s overwhelmed the city. Researchers at the University of Hong Kong determined that about 3.6 million Hong Kongers caught the disease through March 14. That’s up from an estimated 1.8 million infections they concluded had developed through March 7 based on disease modeling and an in-depth analysis of the ongoing outbreak.
15th Mar 2022 - Bloomberg
South Korea reports record deaths amid omicron surge
Article reports that South Korea had its deadliest day yet of the pandemic on Tuesday, with 293 deaths reported in the latest 24 hours, as the country grapples with a record surge in coronavirus infections driven by the fast-moving omicron variant. The 1,196 virus patients in serious or critical conditions were also a new high. Health officials said the country’s medical response remains stable following efforts to expand resources, with more than 30% of intensive care units designated for COVID-19 treatment still available. But the strain on the hospital system is expected to increase in coming weeks, considering the time lags between infections, hospitalizations and deaths.
15th Mar 2022 - The Associated Press
Coronavirus in Israel: Infection coefficient continues to rise
Israel's coronavirus infection coefficient is continuing to rise, the country's Health Ministry reported Tuesday morning. On Monday, 6,521 new coronavirus cases were diagnosed, for a total of 35,810 active cases around the country. As of Tuesday morning, 795 COVID-19 patients were hospitalized, among them 340 who are in serious condition or worse. Included in that count are 170 patients whose condition is critical, and 148 who are on ventilators. Twenty-three (23) other patients are on ECMO (heart and lung) machines.
15th Mar 2022 - Arutz Sheva
Rise in COVID-19 infections overseas may foreshadow increase in US, experts say
When the coronavirus receded across much of the globe last month and the omicron surge declined, many Americans were hopeful that was perhaps the signal that the United States was entering a new phase of the pandemic. However, new data indicators, domestically and internationally, suggest that the virus continues to spread. Although official counts of COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations are still declining, new wastewater data updated this week from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows the United States may be seeing the beginnings of an uptick in COVID-19 infections. Between Feb. 24 and March 10, 37% of wastewater sites that are monitored by the CDC have seen an increase of 100% or more in the presence of the COVID-19 virus in their wastewater.
15th Mar 2022 - ABC News
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 15th Mar 2022
View this newsletter in fullCovid-19: Countries in the Americas are warned not to lower their guard
Covid-19 is on the retreat across the American continents but it is too early for the region to let its guard down, warned the Pan American Health Organisation, the World Health Organization’s regional office for the Americas, on 9 March. Reported cases of covid-19 fell by 26% in the past week and deaths by nearly 19%, as the omicron wave of infections tailed off. But ongoing transmission and future variants could expose the region’s public health priorities once more, said PAHO’s director, Carissa Etienne. A total of 2.6 million people have died from covid-19 in the Americas, the highest number of any region of the world and almost half of the global total, despite being home to only 13% of its population. “This is a tragedy of enormous proportions, and its effects will be felt for years to come,” said Etienne on the second anniversary of the pandemic. Patchy vaccination coverage has left countries vulnerable to current and future variants of SARS-CoV-2. Around 248 million people in Latin America and the Caribbean are yet to receive a single dose of a covid vaccine, with vaccination rates particularly low in hard-to-reach rural areas.
14th Mar 2022 - The BMJ
Covid-19 cases continue to rise in China's worst outbreak since Wuhan
China reported thousands of new local Covid-19 cases Sunday as the Omicron variant drove the worst outbreak in the country since Wuhan in early 2020, according to the National Health Commission (NHC). Health officials said 2,125 cases were reported across 58 cities in 19 of 31 mainland provinces, marking the fourth consecutive day China reported more than 1,000 daily local cases. More than 10,000 cases have been reported since the latest outbreak began in early March, the NHC said. Saturday, the commission reported 3,122 local cases -- the highest number of daily infections since the Wuhan outbreak and the first time new cases have exceeded 3,000 in a day, NHC data showed. Throughout the pandemic, China has adhered to a strict zero-Covid policy that aims to stamp out all outbreaks and chains of transmission using a combination of border controls, mass testing, quarantine procedures and lockdowns.
14th Mar 2022 - CNN
Britons should brace for rising Covid cases, says Sajid Javid
Britons should brace for a rise in Covid infections after the easing of restrictions, the health secretary has said, as the latest figures show rates are increasing as people socialise more. Sajid Javid said the UK remained in a “very good position” but rising infection rates were to be “expected”. To reduce the risk of serious infection, he urged adults eligible for a booster vaccine to have one, given that one in five had not yet received it. The latest data from the Office for National Statistics Covid-19 Infections Survey showed an increase in cases across the whole of the UK. In the week ending 5 March, one in every 25 people in England, one in 13 in Northern Ireland, one in 18 in Scotland and one in 30 in Wales were estimated to have Covid-19.
14th Mar 2022 - The Guardian
Hong Kong reports 32430 COVID cases, 264 deaths
Hong Kong health authorities reported 32,430 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday, as the city's leader said her government was trying build capacity to deal with the crisis that has swept through care homes. Although Chief Executive Carrie Lam said government efforts were improving, she said they had yet to reach everybody in isolation to see whether people needed help. "With so many people put under isolation or quarantine, the government has been strengthening our capability to support them. However, we're still catching up," she told reporters.
14th Mar 2022 - Reuters
Omicron-hit Chinese province bans travel in rare measure against COVID
A northeastern Chinese province on Monday imposed a rare travel ban on its population as the region's Omicron outbreak helped drive China's tally of new local COVID-19 cases so far this year higher than any recorded in 2021. Mainland China reported 1,337 new domestically transmitted COVID infections with confirmed symptoms on March 13, the National Health Commission (NHC) said on Monday. That brought the registered total this year to more than 9,000, compared with 8,378 in 2021, according to Reuters calculations.
14th Mar 2022 - Reuters
COVID comes back
This morning, Chinese stocks fell as domestic COVID-19 cases jumped to a two-year high, prompting Beijing's technology and financial hubs to impose restrictions.
How severe the outbreak will prove and how much pain it will bring to the global economy is anyone's guess, but the economic fallout of Russia's invasion of Ukraine is already taking a heavy toll.
14th Mar 2022 - Reuters
China battles multiple outbreaks, driven by stealth omicron
China banned most people from leaving a coronavirus-hit northeastern province and mobilized military reservists Monday as the fast-spreading “stealth omicron” variant fuels the country’s biggest outbreak since the start of the pandemic two years ago. The National Health Commission reported 1,337 locally transmitted cases in the latest 24-hour period, including 895 in the industrial province of Jilin. A government notice said that police permission would be required for people to leave the area or travel from one city to another. The hard-hit province sent 7,000 reservists to help with the response, from keeping order and registering people at testing centers to using drones to carry out aerial spraying and disinfection, state broadcaster CCTV reported.
14th Mar 2022 - The Associated Press
France's COVID infections keep rising, hospitalizations up
French health authorities reported 18,853 new COVID-19 infections on Monday, a figure showing a week-on-week increase for the tenth consecutive time on the day France lifted most of the restrictions put in place to contain the pandemic. The seven-day moving average of new cases, which evens out reporting irregularities, reached 65,882, the highest since Feb. 24. The number of people hospitalized for COVID-19 rose by 8, to 20,925, a figure still 37% lower than the pandemic peak of 33,497 reached in November 2020. But it has gone up for the second day running, a first since early February. And the week-on-week decrease has been decelerating for nine days.
14th Mar 2022 - Reuters
'Deltacron,' the Delta-Omicron hybrid COVID variant, appears to be in the US, according to a new study
The so-called Deltacron COVID variant appears to be present in the U.S., with two cases identified by a California lab since January, according to a new study published Saturday to research site medRxiv. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control–affiliated lab Helix, based in San Mateo, Calif., found two unique cases of Delta-Omicron hybrids when sequencing nearly 30,000 positive COVID samples obtained from U.S. individuals between November and February, according to the study, published to a preprint server for health sciences papers that haven't yet been peer reviewed, cofounded by Yale University and The British Medical Journal.
The Delta-Omicron hybrids—SARS-CoV-2 genomes with features of both Delta and Omicron variants of COVID, known as recombinants—are rare, according to the study, which added that there is no evidence such mutations spread more easily than the highly transmissible Omicron.
13th Mar 2022 - Fortune
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 14th Mar 2022
View this newsletter in fullCoronavirus: New Zealand COVID death toll spikes to 105 as 'people losing years of a potential healthy life'
The number of people with COVID-19 who have died in New Zealand has now reached 105, with 14 deaths reported in the past two days. There are more than 206,000 active cases of COVID-19 in the community,
12th Mar 2022 - Newshub
Western Australia records 4,300 COVID-19 cases, with 103 people in hospital
Western Australia has recorded another 4,300 COVID-19 cases, with 103 people in hospital. WA Health Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson said five people were in ICU on Friday night, but three had since been released. Of the positive cases, 2,339 were detected with PCR tests and 1,961 were the result of self-reported positive RATs. The number of active cases in the state has risen to 22,757.
12th Mar 2022 - ABC News
Asia's COVID deaths surpass 1 million - Reuters tally
Asia passed the grim milestone of 1 million coronavirus-linked deaths on Friday, a Reuters tally showed, as a spike in Omicron variant infections spreads across the region after starting in nations such as Japan and South Korea.
12th Mar 2022 - Reuters
South Korea reports record high 383665 new COVID-19 cases - KDCA
South Korea reported a new record daily high of 383,665 COVID-19 cases, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said on Saturday, amid a surge of Omicron infections.
12th Mar 2022 - Reuters
Hong Kong reports 29381 new COVID cases on Friday
Hong Kong health authorities reported 29,381 new COVID-19 infections on Friday, of which 10,493 were confirmed via a self-reporting platform where people can register positive results of rapid antigen tests.
12th Mar 2022 - Reuters
French COVID-19 infections again up 25% week-on-week, trend upward again
New COVID-19 infections in France rose by more than 25% on Friday compared to a week ago after rising more than 24% on Thursday, as a downward trend that had started late January reversed. The health ministry registered 72,399 new infections on Friday, while the seven-day moving average of new infections also rose, for the fourth day in a row, by nearly 16% to more than 60,000. New hospitalisations with COVID-19 - which tend to lag new cases by about two weeks - continued falling, by 7% to just over 21,000.
12th Mar 2022 - Reuters
England's COVID-19 prevalence rises - ONS
England's COVID-19 prevalence rose to 1 in 25 in the week ending March 5, Britain's Office for National Statistics (ONS) said on Friday, up from 1 in 30 recorded the previous week.
12th Mar 2022 - Reuters
Age groups being hardest hit by Covid in York revealed
As the Covid rate soars in York, the age groups being most affected by the coronavirus have been revealed. City of York Council's latest Covid data tracker report says people aged between 30 and 49 are currently experiencing the highest Covid infection rate. It says people aged 40 to 44 had the highest rate of new cases in the week to March 5, with a rate of 801 per 100,000 population. The next hardest hit groups were people aged 45-49, who had a rate of 655, people aged 35-39, with a rate of 561 and people aged 30-34, with a rate of 547. The rate for people aged 60+ was 392.7. The council ward with the highest rate was Wheldrake, with a rate of 695.8 per 100,000, and the lowest rate was 257.5 in Clifton.
12th Mar 2022 - York Press
Covid infections rising again across UK - ONS
Covid infections are increasing across the UK with about one in 25 people infected, according to the latest estimates from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). In Scotland, 300,000 people - one in 18 - have coronavirus, the highest level recorded during the pandemic. A sub-variant of Omicron, called BA.2, is now thought to be the most common strain in most of the UK. The ONS says it's too early to say what's behind the rise in cases. But some scientists believe the BA.2 variant's increased transmissibility, recent easing of restrictions and waning immunity from the vaccines could all be factors.
12th Mar 2022 - BBC News
Covid cases and hospital admissions rising in England, data suggests
One in 25 people in England had Covid last week, figures show, causing a rise in the rates of hospital admissions. The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics, based on swabs from randomly selected households, reveal an estimated 2,073,900 people in the community in England had Covid in the week ending 5 March, equating to 3.8% of the population or about one in 25 people. The week before, the figure was about one in 30. In Scotland, the latest ONS figures suggest about one in 18 had Covid in the most recent week – continuing a rise in prevalence – while in Northern Ireland and Wales it was one in 13 and one in 30 respectively, suggesting infection levels are increasing in all countries in the UK.
11th Mar 2022 - The Guardian
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 11th Mar 2022
View this newsletter in fullUK Covid cases rising among those aged 55 and over
Covid cases appear to be rising in older people as increased socialising, waning immunity and a more transmissible version of the Omicron variant threaten to fuel a resurgence of the virus. Tests on nearly 100,000 swabs from homes across England reveal that, while infections have fallen overall since the January peak, one in 35 people tested positive between 8 February and 1 March, with cases either level or rising in those aged 55 and over. Scientists on Imperial College’s React-1 study said the R value – the average number of people an infected person passes the virus to – remained below 1 for those aged 54 and under, meaning cases were in decline. But for those aged 55 and over, R stood at 1.04. The suspected uptick has raised concerns as older people are more prone to severe Covid and have had more time for their immunity to wane, as many had their booster vaccines several months ago.
10th Mar 2022 - The Guardian
Brad Hazzard says NSW COVID-19 figures could double as Omicron sub-variant BA.2 emerges
Authorities are concerned at the spread of an Omicron sub-variant of COVID-19, which is believed to be driving rising case numbers in NSW. Health Minister Brad Hazzard on Thursday told a NSW budget estimates hearing the BA.2 sub-variant, thought to be more infectious than the BA.1 lineage, was becoming the dominant Omicron offshoot. Mr Hazzard said preliminary data from the University of NSW indicated cases could "more than double" within six weeks. "It's very preliminary and we need to do a lot more digging ... but we are concerned at this point that BA.2 is amongst us and overtaking BA1," he said.
10th Mar 2022 - Australian Broadcasting Corporation
China fights new COVID-19 spike with more selective approach
China is tackling a COVID-19 spike with selective lockdowns and other measures that appear to slightly ease its draconian “zero tolerance” strategy. In Hong Kong, which recorded more than 58,000 new cases on Thursday, barber shops and hair salons were reopening. Many are seeing that as an example of mixed messages from the government of the semi-autonomous Chinese territory that has been ordered to follow the “zero tolerance" approach used on the mainland. The 402 cases of local transmission recorded on the mainland Thursday were quadruple the number of cases a week ago. Of those, 165 were in the northeastern province of Jilin, mainly in the cities of Changchun and Jilin, where city authorities locked down 160 residential communities where multiple cases have been detected.
10th Mar 2022 - The Independent
COVID cases, deaths falling in Americas, but too soon to lower guard -PAHO
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) on Wednesday said COVID-19 cases fell by 26% across the Americas last week while deaths from the virus dropped by nearly 19%, but cautioned that some effective measures to curb infections should be maintained. The region recorded 1.1 million new infections during the period with 18,000 COVID-related deaths. "We all want the pandemic to be over, but optimism alone cannot control the virus. It is too soon to lower our guard," PAHO director Carissa Etienne said. Etienne also noted that the number of reported cases in countries may not reflect the actual figure due to a possible reduction in testing.
10th Mar 2022 - Reuters
COVID prevalence rising among over-55s in England - study
COVID-19 cases were rising among the over-55s in England, a study found on Thursday, with increased social contact, waning of booster protection and a more contagious subvariant of Omicron possibly driving an increase in hospitalisations.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson in February lifted the last coronavirus restrictions in England and abolished a legal requirement to self-isolate after testing positive for the virus. Johnson took those steps after Omicron peaked at the start of the year without causing a wave of hospitalisations and deaths to overwhelm the health service, which he attributed to the booster programme and Omicron's lower severity.
10th Mar 2022 - Reuters
China's local symptomatic COVID cases nearly double; curbs start to bite
Mainland China reported 402 locally transmitted COVID-19 infections with confirmed symptoms for March. 9, official data showed on Thursday, nearly doubling from the daily count a day earlier. Of those, 165 were in the northeastern province of Jilin, the National Health Commission said in a statement. That marks the highest daily count for the province since China contained its first national outbreak in early 2020. The number of new domestically-transmitted asymptomatic cases, which China does not classify as confirmed cases, was 435, a near two-year high.
10th Mar 2022 - Reuters
In ‘zero COVID’ Hong Kong, deaths smash global records
The Hong Kong nursing home where Amy’s 78-year-old mother lives battened down the hatches when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Elderly residents were confined within the walls of their rooms. Families were not allowed to visit. As the Chinese territory battled its biggest outbreak of coronavirus cases, staff at the private facility camped out in the office for weeks to avoid bringing the virus with them from outside. Even so, the inevitable happened. In February, Amy’s mother was among the residents sent to a public hospital’s emergency ward after developing a fever. “This elderly home has some of the strictest standards in the industry,” Amy, who asked to only be referred to by her first name, told Al Jazeera. “If 80 percent of its residents can be infected, then no other nursing home in Hong Kong can remain unscathed.”
9th Mar 2022 - AlJazeera
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 10th Mar 2022
View this newsletter in fullFirst Covid-19 case arrives in Aiutaki
The case is an Aitutaki resident, and the person is isolating at home. Household contacts are currently being identified and are asked to quarantine. Like Rarotonga, the population on Aitutaki is highly vaccinated and Prime Minister Mark Brown said they are prepared for this. Over the weekend 24 new cases were confirmed, bringing the total number to 130. R-A-T tests will be used to diagnose new cases in the Cook islands as is occurring in New Zealand. No additional PCR test will be required except for clinical reasons.
9th Mar 2022 - RNZ
Hong Kong’s Covid-19 Death Rate Is the World’s Highest Because of Unvaccinated Elderly
Almost a year ago, Rio Ling decided to hold off on vaccinating his 86-year-old father against the coronavirus because he was more worried about possible side effects than the virus itself, given that Hong Kong had kept cases low under its “Zero-Covid” policy. By the time he gave the go-ahead in January, after the Omicron variant had broken through the city’s defenses, it was too late. A few hours after finally receiving the inoculation in late February, Mr. Ling’s dad, who has high blood pressure and dementia, tested positive for Covid-19. Half a million people over 70 weren’t vaccinated when Omicron began surging through the city. Like other places, Hong Kong gave its elderly priority to get their shots, but persistent fears about vaccine safety, fueled by local media reports about deaths following vaccinations, and Hong Kong’s low case count led many to delay.
9th Mar 2022 - The Wall Street Journal
Covid-19 news: Deaths and new infections are declining, say WHO
The number of global recorded covid deaths between 28 February and 6 March declined by 8 per cent compared to the previous week. In its weekly update, the WHO reported the number of recorded new SARS-CoV-2 infections also decreased by 5 per cent week-on-week. In the week starting 28 February, more than 10 million new covid cases and 52,000 deaths were reported across the WHO’s six regions.
Case numbers only increased in the Western Pacific Region, rising by 46 per cent. Covid deaths rose in the Western Pacific and Eastern Mediterranean regions, by 29 per cent and 2 per cent, respectively, with fatalities falling elsewhere.
The surge in infection caused by the omicron variant appears to have peaked in February. But the WHO has stressed that countries vary in their testing strategies and therefore any trends should be interpreted with caution.
9th Mar 2022 - New Scientist
Shanghai steps up defences against wave of asymptomatic COVID cases
The Chinese financial hub of Shanghai is moving quickly to halt the spread of COVID-19 amid a rising wave of local symptomless cases, testing tens of thousands of people, delaying dozens of concerts and exhibitions and shutting some public venues. Shanghai reported 62 domestically transmitted asymptomatic infections for Tuesday, the seventh consecutive day of increases in such cases, official data showed on Wednesday. That was the highest daily count for the city since China started in late March 2020 to classify symptomless infections separately from confirmed cases.
9th Mar 2022 - Reuters
Hong Kong reports 58767 new COVID cases on Wednesday
Hong Kong health authorities reported on Wednesday 25,991 new COVID-19 cases confirmed with nucleic acid tests and an additional 32,776 confirmed via rapid antigen tests (RATs). Some of the cases confirmed with RATs were older than 24 hours.
9th Mar 2022 - Reuters
France's new COVID-19 infections start creeping up again
French health authorities reported 93,050 new COVID-19 infections on Tuesday, the highest daily total since Feb 22, and an increase of 16.6% versus a week ago.
The number of new daily infections has now shown a week-oneweek rise for the fourth consecutive day, reversing a declining trend that started end January. The daily COVID-19 death toll increased by 167, to 139,618, versus a rise of 176 on Monday. The number of people hospitalised with the disease fell by 309, to 21,899, a low point since early January.
9th Mar 2022 - Reuters
In ‘zero COVID’ Hong Kong, deaths smash global records
The Hong Kong nursing home where Amy’s 78-year-old mother lives battened down the hatches when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Elderly residents were confined within the walls of their rooms. Families were not allowed to visit. As the Chinese territory battled its biggest outbreak of coronavirus cases, staff at the private facility camped out in the office for weeks to avoid bringing the virus with them from outside. Even so, the inevitable happened. In February, Amy’s mother was among the residents sent to a public hospital’s emergency ward after developing a fever. “This elderly home has some of the strictest standards in the industry,” Amy, who asked to only be referred to by her first name, told Al Jazeera. “If 80 percent of its residents can be infected, then no other nursing home in Hong Kong can remain unscathed.” As Hong Kong reports tens of thousands of coronavirus cases each day, the city’s large population of unvaccinated elderly residents has resulted in the highest official death rate per capita of any jurisdiction during the pandemic. Only about 30 per cent of Hong Kong residents over 80 have been double vaccinated despite vaccines being freely available for more than a year, amid widespread vaccine hesitancy among the elderly.
9th Mar 2022 - AlJazeera
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 9th Mar 2022
View this newsletter in fullAlmost 750,000 kids below 18 contracted Covid-19 since 2020, Dewan Rakyat told
There were almost 750,000 Covid-19 cases involving those under 18-years-old recorded between Jan 25, 2020 and March 6 this year. Deputy Health Minister I Datuk Dr Noor Azmi Ghazali said from the 748,037 cases, a total of 40.3 per cent (301,268 cases) involved children aged five to 11. "In addition, 157 deaths due to Covid-19 were reported among those under 18, with 39 deaths (24.8 per cent) among children aged five to 11," he told the Dewan Rakyat today. Dr Noor Azmi said the Health Ministry also established that there had been an increase in Covid-19 infections among children, especially after schools reopened early this year.
8th Mar 2022 - New Straits Times
WA records another COVID-19 record with 2,847 new cases, as number in hospital jumps to 48
WA's Deputy Premier is warning the state is headed for more disruptions to services, with a record 2,847 new COVID-19 cases detected and the number of people in hospital continuing to grow. The latest reported infections bring the total number of active cases in WA to 14,458, with 48 in hospital — up from 36 yesterday. None of the hospital cases are in ICU. The majority of new cases, 1,530, were self-reported through rapid antigen tests. The remaining 1,317 were detected through 11,632 PCR tests, a significant increase from the previous day's 8,828 tests, despite yesterday being a public holiday.
8th Mar 2022 - ABC News
Covid-19 cases creating burden on hospitals - minister
The number of people with Covid-19 in hospitals around the country has risen by over 30% in the last week. There were 803 Covid patients in hospital as of 8am this morning, with 51 of those in ICU. That figure is an increase of 187 compared to last Tuesday. However, it is down five on the same time yesterday, which is the first daily reduction in 10 days. The 808 people with the coronavirus in hospital on Monday, represented the highest level in six weeks, since 824 on 25 January.
8th Mar 2022 - RTE.ie
Covid-19 weekly deaths in England and Wales fall to half of Omicron peak
The number of deaths involving coronavirus registered each week in England and Wales has dropped to around half the level seen at the peak of the recent Omicron wave of infections. Some 766 deaths registered in the week ending February 25 mentioned Covid-19 on the death certificate, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). This is down 48% from the 1,484 deaths registered in the week to January 21 – the highest weekly total during the latest wave of the virus. It is also the fifth week-on-week fall in a row.
8th Mar 2022 - The Independent
Mexico reports 42 more COVID deaths, 1684 new cases
Mexico reported 42 more confirmed fatalities from COVID-19 on Monday, bringing the total death toll in the country since the pandemic began to 319,901, according to health ministry data. The country also reported 1,684 new confirmed cases of the virus, the lowest count in a 24-hour period so far this year, according to a Reuters tally, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 5,566,669.
8th Mar 2022 - Reuters
Hong Kong reports over 43000 new COVID cases after new reporting system launched
Hong Kong reported more than 43,000 new coronavirus infections on Tuesday, a day after the launch of an online self reporting platform which lets residents register their own rapid antigen tests results.
8th Mar 2022 - Reuters
Less than 500 COVID-19 patients in serious condition
A total of 4,769 new COVID-19 cases were diagnosed across Israel on Monday, Israel's Health Ministry reported Tuesday morning. The new cases bring the countrywide total to 48,408 active cases, among them 969 hospitalized patients.
8th Mar 2022 - Arutz Sheva
As virus cases go from 1 to 24,000, New Zealand changes tack
Back in August, New Zealand’s government put the entire nation on lockdown after a single community case of the coronavirus was detected. On Tuesday, when new daily cases hit a record of nearly 24,000, officials told hospital workers they could help out on understaffed COVID-19 wards even if they were mildly sick themselves.
It was the latest sign of just how radically New Zealand’s approach to the virus has shifted, moving from elimination to suppression and now to something approaching acceptance as the omicron variant has taken hold. Experts say New Zealand’s sometimes counterintuitive actions have likely saved thousands of lives by allowing the nation to mostly avoid earlier, more deadly variants and buying time to get people vaccinated. The nation of 5 million has reported just 65 virus deaths since the pandemic began.
8th Mar 2022 - The Associated Press
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 8th Mar 2022
View this newsletter in fullPandemic on the wane: Mumbai sees just 38 Covid-19 cases, no death
Mumbai on Monday recorded 38 COVID-19 cases, which took the tally to 10,56,956, while the death toll remained unchanged at 16,692, a civic official said.
7th Mar 2022 - Business Standard
Philippines logs 6,297 new Covid-19 cases in a week (Feb 28-March 6)
The Philippines' Department of Health (DOH) reported a total of 6,297 new Covid-19 infections and 615 deaths from March 1 to 7, according to its first weekly bulletin released on Monday. The daily case average was 899, 30 percent lower than the cases reported in the previous week in February. The DOH will release the weekly bulletin every Monday instead of reporting daily cases. The new format does not include the total number of cases. On Sunday, the DOH said 3,667,542 confirmed cases had been reported in the South-East Asian country.
7th Mar 2022 - The Star
Singapore reports 13,520 COVID-19 cases, 6 deaths
Singapore reported 13,520 new COVID-19 cases as of noon on Monday (Mar 7), comprising 13,371 local infections and 149 imported cases. There were six fatalities, taking the death toll from coronavirus complications to 1,084. There are 1,477 patients in hospital, according to the latest infection statistics on the Ministry of Health's (MOH) website. A total of 198 patients require oxygen supplementation.
Fifty-four patients are in the intensive care unit, compared to 47 on Sunday.
7th Mar 2022 - Channel NewsAsia
Taiwan reports 29 new COVID-19 cases-Xinhua
Taiwan reported 29 new COVID-19 cases, including two locally transmitted infections and 27 imported ones, the island's disease monitoring agency said Monday. Taiwan has relaxed several of its COVID-19 prevention measures from March 1, given that the local epidemic situation is stable and under control. Starting Monday, Taiwan will further shorten the duration of home quarantine for all arrivals from overseas, as well as close contacts of confirmed cases, from 14 to 10 days.
7th Mar 2022 - Xinhua
China’s Covid-19 Cases Hit Highest Daily Total Since 2020 Wuhan Outbreak
China logged its highest daily total of locally transmitted Covid-19 infections in more than two years, with the highly transmissible Omicron variant of the coronavirus posing a fresh test to China’s ability to quickly smother outbreaks. China’s National Health Commission said Monday that it had detected 526 domestic infection cases, 214 of which were symptomatic, on the prior day, marking the single highest daily tally by either measure since the initial pandemic outbreak in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in early 2020. Most of those who tested positive on Sunday were in the eastern port cities of Qingdao and Shanghai, with others detected in the southern province of Guangdong and the northeastern province of Jilin.
7th Mar 2022 - The Wall Street Journal
COVID-19: Global death toll from coronavirus reaches six million, new figures show
Six million people have now died of coronavirus since the pandemic began, new figures have shown. The global milestone has been recorded by Johns Hopkins University, suggesting the pandemic is far from over despite restrictions being eased in the UK following a surge in Omicron cases over the winter period last year.
The death rates worldwide are still highest among people who are unvaccinated against the virus, said Tikki Pang, a visiting professor at the National University of Singapore's medical school and co-chair of the Asia Pacific Immunisation Coalition.
7th Mar 2022 - Sky News
Vaccination disparity still significant as official COVID-19 death toll hits 6 million globally
The official global death toll from COVID-19 eclipsed six million on Monday — underscoring that the pandemic, which officially enters its third year at the end of this week, is far from over. The milestone, recorded by Johns Hopkins University, is the latest tragic reminder of the unrelenting nature of the pandemic even as people are shedding masks, travel is resuming and businesses are reopening around the globe. As death rates remain high in Poland, Hungary, Romania and other eastern European countries, the region has seen more than 1.5 million refugees arrive from war-torn Ukraine, a country with poor vaccination coverage and high rates of cases and deaths. Meanwhile, despite its wealth and vaccine availability, the United States will hit one million reported deaths sometime this spring.
7th Mar 2022 - CBC.ca
Hong Kong reports 25150 new daily coronavirus infections
Hong Kong reported 25,150 new coronavirus infections and 280 deaths on Monday, as authorities struggle to contain a worsening COVID-19 outbreak which has torn through hundreds of nursing homes and hit many of the city's unvaccinated elderly. While Hong Kong was successful in controlling the virus in 2021, it has recently seen COVID-19 infections soar to a total of around 500,000. Most of the Chinese-ruled city's more than 2,200 deaths have been in the past two weeks. Health authorities said 161 of the deaths reported on Monday were in the past 24 hours while 119 were older fatalities processed with a delay.
7th Mar 2022 - Reuters
Mainland China daily local COVID cases climb to 2-year high
Mainland China has logged its highest number of daily new local symptomatic COVID-19 infections in about two years, with the highly transmissible Omicron variant putting pressure on the government's strict policy of curbing each outbreak quickly. China reported 214 domestically transmitted cases with confirmed symptoms for Sunday, the majority in the provinces of Guangdong, Jilin and Shandong. It's the highest daily caseload since early March 2020 when authorities began to count locally found infections and cases arriving from outside the mainland separately.
7th Mar 2022 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 7th Mar 2022
View this newsletter in fullMinistry of Health urges caution over dropping Covid-19 case numbers
In New Zealand, there were 15,161 new community cases today, more than 3500 fewer than yesterday's total of 18,833. On Friday, it was 22,527. It is the third day running that case numbers have fallen. Covid-19 Modelling Aotearoa project leader Dion O'Neale said the shift to Rapid Antigen Tests and focus on personal reponsibility in reporting cases could be throwing numbers off. Urging caution, the ministry said: "The variation in reporting numbers each day means that the rolling average of cases gives a more reliable indicator of testing trends. The seven-day rolling average of cases is today 17,272, up from 16,687 yesterday".
6th Mar 2022 - RNZ
Mexico reports 308 more COVID-19 deaths, 9,748 new cases
Mexico reported 308 more fatalities from COVID-19 on Friday, bringing the total death toll since the pandemic began to 319,604, according to health ministry data.
The country also reported 9,748 new confirmed cases of the virus, bringing the total to 5,554,392.
5th Mar 2022 - Reuters
NI prisons are seeing a spike in cases of Covid-19
Prisons in Northern Ireland are seeing a spike in Covid-19 case numbers, a Stormont committee has heard. Ronnie Armour, Director General of the Northern Ireland Prison Service, told the Justice Committee that in Maghaberry Prison in Co Antrim, 11 prisoners in Bush House tested positive around three weeks ago. In the same prison, he said 31 prisoners in Davis House have tested positive, and one prisoner at Magilligan in the north west
5th Mar 2022 - Yahoo News UK
Covid-19: Nisra records 33 deaths in past week in Northern Ireland
There has been an increase in the number of Covid-19-related deaths registered in Northern Ireland. The government statistics agency, Nisra, said in the week up to 25 February, the virus was mentioned on the death certificates of 33 people - two more than the previous week. It brings the total number of deaths registered by the agency to 4,300. The Department of Health's total up to last Friday, based on a positive test recorded, was 3,205. Nisra's figures are higher, because it records mentions of the virus on death certificates, where it may or may not have been confirmed by way of a test. Of the agency's measure, more than two thirds of Covid-19-related deaths have occurred in hospital (69.6%).
5th Mar 2022 - BBC News
When teens blow off pleas to get Covid-19 vaccines, the consequences can be deadly
Kennedy Stonum, a high school junior, deflected repeated entreaties from her father to please get vaccinated against Covid-19. "I would send her articles. I would send her studies. I would send her whatever I thought might either scare her enough about Covid to get the vaccine or allay her concerns enough about the vaccine," said Lee Stonum, 41, a public defender in Orange County, California. His mother, who lives in Cleveland, also sent emails to her granddaughter urging her to get the shots. "She was very skilled at blowing it off," Stonum said of his only child. "It was constantly, 'OK, I'll think about it.' It was never an outright 'no.' "
5th Mar 2022 - CNN
Coronavirus: Greece reports 16,060 new cases, 56 deaths
Greek authorities announced 16,060 new cases of coronavirus and 56 fatalities in the past 24 hours Friday. Thirty-one of the 16,060 cases involved international visitors tested upon arrival. Greece’s total number of confirmed coronavirus cases is now 2,486,262, with 26,092 dead. A total of 389 patients remain intubated in intensive care units while 4,296 have left ICU.
5th Mar 2022 - Kathimerini English Edition
Scotland records more than 9,500 cases of coronavirus and 24 new deaths
Article reports that the number of reported new Covid infections in Scotland has reached its highest for almost two months, with 9,551 more cases. That is the highest daily total since January 11 – although a change in the way the Scottish Government reports the figures means cases of people re-infected with the virus are now included. The latest figures showed almost one in 10 (9.3%) of Friday’s cases were reinfections. And the total is almost 4,000 more than the 5,848 cases that were announced just a week ago on Friday February 25.
5th Mar 2022 - The Independent
Life in South Asia returns to normal as COVID cases decline
Shoppers buy produce at an open air market in Ahmedabad, India, Thursday, March 3, 2022. Slowly but steadily, life in South Asia is returning to normal, and people hope the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic is behind them. Experts are optimistic that the omicron surge, which brought relatively low levels of death, has reinforced immunity from vaccines, which are widespread in the region. Slowly but steadily, life in South Asia is returning to normal, and people hope the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic is behind them. Experts are optimistic that the omicron surge, which brought relatively low levels of death, has reinforced immunity from vaccines, which are widespread in the region. The markets are crowded again. Traffic is jamming the roads. Migrant workers have returned to the cities. And young people are back at schools and universities — many of them for the first time in years. It isn’t quite how things were before the COVID-19 pandemic — mask mandates still exist in some places — but with infections steadily declining, life in South Asia is returning to a sense of normalcy. The mental scars from last year’s delta-driven surge persist — especially in India, where health systems collapsed and millions likely died — but across the region high vaccination rates and hope that the highly contagious omicron variant has helped bolster immunity are giving people reasons to be optimistic.
4th Mar 2022 - The Associated Press
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 4th Mar 2022
View this newsletter in fullScotland records almost 10,000 Covid-19 infections as 36 die with virus
Thirty-six Scots have died with coronavirus in the past 24 hours, figures have revealed, as another 9,491 cases were reported. There were 1,272 people in hospital on Wednesday with a recently confirmed case of Covid-19, Scottish Government statistics showed, with 16 in intensive care. Ten of these had been in intensive care for longer than 28 days. The latest figures showed 36 people had died within the past day with the virus, bringing the total number who have tested positive and then died since the start of the outbreak to 10,824. Statisticians said from March 1 the national case definition had been updated to include reinfections.
3rd Mar 2022 - The Independent
As Cases Skyrocket, New Zealand Finally Faces Its Covid Reckoning
For much of the past two years, Covid-19 was a phantom presence in New Zealand, a plague experienced mostly through news reports from faraway lands.
Now, suddenly, it has become a highly personal threat. New Zealand is being walloped by a major outbreak of the Omicron variant, with the virus spreading at what may be the fastest rate in the world. On Thursday, the country reported 23,194 new cases, a once unthinkable number in a small island nation of about five million people where the record daily case count before the current wave was in the low hundreds. The explosion in cases has come as the government, under political pressure, loosened its strict regulations meant to prevent the spread of the virus, and as the highly transmissible Omicron reduced the effectiveness of the controls that remained.
3rd Mar 2022 - The New York Times
South Korean PM tests positive for COVID as infections surge
South Korean Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum tested positive for the coronavirus on Thursday, his office said, as daily infections hit unprecedented levels this week, driven by the spread of the highly transmissible Omicron variant. Kim has steered anti-virus efforts, holding regular meetings with officials and experts, and visiting medical and educational facilities to check quarantine work and promote vaccination.
3rd Mar 2022 - Reuters
Mexico reports 304 more COVID-19 deaths, 12342 new cases
Mexico reported 304 more fatalities from COVID-19 on Wednesday, bringing the total death toll since the pandemic began to 318,835, according to health ministry data. The country also reported 12,342 new confirmed cases of the virus, bringing the total to 5,534,086.
3rd Mar 2022 - Reuters
Hong Kong reports 56827 COVID-19 cases, new record daily high
Hong Kong reported a record daily high of 56,827 new COVID-19 infections on Thursday and 144 deaths, as a worsening outbreak overwhelms healthcare facilities and sees authorities scramble to contain cases in the Asian financial centre.
3rd Mar 2022 - Reuters
Global COVID cases, deaths drop, except in key hot spots
Overall, cases declined 16% last week compared to the week before, reflecting a 4-week downward trend. Meanwhile, deaths dropped by 10%. Of the more than 10 million cases reported to the WHO last week, the countries that reported the most were Germany, South Korea, Russia, Turkey, and Brazil. Of the roughly 60,000 new deaths that were reported, the United States had the most, with more than 13,000 fatalities. The Western Pacific region was the only part of the world in which cases are climbing. The region is home to several of the current hot spots, which include Hong Kong, New Zealand, and South Korea. All are experiencing later Omicron surges. Hong Kong's cases today reached a new daily record, with 55,353 cases. Health officials have said they don't expect COVID-19 to peak in Hong Kong until later this month. New Zealand today reported 24,106 cases, also a new daily record, as police removed an encampment of people protesting the country's COVID-19 measures.
2nd Mar 2022 - CIDRAP
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 3rd Mar 2022
View this newsletter in fullCovid-19 deaths fall for fourth week in a row
The weekly number of deaths involving coronavirus in England and Wales has fallen for the fourth week in a row, figures show. A total of 863 deaths registered in England and Wales in the week ending February 18 mentioned Covid-19 on the death certificate, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). This is down 19% on the previous seven days and is the fourth week-on-week fall in a row.
2nd Mar 2022 - Evening Standard
Covid-19 Has Orphaned 5.2 Million Children
An updated modeling study in The Lancet shows that number of children globally affected by COVID-19-associated orphanhood and caregiver death is estimated to have increased dramatically from approximately 2.7 million in April 2021 to a devastating 5.2 million in October 2021. To put those numbers into context, the researchers state that is the equivalent of one child every six seconds during the six-month period. With the pandemic far from over, we have both a moral and public health imperative to protect and support these children from direct and secondary harms. Children’s lives are permanently changed by the loss of a mother, father, grandparent, or other primary caregivers. The loss of a parent is an adverse childhood experience that is linked to a greater risk of dropping out of school, lower self-esteem, suicide, violence, sexual abuse, and developing anxiety, depression, and substance abuse problems. These impacts could be compounded further by the circumstances and additional stressors of the pandemic
2nd Mar 2022 - Forbes
CDC estimates 140 million US Covid-19 infections
There have been an estimated 140 million Covid-19 infections in the US, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates, even though only 74.3 million cases have been reported as of January 31. The data comes from the CDC's nationwide antibody seroprevalence survey, in which it's working with state, local, academic and commercial partners to test blood samples for antibodies to the coronavirus triggered by infection, not by vaccination. By measuring Covid-19 seroprevalence, the study provides an estimate of the percentage of the population that was previously infected. The blood samples are submitted to commercial labs for unrelated reasons, such as routine medical checkups, and identifying information is removed. Every two weeks, researchers collected data from these samples, which encompass all 50 states, Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico.
2nd Mar 2022 - CNN
Italy records 178000 excess deaths during COVID pandemic
Italy has recorded some 178,000 excess deaths, mostly attributable to COVID-19, during the coronavirus pandemic, the National Statistics Office (ISTAT) and National Health Institute (ISS) said in a report on Wednesday. The excess death figure, measured to the end of January 2022, calculates the difference between the total deaths from all causes since the start of the pandemic and the expected trend based on the 2015-2019 average. Some 145,334 deaths were attributed to COVID-19 infections, 53% of which occurred in 2020, 41% in 2021 and the remainder in the first month of this year.
2nd Mar 2022 - Reuters
Hong Kong to report more than 50000 new COVID cases on Wednesday -TVB
Hong Kong health authorities are expected to report more than 50,000 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, setting a record for daily infections in the global financial hub, broadcaster TVB reported, without identifying the source of the information.
2nd Mar 2022 - Reuters
COVID cases, deaths continue to fall globally, WHO reports
The number of new coronavirus cases reported globally dropped by 16% last week, marking a month-long decline in COVID-19 infections, according to figures from the World Health Organization. In its weekly report on the pandemic issued late Tuesday, the U.N. health agency also said that deaths fell by 10%, continuing a drop in fatalities first seen last week. WHO said there were more than 10 million new cases and about 60,000 deaths globally. The Western Pacific was the only region where COVID-19 increased, with about a third more infections than the previous week. Deaths rose by 22% in the Western Pacific and about 4% in the Middle East, while declining everywhere else.
2nd Mar 2022 - The Associated Press
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 2nd Mar 2022
View this newsletter in fullCovid-19 update: Nearly 20000 community cases, 373 in hospital, 9 in ICU
There are 19,566 new cases of Covid-19 in the community today, the Ministry of Health has reported. It said there were also 373 cases in hospital and nine in ICU.
The new community cases today were in Northland (329), Auckland (12,530), Waikato (1812), Bay of Plenty (1185), Lakes (376), Hawke's Bay (168), MidCentral (260), Whanganui (45), Taranaki (165), Tairāwhiti (88), Wairarapa (42), Capital and Coast (691), Hutt Valley (355), Nelson Marlborough (196), Canterbury (740), South Canterbury (37), Southern (529), West Coast (17) and one case is unknown. There were 22 cases identified at the border.
1st Mar 2022 - RNZ
Australian prime minister diagnosed with COVID-19
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday but will continue his official duties while isolating. “I am experiencing flu-like symptoms and will be recovering over the next week,” Morrison said in a statement.
He said would continue working as prime minister, focusing on the government’s responses to the Ukraine war and devastating floods on Australia’s east coast. He is isolating in his official Sydney residence. Morrison held a news conference with Defense Minister Peter Dutton earlier Tuesday in which the government promised $50 million in missiles, ammunition and other military hardware for Ukraine.
1st Mar 2022 - The Independent
Brunei's daily COVID-19 cases top 4000 for two consecutive days
Brunei reported 4,220 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, another record daily high, bringing the national tally to 67,762. As a country of 420,000 people, Brunei saw its daily cases exceeding the 4,000 mark for two straight days, after recording more than 3,000 cases for six straight days since last Tuesday. The newly recorded cases were all local infections, the country's health ministry said. The ministry said earlier that the country is going through the third wave of COVID-19 and the number of cases is expected to increase beyond the total reported during the second wave, with the Omicron variant replacing the Delta variant as the dominant variant.
1st Mar 2022 - Xinhua
Hong Kong mortuaries hit capacity as Covid-19 deaths climb
Facilities for storing dead bodies at hospitals and public mortuaries in Hong Kong are at maximum capacity due to a record number of Covid-19 fatalities, the Hospital Authority said on Monday, as officials battle to control a surge in cases. The global financial hub reported a daily record high of 34,466 new coronavirus infections and 87 deaths on Monday, health authorities said. Separately, the city’s Education Secretary said international schools could maintain their original term dates, after widespread confusion over summer school holidays.
1st Mar 2022 - CNBC
Hong Kong reports 32597 new COVID cases on Tuesday
Hong Kong health authorities reported 32,597 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday and a record 117 deaths in the past 24 hours, as the global financial hub prepared for mandatory testing and a lockdown.
1st Mar 2022 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 1st Mar 2022
View this newsletter in fullWoman dies while Covid-19 positive as 40 new cases are reported
A 76-year-old woman is the latest victim of the Covid-19 pandemic, as 40 new cases of the virus were reported on Monday by health authorities. 61 people meanwhile have recovered from the virus, meaning that the number of active cases is now down to 692. 36 patients are currently being treated at Mater Dei Hospital, with three of those in intensive care. 1,242,239 doses of the vaccine have been administered thus far, with 342,764 of those being booster doses. Malta has had 71,208 cases of Covid-19. 69,500 of those have recovered, while 605 have died.
28th Feb 2022 - The Malta Independent
Vietnam reports a new daily record of 94,385 new Covid-19 cases, total tally now tops 3.4 million on Monday (Feb 28)
Vietnam logged a new daily record of 94,385 Covid-19 infections on Monday, taking the total to over 3.4 million cases, according to its Ministry of Health. The new infections, up 7,395 cases from Sunday, logged in 61 localities nationwide, included 94,376 domestically transmitted and nine imported. Vietnamese capital Hanoi remained the epidemic hotspot with 12,850 cases on Monday, also its highest ever daily number, followed by northern Quang Ninh province with 9,105 cases, and central Nghe An province with 3,958 cases. On the same day, health authorities documented 28,095 Covid-19 cases detected earlier in northern Quang Ninh province.
28th Feb 2022 - The Star
Hong Kong domestic helpers abandoned as COVID takes toll
A rapid spread in COVID-19 cases in Hong Kong has cast a spotlight on the plight of domestic helpers in the global financial hub after some were fired or made homeless by their employers when they tested positive for coronavirus. Hong Kong has around 340,000 domestic helpers, most hailing from either the Philippines or Indonesia. Many families in the city depend on live-in helpers for housekeeping and to look after the elderly and children, with the minimum wage set at HK$4,630 ($593) per month. Under Hong Kong law, migrant domestic workers must live with their employers, often residing in tiny rooms or sharing the bedrooms of the children they care for.
28th Feb 2022 - Reuters
Hong Kong mortuaries hit capacity as COVID deaths climb
Facilities for storing dead bodies at hospitals and public mortuaries in Hong Kong are at maximum capacity due to a record number of COVID-19 fatalities, the Hospital Authority said on Monday, as officials battle to control a surge in cases. The global financial hub reported a daily record high of 34,466 new coronavirus infections and 87 deaths on Monday, health authorities said. Separately, the city's Education Secretary said international schools could maintain their original term dates, after widespread confusion over summer school holidays.
28th Feb 2022 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 28th Feb 2022
View this newsletter in fullHong Kong reports record 26026 daily COVID cases
Hong Kong reported a record 26,026 daily COVID-19 infections on Sunday and 83 deaths, as an outbreak of the highly transmissible Omicron variant overwhelms healthcare facilities and proves hard to control. The global financial hub has imposed some of the most stringent COVID restrictions in the world to cope with the coronavirus spike, leading some executives to leave and frustrating some residents.
27th Feb 2022 - Reuters
Italy reports 40948 coronavirus cases on Friday, 193 deaths
Italy reported 40,948 COVID-19 related cases on Friday, against 46,169 the day before, the health ministry said, while the number of deaths fell to 193 from 249. Italy has registered 154,206 deaths linked to COVID-19 since its outbreak emerged in February 2020, the second-highest toll in Europe after Britain and the eighth highest in the world. The country has reported 12.7 million cases to date. Patients in hospital with COVID-19 - not including those in intensive care - stood at 11,706 on Friday, down from 12,125 a day earlier.
27th Feb 2022 - Reuters
China reports 249 new COVID cases for Feb 25 vs 224 a day earlier
Mainland China reported 249 new confirmed coronavirus infections for Feb 25, health officials said on Saturday, up from 224 a day earlier, with a record number of imported cases including dozens among arrivals from Hong Kong, where infections are surging. Of the new cases, 156 were imported and 93 were locally transmitted, the National Health Commission said. Among the locally transmitted cases, 32 were in Inner Mongolia, nearly all in its capital of Hohhot, while 30 were in the southern province of Guangdong, including 19 in Dongguan and 9 in the city of Shenzhen.
27th Feb 2022 - Reuters
Singapore reports 16857 new COVID-19 cases, 13 deaths
Singapore reported 16,857 new COVID-19 cases as of noon on Saturday (Feb 26), comprising 16,714 local and 143 imported infections. There were 13 fatalities, taking the death toll from coronavirus complications to 999. There are 1,553 COVID-19 patients in hospital, according to the latest infection statistics on the Ministry of Health's (MOH) website. A total of 212 patients require oxygen supplementation. Fifty patients are in the intensive care unit, compared to 46 on Friday.
27th Feb 2022 - CNA
Victorian COVID-19 hospitalisations at 274 as 17 deaths, 5,052 cases reported
Victoria has reported a further 17 COVID-19 deaths, as more workers prepare to return to offices from tomorrow. There are 274 COVID-19 patients in Victorian hospitals, a decrease on the 281 reported on Saturday. There are 38 patients in intensive care units, five of whom are on ventilators. The state has recorded 5,052 new cases, taking the total number of active infections to 41,038.
27th Feb 2022 - ABC News
Why Denmark’s Covid deaths and hospitalisations are going up after it lifts all pandemic restrictions
On 1 February, Denmark lifted all its Covid-19 restrictions. You could be diagnosed with coronavirus and walk lawfully (if not ethically) around a crowded shopping centre, coughing to your lungs’ content. That’s obviously of significant interest to the UK, which has made a similar decision: as of this week, we have our own remaining restrictions. And since Denmark changed its rules, some people have raised alarming concerns that the pandemic is out of control there. Eric Feigl-Ding, an American epidemiologist, was especially stark about it, tweeting: “MY GOD – Danish political leaders have completely lost their frigging minds releasing all #COVID19 mitigations – these are exponentially surging DEATHS not cases!!! This is what happens when a country’s leaders gaslights its own citizens.”
26th Feb 2022 - iNews
Wastewater data shows early signs of 'resurgence' of COVID-19 viral load in Ontario, expert says
Wastewater surveillance data suggests that there are "early signs of a resurgence" of COVID-19 viral load across Ontario, says a member of the province's COVID-19 science advisory table. Dr. Peter Juni, scientific director of the science advisory table, says that means it's vital for residents to get third doses of a COVID-19 vaccine. Juni is also a professor of medicine and epidemiology at the University of Toronto. He said wastewater analysis shows that Ontario has reached the bottom of the trough, or valley, in terms of COVID-19 infections but there is a slight upward trend in the concentration of viral prevalence in wastewater across the province. "What we are seeing basically is the early signs of a resurgence," Juni told CBC Toronto on Saturday.
26th Feb 2022 - CBC.ca on MSN.com
UK needs to realise we are not done with Covid-19, public health expert warns
The UK needs to be told “the job is not done” when it comes to the Covid pandemic according to a leading public health expert who called on the Government to capitalise on recent scientific breakthroughs. Dr Doug Brown, chief executive of the British Society of Immunology, said there is a danger of falling into pre-pandemic routine of taking up to 10 years to bring new vaccines to market and that it will be a “travesty” if all the research momentum built up over the last two years is lost. Dr Brown told i: “We’ve really transformed the way we carry out research over the last two years since March 2020, targeting Covid-19 and it has been an unprecedented, incredible effort, particularly in the UK where we were able to build on the country already being a world leader in immunology and vaccinology.
25th Feb 2022 - iNews
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 25th Feb 2022
View this newsletter in fullCovid-19 is killing more people now than during most of the pandemic. Here's who's still at risk
Plummeting Covid-19 case counts across the United States are leading to lifted mask mandates and more conversations about steps toward normalcy -- but more people are dying of the coronavirus now than during most points of the pandemic.
More than 2,000 Covid-19 deaths have been reported in the United States each day for the past month. Average daily deaths are falling, but from a very high point. They dipped just below that mark in recent days, to about 1,900 on Monday; the federal holiday may have delayed reporting. Before Omicron became the dominant coronavirus strain in the US, there were only about 100 other days when there were more than 2,000 Covid-19 deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. The only other time that deaths have been this high for this long was during the first winter surge, before vaccines were available. The Omicron wave has also been deadlier for longer than the Delta surge: In September, when Delta was dominant, average daily deaths topped 2,000 for half as long.
24th Feb 2022 - CNN
Thailand reports record 23557 new coronavirus cases
Thailand reported on Thursday a record daily increase of 23,557 new coronavirus infections, as the country deals with an outbreak driven by the Omicron variant. The Southeast Asian country also reported 38 new deaths, according to the country's COVID-19 centre. The daily death toll from the virus, however, was well below the 184 fatalities reported on Aug 13 last year, when Thailand recorded its previous daily record of 23,418 infections.
24th Feb 2022 - Reuters
Caribbean falling behind in COVID fight, PAHO warns
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) warned on Wednesday that the Caribbean was falling behind in its effort to fight COVID-19 as only 63% of its eligible population was vaccinated and large regional discrepancies persist. Out of 13 countries and territories in the Americas that have not yet reached the World Health Organization's (WHO) goal of 40% coverage, 10 are in the Caribbean, PAHO Director Carissa Etienne said. The region registered 2.2 million new COVID cases last week, down 28% compared with the previous week.
24th Feb 2022 - Reuters
England's COVID-19 prevalence falls - ONS
England's COVID-19 prevalence fell to 1 in 25 in the week ending Feb. 19, Britain's Office for National Statistics (ONS) said on Wednesday, down from 1 in 20 recorded the previous week.
24th Feb 2022 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 24th Feb 2022
View this newsletter in fullMore than 6,200 people died with Covid-19 in Ireland in last two years
There have been more than 6,200 Covid-19 related deaths in Ireland over the last two years, new figures show. Based on mortality data reported to the Department of Health, more than 1,000 of those deaths occurred in the first four weeks of 2021, according to the Central Statistics Office (CSO). The CSO published a series of figures showing the impact of coronavirus on Ireland from the date of the first confirmed case on February 29 2020. The CSO said Covid has affected every aspect of life in Ireland and the ripple effect of the virus is still being felt and measured two years on. A spokeswoman said the impact of the pandemic on Ireland’s society will be felt for years to come.
23rd Feb 2022 - The Independent
Fast-Spreading Covid-19 Omicron Type Revives Questions About Opening Up
A more infectious type of the Omicron variant has surged to account for more than a third of global Covid-19 cases sequenced recently, adding to the debate about whether countries are ready for full reopening. Health authorities are examining whether the subvariant of Omicron, known as BA.2, could extend the length of Covid-19 waves that have peaked recently in Europe, Japan and some other places. “We’re looking not only at how quickly those peaks go up, but how they come down,” World Health Organization epidemiologist Maria Van Kerkhove said. “And as the decline in cases occurs…we also need to look at: Is there a slowing of that decline? Or will we start to see an increase again?”
23rd Feb 2022 - The Wall Street Journal
Hong Kong COVID cases hit record as compulsory testing looms
Hong Kong reported a record 8,674 new COVID-19 infections on Wednesday, as authorities announced the toughest social restrictions since the pandemic began to combat the surge, and as the city prepares for compulsory testing of residents.
From Thursday residents will have to show their vaccine record to access venues including supermarkets, malls and restaurants, wear masks for all outdoor exercise, and they will not be allowed to remove masks to eat or drink on public transport.
23rd Feb 2022 - Reuters
Singapore's daily COVID-19 cases hit record of more than 26000
Singapore's health ministry reported a record 26,032 COVID-19 infections on Tuesday and said it may take a few weeks before the current transmission wave peaks and subsides. "While the number of patients needing oxygen supplementation and intensive care unit (ICU) care is not high, there is a surge in demand for hospital beds, mostly for patients with underlying chronic illnesses to recover," the health ministry said in a statement on Tuesday evening. It reiterated that people with mild or no symptoms who had tested positive should consider self-recovery at home to reduce the pressure on healthcare workers.
23rd Feb 2022 - Reuters
Chinese capital Beijing finds most daily local COVID cases in nearly a month
Beijing reported on Wednesday the highest number of daily local COVID-19 cases since late January, less than two weeks before the opening of China's annual parliamentary meeting in the capital on March 5. The city of Beijing detected 10 domestically transmitted COVID-19 cases with confirmed symptoms for Tuesday, data from the National Health Commission (NHC) showed on Wednesday. That marks the highest daily count for Beijing since Jan. 29. Despite the tiny case load by global standard, the city, in line with China's "dynamic-zero" strategy against the virus, has sealed up some buildings where cases and their close contacts lived
23rd Feb 2022 - Reuters
S.Korea prime minister calls for calm as COVID cases hit new record
South Korea's prime minister on Wednesday called on people not to panic about a major increase in coronavirus infections as new daily cases surged past 170,000 for the first time. Serious cases and deaths are at manageable levels despite record cases caused by the highly infectious Omicron variant, Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum told a pandemic response meeting. "Although our awareness and implementation of anti-COVID rules should not be loosened, there is no reason at all to fear or panic about the numbers of new cases as in the past," he said, according to a transcript.
23rd Feb 2022 - Reuters
Omicron Ripping Through Cargo Ships May Exacerbate Shipping Woes
Omicron is ripping through cargo ships, raising concerns that a surge in cases, coupled with China’s tightened quarantine requirements for vessels, could delay supply chain stabilization for the shipping industry. Covid outbreaks are hitting ships globally, with cases increasing “exponentially,” said Francesco Gargiulo, CEO of the International Maritime Employers’ Council Ltd., which represents shipping companies. Anglo-Eastern Univan Group, which has an active crew of about 16,000, is seeing infections on five to seven vessels a month compared with only one or two a month last year, the company said. Meanwhile, Wilhelmsen Ship Management Ltd. has had infections on four of its ships since January after less than a dozen vessels were struck with Covid in all of 2021, said Carl Schou, chief executive officer at the ship manager.
23rd Feb 2022 - Bloomberg
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 23rd Feb 2022
View this newsletter in fullHong Kong confirms over 7,500 Covid-19 cases, vaccine pass to launch in days
Hong Kong is expected to tighten Covid-19 social-distancing rules further as it prepares to launch a so-called vaccine pass on Thursday limiting entry to venues based on inoculation status. As infection numbers continued to climb on Monday, reaching a new record of more than 7,500 cases, an 11-month-old baby became the city’s youngest coronavirus-related fatality, the third such death of young children in the past fortnight. On the social-distancing front, all restaurants would be limited to just two diners per table, unlike currently where some venues could have up to four people seated together, the Post learned.
22nd Feb 2022 - South China Morning Post
China reports 138 new COVID cases for Feb 21 vs 144 a day earlier
China reported 138 new COVID-19 cases in the mainland for Monday, down from 144 cases a day earlier, the health authority said. Of the new infections, 59 were locally transmitted, according to a statement on Tuesday by the National Health Commission (NHC), down from 71 a day earlier. The other new cases were imported. The new locally transmitted cases were in Inner Mongolia, Jiangsu, Liaoning, Sichuan, Yunnan, Hubei and Guangdong, the NHC said.
22nd Feb 2022 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 22nd Feb 2022
View this newsletter in fullIndonesia relies heavily on China's Sinovac vaccine. A new wave of infections puts it to the test
Indonesia is going through a new wave of Covid infections, with daily cases hitting record highs last week. The Southeast Asian country has relied heavily on inactivated virus vaccines produced by China, which studies previously showed were less effective than mRNA shots. The latest surge in Indonesia’s Covid cases has put China-made vaccines to the test. Two medical doctors who spoke to CNBC argued that China-produced vaccines — such as the one developed by Sinovac Biotech which Indonesia has relied on most heavily — are still able to prevent severe illness and death.
21st Feb 2022 - CNBC
Who is dying of COVID amid omicron surge and widespread vaccine availability?
When the recent COVID-19 wave fueled by the omicron variant hit the U.S., no one expected it would lead to the number of deaths it did. As of Wednesday, the nation is reporting 2,200 new COVID daily deaths on average. While this is lower than the 3,400-peak seen last winter, it's still three times higher than the number of average fatalities recorded two months ago. With around 60% of Americans fully vaccinated during the most recent wave, daily deaths from omicron are still relatively high, which begs the question: Who is dying of COVID-19 when there is such strong vaccination coverage? Infectious disease doctors say it is still mainly unvaccinated people, most of whom are in their 30s and 40s with no underlying health issues, who are dying.
21st Feb 2022 - ABC News
Thailand raises Covid-19 alert level amid rising new infections
Thailand on Monday raised its Covid-19 alert level to the second-highest tier following a rising number of new infections linked to the spread of the Omicron variant. The Ministry of Public Health raised the Covid-19 alert level from 3 to 4, a category that includes regulations discouraging dining or drinking at restaurants and avoiding public gatherings to contain the spread of the virus. The ministry expected the number of new infections to keep rising in the coming one or two weeks due to the fast spread of the Omicron variant, which now accounts for more than 90 percent of active cases.
21st Feb 2022 - The Star
Covid-19: 2365 new community cases, two people have died
In New Zealand, there are 2365 new community cases in the Covid-19 outbreak, as officials report two further deaths. Two people with Covid-19 have died in Auckland, one at Middlemore Hospital and a patient in their 70s at Auckland City Hospital. There are active cases of Covid-19 in all 20 of the country’s district health board areas. More than 2.1 million booster shots have now been given nationally, with more than 15,000 administered on Sunday.
21st Feb 2022 - Stuff.co.nz
Covid-19: Omicron sub-variant BA.2 accounts for about a third of sequenced cases in NZ
A sub-variant of Omicron which began spreading rapidly in New Zealand after the ill-fated Soundsplash music festival now accounts for roughly a third of all sequenced Omicron cases. Experts say there's no reason to have a heightened fear of the spread of BA.2 – a sub-variant of the dominant BA.1 (Omicron), which was first found in southern Africa in late 2021. From January 1 to February 14, ESR's whole genome sequencing identified 346 cases of BA.2 – roughly a third of the 1316 Omicron cases sequenced over the six-week period. There were also 435 cases of Delta, the more severe of the three.
21st Feb 2022 - Stuff.co.nz
Victoria records three new COVID-19 deaths, hospitalisations at 361
The Victorian government announced a further $200 million to support businesses and industries affected by COVID-19. The state reported three more COVID-19 deaths and the number of people in hospital after contracting the virus now sits at 361. Of those patients, 49 are intensive care units and 11 are receiving ventilation. The state recorded another 5,611 new COVID-19 cases.
21st Feb 2022 - ABC.Net.au
Italy reports 42081 new coronavirus cases on Sunday
Italy reported 42,081 COVID-19 related cases on Sunday, down from 50,534 the day before, the health ministry said, while the number of deaths reported fell to 141 from 252. Some 372,776 tests for COVID-19 were carried out in the past day, well below the previous day's figure of 492,045. Italy has registered 152,989 deaths linked to COVID-19 since its outbreak emerged in February 2020, the second-highest toll in Europe after Britain and the eighth highest in the world.
21st Feb 2022 - Reuters
UK COVID cases down 25.5% in last week
The number of COVID-19 cases being recorded in Britain fell by 25.5% in the last seven days, over the week before, while deaths within 28 days of a positive test fell by 19%, official data showed on Sunday. The United Kingdom recorded 25,696 new cases on Sunday and 74 new deaths.
21st Feb 2022 - Reuters
Hong Kong set to report 7533 new COVID-19 cases, new record -TVB
Hong Kong was set to report 7,533 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, a new record high, broadcaster TVB reported, as the city battles to contain a surge in cases that has overwhelmed its healthcare facilities.
21st Feb 2022 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 21st Feb 2022
View this newsletter in full'God Save The Queen': messages pour in after Elizabeth catches COVID
News that Britain's Queen Elizabeth had tested positive for COVID-19 drew shock, concern and messages of goodwill from across the country on Sunday, with politicians and the public willing the 95-year-old to recover. On a wet and blustery day, a few sightseers gathered at the gates of Windsor Castle where the queen is receiving medical treatment for mild symptoms. Others went online to express support and message boards in the London Underground urged the monarch to "take it easy".
20th Feb 2022 - Reuters
S.Korea daily COVID-19 cases top 100000, curfew eased ahead of election
South Korea's new daily COVID-19 cases topped 100,000 for the first time amid its Omicron outbreak, with authorities saying social distancing measures would be only slightly eased ahead of the March 9 presidential election. Authorities announced on Friday they would move a curfew on restaurants and cafes from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m., a nod to increasing criticism from business owners. "The situation for small business owners and the self-employed is desperate," President Moon Jae-in told a meeting of aides on Friday, when calling for the parliament to quickly pass a supplemental budget with measures for "resolving the difficulties of the people's livelihood."
18th Feb 2022 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 18th Feb 2022
View this newsletter in fullSolomon Islands coronavirus outbreak causing growing concern
With the first community outbreak of the coronavirus in the Solomon Islands spreading rapidly through the largely unvaccinated population, the Red Cross warned Thursday that the Pacific Island nation's fragile health care system is at risk of becoming overwhelmed. The capital Honiara has only one small hospital and authorities have already turned a sports building into a field hospital and a football stadium into a vaccination center, said Clement Manuri, secretary general of the Solomon Islands Red Cross Society. “What's currently happening is they are trying to keep only people who are really sick with COVID-19, with difficulty breathing, in those facilities,” Manuri told The Associated Press in an interview from Honiara. “Otherwise the advice is for people who have tested positive to self-isolate in their homes.”
17th Feb 2022 - The Independent
Rapid COVID-19 home tests surge in India, experts flag risks
On New Year’s Eve, the Indian government wrote to states encouraging them to promote the use of COVID-19 home tests, especially for people who are experiencing symptoms, in a bid to avoid straining local health systems. During last year's delta-driven surge, an explosion in cases overwhelmed hospitals and testing labs. But last month, as new infections fueled by the omicron variant skyrocketed, so did the number of people testing themselves at home across India. In the first 20 days of January, around 200,000 people shared their test results with India’s health agency – a 66-fold increase compared to all of 2021. The strategy apparently worked. Those testing positive with speedy, though less accurate tests were told to self-isolate at home, allowing hospital beds to remain available for the most vulnerable.
17th Feb 2022 - The Independent
Covid-19 infections down overall but mixed picture across UK
Covid-19 infections have fallen slightly in England and Wales, but the trend is uncertain in Scotland and Northern Ireland, figures suggest. There is still a high prevalence of the virus across the country, with infections remaining above pre-Christmas levels. Numbers are down overall for the UK, however. Around one in 20 people in private households in England had Covid-19 in the week to February 12, or 2.4 million people – down from one in 19, or 2.8 million people, in the week to February 5.
17th Feb 2022 - Evening Standard
Hong Kong's COVID fight intensifies as cases multiply by 60 times
Hong Kong's coronavirus battle intensified on Thursday as authorities reported that new cases had multiplied by 60 times so far this month, and the city's leader said city-wide testing was being considered in the global financial hub. Hospitals have been overwhelmed with some patients, including the elderly, left lying on beds outside in chilly, sometimes rainy weather, in shocking scenes that prompted an apology from authorities in the Chinese-controlled city.
17th Feb 2022 - Reuters
Beijing Olympics reports no new COVID cases for first time
No new cases of COVID-19 were reported inside the Beijing Olympics "closed loop" on Thursday for the first time, a win for organisers who have gone to extreme measures to prevent the Games from seeding an outbreak that leaks into the public. The Beijing Games have taken place inside a bubble, without paying spectators and with all participants - athletes, team officials, media, volunteers and staff - tested daily. Some overseas analysts warned that the Winter Games would put further pressure on China's "zero-COVID" stance, especially as authorities battled the new and more infectious Omicron.
17th Feb 2022 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 17th Feb 2022
View this newsletter in fullChild Covid-19 hospitalizations rose amid Omicron, especially among children too young to be vaccinated
Covid-19 hospitalization rates among children increased as Omicron replaced Delta as the predominant coronavirus variant in the United States, especially among those under 5, who are not eligible to be vaccinated, according to a study published Tuesday by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. At their peak, weekly pediatric Covid-19 hospitalization rates were four times higher during a period of Omicron dominance than during a period of Delta dominance. Children younger than 5 saw the largest increase, with hospitalization rates that were more than five times higher during Omicron than during Delta.
16th Feb 2022 - CNN
Average of new U.S. coronavirus cases falls below delta peak
The seven-day average of new coronavirus infections in the United States has fallen to a number not seen since the delta surge of last summer began to die down, though cases remain higher than during much of the pandemic. The country had an average of 153,029 cases per day as of Monday, according to tracking by The Washington Post. That’s lower than the highest seven-day average during the delta variant surge, the 165,187 recorded on Sept. 1. It is also a sharp decline from the pandemic high of 807,897 reached Jan. 22. Although case counts are lower than in December and January, when the even more contagious omicron variant sent infections soaring, they remain elevated.
16th Feb 2022 - The Washington Post
COVID: New cases decline by 19% worldwide, deaths stabilise
The number of new COVID-19 cases worldwide has dropped by 19 percent in the past week, while recorded deaths remain stable, according to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) latest report on the coronavirus pandemic. The United Nations’ health agency said late on Tuesday that “just over 16 million new cases and just under 75,000 new deaths were reported” globally during the week of February 7 to February 13. The Western Pacific was the only region to report an increase in new weekly cases, a rise of about 19 percent. Southeast Asia recorded a drop of about 37 percent, the biggest decrease across the six WHO regions. The biggest number of new COVID-19 cases was seen in Russia. Cases there and elsewhere in Eastern Europe doubled in recent weeks, driven by a surge of the hugely infectious Omicron variant. Meanwhile, the number of deaths rose by 38 percent in the Eastern Mediterranean region and by about one-third in the Western Pacific, according to the WHO’s weekly report.
16th Feb 2022 - Al Jazeera English
Beijing Olympics organiser says 2 new COVID cases detected among personnel on Feb 15
The Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics Organizing Committee said on Wednesday that two new COVID-19 cases were detected among games-related personnel on Feb. 15. One of the cases was found among new airport arrivals, according to a notice on the Beijing 2022 official website. Another case was among those already in the "closed loop" bubble that separates all event personnel from the public, the notice said.
16th Feb 2022 - Reuters
Singapore reports one-day record of 19179 local COVID cases
Singapore reported a record 19,179 local coronavirus infections on Tuesday. The city-state has recorded 191,882 cases of the virus over the last 28 days, but 99.7% of them had no or mild symptoms. Of Tuesday's local cases, 16,102 were detected through antigen rapid tests (ART). They are assessed to have no or mild symptoms and carry low risk.
16th Feb 2022 - Reuters
Eastern Chinese industrial hub reports COVID cases for 2nd day
The Chinese industrial hub Suzhou on Wednesday reported new COVID-19 cases for a second day, and authorities further restricted highway access while ramping up testing, having already detected cases of the highly contagious Omicron variant. The city in the eastern province of Jiangsu reported 18 domestically transmitted cases with confirmed symptoms for Tuesday, up from eight a day earlier, the data from the National Health Commission (NHC) showed. The case number is small compared with many outbreaks overseas, but Suzhou government, in line with the national policy to contain outbreaks as quickly as possible, has quarantined thousands of people, closed various entertainment businesses and urged residents to reduce trips to outside the city.
16th Feb 2022 - Reuters
Xi tells Hong Kong's leaders to control COVID as infections spiral
China's President Xi Jinping has told Hong Kong's leaders that their "overriding mission" was to stabilise and control a worsening COVID-19 outbreak, pro-Beijing media reported, as infected patients lay in beds outside overwhelmed hospitals.
The daily tally of COVID infections in the global financial hub rose to more than 40 times the level at the start of February as health authorities reported a record 4,285 confirmed new infections on Wednesday, and another 7,000 preliminary positive cases. The directive from Xi ramps up pressure on Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam a day after she said her government's response to the outbreak had been unsatisfactory, with hospitals and medical staff unable to cope.
16th Feb 2022 - Reuters
S.Korea's daily COVID-19 count tops 90000, basketball league halted
South Korea's daily count of new coronavirus cases topped 90,000 for the first time, driven to a record by the fast-spreading Omicron variant that has seen daily tallies nearly double in just a week. The 90,443 cases reported for Tuesday represent a drastic surge from the 57,177 recorded by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) a day before. The surge has seen the virus spread through Korean business and society, and the men's basketball and volleyball leagues on Wednesday halted their season as dozens of players tested positive for COVID-19.
16th Feb 2022 - Reuters
England's COVID-19 prevalence edges lower - ONS
England's COVID-19 prevalence was 1 in 20 people in the week ending Feb. 12, the Office for National Statistics said on Wednesday, slightly lower than the 1 in 19 recorded the previous week.
16th Feb 2022 - Reuters
As COVID-19 ebbs in US, parts of Europe light up
COVID-19 cases continue to decline in the United States, including a substantial drop in children, as mask mandates continue to make news. In Eastern Europe, however, the Omicron variant continues to cause challenges, especially in regions with low vaccine uptake. Nearly 300,000 pediatric COVID-19 cases were reported last week, down sharply from a peak of 1,150,000 the week ending Jan 20, the American Academy of Pediatrics said in its latest weekly update. However, it added that cases in children remain extremely high and are still above the peak of the Delta surge.
15th Feb 2022 - CIDRAP
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 16th Feb 2022
View this newsletter in fullCovid-19 deaths fall for second week in a row strengthening hopes Omicron peak has passed
Article reports that Coronavirus deaths in England have fallen for the second week in a row, suggesting the peak in deaths may have passed. A total of 1,242 deaths registered in England and Wales in the week ending February 4 mentioned Covid-19 on the death certificate, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). This is down 10 per cent on the previous seven days and is the second consecutive week-on-week fall. Around one in 10 (10.5 per cent) deaths registered in England and Wales in the week to February 4 mentioned Covid-19 on the death certificate. Deaths involving coronavirus fell in all regions in England, except for the South West and North East, and they rose in Wales.
15th Feb 2022 - iNews
Omicron threat remains high in east Europe - WHO
A new wave of infections from the Omicron variant of the coronavirus is moving towards the east of Europe, the World Health Organization said on Tuesday, urging authorities to improve vaccination and other measures. Over the past two weeks, cases of COVID-19 have more than doubled in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Russia and Ukraine, WHO's Europe regional director Hans Kluge said in a statement. The comments come at a time when several European countries including the Czech Republic and Poland have hinted at easing of COVID-19 restrictions next month if daily infection numbers kept falling.
15th Feb 2022 - Reuters
Hong Kong rules out citywide lockdown as cases continue to surge
Daily infections have surged by about 20 times over the past two weeks. Health authorities reported 1,619 infections on Tuesday, a new daily record with around 5,400 preliminary positive cases. "There are no plans for a widespread city lockdown," Lam told a news conference. "We cannot surrender to the virus. This is not an option," she said, doubling down on her 'dynamic zero' coronavirus strategy, similar to mainland China which seeks to curb outbreaks as soon as they occur.
15th Feb 2022 - Reuters
S. Korean COVID deaths rise, hope rests on high booster rate
South Korea reported its highest number of COVID-19 deaths in a month Tuesday as U.S. health authorities advised Americans to avoid traveling to the country grappling with a fast-developing omicron surge. The 61 deaths reported by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency on Tuesday was the highest daily tally since the 74 reported on Jan. 19, when the country was emerging from an outbreak driven by the delta variant. While omicron so far seems less likely to cause serious illness or death, the greater scale of the outbreak is fueling concerns that hospitalizations and fatalities could spike in coming weeks.
15th Feb 2022 - The Associated Press
WHO Europe warns of COVID rise in east, like Russia, Ukraine
The head of the World Health Organization’s Europe office said Tuesday that health officials are turning their attention to growing rates of COVID-19 infection in Eastern Europe, where six countries — including Russia and Ukraine — have seen a doubling in case counts over the last two weeks. Dr. Hans Kluge said the 53-country region, which stretches to former Soviet republics into central Asia, has now tallied more than 165 million confirmed coronavirus cases and 1.8 million deaths linked to the pandemic — including 25,000 in the last week alone. “Today, our focus is towards the east of the WHO European region,” Kluge said in Russian at a media briefing, pointing to a surge in the highly transmissible omicron variant. “Over the past two weeks, cases of COVID-19 have more than doubled in six countries in this part of the region (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, the Russian Federation, and Ukraine).”
15th Feb 2022 - The Associate Press
COVID-19 cases drop by 40% in US
The COVID-19 surge caused by the Omicron variant continues to recede in the United States, with the nation reporting a 7-day average of 175,492 new daily cases, with 2,458 daily deaths, according to the Washington Post tracker. New daily cases fell 42% in the past week, deaths fell 6%, and hospitalizations fell 19%. The United States reported 32,531 new COVID-19 cases yesterday, and 441 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins COVID-19 tracker. The drop in cases—almost 2 years into the pandemic—has caused lawmakers across both sides of the ails to dismantle pandemic restrictions in states and cities.
14th Feb 2022 - CIDRAP
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 15th Feb 2022
View this newsletter in fullMainland China to help overwhelmed Hong Kong with COVID fight
China will help Hong Kong to cope with an expanding COVID-19 outbreak by providing testing, treatment and quarantine capacity, Chief Secretary John Lee said on Saturday, adding that there were no plans for a mainland-style lockdown for now. Hong Kong and mainland China are among few places in the world still aiming to suppress every COVID-19 outbreak, but the Omicron variant has proven tough to keep under control. Lee, Health Secretary Sophia Chan and Security Chief Chris Tang were part of a delegation who visited neighbouring Shenzhen on Friday and Saturday to discuss support measures with mainland Chinese officials.
14th Feb 2022 - Reuters
Hong Kong leader says fifth COVID wave has 'overwhelmed' city's capacity
The latest wave of COVID-19 infections has "overwhelmed" Hong Kong, the city's leader said on Monday as daily cases surged by some 20 times over the past two weeks, leaving hospitals short of beds and struggling to cope. Carrie Lam, the head of the administration in the Chinese ruled city, issued a grim update for residents already subjected to tight restrictions on social gatherings as health authorities reported a record 2,071 infections on Monday, with 4,500 separate preliminary positive cases. "The onslaught of the fifth wave of the epidemic has dealt a heavy blow to Hong Kong and overwhelmed the city's capacity of handling," Lam said, adding patients were having to wait longer to access isolation facilities.
14th Feb 2022 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 14th Feb 2022
View this newsletter in fullCook Islands braces for first community COVID cases
Cook Islands, a small South Pacific nation that has not experienced COVID-19 in its community, is readying for its first coronavirus infections after an infected traveller visited, Prime minister Mark Brown said on Sunday. The traveller from New Zealand spent eight days in the community and tested positive for Omicron upon returning home last week, Brown said in a video posted on the government's Facebook page. "It is likely that the person ... was infectious while here and further likely that the virus is in our community," he said.
13th Feb 2022 - Reuters
Omicron: mass screening as border city reports over half China’s new coronavirus infections
Baise in southwestern China ordered citywide mass coronavirus screening on Friday after reporting 33 more cases, bringing its total in this outbreak to 220 infections. The screenings began at noon and were set to cover all 12 counties and districts across Baise. The process was expected to be completed by the evening, according to the China News Service. Baise’s new cases accounted for more than half of the national tally of 56 reported on Friday, according to the National Health Commission.
11th Feb 2022 - South China Morning Post
Hundreds of thousands of Covid-19 cases still being missed from official figures
Hundreds of thousands of Covid-19 cases are continuing to be missed from the official figures each week, despite the recent decision to start including reinfections, new analysis shows. An average of 101,000 cases of coronavirus per day were recorded from January 16 to 22, according to the Government’s Covid-19 dashboard. But the true number was likely to be nearer 280,500 a day, according to estimates by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). It means more than 1.2 million cases will not have been included in the official count during the week to January 22.
11th Feb 2022 - The Independent
Russia's daily COVID-19 case tally tops 200000 for first time
Russia's daily COVID-19 cases exceeded 200,000 for the first time since the pandemic began as the Omicron coronavirus variant continued to spread, authorities said on Friday. New cases jumped to 203,949, from 197,076 a day earlier. The government coronavirus task force also reported 722 deaths in the last 24 hours.
11th Feb 2022 - Reuters
Record Hong Kong COVID infections strain hospitals, China pledges support
Hong Kong reported a record number of new daily COVID-19 infections on Friday and China said it would fully support the city with its "dynamic zero" coronavirus strategy, as local authorities struggle to control a deepening outbreak. Hong Kong's chief secretary John Lee, Health Secretary Sophia Chan and Security Chief Chris Tang will meet Chinese officials in neighbouring Shenzhen on Saturday to discuss support measures, the government said in a statement.
11th Feb 2022 - Reuters
England's estimated COVID R number roughly steady
The estimated range of England's COVID-19 reproduction "R" number is between 0.8 and 1.0, similar to its range the previous week, the UK Health Security Agency said on Friday, with the daily reduction in cases also around the same level. An R number between 0.8 and 1.0 means that for every 10 people infected, they will on average infect between 8 and 10 other people. Last week the range was 0.8 to 1.1.
The daily growth of infections was estimated at between -3% to 0%, compared to -3% to +1% the previous week.
11th Feb 2022 - Reuters
UK reports 58899 new covid-19 cases, 193 additional deaths
Britain reported 58,899 new COVID-19 cases and 193 deaths within 28 days of a positive test on Friday, according to government data. The number of cases in the last seven days has fallen 28.7% compared with the previous seven days, while deaths have fallen 22.5%.
11th Feb 2022 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 11th Feb 2022
View this newsletter in fullIn U.K.’s Omicron Wave, Many People Are Dying With Covid-19, Not From It
For the first time since the start of the pandemic, the number of people dying in the U.K. with a recent positive Covid-19 test is significantly overstating the true death toll from the virus, according to new data. In recent weeks, a commonly watched measure of Covid-19 mortality—deaths within 28 days of a positive test—has been around 30% higher than the number of registered deaths involving Covid-19 and nearly 75% higher than the number of registered deaths where Covid-19 was named as the main cause. That gap contrasts with most of the pandemic, when those two metrics tracked one another closely—at least after the first wave, when a lack of testing capacity meant that the death certificate figures significantly exceeded deaths within 28 days of a positive test.
10th Feb 2022 - The Wall Street Journal
Russia's daily coronavirus cases hit record high
Russia reported 197,076 COVID-19 cases on Thursday, a record daily high, as the Omicron variant, which accounted for 70% of detected infections, continued to spread across the country. Russia also recorded 701 deaths in the past 24 hours, the government's coronavirus task force said.
10th Feb 2022 - Reuters
Vietnam warns of hospitals strain as COVID-19 cases spike after holiday
Vietnam warned on Thursday that its healthcare system could become overloaded, after seeing a surge in new daily coronavirus infections following its week-long Lunar New Year holiday. The Southeast Asian country reported nearly 24,000 new cases on Wednesday, compared to about 15,000 per day in the week before the annual holiday, when millions of people travelled to their rural homes and to tourist hotspots. "Increased travelling will lead to the risk of more infections among the community, including the risk of spreading the Omicron variant," the health ministry said in a statement.
10th Feb 2022 - Reuters
Palestinian authorities step up COVID measures as hospitals fill up
Palestinian authorities have ramped up COVID-19 testing and vaccinations in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip and warned that public indifference to their calls for masking and social distancing is hampering efforts to fight the pandemic.
The Palestinian Authority Health Ministry said the total number of active cases of COVID-19 in the two territories stood at 64,000 on Wednesday due to the highly infectious Omicron variant. "Three weeks ago we were recording up to 300 infections daily, but in the last few days we crossed the 11,000 mark," said Mahdi Rashed, director of health services in Ramallah. "It's clear this is a result of the Omicron variant spreading."
10th Feb 2022 - Reuters
New COVID-19 infections decrease in the Americas, says regional agency
New COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations are beginning to go down in some countries in the Americas, but deaths continue to rise in parts of Central and South America, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) said on Wednesday. In North America, new infections and deaths decreased in all three countries in the past week, while hospitalizations and ICU admissions were down in the United States and Canada, the regional agency said. New infections in El Salvador dropped by 70%, but deaths increased by 42% in Venezuela, PAHO said.
10th Feb 2022 - Reuters
S.Korea turns to self-treatment as Omicron fuels COVID surge
South Korea said on Thursday patients with mild coronavirus symptoms will have to treat themselves, aiming to free up medical resources for more serious cases, as new infections hit a fresh high because of the fast spreading Omicron variant. South Korea has largely been a COVID-19 mitigation success story, thanks to aggressive testing and tracing, social distancing and mask wearing. But as the highly infectious but less deadly Omicron variant began spreading, the government this month started to shift its strategy away from testing and tracing and towards self-monitoring, diagnosis and at-home treatment.
10th Feb 2022 - Reuters
UK reports 68214 COVID cases, 276 deaths
The United Kingdom reported 68,214 new COVID-19 cases and 276 deaths in its daily official data on Wednesday, with the seven-day figure for both falling compared with the week before. In the last seven days, infection numbers were down 23% and deaths were down 16% on the week before.
10th Feb 2022 - Reuters
Hong Kong COVID infections surge, experts warn could near 30000 a day
Hong Kong reported 986 new coronavirus infections on Thursday as authorities scramble to contain an outbreak which medical experts warn could see 28,000 daily cases by the end of March, with the unvaccinated elderly a particular worry. The rise in cases, up 10-fold since Feb. 1, is proving to be the biggest test for the global financial hub's "dynamic zero" policy of virus suppression, which has turned it into one of the world's most isolated cities. Following mainland China, Hong Kong is trying to curb outbreaks as soon as possible, in contrast with many other places that are trying to "live with COVID", relying on high vaccination rates to bring protection while easing restrictions.
10th Feb 2022 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 10th Feb 2022
View this newsletter in fullCoronavirus: Five deaths, 2,779 new infections
Five deaths attributed to Covid-19 and 2,779 new infections were announced on Wednesday out of 95,572 PCR and rapid tests. The deaths were four men, aged 65, 85, 88 and 90. A woman, aged 94, also died – raising the total deaths attributed to the virus to 761. There are 199 people in hospital with the virus of whom 49 are in serious condition. The health ministry said patients in hospital without a vaccination history stands at 65.33 per cent. Wednesday’s 95,572 tests identified the 2,779 infections, at a positivity rate of 2.91 per cent. The 5,990 PCR tests yielded 484 positives, a positivity rate of 8.08 per cent.
9th Feb 2022 - Cyprus Mail
WHO: Global COVID-19 case counts decline 17% in latest week
The World Health Organization says coronavirus case counts fell 17% worldwide over the last week compared to the previous week, including a 50% drop in the United States while deaths globally declined 7%, the World Health Organization says. The weekly epidemiological report from the U.N. health agency, released late Tuesday, shows that the omicron variant is increasingly dominant — making up nearly 97% of all cases tallied by the international virus-tracking platform known as GISAID. Just over 3% were of the delta variant.
9th Feb 2022 - The Independent
Slovakia reports 20582 coronavirus cases, highest on record
Slovakia reported 20,582 new COVID-19 infections for Tuesday, the Health Ministry said on Wednesday, the highest daily tally since the pandemic started as the country is hit like others in central Europe by the spread of the Omicron variant.
9th Feb 2022 - Reuters
Russia's daily coronavirus cases hit new record high
Russia reported 183,103 COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, a record daily high, as the Omicron variant continued to spread. Russia also confirmed 669 deaths in the past 24 hours, the government coronavirus task force said.
9th Feb 2022 - Reuters
Hong Kong's daily COVID-19 infections surge to record
Hong Kong's daily COVID-19 infections nearly doubled to a record 1,161 cases on Wednesday, authorities said, as the global financial hub battles a rapid surge that is shaping as the biggest test yet of its 'dynamic zero' policy. The city has reported close to 4,000 infections over the past two weeks, up from just two in December, taking its tally to more than 17,000 since the outbreak began in 2020, with 215 deaths, although the figures are lower than other major cities in the world.
9th Feb 2022 - Reuters
England's COVID-19 prevalence edges higher - ONS
England's COVID-19 prevalence was 1 in 19 people in the week ending Feb. 5, the Office for National Statistics said on Wednesday, slightly higher than the 1 in 20 recorded the previous week.
9th Feb 2022 - Reuters
COVID cases surpass 400 million as Omicron grips world
Global COVID-19 cases surpassed 400 million on Wednesday, according to a Reuters tally, as the highly contagious Omicron variant dominates the outbreak, pushing health systems in several countries to the brink of capacity. The Omicron variant, which is dominating the surge around the world, accounts for almost all new cases reported daily. While cases have begun to level off in many countries, more than 2 million cases are still being reported on average each day, according to a Reuters analysis.
9th Feb 2022 - Reuters
New Covid surge batters Afghanistan's crumbling health care
Only five hospitals in Afghanistan still offer COVID-19 treatment, with 33 others having been forced to close in recent months for lack of doctors, medicines and even heat. This comes as the economically devastated nation is hit by a steep rise in the number of reported coronavirus cases. At Kabul’s only COVID-19 treatment hospital, staff can only heat the building at night because of lack of fuel, even as winter temperatures drop below freezing during the day. Patients are bundled under heavy blankets. Its director, Dr. Mohammed Gul Liwal, said they need everything from oxygen to medicine supplies. The facility, called the Afghan Japan Communicable Disease Hospital, has 100 beds. The COVID-19 ward is almost always full as the virus rages. Before late January, the hospital was getting one or two new coronavirus patients a day. In the past two weeks, 10 to 12 new patients have been admitted daily, Liwal said.
9th Feb 2022 - The Associated Press
Hospitals begin to limp out of the latest COVID-19 surge
As omicron numbers drop at Denver Health, Dr. Anuj Mehta is reminded of the scene in the 1980 comedy “The Blues Brothers” when John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd pile out of a battered car after a police chase. Suddenly, all the doors pop off the hinges, the front wheels fall off and smoke pours from the engine. “And that’s my fear,” said Mehta, a pulmonary and critical care physician. “I’m worried that as soon as we stop, everything’s just going to fall apart.” Across the U.S., the number of people in the hospital with COVID-19 has tumbled more than 28% over the past three weeks to about 105,000 on average, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But the ebbing of the omicron surge has left in its wake postponed surgeries, exhausted staff members and uncertainty over whether this is the last big wave or whether another one lies ahead.
9th Feb 2022 - The Associated Press
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 9th Feb 2022
View this newsletter in fullProportion of Covid-19 deaths in over-80s highest for more than a year
People aged 80 and over are accounting for more deaths involving Covid-19 in England and Wales than at any point since December 2020, new analysis shows.
However, the number of deaths in the current wave of the virus remains well below levels reached during the second wave last winter. Some 856 of the 1,355 of deaths that occurred in the week ending January 21 2022 and which mentioned coronavirus on the death certificate were among over-80s – the equivalent of 63.2%. This is the highest proportion since the week to December 18 2020, when it stood at 64.0% (2,115 of 3,306 deaths). The proportion had dropped to nearly half this level during the summer of 2021, dipping to 37.9% in the week to July 2 2021.
8th Feb 2022 - The Independent
Covid-19 update: Global infections are approaching 400 million
Covid -19 infections have now passed 76 million. Meanwhile, the US coronavirus death toll has increased to more than 905,000 according to Johns Hopkins University data. Democratic leaders in the US Congress held a moment of silence on Monday to commemorate the 900,000 American lives lost to the Covid-19 pandemic. New Jersey school districts will be allowed to drop a mask mandate next month, Governor Phil Murphy is expected to announce Monday. The move will be effective 7 March, with flexibility for districts to decide on their own requirements.
8th Feb 2022 - Pharmaceutical Technology
Italy reports 101,864 coronavirus cases on Tuesday, 415 deaths
Italy reported 101,864 COVID-19 related cases on Tuesday, against 41,247 the day before, the health ministry said, while the number of deaths rose to 415 from 326. Italy has registered 149,512 deaths linked to COVID-19 since its outbreak emerged in February 2020, the second-highest toll in Europe after Britain and the eighth highest in the world. The country has reported 11.77 million cases to date.
Patients in hospital with COVID-19 - not including those in intensive care - stood at 18,337 on Tuesday, down from 18,675 a day earlier.
8th Feb 2022 - Reuters
Germany's COVID situation isn't yet under control - health minister
Germany's coronavirus situation is still not under control and an Omicron infection wave is still expected to peak around mid-February, Health Minister Karl Lauterbach said on Tuesday. "The situation is not really under control yet," Lauterbach told journalists during a news conference in Berlin. Germany on Tuesday reported 169,571 new daily case and the seven-day infection incidence rose to a record of 1,441 cases per 100,000.
8th Feb 2022 - Yahoo News UK
Turkey logs 111,096 COVID cases, 231 deaths in 24 hours, ministry says
Turkey has recorded 111,096 new COVID-19 infections in the space of 24 hours, just below the record daily high from the previous week, as well as its highest daily death toll in months, health ministry data showed on Tuesday. In late December, daily cases stood at about 20,000 but have since surged due to the highly transmissible Omicron variant of the coronavirus. On Friday, Turkey reported a record 111,157 infections. Data on Thursday also showed 241 people died due to COVID-19 in the same 24-hour period, the highest daily toll since Nov. 3, while Health Minister Fahrettin Koca urged citizens to complete their vaccination and the elderly to exercise more caution.
8th Feb 2022 - Reuters
Japan reports daily record of 159 COVID deaths - Kyodo
Japan reported 159 coronavirus deaths on Tuesday, a daily record, Kyodo news agency said. It also recorded 101,278 new cases, Kyodo added, amid a surge in infections driven by the Omicron variant that has prompted the government to reinstate curbs in most parts of the country. A total of 1,141 coronavirus patients were in serious condition across Japan as of Tuesday, the health ministry said, down from the previous day yet hovering around a four-month high
8th Feb 2022 - Reuters
US lawmakers mark 900,000 COVID deaths in the country
United States legislators have held a moment of silence at the Capitol to mark 900,000 COVID deaths in the country. The officials walked onto the steps of the seat of the US legislature carrying lights and stood silently as US Army Chorus performed Shall We Gather at the River and God Bless America on Monday. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer stood at the front of the crowd of bipartisan legislators. “Tonight, I joined Members of Congress for a Moment of Silence to pay tribute to the more than 900,000 Americans tragically lost to COVID-19,” Pelosi later wrote on Twitter. “In their memories, let us continue our work to bring an end to this pandemic.” Shortly before legislators held their observance, the Washington National Cathedral tolled its funeral bell 900 times.
8th Feb 2022 - AlJazeera
US records 60,000 COVID-19 deaths in January
Late last week America's pandemic death toll reached 900,000—with 60,000 deaths recorded in January alone—and 100,000 deaths logged since Dec 13. January's death toll doubled November's, the month before Omicron became the dominant variant in the country. According to NBC News, Tennessee, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania have the most deaths when adjusted for population. "After nearly two years, I know that the emotional, physical, and psychological weight of this pandemic has been incredibly difficult to bear," President Biden said in a statement released late last week. Though the surge of Omicron cases is decreasing across the country, hospitalizations and deaths are expected to remain high throughout the month.
7th Feb 2022 - CIDRAP
COVID-19 cases climb higher in parts of Asia
Hong Kong today reported a record 614 cases, nearly all of them locally acquired, according to the Centre for Health Protection. The surge in cases and shortages of imported food due to transport disruptions have led to panic buying at supermarkets, according to Reuters. Meanwhile, on China's mainland, the Guangxi province city of Baise, home to 3.6 million people, is on lockdown. The city's outbreak started with one case in a returning traveler who tested positive on Feb 5, with mass testing turning up 98 more cases, according to the South China Morning Post. The city is in southern China near the border with Vietnam. At the Winter Olympic Games in Beijing, 24 more COVID-19 cases were reported in athletes and staff, raising the total to 387, according to China's Olympic committee. The country has a closed-loop system to separate Olympic participants from the public.
7th Feb 2022 - CIDRAP
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 8th Feb 2022
View this newsletter in fullFive new COVID-19 deaths in South Australia as new cases fall to lowest since start of 2022
Five people with COVID-19 have died in South Australia, taking the total number of deaths in the state since the start of the pandemic to 133. The victims are a man in his 70s, a woman and two men in their 80s, and a man in his 90s. "Our thoughts are with the family and friends of those people who have sadly passed," Premier Steven Marshall said. There were 1,147 positive cases of coronavirus in the past 24 hours to midnight, the lowest total this year. There are currently 14,635 active cases in the state, the lowest number since January 1.
7th Feb 2022 - ABC News
Beijing Olympics organiser says 24 new COVID cases amongst games-related personnel on Feb 6
The Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics Organising Committee said on Monday that 24 new COVID-19 cases were detected among games-related personnel on Feb. 6.
Eleven of the cases were found among new airport arrivals, according to a notice on the Beijing 2022 official website. Thirteen others were among those already in the “closed loop” bubble that separates all event personnel from the public, five of whom were classified as either an athlete or team official, the notice said.
7th Feb 2022 - Reuters
Hong Kong residents raid supermarket shelves as COVID surge disrupts supplies
Hong Kong residents crowded supermarkets and neighbourhood fresh food markets on Monday to stock up on vegetables, noodles and other necessities after a record number of COVID-19 infections in the city and transport disruptions at the border with mainland China. The city of 7.5 million people reported a record 614 coronavirus cases on Monday, in the biggest test yet for the Chinese territory's zero-COVID strategy
7th Feb 2022 - Reuters
Indonesia to tighten COVID-19 curbs as infections climb
Indonesia will tighten social restrictions in Jakarta and Bali, as well as in two other cities on Java island, in a bid to contain a spike in coronavirus infections, a senior cabinet minister said on Monday. Separately, the transport ministry clarified that overseas tourists would still be able to enter the country through the capital Jakarta, after the ministry indicated otherwise in a statement issued on Sunday. It earlier said foreign tourists and Indonesians returning from holidays abroad would be temporarily banned from flying into Jakarta, as a further precaution against COVID-19.
7th Feb 2022 - Reuters
Britain reports COVID cases and deaths fell in last week
Britain reported 54,095 COVID-19 cases and 75 deaths in its daily official data on Sunday, with the seven-day figure for both falling compared with the week before.
In the last week, infection numbers were down 5%, while deaths fell by 7% on the seven days before.
7th Feb 2022 - Reuters
Hong Kong's zero-COVID strategy under pressure as cases soar
Hong Kong reported a record 614 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, health authorities said, in the biggest test yet for the city's zero-COVID strategy as it grapples to contain a growing outbreak. The global financial hub, which is following mainland China's strategy of suppressing all coronavirus outbreaks as soon as possible, has seen cases soar since January with over 2,000 infections compared with just two in December. In addition to the confirmed infections, there were more than 600 other preliminary positive cases on Monday, authorities said.
7th Feb 2022 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 7th Feb 2022
View this newsletter in fullFifty Iranian MPs contract Covid as Omicron spreads across country
Fifty members of Iran’s 290-seat parliament have contracted Covid, a senior MP said, as the Omicron variant spreads unabated across the country. Alireza Salimi, speaking to YJC, a news agency linked to Iran’s state TV, said this week’s parliamentary session would be held in accordance with health regulations. Parliament was suspended for two weeks last April due to an outbreak among MPs. In the early days of the pandemic, several lawmakers died from the virus.
6th Feb 2022 - The Guardian
Korea surpasses 1 million total COVID-19 cases
South Korea surpassed one million cumulative COVID-19 cases Sunday since the pandemic began as health officials reported a daily record of 38,691 new infections driven by the Omicron variant of the coronavirus. The country saw its first confirmed COVID-19 case Jan. 20, 2020, and soon became the first country outside China to battle a major outbreak. An aggressive strategy of tracking, tracing, masking and quarantining helped South Korea blunt that initial wave and keep overall cases and deaths low without widespread lockdowns, but the spread of the Omicron variant is driving case numbers to new highs. Deaths have remained low in the highly vaccinated country, however, 15 new fatalities were reported Saturday by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency.
6th Feb 2022 - Korea Times
India's COVID deaths cross 500000 but some analysts count millions more
The country, which has the fourth-highest tally of deaths globally, recorded 400,000 deaths by July 2021 after the devastating outbreak from the Delta variant of the coronavirus, according to official data. Some believe the figures were much higher.
"Our study published in the journal Science estimates 3 million COVID deaths in India until mid-2021 using three different databases," Chinmay Tumbe, an assistant professor at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, who co-authored the study, told Reuters. Last month, the Indian government dismissed the study as baseless in a notification saying there is a robust system of birth and death reporting.
6th Feb 2022 - Reuters
Hong Kong Daily Covid Cases Surge to 351, Double Previous Record
Hong Kong reported a record 351 daily coronavirus cases on Saturday, more than double its previous highest daily tally, as the city struggles to contain a fifth wave of infections. Locally transmitted infections accounted for 343 of the total, Hong Kong health officials said at press conference. The city’s previous highest number of cases was 164 reported on Jan. 27. The surge in infections followed Chief Executive Carrie Lam’s announcement on Friday of measures to provide “tens of millions” of home testing kits to the city’s 7.4 million residents. She also signaled that the government might tighten social-distancing measures to curb the spread of the virus, in a city that has pursued a Covid Zero strategy.
5th Feb 2022 - Bloomberg
UK reports 254 more COVID deaths, 84053 cases
Britain reported 84,053 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday and a further 254 deaths within 28 days of a positive test, as numbers drifted lower following a wave of Omicron cases at the turn of the year. The number of new cases in the past seven days was down 2.4% on a week before at 614,720, while the number of deaths was 3.4% down on the previous week at 1,766.
5th Feb 2022 - Reuters
Singapore's daily local COVID-19 cases triple to more than 13,000
Singapore reported a record 13,046 local coronavirus infections on Friday, triple the previous day's tally. Singapore has recorded 85,357 cases of the virus over the last 28 days, but 99.7% of them had no or mild symptoms. The country has fully vaccinated 89% of the total population against COVID-19, while 59% have received boosters shots. Authorities have previously warned that daily cases could rise to as many 15,000 due to the highly transmissible Omicron variant.
5th Feb 2022 - Reuters
Hong Kong reports record daily high of 351 coronavirus cases
Hong Kong reported 351 cases of coronavirus on Saturday, a record daily high since the outbreak of the pandemic, further pressuring the government's "dynamic zero-COVID" strategy as other major cities opt to live with the virus. Health Secretary Sophia Chan said at a news conference she expects cases to rise "exponentially" following the Lunar New Year holiday due to an increase in family and social gatherings and appealed several times for people to stay indoors. "Stay at home, please," Chan said as she again urged people, especially the elderly, to get vaccinated.
5th Feb 2022 - Reuters
U.S. coronavirus deaths surpass 900,000, driven in part by Omicron surge
The coronavirus pandemic reached a grim new milestone in the United States on Friday with the nation's cumulative death toll from COVID-19 surpassing 900,000, even as the daily number of lives lost has begun to level off, according to data collected by Reuters. The latest tally marks an increase of more than 100,000 U.S. COVID-19 fatalities since Dec. 12, coinciding with a surge of infections and hospitalizations driven by the highly contagious Omicron variant of the virus. Preliminary evidence has shown that Omicron, while far more infectious, generally causes less severe illness than earlier iterations of the virus, such as Delta. But the sheer volume of Omicron cases fueled a surge in hospitalizations that has strained many U.S. healthcare systems to their limits in recent weeks.
5th Feb 2022 - Reuters
New Zealand reports record 243 new COVID cases
New Zealand reported a record 243 new COVID-19 community cases on Saturday, as officials warned more cases of the highly transmissible Omicron variant are expected but urged people in the highly vaccinated nation not to panic. The country of five million people has kept its borders closed since early 2020. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Thursday a full reopening will happen only by October. The border closure, combined with lockdowns and strict social distancing rules have limited the spread of the coronavirus, with just over 17,000 infections and 53 related deaths.
5th Feb 2022 - Reuters
South Korea surpasses 1 million total COVID cases with daily record
South Korea on Sunday surpassed one million cumulative COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began, as health officials reported a daily record of 38,691 new infections driven by an Omicron variant outbreak. South Korea saw its first confirmed COVID-19 case on January 20, 2020, and soon became the first country outside China to battle a major outbreak. An aggressive strategy of tracking, tracing, masking and quarantining helped South Korea to blunt that initial wave and keep overall cases and deaths low without widespread lockdowns, but the spread of the Omicron variant is driving case numbers to new highs.
5th Feb 2022 - Reuters
Malaysia's daily COVID cases hit four-month high
Malaysia reported 9,117 new COVID-19 infections on Saturday, the highest daily figure in four months, due to the highly transmissible Omicron variant. The new cases bring the total number of infections since the start of the pandemic to 2,904,131. Malaysia has also reported over 32,000 deaths. Noor Hisham Abdullah, the director general of health, has said Malaysia is expected to see a surge in COVID-19 infections and that the country's high vaccination rate has resulted in fewer number of severe cases.
5th Feb 2022 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 4th Feb 2022
View this newsletter in fullNine more lives lost to COVID-19 in Queensland, random testing reveals COVID prevalence on Gold Coast
As authorities report a further nine people have died from COVID-19 in Queensland, with 8,643 new cases confirmed, it has been revealed a significant number of Gold Coasters probably don't know they have COVID-19. That's according to the state's Chief Health Officer, John Gerrard, who said at today's news conference there were 749 people in Queensland hospitals with COVID-19 and 47 on ventilators. Dr Gerrard said the latest deaths again highlighted the fact that not enough people were getting booster shots. "Of these nine people, three are unvaccinated, one had received a single dose of vaccine, four had received two doses and only one of the nine had received a booster," he said.
3rd Feb 2022 - ABC News
Opinion | What if we're in the middle — not the end — of the pandemic?
We would like to think we are at the end of a two-year pandemic. But what if we’re only halfway through? With the omicron variant starting to recede in parts of Europe and the United States, people have become tired and impatient. But if we have learned anything, it is that covid-19 is still evolving. Our experts cannot predict how, where or when it will strike again. It is imperative, therefore, to prepare for the possibility of further waves, even while we celebrate the ebbing of this one.
Viruses mutate every time they are exposed to a host. Hundreds of millions of people have been infected by the coronavirus. Hundreds of millions more are likely to contract it over the course of this year. Tens of millions have active infections as you read this article. Increasing human immunity protects us but also favors the survival of new viral mutations that can overcome that immunity.
3rd Feb 2022 - The Washington Post
Opinion | Clues to the Next Variant Are All Around Us
Scientists recognise the clues to the next variant surge may simply all around us - air sampling in buildings, at sewage treatment plants, online searches indicating general sickness in the searches, increase remdial purchases in pharmacies and we need to look out for them in our monitoring programmes.
3rd Feb 2022 - The New York Times
Venezuela COVID patients, exhausted doctors get mental health help from medical charity
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) is providing mental health care for COVID-19 patients, their families and also medical staff in two public hospitals in Venezuela to support the country's run-down health system. They are organizing phone and video calls between the sick and their loved ones and even helping dying patients to say their goodbyes, Elizabeth Hernandez, who leads MSF's effort at Caracas' Lidice hospital, said. She said they are providing one-on-one mental health consultations for doctors and nurses.
3rd Feb 2022 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 3rd Feb 2022
View this newsletter in fullTurkey logs 24-hour record 110,682 COVID-19 cases -ministry
Turkey has recorded 110,682 new COVID-19 infections in the space of 24 hours, its highest daily figure of the pandemic, health ministry data showed on Wednesday. In late December, daily cases stood at about 20,000 but have since surged due to the highly transmissible Omicron variant of the coronavirus. Data also showed 217 people died due to COVID-19 in the same 24-hour period. The total death toll stands at more than 87,000, according to the official tally. Separately, Turkey's coronavirus science council said the anti-viral pill molnupiravir will be administered to early-stage COVID-19 patients over age 65 or with chronic illnesses as of next week.
2nd Feb 2022 - Reuters
Australia's COVID-19 hospital admissions fall to lowest in weeks
Australia's COVID-19 hospitalisation rate fell to its lowest in nearly three weeks on Wednesday, while a steady rate of daily infections raised hopes the worst of an outbreak fuelled by the Omicron coronavirus variant may have passed. Hospital cases fell to about 4,600 on Wednesday, with all states seeing a dip in admission numbers, after a peak of nearly 5,400 a week ago. "We've seen the peaks of Omicron, I think, come through in (New South Wales and Victoria)," Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who is under pressure over his handling of the Omicron wave, told a media briefing.
2nd Feb 2022 - Reuters
Omicron Sub-Variant May Cause New Surge of Infections in Current Wave
A sub-variant of the omicron coronavirus strain, known as BA.2, is spreading rapidly in South Africa and may cause a second surge of infections in the current wave, one of the country’s top scientists said. BA.2 is causing concern as studies show that it appears to be more transmissible than the original omicron strain, the discovery of which was announced by South Africa and Botswana in November.
Research also shows that getting a mild infection with either of the two strains may not give a robust enough immune response to protect against another omicron infection. There’s no indication that the sub-variant causes more severe disease from infection surges seen in Denmark and the U.K. The omicron wave of infections “may end up like a camel,” Tulio de Oliveira, a bio-informatics professor who runs gene-sequencing institutions and advises the government on the pandemic, said at a presentation at Stellenbosch University on Wednesday. “A wave with another hump.”
2nd Feb 2022 - Bloomberg
Tokyo's daily COVID-19 infections exceed 20000 for first time
New COVID-19 cases in Tokyo exceeded 20,000 for the first time on Wednesday, dimming hopes that a wave of infections fuelled by the Omicron variant is peaking in Japan. Nationwide cases reached a record 91,760, while 18 prefectures recorded all-time highs, according to a tally by online news service JX Press. Tokyo reported 21,576 new cases, surpassing the previous record of 17,631 in the Japanese capital on Friday. The closely watched usage rate of hospital beds reserved for COVID-19 patients edged up to 51.4%. Officials previously said that a state of emergency would be needed if the rate reached 50%, but now say the decision will depend on the number of serious cases and other factors.
2nd Feb 2022 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 2nd Feb 2022
View this newsletter in fullVirus infections for Olympic athletes, coaches rising faster
Athletes and team officials are testing positive for COVID-19 at much higher rates than other people arriving in China for the Beijing Olympics, organizers said Tuesday. Figures released by local organizers showed 11 positive tests for COVID-19 among 379 athletes and officials arriving Monday. They have been taken into isolation hotels to limit the spread of the infection and could miss their events. The positive test rate of 2.9% for athletes and officials compared to 0.66% for Olympic “stakeholders,” a group which includes workers and media, in the same period. There were 1,059 people in that category. Over a three-day period from Saturday through Monday, the positivity rate for athletes and officials was 40% higher than other Olympic arrivals. The rates were confirmed in PCR and other follow-up tests for tens of thousands of people at the Beijing Olympics who will live, work and train in closed-off communities separated from the general public. The Chinese government is pursuing a zero-tolerance public health strategy.
1st Feb 2022 - The Associated Press
COVID-19: UK records another 112,458 cases and 219 more coronavirus-related deaths, daily figures show
The UK has recorded another 112,458 coronavirus cases in the latest 24-hour period, according to official data. That compares to 92,368 cases on Monday - a sharp rise on Sunday's figure because reinfections in England and Northern Ireland were included for the first time. Data for Scotland and Wales will be added in the "days ahead", the government website said. A further 219 coronavirus-related deaths have been recorded in the UK - compared to 51 announced on Monday.
1st Feb 2022 - Sky News
Romania daily COVID-19 cases at new record high
The number of new coronavirus infections in Romania reached a record high of 40,018 in the past 24 hours, government data showed on Tuesday, with hospitalisations on the rise as the country's vaccine uptake lags. Romania is the European Union's second-least vaccinated country after Bulgaria, with roughly 41% of the population fully inoculated, reflecting mistrust in state institutions and poor vaccine education. On Monday there were 903 COVID-19 patients in intensive care units across the country, of which 84% are not vaccinated, official data showed.
1st Feb 2022 - Reuters
Russia reports new record of daily COVID cases
Russia reported a record daily number of COVID-19 cases on Tuesday as the Omicron variant of coronavirus spread across the country, authorities said. New daily cases jumped to 125,836, up from 124,070 a day earlier. The government coronavirus task force also reported 663 deaths in the last 24 hours.
1st Feb 2022 - Reuters
Tokyo COVID hospitalisations mount, cross closely watched 50% threshold
More than half of Tokyo's hospital beds set aside for COVID-19 patients were occupied on Tuesday, a level that officials have previously flagged as a criterion for requesting a state of emergency. The capital and most of Japan are now under curbs to contain record coronavirus cases driven by the contagious Omicron variant. Tokyo has set aside almost 7,000 hospital beds for COVID patients, and admissions have risen sharply this month, reaching 50.7% on Tuesday. New infections numbered 14,445.
1st Feb 2022 - Reuters
COVID cases within 'controllable range', says Games organiser
The COVID-19 situation at the Beijing Winter Olympics is within the "expected controllable range" despite increasing positive cases being detected, a senior official at China's Olympics Pandemic Prevention and Control Office said on Tuesday. The Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics Organising Committee has reported 200 COVID cases since Jan. 23 among airport arrivals and those in the Games "closed loop" bubble that separates all event personnel, including athletes, from the public. "As more people are entering China the imported COVID-19 cases are increasing," Huang Chun, deputy director general of the committee's Pandemic Prevention and Control Office, told a news briefing.
1st Feb 2022 - Reuters
Britain adds possible reinfections to COVID case numbers
Suspected reinfections account for around 10% of England's COVID-19 cases so far this year, a Reuters analysis suggests, after the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) changed how it calculates coronavirus data. With increased numbers of people catching the disease again since the Omicron variant began to predominate at the end of 2021, Britain on Monday started incorporating possible COVID-19 reinfections into its daily data. "Reinfection remained at very low levels until the start of the Omicron wave. It is right that our daily reporting processes reflect how the virus has changed," said Steven Riley, UKHSA’s Director General of Data and Analytics.
1st Feb 2022 - Reuters
Mississippi reports 11th pediatric COVID-19 death
An 11th pediatric coronavirus death in Mississippi was confirmed Tuesday by state health officials. The Mississippi State Department of Health said none of the patients who died had been vaccinated. Since the first COVID-19 case was diagnosed in Mississippi in March 2020, the department has reported:
— one death in an infant – under one year of age
— three deaths in the 1-5 year age range
— one death in the 6-10 year age range
— six deaths in the 11-17 year age range
State epidemiologist Dr. Paul Byers encouraged parents to discuss childhood vaccination with their health care provider. “Vaccination is the best protection for our children who are eligible to receive it. For those under 5 years of age, it is critically important that everyone around the infant or child are vaccinated,” Byers said.
1st Feb 2022 - The Associated Press
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 1st Feb 2022
View this newsletter in fullQueensland records three new COVID-19 deaths and 7,462 new cases, hospitalisation rate trending down
Another three Queenslanders have died with COVID-19, taking the total number of deaths in the state since the coronavirus pandemic began to 199. The state has recorded 7,462 new cases in the latest reporting period. There are 744 people in hospital being treated for COVID. That includes 46 patients in hospital in intensive care. Chief Health Officer John Gerrard said of the three people who had died with COVID-19, one was in their 60s, one in their 80s and one in their 90s. Two had received two doses of COVID-19 vaccine and one had also received a booster shot.
31st Jan 2022 - ABC News
Russia reports fresh record of daily COVID cases
Russia reported a record daily number of COVID-19 cases on Monday as the Omicron variant of coronavirus spread across the country, authorities said. New daily cases jumped to 124,070, up from 121,228 a day earlier. The government coronavirus task force also reported 621 deaths in the last 24 hours.
31st Jan 2022 - Reuters
2022 Winter Olympics: Beijing Logs Covid Cases Faster Than Tokyo
Beijing identified more than 100 coronavirus infections over the past three days among those in China for the Winter Olympics, taking the cumulative number of cases to 248 with four days to go before the opening ceremony. At an average of 36 new cases a day, the increase has more than doubled the three-day average for Jan. 25-27 period. The total count already exceeds the number of infections Tokyo had in the run-up to the summer games last year, which were held before the more infectious omicron variant began to circulate. The Japanese capital tallied 121 Olympic-related cases in the three weeks before its opening ceremony.
31st Jan 2022 - Bloomberg
Hong Kong's Covid-Zero Strategy Is on the Brink of Collapse
Hong Kong has never been closer to losing its Covid-Zero battle. As residents prepare for another Chinese New Year under Covid-19 restrictions, omicron seems to have gotten the better of the city’s defenses, with a record number of new and untraceable infections. Though the city has beaten back four previous waves of infection, returning to no Covid cases will be much harder this time, given it’s facing omicron, the most infectious and immune-evasive of variants.
31st Jan 2022 - Bloomberg
COVID-19 cases mount among Olympic athletes, personnel arriving in Beijing
China has detected some 119 cases of COVID-19 among athletes and personnel linked to the Beijing Winter Olympics, with authorities imposing a "closed loop" bubble to keep participants, staff and media separated from the public.
31st Jan 2022 - Reuters
Australia reports fewer COVID-19 deaths, infections as students return to schools
Australia reported its lowest daily COVID-19 deaths in two weeks on Monday while cases continued to trend lower as authorities braced for staff shortages in schools due to likely outbreaks as thousands of students return after their summer break.
Most states will go through a staggered school reopening exercise this week as Australia battles the worst outbreak of the pandemic, with the fast-moving Omicron coronavirus variant spiralling cases to record levels.
31st Jan 2022 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 31st Jan 2022
View this newsletter in fullBritain reports 62399 COVID cases, 85 deaths
Britain reported a further 62,399 cases of COVID-19 on Sunday and 85 more deaths within 28 days of a positive test, government statistics showed. Those figures do not include cases and deaths from Northern Ireland, which did not provide its numbers in time for inclusion in the daily update, the government said.
That compared with 72,727 cases and 296 deaths reported on Saturday.
30th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Coronavirus Omicron India Live: Risk persists even though Covid cases starting to plateau in parts of India, says WHO
Kerala logged 50,812 new Covid-19 cases and eight deaths on Saturday, taking the infection count to 59,31,945 and the death toll to 53,191. There are 3,36,202 active cases in the state now. Among the districts, Ernakulam recorded the highest number of cases on Saturday (11,103), followed by Thiruvananthapuram with 6,647 and Kozhikode 4,490. The state had reported 54,537 new cases on Friday. Meanwhile, even though some cities or states in India may be beginning to see plateauing of Covid-19 cases, the risk persists and focus must be on reducing transmission and implementing situation-specific measures, senior WHO official Poonam Khetrapal Singh said. The Health Ministry had said on Thursday that early indications of Covid cases plateauing have been reported in certain geographies in the country but the trend needs to be observed.
29th Jan 2022 - The Indian Express
Ukraine reports record 37,351 COVID daily cases - ministry
Ukraine registered a record daily high of 37,351 new coronavirus infections over the past 24 hours, the health ministry said on Saturday. The previous high of 34,408 cases was a day earlier. Ministry data showed 149 new related deaths, putting the total above 100,000. Ukraine's tally of infections in the pandemic stands at 4.02 million, with 100,031 deaths.
29th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Third COVID wave looms in Indonesia as omicron spreads
Indonesia is bracing for a third wave of COVID-19 infections as the highly transmissible omicron variant drives a surge in new cases, health authorities and experts said Saturday. The country reported 11,588 new confirmed infections and 17 deaths on Saturday in the last 24-hour period. It was the highest daily caseload since August when Indonesia was struggling to contain a delta-driven wave. Indonesia had recovered from last year’s spike that was among the worst in the region, and daily infections had fallen to about 200 by December. But cases are rising again just weeks after the country reported its first local omicron transmission.
29th Jan 2022 - The Associated Press
COVID hits one of the last uninfected places on the planet
When the coronavirus began spreading around the world, the remote Pacific archipelago of Kiribati closed its borders, ensuring the disease didn’t reach its shores for nearly two full years. Kiribati finally began reopening this month, allowing the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to charter a plane to bring home 54 of the island nation’s citizens. Many of those aboard were missionaries who had left Kiribati before the border closure to spread the faith abroad for what is commonly known as the Mormon church. Officials tested each returning passenger three times in nearby Fiji, required that they be vaccinated, and put them in quarantine with additional testing when they arrived home. It wasn’t enough. More than half the passengers tested positive for the virus, which has now slipped out into the community and prompted the government to declare a state of disaster. An initial 36 positive cases from the flight had ballooned to 181 cases by Friday.
29th Jan 2022 - The Associated Press
Omicron drives US deaths higher than in fall's delta wave
Omicron, the highly contagious coronavirus variant sweeping across the country, is driving the daily American death toll higher than during last fall’s delta wave, with deaths likely to keep rising for days or even weeks. The seven-day rolling average for daily new COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. has been climbing since mid-November, reaching 2,267 on Thursday and surpassing a September peak of 2,100 when delta was the dominant variant. Now omicron is estimated to account for nearly all the virus circulating in the nation. And even though it causes less severe disease for most people, the fact that it is more transmissible means more people are falling ill and dying. “Omicron will push us over a million deaths,” said Andrew Noymer, a public health professor at the University of California, Irvine. “That will cause a lot of soul searching. There will be a lot of discussion about what we could have done differently, how many of the deaths were preventable.”
29th Jan 2022 - The Associated Press
In Italy, COVID wards filled with unvaccinated elderly people as Omicron swept nation
As the Omicron variant swept Italy late last year, it was unvaccinated elderly people and those who had not had a booster dose four or more months after their initial shots who were most likely to go to hospital or die from COVID-19, according to data and doctors. Cases in hospitals have started to plateau, offering a sign that the current wave - which started with the emergence of Omicron in late November and pushed infections to record highs - may be close to peaking, doctors say. The data covering the period Nov. 19- Jan. 2 and published in recent weeks provide some of the most detailed insight into who was likely falling very ill from the newest coronavirus variant.
29th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Beijing Steps Up Covid-19 Control Measures Ahead of Lunar New Year, Winter Olympics
China appears to have brought two recent large coronavirus outbreaks under control and has turned its focus to Beijing, where health authorities are ramping up testing and tightening containment protocols as the Chinese capital prepares for the Lunar New Year and the Winter Olympics. Chinese authorities this week lifted a roughly monthlong lockdown of the central Chinese city of Xi’an, where a Delta outbreak had spread last month. The port city of Tianjin, which neighbors Beijing, declared victory over an Omicron outbreak, lifting most of the restrictions on its citizens. On Thursday, Beijing reported 19 of the country’s 49 locally transmitted Covid-19 cases from the past two days, according to official data provided by the National Health Commission. While the majority of Beijing’s cases had been infected with the Delta strain, six patients tested positive for the Omicron variant, Beijing’s government said during a news conference Wednesday.
28th Jan 2022 - The Wall Street Journal
Colorado Detects Faster-Spreading Omicron Sub-Variant
Colorado detected a single case of the Covid-19 omicron BA.2 sub-variant, which can spread faster and potentially “cause an increase in cases temporarily,” a state health official said Thursday. The sub-variant, which has been detected in Europe and Asia, was identified in a person in the Denver area late last month, Rachel Herlihy, state epidemiologist, said during an online briefing. Other states have detected a small number of cases. “It could potentially result in an increased rate of transmission at least for a brief period of time,” Herlihy said. “There is no evidence that it causes any sort of increased level of severity.”
28th Jan 2022 - Bloomberg
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 28th Jan 2022
View this newsletter in fullGermany reports new daily record for COVID-19 infections
Germany reported another record number of daily new COVID-19 infections on Thursday, crossing the 200,000 threshold for the first time, as the country debates whether to impose compulsory vaccinations. The Robert Koch Institute for infectious diseases reported 203,136 positive tests in the last 24 hours, 69,600 cases more than the same day a week ago. The seven-day incidence per 100,000 people rose to 1,017 from 941 the previous day, while another 188 people died, bringing the death toll since the start of the pandemic to 117,314.
27th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Greece allows music in bars and restaurants again as COVID cases ease
Greece will allow music in restaurants and bars again and extend their operating hours as it lifts some of the restrictions imposed last month now that coronavirus infections and the pressure on hospitals are easing, authorities said on Thursday.
The country last month forced bars, nightclubs and restaurants to close at midnight, with no standing customers and no music, following a surge of cases over the Christmas holidays due to the fast-spreading Omicron variant. "We have decided to scale back the restrictions, taking into consideration the course of the pandemic in terms of cases which have been declining in recent weeks," Health Minister Thanos Plevris said in a televised statement.
27th Jan 2022 - Reuters
German daily COVID cases rise above 200000, causing staff shortages
The number of new COVID-19 infections in Germany exceeded 200,000 in a day for the first time on Thursday, hitting staffing at companies including Lufthansa Cargo. The Robert Koch Institute for infectious diseases reported 203,136 positive tests in the last 24 hours, 69,600 cases more than the same day a week ago.
The seven-day incidence per 100,000 people rose to 1,017 from 941 the previous day, while another 188 people died, bringing the death toll since the start of the pandemic in early 2020 to 117,314.
27th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Australia reports fewer COVID-19 deaths, hospitalisations steady
Australia reported fewer COVID-19 deaths on Thursday, a day after recording a pandemic high, while hospital cases remained steady, raising hopes the country's worst outbreak may have peaked. Officials reported a total of 59 deaths, down from a pandemic peak of 87 on Wednesday, with just two states still to report figures. Hospitalisations have remained steady at around 5,000 for the last few days, peaking at just under 5,400 on Tuesday, with admissions falling for the second straight day in New South Wales, the worst-affected state.
27th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 27th Jan 2022
View this newsletter in fullCOVID-19 cases at highest ever in Americas -regional health agency
New cases of COVID-19 in the Americas in the past week have been the highest since the pandemic began in 2020 and the very contagious Omicron variant has clearly become the predominant strain, the Pan American Health Organization said on Wednesday. There were more than 8 million new cases, 32% higher than the previous week, while fatalities throughout the region also increased by 37%, with 18,000 new deaths caused by COVID-19. The United States continues to have the highest number of new infections, although cases decreased by nearly 1 million over the last week, the regional health agency said.
26th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Child Covid infections are rising in England – is low vaccine rate a factor?
Covid cases in the UK have fallen sharply in the past few weeks, and hospital admissions appeared to have turned a corner. But now, it seems, the situation has stalled, with cases bobbing around 90,000 a day. The reason for the change is that while case rates are falling among adults, they are rising among children – where vaccination rates remain sluggish. According to data for England, the rate of new cases for every 100,000 people fell from 1,430.4 among 60- to 64-year-olds in the rolling seven-day period to 1 January, to 529.3 in the rolling seven-day period to 19 January. However, they rose from 941.6 to 2,384.1 for children aged five to nine during the same period, and from 1,230 to 1,909.7 for children aged 10 to 14.
26th Jan 2022 - The Guardian
COVID-19: Bangladeshi communities and Pakistani men most at risk of dying from coronavirus during third wave
Bangladeshi people and Pakistani men living in the UK were most at risk of dying during the third wave of COVID, despite the efforts of the vaccination programme, new research suggests. Data released by the Office for National Statics found people from these two groups remained at higher risk of death from COVID-19 during the third wave - even after adjusting for vaccination status. From 13 June 2021 onwards, the risk for Bangladeshi communities from the virus was 4.4 and 5.2 times greater than white British men and women.
26th Jan 2022 - Sky News
Romania sees huge jump in COVID-19 cases, deaths climb
Romania on Wednesday recorded a huge jump in COVID-19 infections, hitting a pandemic record of nearly 35,000 daily cases, almost doubling its previous record set only a day earlier. Deaths have also begun to climb. Daily coronavirus cases in Romania have dramatically surged over the past month, from about a 1,000 cases a day in mid-December to the pandemic record of 34,255 cases on Wednesday. Its daily death toll was 94, also the highest number of virus deaths in more than a month. Three-quarters of those deaths were unvaccinated people and more than 80% of the 692 COVID-19 patients now in intensive care in Romania have also not been jabbed, official data shows.
26th Jan 2022 - The Independent
Russia's daily COVID cases hit record high for sixth day running
Russia reported a record daily number of COVID-19 cases on Wednesday as the Omicron variant of the virus spreads, authorities said. New daily cases jumped to 74,692, up from from 67,809 a day earlier. The government coronavirus task force also reported 657 deaths in the last 24 hours.
26th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Eastern Europe reports COVID daily infection records as Omicron spreads
Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Bulgaria and Romania all hit their highest infection rates of the pandemic on Wednesday, driven by the highly transmissible Omicron variant, and yet were reluctant to impose sweeping curbs to limit the spread. The region has some of Europe's lowest vaccination rates, particularly in Romania and Bulgaria, and saw some of the highest COVID-related death rates towards the end of 2021.
26th Jan 2022 - Reuters
S.Korea's daily COVID-19 cases surge as new testing scheme begins
South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases exceeded 13,000 for the first time on Wednesday, driven by the spread of the Omicron variant, as the government launched a new pilot testing scheme to meet skyrocketing demand. The record 13,012 cases for the previous 24-hour period came just a day after the tally first topped 8,000 despite the extension of tough social distancing rules.
26th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Hungary reports jump in new COVID cases to record 20174 on Wed
Hungary's daily tally of new COVID-19 infections jumped to a record 20,174 on Wednesday, but the number of patients treated in hospital has remained at a relatively low level. In Hungary, a country of 10 million, 41,087 people have died of COVID-19. There are 3,145 coronavirus patients in hospital now, including 164 on ventilators, the government said.
26th Jan 2022 - Reuters
English COVID study finds record prevalence in January
An English COVID-19 study reported record prevalence in January after an Omicron-fuelled spike in infections, Imperial College London said on Wednesday, adding that infections had dropped back from their peak but were now plateauing.
England will on Thursday ditch mask mandates and COVID-19 vaccine passes introduced to slow the spread of Omicron. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has credited the success of Britain's booster rollout and the lower severity of the variant as he aims to live with COVID-19. Britain has so far recorded more than 150,000 deaths from COVID-19, and daily infections peaked during the Omicron wave.
26th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 26th Jan 2022
View this newsletter in fullCovid-19 weekly deaths in England and Wales hit 10-month high
The number of deaths involving coronavirus registered each week in England and Wales has climbed to its highest level for 10 months. A total of 1,382 deaths registered in the week ending January 14 mentioned Covid-19 on the death certificate, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). This is up 50% on the previous seven days and is the highest number since 1,501 deaths were registered in the week to March 12 2021. The sharp week-on-week jump in deaths is likely to have been affected by the bank holiday on January 3, when register offices were closed, leading to a backlog of registrations needing to be cleared, the ONS said.
25th Jan 2022 - The Independent
S.Korea's daily infections top 8000 in a first driven by Omicron
South Korea's daily new coronavirus infections topped 8,000 for the first time on Tuesday, as the highly contagious Omicron variant spreads rapidly, despite the extension of tough social distancing rules. The figure of 8,571 on Monday exceeded the previous peak of 7,848 in December, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said, as Omicron became dominant in the country last week, though it is less deadly than previous variants.
25th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Japan doubles areas under COVID curbs as cases set records
Japan expanded regions subject to tighter coronavirus curbs to cover 70% of the country on Tuesday, as the government tried to counter a record wave of COVID-19 cases caused by the Omicron variant. The measures, already in force in 16 prefectures, will take effect in a further 18 including the western prefectures of Kyoto and Osaka and remain in place until the middle of next month. Nationwide cases rose above 60,000 for the first time since the pandemic began, a tally by broadcaster Fuji TV showed on Tuesday, with the capital, Tokyo, posting 12,813 new cases while the region of Osaka reported 8,612, both records.
25th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Australia marks two years since first COVID case with another high death count
Australia on Tuesday recorded one of its highest number of deaths in a day from COVID-19 as an outbreak of the highly-infections Omicron variant tore through the country which marked two years since its first infection of the coronavirus. Though Australia's states and territories are refraining from a return to the lockdowns which have defined the country's pandemic response, the most populous state, New South Wales, extended a mask mandate by a month, an example of the continuous disruption brought by the virus. The same state, which came out of more than three months of hard lockdown in October, had vowed never to return to social distancing measures since its population had met a target of more than 90% vaccinated.
25th Jan 2022 - Reuters
COVID cases reported on Australian aid vessel sailing to virus-free Tonga
About two dozen cases of COVID-19 have been recorded among the crew of an Australian warship expected to arrive in coronavirus-free Tonga on Wednesday to deliver humanitarian aid, Australian authorities said on Tuesday. Tonga, hit by a massive volcanic eruption and a tsunami on Jan. 15, has asked for aid to be delivered without human contact amid concerns a COVID outbreak would be devastating for the tiny Pacific island nation. Australia's Defence Minister Peter Dutton said 23 personnel aboard the HMAS Adelaide have tested positive for COVID.
25th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Germany Eyes Looser Pandemic Curbs After Omicron Surge Ebbs
Chancellor Olaf Scholz agreed with regional leaders to keep Germany’s current pandemic restrictions in place to help tackle a record surge in infections while raising the possibility of relaxing some curbs once the wave subsides. The country must “stay the course” on vaccinations and social-distancing restrictions, Scholz said Monday in Berlin after regular talks with the country’s 16 state premiers. “We need to continue to be cautious.”
25th Jan 2022 - Bloomberg
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 25th Jan 2022
View this newsletter in fullVietnam reports 14,362 new Covid-19 cases and now 2,155,784 infections in total on Monday (Jan 24)
Vietnam recorded 14,362 new Covid-19 cases on Monday, including 14,307 locally transmitted and 55 imported, according to its Ministry of Health. The Vietnamese capital Hanoi remained the locality with the highest number of infections on Monday with 2,801 cases, followed by central Da Nang city with 958 cases and northern Hai Phong city with 733 cases. The new Covid-19 infections detected in the Southeast Asian country brought the total tally to 2,155,784 with 36,884 deaths. Nationwide, as many as 1,841,180 patients have so far recovered. Some 176.4 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines, including 23.8 million third shots, have been administered, according to the ministry.
24th Jan 2022 - The Star
Indonesia reports 2,927 new Covid-19 cases, seven more deaths on Monday (Jan 24)
Indonesia on Monday confirmed 2,927 new Covid-19 cases, taking the country's tally of infections to 4,289,305, according to the country's health ministry. The ministry's senior official Siti Nadia Tarmizi reported on Monday morning that the total number of confirmed Omicron cases in the archipelago has increased to 1,626. Among the Omicron cases, 1,019 are imported, while 369 are local transmissions, she said. Health authorities are still identifying sources of the 238 cases. The ministry said that in the past 24 hours, the death toll from Covid-19 in Indonesia rose by seven to 144,227, while 944 more people recovered from the disease, bringing the total number of recoveries to 4,124,211.
24th Jan 2022 - The Star
Australia COVID-19 deaths mount as return to school threatens new Omicron peak
Australia recorded another surge of COVID-19 deaths on Monday as an outbreak of the highly contagious Omicron variant peaked, and authorities warned numbers could rise further when schools return from end-of-year holidays next week. The world No. 13 economy is trying to strike a balance between reopening after two years of movement restrictions and coping with the highest numbers of deaths and cases of the pandemic.
24th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Omicron spreads in New Zealand, spoiling PM's wedding plans
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is postponing her wedding after announcing new COVID-19 restrictions Sunday following the discovery of nine cases of the omicron variant in a single family that flew to Auckland to attend a wedding. The so-called “red setting” of the country’s pandemic response includes heightened measures such as required mask wearing and limits on gatherings. The restrictions will go into effect on Monday. Ardern stressed that “red is not lockdown,” noting that businesses can remain open and people can still visit family and friends and move freely around the country. “Our plan for managing omicron cases in the early stage remains the same as delta, where we will rapidly test, contact trace and isolate cases and contacts in order to slow the spread,” Ardern told reporters.
24th Jan 2022 - The Associated Press
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 24th Jan 2022
View this newsletter in fullNew Zealand Urges Business to Be Ready for Omicron Disruption
New Zealand’s government is warning businesses to be prepared for labor shortages and supply disruptions as omicron takes hold in the community. Finance Minister Grant Robertson has urged companies to ensure business continuity plans are in place and pledged government support, but warned that the impact of the variant could be severe. Modeling showed that in a scenario of 25,000 daily cases there could be 350,000 workers a day self-isolating, he said. “What we see from overseas is the supply side of the economy is where the big impacts have been,” Robertson told reporters Sunday in Wellington. “We’re working very hard to make sure we don’t see disruption but inevitably there will be some.”
23rd Jan 2022 - Bloomberg
S.Korea reports second-highest COVID count ahead of holiday
South Korea posted its second-highest daily number of coronavirus cases on Sunday, despite extended COVID-19 curbs and a high vaccination rate, raising concerns of further spread during the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday. The country recorded 7,630 new cases on Saturday, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said, above the 7,009 cases reported a day earlier and near the mid-December record
23rd Jan 2022 - FXEmpire.com
Coronavirus cases go UP for the first time in more than two weeks: 74,799 catch virus
Department of Health bosses reported a total of 74,799 new coronavirus cases
This marks the first time the number of Covid cases has gone up since January 4
The official figures also showed there have been a further 75 new Covid deaths
23rd Jan 2022 - Daily Mail
Covid Scotland: Four more deaths and 6329 new cases ahead of restrictions easing
It means the death toll under this measurement, of people who tested positive for the virus in the previous 28 days, has risen to 10,199. There were 1,441 people in hospital on Sunday with recently confirmed Covid-19, down 17 on the day before, with 41 in intensive care, down one from the previous day. Figures for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde – the biggest health board by population in the country – were not submitted in time for the Sunday update and figures published on Friday were used instead. So far, 4,405,821 people have received their first dose of a Covid-19 vaccination, 4,105,220 have received their second dose, and 3,252,819 have received a third dose or booster. The remaining restrictions brought in before Christmas in response to the Omicron wave are set to be lifted on Monday.
23rd Jan 2022 - The Scotsman
Hong Kong Finds 25 Local Covid Cases, Most Since March Last Year
Hong Kong reported 25 confirmed local Covid infections on Saturday, the most since at least March, and 100 preliminary positive cases as officials try to contain an outbreak at a public housing estate. Most of the preliminary positive cases were found at the public housing complex in the New Territories, where more than 2,500 residents have been locked down for five days and are tested every day. Two employees at a local public hospital and one worker at a care center also tested preliminary positive.
22nd Jan 2022 - Bloomberg
Australia's Queensland state says peak of Omicron two weeks away
Australia reported 64 deaths from COVID-19 on Saturday, as the most populous state, New South Wales (NSW), said the Omicron COVID-19 variant would not delay the start of the school year. NSW reported 30 deaths of patients with COVID-19, while Victoria state saw 20 deaths, and Queensland reported 10 deaths. The national toll of 64 was down from its deadliest day since the start of the pandemic on Friday, when 86 people died.
22nd Jan 2022 - Reuters
German health min sees possible tripling of COVID infections by mid-Feb -sources
Germany reported a record 140,160 new coronavirus cases on Friday as the country's health minister warned the country could see at least 400,000 per day by mid-February. That figure would be reached under an optimistic scenario in which booster shots provide very good protection, Karl Lauterbach said in a discussion with state government leaders, sources involved in the talks told Reuters late on Thursday.
The number could climb to more than 600,000 daily new cases if the booster shots were less protective, he said, according to the sources. Lauterbach also said he expected the numbers in intensive care in hospitals to increase significantly over coming weeks.
21st Jan 2022 - Reuters on MSN.com
Pakistan records most daily COVID cases since pandemic began
Pakistan reported on Friday over 7,000 COVID-19 cases in a single day, its highest daily number of infections since the pandemic began, as the south Asian nation imposes new restrictions to curb the fast-spreading Omicron variant. At least 7,678 cases in the past 24 hours pushed the positivity ratio to 12.93%, the highest ever in the last two years, 23 deaths were also reported in the last 24 hours, according to data from the National Command Operation Centre (NCOC), which is overseeing the pandemic response.
21st Jan 2022 - Reuters
China's local COVID cases fall while infections grow in Beijing city
China reported on Friday the lowest daily tally of confirmed locally transmitted COVID-19 cases in nearly two months, while infections edged up in the capital Beijing amid high virus alert before its hosting of the Winter Olympics Games. China reported 23 domestically transmitted infections with confirmed symptoms for Thursday, official data showed on Friday, down from 43 a day earlier. This marks the fourth consecutive day of decline in local symptomatic cases, with the lowest daily case load since Nov. 29, after a national strategy to extinguish flare-ups as quickly as possible forced the worst-hit cities to lock down affected communities and cut non-essential business activity.
21st Jan 2022 - Reuters
Russia reports record daily COVID-19 cases
Russia on Friday reported a new record number of COVID-19 confirmed in the past 24 hours as the Omicron variant of the virus spread across the country, the government coronavirus task force said. Daily new cases jumped to 49,513, from 38,850 a day. The task force also reported 692 deaths.
21st Jan 2022 - Reuters
Sweden sets new daily COVID-19 case record
Sweden set a new daily record for COVID-19 cases, registering 39,928 on Jan. 19, health agency data showed on Thursday as the more easily transmitted Omicron variant of the virus raged across the country. The daily infection figures are typically revised somewhat as any delayed records of additional cases are added to the national total for a given day. The previous record of 39,321 cases was set on Jan. 18. Sweden's government recently announced new restrictions as the more contagious omicron variant has spread rapidly and putting strain on the country's healthcare system.
21st Jan 2022 - Reuters
England's COVID R number and daily COVID growth rate drop
The estimated range of England's COVID-19 reproduction "R" number has fallen to between 0.8 and 1.1, the UK Health Security Agency said on Friday, adding that cases are likely shrinking as Prime Minister Boris Johnson reopens the economy.
An R number between 0.8 and 1.1 means that for every 10 people infected, they will on average infect between 8 and 11 other people. Last week the range was 1.1 to 1.5. The daily growth of infections was estimated at between -6% to +1%, a big fall of the previous weeks range of +1% to +5%. The UKHSA said the figures represented the situation in England 2-3 weeks ago.
21st Jan 2022 - Reuters
'Explosion': Poland widens testing as COVID cases hit record
Poles will be able to get tested for COVID-19 in pharmacies free of charge, the government said on Friday, after the country reported a record 36,665 daily cases as the Omicron variant takes hold. Authorities have warned that the latest wave of the pandemic will drive case numbers to levels as yet unseen in the European Union's largest eastern member, with estimates of the peak ranging from 60,000 to as many as 140,000 daily cases. Health Minister Adam Niedzielski said that on Saturday the country could report over 40,000 daily cases. A week ago the figure was just over 16,000.
21st Jan 2022 - Reuters
Is COVID retreating in the U.S.? Data paints encouraging scenario
New coronavirus cases are falling in parts of the United States hit hardest by the fast-spreading Omicron variant, according to a Reuters analysis of public health data, offering an early indication the virus might once again be in retreat. COVID-19 infections have decreased in 19 states plus Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico, an analysis of the past week through Thursday compared with the prior week showed.
21st Jan 2022 - Reuters
Bangladesh shuts schools as coronavirus cases surge
Bangladesh on Friday closed all schools and colleges for two weeks to counter an "alarming" rise in COVID-19 infections, just four months after ending a 1-1/2 year school closure imposed due to coronavirus. The south Asian country reported 11,434 new cases on Friday, the biggest single-day jump since Aug. 9, pushing the positivity rate to 28.5%. "We are seeing an uptick in infections in schools and colleges. This is really alarming," Health Minister Zahid Maleque told reporters.
21st Jan 2022 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 21st Jan 2022
View this newsletter in fullFive new local COVID-19 cases recorded in WA as contact tracers probe mystery infection
Western Australia has recorded five new local COVID-19 cases, including one that has yet to be linked to any known cases and was infectious in the community. Four of the new cases are contacts of previously reported infections, with two of them having been in quarantine. WA Health said the other two infections linked to known cases had potentially been infectious in the community. A further five travel-related cases have also been reported.
20th Jan 2022 - ABC.Net.au
Moscow's COVID-19 cases surge to pandemic high
The Russian capital on Thursday reported a record pandemic high of 11,557 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours and the daily nationwide number of new infections also rose sharply to 38,850, authorities said. Moscow city mayor Sergei Sobyanin met President Vladimir Putin on Thursday in footage aired on state television and presented a report on the rapid spread of the Omicron variant.
20th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Ukraine reports sharp increase in COVID-19 cases
The number of new coronavirus infections in Ukraine has more than doubled over the past three days and reached 18,479 cases as of Jan. 20, the country's health ministry said on Thursday. The ministry reported 12,815 cases on Jan. 19 and 8,558 cases on Jan. 18. Ukrainian health authorities said they expected a new wave due to the Omicron coronavirus variant in late January and in February.
20th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Spain's COVID infection rate drops for second straight day
Spain's COVID-19 infection rate fell for the second day in a row on Wednesday after 11 weeks of surges to record highs, raising hope among health authorities that the frenetic spread of the Omicron variant may be slowing. The rate as measured over the preceding 14 days fell to 3,286 cases per 100,000 people from Tuesday's 3,306 and Wednesday's record 3,397 cases, Health Minister Carolina Darias told a news conference.
20th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Mexico reports record number of COVID-19 cases as testing increases
Mexico registered a record daily increase of more than 60,000 new confirmed COVID-19 cases, health ministry data showed on Wednesday, as the country steps up testing for the virus. In the past 24 hours, more than 150,000 test results were logged, the ministry's data showed, far more than Mexico was registering at the start of the month. With 60,552 new infections, the number of overall cases since the pandemic began increased to 4,495,310 while 323 more deaths brought the overall death toll to 302,112.
20th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Pakistan places new restrictions amid rise in COVID cases
Pakistani authorities have placed new restrictions on gatherings and in some schools in major cities in a bid to control the rapidly rising cases of the country’s fifth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The restrictions, which include a ban on indoor gatherings and any indoor dining at restaurants, came into effect on Thursday, the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), which is coordinating the government’s coronavirus response, said in a statement.
20th Jan 2022 - MSN.com
Germany expects COVID-19 cases to peak in mid-February
Germany's health minister expects the number of coronavirus infections in the country to keep rising for several weeks before peaking next month. Karl Lauterbach told German public broadcaster ZDF late Wednesday that “the wave will reach its peak roughly in mid-February.” Lauterbach warned that while hospitalization rates are currently low, clinics could see a severe strain in the coming weeks, noting that the share of people over age 50 who aren't vaccinated is significantly higher in Germany than in other European countries, such as Italy and Britain.
20th Jan 2022 - MSN.com
France Records More Than 430000 New Covid Cases For Second Day
France’s daily Covid infections topped 430,000 for the second day in a row, leading the government to extend a remote work mandate to contain the spread of the virus in the country. The country recorded 436,167 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, according to data from the country’s public health office. That’s just shy of the record of 464,769 seen on Tuesday. The number of deaths rose by 231 to 127,869 since the beginning of the pandemic.
20th Jan 2022 - Bloomberg
New Mexico asks National Guard to teach as COVID shuts schools
New Mexico asked National Guard members and state employees to volunteer as substitute teachers to keep schools and daycare centers open during a surge in COVID-19 infections. State employees and Guard members who take up the call to teach will get their usual pay and be considered on administrative leave or active duty, respectively, according to Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham.
20th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Beijing city raises vigilance as local COVID cases tick higher before Olympics
China's capital Beijing ramped up efforts to curb COVID-19 infections, ordering checks among cold-chain firms and urging residents to cut unnecessary gatherings, as the city reported an uptick in local cases weeks before the Winter Olympics. Beijing had three domestically transmitted infections with confirmed symptoms on Wednesday, including one previously reported as a local asymptomatic carrier for Jan. 18, according to local health authority data on Thursday. That compared with one local confirmed infection for Jan. 18.
20th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 20th Jan 2022
View this newsletter in fullNepal faces a new omicron-fueled coronavirus surge
Nepal's health ministry on Tuesday reported an all-time daily high of over 10,200 new COVID-19 infections showing that the virus has retuned in force.The tally tops the previous high of over 9,300 daily cases in May 2021, when the delta variant tore through South Asia. The capital Kathmandu and the surrounding valley is the current coronavirus hotspot, with health officials in that region reporting more than half the total of current daily cases. Virologists estimate that the true number of infections could be much higher than the reported figure as many people remain without proper access to health care, adding that the omicron variant is likely driving the high infection numbers.
19th Jan 2022 - Deutsche Welle
COVID-19: Infections falling in three of the four UK nations, says ONS
COVID-19 infection levels dropped last week in all nations of the United Kingdom except Northern Ireland, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has said. Its data suggests the latest wave of coronavirus, with the dominant Omicron variant, may have peaked. The figures cover people in private households estimated to have had COVID-19 in the seven days to 15 January.
19th Jan 2022 - Sky News
Bulgaria posts record of more than 11000 daily COVID-19 cases
Bulgaria reported a record 11,181 coronavirus infections in a single day on Wednesday, official data showed, dominated by the more contagious Omicron variant. The European Union nation, where less than 30% of the population of 7 million has been vaccinated, added 91 deaths. Bulgaria's tally of infections exceeds 840,000, with 32,332 deaths since the pandemic began.
19th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Germany tops 100000 daily COVID-19 cases for first time
Germany reported a record 112,323 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, after the health minister said the peak had not been reached yet and compulsory vaccination should be introduced by May. Germany also recorded 239 deaths in the space of 24 hours, for a cumulative total of 116,081, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious disease said. Despite the new record, Germany's association for intensive care medicine (DIVI) said the number of COVID-19 patients in intensive care units was falling.
19th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Japan widens COVID-19 curbs as Omicron drives record infections
Japan on Wednesday widened COVID-19 curbs to the capital Tokyo and a dozen regions covering half the population as the Omicron variant of coronavirus drove record new infections. Already in effect in three regions, the measures, set to run from Friday until Feb. 13, were made official by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida after getting the sign-off from an expert panel earlier in the day. "We are battling against an unknown virus, and I hope that we can overcome this situation with sufficient preparation and without excessive fear," Kishida said.
19th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Worker Absences in U.K. Fall in Sign of Omicron Wave Ebbing Away
Omicron’s grip on the U.K. economy is weakening, with falling Covid-19 case numbers mirrored by a drop in worker absences during the second week of January. The estimated number of people missing work in the U.K. from Jan. 10 through Jan. 16 stood at almost 2.7 million, a 3% decrease from a year earlier and down from 3.1 million in the first week of this year, according to data from GoodShape, which tracks work-related illness and wellbeing at U.K. employers.
The lower level of absence meant the U.K. economy lost 112 million pounds ($152 million) less compared to the same period in 2021, GoodShape estimates showed.
19th Jan 2022 - Bloomberg
Brazil reports record daily COVID-19 infections as Omicron spreads
Brazil reported a record 137,103 new cases of the novel coronavirus in the past 24 hours as the Omicron variant spreadsin the South American country, the Health Ministry said on Tuesday. The number of deaths has also risen, to 351 reported on Tuesday, the highest number since mid-November. With the highly transmissible Omicron becoming the dominant variant in the country, new cases have soared above the previous daily record of 115,228 on June 23 last year. Brazil has now registered 23,211,894 cases since the pandemic began in 2020, while the official death toll has risen to 621,517, according to ministry data.
19th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Vietnam detects first Omicron cases in the community -state media
Vietnam has recorded its first cases of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus in the community, state media reported on Wednesday, as health authorities urged people to increase their vigilancedue to the threat from the variant. The three positive cases were detected over the weekend in Ho Chi Minh City and confirmed as Omicron late on Tuesday, the Tien Phong Newspaper reported, citing health authorities. The Southeast Asian country had previously detected more than 70 cases of the highly transmissible variant among quarantined people entering Vietnam from overseas.
19th Jan 2022 - Reuters
India's new COVID-19 cases hit eight-month high, full impact weeks away
India reported new coronavirus infections at an eight-month high on Wednesday and a government scientist warned it will take weeks before data on hospitalisations and deaths will show how severe the latest wave driven by the Omicron variant will be. The federal authorities have said Omicron was causing fewer hospitalisations and deaths than the Delta variant, which killed hundreds of thousands last year.
But Tarun Bhatnagar from the ICMR-National Institute of Epidemiology in Chennai said the impact of the current run-up in infections will show up with a lag.
19th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Germany surpasses 100000 daily COVID-19 cases for first time
Germany reported 112,323 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, a fresh single-day record as the health minister said the peak had not been reached and compulsory vaccination should be introduced by May. Germany's tally of COVID-19 infections now stands at 8,186,850, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious disease said. The death toll also rose by 239 on Wednesday to reach 116,081. Health Minister Karl Lauterbach said he expected the wave to peak in a few weeks as the highly infectious Omicron variant brought Germany's seven-day incidence rate to 584.4 cases per 100,000 people.
19th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Poland's daily COVID cases could top 50,000 next week, minister says
Polish state employees will move to remote working and private sector companies should follow suit as the country faces another surge in daily COVID-19 cases, driven by the Omicron variant, that could soon top 50,000, the health minister said.
Poland reported more than 30,000 daily cases on Wednesday for the first time since April, intensifying debate over whether stricter restrictions on public life are needed.
19th Jan 2022 - Reuters
‘Scarred for life’: Australia COVID wave heaps pressure on nurses
Nurses in New South Wales, home to a third of Australia’s nearly 26 million people, are coming under increasing pressure as an Omicron-fuelled wave of COVID-19 sweeps across the state. Senior Intensive Care Unit (ICU) nurse Michelle Rosentreter, who is also a member of the NSW Nurses and Midwives Association (NSWMWA), says the variant has doubled the number of patients in ICU and quadrupled the number on the wards.
19th Jan 2022 - AlJazeera
US faces wave of omicron deaths in coming weeks, models say
The fast-moving omicron variant may cause less severe disease on average, but COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. are climbing and modelers forecast 50,000 to 300,000 more Americans could die by the time the wave subsides in mid-March. The seven-day rolling average for daily new COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. has been trending upward since mid-November, reaching nearly 1,700 on Jan. 17 — still below the peak of 3,300 in January 2021. COVID-19 deaths among nursing home residents started rising slightly two weeks ago, although still at a rate 10 times less than last year before most residents were vaccinated. Despite signs omicron causes milder disease on average, the unprecedented level of infection spreading through the country, with cases still soaring in many states, means many vulnerable people will become severely sick. If the higher end of projections comes to pass, that would push total U.S. deaths from COVID-19 over 1 million by early spring.
18th Jan 2022 - The Associated Press
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 19th Jan 2022
View this newsletter in fullJapan PM plans stronger COVID curbs for Tokyo, 12 other regions
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Tuesday he planned to impose a state of quasi-emergency, meaning stronger COVID-19 curbs on dining and gatherings, on 13 regions including Tokyo from Jan. 21 to Feb. 13. He said the government had halted a programme where those vaccinated or with negative test results would be exempted from coronavirus restrictions as virus cases jumped.
18th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Nepal says COVID-19 cases may double as daily infections hit record level
Nepal recorded 10,258 new coronavirus infections on Tuesday, government data showed, the highest number reported in a single day as the government projected the tally could double by the end of the month. Total infections topped 972,198 and COVID-19-related deaths stood at 11,624. The previous daily record was 9,483 cases in May last year.
18th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Romania sees biggest daily jump in COVID-19 cases in three months
Romania reported 16,760 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, more than double on the day and the biggest single-day rise since October, as the Omicron coronavirus variant takes hold. Romania is the European Union's second-least vaccinated state, with just under 41% of the population fully inoculated amid distrust of state institutions and poor vaccine education. The number of new infections was approaching a record high of 18,863 daily cases seen in October, official data showed, but hospitalisations were still relatively low.
18th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Australia suffers deadliest day of pandemic as Omicron drives up hospital cases
Australia suffered its deadliest day of the pandemic on Tuesday as a fast-moving Omicron outbreak continued to push up hospitalisation rates to record levels, even as daily infections eased slightly. Australia is dealing with its worst COVID-19 outbreak, fuelled by the Omicron variant of the coronavirus that has put more people in hospitals and intensive care than at any time during the pandemic. A total of 77 deaths was recorded, exceeding the previous national high of 57 last Thursday, official data showed.
18th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Czech Republic sees biggest daily jump in COVID cases since Dec 1
The Czech Republic reported on Tuesday more than 20,000 new cases of COVID-19, the biggest single-day rise since Dec. 1, the Health Ministry said. The central European country of 10.7 million is bracing for a new wave of the pandemic as the Omicron variant of the coronavirus begins pushing up cases. The government has shortened quarantine and isolation times as part of new measures while also launching mandatory testing of employees at companies, which got underway this week.
18th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Tianjin reports fewer COVID-19 cases; curbs affect some Boeing employees
The Chinese city of Tianjin reported fewer COVID-19 cases on Tuesday after measures such as conducting mass testing and locking down some areas to curb the highly transmissible Omicron variant, steps that have also affected the local operations of foreign firms such as Boeing. Tianjin, a key port in northern China, reported 18 domestically transmitted cases with confirmed symptoms for Monday, National Health Commission (NHC) data showed on Tuesday. That marks the lowest daily number in a week.
18th Jan 2022 - Reuters
South American health networks struggling as Omicron cases rise
The rapid spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant has prompted dire warnings from healthcare workers across South America, as pressure builds at hospitals whose employees are taking sick leave, leaving facilities understaffed to cope with COVID-19. A major hospital in Bolivia’s largest city stopped admitting new patients due to a lack of personnel. One of Brazil’s most populous states cancelled scheduled surgeries for a month. And Argentina’s federation of private healthcare providers told the Associated Press news agency that it estimates about 15 percent of its health workers currently have the virus.
18th Jan 2022 - Al Jazeera
Philippine COVID deaths may be double the current number
Deaths in the Philippines due to the COVID-19 pandemic may be double the health department’s official numbers, according to a new government report, as the country battles a record-breaking wave of the pandemic due to the Omicron variant. In a preliminary report released on Monday, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) put “registered deaths due to COVID-19” at 75,285 from January to October 2021.
18th Jan 2022 - Al Jazeera
Poland has entered a fifth wave of COVID, says minister
Poland is experiencing a fifth wave of COVID-19 infections, the health minister said on Monday, warning that the spread of the Omicron variant could send daily case numbers soaring to levels not yet seen in the country. While daily case numbers have fallen since early December, the European Union's largest eastern member has had little respite since the fourth wave, regularly reporting over 10,000 new infections per day amid low vaccine take-up and limited restrictions on public life.
18th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 18th Jan 2022
View this newsletter in fullUS Covid-19 hospitalizations expected to substantially increase from an already record-high over the coming weeks, expert says
Areas that were among the first to get hit hard by the Omicron variant are starting to see their Covid-19 numbers level off or even improve. But that's not the case for much of the country, US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy said. "There are parts of the country -- New York, in particular, and other parts of the Northeast -- where we are starting to see a plateau, and in some cases, an early decline in cases," Murthy told CNN on Sunday.
18th Jan 2022 - CNN
The poor die from COVID while the rich get richer, Oxfam warns
The wealth of the 10 richest men has doubled during the coronavirus pandemic, stoking inequality that contributes to the deaths of at least 21,300 people each day, according to a report released on Monday by Oxfam International. “We enter 2022 with unprecedented concern,” Oxfam’s Inequality Kills report warns, arguing that the current global state of extreme inequality is a form of “economic violence” against the world’s poorest people and nations. In this deeply unequal world, structural and systemic policy and political choices are skewed in favour of the richest and most powerful, resulting in harm to the majority of ordinary people around the world, said the report, which highlighted the COVID-19 vaccine divide as a prime example. “Millions of people would still be alive today if they had had a vaccine — but they are dead, denied a chance while big pharmaceutical corporations continue to hold monopoly control of these technologies,” said Oxfam. The report calculates that 252 men have more wealth than all one billion women and girls in Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean combined. And 10 of the world’s richest men own more than the least affluent 3.1 billion people.
17th Jan 2022 - Al Jazeera English
Covid-19 news: Falling cases in UK suggests omicron wave has peaked
A fall in coronavirus cases and plateau in hospital admissions across the UK is ‘cautiously good news’ A fall in new coronavirus cases in the UK suggests the wave triggered by the highly-transmissible omicron variant may have passed its peak.
On Sunday, 70,924 people in the UK tested positive for coronavirus, according to UK government data. Within the past seven days, 754,054 new cases have been reported – a decrease of 463,043 on the previous seven days. “It does look like across the whole of the country cases do seem to be falling,” Mike Tildesley of the University of Warwick told BBC Breakfast today. “We have had… very, very high case numbers throughout late December and early January – we peaked above 200,000 at one point. We do now seem to be a little bit beyond that,” he said.
17th Jan 2022 - New Scientist
India's main cities record sharp fall in COVID-19 infections
India's capital Delhi and financial hub Mumbai have reported a big fall in COVID-19 infections in the past two days and most of those who contracted the virus have recovered at home, authorities said on Monday. Mumbai's daily new infections fell below 10,000 on Sunday for the first time since early this month, after touching an all-time high of 20,971 on Jan. 7. It reported 7,895 infections late on Sunday, Mumbai's municipal corporation said.
17th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Analysis: China's 'zero-COVID' campaign under strain as Omicron surges
China is doubling down on its "zero-COVID" strategy, saying the spread of the potentially milder Omicron variant is no reason to lower its guard amid warnings of economic disruptions and even public unrest as lockdowns drag into a third year. As other countries talk about a transition from "pandemic" to "endemic", China has stepped up policies to stamp out any new outbreak as soon as it arises, sealing off cities, shutting transport links and launching mass testing programmes. The approach has kept infections at a minimum, but some experts warn that China could become the victim of its own success as a lack of exposure to COVID-19 over the last two years leaves it vulnerable to the more infectious Omicron.
17th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Iran reports its first three deaths from Omicron coronavirus variant
Iran's health ministry reported the country's first three deaths from the highly contagious Omicron coronavirus variant on Saturday, reported Reuters. "The number of patients with Omicron in the country has reached 1,162 and … one death has been reported due to Omicron in each of the cities of Tabriz, Yazd and Shahrekord, and one critically ill patient is hospitalised in Ahvaz," ministry spokesman Mohammad Hashemi told state broadcaster IRIB. Iran this week lifted restrictions on land travel to and from neighbouring countries and some European states but maintained a ban on arrivals from Britain, France and eight countries in Southern Africa over Omicron fears, Iranian media reported.
17th Jan 2022 - Middle East Monitor
Omicron Surge Pressures U.S. Hospitals
Americans shouldn’t expect the Omicron variant to peak nationwide in coming days, the U.S. surgeon general warned Sunday, as Covid-19 cases continue to rise and put more pressure on hospitals. “The next few weeks will be tough,” Dr. Vivek Murthy said during an appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union.” The seven-day average for confirmed and suspected Covid-19 hospitalizations is at the highest recorded level, with about 155,958 reported Sunday, after topping old records last week, data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services show. The seven-day average for newly reported cases also reached nearly 808,000 a day on Saturday, the first time it has topped 800,000, data from Johns Hopkins University show.The latest data are inflated by a surge in Texas cases reported at the same time after the state cleaned up and added to its 2020 case total. At the same time, the rise in at-home testing that is often not captured in state data reports has added to an incomplete picture of the true level of infections, health and data experts said.
17th Jan 2022 - The Wall Street Journal
New Zealand Bracing for Imminent Arrival of Omicron, Ardern Says
New Zealand is bracing for the arrival of omicron, with the highly infectious Covid-19 variant expected to breach the nation’s closed border at any time. “We know that with omicron it is a case of when, not if,” Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told a news conference Monday in Auckland. “We’re doing what we can, but I think it would be wrong for us to assume that those border measures will be sufficient. At some point, we will see omicron in the community.” The government has delayed a phased reopening of the border to keep omicron out while it rushes to administer booster vaccination shots and begin inoculating children. While 93% of adults are now fully vaccinated, the evidence from neighboring Australia shows that omicron will still lead to a surge in infections.
17th Jan 2022 - Bloomberg
Masks reintroduced as WA records five new local COVID-19 cases amid Omicron spread in Perth
Western Australia has reintroduced a mask mandate for all indoor public areas in Perth and Peel after Premier Mark McGowan revealed three new local COVID-19 cases had been recorded in addition to two earlier-announced cases, bringing the total number to five. Masks will be required from 6:00pm Sunday in all indoor public places in Perth and the Peel region, but will not be required to be worn in homes.
Anyone who has been in Perth or the Peel region from January 6 will be required to wear a mask indoors if they have travelled to another region.
17th Jan 2022 - ABC News
Hospital admissions climb as virus spreads - Cayman Islands
Public Health officials said that there are now nine patients in hospital as a result of COVID-19 after three more people were admitted over the last day, reflecting the anticipated knock-on effect from the continued uncontrolled spread of the virus through the community. Another 357 positive tests emerged during the latest results, and officials said that over 5% of the population is now infected with SARS-CoV-2. Interim Chief Medical Officer Dr Autilia Newton reported that eleven of the latest positive cases were among travellers and of the 346 community cases, 19 were in the Sister Islands. Rumours circulated on social media Wednesday of an islandwide lockdown for Cayman Brac because of the recent spike in cases, but officials said these were false.
17th Jan 2022 - Cayman News Service
COVID deaths and cases are rising again at US nursing homes
COVID-19 infections are soaring again at U.S. nursing homes because of the omicron wave, and deaths are climbing too, leading to new restrictions on family visits and a renewed push to get more residents and staff members vaccinated and boosted. Nursing homes were the lethal epicenter of the pandemic early on, before the vaccine allowed many of them to reopen to visitors last year. But the wildly contagious variant has dealt them a setback. Nursing homes reported a near-record of about 32,000 COVID-19 cases among residents in the week ending Jan. 9, an almost sevenfold increase from a month earlier, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
17th Jan 2022 - The Associated Press
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 17th Jan 2022
View this newsletter in fullCity of Beijing reports first local Omicron case -state media
The Chinese capital Beijing on Saturday reported its first locally transmitted infection of the highly transmissible Omicron coronavirus variant, according to state media, just weeks ahead of its staging of the Olympic Winter Games. State television reported on Saturday that the new infection had been identified as the Omicron strain. Lab testing found "mutations specific to the Omicron variant" in the person, Pang Xinghuo, an official at the city's disease control authority, told a news briefing.
15th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Brazil reels as COVID-19 cases soar; hospitals, economy under pressure
Brazil is suffering a sharp rise in COVID-19 cases as the Omicron variant spreads through the country, putting pressure on health services and weighing on an already sputtering economy. Insufficient testing and a data blackout caused by hackers have made it harder for experts to track the spread of the highly contagious variant in Brazil, but there are increasingly clear signs it is hitting Latin America's largest nation hard. Confirmed cases have almost doubled since last week, with the rolling average for the past seven days surging to 52,500, from 27,267 last Wednesday.
15th Jan 2022 - Reuters
India extends ban on public events in election states as COVID cases rise
India's election commission extended its ban on political rallies and roadshows in five states on Saturday due to rising COVID-19 cases in the country. The ban, which runs to Jan. 22, excludes indoor political party events of less than 300 people, or at 50% of a venue's capacity, the watchdog said in a statement. India reported 268,833 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, taking its total tally to 36.84 million, according to data from the federal health ministry. Deaths from COVID-19 rose by 402 to 485,752.
15th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Swedish PM tests positive for COVID as fourth wave surges
Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson tested positive for COVID-19, her spokesperson said on Friday, the latest of several high-profile Swedes to catch the virus as a fourth wave of Omicron-driven infections sweeps across the country. Social Democrat Andersson, 54, attended a debate in parliament on Wednesday, after which two other party leaders - Annie Loof of the Centre Party and Per Bolund of the Greens - also tested positive. Sweden's king, queen and crown princess were all hit with coronavirus infections in early January
15th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Number of French COVID-19 ICU patients falls, despite record infections
The number of COVID-19 patients in intensive care units in France has fallen for the second day in a row, despite a record infection rate, health ministry data showed on Friday. France reported 3,895 COVID-19 patients were in intensive care units on Friday, 44 fewer than Thursday, and the second consecutive fall, despite the seven-day moving average of new infections reaching a new high of nearly 294,000 on Thursday. The number of people in hospital with COVID-19 rose by 357 to 24,511, but the week-on-week increase of 13.5% was the lowest since the start of the year.
15th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Australia's worst-hit state says COVID-19 hospitalisations may plateau next week
COVID-19 hospitalisation rates in Australia's most populous state of New South Wales could plateau next week, a top health official said on Friday, as the state suffered record deaths from the virus for a third day. Pressure on hospitals will likely remain for "the next few weeks", the state's health deputy secretary, Susan Pearce, said, though hospitalisation numbers were tracking better than the best-case scenario in an official modelling a week ago. "That is pleasing, but that plateauing is obviously still at a relatively high level of COVID patients in our hospitals and in our (intensive care)," Pearce told a media briefing in Sydney, the state capital.
15th Jan 2022 - Reuters
UK seven-day COVID-19 infections down 33% on week before
The United Kingdom reported 81,713 new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday, leaving the seven-day tally down by nearly 33% on the previous week. It reported 287 deaths of people who had tested positive for the disease within the previous 28 days. The seven-day total for deaths was up 45% on the week before, following a record spike in infections in recent weeks.
15th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Nearly 90% of big US meat plants had COVID-19 cases in pandemic's first year - data
Nearly 90% of processing plants owned by five big U.S. meat companies had COVID-19 cases in 2020 and early 2021, a Reuters analysis of public data found, as a congressional committee investigates how meatpackers handled the pandemic. The U.S. House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis began its probe last year amid evidence the plants were major spreaders of COVID-19 and that workers suffered unusually severe outbreaks. It is unclear what the consequences of the investigation could be.
15th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Zhuhai in coronavirus mass testing mode after Zhongshan reports case
The southern Chinese city of Zhuhai reported seven cases of the Omicron variant of Covid-19 on Friday, as citywide mass screening of its 2.4 million people got under way. One of the cases was a 53-year-old woman living in the township of Nanping and she was transferred to a designated hospital for treatment, Zhuhai health authorities said. Authorities announced on Friday that all residents would be tested within the day at designated areas, advising the public to not leave Zhuhai unless absolutely necessary. Those who travel will need to show a negative nucleic test result taken within the previous 24 hours.
14th Jan 2022 - South China Morning Post
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 14th Jan 2022
View this newsletter in fullOmicron may reach millions before vaccines do – but that doesn’t mean race to vaccinate the world is over
It’s estimated that there could be 3 billion new infections globally over the next three months thanks to the highly infectious omicron variant. Large outbreaks are ongoing across Europe and North America and cases are also rising in many other countries.
13th Jan 2022 - The Conversation
COVID Hospitalizations Rising in Kids Too Young for Vaccine
While COVID-19 has taken the lives of many children and caused serious illness for many more, it is generally agreed that the virus is much less likely to inflict severe damage in the young. But new data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has revealed a concerning trend: The rate of COVID-19-linked hospitalizations among children younger than 5 grew substantially last week, while the same rate for children between the ages of 5 and 17 remained relatively stable.
The latest numbers have sparked concerns that the youngest members of society may be more vulnerable to the Omicron variant than their older peers. The affected children, ages 4 and under, are in the age group not yet eligible for a coronavirus vaccine.
13th Jan 2022 - HealthDay News
Hungary govt expects COVID-19 cases to surge, shortens quarantine period
Hungary is to make a fourth COVID-19 shot available to people who ask for it, after a consultation with a doctor, Prime Minister Viktor Orban's chief of staff, Gergely Gulyas, told a news conference on Thursday. Gulyas made the announcement just as the Central European country of 10 million expects a substantial further increase in COVID-19 cases over the coming weeks due to the rapid spread of the Omicron variant. "Anyone can get a fourth COVID-19 shot based on a consultation with a doctor, the (government) decree about this will be published this week," Gulyas said.
13th Jan 2022 - Reuters
U.S. COVID deaths rising but likely due to Delta, not Omicron, says CDC chief
COVID-19 hospitalizations in the United States have increased by about 33% and deaths are up by about 40% from a week earlier, the head of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Wednesday. CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, speaking on a media call, said U.S. COVID-19 cases, driven by the fast spreading Omicron variant, are expected to peak in the coming weeks. "The magnitude of this increase is largely related to the Omicron variant, which now represents about 90% of the COVID-19 cases in the country," she told reporters.
13th Jan 2022 - Reuters
India's big cities could see COVID-19 cases peak next week
New COVID-19 infections in Indian cities such as capital New Delhi and Mumbai could peak next week after rising rapidly, experts said on Thursday, as the country reported the highest number of daily cases since late May. The 247,417 new infections were more than 30 times higher daily cases from a month ago, rising as the more transmissible Omicron variant replaced Delta across the country. Total infections reached 36.32 million, behind only the United States. "Our modelling, and those of others, suggests that the big Indian cities should see their peaks in cases close to Jan. 20, while the overall peak in India may be shifted a bit later, to early February," said Gautam Menon, professor of physics and biology at Ashoka University near the capital.
13th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Australia COVID-19 infections hit record amid runaway Omicron outbreak
Australia on Thursday reported its biggest pandemic caseload with a runaway Omicron outbreak driving up hospitalisation rates as the surge put severe strain on supply chains forcing authorities to ease quarantine rules for more workers. After successfully containing the virus earlier in the pandemic, Australia has reported nearly a million cases over the last two weeks as people slowly get adjusted to living with the coronavirus amid fewer restrictions. Total infections detected since the pandemic began neared 1.4 million.
13th Jan 2022 - Reuters
China faces omicron test weeks ahead of Beijing Olympics
Most access to a major city adjacent to Beijing was suspended Thursday as China tried to contain an outbreak of the highly contagious omicron variant, which poses a test to its “zero-tolerance” COVID-19 policy and its ability to successfully host the Winter Olympics. Tianjin, a port and manufacturing center with 14 million people, is one of a half-dozen cities where the government is imposing lockdowns and other restrictions as part of a policy that aims to track down every virus case. But the outbreak in a city so close to the Olympic host is particularly worrying. Throughout the pandemic, authorities have been especially protective of Beijing since it is the seat of government and home to senior politicians. With the Games opening there in just over three weeks and China’s national pride on the line, the stakes are even higher now.
13th Jan 2022 - The Associated Press
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 13th Jan 2022
View this newsletter in fullBulgaria's daily coronavirus infections at record high
Daily coronavirus infections in Bulgaria reached a record high of 7,062 on Wednesday, largely fuelled by the highly contagious Omicron variant, official data showed. New cases, on the rise since the beginning of the year, surpassed a previous peak set in late October, when the European Union's least vaccinated member state grappled with the Delta variant. The virus has killed 89 people in the past 24 hours in the Balkan country, according to official figures, bringing the total death toll to 31,761.
12th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Russia prepares new measures as Omicron cases near 700
Russia has so far recorded 698 cases of the Omicron coronavirus variant and will prepare new measures by the end of the week to combat its spread, Deputy Prime Minister Tatiana Golikova said on Wednesday. Omicron has pushed COVID-19 case figures to record highs in parts of western Europe and the United States but the variant has been slower to hit Russia, where daily COVID cases have fallen from a peak of 41,335 registered in early November. Data compiled by the Reuters COVID-19 tracker show Russia's reported pandemic death toll stands at more than 666,000, the second highest in the world behind the United States.
12th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Tokyo, Osaka record most COVID-19 cases in 4 months as Omicron spreads
Japan recorded a surge in new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, with infections reaching four-month highs in the major metropolitan areas of Tokyo and Osaka as the Omicron variant spreads. New cases totalled 2,198 in the capital of Tokyo, while the western prefecture of Osaka recorded 1,711, nearly tripling from the day before. Those marked the highest levels since early September. COVID-19 cases across Japan will exceed 10,000 on Wednesday, according to a tally by broadcaster TBS. That tally would be the highest number of infections in Japan in a single day since Sept. 9.
12th Jan 2022 - Reuters
COVID-19 cases jump in Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan as Omicron spreads
Central Asian neighbours Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan reported jumps in new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday as both countries said the Omicron variant of the virus was now spreading on their territories. Kyrgyzstan reported its first cases of the variant on Wednesday while Kazakhstan confirmed its first last week. The Kyrgyz healthcare ministry said on Wednesday it has registered 465 new COVID-19 cases, a five-month high. Kazakh Healthcare Minister Azhar Giniyat told a government meeting on the same day that the country has registered over 8,000 cases over the last seven days, almost three times more in the previous seven days.
12th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Germany's COVID-19 cases hit daily record of more than 80000
Germany reported 80,430 new coronavirus infections on Wednesday, the highest recorded in a single day since the pandemic began, as the contagious Omicron variant rips through a population with lower vaccination rates than some other parts of Europe. The previous daily record, on Nov. 26, was more than 76,000
12th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Austria's daily COVID-19 cases hit record in Omicron surge
Austria's daily coronavirus infections have hit a new record as cases continue to surge while the extremely contagious Omicron spreads, government data showed on Wednesday. Austria is bracing for infections to rise far above previous records, in line with what has happened elsewhere in Europe recently. The conservative-led government wants to avoid reintroducing a full lockdown like the one the country emerged from last month, its fourth of the pandemic. New daily coronavirus infections rose above 17,000 for the first time on Wednesday, to 17,006, data from the interior and health ministries showed. The previous peak was 15,809 on Nov. 19, though figures vary by source - public health agency AGES lists the previous peak as 16,474 on Nov. 16.
12th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Covid-19 Cases Surge at Nursing Homes
The Covid-19 surge fueled by the Omicron variant is hitting nursing homes hard, with the highest number of cases ever documented among staffers and a near-record tally of residents also testing positive, according to new federal data. The increases among staff are posing an operational challenge for facilities that have been struggling with worker shortages for months, while a surge in patient cases threatens a return of serious illness and death among residents. In the week ending Jan. 9, there were 32,061 new confirmed Covid-19 cases among nursing-home residents, up from 18,186 a week earlier and 6,406 the week before that, according to new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.
12th Jan 2022 - The Wall Street Journal
Omicron May Infect Half of Europeans Within Weeks, WHO Says
More than half of Europe’s population may be infected with omicron within weeks at current transmission rates, a World Health Organization official said. The fast-spreading variant represents a “west-to-east tidal wave sweeping across the region,” said Hans Kluge, the regional director of the WHO for Europe at a briefing Tuesday. He cited forecasts by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation that the majority of Europeans could catch it in the next six to eight weeks. he latest Covid surge has so far resulted in fewer symptomatic cases and lower death rates than in previous waves, fueling optimism the pandemic may be easing. However, the WHO has repeatedly warned against underestimating the omicron strain as mild. Kluge said hospitalization rates are increasing in Europe, which is putting pressure on health systems.
12th Jan 2022 - Bloomberg
Australia Worker Shortage Worsens on Covid Omicron Spread
Australia was already facing a record shortfall of workers before spiraling omicron infections triggered the widespread absenteeism that is causing the country more acute pain from the variant than its global peers. Official data Wednesday showed job vacancies climbed to a record, up 18.5% to almost 400,000 in the three months through November. With the virus now raging, a key industry body is warning that firms in food and logistics are reporting 10%-50% of their workers are sick or in isolation, leaving supermarket shelves empty.
12th Jan 2022 - Bloomberg
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 12th Jan 2022
View this newsletter in fullPoland hits grim milestone of 100,000 deaths from COVID-19
Poland has become the latest European nation to reach the grim milestone of 100,000 deaths related to the coronavirus. Nearly a quarter of those deaths — some 24,000 — occurred in the most recent wave of infection that began in October, a period in which vaccines have been widely available in the European Union nation. Health Minister Adam Niedzielski said Tuesday that 493 deaths of people with COVID-19 had been registered in the past day, pushing the death toll to 100,254 in the central European nation of 38 million people.
11th Jan 2022 - The Independent
Covid-19 hospitalizations reach record high, HHS data shows
The number of US patients hospitalized with Covid-19 has hit a record high, adding strain to health care networks and pushing states toward emergency staffing and other measures as they struggle to cope. More than 145,900 people were in US hospitals with Covid-19 as of Tuesday -- a number that surpasses the previous peak from mid-January 2021 (142,246), and is almost twice what it was two weeks ago, according to data from the Department of Health and Human Services.
The hospitalization record comes amid a surge in cases fueled by the highly transmissible Omicron variant.
11th Jan 2022 - CNN
UK’s wider Covid-19 death toll passes 175,000
More than 175,000 people in the UK have had Covid-19 recorded on their death certificate since the pandemic began, new figures show. It comes just days after the government’s preferred death toll, which counts only people who have died within 28 days of testing positive, reached 150,000. A total of 176,035 deaths involving coronavirus have now been registered in the UK, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). This includes all instances where Covid-19 has been mentioned on someone’s death certificate, either as a main cause of death or a contributory factor. The ONS figures provide the fullest picture so far of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the population. The 175,000 total was passed on December 20 2021, but has only now been confirmed due to the time it takes for deaths to be registered.
11th Jan 2022 - The Independent
Australia swamped by Omicron surge as pressure grows on hospitals
Australia's COVID-19 infections hovered near record levels on Tuesday as a surge of infections caused by the Omicron variant put a strain on hospitals already stretched by staff isolating after being exposed to the virus. After successfully containing the coronavirus for most of the pandemic, Australia has been swamped by the rapid spread of the Omicron variant after authorities eased mitigation measures as high vaccination rates were reached. Australia has reported about 1.1 million cases since the pandemic began, with more than half of those in the last two weeks, including nearly 86,000 cases on Tuesday, with two states due to report later.
11th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Hong Kong unveils further steps to curb COVID-19 spread, boost vaccinations
Hong Kong will shut kindergartens and primary schools and start offering COVID-19 vaccines for children from the age of five, the city's leader said on Tuesday, as the financial hub grapples with an increase in coronavirus infections. Certain passengers meanwhile will be banned from transiting through Hong Kong for a month, Bloomberg News reported, citing unnamed people familiar with the matter.
It comes as the Chinese-ruled city has seen some local transmissions of the Omicron coronavirus variant after three months of no local coronavirus cases at the end of last year.
11th Jan 2022 - Reuters
COVID-19 hospitalisations in France see biggest jump since April 2021
The number of people in hospital with COVID-19 in France rose by 767 to 22,749 on Monday, the biggest increase since April 2021 as a runaway Omicron infection rate boosted hospitalisations. Net new hospital admissions still remained well below peaks set in Nov-Dec 2020, when they stood over 700 for nearly a month and COVID-19 hospitalisations peaked at 33,497 on Nov. 16, 2020. Health Minister Olivier Veran told lawmakers on Monday that the Omicron coronavirus variant leads to less serious complications than previous variants, but since it is highly infectious, it is pushing hospital numbers up quickly.
11th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Slovenia reports record 5164 new covid-19 cases, 52% up from a week ago
Slovenia and Serbia reported record numbers of new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, amid the spread of the highly transmissible coronavirus Omicron variant. Slovenia, which has vaccinated 67.3% of its about 2 million-strong population with at least two doz es so far, reported 5,164 new cases, up 52% from a week before, according to the National Institute for Public Health.Serbia reported 13,693 new cases and 22 deaths. The total number of registered cases in Serbia is 1,359,544, while 12,958 people have died since the outbreak nearly two years ago.
11th Jan 2022 - Reuters
U.S. reports 1.35 million COVID-19 cases in a day, shattering global record
The United States reported 1.35 million new coronavirus infections on Monday, according to a Reuters tally, the highest daily total for any country in the world as the spread of the highly contagious Omicron variant showed no signs of slowing.
The previous record was 1.03 million cases on Jan. 3. A large number of cases are reported each Monday due to many states not reporting over the weekend. The seven-day average for new cases has tripled in two weeks to over 700,000 new infections a day. The record in new cases came the same day as the nation saw the number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients also hit an all-time high, having doubled in three weeks, according to a Reuters tally.
11th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Swiss authorities say coronavirus infections set to peak this month
Swiss health authorities said on Tuesday they expect the number of coronavirus infections to peak later this month. "We expect infections to reach their peak in January," Tanja Stadler, head of the national COVID-19 science task force, told a media briefing as the government reported more than 24,600 new cases in Switzerland and tiny neighbour Liechtenstein. "We could get to the peak within the next two weeks if contacts among people stay on the same level. If people are more cautious, it will take longer," she said.
11th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Nepal bans big public gatherings, closes schools amid COVID spike
Officials in Nepal have banned large public gatherings and closed schools across the Himalayan nation for nearly three weeks after a spike in coronavirus cases. Nepal reported 1,357 new cases on Monday, the biggest single-day jump since September last year, taking its total to 833,946 since the pandemic began. Its death toll from the coronavirus is 11,606.
11th Jan 2022 - AlJazeera
Omicron surge sweeps through US hospital staff
As COVID-19 cases in the United States soar in the wake of the holidays, led by the highly transmissible Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant, nearly a quarter of hospitals are reporting critical staffing shortages due to workers being sick or off work for quarantine. Meanwhile, federal and states are expanding vaccination activities and policies to protect more people.
11th Jan 2022 - CIDRAP
From ambulance delays to transit disruptions, COVID-19 absences hit Canada's public services
From delayed ambulances to police shortages, Canadian public agencies hit hard by COVID-19 worker absences have cut back on service, rearranged staff or warned the public that emergency responses may be disrupted. Over the weekend, paramedics in Toronto, Canada's largest city, said there were briefly no ambulances available to respond to emergencies. The city said about 12.8% of its "essential and critical services" staff were off due to COVID-19 as of Monday.
10th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 11th Jan 2022
View this newsletter in fullNepal closes schools as COVID-19 cases spike
Schools across Nepal will close for nearly three weeks after a spike in coronavirus cases, a government spokesman said on Monday, forcing more than seven million students to stay at home. Nepal reported 841 new cases on Sunday, the biggest single-day jump since September last year, taking its total to 832,589 since the pandemic began. Its death toll from the coronavirus is 11,604. Education Ministry spokesman Deepak Sharma said schools would remain closed until Jan. 29 although a campaign to vaccinate children aged 12 to 17 at their schools would go ahead. "Schools must notify students about the time and date when they need to go to schools and receive the shots,” Sharma told Reuters. Authorities hope the closure of schools will help break chains of infection amid fears about the rapid spread of the omicron variant of the virus.
10th Jan 2022 - bdnews24.com
France averages new record of nearly 270000 new Covid cases per day
The number of people in hospital with COVID-19 in France rose by 767 to 22,749 on Monday, the biggest increase since April 2021 as a runaway Omicron infection rate boosted hospitalisations. Net new hospital admissions still remained well below peaks set in Nov-Dec 2020, when they stood over 700 for nearly a month and COVID-19 hospitalisations peaked at 33,497 on Nov. 16, 2020. Health Minister Olivier Veran told lawmakers on Monday that the Omicron coronavirus variant leads to less serious complications than previous variants, but since it is highly infectious, it is pushing hospital numbers up quickly.
10th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Hospitals Cut Beds as Nurses Call In Sick With Covid-19
Rising numbers of nurses and other critical healthcare workers are calling in sick across the U.S. due to Covid-19, forcing hospitals to cut capacity just as the Omicron variant sends them more patients, industry officials say. The hospitals are leaving beds empty because the facilities don’t have enough staffers to safely care for the patients, and a tight labor market has made finding replacements difficult.
Staff shortages prompted the Mass General Brigham hospital system in Boston to keep 83 beds empty on Friday. The University Hospitals system in Ohio has closed as many as 16% of its intensive-care beds recently, while Parkland Health & Hospital System in Dallas has shut 30 of 900 beds. “It’s definitely a brutal situation,” said Dr. Joseph Chang, chief medical officer at Parkland, which had more than 500 out of 14,000 employees out sick one recent day.
10th Jan 2022 - The Wall Street Journal
Nepal bans big public gatherings, closes schools as COVID cases spike
Nepal banned large public gatherings and closed schools across the Himalayan nation for nearly three weeks after a spike in coronavirus cases, officials said on Monday. Nepal reported 1,357 new cases on Monday, the biggest single-day jump since September last year, taking its total to 833,946 since the pandemic began. Its death toll from the coronavirus is 11,606. Home Ministry spokesman Pradip Kumar Koirala said public gatherings like political rallies and religious functions involving more than 25 people had been prohibited.
10th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Australia vows to 'push through' Omicron wave as infections cross 1 mln
Australia must "push through" the fast-moving Omicron outbreak, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Monday, as infections surpassed 1 million, more than half in the past week alone, throwing a strain on hospitals and supply chains. Although aggressive lockdowns and tough border controls kept a lid on infections earlier in the pandemic, Australia is now battling record infections in its effort to live with the virus after higher vaccination rates.
10th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Hungary's daily COVID-19 cases could hit new peak exceeding 13000 - minister
Hungary's daily tally of new COVID-19 cases could hit a new peak of more than 13,000, with deaths reaching 200 a day, a government minister warned, as the highly transmissible Omicron variant fuelled a rising wave of infections. Miklos Kasler, minister for human resources who is also in charge of healthcare, told local Inforadio late on Sunday that the government was looking into the possibility of offering a fourth vaccine shot, but more assessments were needed to measure how long immunity lasts after the third shot. Infection figures for the weekend are expected to be released later on Monday. On Friday, Hungary reported 6,524 new infections, and 39,780 people have died of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic.
10th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Sweden to implement more COVID measures as Omicron squeezes healthcare
Sweden will introduce more measures to stem a rising number of COVID cases that have placed a greater burden on the healthcare system, Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson said on Monday. Sweden has seen the fastest spread of COVID cases in recent weeks as the Omicron variant has surged through the country. A record 60,000 cases were detected last week, despite limited testing capabilities. "The situation has deteriorated, without doubt. The level of infections in Sweden is at a historically high level," Andersson told a news conference.
10th Jan 2022 - Reuters
With peak yet to come, Europe's healthcare groans under Omicron's swift spread
Europe's healthcare systems are being strained once again by the rapid spread of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus over the holiday period, with large numbers of key staff ill or self-isolating and experts predicting the peak of infections is yet to come. Despite early studies showing a lower risk of severe disease or hospitalisation from Omicron compared to the previously-dominant Delta variant, healthcare networks across Spain, Britain, Italy and beyond have found themselves in increasingly desperate circumstances.
10th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Spain reports more Covid reinfections in one fortnight than rest of pandemic
The number of Covid reinfections reported in Spain in the past fortnight has exceeded the total number of repeat infections documented during the rest of the pandemic, according to the latest data from Spanish researchers. In the span of two weeks in late December and early January, 20,890 reinfections were reported in Spain, figures from the state-backed Carlos III Health Institute suggested. While the bulk of cases appeared to be mild, the number is higher than the 17,140 cases of reinfection documented from the start of the pandemic to 22 December. The Spanish data includes both confirmed and suspected reinfections.
10th Jan 2022 - The Guardian
China Reports Nation's First Community Spread of Omicron
China saw its first omicron cases in the community, igniting a mass testing blitz in the northern city of Tianjin as the country strives to maintain its zero-tolerance approach to Covid in the face of more transmissible variants. The two cases in the port city were confirmed as being omicron by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, after its local branch completed the genome sequencing, CCTV reported. The infections were from the same transmission chain but officials have yet to establish if the strain is the same as imported omicron cases reported earlier in Tianjin, according to the report. China’s commitment to its Covid Zero policy has seen it restrict movements and implement mass testing and other measures in cities spread across the country. Further outbreaks raise the risk of new lockdown measures that could disrupt production and shipping in an economy already battling weak consumption and a property market slump.
10th Jan 2022 - Bloomberg
U.S. Covid-19 Seven-Day Case Average Tops 700,000
The seven-day average for newly reported cases in the U.S. topped 700,000 for the first time, data from Johns Hopkins University show, as the highly infectious Omicron variant spreads throughout the country. The average of known cases could soon triple the pre-Omicron record set a year ago, when the U.S. briefly saw about a quarter million daily cases. The numbers reported by state health departments and collected by Johns Hopkins also likely reflect a fraction of the true number, due in part to Omicron’s rapid spread and the difficulty many Americans have had getting tested. Some laboratories are limiting test-processing to certain people such as those with symptoms because of the surge in demand.
10th Jan 2022 - The Wall Street Journal
Hungary Sees 200 Daily Covid Deaths at Omicron Peak: Inforadio
Hungary expects more than 13,000 daily infections and about 200 daily deaths during the omicron-variant-fueled latest wave of the coronavirus pandemic in the eastern European Union nation, the country’s health chief told Inforadio. The number of Covid-related hospitalized patients may peak at between 8,000 to 9,000 during the fifth wave in Hungary, which is expected to last until May, Human Resources Minister Miklos Kasler, who’s in charge of healthcare, said in an interview with Inforadio on Sunday. The estimates were made assuming no other variant emerges in the period and assumes no significant increase in the vaccination rate, he said. Hungary’s new daily Covid infections almost doubled in a week to 6,524 on Friday, while daily Covid-related deaths rose to 101 from 82 a week earlier
10th Jan 2022 - Bloomberg
Royal Caribbean pauses some cruise operations due to Omicron concerns
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd has paused some of its cruise operations amid rising numbers of COVID-19 infections due to the Omicron variant. The sailings of three ships - Serenade of the Seas, Jewel of the Seas, Symphony of the Seas - have been paused while the return of its Vision of the Seas to cruising has been postponed to March 7, 2022, the cruise line said in a statement on Friday. "We regret having to cancel our guests' long-awaited vacations and appreciate their loyalty and understanding," the company adding that these measures have been implemented "in an abundance of caution."
10th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 10th Jan 2022
View this newsletter in fullHUNDREDS of cars wait for up to three hours for covid tests in Arizona
Arizona citizens are waiting in three or more hour lines for COVID-19 testing. Nearly three in 10 tests are coming back positive statewide this wide, a pandemic high. Before, it has never reached over 20 per cent . Lines are so long that some citizens cannot access their neighborhoods and are being told to find other testing sites
8th Jan 2022 - Daily Mail
Mexico nears 300,000 deaths from COVID-19 as cases surge after holidays
Mexico is likely to surpass 300,000 deaths from COVID-19 this week - the fifth highest death toll worldwide - as infections rise after the holiday season, fueled by the Omicron coronavirus variant and largely unrestricted tourism.
7th Jan 2022 - Reuters
India's COVID-19 cases set for new highs as Omicron spreads
India's daily COVID-19 cases jumped to 117,100 on Friday, a five-fold increase in a week and on course to overtake its previous infection peak as the fast-spreading Omicron variant replaces Delta in cities. Government officials have privately said they are working under the assumption that daily infections will surpass the record of more than 414,000 set in May, given what has happened in countries, such as the United States where daily cases have risen past 1 million.
7th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Italy reports 223 COVID-19 deaths, cases halve due to fewer tests
Italy reported 108,304 COVID-19 related cases on Friday, less than half from a day earlier, the health ministry said, reflecting fewer tests being carried out on a national holiday. The number of deaths rose to 223 from 198. On Thursday, Italy's coronavirus cases had reached a new daily record of 219,441. Italy has registered 138,697 deaths linked to COVID-19 since its outbreak emerged in February 2020, the second highest toll in Europe after Britain and the ninth highest in the world. The country has reported 7.08 million cases to date.
7th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Sweden COVID cases hit new record, pile pressure on healthcare
Sweden set a new daily record for COVID-19 cases for the third time this week, registering 23,877 cases on Jan. 5, health agency data showed on Friday, as a fourth wave swept the country and piled pressure on its healthcare system. The mounting wave of COVID-19 cases is increasingly driven by the more contagious Omicron variant and has seen hospitalisations rise rapidly in many parts of the country, although deaths have remained relatively stable so far.
7th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Argentina Reports Record Covid Cases for Third Straight Day
Argentina posted a record number of Covid-19 cases for a third consecutive day as the Omicron variant surges across Latin America. Argentina’s health ministry reported 109,608 cases on Thursday, more than double the number of infections seen on Dec. 31. Yet the death toll as well as hospital occupancy remained relatively low: 40 people died of the virus and only 38% of intensive-care units were taken -- about half the peak level seen last year for ICUs.
7th Jan 2022 - Bloomberg
COVID-19: Military medics drafted into London hospitals as NHS grapples with staff shortages
The Royal College of Nursing says the deployment means the government can no longer deny there is a "staffing crisis" within the NHS. Two major incidents have been declared in England because of pressures caused by the spread of COVID-19 - after the Ministry of Defence said Armed Forces personnel would be deployed in London to help in hospitals. Some 200 Armed Forces personnel are being sent to support the NHS in London as hospitals grapple with staff shortages.
Military medics will assist NHS doctors and nurses with patient care, while general duty personnel will help fill gaps caused by other absences. And now two major incidents have been declared in England with emergency services saying there is a civil emergency in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent.
7th Jan 2022 - Sky News
Omicron surge pushes U.S. COVID hospitalizations toward record high
COVID-19 hospitalizations in the United States are poised to hit a new high as early as Friday, according to a Reuters tally, surpassing the record set in January of last year as the highly contagious Omicron variant fuels a surge in infections.
7th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Brazil reports rise in new COVID-19 infections as Omicron variant spreads
Brazil has had 63,292 new cases of the coronavirus reported in the past 24 hours, and 181 deaths from COVID-19, the health ministry said on Friday. That is the highest number of daily infections since July last year. Health experts say the Omicron variant is spreading in the South American country. Brazil has now registered 22,450,222 cases since the pandemic began, while the official death toll has risen to 619,822, according to ministry data. Brazil's COVID-19 death toll trails only the United States and Russia, according to Reuters calculations.
7th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 7th Jan 2022
View this newsletter in fullAn 'awful' month of Covid-19 lies ahead, doctor says, but preventative measures will still be key
While the highly transmissible Omicron variant continues to drive up Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations -- and the numbers are likely to get worse before they get better -- health experts say it's critical Americans continue safe practices to prevent infections. "I don't buy the idea that we are all going to get Omicron and, therefore, just give up trying. I think that's wrong," Dr. Robert Wachter, chairman of the Department of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, told CNN's Erin Burnett on Wednesday. It's likely that "the next month is going to be awful," he said. But this does not mean that everyone should assume they will catch the virus, he said, noting the pattern of Omicron infections in the UK and South Africa.
6th Jan 2022 - CNN
Covid-19: More than 100 test positive on an Italy-India flight
A total of 125 passengers who arrived in the northern Indian city of Amritsar on a chartered flight from Italy have tested positive for Covid-19. They will be placed in isolation, health officials said. They were among 179 passengers on the flight from Milan which landed in Amritsar on Wednesday afternoon. India reported more than 90,000 cases on Thursday - a nearly six-fold rise over the past week that experts say is fuelled by the Omicron variant. The country recorded 325 deaths in the 24 hours but only one has been linked to Omicron, officials said.
6th Jan 2022 - BBC News
Thailand raises COVID-19 alert level due to Omicron spread
Thailand on Thursday raised its COVID-19 alert level following rising infections driven by the spread of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, a senior health official said. The change, from level three to four, sets a pretext for possible measures that could follow, such as closing high-risk areas and placing restrictions on domestic travel or public gatherings. "Thailand has entered a new wave of infections, where new cases will be rising fast," said Kiattiphum Wongrajit, permanent secretary of the health ministry.
6th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Australia suffers record COVID cases, straining businesses and supply chains
Fuelled by the highly transmissible Omicron variant, Australia's daily coronavirus infections soared to a fresh peak on Thursday, overwhelming hospitals, while isolation rules caused labour shortages, putting a strain on businesses and supply chains. With Thursday's count still incomplete, Australia so far has reported 72,392 new infections easily exceeding the high of 64,774 set a day earlier. Western Australia is due to post its new cases later. Prime Minister Scott Morrison, facing a federal election before May, is under pressure over his handling of the Omicron outbreak due to stock shortages of antigen tests and hours-long wait times at testing centres.
6th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Mexico nears 300000 deaths from COVID-19 as cases surge after holidays
Mexico is likely to surpass 300,000 deaths from COVID-19 this week - the fifth highest death toll worldwide - as infections rise after the holiday season, fueled by the Omicron coronavirus variant and largely unrestricted tourism.Infections have more than doubled to 20,000 during the last week when many tourists visited Mexico from the United States and Canada. Eleven of Mexico's 32 states decided not to resume in-person school classes this week with cases climbing fast.
6th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Belgium suffers record COVID cases, adapts quarantine strategy
Fuelled by the highly transmissible Omicron variant, Belgium's daily cases of COVID-19 reached a new peak this week, with health experts warning of between 30,000 and 125,000 cases a day by mid-January in the nation of 11 million. "The fifth wave has started. The weekly average has risen by 82%," virologist Steven Van Gucht told a news conference following a government meeting on the coronavirus situation. Home to the European Union institutions and NATO, Belgium registered 27,199 new COVID-19 cases on Jan. 3, beating a record set in Nov. 2020, and hit a fresh high of over 28,000 on Jan. 4, as Omicron hit the country a little later than Britain, Spain and France.
6th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Argentina breaks COVID-19 case record as daily infections near 100000
Argentina broke its record for COVID-19 infections on Wednesday, approaching 100,000 daily cases as it faces a third wave of the pandemic, driven by the highly infectious Omicron variant. But the record of 95,159 officially confirmed cases, coming in the middle of the Southern Hemisphere summer holiday season with tourist centers full of travelers, has not translated into a similar exponential rise in COVID-related deaths, which totaled 52. "We do not have a strong impact on intensive therapy units and less in terms of deaths," the chief of staff of the Ministry of Health, Sonia Tarragona, told local radio station Urbana Play. "The cases are mild or moderate and they are not putting stress on the health system."
6th Jan 2022 - Reuters
India confirms first Omicron-related death as COVID-19 cases jump
A diabetic man who died in the western state of Rajasthan was India's first fatality from the Omicron COVID-19 variant, the health ministry said on Wednesday, adding that overall infections had doubled to 58,097 over the past four days. The health ministry reported that total Omicron infections had risen to at least 2,135, just over a month since the first case was detected in the country. Government officials privately say daily cases in the country's third wave of infections could surpass the record of more than 414,000 hit last May. They also warn that many people are taking the Omicron variant lightly and not wearing masks as most cases have been mild.
6th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Britain reports record COVID-19 prevalence as Omicron surges
Britain on Wednesday reported record COVID-19 prevalence for the last week of 2021, with one in 15 people in England infected, as Prime Minister Boris Johnson said cases were increasing at the fastest rate ever. The increasing number of cases has put huge strains on public services such as hospitals, which face staff shortages and growing admissions. Johnson has resisted imposing stringent lockdown measures in England. Instead, he has bet that a vaccine booster drive and caution among the population will be enough to constrain the latest wave of infections, despite the arrival of the highly transmissible Omicron variant.
6th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Dutch coronavirus cases reach new record amid Omicron wave
New coronavirus cases in the Netherlands jumped to a record high of around 24,500 on Wednesday as the Omicron variant of the coronavirus has become dominant in the country, official data showed. Infections were up almost 60% from last week despite a strict lockdownthat has closed all but essential stores as well as restaurants, hairdressers, gyms, museums and other public places since Dec 19. The previous record of just under 24,000 cases in 24 hours was set during the wave of infections caused by the Delta variant of the virus that swamped hospitals throughout the country in late November.
6th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Hong Kong Has First Covid Case From Unknown Source in Months
Officials in Hong Kong have disclosed the first preliminary positive case of Covid-19 from an unknown source in almost three months, a worrying sign as the city works to contain an omicron cluster. The city’s health department suspects that the patient, an unvaccinated worker in the North Point area of the city, carries the omicron variant, although whole genome sequencing still needs to be conducted to confirm if that’s the case, according to a government statement on Tuesday. The highly contagious variant has already scuttled the border reopening with China and sent hundreds of city residents to the government-run quarantine facility in an effort to contain the outbreak before it spreads. Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam announced a vaccine requirement for restaurants and public leisure facilities will be imposed from February 24.
6th Jan 2022 - Bloomberg
US Sets Covid Global Daily Record of Over 1 Million Virus Cases
The U.S. added more than 1 million people to its Covid-19 case count on Monday as the true scope of a surge in infections over the holidays began to round into view. The highly mutated variant, combined with delayed reporting by local governments over the holidays, led to a single-day record for new cases for any country in the world. Monday’s number is almost double the previous mark of about 590,000 set just four days ago in the U.S., which itself was a doubling from the prior week. Using a seven-day average, which smooths out the unevenness of data across the country, cases climbed to 485,363 a day on Monday, more than doubling in the span of a week. The data is compiled by Johns Hopkins University, which relies on local governments, some of which may take more time than others to update their figures.
6th Jan 2022 - Bloomberg
Staffing Crisis Threatens Plan to Clear U.K. Hospital Backlogs
England’s National Health Service faces an “unquantifiable” challenge to clear a record backlog of patients as a result of the pandemic, rising pressure on emergency departments, and a failure to hire and train enough staff, a committee of U.K. lawmakers said. Close to 6 million patients are waiting for elective care -- a figure that could double by 2025 -- as the crisis caused by Covid-19 weighs heavily on the NHS, according to a report published Thursday by Parliament’s Health and Social Care Committee. Waiting times in emergency departments have also hit the worst levels since records began, with one in four patients waiting longer than four hours to be admitted, transferred, or discharged in October. That’s despite about 4,800 extra doctors and 1,200 more nurses working in the NHS in October 2021 compared to the previous year, according to the latest NHS workforce statistics.
6th Jan 2022 - Bloomberg
US hospitals seeing different kind of COVID surge this time
Hospitals across the U.S. are feeling the wrath of the omicron variant and getting thrown into disarray that is different from earlier COVID-19 surges. This time, they are dealing with serious staff shortages because so many health care workers are getting sick with the fast-spreading variant. People are showing up at emergency rooms in large numbers in hopes of getting tested for COVID-19, putting more strain on the system. And a surprising share of patients — two-thirds in some places — are testing positive while in the hospital for other reasons. At the same time, hospitals say the patients aren’t as sick as those who came in during the last surge. Intensive care units aren’t as full, and ventilators aren’t needed as much as they were before. The pressures are neverthless prompting hospitals to scale back non-emergency surgeries and close wards, while National Guard troops have been sent in in several states to help at medical centers and testing sites.
5th Jan 2022 - The Associated Press
Spike in California virus cases hitting hospitals, schools
California is struggling to staff hospitals and classrooms as an astonishing spike in coronavirus infections sweeps through the state. The fast-spreading omicron variant of COVID-19 is sidelining exposed or infected health care workers even as hospital beds fill with patients and “some facilities are going to be strapped,” Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly said Wednesday. Some 40% of hospitals are expecting to face critical staff shortages and some are reporting as much as one quarter of their staff out for virus-related reasons, said Kiyomi Burchill of the California Hospital Association. In Fresno County, more than 300 workers at area hospitals were either isolating because of exposure or recovering, said Dan Lynch, the county’s emergency medical services director.
5th Jan 2022 - The Associated Press
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 6th Jan 2022
View this newsletter in fullQueensland records 6,781 new Covid-19 cases as health chief says most will have 'mild' symptoms
Queensland has recorded 6,781 new Covid-19 cases, a significant uptick from the 5,699 cases detected on Tuesday. There are now 32,000 active cases across the Sunshine State, but health authorities say the figure is much higher due to queues at testing clinics and the time it is taking to receive results. There are currently 265 people in hospital with the virus including 10 patients in ICU, a positive sign the number of admissions remains steady. Chief health officer Dr John Gerrard reassured Queenslanders that the majority would only experience mild symptoms as case numbers explode across the state.
5th Jan 2022 - Daily Mail
Singapore sees Omicron coronavirus wave outpacing Delta
Singapore expects the Omicron coronavirus variant to cause a bigger wave of infections than Delta, the health ministry said on Wednesday, adding a booster dose will soon be required for adults to maintain their fully vaccinated status. From Feb. 14, eligible persons aged 18 years and above should have received a booster dose no later than 270 days after the last dose in the primary vaccination series to continue to be considered fully vaccinated, the ministry said. The city-state of 5.5 million people allows only those counted as fully vaccinated to enter malls or dine in restaurants or at hawker stalls.
5th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Rio cancels Carnival street parades due to rising COVID-19 cases, Omicron threat
Rio de Janeiro has canceled street parades and parties during its world-famous Carnival for a second year due to an increase in COVID-19 cases and the threat from the arrival of the Omicron coronavirus variant, the city's mayor said on Tuesday. However, the spectacular parade by Rio's samba schools, which the public watches from the stands of the city's Marques de Sapucai Sambadrome, will go ahead, unlike last year, with health precautions to prevent spreading the virus, he said. Rio mayor Eduardo Paes announced after a meeting with health authorities that the city would call off the street events that draw hundreds of thousands of Carnival revelers each year.
5th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Thailand fears "tens of thousands" of new COVID-19 cases, weighs curbs
Thailand is considering measures such as limiting large gatherings and banning alcohol sales in restaurants to discourage customers to avert a wave of coronavirus infections, a health official said on Wednesday. The country reported 3,899 cases on Wednesday, up from an average of 2,600 daily cases towards the end of last year, and the Omicron variant itself has tripled from last month's holiday period, government data showed. If measures like wearing masks and regular testing were not followed, infections could reach the "tens of thousands in the next two weeks," Sumanee Watcharasin, a spokeswoman for the country's coronavirus taskforce, said.
5th Jan 2022 - Reuters
COVID-19 infects 214 on five cruise ships in Brazilian waters
Five cruise ships in Brazilian waters have reported 214 cases of COVID-19 among their crew and passengers, including two ships that are in quarantine in the port of Santos, health regulator Anvisa said on Tuesday. Two ships run by the Swiss-Italian cruise line MSC Cruises, each with more than 3,000 passengers are due to arrive in Rio de Janeiro and Santos this week, the regulator said. The MSC Seaside arriving on Thursday in Santos has reported 65 cases among crew members and 25 among passengers, while the MSC Preziosa due in Rio on Wednesday has 25 crew with COVID-19 and 8 passengers infected, Anvisa said.
5th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Japan's Okinawa sees doubling of COVID-19 cases, considers emergency steps
The southern Japanese island chain of Okinawa emerged on Wednesday as the epicentre of a new coronavirus surge, with cases more than doubling from the previous day and officials were considering imposing emergency curbs. New infections in the prefecture jumped to 623 from 225 on Tuesday, the highest since August when Japan was in the midst of its fifth and biggest wave of COVID-19. Governor Denny Tamaki on Tuesday told reporters the region had entered a sixth wave of infections and the highly transmissible Omicron variant was responsible.
5th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Hungary reports 5270 new COVID-19 cases in sharp rise
Hungary reported 5,270 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, a sharp rise from the 3,005 recorded a week ago, as the Omicron variant spreads. Omicron accounted for more than 11% of new cases, the government said. Despite the rise in cases, the number of coronavirus patients being treated in hospital was 3,090, down from 3,854 a week ago. In Hungary, a country of close to 10 million people, 39,599 people have died of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic. Prime Minister Viktor Orban's government, which faces elections in April, and opposes lockdowns for fear of stifling the economy, has stepped up its vaccination campaign since November.
5th Jan 2022 - Reuters
U.S. reports nearly 1 mln COVID-19 cases in a day, setting global record
The United States reported nearly 1 million new coronavirus infections on Monday, the highest daily tally of any country in the world and nearly double the previous U.S. peak set a week ago as the spread of the Omicron variant showed no signs of slowing. The number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients has risen nearly 50% in the past week and now exceeds 100,000, according to data collected by Reuters, marking the first time that threshold has been reached in a year. The latest surge, which forced waves of cancellations from commercial airlines flights to Broadway shows in recent weeks, was disrupting plans for public schools to welcome students back from winter vacation.
5th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Germany considers more contact limits as infections jump
Germany is considering shortening COVID-19 self-isolation periods over fears that critical services could grind to a halt as the highly infectious Omicron variant takes hold, a health ministry plan showed on Wednesday. Workers in critical sectors, such as hospitals or electricity suppliers, would be able to end their isolation after five days, provided they test PCR negative for the virus, under the draft proposals being sent to regional leaders. The current isolation period is 14 days for everyone.
5th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Amid Omicron surge, UK PM Johnson resists another lockdown
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Tuesday said that England could withstand a surge in COVID-19 infections without shutting down the economy as Britain reported another record daily high in cases, fuelled by the Omicron variant. Johnson has resisted imposing stringent lockdown measures in England, betting that a vaccine booster drive and caution among the population would be enough to constrain the latest wave. The United Kingdom reported 218,724 new COVID cases on Tuesday, a new record for the number of cases reported on a single day - although a figure that also was skewed by reporting lags over the holidays.
5th Jan 2022 - Reuters
‘Third wave has set in’: India’s new COVID cases double in 4 days
India has reported 58,097 new daily COVID-19 cases, twice the number seen only four days ago, with a top health official in the national capital saying the pandemic’s third wave in the country “has set in”. Deaths rose by 534, including the southern state of Kerala’s updated death toll of 423, lifting the national total to 482,551, according to the health ministry data on Wednesday.
5th Jan 2022 - AlJazeera
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 5th Jan 2022
View this newsletter in fullMore than 100,000 people hospitalized with Covid-19 in US for first time in nearly four months
More than 103,000 people are currently hospitalized with Covid-19, the first time the total has reached six figures in nearly four months, according to the latest data from the US Department of Health and Human Services. Covid-19 hospitalizations reached a record high of more than 142,000 about a year ago, on January 14, 2021, and last topped 100,000 on September 11. The total fell to about 45,000 hospitalizations in early November, but increased steadily since then, and surged in the last week. Just last Monday, HHS reported 71,000 Covid-19 hospitalizations.
4th Jan 2022 - CNN
Hong Kong to expand 'vaccine bubble' from Feb. 24 to combat COVID-19 spread
Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said on Tuesday the government will expand a "vaccine bubble" from Feb. 24 to include venues such as gyms, cinemas and libraries as the city steps up its fight against the spread of coronavirus. Only vaccinated people would be allowed into those venues. Lam was speaking at a weekly press conference a day after health authorities confirmed a fifth case of Omicron in the local community.
4th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Taiwan urges vigilance after first Omicron coronavirus cases
Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen on Tuesday urged vigilance against the spread of the coronavirus after the island detected its first cases of the Omicron coronavirus variant spreading in the community. Taiwan has kept the pandemic well under control because of early and effective prevention, including largely closing its borders. Most cases of its cases have been imported from abroad, though the island did see an outbreak of domestic infections in the middle of 2021. After months of relative safety, Taiwan this week reported its first two cases of the highly transmissible Omicron variant, both linked to a quarantine hotel.
4th Jan 2022 - Reuters
COVID-19 infections soar in U.S. Congress amid Omicron surge
The U.S. Congress is experiencing an unprecedented rise in COVID-19 cases, with the seven-day positivity rate at a congressional test site surging to 13% from just 1% in late November, the Capitol's attending physician said on Monday. Most coronavirus infections on Capitol Hill have been occurring among the vaccinated, with the Omicron variant representing about 61% and the Delta variant 38%, based on a limited sample as of Dec. 15, Dr. Brian Monahan told lawmakers and staff in a Jan. 3 letter. The surge comes as the number of new COVID-19 cases in the United States has doubled in the last seven days to an average of 418,000 a day, according to a Reuters tally.
4th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Daily COVID cases top 1000 in Japan for first time in three months -Jiji
The number of new COVID-19 infections in Japan rose above 1,000 on Tuesday for the first time in three months, the Jiji news agency reported. Japan had seen fewer cases in recent months, but experts had warned of a potential sixth wave of infections during the winter.
4th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Sweden sets new daily COVID-19 case record as fourth wave grows
Sweden set a new daily record for COVID-19 cases, registering 11,507 cases on Dec. 30, health agency data showed on Tuesday, as a fourth wave of the virus swept across the country and put healthcare under renewed pressure. The daily infection figures are typically revised up somewhat as any delayed records of additional cases are added to the national total for a given day. The previous record of 11,376 cases was set in late December 2020. The fresh wave of COVID-19 cases, in part driven by the more contagious Omicron variant, hit Sweden later than its Nordic neighbours, but has in recent weeks resulted in a sharp rise in cases and hospitalisations.
4th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Australia COVID-19 cases surge, overloading testing system
Australian COVID-19 cases soared to a pandemic record on Tuesday as the Omicron variant ripped through most of the country, driving up hospitalisation rates as the once-formidable testing regime buckled under lengthy wait times and stock shortages. The country which for a year and half used a system of constant testing, contact tracing and lockdowns to squash most outbreaks, clocked 47,799 new infections, up nearly a third on Monday's number which was also a record. Political leaders have pointed to a largely successful, if slow, vaccination rollout and few deaths, relative to new case numbers - four on Tuesday. But hospitalisations, another closely watched measure, are higher than at any other time in the pandemic: 1,344 in the most populous state New South Wales.
4th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Romania's daily COVID-19 infections double after holiday
The number of daily COVID-19 infections more than doubled in Romania on Tuesday following an easing of restrictions during the winter holidays, and officials estimate the fifth wave of the pandemic could see twice as many cases as the previous one. Romania is the European Union's second-least vaccinated state, with roughly 40% of the population fully inoculated amid distrust in state institutions and poor vaccine education.
4th Jan 2022 - Reuters
Pakistan sees most COVID-19 cases in two months; concern about Omicron
Pakistan reported on Monday more than 700 COVID-19 cases in a single day, its highest tally in two months, as authorities warned of a fifth wave of infections and made preparations to try to contain the fast-spreading Omicron variant. At least 708 cases in the past 24 hours pushed the positivity ratio to 1.55%, the highest since Oct. 24, according to data from the National Command Operation Centre (NCOC), which is overseeing the pandemic response. “There is clear evidence now of a beginning of another COVID wave which has been expected for the last few weeks,” Asad Umar, the minister in charge of supervising anti-COVID-19 operations, wrote on Twitter.
4th Jan 2022 - Reuters
COVID activity ramps up in India, Middle East
Ever since it battled a catastrophic COVID-19 surge last spring, India has been bracing for another round of infections and making preparations. Over the past few days, cases have sharply risen, but hospitalizations remain low, New Delhi health officials said yesterday, according to Reuters. Cases had dropped to about 6,000 a day, but daily totals have risen sharply for 5 days in a row, with 33,750 reported today, with much of the activity from New Delhi and Mumbai. So far, the country has reported 1,700 Omicron cases.
3rd Jan 2022 - CIDRAP
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 4th Jan 2022
View this newsletter in fullU.S. schools delay openings as Omicron pushes pandemic to record highs
Thousands of U.S. schools delayed this week's scheduled return to classrooms following the holiday break or switched to remote learning as the Omicron variant of the coronavirus pushed COVID-19 cases to record levels. In other school districts, officials pressed on with plans to reopen, including in hard-hit New York City, where one of every three COVID-19 tests over the last week was positive for the virus, according to city data released on Monday. Nationwide, the country is averaging 18% of tests coming back positive, according to the Mayo Clinic.
3rd Jan 2022 - Reuters
Daily COVID cases in Saudi Arabia above 1000, continue to climb in UAE
Daily coronavirus cases in Saudi Arabia have climbed above 1,000 for the first time since August, while daily infections in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) haven crossed the 2,500-level. Authorities in the two Gulf Arab states did not break down the cases by COVID-19 variant. Both countries confirmed their first known case of the Omicron variant in early December. Saudi Arabia, the largest Gulf state with a population of around 30 million, on Sunday registered 1,024 new coronavirus infections and one death. Daily cases had fallen below 100 in September.
2nd Jan 2022 - Reuters
Kids' Covid Hospitalizations Hit Record in U.S. Omicron Surge
Pediatric Covid-19 hospitalizations have risen to record levels as omicron races across the U.S., amplifying the urgency to get boosters and vaccines cleared for children. While the variant so far doesn’t appear more severe than other versions in youngsters, the growing number of cases means more children are susceptible to serious illness. New hospital admissions of kids with Covid-19 have increased 66% to 378 a day on average for the week ending Tuesday, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The last peak occurred in early September at a daily count of 342. The Northeast and parts of the Midwest are seeing higher-than-ever numbers, though a doubling of hospitalizations in some Southern states still haven’t yet hit records reached over the summer.
1st Jan 2022 - Bloomberg
Travelers infected one another across hallway in Covid-19 quarantine facility, New Zealand research shows
A traveler isolated for Covid-19 at a quarantine facility in New Zealand managed to infect three others across a hallway, researchers reported Thursday. Closed-circuit camera footage, genetic testing and careful contact tracing show that the only conceivable way the virus could have passed from one room to another was in air that leaked out when both doors were briefly opened, the researchers said.
It's a demonstration of how the virus can spread -- and of how well vaccines can work. The one person who escaped infection was fully vaccinated and never tested positive, despite having stayed in the same room as four other infected people for weeks on end.
31st Dec 2021 - CNN
The US shattered its average daily Covid-19 case record again. Experts say numbers will keep climbing in the coming weeks
A day after reporting its highest average daily Covid-19 case number, the US shattered the record Thursday, with an average of 355,990 infections reported every day in the past week, according to Johns Hopkins University. As the latest surge sweeps across the US, pushing cases and hospitalizations to unprecedented levels and altering daily life again, experts warn a turning point could be weeks away. Given the size of our country -- and the diversity of vaccination versus not vaccination -- that it likely will be more than a couple of weeks (until Covid-19 cases peak) ... probably by the end of January," Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's leading infectious disease expert, told CNBC. Roughly 62% of the country is fully vaccinated, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Only about 33% of fully vaccinated adults have gotten boosters, which experts say are critical to protect against severe illness from the variants.
31st Dec 2021 - CNN
S.Korea to extend curbs amid Omicron surge, serious COVID-19 cases
South Korea said on Friday it will extend stricter social distancing rules for two weeks amid a persistent surge in serious coronavirus infections and concerns over the spread of the highly contagious Omicron variant. The government reinstated the curbs on Dec. 18, six weeks after easing them under a "living with COVID-19" scheme, as record-breaking numbers of new infections and serious cases put a huge strain on the country's medical system.
31st Dec 2021 - Reuters
Russia's COVID-19 death toll climbs to world's second highest
Russia has overtaken Brazil to have the world's second-highest death toll from the COVID-19 pandemic, behind the United States, data from Russia's state statistics service and Reuters calculations showed on Thursday. The statistics service, Rosstat, said 87,527 people had died from coronavirus-related causes in November, making it the deadliest month in Russia since the start of the pandemic.
Russia's overall pandemic death toll reached 658,634, according to Reuters calculations based on Rosstat figures up to the end of November and data from the coronavirus task force for December, overtaking Brazil which has recorded 618,800 deaths.
31st Dec 2021 - Reuters
Hong Kong says Omicron has breached its strict COVID-19 restrictions
Hong Kong's health officials said on Friday the Omicron variant of the coronavirus has made its way past some of the world's toughest COVID 19 restrictions, with the city reporting its first cases outside its strict quarantine system. The findings raise risks that the global financial hub might keep its borders shut well into 2022. It has largely isolated itself from the world hoping in turn to open the border with mainland China for a limited number of business travellers.
31st Dec 2021 - Reuters
COVID-19 deaths in Eastern Europe surpass 1 million
Coronavirus deaths in Eastern Europe topped 1 million on Thursday, according to a Reuters tally, as the Omicron variant threatened to batter the region. Three out of the five countries reporting the highest number of daily deaths in Europe are from the East, including Russia, Poland and Ukraine, Reuters data through Thursday showed. “I am scared because it is a huge number of daily deaths – huge, unimaginable,” said Bozena Adamowicz, a pensioner from Warsaw.
31st Dec 2021 - Reuters
Greece reports new COVID-19 daily record, 76 deaths
Greece reported 40,560 COVID-19 cases on Friday, setting a new record high for the fourth successive day following a surge of cases of the Omicron coronavirus variant. Health authorities said 76 deaths had been reported on Friday. Greece introduced new restrictions this week, ordering bars, restaurants and nightclubs to close at midnight, with no standing customers and no music. An exception is New Year's Eve, when establishments can close at 2 a.m.
31st Dec 2021 - Reuters
Portugal's COVID-19 cases hit record, Omicron dominates at 83%
Portugal reported on Friday a new daily record of 30,829 coronavirus cases, up from 28,659 the previous day, with the rapidly spreading Omicron variant accounting for an estimated 83% of all new cases, official data showed. Health authority DGS registered 18 fatalities from COVID-19, up from Thursday's 16, but that was only a fraction of the more than 300 daily deaths suffered in late January, when Portugal had just begun its vaccination campaign. The number of patients in intensive care was steady at 145, also well below more than 900 in early 2021.
31st Dec 2021 - Reuters
UK had over 2 million COVID-19 cases in week to Dec. 23 - official estimate
More than 2 million people in Britain tested positive for COVID-19 in the week before Christmas, Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimates published on Friday showed, with the highest ratio of around one in 25 people seen in England.
Britain is experiencing a surge in cases of the virus driven by the highly-transmissible Omicron variant, but the government is hoping its comprehensive vaccine programme and potentially milder disease caused by Omicron will allow it to keep the economy largely open.
31st Dec 2021 - Reuters
Covid Latest: US Daily Cases Hit Records as Omicron Sweeps Across the Country
In Boston, coronavirus levels measured in wastewater are spiking to more than quadruple last winter’s surge. In Miami, more than a quarter of people are testing positive for Covid. And a San Francisco medical leader estimates that, based on his hospital’s tests, one of every 12 people in the city with no Covid symptoms actually has the virus. As the omicron variant sweeps the country, daily cases are reaching unheard-of levels, crossing the half-million mark, and are only expected to go much higher. Some projections are for a peak of more than one million cases a day by as early as mid-January. “That seems totally plausible to me, given that we’re already at almost 600,000,” said Sam Scarpino, managing director of pathogen surveillance at the Rockefeller Foundation’s Pandemic Prevention Institute
31st Dec 2021 - Bloomberg
Covid-19 Australia: Doherty Institute director says Omicron cases to surge but strain less severe
Doherty Institute director warned Omicron cases will surge to 'very high' level. Sharon Lewin said less severe strain meant restrictions could begin to ease. Changes were recently made to isolation rules and close contact definition.
Remarks came after 2GB's Ray Hadley slammed NSW government over Covid
NSW reported pandemic record 21,151 cases and Victoria 5,919 infections
30th Dec 2021 - Daily Mail
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 30th Dec 2021
View this newsletter in fullWorld hits record number of COVID-19 cases in a week: Tally
The world has hit a new record number of COVID-19 cases in a single week, according to one tally, with daily infections also reaching new highs in the United States, Australia and several European countries amid the rapid spread of the Omicron variant. More than 935,000 cases on average have been detected each day between December 22 and 28, according to the tally published by the AFP news agency on Wednesday. In total, 6.51 million coronavirus cases have been reported worldwide in the past week.
29th Dec 2021 - Al Jazeera English
Japan braces for Omicron spread as New Year's travelers fan across country
Japan braced for a feared rebound in coronavirus cases as the highways and airports filled with travelers at the start of New Year's holidays on Wednesday. The governors of the metropolises of Tokyo and Osaka urged residents to keep end-of-year gatherings small, as more cases of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 come to light, including a suspected cluster at an Osaka nursing home. Health officials advised travelers to avail themselves of free coronavirus tests before departure, amid fears that an outpouring of city dwellers could spread infections to the countryside.
29th Dec 2021 - Reuters
Thailand warns of spike in COVID-19 cases after "super-spreader" event
Thai health authorities warned on Wednesday that residents should brace themselves for a potential jump in coronavirus cases after classifying the country's first cluster of the Omicron variant as a super-spreader incident. The Omicron cluster identified in the northeastern province of Kalasin on Christmas eve has been linked to a couple who had travelled from Belgium and visited bars, concerts and markets. The ensuing cluster had infected hundreds, with cases spreading to 11 other provinces, said senior health official Opas Karnkawinpong, citing how one of the bars linked to the cluster had been packed and did not have good ventilation.
29th Dec 2021 - Reuters
In under-vaccinated Congo, fourth COVID-19 wave fills hospitals
At the St Joseph COVID Treatment Centre in Kinshasa, patients lie in ramshackle rooms breathing oxygen from old tanks. The clinic has 38 beds, and all but one are occupied. In a backyard littered with medical equipment, tents are needed to cope with the overflow. Democratic Republic of Congo is the least vaccinated country against COVID-19 in the world. Now a fourth wave of the coronavirus threatens to put greater pressure on its rickety health system than at any time during the pandemic. "We have experienced the three previous waves gradually, but in the fourth wave cases have jumped overnight," said Francois Kajingulu, the head of St Joseph. "On Monday we had 5-6 cases and on Saturday we went straight from 30 to 36."
29th Dec 2021 - Reuters
COVID-19 cases at record high around world, raising testing and quarantine fears
Global COVID-19 infections hit a record high over the past seven-day period, Reuters data showed on Wednesday, as the Omicron variant raced out of control and governments wrestled with how to contain its spread without paralysing fragile economies. Almost 900,000 cases were detected on average each day around the world between Dec. 22 and 28, with myriad countries posting new all-time highs in the previous 24 hours, including the United States, Australia, many in Europe and Bolivia.
29th Dec 2021 - Reuters
New Zealand records first community exposures from border-related Omicron case
New Zealand said on Wednesday that a person who tested positive for the Omicron variant of COVID-19 had briefly been active in the community in Auckland. The person arrived in New Zealand from the United Kingdom on Dec 16 but only tested positive on Dec 17, the health ministry said in a statement. The ministry said the person was in Auckland city on Dec 26 and Dec 27, but that they do not believe the individual was highly infectious at the time of exposure.
29th Dec 2021 - Reuters
New Omicron variant fills up children's hospitals
A five-fold increase in pediatric admissions in New York City this month. Close to double the numbers admitted in Washington, DC. And nationwide, on average, pediatric hospitalizations are up 48% in just the past week. The highly transmissible Omicron variant is teaming up with the busy holiday season to infect more children across the United States than ever before, and children's hospitals are bracing for it to get even worse. "I think we are going to see more numbers now than we have ever seen," Dr. Stanley Spinner, who is chief medical officer and vice president at Texas Children's Pediatrics & Urgent Care in Houston, told CNN.
29th Dec 2021 - CNN
U.S. Covid Cases Approach Pandemic High Amid Omicron Wave
Covid-19 cases are setting records. The daily number of new infections hit all-time highs both in the world and in the U.S. Infections have surged again in the past month as the Omicron coronavirus variant—the latest strain— spread like wildfire from country to country. Worldwide, the daily number reached 1.49 million on Monday; the new high is actually lower than the previous record of 1.5 million set in December 2020 because of reporting irregularities that now have been factored in, Bloomberg reported. In the U.S., there were 512,553 new confirmed cases on Monday, according to Johns Hopkins data. The previous daily high was 303,461, set on Jan. 8.
29th Dec 2021 - Barron's
CDC Investigating 86 Cruise Ships With Covid-19 Cases
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating or monitoring 86 cruise ships with reported Covid-19 cases on board, according to a list posted on its website Tuesday, as the highly transmissible Omicron variant spreads around the world. The CDC investigates a ship if there are one or more reported Covid-19 cases among the crew or if cases reported account for at least 0.10% of total passengers in the past seven days. For a ship with 6,500 passengers, that would mean seven cases would trigger an investigation. As part of the investigation, the CDC works with the cruise ship to lower transmission and ensure medical resources on board aren’t overwhelmed, according to the agency. It also gathers additional information such as case exposure histories, vaccination rates and details about close contacts.
29th Dec 2021 - The Wall Street Journal
CDC Pares Omicron Estimate to a Still-Dominant 59% of U.S. Cases
The omicron variant is causing an increasing share of coronavirus infections in the U.S., though its climb to dominance has been gentler than earlier estimates indicated, according to an updated federal model. Omicron accounted for an estimated 58.6% of sequenced U.S. virus cases in the week ending Dec. 25, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Nowcast model showed Tuesday, up from an estimated 22.5% a week earlier. The once-dominant delta variant accounted for 41.1% of cases in the most recent period, according to the CDC.
29th Dec 2021 - Bloomberg
Asia keeps omicron at bay, but a surge may be inevitable
Much of Asia has largely managed to keep omicron at bay even as the variant rages in other parts of the world, but the region that is home to most of the globe’s population is bracing for what may be an inevitable surge. Strict quarantine rules for arrivals and widespread mask wearing have helped slow the spread of the highly contagious variant in Asia. Countries such as Japan, South Korea and Thailand quickly reinstated entry and quarantine restrictions in recent weeks after relaxing them in the fall. But cases are mounting, and experts say the next few months will be critical. Those fears have been amplified by doubts about the effectiveness of the Chinese-made vaccines used in China and much of the developing world.
29th Dec 2021 - The Associated Press
India fears new COVID wave as Omicron infections spread
The Omicron variant of the coronavirus is raising fears of a third wave of the pandemic in India. The country on Wednesday reported a total of nearly 800 Omicron cases, while COVID-19 infections rose by 9,195 new daily cases – a 44 percent spike from the previous day.
29th Dec 2021 - AlJazeera
More Covid-19 Vaccines Are Reaching Poorer Nations, but Slowly
Vaccine makers have delivered more Covid-19 shots to the world’s poorest nations in recent months, but wealthy countries are still receiving a disproportionate share.
The unequal distribution, global health experts say, has hampered efforts to move past the pandemic and allowed new variants like Omicron to emerge. High-income nations, which include the U.S. and are home to a sixth of the world’s population, have received nearly half of all 5.9 billion doses made by the four major Western vaccine makers, according to healthcare data company Airfinity.
28th Dec 2021 - The Wall Street Journal
Portugal Posts Record Number of Daily New Covid Cases
Portugal on Tuesday reported the biggest daily increase in confirmed coronavirus cases since the start of the pandemic. There were 17,172 new cases in a day, more than the previous record of 16,432 reported at the end of January, the government said in an emailed statement. There were 19 fatalities in a day. The number of patients in intensive-care units rose by two to 152. That’s a fraction of the level reached at the end of January and early February, when the country faced one of the world’s worst outbreaks and the number of patients in intensive-care units rose to as high as 904.
28th Dec 2021 - Bloomberg
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 29th Dec 2021
View this newsletter in fullSpain's COVID-19 infections soar after Christmas
Spain's coronavirus infection rate exceeded 1,000 cases per 100,000 people for the first time on Monday, stoked by the fast-spreading Omicron variant, although hospitals were under much less strain than in previous waves of the pandemic. The rate, measured over the preceding 14 days, rose to 1,206 cases following the Christmas weekend, according to health ministry data. That compares with 911 reported on Thursday, when it first topped the previous record of 900 cases set in late January. The tally had not been updated since Thursday and has added 214,619 new cases to the 5,932,626 recorded since the start of the pandemic.
27th Dec 2021 - Reuters
Malaysia Suspects First Local Omicron Case as Variant Spreads
The probable local case was reported in the Borneo state of Sarawak on Dec. 24 in a 38-year old Chinese national, Khairy said in a briefing on Saturday. The individual has been working with a local engineering company for three years and hasn’t traveled abroad during that period; he has also been fully vaccinated
The cause of the infection is not known and investigations are still ongoing, Khairy said. New cases may climb in the coming weeks in view of the suspected local omicron case, and the government will next week announce the shortening of the booster shot interval to curb the spread of the new variant, he added. About half of the 61 imported cases are from Saudi Arabia, followed by five from the U.K, four from Qatar and three from the U.S. The U.K, U.S, Saudi Arabia, Denmark, Australia, France, Norway, India, Canada and Nigeria have high risk omicron and travelers coming from these countries must wear a digital tracker: Malaysia’s local cases have plunged from a daily high of more than 22,000 in late August to about 3,500 this week. Still, imported cases -- most of them omicron -- have risen rapidly to about 100 daily since Wednesday, according to data from the health ministry
The government’s attempts at managing the pandemic hit a speed bump after parts of peninsular Malaysia suffered the worst flooding in years last weekend; on Thursday, 15 positive cases were found among the victims seeking shelter at evacuation centers, taking the total to 405, the health ministry said
26th Dec 2021 - Bloomberg
Singapore Finds New Omicron Cluster, Braces for Community Spread
Singapore confirmed a new cluster of Covid-19 cases linked to the omicron variant, warning that it expects to see the highly-transmissible strain spread in the community. The primary case in the confirmed cluster at The Vinyl Bar in the city was a passenger who flew in using Singapore’s quarantine-free vaccinated travel lane on Dec. 14. He tested negative upon arrival but received a positive result in a further government-mandated test four days later. Nine more people are linked to the cluster. All are fully vaccinated and have mild or no symptoms, the ministry of health said. The confirmed cases and their close contacts will be placed in quarantine.
25th Dec 2021 - Bloomberg
Dominican Republic reports first case of COVID-19 Omicron variant
The Dominican Republic has identified its first case of the Omicron variant of COVID-19, the health ministry of the Caribbean country said on Saturday. In a statement on Twitter, the ministry said Omicron had been identified in a person with mild symptoms who had arrived in the country from South Africa. The ministry also said it had later been informed by Chilean authorities that a person who traveled to Chile from the Dominican Republic had tested positive for Omicron. Other potential cases of Omicron are under investigation, the ministry added.
25th Dec 2021 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 23rd Dec 2021
View this newsletter in fullPoland reports highest number of COVID-related deaths in fourth wave
Poland reported 775 COVID-related deaths on Friday, the highest daily number in the fourth wave of the coronavirus pandemic, the data from the health ministry showed. Poland has been dealing with persistently high daily case numbers in a fourth wave that has forced authorities to tighten restrictions. On Friday Poland reported 18,021 new coronavirus cases with the total number of infections since the start of the pandemic crossing 4 million. "Unfortunately, (deaths) dominate among the elderly and the unvaccinated... we do not get vaccinated and we go to hospitals too late," ministry's spokesman Wojciech Andrusiewicz told reporters
22nd Dec 2021 - Reuters
Northern Ireland COVID case numbers surge 50% to record high
Northern Ireland ordered the closure of nightclubs from Sunday after reporting an all-time high of 3,231 COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, up from an average of just over 2,000 in the previous seven days due to the highly transmissible Omicron variant. The devolved government of the British region also ordered an end to ordering at bars and limited restaurants to serve no more than six people per table.
But it stopped short of matching the 8 p.m. closure imposed on hospitality venues in the neighbouring Republic of Ireland last week
22nd Dec 2021 - Reuters
Portugal imposes post-Christmas COVID-19 curbs as Omicron cases surge
Portugal on Tuesday ordered nightclubs and bars to close and told people to work from home for at least two weeks starting on Saturday to control the spread of COVID-19 over the holiday period. "This still isn't the normal Christmas we are used to," Prime Minister Antonio Costa told a news conference. "If we do not adopt these measures now, the consequences on everyone's lives will be much worse after Christmas and the New Year." Costa also announced capacity restrictions at stores and said a negative coronavirus test would now be required to stay at hotels or go to events.
22nd Dec 2021 - Reuters
Austria tightens restrictions as it braces for Omicron wave
Austria is introducing restrictions including a 10 p.m. closing time to slow the spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant after Christmas and prevent it being imported from Europe's hardest-hit countries, a senior health official said on Wednesday.
Austria began emerging from its fourth full coronavirus lockdown 10 days ago. While that three-week lockdown slashed daily COVID-19 infections, the country is bracing for another surge because of the extremely contagious Omicron variant, of which several hundred cases have been confirmed so far.
22nd Dec 2021 - Reuters
Portugal to Record Almost 9,000 New Covid Cases, Minister Says
Portugal on Wednesday recorded 8,937 new daily coronavirus infections, the highest level since February, as the government prepares to impose new restrictions to fight the pandemic. There were 11 fatalities in a day, taking the total to 18,823 deaths, Portugal’s Directorate General of Health said in a statement.
Despite the high case figure, the number of deaths “remains relatively controlled,” Health Minister Marta Temido said in an interview with CNN Portugal television.
22nd Dec 2021 - Bloomberg
U.K. on Edge Heading Toward Christmas Overshadowed by Omicron
Boris Johnson has given Britons the Christmas he has long promised -- some light-touch pandemic restrictions but with no limits on family gatherings. The big question is over what comes next. When the U.K. prime minister ruled out tighter restrictions in the coming days, he also urged Britons to be cautious and warned tougher curbs may yet be needed after Dec. 25 if an omicron-fueled wave of Covid-19 infections threatens to overwhelm the National Health Service.
22nd Dec 2021 - Bloomberg
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 22nd Dec 2021
View this newsletter in fullChinese city delays clearing travellers, cargos at port of entry after one COVID-19 infection
A Chinese city next to Vietnam border postponed from Tuesday the clearing of travellers and cargos to pass through its port of entry on COVID-19 concerns, state media reported. Dongxing city in the autonomous Chinese region of Guangxi advised that exports and imports of urgent cargos should be planned to avoid loss from the waiting, state broadcaster CCTV said in a report. The measure is part of the city's effort to cope with "current COVID-19 situation", said CCTV, without providing further details on the virus risk. It came after Dongxing detected one COVID-19 infection during routine testing.
21st Dec 2021 - Reuters
Now-dominant Omicron variant drives surge in COVID cases across U.S.
COVID-19 cases surged in New York City and across the United States over the weekend, dashing hopes for a more normal holiday season, resurrecting restrictions and stretching the country's testing infrastructure ahead of holiday travel and gatherings. The fast-spreading Omicron variant of the coronavirus has become dominant in the United States with lightning speed, and claimed the life on Monday of an unvaccinated man in Texas, officials said. The spike in COVID-19 cases is alarming public health officials, who fear an explosion of infections after the Christmas and New Year's holidays.
21st Dec 2021 - Reuters
Sweden hardens COVID curbs amid worries over Omicron
Sweden will urge all employees to work from home if possible and impose tighter rules for social distancing, the government said on Tuesday, as it ratchets up restrictions to fight a surge in new infections and the Omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus. The number of new virus cases in Sweden, which sparked international attention last year for its rejection of hard lockdowns, have shot up in recent weeks after a calm autumn when most restrictions were phased out. Hospitalizations and intensive care cases are still among the lowest per capita in Europe, but have also begun rising.
21st Dec 2021 - Reuters
WHO urges people to consider canceling holiday plans amid omicron surge
World Health Organization Director-General is urging people across the globe to consider cancelling their holiday gatherings. “There can be no doubt that increased social mixing over the holiday period in many countries will lead to increased cases, overwhelmed health systems and more deaths,” Tedros said. White House medical adviser Anthony Fauci on Tuesday reiterated his claim that vaccinated Americans can feel comfortable communing with other vaccinated individuals.
21st Dec 2021 - The Hill
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 21st Dec 2021
View this newsletter in fullOmicron Prompts New Covid-19 Restrictions
New restrictions were set in place in Europe in an effort to stem the spread of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus as a top U.S. health official warned that the variant is likely to strain American hospitals in the coming weeks. The rapidly spreading variant is already the dominant strain in the U.K., according to estimates derived from British health data, and is within days of becoming so in Denmark. Omicron has been detected in 89 countries, and Covid-19 cases of the variant are doubling every 1.5 to three days in places with community transmission, the World Health Organization said Saturday. The Netherlands on Sunday reimposed a lockdown in the face of Omicron, with all nonessential shops, bars and restaurants closed until mid-January.
20th Dec 2021 - The Wall Street Journal
US could be in store for a 'grim beginning' to the new year, experts warn, as dual variants of Covid-19 spread
With the Delta and Omicron coronavirus variants spreading across the nation as the new year approaches, health experts are urging Americans to get vaccinated or boosted to protect themselves and others before they face greater chances of infection. Airport travel before Christmas is up by nearly double from a year ago, according to Transportation Security Administration data, with more than 2 million people screened each day from December 16-18. And the indoor gatherings among friends and family could ultimately infect more who are at higher risk for Covid-19 complications. As the virus spreads, more cities are adding restrictions, including New York and Washington, DC. Mayor Muriel Bowser announced an indoor mask mandate for the District will be reinstated starting at 6 a.m. Tuesday, December 21 through January 31
20th Dec 2021 - CNN
Thailand says finds first reported local transmission of Omicron
A Thai woman has tested positive to the Omicron variant of the coronavirus in the Southeast Asian country's first reported case of local transmission, a health ministry official said on Monday. The woman contracted the virus from her husband, a Colombian who returned to Thailand from Nigeria in November, the official told a daily health ministry briefing.
20th Dec 2021 - Reuters
Sydney shrugs off COVID-19 spike, resists calls to restore tough curbs
Australian authorities urged a "move away from fear" of the coronavirus on Monday, resisting calls to make masks mandatory indoors and limit the numbers of patrons at Sydney venues, even as new COVID-19 infections lingered near records. Despite the threat from the more transmissible Omicron variant, life returned to near normal in Sydney last week, with almost all tough curbs lifted ahead of Christmas, as vaccination rates rank among the world's highest. "There will always be new variants of this virus," said Dominic Perrottet, premier of the most populous state of New South Wales.
20th Dec 2021 - Reuters
Royal Caribbean says 48 passengers test positive for Omicron variant on ship
Royal Caribbean Group said on Monday 48 people on its Symphony of the Seas cruise ship tested positive for COVID-19, fueling concerns that the new Omicron variant of the coronavirus could put a damper on a recovery in the cruise industry.
The cruise operator said it had 6,091 guests and crew members on board the ship, which ended a week-long cruise in Miami on Saturday after setting sail on Dec. 11.
The passengers who tested positive were asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic, Royal Caribbean said in a statement, adding that six guests were disembarked earlier in the cruise and transported home.
20th Dec 2021 - Reuters
As Omicron threatens a global surge, some countries shorten COVID-19 booster timelines
A growing number of countries are reducing the wait time for COVID-19 vaccine boosters from six months to as few as three in a bid to ward off a new surge in infections from the Omicron variant. They are reacting to early evidence suggesting that Omicron is spreading faster than its predecessor, Delta, and is more likely to infect people who were vaccinated or had COVID in the past. Some scientists, however, say that giving boosters too soon could compromise the level of longer-term vaccine protection. While data remains limited, half a dozen laboratory studies have shown that an initial course of COVID-19 vaccines - typically given in two doses - is not enough to halt infection from the Omicron variant, but a booster shot may help.
20th Dec 2021 - Reuters
British cabinet to discuss COVID moves as Omicron sweeps Europe
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday he would take more steps to slow the spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant if needed, after the Netherlands began a fourth lockdown and as other European nations consider Christmas restrictions. Speaking after UK media reported Britain might impose new curbs after Christmas, Johnson said the situation was "extremely difficult" and hospitalisations were rising steeply in London. "I have to say to the British public, and I say to everybody, we will not exclude the possibility of going further if we have to do things to protect the public," Johnson said after a cabinet meeting.
20th Dec 2021 - Reuters
Fauci warns Omicron COVID variant ‘raging through the world’
Top US pandemic adviser Anthony Fauci has warned of a bleak winter ahead as the Omicron coronavirus variant spurs a new wave of infections globally, sparking restrictions and concerns over hospital capacity. “One thing that’s very clear … is [Omicron’s] extraordinary capability of spreading,” Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told broadcaster NBC News on Sunday. “It is just … raging through the world.”
20th Dec 2021 - AlJazeera
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 20th Dec 2021
View this newsletter in fullOmicron coronavirus cases surge in UK, scientists see bigger wave
Britain reported a surge in cases of the Omicron coronavirus variant on Saturday which government advisors said could be just the tip of the iceberg, and London's mayor declared a "major incident" to help the city's hospitals cope. The number of Omicron cases recorded across the country hit almost 25,000 as of 1800 GMT on Friday, up by more than 10,000 cases from 24 hours earlier, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said. Seven people believed to have had the Omicron variant had died as of Thursday, up from one death in the UKHSA's previous data which ran up to Tuesday. Admissions to hospital of people thought to have the variant increased to 85 from 65.
19th Dec 2021 - Reuters
Australia undaunted by mounting COVID-19 cases
Australian officials on Sunday said there was no need to clamp down on Christmas festivities even as new COVID-19 infections climbed in Sydney, with the country's high vaccination rate helping keep people out of hospital. Health Minister Greg Hunt said he was confident Australia would not need to follow the Netherlands, which has reimposed a strict lockdown over the Christmas and New Year period to curb the spread of the highly contagious Omicron variant
19th Dec 2021 - Reuters
S. Africa Covid-19 Hospitalizations Fall for First Time in Weeks
South African hospitals reported having slightly fewer Covid-19 patients than yesterday, the first decline in weeks. Still, the National Institute of Communicable Diseases, does caution that figures can be skewed by late reporting of admissions.
Even so the number could be taken as more evidence that the wave of infections caused by the omicron variant may be slowing. On Friday the South African Medical Research Council said that wastewater analyses showed a decreasing incidence of the virus in Pretoria, the South African capital.
19th Dec 2021 - Bloomberg
China reports 125 new COVID-19 cases on Dec 17
China reported 125 new confirmed coronavirus cases for Dec. 17, up from 76 a day earlier, its health authority said on Saturday. Of the new infections, 89 were locally transmitted, according to a statement by the National Health Commission, compared with 56 a day earlier. Most of the new local cases, 77 cases, were reported by authorities in the eastern province of Zhejiang. China reported 19 new asymptomatic cases, which it classifies separately from confirmed cases, compared with 23 a day earlier.
18th Dec 2021 - Reuters
Spain's coronavirus infection rate rises to 'very high risk' level
Spain's coronavirus infection rate rose above 500 cases per 100,000 people on Friday, crossing over the threshold considered "very high risk" by the Health Ministry and more than doubling since the start of December. On Friday the infection rate, or incidence, as measured over the preceding 14 days, was 511 cases per 100,000, up 38 points on Thursday's 473. There were 33,359 new infections and 41 deaths according to Health Ministry data. Roughly 80% of Spain's population of 47 million has been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, and some 10 million have received booster shots.
17th Dec 2021 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 17th Dec 2021
View this newsletter in fullNew Mexico sheriff struggles in undertaker role as COVID deaths mount
New Mexico sheriff Shane Ferrari is used to planning ahead to buy supplies like ammunition that have run short in the pandemic. In the past 12 months, he has also had to buy enough coffins and shelving for COVID-19 victims who are stacking up at the family funeral home that he found himself running. Ferrari took over the funeral business in Farmington, located in San Juan County in the state's northwest corner, last December when his father, the previous manager, died of COVID-19.
He has been "overrun" with bodies as San Juan suffers one of the highest per-capita COVID-19 death rates in New Mexico, which is among the top five U.S. states in new cases for the week to Dec. 5, according to Reuters data.
16th Dec 2021 - Reuters on MSN.com
Flu and Covid-19 cases rising in much of the US
US health officials are bracing for a trio of public health concerns this winter: more infections from the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, surging infections with the Delta variant, and a "slow but steady" comeback of the flu. There is growing concern that a rise in Omicron cases, paired with climbing Delta cases and an increase in flu cases, could overwhelm health systems this winter, as well as possibly leading to a need to ramp up Covid-19 testing capacities, Lori Tremmel Freeman, chief executive officer of the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO), told CNN on Wednesday.
16th Dec 2021 - CNN
South Korea reimposes COVID-19 curbs amid ‘mayhem’ at hospitals
South Korea says it will reimpose curfews on businesses and tighten social distancing rules as the number of COVID-19 infections and severe cases reach record highs. The measures, announced on Thursday, come a month and a half after the South Korean government eased restrictions under a “Living with COVID-19” policy. But with new daily infections soaring and healthcare workers warning of “mayhem” at hospitals, the government has come under increased pressure to roll back the policy. Under the new rules, which will come into effect on Saturday, gatherings are limited to no more than four people, as long as they are fully vaccinated. Restaurants cafes and bars will also need to close by 9pm and movie theatres and internet cafes by 10pm. Unvaccinated people can only dine out alone, or use takeout or delivery services.
16th Dec 2021 - Al Jazeera English
COVID-19: UK's R number for Omicron between 3 and 5, health chief says
"Each six months will be better than the last six months", England's chief medical officer has said, as he predicted it could be "possibly 18 months" until a wide range of vaccines covers all variants of the coronavirus. Professor Chris Whitty said it is likely that COVID vaccines and anti-viral drugs will do "almost all of the heavy lifting" when it comes to tackling future strains - unless they are "extremely different". He told the Commons Health and Social Care Committee: "If I project forward, I would anticipate in a number of years - possibly 18 months, possibly slightly less, possibly slightly more - that we will have polyvalent vaccines, which will cover a much wider range, and we will probably have several antivirals."
16th Dec 2021 - Sky News
COVID-19: Hundreds of thousands with coronavirus not using NHS app to 'ping' close contacts
Hundreds of thousands of people who have tested positive for COVID-19 are not using the NHS contact tracing apps to alert their close contacts, despite the outbreak of the Omicron variant, new figures reveal. In Scotland less than 20% of people who have downloaded the contact tracing app are using it to inform people that they have tested positive. The Scottish government recently announced that contacts of infected people must isolate until they can take a PCR test, and the app is a key way of alerting them.
16th Dec 2021 - Sky News
President warns against complacency as Indonesia finds first Omicron case
Indonesian President Joko Widodo urged people to stick to health protocols and ensure they are vaccinated against COVID-19, after the world's fourth most populous country detected its first domestic case of the Omicron variant. Jokowi, as the president is known, said the arrival of the highly transmissible variant, which has been reported in more than 70 countries, had been inevitable and warned the public against being complacent while less stringent measures were in place.
16th Dec 2021 - Reuters
Poland reports its first case of Omicron COVID-19 variant - PAP
Poland has detected its first case of the Omicron COVID-19 variant, a deputy health minister was cited as saying on Thursday by state-run news agency PAP.
Waldemar Kraska said the variant had been detected by sanitary authorities in the southern city of Katowice, the agency reported. Poland has been dealing with persistently high daily case numbers in a fourth wave that has forced authorities to tighten restrictions.
16th Dec 2021 - Reuters
S.Africa reports record daily COVID-19 cases as Omicron spreads
South Africa reported a record number of new daily COVID-19 infections on Wednesday in a fourth wave believed to be largely caused by the Omicron coronavirus variant. The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) reported 26,976 new cases in the past 24 hours, surpassing a peak of 26,485 in early July during a third wave driven by the then-dominant Delta strain. The NICD also reported another 54 COVID-19 related deaths and an additional 620 hospital admissions.
16th Dec 2021 - Reuters
South Korea to restore tougher curbs against spike in COVID-19 infections
South Korea said on Thursday it will reinstate stricter social distancing rules a month-and-a-half after easing them under a 'living with COVID-19' policy, as the number of new infections and serious cases spirals. Curbs will return from Saturday to Jan. 2, limiting gatherings to no more than four people - as long as they are fully vaccinated - and forcing restaurants, cafes and bars to close by 9 p.m. and movie theatres and internet cafes by 10 p.m., officials said. Unvaccinated people can only dine out alone, or use takeout or delivery services.
16th Dec 2021 - Reuters
Queen Elizabeth cancels pre-Christmas lunch as COVID cases soar
Queen Elizabeth has cancelled a pre-Christmas lunch with her family as a precaution while cases of COVID-19 soar in Britain, a Buckingham Palace source said. "The decision is a precautionary one as it is felt to put too many people's Christmas arrangements at risk if it went ahead. "While there is regret that it is cancelled, there is a belief it is the right thing to do for all."
16th Dec 2021 - Reuters
Britain's hospital admissions could hit new high with Omicron - chief medic
New cases of COVID-19 in Britain hit a record high for the second day running on Thursday, as England's Chief Medical Officer warned daily hospital admissions could also hit new peaks due to the fast-spreading Omicron coronavirus variant. Britain reported 88,376 new infections, the highest since the start of the pandemic and up around 10,000 since the previous record set on Wednesday.
The surge in cases was piling pressure on a health service struggling with staff sickness, England's Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty said on Thursday.
16th Dec 2021 - Reuters
British surge seen as warning on omicron but responses vary
Soaring infections in Britain driven in part by the omicron variant of the coronavirus rattled Europe on Thursday, prompting new restrictions on the Continent and fueling a familiar dread on both sides of the Atlantic about entering a new phase of the pandemic just in time for the holidays. Much remains unknown about omicron, but officials increasingly warn that it appears more transmissible than the delta variant, which has already put pressure on hospitals worldwide. With so many questions unanswered, uncertainty reigned over how quickly and how severely to crack down on Christmas travel and year-end parties. After the U.K. recorded its highest number of confirmed new COVID-19 infections since the pandemic began, France announced Thursday that it would tighten entry rules for those coming from Britain. Hours later, the country set another record, with a further 88,376 confirmed COVID-19 cases reported Thursday, almost 10,000 more than the day before.
16th Dec 2021 - The Associated Press
US faces a double coronavirus surge as omicron advances
The new omicron coronavirus mutant speeding around the world may bring another wave of chaos, threatening to further stretch hospital workers already struggling with a surge of delta cases and upend holiday plans for the second year in a row.
The White House on Wednesday insisted there was no need for a lockdown because vaccines are widely available and appear to offer protection against the worst consequences of the virus. But even if omicron proves milder on the whole than delta, it may disarm some of the lifesaving tools available and put immune-compromised and elderly people at particular risk as it begins a rapid assault on the United States. “Our delta surge is ongoing and, in fact, accelerating. And on top of that, we’re going to add an omicron surge,” said Dr. Jacob Lemieux, who monitors variants for a research collaboration led by Harvard Medical School.
16th Dec 2021 - The Associated Press
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 16th Dec 2021
View this newsletter in fullCOVID-19: Omicron overtakes Delta as dominant coronavirus variant in London as cases surge across UK
Omicron has now overtaken Delta as the dominant variant in London - and other regions are just a few days behind on the growth curve, new data suggests. The figures, released by the UK Health Security Agency, reveal Omicron hotspots across England, with the East, South East and North West also having high rates.
The data also shows five people are in hospital suspected of being infected with the Omicron strain, in addition to the 10 confirmed cases already reported by the UKHSA.
15th Dec 2021 - Sky News
Africa sees 83% surge in COVID-19 cases in past week
Africa is experiencing its fastest surge in COVID-19 cases this year, with the number up 83% in the past week, although deaths remain low, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday. The spike in cases is driven by the Delta and Omicron variants, the WHO said in a statement. The number of new COVID-19 cases on the continent is currently doubling every five days, the shortest time frame reported this year. Africa’s low inoculation rates have encouraged viral mutations like the new Omicron variant to spread, according to health experts. The continent struggled to obtain vaccine doses until recently, and is facing challenges to distribute them including lack of funds, staff and equipment. As of Monday, only 20 African countries had vaccinated at least 10% of their population, according to the WHO. Some countries, like Democratic Republic of Congo and Chad, have vaccinated less than 1%, data collected by Reuters shows.
15th Dec 2021 - CNBC Africa
Cambodia detects first case of Omicron coronavirus variant
Cambodia has detected the country's first case of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus in a local woman who had travelled from Ghana, the ministry of health said. The 23-year old woman had returned from Ghana via Dubai and Bangkok, the ministry said in a statement issued on Tuesday. The woman, who was 15 weeks pregnant, had been admitted to hospital for treatment, it said. The Omicron variant first detected in South Africa and Hong Kong last month has now been reported by over 70 countries and is probably present in most worldwide, but should not be dismissed as "mild", the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday.
15th Dec 2021 - Reuters
Philippines detects first 2 cases of Omicron coronavirus variant
The Philippines has detected two imported cases of the Omicron coronavirus variant of concern, its first reported cases, the Department of Health said on Wednesday. The two Omicron variant cases, detected from 48 samples sequenced on Dec. 14, were currently isolated in a quarantine facility, it said in a statement.
15th Dec 2021 - Reuters
S.Korea considers tightening COVID-19 rules as new cases climb to daily record
South Korea warned on Wednesday it may reinstate stricter social distancing curbs as it posted a new record daily coronavirus tally due to a persistent spike in breakthrough infections among those vaccinated and serious cases. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) posted 7,850 cases for Tuesday, with the number of patients in serious condition also reaching a fresh high at 964.
Daily tallies of infections shot past 7,000 for the first time last week, just days after passing the 5,000 mark, putting ever greater strains on the country's medical capacity
15th Dec 2021 - Reuters
Omicron estimated to be 2.9% of COVID-19 variants in U.S.-CDC
The Omicron variant was estimated to be 2.9% of the COVID-19 variants circulating in the United States as of Dec. 11, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For the week ended Dec. 4, Omicron constituted 0.4% of all variants in the country, based on the specimens sequenced. The agency also estimated that the fast-spreading variant, first detected in South Africa, Botswana and Hong Kong in late November, was 13.1% of circulating COVID-19 variants in New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands for the week ended Dec. 11.
15th Dec 2021 - Reuters
Rwanda and Kenya confirm cases of Omicron coronavirus variant
Rwanda and Kenya have confirmed their first cases of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, authorities in both countries said, as the heavily mutated strain continues to spread on the continent where it was first detected. On Tuesday Rwanda's health ministry said the small central African country had detected six cases as it pushed for people to get vaccinated. "All arriving passengers must quarantine for three days at a designated hotel at their own cost," the cabinet of ministers said in a resolution on Tuesday, adding that it had suspended night club operations and live band entertainment.
15th Dec 2021 - Reuters
Poland's daily COVID death toll hits fourth wave record
Poland's daily death toll from COVID-19 during the fourth wave of the pandemic has climbed to a record 669, the health ministry said on Wednesday, as the country battles high infection rates with tighter restrictions. "This is the effect of these last weeks, when the number of cases has accumulated. They are mainly unvaccinated people," government spokesman Piotr Muller told private broadcaster Radio Zet earlier.
15th Dec 2021 - Reuters
UK records 59610 new COVID cases, highest since January
Britain reported 59,610 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, the highest figure since early January, as it faces what Prime Minister Boris Johnson has called a "tidal wave" on infections from the Omicron variant, official data showed. The number of new infections is the fifth highest recorded since the outbreak of the pandemic in March last year. The figures also showed there had been 150 deaths within 28 days of a positive test.
15th Dec 2021 - Reuters
EU official: Omicron to be dominant variant by mid-January
Omicron is expected to be the dominant coronavirus variant in the European Union’s 27 nations by mid-January, the bloc’s top official said Wednesday amid concerns that a dramatic rise in infections will leave Europe shrouded in gloom during the holiday season. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU is well prepared to fight omicron with 66.6% of its population fully vaccinated. She expressed disappointment that the pandemic will again disrupt year-end celebrations but said she was confident the EU has the “strength” and “means” to overcome COVID-19. “Like many of you, I’m sad that once again this Christmas will be overshadowed by the pandemic,” she said.
15th Dec 2021 - The Associated Press
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 15th Dec 2021
View this newsletter in fullChina's southern Guangzhou city detects one COVID-19 infection of Omicron variant
Health authorities in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou have detected one infection of the Omicron coronavirus variant, the state broadcaster CCTV said on Tuesday. The infected person, a 67-year-old man who entered China from overseas in November and flew to Guangzhou after quarantine last week, tested positive while he was isolated at home in the city, according to CCTV. The case follows China's first Omicron detection in the northern Tianjin city, a person who had also arrived from abroad
14th Dec 2021 - Reuters
Africa sees 83% surge in COVID-19 cases in past week
Africa is experiencing its fastest surge in COVID-19 cases this year, with the number up 83% in the past week, although deaths remain low, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday. The spike in cases is driven by the Delta and Omicron variants, the WHO said in a statement. The number of new COVID-19 cases on the continent is currently doubling every five days, the shortest time frame reported this year.
14th Dec 2021 - Reuters
France might tighten entries from Britain due to COVID Omicron surge
France is contemplating tightening controls for travellers coming from Britain, where the new, more contagious, Omicron coronavirus variant seems to be rapidly spreading, said French government spokesman Gabriel Attal. "Regarding Britain, the current rule is to show a negative test less than 48 hours old in order to enter France," Attal told France Info radio on Tuesday.
14th Dec 2021 - Reuters
COVID toll nears 800,000 to close out year filled with death
Carolyn Burnett is bracing for her first Christmas without her son Chris, a beloved high school football coach whose outdoor memorial service drew a crowd of hundreds. The unvaccinated 34-year-old father of four died in September as a result of COVID-19 after nearly two weeks on a ventilator, and his loss has left a gaping hole for his mother, widow and family as the holidays approach. How, she thought, could they take a holiday photo without Chris? What would Christmas Day football be like without him offering up commentary? How could they play trivia games on Christmas Eve without him beating everyone with his movie expertise? The U.S. on Tuesday hit another depressing pandemic milestone — 800,000 deaths. It’s a sad coda to a year that held so much promise with the arrival of vaccines but is ending in heartbreak for the many grieving families trying to navigate the holiday season.
14th Dec 2021 - The Associated Press
S. Korea marks deadliest day of pandemic as hospitals buckle
South Korea on Tuesday marked its deadliest day of the pandemic as an unrelenting, delta-driven spread stretched thin hospitals and left people dying while waiting for beds. Health experts warn that the country’s medical system is quickly approaching its limits and that fatalities could worsen if the government continues to be slow and hesitant in tightening social distancing. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said 94 virus patients died in the past 24 hours while a record 906 were in serious or critical condition. The 5,567 new infections were the highest yet for a Tuesday — daily tallies are usually smaller at the start of the week because of fewer tests on weekends – indicating the virus has continued to gain speed after the government moderately tightened social distancing last week.
14th Dec 2021 - The Associated Press
With a minority vaccinated in Romania, fears of fifth wave mount
At a temporary COVID-19 intensive care unit at the University Emergency Hospital in Bucharest, set up to cope with the strain of Romania’s devastating fourth wave, a cardiac monitor beeps with a warning. An elderly, unvaccinated patient, bone-thin and too sick to breathe without the help of machines, is losing his battle with the deadly virus.
14th Dec 2021 - Coronavirus Resurgence
CDC data indicate Omicron is starting to eat into Delta’s U.S. dominance
The Omicron variant is starting to eat into Delta’s dominance in the United States.
The new variant accounted for 2.9% of sequenced Covid-19 cases in the United States in the week ending Dec. 11. The week before, 0% of cases were from Omicron. Delta accounted for essentially all of the other sequenced cases, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The new figures, updated Tuesday, indicate that Omicron started circulating before that week, given how long it can take for infections to be sequenced and reported. They show that Omicron’s advantage over the highly transmissible Delta variant is becoming noticeable in this country.
14th Dec 2021 - STAT News
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 14th Dec 2021
View this newsletter in fullOmicron cases may already be peaking in South Africa, less than a month after the COVID-19 variant first surfaced
Nearly three weeks after the Omicron variant was first identified by South African scientists, the COVID-19 mutation has whipped across the world, with infections in at least 63 countries. But in South Africa itself, the cases seem to be nearing their peak, and could already be headed for decline. Cases of Omicron in Gauteng, South Africa’s most populous province and home to its biggest city, Johannesburg, rose slightly from a seven-day daily average of 9,645 last Thursday, to 10,131 on Sunday. At the same time, the positivity rate of those being tested and the number of hospitalizations have both been falling. Data from the country’s National Institute for Communicable Diseases shows positivity rates dropping from 30% to around 15% between Thursday and Saturday, while the number of new hospitalizations fell from 207 to 64 over the same period. “The positivity rate in South Africa has been flattening and now declined for the past two days,” Scott Gottlieb, a senior fellow for the American Enterprise Institute and former FDA commissioner, tweeted on Sunday.
13th Dec 2021 - Fortune
Hungary's media, health experts seek more COVID-19 data
As coronavirus infections and deaths soar in Hungary, the country's journalists and public health professionals are demanding more detailed data on the outbreak from the government, with some experts saying that greater transparency might boost lagging vaccination rates. Information is often hard to find in the country of over 9 million people, where infection rates have broken records and daily deaths per capita are among the highest in the world. Although Hungary has secured vaccine doses from China and Russia in addition to those provided by the European Union, nearly a third of its adults still have not received a single shot. That hesitancy is something immunologist Andras Falus said can be partly attributed to official communications about the pandemic being "extremely poor, inconsistent and totally incapable of maintaining trust."
13th Dec 2021 - The Independent
COVID-19: UK 'again in race between vaccine and virus' - as Javid reveals 'about 10' people in hospital with Omicron
Sajid Javid has urged the British public to "play your part" and get a COVID booster vaccine - warning that the UK is "once again in a race between the vaccine and the virus". The heath secretary told Sky's Kay Burley that cases of Omicron are growing at a "phenomenal rate", which is why the government is expanding the booster programme "to a level never seen before in this country".
13th Dec 2021 - Sky News
Mainland China detects first case of Omicron coronavirus variant -state media
Health authorities in northern China's port city of Tianjin have detected the first case of the Omicron coronavirus variant in the country's mainland, the state-run Tianjin Daily reported on Monday. The infection was discovered in a traveller who arrived in the city from overseas on Dec. 9, the newspaper said, adding that the patient is currently being treated in isolation in hospital.
13th Dec 2021 - Reuters
Sixth COVID wave, fuelled by Omicron, to hit France in January -Paris hospitals executive
France will be hit by a sixth COVID-19 wave next month due to the emergence of the new, more contagious, Omicron variant of the disease while the country is still in the midst of the current, Delta-fuelled, fifth wave of the pandemic, according to a leading French hospital executive. "We haven't said a word on the sixth wave, which is Omicron, which will come later, in January", Martin Hirsch, head of Paris's AP-HP hospitals group, Europe's largest hospital system, told RTL radio.
13th Dec 2021 - Reuters
UK raises COVID alert level as Omicron advances
Britain raised its COVID alert level on Sunday in response to the rapid spread of the Omicron variant of the virus, as medical authorities warned that hospitalisations are likely to rise sharply over the coming weeks. The chief medical officers of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland recommended an increase to alert level 4 from level 3 on its 5-point scale, which means they judge transmission of the virus to be high. "Early evidence shows that Omicron is spreading much faster than Delta and that vaccine protection against symptomatic disease from Omicron is reduced," the medical officers said in a joint statement.
13th Dec 2021 - Reuters
Norway to tighten COVID-19 restrictions, PM says
Omicron wave requires tougher measures, PM says. New restrictions hit bars, restaurants, gyms. Stricter COVID-19 quarantines imposed. Fears new cases could reach 300,000 per day in Jan. Currency weakens vs euro
13th Dec 2021 - Reuters
First person dies from Omicron variant in United Kingdom
At least one person has died in the United Kingdom after contracting the Omicron coronavirus variant, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday, the first publicly confirmed death globally from the swiftly spreading strain. Since the first Omicron cases were detected on Nov. 27 in Britain, Johnson has imposed tougher restrictions and on Sunday cautioned that the variant could overcome the immune defences of those inoculated with two shots of vaccines.
13th Dec 2021 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 13th Dec 2021
View this newsletter in fullMexico reports 199 more deaths from COVID-19
Mexico's health ministry on Friday reported 2,992 new COVID-19 cases and 199 more deaths in the country, bringing the official number of infections to 3,914,706 and the death toll since the pandemic began to 296,385. The health ministry has previously said that the real numbers are likely significantly higher.
11th Dec 2021 - Reuters
A year after first U.S. shots, pandemic hallmarks re-emerge
Nearly a year after COVID-19 vaccines were first administered in the United States, the country is returning to many of the hallmarks that defined earlier pandemic life: mask mandates, mass vaccination sites, crowded hospitals and a rising death toll.
Amid hope that humanity would soon get the upper hand on the coronavirus, New York City intensive care unit (ICU) nurse Sandra Lindsay received a dose of Pfizer's just-approved vaccine last Dec. 14, becoming the first inoculated U.S. resident.
11th Dec 2021 - Reuters
UK scientists urge more restrictions to fight omicron surge
The British government may need to introduce tougher restrictions to slow the growth of the omicron variant and prevent a new surge in COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths, British scientists said Saturday. U.K. health officials say omicron is spreading much more quickly than the delta strain and is likely to replace it and become the dominant variant in Britain within days. The U.K. recorded 58,194 coronavirus cases on Friday, the highest number since January, though what portion were the omicron variant is unclear. Concerns about the new variant led Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Conservative government to reintroduce restrictions that were lifted almost six months ago. Masks must be worn in most indoor settings, vaccine certificates must be shown to enter nightclubs and people are being urged to work from home if possible.
11th Dec 2021 - The Associated Press
U.K.'s New Daily Covid Cases Hit Highest Since January
The U.K. government is considering whether tougher rules are needed to curb a “deeply concerning” new wave of the pandemic, as daily infections soared to the highest level since the start of the year. “We absolutely need to keep everything under review,” Cabinet minister Michael Gove told broadcasters on Friday after he led an emergency meeting with leaders of the devolved U.K. nations. The meeting was “presented with some very challenging new information” and the country is facing a “deeply concerning situation,” he said.
10th Dec 2021 - Bloomberg
Navy medics join COVID fight in hard-hit New Mexico
Dozens of U.S. Navy medics have deployed to New Mexico to treat a Delta variant-fueled surge in COVID-19 patients as part of a military operation to treat virus hotspots across Western and Midwest states. New Mexico is suffering one of the highest levels of new coronavirus infections in the country, its hospitals reaching record capacity levels. Nearly 50 Navy medics are treating COVID-19 patients at the San Juan Regional Medical Center in Farmington, northwest New Mexico, where critical care patient numbers have been over 200% of capacity for weeks
10th Dec 2021 - Reuters
Low staff vaccination tied to nursing home COVID deaths; experimental vaccine targets multiple coronaviruses
Low rates of COVID-19 vaccination among nursing home staff are linked with high rates of coronavirus illness and death among residents, even when residents have been vaccinated, a U.S. study found. Using national data from early June through late August 2021, researchers compared nursing homes with the highest and lowest percentages of vaccinated staff. In communities with high rates of COVID-19, homes with the lowest staff vaccination rates had more than twice as many residents develop COVID-19 and nearly three times as many residents die from it. This was true regardless of vaccination rates among the residents and of other differences between the facilities, the researchers reported on Wednesday in The New England Journal of Medicine
10th Dec 2021 - Reuters
A year after first U.S. shots, pandemic hallmarks re-emerge
Nearly a year after COVID-19 vaccines were first administered in the United States, the country is returning to many of the hallmarks that defined earlier pandemic life: mask mandates, mass vaccination sites, crowded hospitals and a rising death toll.
Amid hope that humanity would soon get the upper hand on the coronavirus, New York City intensive care unit (ICU) nurse Sandra Lindsay received a dose of Pfizer's just-approved vaccine last Dec. 14, becoming the first inoculated U.S. resident.
11th Dec 2021 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 10th Dec 2021
View this newsletter in fullUS Covid cases surge as vaccine progress slows and Omicron variant sparks fears
For Dr Rina D’Abramo of the MetroHealth System in Cleveland, it’s difficult when patients in the emergency room tell her they have not been vaccinated. “You can hear it in their voice when you say, ‘Are you vaccinated?’” said D’Abramo, who works at a hospital in the Brecksville suburb. “They shrink down and are like, ‘No. Now I know why I need to be vaccinated.’ ” Unfortunately, there are plenty of people in Ohio and the rest of the US too who have not yet learned that lesson, even as infection rates nationally start to surge again amid fears of the possibly highly contagious new Omicron variant. Ohio is one of the states that has seen the largest recent increases in hospitalizations due to Covid as the number of cases climbs across the country. There has been 19% increase in hospitalizations over the past two weeks in the United States, according to a New York Times analysis of data
9th Dec 2021 - The Guardian
Public urged to regularly use lateral flow tests to fight Covid-19 spread
The public is being urged to regularly take lateral flow tests as a measure to stem the spread of Covid-19. Chief medical officer Sir Michael McBride said it has been in Executive guidance for some period of time. He described it as important to delay as long as possible further introductions of the Omicron variant.
9th Dec 2021 - The Independent
Pakistan detects its first case of the Omicron variant of coronavirus
Pakistan has detected its first case of the Covid omicron variant that has now spread to almost 60 countries. Authorities on Thursday announced that the first case had been found in Pakistan’s most populous city of Karachi in a resident who was undergoing treatment at a private hospital. Without revealing any further details, spokesperson for the southern province of Sindh told Reuters news agency that the person was unvaccinated and had recently travelled to another country. The spokesperson added that the infected person’s contacts were being traced.
9th Dec 2021 - The Independent
WHO's Tedros says Omicron coronavirus variant highlights "perilous situation"
The emergence of the Omicron coronavirus variant highlights the "perilous situation" the world is in roughly two years after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Thursday. He added that he was disappointed that countries had imposed blanket travel bans on southern Africa over Omicron and that transparency would help end the pandemic.
9th Dec 2021 - Reuters
Japan's COVID-19 cases defy Asia rebound, yet fears remain for winter wave
Japan's COVID-19 infections are falling in contrast with rebounds in other parts of Asia, baffling experts. New daily infections have slowed to fewer than one per million people, the least among major economies except China, and fatalities have fallen to zero in recent days. South Korea, with similar vaccination coverage, is seeing record infections. Cases remain elevated in Singapore and are rising again in Australia as authorities there relax stringent controls on movement
9th Dec 2021 - Reuters
Denmark reintroduces some COVID-19 restrictions
Denmark will again impose restrictions aimed at curbing the rapid spread of COVID-19 including the new Omicron variant, the country's prime minister said on Wednesday.
9th Dec 2021 - Reuters
South Africa reports nearly 20000 COVID-19 cases, an Omicron-wave record
South Africa reported nearly 20,000 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, a record since the Omicron variant was detected, and 36 new COVID-related deaths. It was not immediately clear how many of the infections were caused by Omicron, given only a fraction of samples are sequenced, but experts believe it is driving South Africa's fourth wave of infections. The statistics from the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) brought the confirmed number of cases in the country to 3.071 million, with more than 90,000 COVID-linked deaths since the pandemic started.
9th Dec 2021 - Reuters
Coronavirus spreads in Australia's pubs; Omicron cases linked to party boat
COVID-19 infections have been spreading in pubs and clubs in Australia's biggest city, including three new cases of the Omicron variant found among people who went on a harbour party cruise, sending officials rushing to trace contacts. Authorities have been easing restrictions in Sydney since early October when the city emerged from a nearly four-month lockdown to contain the Delta coronavirus variant after the population reached higher vaccination levels. "We have seen recently increased transmission in larger social venues ... and that is certainly a contributing factor to the increase in cases," Marianne Gale, New South Wales Deputy Chief Health Officer, said in a video posted on Twitter.
9th Dec 2021 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 9th Dec 2021
View this newsletter in fullUK reports 131 new cases of Omicron coronavirus variant
Britain has reported 131 new cases of the Omicron coronavirus variant, the UK Health Security Agency said on Wednesday, taking the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 568.
8th Dec 2021 - Reuters
Omicron reported in 57 countries, hospitalisations set to rise, WHO says
The Omicron variant has been reported in 57 nations and the number of patients needing hospitalisation is likely to rise as it spreads, the World Health Organization said on Wednesday. The WHO, in its weekly epidemiological report, said more data was needed to assess the severity of disease caused by the Omicron variant and whether its mutations might reduce protection from vaccine-derived immunity.
8th Dec 2021 - Reuters
Mexico posts 289 more COVID-19 fatalities; death toll reaches 295601
Mexico's Health Ministry on Tuesday reported 289 more deaths from COVID-19, bringing the country's death toll since the pandemic began to 295,601.
8th Dec 2021 - Reuters
Sweden to reintroduce many COVID-19 measures as cases rise
Sweden will reintroduce a raft of measures to curb rising COVID-19 infections, urging renewed social distancing and the use of masks in public transportation, the government said on Tuesday. "We see an increased spread of infection, but still from low levels," Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson told a news conference. "We need to work together to that the situation doesn't get worse, so today we are presenting further precautionary measures."
8th Dec 2021 - Reuters
S.Korea considers expanded COVID-19 home care as new cases top 7000
South Korea will consider expanding home treatment of COVID-19 patients, a health official said on Wednesday, as both new daily infections and severe cases hit record highs, putting hospital capacity under strain. Infections in South Korea have skyrocketed this month after the government began to ease restrictions under a so-called "living with COVID-19" scheme in November. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) reported 7,175 new coronavirus cases and 63 deaths for Tuesday, the first time daily infections topped 7,000, while hospitals treated a record 840 critical and serious cases.
8th Dec 2021 - Reuters
Germany records highest daily COVID deaths since February
Germany recorded the highest number of deaths from COVID-19 since February on Wednesday as it battles to stop a fourth wave of the pandemic. A total of 69,601 new infections were reported, 2,415 more than the same time a week ago, and another 527 people died - the highest number since Feb. 12 - to bring the total to 104,047, the German Robert Koch Institute for disease control said. However, the country's seven-day incidence rate of cases per 100,000 people continued to fall, declining to 427 from 432 on Tuesday.
8th Dec 2021 - Reuters
France says fifth COVID-19 wave has not peaked yet
The fifth wave of COVID-19 hitting France has not yet reached its peak, government spokesman Gabriel Attal said on Wednesday, and the cabinet's top adviser on the coronavirus indicated a fourth vaccine shot to fight the disease was possible. "The peak is clearly not behind us, the pandemic continues to gain ground," Attal said during a press briefing following the weekly cabinet meeting, though adding the pace of increase in daily new cases seemed to be slowing somewhat.
8th Dec 2021 - Reuters
Denmark sees society-wide infection with Omicron variant
The new Omicron coronavirus variant has spread across Denmark, health authorities said on Tuesday after registering large outbreaks of the variant in the east and west of the country. "We now have society-wide infection with the Omicron variant," director of the Danish Patient Safety Authority, Anette Lykke Petri, told reporters. Denmark has registered a total of 398 cases of infection with the variant first identified in South Africa.
8th Dec 2021 - Reuters
Record COVID cases in S Korea as ‘immunity wanes among elderly’
South Korea’s daily count of COVID-19 cases has surpassed 7,000 for the first time, with experts attributing the record jump to waning immunity among older people. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KCDA) reported 7,175 new cases on Wednesday, 2,221 more than the previous day. It said infections were rising particularly among older adults who had “suffered a drop in vaccine efficacy, and children who have yet to receive their first doses”, according to the Yonhap news agency. The number of critically ill patients also reached an all-time high of 840, up from 66 the previous day. The increase in infections and severe cases comes after the government began easing COVID-19 restrictions under a so-called “Living with COVID-19” policy in November. Most of the cases are being reported in the greater Seoul region, home to half of the country’s 51.7 million people.
8th Dec 2021 - AlJazeera
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 8th Dec 2021
View this newsletter in fullSouth Africa's Covid Hospital Admissions More Than Double
The daily number of people admitted to hospital in South Africa with Covid-19 more than doubled on Tuesday from a day earlier. According to the National Institute for Communicable Diseases 383 people have been admitted to hospital with the disease in the last 24 hours compared with 175 in the preceding period. Of the 13,147 new cases recorded 64% were in Gauteng, the province that includes Johannesburg and Pretoria, compared with 70% of the 6,381 cases the day earlier, according to a statement from the NICD. The positivity rate of tests was 24.9% on Tuesday, down from 26.4% the day earlier. Over the 24 hours 27 deaths due to Covid-19 were recorded, taking the total confirmed death toll in the country since the pandemic began to 90,002.
7th Dec 2021 - Bloomberg
COVID-19: UK records 101 new Omicron variant cases in past 24 hours taking total to 437
Another 101 Omicron COVID variant cases have been recorded in the UK, taking the total across the country to 437. This compares with 90 new cases reported on Monday. The latest daily data from the UK Health Security Agency shows 72 cases were in England, 28 in Scotland, and one in Wales. So far, no confirmed Omicron cases have been recorded in Northern Ireland.
7th Dec 2021 - Sky News
COVID-19: UK records 101 new Omicron variant cases in past 24 hours taking total to 437
Another 101 Omicron COVID variant cases have been recorded in the UK, taking the total across the country to 437. This compares with 90 new cases reported on Monday. The latest daily data from the UK Health Security Agency shows 72 cases were in England, 28 in Scotland, and one in Wales. So far, no confirmed Omicron cases have been recorded in Northern Ireland.
7th Dec 2021 - Sky News
France now has 25 Omicron Covid variant cases - minister
France now has identified 25 positive cases of the Omicron COVID-19 virus variant, of which 21 were imported from people returning from Southern Africa, and four who were the result of local infection, Health Minister Olivier Veran said on Monday.
Veran said the Omicron variant seems much more contagious than the Delta variant.
7th Dec 2021 - Reuters
Danish health minister isolates in Brussels hotel after testing COVID-19 positive
Denmark's Health Minister Magnus Heunicke on Tuesday tested positive for COVID-19 and is now self-isolating in a hotel in Brussels, the ministry said in a statement. Heunicke had stayed in his hotel room and not been in contact with other ministers, Denmark's permanent representation in the EU told Reuters
7th Dec 2021 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 7th Dec 2021
View this newsletter in fullBrazil reports 108 COVID-19 deaths in 24 hours - ministry
Brazil has had 4,385 new cases of the novel coronavirus reported in the past 24 hours, and 108 deaths from COVID-19, the health ministry said on Monday. The South American country has now registered 22,147,476 cases since the pandemic began, while the official death toll has risen to 615,744, according to ministry data, in the world's third worst outbreak outside the United States and India and its second-deadliest. With 65% of the population fully vaccinated, the rolling 14-day average of COVID deaths has fallen to 211 per day, compared to the toll of almost 3,000 a day at the peak of the pandemic in April.
7th Dec 2021 - Reuters
The US is averaging more than 100,000 new Covid-19 cases a day, the highest level in two months
For the first time in two months, the US is averaging more than 100,000 new Covid-19 cases each day, shortly after millions of Americans traveled for the Thanksgiving holiday. The seven-day moving average of new cases was 121,437 as of Saturday, according to data from Johns Hopkins University (JHU). Prior to this week, the US last topped the 100,000-cases-a-day mark in early October.
6th Dec 2021 - CNN
Covid-19: Omicron cases confirmed in West Midlands
Five cases of the new Omicron variant of Covid-19 have been identified in the West Midlands. Sandwell Council said it had found one case and the infected person and their contacts were already self-isolating before it was confirmed. Warwickshire's director of public health confirmed two county cases of the variant, linked to overseas travel. A case in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, has also been linked to travel abroad, the county council said. A single case involving the variant had been found in the area, Telford and Wrekin Council announced.
6th Dec 2021 - BBC News
India detects seven more Omicron cases, making 12 in all
India's tally of reported cases of the heavily mutated Omicron variant of the coronavirus rose to 12 on Sunday after the state of Maharashtra said it had detected seven new cases. Local media also said a new case had been reported in New Delhi. India expects Omicron, which scientists say appears to be the most contagious variant so far, to be less damaging than the currently dominant Delta, which caused a devastating wave of infections in March and April.
6th Dec 2021 - Reuters India
Namibia detects Omicron coronavirus variant in 18 of 19 samples
Namibia has detected the Omicron coronavirus variant in 18 of 19 samples sequenced between Nov. 11-26, its health ministry said on Monday. Although the southern African country has sequenced relatively few samples, the finding suggests the variant first flagged by neighbouring South Africa and Botswana late last month, and since labelled "of concern" by the World Health Organization, is also highly prevalent in Namibia. Namibia's Omicron cases were detected predominantly in and around the capital Windhoek, a region that recorded 536 out of 695 new infections countrywide in the first five days of December.
6th Dec 2021 - Reuters
Thailand detects first case of Omicron variant
Thailand has detected its first case of the Omicron coronavirus variant in a U.S. citizen who had travelled to the country from Spain late last month, a health official said on Monday. The confirmed case in the man, who had arrived on Nov. 29, makes Thailand the 47th country to have found the new variant, Opas Karnkawinpong, Director-General of the Department of Disease Control, told a news conference.
6th Dec 2021 - Reuters
Omicron variant found in nearly one-third of U.S. states
The Omicron variant of the coronavirus has spread to about one-third of U.S. states, but the Delta version remains the majority of COVID-19 infections as cases rise nationwide, U.S. health officials said on Sunday. Though the emergence of the new variant has caused alarm worldwide, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top U.S. infectious disease official, told CNN "thus far it does not look like there's a great degree of severity to it." He added that it was too early to draw definitive conclusions and that more study is needed.
6th Dec 2021 - Reuters
Croatia confirms its first two cases of COVID-19 Omicron variant
Croatia confirmed on Monday its first two cases of the Omicron variant of coronavirus, the state health institute said. "We are not sure about the source of the infection as neither of those two people had travelled abroad. We believe they got infected at a business meeting at which both participated," said Bernard Kaic, an epidemiologist at the state health institute. Guests from abroad had been present at the business meeting, he added.
6th Dec 2021 - Reuters
South Africa readies hospitals as Omicron variant drives new COVID-19 wave
South Africa is preparing its hospitals for more admissions, as the Omicron coronavirus variant pushes the country into a fourth wave of COVID-19 cases, President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Monday. Omicron was first detected in southern Africa last month and has triggered global alarm as governments fear another surge in infections. South Africa's daily infections surged last week to more than 16,000 on Friday from roughly 2,300 on Monday.
6th Dec 2021 - Reuters
Britain reports 43992 new COVID-19 cases, 54 deaths
Britain on Sunday reported 43,992 new cases of COVID-19 and 54 deaths within 28 days of a positive test for the virus. That compares with 42,848 cases and 127 deaths reported on Saturday. Earlier, Britain's health security agency said it had identified 86 new cases of the Omicron coronavirus variant, taking the total to 246
6th Dec 2021 - Reuters UK
Italy tightens curbs on unvaccinated as COVID-19 cases rise
Italy tightened curbs on Monday on people still not vaccinated against COVID-19, limiting their access to an array of places and services. The measures were announced last month, even before the discovery of the Omicron variant, and come as cases of coronavirus are starting to tick up across the country, albeit at a slower rate than in many other European nations. Under the new rules, only people who have been vaccinated or have recently recovered from COVID-19 can access indoor seating at bars and restaurants, visit museums, go to cinemas and clubs and attend sporting events.
6th Dec 2021 - Reuters
Russia reports first cases of Omicron COVID-19 variant - agencies
Russia on Monday reported its first confirmed cases of the new Omicron variant of the coronavirus, Russian news agencies reported, in two people who returned from South Africa. Interfax cited consumer health regulator Rospotrebnadzor as saying that 10 people who returned from South Africa had tested positive for COVID-19. RIA said Omicron had been detected in two arrivals from South Africa.
6th Dec 2021 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 6th Dec 2021
View this newsletter in fullTwo hippos in Belgian zoo test positive for COVID-19
Two hippos have tested positive for COVID-19 at Antwerp Zoo in Belgium in what could be the first reported cases in the species, zoo staff said. Hippos Imani, aged 14, and 41-year-old Hermien have no symptoms apart from a runny nose, but the zoo said the pair had been put into quarantine as a precaution. "To my knowledge, this is the first time in this species. Worldwide, this virus has been reported mainly in great apes and felines," said the zoo's vet, Francis Vercammen.
5th Dec 2021 - Reuters
Chile says detects first case of Omicron variant of the coronavirus
Chilean health authorities reported on Saturday that they detected the first case of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus in a person who had arrived in the copper-producing South American country from Africa. The foreign patient residing in Chile arrived in the country on Nov. 25 from Ghana with a recently-taken negative COVID-19 test. But a subsequent test taken upon arrival in Chile was positive and then sequenced. "The passenger, who had two doses of the Pfizer vaccine, is currently in good health and fulfilling his isolation," the secretary of health of the Valparaiso region in Chile said in a statement.
4th Dec 2021 - Reuters
Zambia records Omicron cases as new strain spreads
Zambia has detected its first cases of the Omicron coronavirus variant, as the “highly transmissible” new variant spread to more than 40 countries since it was first detected in South Africa last week. The country’s health ministry said on Saturday that three people tested positive for COVID-19 in the past week. It added that two of the three infected had travelled abroad recently. A woman who had not travelled abroad had mild symptoms, it said.
4th Dec 2021 - Aljazeera.com
Covid Outbreak on Cruise Ship Approaching New Orleans
Ten people aboard a Norwegian Cruise Line ship approaching New Orleans have tested positive for COVID-19, officials said Saturday night. The Norwegian Breakaway had departed New Orleans on Nov. 28 and is due to return this weekend, the Louisiana Department of Health said in a news release. Over the past week, the ship made stops in Belize, Honduras and Mexico. More than 3,200 people are on board the ship, officials said. According to the statement, Norwegian “has been adhering to appropriate quarantine and isolation protocols as new cases and exposures have been identified aboard this vessel.”
4th Dec 2021 - Bloomberg
Beijing, Shanghai Hit as China's Covid Outbreak Picks Up Steam
China’s two largest cities are seeing cases of Covid-19 pick up once again, as an outbreak in the north spread to six provinces and led to 91 new locally-transmitted infections reported on Friday. The country’s political and financial hubs of Beijing and Shanghai detected one and two new cases respectively. Inner Mongolia, where the latest flare up is concentrated, reported almost five dozen infections, according to the National Health Commission. The findings mean the latest wave, which had been mostly limited to the remote northwestern region, could sweep across the nation and pose another challenge amid falling temperatures.
3rd Dec 2021 - Bloomberg
WHO urges Asia-Pacific to ready for Omicron-driven surge in infections
Asia-Pacific countries should boost their healthcare capacity and fully vaccinate their people to prepare for a surge in COVID-19 cases fuelled by the Omicron variant, officials at the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday. First detected in southern Africa last month and dubbed a "variant of concern" by the WHO, scientists are still gathering data to establish how contagious Omicron is, and the severity of the illness it causes. It has been reported in at least two dozen countries, and started gaining a foothold in Asia this week, with cases reported from Australia, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia and India. Many governments have responded by tightening travel rules.
3rd Dec 2021 - Reuters
As Omicron is detected in a deprived London borough, fears rise
On Wednesday night, the borough, one of London’s poorest, suffered a large dose of bad news. A local health official announced on Twitter that a case of COVID with the new Omicron variant had been detected, and encouraged people to get their vaccines and take regular COVID tests. During the height of the second wave, Barking and Dagenham, Redbridge, and Newham, three neighbouring boroughs in east London, saw the country’s highest infection rates. They were dubbed the “COVID triangle”.
3rd Dec 2021 - Aljazeera.com
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 3rd Dec 2021
View this newsletter in fullCOVID-19: WHO deploying surge team to South Africa as reinfections rise amid Omicron outbreak
The World Health Organisation (WHO) is set to deploy a surge team to South Africa to help deal with the new Omicron COVID variant outbreak. The team will be sent to Gauteng province to help with surveillance and contact tracing as experts warned the new variant could be causing an increase in COVID reinfections across the country. WHO regional emergency director for Africa, Salam Gueye, also said it was providing technical assistance to boost the production and distribution of medical oxygen in Botswana - another country where Omicron has been detected.
2nd Dec 2021 - Sky News
Covid-19 Victoria: Covid cases surge in Victoria as state records 1419 new infections and ten deaths
Victoria has recorded 1,149 new infections and ten deaths on Thursday. It marks the largest spike in daily cases since 1,471 cases on November 1. Health Minister confirmed there were no cases of new Omicron variant
2nd Dec 2021 - Daily Mail
Sweden says could impose new COVID-19 measures next week
Sweden could impose new restrictions as early as next week to fight the coronavirus pandemic and a rising tide of infections, its public health agency said on Thursday. New measures could include general advice such as keeping a distance from other people and wearing a face mask on public transport, the agency said, but gave no precise details. It also said it might recommend employers to enable staff to "to some degree" work from home.
2nd Dec 2021 - Reuters
Lebanon reintroduces some COVID-19 prevention measures
Lebanon will impose a night-time curfew starting Dec. 17 on non-vaccinated people for three weeks and make full vaccination mandatory for all workers in several sectors due to concerns over the spread of coronavirus, the COVID-19 committee said on Wednesday. Vaccination will be mandatory for all civil servants and workers in the health, education, tourism and public transport sectors as of Jan. 10, the committee said. A new coronavirus variant found in South Africa and detected in several countries was determined as a variant of concern by the World Health Organization last week and has led to strengthening COVID-19-related restrictions around the world.
2nd Dec 2021 - Reuters
S.Korea hits new COVID-19 record, halts quarantine exemptions to block Omicron
South Korea's daily coronavirus case numbers rose to a new high on Thursday, as authorities halted quarantine exemptions for fully vaccinated inbound travellers for two weeks in a bid to fend off the Omicron variant. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) reported 5,266 cases for Wednesday, a day after the daily tally rose above 5,000 for the first time amid concerns over a sharp rise in patients with severe symptoms. South Korea will require a 10-day quarantine for all inbound travellers for two weeks starting Friday, halting exemptions given earlier to fully vaccinated people, the KDCA said.
2nd Dec 2021 - Reuters
German ICUs expect COVID peak to hit hospitals at Christmas
Germany is likely to reach a peak of its fourth wave of COVID-19 infections by mid-December and this could mean 6,000 intensive care beds occupied by Christmas, the country's association for intensive care medicine (DIVI) said on Wednesday.
Andreas Schuppert, a forecaster for the DIVI association, told a news conference he was "moderately optimistic" the peak in new cases would come in the next two weeks, but warned this would take time to have its full impact on hospitals.
2nd Dec 2021 - Reuters
Omicron and delta spell return of unpopular restrictions
“The only thing we can do is to listen to the rules, follow them and hope it’s not getting worse. For me it’s no problem. I’m a nurse. I know how sick people get,” said Wilma van Kampen. Huburt Bruls, who as mayor of the Dutch city of Nijmegen banned a protest last weekend, said he sympathized with the frustration but was prepared to carry out the national rules. “There was a lot of disappointment in the effects of vaccination. Everybody did their best, we had one of the highest rates of vaccinations, and it wasn’t enough. Infections are higher than ever. I myself was a little disappointed, but we have to look ahead,” he said.
2nd Dec 2021 - The Associated Press
African Union health watchdog CDC appeals for calm over Omicron
The African Union’s health watchdog has appealed for calm over Omicron, the new, heavily mutated coronavirus variant which has prompted many countries to impose new restrictions. The variant was first reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) by South Africa a week ago, and has quickly showed up across continents, deepening fears of another deadly wave of infections and signalling that the nearly two-year battle against the pandemic is not over. But John Nkengasong, head of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), on Thursday urged moderation. “We are very concerned but are not worried that the situation cannot be managed,” he told a press briefing. “There is no need to panic. We are not defenceless.”
2nd Dec 2021 - The Associated Press
As Omicron is detected in a deprived London borough, fears rise
On an overcast day in Newham, a London borough, it looks like business as usual on Green Street as customers buy groceries, jewellery and new South Asian outfits.
But a sense of stoicism is sometimes interrupted by fear as people worry about what another coronavirus wave could mean. By January this year, COVID-19 mortality rates were about three times higher in Newham – 441 deaths per 100,000 people – the worst-hit London borough, compared with 150 deaths in Camden, the least affected area of the capital. Everyone’s face here is now covered in line with recent government guidance that made mask-wearing in shops and public transport mandatory once again, as COVID resurges.
2nd Dec 2021 - AlJazeera
Delta surge remains strong as world sizes up Omicron threat
As the world responds to newly emerged Omicron variant, the battle against Delta (B1617.2)-driven surges continues, with activity showing signs of a plateau last week, the World Health Organization (WHO) said yesterday in its weekly snapshot of the pandemic. With the Omicron variant adding a new wrinkle to a pandemic about to enter its third year, the World Health Assembly (WHA)—meeting in a special session for only the second time in its 73-year-old history—today agreed to begin drafting and negotiating an international agreement to boost pandemic preparedness and response.
2nd Dec 2021 - AlJazeera
Second U.S. case of Omicron variant indicates domestic transmission
Health officials on Thursday reported the country’s second Covid-19 infection from the Omicron variant in a Minnesota resident who notably did not travel internationally recently, unlike the first case. The case in Minnesota is an adult male who had been vaccinated and, in early November, received a booster shot. He lives in Hennepin County, which includes Minneapolis, state health officials said. He developed mild symptoms on Nov. 22, was tested on Nov. 24, and no longer has symptoms. The man had been in New York City in the days leading up to feeling sick and attended the Anime NYC 2021 convention at the Javits Center from Nov. 19 to Nov. 21. Minnesota health officials are collaborating with New York City authorities and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on their case investigation.
2nd Dec 2021 - STAT News
First known U.S. Omicron case found in fully vaccinated overseas traveler
The United States on Wednesday identified its first known COVID case caused by the Omicron variant, discovered in a fully vaccinated patient who traveled to South Africa, as scientists continue to study the risks the new version could pose. Public health officials said the infected person, who had mild and improving symptoms, returned to the United States from South Africa on Nov. 22 and tested positive seven days later.
2nd Dec 2021 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 2nd Dec 2021
View this newsletter in fullOmicron was in Europe long before travel bans on southern Africa
When South African officials sounded the alarm on the new Omicron variant last Thursday, stocks around the world tumbled and up to 70 countries, including the United States, imposed travel bans and restrictions to southern African countries. The knee-jerk response followed the news that the variant had an unusually high number of mutations, which scientists feared could make it more transmissible and result in immune evasion. Much is still unknown about Omicron, including its origin, severity and its transmissibility. Researchers are also racing to discover if it could displace existing variants and become dominant, as Delta has. Early "indications" show that people who have received the coronavirus vaccine booster are "protected" against the new variant, Israeli Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz said Tuesday.
1st Dec 2021 - CNN
COVID in Europe: Portuguese hospital worker tests positive for Omicron
A hospital worker in Portugal tested positive for the new COVID-19 variant called Omicron, forcing the paediatric services unit to close. The worker had been in contact with members of a Portuguese football club where there were at least 13 cases of the new, concerning variant of coronavirus that was first identified in South Africa. The hospital said it will close both emergency and outpatient paediatric services for two weeks even though staff in contact with the hospital worker tested negative for the virus. New virus restrictions entered into force in Portugal from midnight as the country works to contain a new surge in cases. A digital certificate proving vaccination or recovery from COVID-19 must be shown to enter restaurants, cinemas and hotels. Face masks will also be mandatory once again.
1st Dec 2021 - Euronews
China local COVID-19 cases jump to most in nearly a month
China detected 91 domestically transmitted COVID-19 cases with confirmed symptoms for Tuesday, marking the highest daily count since Nov. 2 and a significant jump from 21 cases a day earlier, as the country fights a fresh outbreak in the north. All of the 91 local symptomatic cases were reported in the northern Chinese region of Inner Mongolia, data from the National Health Commission showed on Wednesday. Mainland China has not detected any infections caused by the Omicron variant, Xu Wenbo, an official at Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said on Tuesday at a news briefing.
1st Dec 2021 - Reuters
U.S. tightens travel rules as more countries secure borders to quell Omicron
Heavily mutated Omicron is rapidly becoming the dominant variant of the coronavirus in South Africa less than four weeks after it was first detected there, and the United States on Wednesday became the latest country to identify an Omicron case within its borders. The first known U.S. case was a fully vaccinated person in California who returned to the United States from South Africa on Nov. 22 and tested positive seven days later. The person had mild symptoms and was in self-quarantine, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top U.S. infectious disease official, told reporters at the White House.
1st Dec 2021 - Reuters
COVID: France extends suspension of flights from high-risk southern African countries
France has decided to extend until at least Saturday its suspension of flights from southern African countries which have been hit hard by the Omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus, said French European Affairs Minister Clement Beaune. "As of this morning, we have extended the suspension of flights from seven southern African countries until Saturday," Beaune told RTL radio. The Omicron COVID variant - first reported in southern Africa and which the World Health Organization (WHO) said carries a "very high" risk of infection surges - has triggered global alarm, with border closures casting a shadow over a nascent economic recovery from a two-year pandemic
1st Dec 2021 - Reuters
South Korea reports two Omicron cases on flight from Nigeria - media
South Korea reported its first five cases of the Omicron variant on Wednesday, officials said, as daily coronavirus infections rose above 5,000 for the first time, stoking concern over a sharp rise in patients with severe symptoms. A fully vaccinated couple tested positive for the variant after arriving last week from Nigeria, followed by two of their family members and a friend, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).
1st Dec 2021 - Reuters
Munster COVID-19 cases reach 14, remainder depart South Africa
Munster reported 13 new COVID-19 cases in their camp in South Africa, taking the total count to 14, as the remainderof the squad departed Cape Town on Tuesday, the Irish rugby team said. Both staff and players have tested positive and will quarantine in a hotel in Cape Town, joining the first player who returned a positive test on Sunday. Welsh side Cardiff also said they had two positive cases over the weekend. Munster did not say if any of the positive tests were for the new Omicron variant of the virus, which was first detected in southern Africa.
1st Dec 2021 - Reuters
Germany reports highest daily COVID-19 death toll for 9 months
Germany is likely to reach a peak of its fourth wave of COVID-19 infections by mid-December and this could mean 6,000 intensive care beds occupied by Christmas, the country's association for intensive care medicine (DIVI) said on Wednesday.
Andreas Schuppert, a forecaster for the DIVI association, told a news conference he was "moderately optimistic" the peak in new cases would come in the next two weeks, but warned this would take time to have its full impact on hospitals. "It is an ominous situation," DIVI president Gernot Marx told reporters. "We would be well advised to react immediately. We must get ahead of the situation."
1st Dec 2021 - Reuters
Germany to act to counter COVID-19 fourth wave
Germany's federal and regional governments agreed on Tuesday to take action to counter a fourth wave of COVID-19, including stepping up the vaccination campaign and restricting contact, especially for unvaccinated people. Facing a surge in cases over the last few weeks and warnings from virologists that exponential growth rates would overload hospitals, outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel held video talks with her successor, Olaf Scholz, and regional leaders. "There is agreement that the fourth wave has led to an extremely serious, in some regions dramatic situation in our healthcare system to which federal and state governments will respond jointly and decisively," said government spokesman Steffen Seibert.
1st Dec 2021 - Reuters
Sydney braces for more Omicron cases but no lockdowns for now
Australian authorities on Wednesday flagged another probable case of the Omicron variant in Sydney as they braced for more infections after at least two international travellers visited several locations in the city while likely infectious. Officials in New South Wales (NSW), home to Sydney, said initial testing "strongly indicates" a man in his 40s, who arrived from southern Africa on Nov. 25, had been infected with the Omicron variant and had spent time in the community. "We believe it is likely it will be confirmed later this afternoon as a definite Omicron case," NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard told reporters, but he ruled out lockdowns to contain the newly identified variant.
1st Dec 2021 - Reuters
Germany to act to counter COVID-19 fourth wave
Germany's federal and regional governments agreed on Tuesday to take action to counter a fourth wave of COVID-19, including stepping up the vaccination campaign and restricting contact, especially for unvaccinated people. Facing a surge in cases over the last few weeks and warnings from virologists that exponential growth rates would overload hospitals, outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel held video talks with her successor, Olaf Scholz, and regional leaders. "There is agreement that the fourth wave has led to an extremely serious, in some regions dramatic situation in our healthcare system to which federal and state governments will respond jointly and decisively," said government spokesman Steffen Seibert.
1st Dec 2021 - Reuters
Omicron keeps world jittery as more information drips out
The U.S. recorded its first confirmed case of the omicron variant Wednesday — in a vaccinated traveler who returned to California after a trip to South Africa — as scientists around the world race to establish whether the new, mutant version of the coronavirus is more dangerous than previous ones. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the United States’ top infectious-disease expert, announced the finding at the White House.
“We knew it was just a matter of time before the first case of omicron would be detected in the United States,” he said. The infected person was identified as a traveler who had returned from South Africa on Nov. 22, developed mild symptoms and tested positive for COVID-19 Monday. Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco obtained a sample from the patient Tuesday evening and worked feverishly overnight to assemble the genetic sequence.
1st Dec 2021 - The Associated Press
Netherlands detections hint at earlier Omicron spread
In a statement today, the Netherlands' National Institute for Public Health (RIVM) said that the samples that yielded the Omicron variant were obtained on Nov 19 and 23, before South Africa announced its findings and before travel bans went into effect. The samples were taken during municipal health service testing, and investigations and contact tracing are under way. RIVM also provided more details about the results of COVID-19 testing of 624 people returning from South Africa who arrived at Schiphol airport on Nov 26. Of 61 who tested positive for COVID-19, 14 had the Omicron variant. Sequencing revealed different strains of the Omicron variant, suggesting that people were probably infected from different sources and locations. Meanwhile, more countries reported Omicron cases. Japan confirmed its first case, which involves a Namibian diplomat who arrived in Japan on Nov 28, before the country's travel ban went into effect. Officials said the man had been fully vaccinated and was asymptomatic upon his arrival in Japan but developed a fever the next day.
1st Dec 2021 - CIDRAP
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 1st Dec 2021
View this newsletter in fullCOVID-19: Don't socialise unless necessary to help slow Omicron variant spread, says UKHSA chief Dr Jenny Harries
Boris Johnson has urged people not to cancel Christmas parties or school nativity plays despite a health chief encouraging Britons to cut back on unnecessary socialising ahead of the festive season. Dr Jenny Harries, chief executive of the UK's Health Security Agency (UKHSA), said everyone can do their bit by reducing the number of social contacts they have - and by "not socialising when we don't particularly need to". But the PM rejected Dr Harries' call, insisting that he had already put in place a package of "balanced and proportionate measures" in response to the threat posed by the new Omicron variant.
30th Nov 2021 - Sky News
Nine more from Munster test positive for COVID-19 in South Africa
Munster have nine new COVID-19 cases in their camp in South Africa, the Irish rugby team said on Tuesday, taking the total count to 10. Both staff and players have tested positive and will quarantine in a hotel in Cape Town, joining the first player who returned a positive test on Sunday. Welsh side Cardiff also said they had two positive cases over the weekend. Munster did not say if any of the positive tests were for the new Omicron variant of the virus, which was first detected in southern Africa.
30th Nov 2021 - Reuters
Forty-two cases of COVID-19 Omicron variant confirmed in 10 EU states
Forty-two cases of the COVID-19 Omicron variant have been confirmed in 10 European Union countries, the head of the EU's public health agency said on Tuesday. Authorities in the 27-nation EU were analysing another six "probable" cases, Andrea Ammon, who chairs the European Centre for Disease prevention and Control (ECDC), told an online conference organised by the EU's Slovenian presidency. She said the confirmed cases were mild or without symptoms, although in younger age groups.
30th Nov 2021 - Reuters
German and Austrian COVID-19 incidence rate falls, stable in Netherlands
Germany's federal and regional governments agreed on Tuesday to take action to counter a fourth wave of COVID-19, including stepping up the vaccination campaign and restricting contact, especially for unvaccinated people. Facing a surge in cases over the last few weeks and warnings from virologists that exponential growth rates would overload hospitals, outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel held video talks with her successor, Olaf Scholz, and regional leaders. "There is agreement that the fourth wave has led to an extremely serious, in some regions dramatic situation in our healthcare system to which federal and state governments will respond jointly and decisively," said government spokesman Steffen Seibert.
30th Nov 2021 - Reuters
Map: Tracking the Omicron variant
The Omicron coronavirus variant has been detected in at least 19 countries since November 24. On Monday, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned that the global risk from the spread of Omicron was “very high” and urged 194 member nations to speed the delivery of vaccinations to high-risk groups. No Omicron-linked deaths have yet been reported, though further research is needed to assess its potential to escape protection against immunity induced by vaccines and previous infections, the WHO added. The map below highlights the countries that have reported Omicron cases. (The map will be updated as more information becomes available)
30th Nov 2021 - Aljazeera.com
1st French omicron case on Indian Ocean island of Reunion
Japan and France confirmed their first cases of the new variant of the coronavirus on Tuesday as countries around the world scrambled to close their doors or find ways to limit its spread while scientists study how damaging it might be.
30th Nov 2021 - The Associated Press
Spain detects first Omicron case, COVID-19 infections rise
Spain has detected its first case of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus in a 51-year-old man who arrived from South Africa on Sunday after a layover in Amsterdam, Madrid's regional health authority said on Monday as Spain's overall infection rate rose. The microbiology unit at Madrid's Gregorio Maranon hospital, which sequenced and confirmed the new variant, added in a separate post on Twitter that the patient was in fair condition with mild symptoms.
30th Nov 2021 - Reuters
Rise in German COVID-19 infections flattens
Germany's federal and regional governments agreed on Tuesday to take action to counter a fourth wave of COVID-19, including stepping up the vaccination campaign and restricting contact, especially for unvaccinated people. Facing a surge in cases over the last few weeks and warnings from virologists that exponential growth rates would overload hospitals, outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel held video talks with her successor, Olaf Scholz, and regional leaders.
30th Nov 2021 - Reuters
France registers biggest jump in COVID-19 hospital patients since spring
France registered its biggest jump in coronavirus-related hospital admissions since the spring, health ministry data showed on Monday. The number of patients in intensive care units with COVID-19 jumped by 117 to 1,749 people, the biggest increase since March-April, when the ICU number rose by more than 100 per day on several days. The number of people in hospital with the virus jumped by 470 to 9,860, the biggest one-day increase since March 29. Compared with a week ago, the number of COVID-19 patients was up more than 18%, the biggest week-on-week increase this year.
30th Nov 2021 - Reuters
Norwegians should wear face masks in crowded places, PM says
Norwegians should wear face masks on crowded public transport, in shopping malls and in taxis following a record surge in coronavirus infections, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere said on Tuesday. He stopped short of issuing mask mandates, as called for by some municipalities, urging instead an accelerated drive to give booster shots to all adults.
30th Nov 2021 - Reuters
Omicron vaccine warning triggers fresh global selloff
There was a fall in world share markets and scramble to safer currencies and bonds on Tuesday after the CEO of drugmaker Moderna warned that COVID-19 vaccines are unlikely to be as effective against the new Omicron variant. Europe's main bourses jolted 1.4% lower early on, oil shed 3%, Australia's currency which is highly sensitive to global economic confidence hit a year low while Japan's safe-haven yen, German government bonds and gold all rose.
30th Nov 2021 - Reuters
Australia on alert as first Omicron community case confirmed
Australian authorities on Tuesday confirmed a person with COVID-19 had the new Omicron variant after disclosing that the person had been active in the community, but urged calm as they weighed up the severity of the strain. The fully vaccinated person visited a busy shopping centre in Sydney while likely infectious, officials said. All passengers in the person's flight were asked to self-isolate for 14 days regardless of their vaccination status. The additional case brings Australia's total number of infections with the new variant to six. But it is the first case where the person appeared to be active in the community. All other cases have been in quarantine and are asymptomatic or display very mild symptoms.
30th Nov 2021 - Reuters
Omicron was in Netherlands days earlier than first thought
The Netherlands’ RIVM health institute disclosed that patient samples dating from Nov. 19 and 23 were found to contain the variant. It was on Nov. 24 that South African authorities reported the existence of the highly mutated virus to the World Health Organization. That indicates omicron had a bigger head start in the Netherlands than previously believed.
30th Nov 2021 - The Associated Press
Brazil and Japan report first cases of the omicron variant
Brazil and Japan joined the rapidly widening circle of countries to report cases of the omicron variant Tuesday, while new findings indicate the mutant coronavirus was already in Europe close to a week before South Africa sounded the alarm. The Netherlands’ RIVM health institute disclosed that patient samples dating from Nov. 19 and 23 were found to contain the variant. It was on Nov. 24 that South African authorities reported the existence of the highly mutated virus to the World Health Organization. That indicates omicron had a bigger head start in the Netherlands than previously believed. Together with the cases in Japan and Brazil, the finding illustrates the difficulty in containing the virus in an age of jet travel and economic globalization. And it left the world once again whipsawed between hopes of returning to normal and fears that the worst is yet to come.
30th Nov 2021 - The Associated Press
US deaths get even redder
The gap in Covid’s death toll between red and blue America has grown faster over the past month than at any previous point. In October, 25 out of every 100,000 residents of heavily Trump counties died from Covid, more than three times higher than the rate in heavily Biden counties (7.8 per 100,000). October was the fifth consecutive month that the percentage gap between the death rates in Trump counties and Biden counties widened.
30th Nov 2021 - The New York Times
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 30th Nov 2021
View this newsletter in fullOmicron variant puts world in a 'race against time', says EU Commission President
The world is in a "race against time" with the Omicron coronavirus variant, said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Sunday, warning during a visit to Latvia that scientists and manufacturers will need weeks to fully understand the new variant. As more cases are identified and governments around the world mobilize to respond to Omicron, an urgent meeting of G7 health ministers will be convened on Monday, the United Kingdom said. It also announced on Sunday new domestic public health rules requiring face coverings in shops and on public transport starting this week. Omicron was first identified by scientists in South Africa, who raised alarm over its unusually high number of mutations on Thursday. Since then, at least a dozen other countries have confirmed cases of the new strain, with several other reporting suspected cases.
29th Nov 2021 - CNN
WHO flags global risk from Omicron, countries tighten curbs
The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Monday the Omicron coronavirus variant carried a very high risk of infection surges, while border closures by more countries cast a shadow over an economic recovery from the two-year pandemic.
Big airlines acted swiftly to protect their hubs by curbing passenger travel from southern Africa, where the new Omicron variant was first detected, fearing that a spread of the variant would trigger restrictions from other destinations beyond the immediately affected regions, industry sources said.
29th Nov 2021 - Reuters
S.Africa's COVID-19 cases could triple this week, says expert
South Africa's daily COVID-19 infection rate could triple to more than 10,000 by the end of this week as the new Omicron variant spreads rapidly, an infectious disease expert said on Monday. Professor Salim Abdool Karim, the government's chief adviser during the initial response to the pandemic, also said that, while existing vaccines should be effective at preventing severe disease from the variant, South African hospitals could be under pressure from a flood of admissions within two to three weeks.
29th Nov 2021 - Reuters
First suspected case of Omicron variant of COVID-19 detected in Switzerland
The first probable case of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 has been detected in Switzerland, the government said late on Sunday, as the country tightened its entry restrictions to check its spread. The case relates to a person who returned to Switzerland from South Africa around a week ago, the Federal Office for Public Health said on Twitter. Testing will clarify the situation in the coming days, it added.
29th Nov 2021 - Reuters
Portugal finds 13 cases of Omicron variant at Lisbon soccer club
Portugal detected 13 cases of the Omicron coronavirus variant on Monday, all involving players and staff of top division soccer club Belenenses SAD, one of whose players recently returned from South Africa, health authority DGS said. The diagnoses were made after the Lisbon club played a Primeira Liga match against Benfica on Saturday that started with only nine Belenenses players on the pitch because of a COVID-19 outbreak.
29th Nov 2021 - Reuters
France detects eight possible Omicron cases - Health Ministry
France's Health Ministry said on Sunday it had detected eight possible cases of the Omicron COVID-19 variant across the country after the government announced it would tighten restrictions to contain its spread. Omicron is potentially more contagious than previous variants, although experts do not know yet if it will cause more or less severe COVID-19 compared to other strains.
29th Nov 2021 - Reuters
Pressure mounts for more curbs in Germany as Omicron spreads
Several leading German politicians called on Sunday for tighter restrictions to contain a surge in coronavirus cases as the infection rate hit a new high and fears about the new Omicron variant rose. After the detection of two Omicron cases in the southern state of Bavaria on Saturday, an official in the western state of Hesse said a suspected case in a passenger arriving from South Africa had been confirmed
29th Nov 2021 - Reuters
Wary, weary world slams doors shut, fearing omicron variant
The World Health Organization warned Monday that the global risk from the omicron variant is “very high” based on early evidence, saying the mutated coronavirus could lead to surges with “severe consequences.” The U.N. health agency, in a technical paper issued to member states, said “considerable uncertainties” remain about the variant that was first detected days ago in southern Africa. But it said it is possible the variant has mutations that could enable it to escape an immune-system response and boost its ability to spread from one person to another. “Depending on these characteristics, there could be future surges of COVID-19, which could have severe consequences, depending on a number of factors, including where surges may take place,” it added. “The overall global risk ... is assessed as very high.”
29th Nov 2021 - The Associated Press
Biden pushes shots, not more restrictions as variant spreads
President Joe Biden called the new coronavirus variant omicron a cause for concern but “not a cause for panic” Monday and said he was not considering any widespread U.S. lockdown. He urged Americans anew to get fully vaccinated, including booster shots, and return to face masks indoors in public settings to slow any spread. Speaking Monday at the White House, Biden said it was inevitable that the new variant would reach the U.S., but he also said the country has the tools necessary to protect Americans — particularly the approved vaccines and booster shots. When omicron arrives, and it will, Biden said, America will “face this new threat just as we’ve faced those that have come before it.”
29th Nov 2021 - The Associated Press
Japan to bar all foreign visitors over Omicron variant
Japan says it will bar the entry of all foreign visitors from around the world, just weeks after a softening of strict entry rules, following the emergence of the new Omicron variant of the coronavirus. “We will ban the (new) entry of foreigners from around the world starting from November 30,” Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told reporters, saying the measures would take effect on Tuesday. Over the weekend, Japan tightened entry restrictions for people arriving from South Africa and eight other countries in the region, requiring them to undergo a 10-day quarantine at government-designated facilities. Monday’s announcement means Japan will restore border controls it eased earlier this month for short-term business visitors, foreign students and workers.
29th Nov 2021 - AlJazeera
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 29th Nov 2021
View this newsletter in fullCDC says no cases of Omicron identified in U.S. so far
No cases of new COVID-19 variant detected in South Africa have been identified in the United States to date, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Friday. The World Health Organization (WHO) designated the B.1.1.529 variant, dubbed Omicron, as being "of concern," the fifth variant to be classified as such.
"We expect Omicron to be identified quickly, if it emerges in the U.S.," CDC said in a statement.
27th Nov 2021 - Reuters
Australia investigates new COVID-19 variant found in South Africa
Australia on Friday said it was investigating the newly identified COVID-19 variant spreading in South Africa and warned it may close its borders to travellers from the African nation if risks from the new strain rise. South African scientists are concerned the new variant could evade the body's immune response and make it more transmissible as it has a "very unusual constellation" of mutations. Australia Health Minister Greg Hunt said he would swiftly respond if the World Health Organization (WHO) classifies it as a major new variant.
26th Nov 2021 - Reuters
New Zealand PM Ardern says prepared for new COVID-19 variants
New Zealand is well prepared for the discovery of new coronavirus variants that may be resistant to vaccines, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Friday, including the strain currently spreading in South Africa. "All of our planning around COVID, we have built into it the possibility of variants in the future," Ardern said in an interview for the upcoming Reuters Next conference. "That is why we are maintaining levels of public health protections. It's why we've maintained requirements at our border." Britain on Thursday drew attention to a newly identified coronavirus variant in South Africa with a spike protein that was dramatically different to the one in the original coronavirus that COVID-19 vaccines are based on.
26th Nov 2021 - Reuters
South Africa Raises Alarm Over New Coronavirus Variant
South Africa’s government is considering new public-health restrictions to contain a fast-spreading new variant of the coronavirus that scientists say has a high number of mutations that may make it more transmissible and allow it to evade some of the immune responses triggered by previous infection or vaccination. The warning from the South African scientists and the Health Ministry, issued in a hastily called news briefing Thursday, prompted the World Health Organization to call a meeting of experts for Friday to discuss whether to declare the new strain a “variant of concern.” The WHO uses this label for virus strains that have been proven to be more contagious, lead to more serious illness or decrease the effectiveness of public-health measures, tests, treatments or vaccines. Other variants of concern include the Delta variant that is now dominant world-wide and the Alpha variant that drove a deadly wave of infections across Europe and the U.S. last winter and spring.
26th Nov 2021 - The Wall Street Journal
Shanghai's Flareup Spreads as China Faces a New Covid Outbreak
Shanghai scrapped about one-third of the flights from its busiest international airport on Friday and suspended some hospital services after a handful of Covid infections were detected in the financial hub, showing China’s commitment to stringent curbs to eliminate the virus as winter looms. More than 30% of flights from Shanghai Pudong International Airport were canceled on Friday morning, state broadcaster CCTV reported. Schools were immediately suspended and housing complexes tied to the cases were locked down as local officials embraced strict measures in what may become a protracted battle as cold weather forces more people indoors. Chinese airline stocks declined. Shanghai International Airport Co. Ltd. fell as much as 4%, while Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. and China Eastern Airlines Corp. Ltd. dropped at least 2% in Hong Kong.
26th Nov 2021 - Bloomberg
Hong Kong Finds 2 Cases of New Covid Variant Identified in Africa
Two cases of the new Covid-19 strain raising alarm in parts of southern Africa and unnerving financial markets worldwide have been found in travelers in compulsory quarantine in Hong Kong. A traveler from South Africa was found to have the variant -- currently known as B.1.1.529 -- while the other case was identified in a person who’d traveled from Canada and was quarantined in the hotel room opposite his, the Hong Kong government said late Thursday. The traveler from South Africa used a mask with a valve that doesn’t filter exhaled air and may have transmitted the virus to his neighbor when the hotel room door was open, a health department spokesperson said Friday.
26th Nov 2021 - Bloomberg
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 26th Nov 2021
View this newsletter in fullShanghai city reports three local COVID-19 confirmed cases
Shanghai city found three locally transmitted COVID-19 cases with confirmed symptoms, Wu Jinglei, a local health official, told a news briefing. The three individuals were friends who had long period of being in close contact before their diagnosis, and it remains unclear whether they were linked to clusters in other parts of China, Wu said.
25th Nov 2021 - Reuters
COVID-19 cases surge 23% in Americas, mostly in North America - health agency
New COVID-19 cases have jumped 23% in the Americas in the last week, mostly in North America where both the United States and Canada are reporting increasing infection rates, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) said on Wednesday, warning that the region might be facing a relapse as in Europe. Canada's Yukon and Northwest territories saw a two- to three-fold increase in new infections over the last week, it said. In Central America, by contrast, there has been a 37% reduction in new infections. In South America, nearly every country except Brazil, Suriname and Venezuela is reporting increasing COVID-19 incidence. The biggest jumps were in Ecuador and Paraguay, PAHO said.
25th Nov 2021 - Reuters
German Covid Deaths Pass 100000 With Cases Still Spiking
Germany passed the threshold of 100,000 Covid-19 deaths, with the latest resurgence of the disease pushing new infections higher at a record pace and putting hospitals in some hotspots under severe pressure. Since it took hold at the beginning of last year, 100,119 people have died from the virus, according to the latest data from the RKI public-health institute. Battling the fourth wave of the pandemic -- which is spreading rapidly in many European countries -- will dominate the early weeks of Germany’s new government. Social Democrat Olaf Scholz on Wednesday sealed a coalition agreement with the Greens and Free Democrats and he’s expected to be sworn in to replace Angela Merkel early next month.
25th Nov 2021 - Bloomberg
Europe's Facing a Fourth Wave of Covid. What This Means for Its Economy.
Europe is in the grip of a virulent, fourth wave of coronavirus disease infections that risks further dampening its economic recovery. It’s unlikely for now that the measures taken by policy makers will have to be as stringent as in 2020, when they shrank the economy by 6%. That explains why economists don’t expect the impact to be as devastating as in the first months of the Covid-19 pandemic. But if there is little doubt that there will be consequences, what remains uncertain is the true extent of this potential impact.
25th Nov 2021 - Barron's
German COVID-19 deaths pass 100000 mark in fourth wave
Germany crossed the threshold of 100,000 COVID-19-related deaths on Thursday with a surge in infections posing a challenge for the new government. Another 351 people have died from coronavirus, bringing the total since the start of the pandemic to 100,119, data from the Robert Koch Institute for infectious diseases showed. The number of new daily cases hit a new record of 75,961. "The day on which we must mourn 100,000 victims of the coronavirus is a sad one," outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel told a news conference.
24th Nov 2021 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 25th Nov 2021
View this newsletter in fullDutch set to impose stricter COVID-19 curbs by Friday
The Dutch government will announce new measures on Friday to tackle a surge in coronavirus infections that is putting pressure on hospitals, Health Minister Hugo de Jonge said. Although some 85% of the adult Dutch population has been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, new cases hit a record high of 23,709 in 24 hours on Wednesday, official data showed. Weekly figures released on Tuesday had already shown an almost 40% rise in cases in the past week.
24th Nov 2021 - Reuters
Swiss gov't holds off on new measures despite "critical" COVID situation
Switzerland will hold off from new national restrictions to curb coronavirus infections, the government said on Wednesday, as it appealed to common sense and local measures to stem the rising tide of cases it described as "critical." Bern decided to go in a different direction to neighbouring Austria, which has reintroduced a lockdown this week, ahead of a Swiss vote to decide the fate of the national government's pandemic response powers
24th Nov 2021 - Reuters
COVID cases hit records in Europe prompting booster shot rethink
Coronavirus infections broke records in parts of Europe on Wednesday, with the continent once again the epicentre of a pandemic that has prompted new curbs on movement and seen health experts push to widen the use of booster vaccination shots.
24th Nov 2021 - Reuters
A little known cult is at the heart of S.Korea's latest COVID-19 outbreak
A little known sect led by a pastor who pokes eyes to heal is at the centre of a COVID-19 outbreak in South Korea, as the country reported a new daily record of 4,116 cases and battles a spike in serious cases straining hospitals. In a tiny rural church in a town of 427 residents in Cheonan city, south of Seoul, at least 241 people linked to the religious community had tested positive for coronavirus, a city official told Reuters on Wednesday. "We believe the scale of the outbreak is large...," the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said in a statement.
24th Nov 2021 - Reuters
South Korea sets pandemic high with 4,000 new virus cases
New coronavirus infections in South Korea exceeded 4,000 in a day for the first time since the start of the pandemic as a delta-driven spread continues to rattle the country after it eased social distancing in recent weeks to improve its economy. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said most of the new 4,116 cases reported Wednesday came from the capital Seoul and its surrounding metropolitan region, where an increase in hospitalizations has created fears about possible shortages in intensive care units.
24th Nov 2021 - The Associated Press
Hungary reports record daily COVID-19 cases
Hungary reported a record 12,637 new daily COVID-19 cases, bringing the total to 1.045 million with 33,519 deaths, a government tally showed on Wednesday. Hungary, a country of 10 million whose vaccination rate lags the European Union average, imposed new curbs last Thursday, a day before a full lockdown was announced in neighbouring Austria, which also has a relatively low vaccine uptake.
24th Nov 2021 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 24th Nov 2021
View this newsletter in fullCovid patients in ICU now almost all unvaccinated, says Oxford scientist
Covid-19 is no longer a disease of the vaccinated, the head of the Oxford jab programme has said. The “ongoing horror” of patients gasping for breath in hospital is now “largely restricted” to people who are unvaccinated, according to Prof Sir Andrew Pollard. Even though the more transmissible Delta variant continues to infect thousands, most of those who are fully vaccinated will experience only “mild infections” that are “little more than an unpleasant inconvenience”.
23rd Nov 2021 - The Guardian
French prime minister positive for COVID-19, as cases rise
France's prime minister tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday, hours after returning from a visit to neighboring Belgium and just as France is seeing a nationwide resurgence of infections, according to his office. French Prime Minister Jean Castex will adapt his schedule for the coming 10 days to continue his activities in isolation, his office said. Officials at the prime minister's headquarters did not comment on whether Castex has any virus symptoms. One of Castex's daughters tested positive Monday after her father returned from a meeting with Belgian Prime Minister Alexander de Croo in Brussels and Castex himself then took two tests that were both positive, his office said.
23rd Nov 2021 - The Independent
Covid-19 cases in children are up 32% from two weeks ago, pediatricians' group says
Covid-19 cases in children are up 32% from two weeks ago, according to new numbers published Monday by the American Academy of Pediatrics. For the week ending November 18, there were at least 141,905 new cases among children, with children making up a disproportionate share of the cases, representing more than a quarter of all new Covid-19 cases for the past week. Children account for 22% of the US population. When the virus first became a known problem in the US in early 2020, kids accounted for fewer than 3% of confirmed cases. Since the start of the pandemic, more than 6.8 million children have tested positive for Covid-19
23rd Nov 2021 - CNN
Covid-19 cases are on the rise with Thanksgiving just days away
Thanksgiving this year will be much different than last year, but far from risk-free, as Covid-19 cases continue to rise across the country and millions of Americans remain unvaccinated. The daily case rate in the United States is about half of what it was at this time last year, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. But the current pace -- about 92,000 new Covid-19 cases each day -- is up 16% from just a week ago. Cases dropped off quickly at the tail end of the summer surge, but have started to climb again over the past couple weeks and are now back to levels last seen in August. Nearly a third of new cases are in Midwestern states, with Michigan and Minnesota reporting more cases per capita than any other states. But the trend is nationwide; all but a dozen states saw cases rise over the past week, JHU data shows
23rd Nov 2021 - CNN
Europe likely to see more than two million Covid-19 deaths by March, WHO warns
Europe is likely to experience more than two million Covid-19 deaths by March, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned. The WHO said the European region remains “in the firm grip” of the coronavirus pandemic, with reported daily deaths rising to almost 4,200 a day – double the 2,100 deaths a day at the end of September. The warning comes as a string of European nations impose renewed restrictions amid surging Covid-19 rates across the continent. Austria entered its fourth national lockdown on Monday and is introducing mandatory vaccinations from February due to low uptake. Case numbers in Germany are soaring with only 7.5 per cent of the population having received a booster shot and a possible lockdown looming.
23rd Nov 2021 - Evening Standard
France's average daily new COVID infections near three-month high
French health authorities reported 5,266 daily new COVID-19 infections on Monday, pushing the seven-day moving average of new cases to an almost three-month high. That average - which smoothes out daily reporting irregularities - rose to 18,479, a level unseen since Aug. 27, from a three-month low of 4,172 on Oct. 10. It had set a 2021 record of 42,225 in mid-April before falling to a 2021 low of 1,816 at the end of June. French government spokesperson Gabriel Attal said on Sunday the current wave of the pandemic was "rampant."
23rd Nov 2021 - Reuters
Germany considers more COVID-19 curbs, compulsory vaccines as cases soar
Germany should impose further restrictions to try to stop a fourth wave of coronavirus infections, outgoing Health Minister Jens Spahn said on Tuesday as more politicians backed the idea of compulsory vaccinations. The surge in infections comes at a difficult time as Chancellor Angela Merkel is preparing to hand over to a new government after a national election in September. The leaders of the Social Democrats (SPD), Greens and Free Democrats, who are trying to form a new coalition, were due to break off their talks on Tuesday to meet Merkel to discuss the pandemic, sources close to the negotiations told Reuters.
23rd Nov 2021 - Reuters
Dutch COVID-19 patients transferred to Germany as hospitals struggle
The Netherlands started transporting COVID-19 patients across the border to Germany on Tuesday to ease pressure on Dutch hospitals, which are scaling back regular care to deal with a surge in coronavirus cases. A patient was transferred by ambulance from Rotterdam to a hospital in Bochum, some 240 km (150 miles) east, on Tuesday morning, and another would follow later in the day, health authorities said. The number of COVID-19 patients in Dutch hospitals has swelled to its highest level since May in recent weeks and is expected to increase further as infections jump to record levels.
23rd Nov 2021 - Reuters
China Is More Dedicated Than Ever to Covid Zero as It Battles Delta
China is facing its toughest virus battle since the first days of the pandemic. Rather than pivot from the strict Covid Zero route that others have abandoned, the country is doubling down, despite rising costs to its people and economy. The current resurgence already accounts for the most infections and the most days with new cases spurred by the delta variant since May. It’s also the most widespread outbreak since China first vanquished the infection that emerged in Wuhan two years ago. Despite ever more extreme measures aimed at shutting it down -- from testing an infant more than 70 times to locking down Shanghai Disneyland on one case -- the pathogen is proving harder than ever to wipe out.
23rd Nov 2021 - Bloomberg
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 23rd Nov 2021
View this newsletter in fullGermans will be ‘vaccinated, cured or dead’ by spring, warns health minister
Germans will be "vaccinated, cured or dead" by the end of this winter, Health Minister Jens Spahn said Monday, as he rushed out extra doses of the coronavirus jab from BioNTech and Pfizer to inject into the arms of the one-third of people in the country who are still not vaccinated. Germany is experiencing record COVID-19 caseloads in the current fourth wave of the pandemic, putting hospital intensive care units under increasing strain — with unvaccinated patients far more likely to become critically ill. “Probably by the end of this winter pretty much everyone in Germany — as has sometimes been cynically put — will be vaccinated, cured or dead," Spahn told a hastily arranged press conference, in his starkest warning to date of the risks of holding out against vaccination. “But this really is the case: With the very contagious Delta variant, it is very, very likely ... that anyone who is not vaccinated will over the next few months become infected and lack protection.
22nd Nov 2021 - POLITICO.eu
Bodies pile up outside hospital morgue as Romania struggles with fourth wave of Covid
"It's relentless -- relentless," sighed nurse Claudiu Ionita, standing in front of a line of gurneys in Bucharest University Hospital's morgue. On each gurney lay a body inside a black plastic bag. The morgue has a capacity for 15 bodies, but on the day CNN visited, it had received 41. The excess bodies filled the corridor outside, while wails echoed from within the morgue. A woman had been allowed inside for a final glimpse of her father. Bucharest University Hospital is the Romanian capital's largest medical facility treating Covid-19 patients and is struggling through the country's fourth wave, its worst yet. "I never thought, when I started this job, that I would live through something like this," said Ionita. "I never thought such a catastrophe could happen, that we'd end up sending whole families to their graves."
22nd Nov 2021 - CNN
Covid-19 cases on the rise in the US ahead of Thanksgiving
Cases of Covid-19 are rising across the United States as the holiday season approaches, with many people planning a return to traditional Thanksgiving gatherings. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the seven-day rolling average number of daily new cases has risen to 88,482. That is a 16.1 per cent increase from the average of 76,223 reported last week. The total number of US Covid cases since the start of the pandemic is now more than 47.3 million. Some 196 million in the US are now vaccinated. The latest figures are a marked improvement on November 2020 when more than 160,000 cases were reported every day. A further 34.5 million Americans have received a booster shot.
22nd Nov 2021 - The Independent
Singapore health minister says return to strict COVID-19 curbs a last resort
A return to stricter COVID-19 curbs in Singapore will be a "last resort", Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said on Monday, as the city-state partially eased limits on social gatherings and dining out under its calibrated reopening approach. Ong also said the international travel and tourism hub would continue to open "travel lanes" with more countries for vaccinated visitors. Singapore is gradually granting small groups of vaccinated people increased liberties, resuming in-person business events and permitting quarantine-free travel from select countries as it ramps up its vaccine booster programme. "I feel it's important to do it this way, because it minimizes the chance of us having to backpedal too frequently," Ong told Reuters in an interview on Monday for the upcoming Reuters Next conference.
22nd Nov 2021 - Reuters
UK reports 40004 new COVID-19 cases, 61 deaths - daily data
The United Kingdom reported 40,004 confirmed new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday, taking the seven-day total to 287,205, a 9.4% rise over the previous seven-day period, official daily data showed. The data also showed 61 new deaths from the virus, as measured in deaths within 28 days of a positive test, were reported on Sunday, raising the seven-day toll to 1,029, a 5.9% drop compared with the previous seven days.
22nd Nov 2021 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 22nd Nov 2021
View this newsletter in fullRussia's daily COVID-19 deaths reach new record high
Russia on Friday reported 1,254 coronavirus-related deaths in the last 24 hours, a record daily high that follows a surge in cases. The government coronavirus task force also reported 37,156 nationwide infections, including 3,371 in Moscow, down from a peak of 41,335 recorded on Nov. 6.
20th Nov 2021 - Reuters
Czechs report highest daily coronavirus cases since pandemic start
The Czech Republic reported 22,936 new coronavirus cases for Friday, its biggest daily tally since the pandemic began, health ministry data showed on Saturday. Earlier in the week the country tightened restrictions on people who have not had COVID-19 shots to encourage more vaccinations and to ease the burden on hospitals. The Czech government has approved plans to allow only those who are vaccinated or have recovered from COVID-19 in the past six months to enter restaurants, attend certain events and use some other services from Monday
20th Nov 2021 - Reuters
England's COVID prevalence drops for second week, ONS says
The prevalence of COVID-19 infections in England fell back to about 1 in 65 people in the week ending Nov. 13, Britain's Office for National Statistics said on Friday, dropping for a second week after hitting its highest level of the year. Prevalence had been 1 in 60 people in previous week. Recorded cases and estimated prevalence of infection have both dropped back from peaks hit before a school half-term holiday at the end of last month.
20th Nov 2021 - Reuters
Macron says France does not need to lock down non-vaccinated people as COVID spreads
France does not need to follow those European countries imposing COVID-19 lockdowns on unvaccinated people, because of the success of its health pass in curbing the virus' spread, President Emmanuel Macron said. Europe has again become the epicentre of the pandemic, prompting some countries including Germany and Austria to reintroduce restrictions in the run-up to Christmas and causing debate over whether vaccines alone are enough to tame COVID-19.
20th Nov 2021 - Reuters
Disease control chief: "All of Germany is one big outbreak"
Germany has entered a “nationwide state of emergency” because of surging coronavirus infections, the head of the country’s disease control agency said Friday. Lothar Wieler, the head of the Robert Koch Institute, said regular medical care cannot be guaranteed anymore in some parts of the country because hospitals and intensive care wards are overstretched. The German air force confirmed a report by daily Bild that it was preparing to help transfer patients to clinics with free beds. “All of Germany is one big outbreak,” Wieler told reporters in Berlin. “This is a nationwide state of emergency. We need to pull the emergency brake.” He called for urgent additional measures to tackle the rise in COVID-19 cases, which topped 50,000 for the third day running. The Robert Koch Institute also reported 201 further deaths, taking the toll to 98,739 since the start of the outbreak.
20th Nov 2021 - The Associated Press
Facing surge, Austria will mandate COVID-19 shots, lock down
Austria announced a national lockdown and a plan to mandate vaccinations as coronavirus infections hit a record high Friday, forcing the government to walk back promises that strict shutdowns were a thing of the past. While the scope of the proposed mandate was unclear, a blanket requirement would be a first for a Western country. Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg said those who didn’t comply would likely be fined but gave no other details. The moves come as vaccinations in Austria have plateaued at one of the lowest rates in Western Europe, and as hospitals in heavily hit states have warned that their intensive care units are reaching capacity. Average daily deaths have tripled in recent weeks — though the number of fatalities reported over the past week remains well below the high of last winter and 13 U.S. states are already seeing more deaths per 100,000 people.
Earlier this month, Schallenberg indicated a full lockdown would not be needed and instead imposed the restrictions only on those not vaccinated.
20th Nov 2021 - The Associated Press
Facing new COVID wave, Dutch delay care for cancer, heart patients
Dutch healthcare officials said on Friday they have begun delaying operations for some cancer and heart patients to free up space in intensive care units during a record wave of COVID-19 infections. "These are cancer patients that should actually be operated on within six weeks of diagnosis, and that won't be met in all cases. It's also heart patients," said a spokesperson for LCPS, the national organisation that allocates hospital resources. "It's horrible, of course, for the patients." The National Institute for Health (RIVM) reported a record of more than 23,000 new cases in the previous 24 hours on Thursday, compared with the previous daily high of around 13,000 reached in December 2020.
20th Nov 2021 - Reuters on MSN.com
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 19th Nov 2021
View this newsletter in fullNew Mexico facing 'serious problems' amid latest COVID-19 surge, health officials warn
COVID-19 cases in New Mexico are "trending in a worrisome direction," health officials said this week, as they called on residents to get vaccinated amid the surge. New Mexico reported 1,530 new cases and 539 hospitalizations Wednesday, rivaling numbers last seen in December and January, during the state's last COVID-19 wave. "Things are not going well in our hospitals," Dr. David Scrase, acting cabinet secretary of the New Mexico Department of Health, said during a COVID-19 briefing Wednesday, noting the state is "facing some very serious problems," including with intensive care unit capacity.
18th Nov 2021 - ABC News
Record high cases, more rules and partial lockdowns: A new Covid wave engulfs Europe
The latest wave of Covid cases is hitting Europe with a vengeance. Some countries have responded by imposing partial lockdowns and placing more restrictions on unvaccinated people. Germany shattered a new record on Thursday, reporting more than 65,000 new cases. Some German health officials are warning that the true number of cases could be two or three times as many.
18th Nov 2021 - CNBC
COVID-19: Germany considers restrictions for unvaccinated people amid warning of 'really terrible Christmas' as cases surge
The head of Germany's disease control agency has warned that the country faces a "really terrible Christmas" unless steps are taken to counter the sharp rise in coronavirus infections. "We are currently heading toward a serious emergency," the director of the Robert Koch Institute, Lothar Wieler, said. "We are going to have a really terrible Christmas if we don't take countermeasures now."
18th Nov 2021 - Sky News
Brazil sees 11977 new coronavirus cases, 373 deaths
Brazil registered 11,977 new coronavirus cases and 373 COVID-19 deaths in the last 24 hours, the Health Ministry said on Wednesday.
18th Nov 2021 - Reuters
S.Korea reports record new COVID-19 cases as serious infections cause worry
South Korea reported a record high 3,292 new COVID-19 cases, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said on Thursday, as the country moves into the first phase of its "living with COVID-19" with loosened restrictions. A rise in cases was predicted by officials and experts after many social distancing restrictions were lifted earlier this month after the country surpassed its goal of vaccinating 70% of its 52 million people. More than 78.5% are now fully vaccinated, including more than 90% of adults.
18th Nov 2021 - Reuters
Russia's daily COVID-19 deaths hit new record high
Russia on Thursday reported 1,251 coronavirus-related deaths in the last 24 hours, an all-time record high that follows a surge in cases. The government coronavirus taskforce reported 37,374 nationwide infections, down from a peak of 41,335 recorded on Nov. 6.
18th Nov 2021 - Reuters
French new coronavirus cases top 20000 per day for first time since August
France registered more than 20,000 new confirmed coronavirus infections on Wednesday for the first time since Aug. 25 as the fifth wave of the epidemic picked up speed. The health ministry reported 20,294 new COVID-19 cases, taking the total to 7.33 million and the seven-day moving average of new cases to above 12,400.
18th Nov 2021 - Reuters
Greece calls up private doctors as COVID-19 cases surge
Greece on Thursday ordered private sector doctors in five regions in the north of the country to assist its health system as it grapples with a surge in COVID-19 infections. The government had called on private sector doctors to help out earlier this month, as Greece's public hospitals and intensive care wards have been overwhelmed by rising infections in recent weeks. The requisition order, published in the official government gazette, is effective for a month.
18th Nov 2021 - Reuters
Dutch weigh options to slow rising COVID-19 infections among children
Virologists in the Netherlands have proposed extending holidays over Christmas to slow a surge in COVID-19 cases among children that has forced half of schools nationwide to send classes home, but the government said it wanted to keep them open. The National Institute for Health (RIVM) reported a record number of over 110,000 cases in the week to Nov. 16, an increase of 44% from the previous seven days. The strongest rise was among children aged 4-12.
18th Nov 2021 - Reuters
Belgium extends mask use, enforces home working as COVID-19 spikes
Belgium tightened its coronavirus restrictions on Wednesday, mandating wider use of masks and enforcing work from home, as cases spiked in the country's fourth COVID-19 wave. From Saturday, all people in indoor venues such as cafes and restaurants will need to wear a mask unless seated and the rule will apply to those aged 10 or older. The previous age threshold was 12. Nightclubs may have to test their guests if they want to let them dance mask-free. People wanting to eat in a restaurant or go to the theatre already must present a COVID pass, showing vaccination, a negative test or recent recovery.
18th Nov 2021 - Reuters
LA mayor, recovered from COVID, warns of winter virus surge
Mayor Eric Garcetti, who just returned from quarantine overseas after developing COVID-19 in Scotland, warned Wednesday that a coronavirus surge was likely during the upcoming holiday season and urged residents to get vaccinated to keep case numbers and hospitalizations down. “The answer to who should get the vaccine is simple: everyone,” Garcetti said. “If you have family members who are coming for Thanksgiving or Christmas or the holidays, get them vaccinated.”
Garcetti noted that vaccination protection diminishes over time and used himself as an example of a breakthrough infection. The mayor said he had put off getting a booster shot and came down with COVID-19 while attending a United Nations climate conference in the United Kingdom.
18th Nov 2021 - The Associated Press
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 18th Nov 2021
View this newsletter in fullCOVID-19 deaths decline 17% in the Americas, says health agency
COVID-19 deaths have decreased 17% in the Americas over the past week, but the most populous countries like the United States, Brazil and Colombia are seeing a leveling of new infections after weeks of declining trends, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) said on Wednesday. Mexico is reporting an increase in new deaths and in the Caribbean Trinidad and Tobago had a sharp rise in deaths as intensive care unit (ICU) beds fill with COVID-19 patients, PAHO said.
18th Nov 2021 - Reuters
South Africa’s Expected Fourth Covid-19 Wave Seen Less Severe
South Africa, which has the most confirmed coronavirus cases on the continent, will likely be hit by a fourth wave of infections but its impact probably won’t be as severe as during earlier surges, new modeling prepared for the government shows.
Sero-prevalence surveys and other data indicate that an estimated 60% to 70% of the population has already contracted Covid-19, which together with vaccinations will provide protection from severe disease, the South African Covid-19 Modelling Consortium said in a online presentation on Wednesday. Even its worst-case scenario projected that deaths and hospitalizations during a fourth wave would be substantially lower than during prior surges. While South Africa’s current caseload is “incredibly low” it’s “very hard to commit to say South Africa is over the worst” of the coronavirus, said Harry Moultrie, a senior epidemiologist at the National Institute for Communicable Diseases, which coordinated the modeling.
17th Nov 2021 - Bloomberg
Brazil registers 132 COVID-19 deaths on Tuesday
Brazil registered 132 COVID-19 deaths on Tuesday and 4,918 additional cases, according to data released by the nation's Health Ministry. The South American country has now registered a total of 611,478 coronavirus deaths and 21,965,684 total confirmed cases.
17th Nov 2021 - Reuters
Poland reports 24239 new COVID-19 cases, highest since April
Poland reported 24,239 new daily COVID-19 infections, health ministry data showed on Wednesday, the highest total since April. There were also 463 COVID-related deaths reported on Wednesday. Poland, a country of around 38 million people, has reported 3,254,875 cases of the coronavirus and 79,624 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic.
17th Nov 2021 - Reuters
Hungarian doctors warn of 'sad Christmas' as COVID cases soar
Hungary reported 10,265 new COVID-19 infections on Wednesday, its highest daily tally since the end of March, prompting the country's Medical Chamber to call for a ban on mass events and mandatory mask wearing in closed spaces. In a statement, the Hungarian Medical Chamber also said entry to restaurants, theatres and cinemas should be conditional on a COVID-19 immunity certificate. "We must slow down the increase in the number of patients, a flooding of hospitals (with COVID-19 patients) or many families will have a very sad Christmas," they said.
17th Nov 2021 - Reuters
Slovakia reports highest daily tally for new coronavirus cases
Slovakia reported 8,342 new coronavirus cases for Tuesday, the highest daily tally to date in the central European country of 5.5 million people, Health Ministry data showed on Wednesday.
17th Nov 2021 - Reuters
Dutch running short of COVID-19 tests as surge breaks records
Dutch health authorities said on Wednesday they were running short of COVID-19 tests, as the Netherlands registered more than 20,000 new coronavirus cases for the second day in a row, the highest since the pandemic began. "We are coming up against the maximum of our capacity," said Jaap Eikelboom, head of COVID-19 operations at the National Public Health Service, in a statement. The service said it was working to expand test capacity amid a new surge that has caught health authorities and Prime Minister Mark Rutte's government off guard. Around 85% of the adult Dutch population is fully vaccinated.
17th Nov 2021 - Reuters
Austrian COVID cases hit record on third day of lockdown for unvaccinated
Austrian coronavirus infections hit a new daily record on Wednesday, the third day of a lockdown for those not fully vaccinated aimed at halting the surge. Roughly 65% of Austria's population is fully vaccinated against the virus, one of the lowest rates in western Europe. Austria also has one of the highest infection rates on the continent, with a seven-day incidence of 925 per 100,000 people. Soaring infections across Europe as winter approaches are prompting governments to consider reintroducing unpopular lockdowns.
17th Nov 2021 - Reuters
Czech Republic, Slovakia see record cases, mull restrictions
The Czech Republic and Slovakia both reported record daily new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, a day before the two European Union countries plan to approve new restrictions for unvaccinated people in response to rising infections. Thousands in the capitals of both countries, Prague and Bratislava, used Wednesday’s anniversary of the 1989 anti-communist Velvet Revolution to rally against their government’s upcoming coronavirus restrictions. The protesters ignored social distancing and didn’t wear masks. Police didn’t intervene in Prague. In Bratislava, police said two officers sustained injuries after the crowd near the seat of the government detonated fire crackers.
17th Nov 2021 - The Associated Press
Europe only region with increasing COVID deaths last week: WHO
The World Health Organization (WHO) has said that Europe was the only region in the world where COVID-related deaths increased last week after a rise of 5 percent. In its weekly report on the pandemic issued on Tuesday, the WHO also said cases jumped 6 percent globally, driven by a rise in the Americas, Europe and Asia. WHO said COVID-19 deaths in all regions other than Europe remained stable or declined last week, totalling 50,000 worldwide. Of the 3.3 million new infections reported, 2.1 million came from Europe, it said. It was the seventh consecutive week that COVID-19 cases continued to mount across the 61 countries that WHO counts in its European region, which stretches through Russia to Central Asia.
17th Nov 2021 - AlJazeera
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 17th Nov 2021
View this newsletter in fullIreland Reimposes Some Virus Restrictions as Cases Surge
Ireland has reintroduced some Covid-19 restrictions as it grapples with surging infections and a rising number of hospitalizations. Starting Thursday, people should work from home where possible, Prime Minister Micheal Martin said in a national address, while bars and restaurants must close by midnight. Cinemas and theaters will now require proof of vaccination, he said. Household contacts of anyone infected with Covid will now have to restrict their own movement for five days and complete a “recommended” antigen test, the premier said.
16th Nov 2021 - Bloomberg
8 deaths reported after recent Covid-19 outbreak at a Connecticut nursing home
Eight residents of a nursing home in northwestern Connecticut have died since late September following a Covid-19 outbreak, the nursing home said in a statement. A total of 89 residents and staff -- many of whom were fully vaccinated -- have tested positive for Covid-19 in the last seven weeks, Geer Village Senior Community in North Canaan said Friday, and 11 residents and one staff member remain in isolation. "Sadly, we have lost 8 residents with serious underlying health issues to Covid," the statement said. The center first released information about the outbreak on October 3, stating that there were three positive cases among residents and a staff member who were all fully vaccinated against Covid-19.
16th Nov 2021 - CNN
Europe turns the screws on the unvaccinated as Covid-19 cases climb
Europe's leaders are toughening their stances towards unvaccinated people and pursuing measures that increasingly isolate them from the rest of society, as frustration grows over stalling shot rollouts and a wave of Covid-19 infections on the continent. Germany may become the next country to impose stricter rules on those who haven't been fully inoculated, after the parties making up its prospective new coalition government hardened their proposed Covid-19 approach in parliament. The proposed measures would require Germans to provide proof of vaccination or a negative test in order to ride a bus or board a train, in an expansion of the country's "3G" system that requires either to enter certain venues and settings.
16th Nov 2021 - CNN
Brazil registers 63 COVID-19 deaths on Monday
Brazil registered 63 COVID-19 deaths on Monday and 2,799 additional cases, according to data released by the nation's Health Ministry. The South American country's coronavirus death toll is second in the world only to the United States, but the pandemic has abated significantly in recent months, as it has in much of Latin America. Brazil has now registered a total of 611,346 COVID-19 deaths and 21,960,766 total confirmed cases.
16th Nov 2021 - Reuters
Hospitals in Slovak east fill up as COVID wave rages, new law tightens rules
Hospitals in Slovakia, one of Europe's least-vaccinated nations, have been filling up with coronavirus patients, with the northeastern region of Presov reporting almost no spare intensive care beds, authorities and hospitals said on Monday. President Zuzana Caputova has signed a law allowing the government to force unvaccinated people to test twice a week before attending work in the worst-affected regions and keep them out of restaurants and other services. The country of 5.5 million was not planning a national lockdown, however.
16th Nov 2021 - Reuters
Czechs report more than 10000 new COVID-19 cases
The Czech Republic reported 11,514 new COVID-19 cases for Nov. 15, the fifth time daily infections have topped 10,000 in past seven days, health ministry data showed on Tuesday. Hospitalisations grew to 4,296, including 635 people in a serious condition, according to the figures. The outgoing government of Prime Minister Andrej Babis has been debating bringing in tougher restrictions including one proposal for some form of lockdown for unvaccinated people.
16th Nov 2021 - Reuters
Portuguese PM warns restrictions may return as COVID cases rise
Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa said on Tuesday that authorities in one of the world's most vaccinated nations may bring back some measures to stop the spread of COVID-19 in the run-up to the holiday season as infections soar across Europe. The number of new cases has been gradually rising over the past month in Portugal, reaching a two-month daily high of 1,816 infections on Saturday. The 14-day infection rate stood at 156 cases per 100,000 people on Monday, about double that in neighbouring Spain, which has a slightly lower share of its population fully vaccinated, but still well below over 500 in Germany and more than 900 in the Netherlands.
16th Nov 2021 - Reuters
Europe coronavirus spike raises specter of lockdowns and new restrictions
Nearly two years into the coronavirus era, much of Europe is once again facing a surge in cases and, in some countries, a return to lockdowns and other restrictions that had begun to feel like a distant part of the pandemic. This time around, the unvaccinated are frequently the target of new measures. Overall, 76 percent of adults in the European Union and 65 percent of the total population have been fully vaccinated, according to the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control.
In Austria, as of midnight Monday, about 2 million unvaccinated people will be subject to a lockdown lasting 10 days as coronavirus cases rise.
16th Nov 2021 - The Washington Post
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 16th Nov 2021
View this newsletter in fullThree snow leopards die of covid-19 at Lincoln Children's Zoo in Nebraska
The three big cats delighted visitors to the Nebraska zoo for years — pouncing on pumpkins during Halloween, preening for pictures and lounging on rocks in their enclosure. The Lincoln Children’s Zoo has described the snow leopards as silly, bubbly and handsome. They were one of the zoo’s main attractions, delivering a dose of mountain majesty to the Great Plains.
15th Nov 2021 - The Washington Post
China fights biggest Delta outbreak as cases grow in city of Dalian
China is battling the spread of its biggest COVID-19 outbreak caused by the Delta variant, according to numbers announced on Monday, with travellers from a city where infections have grown faster than elsewhere in the country subject to tough quarantine rules in nearby areas. Chinese authorities said 32 new domestically transmitted infections with confirmed symptoms have been reported for Nov. 14, most of which were in northeastern Dalian city. That brings the tally of local cases since Oct. 17 to 1,308, Reuters calculations based on official data showed, surpassing the 1,280 local cases from a summer Delta outbreak.
15th Nov 2021 - Reuters
Russia's daily COVID-19 deaths close to record high
Russia on Monday reported 1,211 deaths from COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, close to an all-time high of 1,241 reported last week, as well as 38,420 new coronavirus cases. Most of Russia's 80-plus regions lifted a week-long workplace shutdown at the beginning of last week that was designed to curb a surge in case numbers.
15th Nov 2021 - Reuters
Pressure on Dutch hospitals mounts as COVID cases break records
Dutch hospitals are feeling the strain from a surge in COVID-19 patients but the worst has yet to come, the head of the country's hospital association said on Monday. The number of COVID-19 patients in Dutch hospitals increased to around 2,000 on Monday, including almost 400 in intensive care, reaching the highest level since May. With almost 250 new admissions every day, the hospitals are set to pass last winter's peak of around 2,800 coronavirus patients in little over a week, the LNAZ association’s head, Ernst Kuipers, told lawmakers.
15th Nov 2021 - Reuters
German coronavirus infections hit new high, tighter measures planned
Germany's coronavirus infection rate has risen to its highest level since the start of the pandemic, public health figures showed on Monday, as the three parties in talks to form a new government plan an expansion of measures to tackle the pandemic.
The seven-day incidence rate - the number of people per 100,000 to be infected over the last week - rose to 303 from 289 the previous day, figures from the Robert Koch Institute showed on Monday.
15th Nov 2021 - Reuters
Navajo Nation reports 89 new COVID-19 cases, one new death
The Navajo Nation has reported 89 more confirmed cases of COVID-19 and one additional death. The tribe released its latest coronavirus-related figures Sunday. Due to a technical issue, Navajo health officials did not have a new total for the number of cases. But at last count, there have been 38,479 new cases. The known death toll is now 1,514. Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez visited the Indian Health Service COVID-19 vaccination site in Chinle, Arizona, on Sunday. He thanked health care workers who administered vaccines and booster shots to adults and children. The tribe has maintained a mask mandate through most of the pandemic. Other vaccination opportunities are available at health care facilities on the reservation that covers 27,000 square miles (70,000 square kilometers) and also stretches into southern Utah.
15th Nov 2021 - The Associated Press
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 15th Nov 2021
View this newsletter in fullCOVID-19: Active cases rise to 513, 50 new infections recorded
Malta recorded 50 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, figures published on the Health Ministry Facebook page show. Active have now risen to 513, after only 10 recoveries were registered. There are currently 16 patients currently being treated at Mater Dei Hospital, of whom three are in the ITU. Till yesterday, 901,238 doses were administered of which 70,036 are booster doses. No deaths were recorded. 462 total deaths have been recorded since the start of the pandemic.
13th Nov 2021 - Malta Today
SA records 17 Covid-19 deaths, 393 new Covid-19 cases
South Africa recorded 393 new Covid-19 cases and 17 deaths on Friday, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) has said. “Today the institute reports 393 new COVID-19 cases that have been identified in South Africa, which brings the total number of laboratory-confirmed cases to 2 925 371. “This increase represents a 1.3% positivity rate. “As per the National Department of Health, a further 17 COVID-19 related deaths have been reported, bringing total fatalities to 89 469 to date. “A total of 18 865 934 tests have been conducted in both public and private sectors,” the NICD said.
13th Nov 2021 - IOL
Concerns in Malaysia as Covid-19 cases exceed 6000 for third day running
Covid-19 cases are rising in Malaysia, hitting 6,517 on Friday (Nov 12), which is the highest number since Oct 22 and the third consecutive day the number has breached the 6,000 mark. The country's R0 (R-naught) value - or the average number of new infections generated by each case - has also risen to 1, which means Covid-19 is accelerating. It was 0.99 on Thursday. In a Facebook post on Friday, Health Ministry director-general Noor Hisham Abdullah disclosed that the infectivity rate in some states and territories were in fact above 1. The rate in Selangor was 1.03, Kelantan (1.02), Kuala Lumpur (1.04), Putrajaya (1.16), Negri Sembilan (1.01), and Pahang (1.01). Trending downwards since late July, the infectivity rate took a turn beginning Oct 20.
13th Nov 2021 - The Straits Times
Disease center urges Germans to cancel or avoid big events
Germany's disease control center is calling for people to cancel or avoid large events and to reduce their contacts as the country's coronavirus infection rate hits the latest in a string of new highs. The center, the Robert Koch Institute, said Friday that Germany's infection rate climbed to 263.7 new cases per 100,000 residents over seven days, up from 249.1 the previous day. Germany reported 48,640 new cases Friday, a day after the daily total topped 50,000 for the first time. Another 191 COVID-19 deaths brought Germany's total in the pandemic so far to 97,389.
12th Nov 2021 - The Associated Press on MSN.com
COVID-19 hot spots offer sign of what could be ahead for US
The contagious delta variant is driving up COVID-19 hospitalizations in the Mountain West and fueling disruptive outbreaks in the North, a worrisome sign of what could be ahead this winter in the U.S. While trends are improving in Florida, Texas and other Southern states that bore the worst of the summer surge, it’s clear that delta isn’t done with the United States. COVID-19 is moving north and west for the winter as people head indoors, close their windows and breathe stagnant air.
“We’re going to see a lot of outbreaks in unvaccinated people that will result in serious illness, and it will be tragic,” said Dr. Donald Milton of the University of Maryland School of Public Health.
12th Nov 2021 - Associated Press
Europe becomes COVID-19's epicentre again, some countries look at fresh curbs
Europe has become the epicentre of the pandemic again, prompting some governments to consider re-imposing unpopular lockdowns in the run-up to Christmas and stirring debate over whether vaccines alone are enough to tame COVID-19. Europe accounts for more than half of the average 7-day infections globally and about half of latest deaths, according to a Reuters tally, the highest levels since April last year when the virus was at its initial peak in Italy. Governments and companies are worried the prolonged pandemic will derail a fragile economic recovery. Countries including the Netherlands, Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic are taking or planning measures to curb the spread.
12th Nov 2021 - Reuters
Can at-home COVID-19 tests make holiday gatherings safer?
Can at-home COVID-19 tests make holiday gatherings safer? Yes, combined with vaccination, home test kits for COVID-19 can add a layer of safety and reassurance by providing on-the-spot results during this second year of pandemic holidays. “We will be using rapid tests to doublecheck everybody before we gather together,” says Dr. Emily Volk, president of the College of American Pathologists, who is planning a holiday meal with six vaccinated family members. “We’ll be doing it as they come in the door.” Home kits are not as accurate as the PCR tests done in hospitals and at testing sites, Volk says. But they have the advantage of giving results within minutes instead of days.
11th Nov 2021 - The Associated Press
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 12th Nov 2021
View this newsletter in fullIndia's Covaxin 77.8% Effective Against Covid in Lancet Study
Covaxin, a vaccine developed by India’s government medical research agency and Bharat Biotech International Ltd., was found to have a 77.8% efficacy rate against symptomatic Covid-19 in a long-awaited analysis published in The Lancet. Covaxin, which uses traditional, inactivated-virus technology, “induces a robust antibody response” two weeks after two doses are given, The Lancet said in a statement. No severe-vaccine-related deaths or adverse events were recorded during a randomized trial involving 24,419 participants aged 18-97 years between Nov. 2020 and May 2021 in India, the medical journal said.
11th Nov 2021 - Bloomberg
Covid-19: Berlin brings in tough new rules as cases soar
Authorities in Berlin will reimpose tighter coronavirus restrictions, which will deny unvaccinated people access to indoor restaurants, bars, gyms and hairdressers.
The city-wide rules, known as ‘2G’ in Germany, will only allow doubled jabbed residents or those who have proof they have immunity from coronavirus, to access indoor facilities and venues. In comes in a bid to curb “the rising number of coronavirus cases and the increasing pressure on intensive care units”, Berlin’s senate said on Wednesday evening.
11th Nov 2021 - Evening Standard
Germany was a Covid 'poster child.' Now it's seeing 50,000 cases a day, prompting a dramatic warning
Germany was once seen as a prime example of how to deal with the coronavirus. Now, it’s recording close to 50,000 new Covid cases a day, prompting a dire warning of a dramatic rise in fatalities from one expert. Germany is in the midst of what has been described as a fourth wave of Covid, as the delta variant spreads as the weather gets colder. Thursday marks the fourth day in a row that it has posted a fresh daily high, Reuters noted, with the number of new cases coming in at 50,196. Data from the country’s public health body, the Robert Koch Institute, showed that Germany’s total number of cases has now hit 4.89 million and that the number of fatalities stands at 97,198.
11th Nov 2021 - CNBC
Chinese city Dalian halts frozen food trade after COVID-19 cases
Chinese port city Dalian has ordered all businesses handling imported chilled and frozen foods to suspend operations after an outbreak of COVID-19 that began last week. The city on China's northeast coast has reported more than 80 COVID-19 cases over the past week, with the first in a warehouse worker in the Zhuanghe area of the city on Nov. 4. Local authorities issued the order on Monday, state-backed newspaper Global Times reported on Thursday.
11th Nov 2021 - Reuters
Canada's new COVID-19 epicenters are more remote, less vaccinated and less resourced
Canada's coronavirus epicenters are shifting from dense urban zones to more rural or remote areas that have lower vaccination rates and fewer public health resources. Some of those areas were spared in earlier waves of the pandemic and are now forced to contend with a widely spreading virulent strain of the coronavirus with fewer options at their disposal to deal with the surge. Canada has high overall vaccination rates but pockets of hesitancy allow the virus to spread.
11th Nov 2021 - Reuters
Russia's COVID deaths hit new daily peak, some hospitals run low on oxygen
Russia on Wednesday reported a record 1,239 deaths from COVID-19 in the previous 24 hours, two days after most of its regions emerged from a week-long workplace shutdown designed to curb the spread of the virus. "For now we cannot say with confidence that the situation has stabilised and the infection rate is declining," Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova told a government meeting. Her assessment was markedly more downbeat than that of Health Minister Mikhail Murashko, who had said on Tuesday that the nationwide "non-working days" from Oct. 30 to Nov. 7 had turned the tide in Russia's fight against the pandemic.
11th Nov 2021 - Reuters
Israeli 'wargame' sees kids suffering vaccine-resistant COVID strain
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and senior aides holed up in a nuclear command bunker on Thursday to simulate an outbreak of a vaccine-resistant COVID-19 variant to which children are vulnerable, describing such an eventuality as "the next war". Israel would brief foreign leaders next week on the findings of the drill, he said, citing Britain's Boris Johnson as among counterparts with whom he is in contact. Bennett said that, to enhance the challenge of the one-day exercise, he had been kept unaware of specific scenarios of an imagined 10-week crisis that starts over the December holidays.
11th Nov 2021 - Reuters
Britain reports 42408 new COVID cases, 195 deaths
Britain on Thursday reported 42,408 new COVID-19 cases and a further 195 deaths from the disease, government figures showed on Thursday. Reported cases have now risen for four days in a row, but cases over the last seven days are down 12% compared to the previous seven.
11th Nov 2021 - Reuters
German parliament debates new COVID-19 rules as cases soar
Germany's likely new chancellor Olaf Scholz urged more citizens to get vaccinated against COVID-19 on Thursday as the parliament debated new rules to tackle a fourth wave of infections without imposing lockdowns or making shots mandatory for anyone. The three parties negotiating to form Germany's new government have agreed to let a state of emergency in place since the start of the pandemic expire on Nov. 25, despite record new cases as colder weather and more indoor gatherings turn Europe once more into a coronavirus hotspot.
11th Nov 2021 - Reuters
Canada's new COVID-19 epicenters are more remote, less vaccinated and less resourced
Canada's coronavirus epicenters are shifting from dense urban zones to more rural or remote areas that have lower vaccination rates and fewer public health resources. Some of those areas were spared in earlier waves of the pandemic and are now forced to contend with a widely spreading virulent strain of the coronavirus with fewer options at their disposal to deal with the surge. Canada has high overall vaccination rates but pockets of hesitancy allow the virus to spread. In Ontario, Canada's most-populous province, the Sudbury health region about 250 miles (400 km) north of Toronto has tightened restrictions.
11th Nov 2021 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 11th Nov 2021
View this newsletter in fullWHO highlights that Europe is only region with rising COVID cases and deaths, as Russia overtakes U.S. for most fatalities in a week
The World Health Organization highlighted Wednesday that Europe was the only region showing rising cases and deaths from the coronavirus-borne illness COVID-19 in the latest week, led by Russia, where low vaccine take-up is believed to be responsible for about 1,200 deaths a day. Russia counted 281,305 new cases in the week to Nov. 7, according to the agency’s weekly epidemiological update, or 371.4 new cases per 100,000 residents. There were 8,276 new fatalities in Russia in the week, or 5.7 new deaths per 100,000 residents, little changed from the prior week. Russia set yet another one-day record death toll on Wednesday of 1,239, and is now leading the world by weekly deaths for the first time since the start of the pandemic, the Moscow Times reported.
10th Nov 2021 - MarketWatch
Germany coronavirus: Record rise prompts warning of 100,000 deaths
One of Germany's top virologists has warned that a further 100,000 people will die from Covid if nothing's done to halt an aggressive fourth wave. Case numbers have soared and Germany on Wednesday registered its highest rate of infection since the pandemic began, with almost 40,000 cases in a day. "We have to act right now," said Christian Drosten, who described a real emergency situation. Doctors in the intensive care Covid ward at Leipzig University Hospital warn this fourth wave could be the worst yet.
10th Nov 2021 - BBC News
Chinese city says it mass tested 30000 for COVID-19 at mega centre, rounded-up runaways
China's southwestern city of Chengdu said on Wednesday it had conducted 30,000 COVID-19 tests on visitors at a mega entertainment centre, and rounded-up those who tried to flee the site, in the second mass screening at a large venue in days.
All COVID-19 tests returned negative results, reported the official China Central Television (CCTV) on Tuesday. Those present were required to return home to await their results and not venture outdoors until advised, local authorities in Chengdu said in a notice
10th Nov 2021 - Reuters
Russia says it's turned tide on COVID cases, but deaths hit record high
Russia said last week's nationwide workplace shutdown had helped turn the tide of surging COVID-19 cases, even as officials on Tuesday reported the largest one-day death toll of the pandemic so far. All but a handful of Russia's 80-plus regions on Monday ended a "non-working" period from Oct. 30 to Nov. 7 that was ordered by President Vladimir Putin, the toughest nationwide restriction since the early months of the pandemic.
10th Nov 2021 - Reuters
Czechs, Slovaks report surge in COVID-19 cases, hospitals stretched
The Czech Republicand Slovakia reported fresh surges in coronavirus infections on Wednesday and again had to start limiting non-urgent hospital care to cater for admissions of COVID-19 patients. Slovakia, a country of 5.5 million, reported a record high 7,055 new cases for Tuesday, and the Czech Republic, twice the size, reported 14,539 cases, not far from an all-time peak seen in January. Both countries have been tightening restrictions but they have been far more lax than in previous waves thanks to partial shielding from vaccination and infections affecting younger people.
10th Nov 2021 - Reuters
UK reports 262 COVID-19 deaths, seven-day total up 2.6%
Britain reported 262 new deaths within 28 days of a positive COVID-19 test on Tuesday, up from 57 a day earlier, while the total death toll for the past seven days was 1,160, up 2.6% on the previous seven days, official data showed. A new 33,117 confirmed cases of the virus were also reported, up from 32,322 on Monday. The total for the past seven days was 239,034, down by 14.8% on the previous seven-day period.
10th Nov 2021 - Reuters UK
As many try living with virus, China keeps up zero tolerance
Article reports that Wang Lijie planned to spend three days in the Gobi Desert last month to take in the area’s famous poplar forest as its trees turned a golden yellow.
Instead, the Beijing resident has been stuck for more than three weeks, much of it in quarantine, after authorities discovered a cluster of COVID-19 cases in a nearby city. He was among more than 9,000 tourists who became trapped in Ejin Banner, a remote part of China’s Inner Mongolia region that is in the Gobi. As vaccination rates rise in many parts of the world and even countries that previously had strict COVID-containment strategies gingerly ease restrictions, China is doubling down on its zero-tolerance policy.
10th Nov 2021 - The Associated Press
COVID-19 surges expand in Europe
At least three countries, all with low vaccination rates, reported new daily record highs for deaths: Russia, Ukraine, and Bulgaria, according to media reports. Russia recently ended a week-long non-working period, and federal officials said it's too soon to tell if the step helped cut transmission, according to the Washington Post, which said less than 40% of the country is fully vaccinated. Cases are on the rise, however, even in countries with robust vaccine uptake. In the Netherlands, where cases have been rising since early October, the adult vaccination level is about 85%. A hospital group in the southern province of Limburg today urged the government to take stronger measures, warning that they are out of space and staff and that other areas may soon face similar situations, according to Reuters.
10th Nov 2021 - CIDRAP
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 10th Nov 2021
View this newsletter in fullYukon declares state of emergency over COVID-19
The Yukon government has declared a state of emergency, announcing new health regulations aimed at curbing the spread of COVID-19, including a proof-of-vaccination requirement set to take effect on Saturday. The declaration came after the territory reported 80 new COVID-19 infections diagnosed over a three-day period between Friday and Monday, for a total of 169 active cases. The territory says it is moving rapidly to implement a proof-of-vaccination system for a range of settings, including restaurants, ticketed events, fitness facilities and personal services businesses, as well as faith-based and cultural gatherings. It says the new measures also include mandatory masks in all indoor public settings and outdoor public settings where physical distancing isn't possible, as well as capacity limits on different types of indoor and outdoor gatherings.
9th Nov 2021 - CBC.ca
Morgues, hospitals struggle with COVID-19 deaths in Romania
The morgue in Romania’s main hospital has no space for the dead any more. In a stark illustration of the human cost of the coronavirus surge sweeping the nation, bodies of COVID-19 victims, wrapped in black plastic bags, line a hallway of the hospital in the capital, Bucharest. Hundreds of people have been dying each day for the past two months in Romania. The country has been among the hardest-hit in the current virus onslaught raging through Central and Eastern European nations, where far fewer people have been vaccinated than in Western Europe.
9th Nov 2021 - Al Jazeera English
France hits one-month high for patients hospitalised for COVID-19
French health authorities said on Monday the number of people hospitalised because of COVID-19 went up by 156 over the past 24 hours, the highest daily rise since Aug. 23, to reach a one-month peak of 6,865. The number of patients in intensive care units (ICUs) for the disease increased by 40 to 1,141, a ninth rise in 10 days. President Emmanuel Macron will speak to the nation on Tuesday about the resurgence of COVID-19 infections as well as his economic reform programme
9th Nov 2021 - Reuters
Bulgaria's daily COVID-19 deaths rise to record high
Bulgaria reported a record number of daily coronavirus deaths on Tuesday as the European Union's least vaccinated country grapples with a fourth wave of the pandemic, official data showed on Tuesday. New infections were 5,286, down from a peak in late October, while 334 people died of the virus, the highest daily death toll since the start of the pandemic. Over 8,500 people were in hospital, including 734 in intensive care units, the data showed.
9th Nov 2021 - Reuters
Dutch hospitals urge new measures as COVID-19 cases near record
A group of hospitals in the southern Dutch province of Limburg on Tuesday called for the government to take new measures to stem rising COVID-19 cases, saying they have no space or staff to handle more coronavirus patients. Coronavirus infections in the Netherlands, as in other parts of Europe, are approaching all-time highs despite adult vaccination levels around 85%. Prime Minister Mark Rutte's government announced last week new measures to slow the spread of the virus, two months after scrapping social distancing rules
9th Nov 2021 - Reuters
Russia's daily COVID-19 death toll hits new record high
Russia said last week's nationwide workplace shutdown had helped turn the tide of surging COVID-19 cases, even as officials on Tuesday reported the largest one-day death toll of the pandemic so far. All but a handful of Russia's 80-plus regions on Monday ended a "non-working" period from Oct. 30 to Nov. 7 that was ordered by President Vladimir Putin, the toughest nationwide restriction since the early months of the pandemic. The health minister told a televised government meeting on Tuesday that the increase in the number of patients receiving medical care had slowed last week for the first time since the beginning of August, though he said it remained "quite high."
9th Nov 2021 - Reuters
Global COVID-19 total tops 250 million infections
At a World Health Organization (WHO) media briefing on Nov 4, the group's COVID-19 technical lead, Maria Van Kerkhove, PhD, said virus activity is rising in places where it shouldn't be—in countries with ample vaccine and tools to fight the pandemic. She urged world leaders and health officials to channel their grief and anger over the pandemic's grim totals into actions to bring transmission under control and cut severe impacts and deaths. "The trajectory of the pandemic is in our hands. It has always been in our hands. What happens now and into 2022 is up to us," she said. In Europe, currently the world's main hot spot, Russia's week-long work stoppage designed to curb virus transmission has ended, but cases are still near record daily highs. Meanwhile, Germany's 7-day incidence rate climbed to its highest level of the pandemic, according to the latest update from the Robert Koch Institute. Health officials are facing the prospect of postponing some surgeries, and some regions are already transferring patients to cope with increased burden on hospitals from COVID-19 patients.
9th Nov 2021 - CIDRAP
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 9th Nov 2021
View this newsletter in fullGermany: COVID incidence rate jumps to over 200 for first time
Germany logged a record seven-day incidence rate of over 200 on Monday, according to the latest data released by the Robert Koch Institute of infectious diseases (RKI). The rate, which indicates the number of new COVID-19 infections per 100,000 people over the last week, is now the highest it's been since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. The previous record rate of 197.6 was set on December 22, 2020 — a time before vaccines were widely available.
8th Nov 2021 - DW (English)
UK PM Johnson: too many older people are being hospitalised with COVID
Too many elderly people are being hospitalised with COVID-19, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday, as he encouraged eligible people to book booster shots to counteract waning immunity from initial coronavirus vaccinations.
"We're starting to see too many elderly people getting into hospital. Sadly, the (COVID) jabs do wane," Johnson said, encouraging eligible people to book booster shots. "(The booster) is a very effective thing. It's a wonderful thing. People get 95% more protection... if you've gone over five months, you can go online and book your booster."
8th Nov 2021 - Reuters
Japan has zero daily COVID-19 deaths for first time in 15 months - media
Japan recorded no daily deaths from COVID-19 for the first time in more than a year on Sunday, local media said. Prior to Sunday, there had not been a day without a COVID-19 death since Aug. 2, 2020, according to a tally by national broadcaster NHK. COVID-19 cases and deaths have fallen dramatically throughout Japan as vaccinations have increased to cover more than 70% of the population.
8th Nov 2021 - Reuters
German coronavirus infection rate hits highest since pandemic began
Germany's coronavirus infection rate has risen to its highest level since the start of the pandemic, public health figures showed on Monday, and doctors warned they will need to postpone scheduled operations in coming weeks to cope. The seven-day incidence rate - the number of people per 100,000 to be infected over the last week - rose to 201.1, higher than a previous record of 197.6 in December last year, the figures from the Robert Koch Institute showed on Monday.
8th Nov 2021 - Reuters
Global COVID-19 cases hit 250 million, eastern Europe infections at record levels
Global COVID-19 cases surpassed 250 million on Monday as some countries in eastern Europe experience record outbreaks, even as the Delta variant surge eases and many countries resume trade and tourism. The daily average number of cases has fallen by 36% over the past three months, according to a Reuters analysis, but the virus is still infecting 50 million people worldwide every 90 days due to the highly transmissible Delta variant. By contrast, it took nearly a year to record the first 50 million COVID-19 cases.
8th Nov 2021 - Reuters
China records 65 local Covid-19 cases as people flee testing in Chengdu
China reported 65 new local symptomatic Covid-19 cases, up only slightly as some provinces claimed progress in controlling outbreaks – but police were investigating in Chengdu after people fled mandatory testing. According to the National Health Commission, the present wave of cases had reached 44 cities in 20 provinces, with most concentrated in the northern regions of Heilongjiang, Inner Mongolia and Gansu. Four of those provinces had not recorded any new local transmissions in a week.
8th Nov 2021 - South China Morning Post
Navajo Nation reports 60 more COVID-19 cases, no deaths
The Navajo Nation has reported 60 more COVID-19 cases but no new deaths. The latest numbers released Sunday pushed the tribe’s totals to 37,411 confirmed COVID-19 cases from the virus since the pandemic began more than a year ago.
The known death toll remains at 1,498. The tribe reported no COVID-related deaths 23 times in a 35-day span before reporting five deaths on Thursday and one death on Friday along with 88 new cases. Based on cases from Oct. 15-28, the Navajo Department of Health issued an advisory for 58 communities due to uncontrolled spread of COVID-19.Tribal officials still are urging people to get vaccinated, wear masks while in public and minimize their travel.
8th Nov 2021 - The Associated Press
German COVID infection rate at new high as vaccinations slow
Germany’s coronavirus infection rate climbed to its highest recorded level yet on Monday as what officials have called a “pandemic of the unvaccinated” gathers pace. The national disease control center, the Robert Koch Institute, said the country has seen 201.1 new cases per 100,000 residents over the past seven days. That was above the previous record of 197.6 from Dec. 22 last year. While it’s still a lower rate than in several other European countries, it has set alarm bells ringing. The seven-day infection rate has long ceased to be the only policy yardstick in Germany, with new hospital admissions now an important factor. Those are currently at just under 4 per 100,000 residents over a week — compared with a peak of about 15.5 last Christmas — but officials say hospitals are filling up in badly affected areas.
8th Nov 2021 - The Associated Press
China reports 89 COVID cases as outbreaks grow
China reported 89 new COVID-19 cases for November 7 compared with 74 a day earlier, its health authority said on Monday. Of the new infections, 65 were locally transmitted cases, according to a statement by the National Health Commission, compared with 50 a day earlier. More than half of the new local cases were found in the provinces of Liaoning and Henan. China reported 46 new asymptomatic patients, which it classifies separately from confirmed cases, compared with 35 a day earlier. There were no new deaths, leaving the death toll unchanged at 4,636.
8th Nov 2021 - Al Jazeera English
Germany's COVID-19 infection rate hits record high
Germany’s coronavirus infection rate has risen to a record days after Health Minister Jens Spahn warned that a massive “pandemic of the unvaccinated” was gathering pace. The seven-day incidence rate – the number of people per 100,000 to be infected over the last week – rose to 201.1 on Monday, higher than a previous record of 197.6 in December last year, figures from the Robert Koch Institute for infectious diseases showed.
8th Nov 2021 - Al Jazeera English
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 8th Nov 2021
View this newsletter in fullUK reports 30305 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday, 62 deaths
Britain reported 62 deaths on Sunday of people who had tested positive for COVID-19 within the past 28 days, and a further 30,305 new infections. The government figures show a fall from the 155 deaths and 30,693 new cases reported on Saturday.
7th Nov 2021 - Reuters
Rising Covid-19 Breakthrough Cases Hinder Efforts to Control Virus
Covid-19 infections among vaccinated people are complicating the fight to bring the coronavirus under control. And in the U.K., where the path of the disease has been more closely tracked than just about anywhere in the world, they are on the rise.
Breakthroughs happen because vaccines, while still offering strong protection against severe illness and death, aren’t bulletproof. The virus can still in some cases infect the body and replicate, causing illness, before the immune response can tackle it. Immunity from vaccination also wanes over time, prompting many countries, including the U.K., to roll out booster-shot campaigns.
6th Nov 2021 - The Wall Street Journal
Ukraine COVID-19 deaths hit record amid low vaccination rate
Ukraine's health ministry on Saturday reported a one-day record of 793 deaths from COVID-19. Ukraine has been inundated by coronavirus infections in recent weeks, putting the country's underfunded medical system under severe strain. The ministry said 25,063 new infections had been tallied over the past day; a record 27,377 were reported on Thursday. Although four different coronavirus vaccines are available in Ukraine, only 17.9% of the country's 41 million people have been fully vaccinated, the second-lowest rate in Europe after Armenia. In a bid to stem contagion, Ukrainian authorities have required teachers, government employees and other workers to get fully vaccinated by Nov. 8 or face having their salary suspended. In addition, proof of vaccination or a negative test is now required to board planes, trains and long-distance buses. Earlier this week, protesters marched in the capital of Kyiv to decry the new restrictions.
6th Nov 2021 - The Independent
New infections hit record as Russia's COVID-19 wave persists
Russia s COVID-19 cases hit another one-day record as the country struggles to contain a wave of infections and deaths that has persisted for more than a month.
The national coronavirus task force on Saturday reported 41,335 new cases since the previous day, exceeding the previous daily record of 40,993 from Oct. 31. The task force said 1,188 people with COVID-19 died, just seven fewer than the daily death record reported Thursday. Officials cite Russia's low vaccination rate as a major factor in the sharp rise in cases that began in mid-September. The task force reported about 57.2 million full-course vaccinations, or less than 40% of the country’s 146 million people.
6th Nov 2021 - The Independent
New Zealand's daily coronavirus cases cross 200 for first time in pandemic
New Zealand's 206 new daily community infections on Saturday carried it past the double-hundred mark for the first time during the coronavirus pandemic, as the nation scrambles to vaccinate its population of 5 million. The most populous city of Auckland, which reported 200 of the new cases, has lived under COVID-19 curbs for nearly three months as it battles an outbreak of the infectious Delta variant, although restrictions are expected to ease on Monday
6th Nov 2021 - Reuters
Covid-19 update: 206 new community cases reported today
There have been a record 206 new community cases of Covid-19 reported in New Zealand today, as the total number of vaccinations in this country tops 7 million. There was no media conference today. In a statement, the Ministry of Health said there were 200 cases in Auckland, four in Waikato and two in Northland. The Ministry said 159 are yet to be linked to earlier cases, with 623 unlinked cases in the past 14 days. The ministry later sent through another statement saying an additional case in Northland had been confirmed. All Northland cases are close contacts of existing cases. They had all been isolating since been told they were close contacts, and as such there are no new locations of interest, Northland District Health Board said via the ministry.
6th Nov 2021 - RNZ
Tonga recorded its first-ever COVID-19 case as Pacific charts pandemic recovery
The main island of Tonga has gone into a week-long lockdown after the South Pacific nation reported its very first COVID-19 case of the pandemic late last week.
The COVID-positive traveler, who is fully vaccinated and was showing no symptoms, arrived in Tonga last Wednesday on a flight from Christchurch, New Zealand. All 214 others aboard the flight have tested negative and the infected traveler, a young missionary, is currently quarantined in a facility. "So far, we're very happy that nothing else has happened besides that one case," Dr. Viliami Puloka told NPR from his home in Nuku'alofa, the capital of Tonga. The retired general practitioner and public health specialist said it was just a matter of time before the virus reached them.
5th Nov 2021 - NPR
Is the debate over the origin of Covid-19 still worth having?
The ongoing rhetoric from Republican politicians about the origin of Covid-19 accomplishes nothing other than further polarizing U.S. society. The available public records show that the work done at the Wuhan Institute of Virology using U.S. government funds could not have created SARS-CoV-2, The most recent lab-leak related controversy has centered on grant-related paperwork violations. The scientific community has also been riven by unpleasant disputes. Allegations have been made that lab-leak opponents must have conflicts of interest, however nebulous. One positive outcome is that lab-leak theory has refocused the world’s virologists on an important scientific topic: gain-of-function research.
5th Nov 2021 - STAT News
COVID-19 tears through generation of unvaccinated Romanian elderly
Elderly patients gasping for air through oxygen masks in a central Romanian hospital struggled to explain why they had not been vaccinated despite easy access earlier in the coronavirus pandemic. Romania has the second lowest vaccination rate in the 27-nation European Union and one of the highest COVID-19 mortality rates in the world, with doctors warning that the pandemic is ravaging a generation of grandparents.
5th Nov 2021 - Reuters
France's Macron to address the nation on Tuesday as COVID cases surge
French President Emmanuel Macron will speak to the nation on Tuesday about the resurgence of COVID-19 infections as well as his economic reform programme, the government said on Friday. Infection rates have accelerated strongly in the past month, with the number of new COVID-19 cases rising by double-digit percentages from last week for several days in a row. "The epidemic is picking up speed again in Europe, Europe has again become the epicentre of the epidemic," government spokesman Gabriel Attal told reporters,
5th Nov 2021 - Reuters
UK reports 193 new COVID deaths, 34029 cases
Britain reported 193 deaths on Friday of people who had tested positive for COVID-19 within the past 28 days, and an extra 34,029 cases. The government figures show a fall from the 214 deaths and 37,269 new cases reported on Thursday.
5th Nov 2021 - Reuters
England's COVID prevalence steadies at highest level of the year, ONS says
The prevalence of COVID-19 infections in England remained at around 1 in 50 people in the week ending Oct 30, a school half-term break, Britain's Office for National Statistics said on Friday, steadying at its highest level of the year. The ONS said that prevalence was unchanged from the previous week, after five straight weeks of rising infections. The ONS said that the trend was "uncertain" in the latest week, after infections had been on the rise leading up to the half term break, which for most schools started on Oct 25.
5th Nov 2021 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 5th Nov 2021
View this newsletter in fullEurope's 'insufficient vaccine coverage' is blamed by WHO for surge in Covid cases
WHO Europe director Hans Kluge warned Europe is now 'back at the centre of the pandemic.' Kluge said the rising number of cases could mean another half a million people will die from Covid in the next three months. Kluge blamed the caseload of Europe's 'insufficient vaccination coverage,' It comes as Germany recorded record number of cases, with health minister warning a 'massive' pandemic of the unvaccinated
4th Nov 2021 - Daily Mail
Covid-19: 12 more deaths and 1,481 new coronavirus cases
Twelve more Covid-19-related deaths have been reported in Northern Ireland on Thursday. Deaths are measured by recording those who died within 28 days of receiving a positive result in a test for coronavirus. The total number of deaths linked to Covid-19 in Northern Ireland since the start of the pandemic is 2,737.
Another 1,481 cases of coronavirus were reported, up from 995 cases recorded on Wednesday. That includes cases confirmed from samples taken in recent days, not necessarily just in the latest 24-hour reporting period.
4th Nov 2021 - BBC News
Russia's daily COVID-19 death toll hits record high
Russia's daily COVID-19 death toll reached a record high of 1,195 on Thursday amid a surge in cases that has forced officials to impose a nationwide workplace shutdown. The government coronavirus task force also reported 40,217 new infections in the past 24 hours, including 6,305 in Moscow.
4th Nov 2021 - Reuters
England sees record COVID prevalence in October -Imperial study
COVID-19 prevalence in England rose to its highest level on record in October, Imperial College London said on Thursday, led by a high numbers of cases in children and a surge in the south-west of the country. Nearly 6% of school-aged children had COVID-19, the researchers found, although there was a drop in prevalence towards the end of the study's period coinciding with the closure of schools for half-term holiday. Despite that dip, researchers said rates had doubled in older groups compared to September, a concerning sign as the government races to give booster shots to the most vulnerable.
4th Nov 2021 - Reuters
Croatia, Slovenia hit highest number of daily COVID-19 infections
Croatia reported on Thursday 6,310 infections of COVID-19 which is the highest daily number of infections since the beginning of the pandemic, the national health authorities said. At the moment there are 25,628 active COVID-19 cases in a country of around 4 million people, while 1,680 patients require hospital treatment.
In Croatia a bit over 50% of population is fully vaccinated and experts largely blame such a low vaccination rate for the increase in infections in recent weeks.
4th Nov 2021 - Reuters
German COVID-19 cases hit daily record as health ministers meet
Germany reported 33,949 new COVID-19 infections, the highest daily increase since the start of the pandemic last year, ahead of a two-day meeting of state health ministers starting on Thursday. Countries across Europe have been reporting rises in coronavirus infections, prompting debate over whether to reintroduce restrictions and how to persuade more people to get vaccinated. The daily number of cases was likely inflated by a public holiday in parts of Germany on Monday that led to a delay in data-gathering. The previous record was on Dec. 18, with 33,777 cases.
4th Nov 2021 - Reuters
Austrian coronavirus cases surge as lockdown for vaccine holdouts looms
Having taken a hands-off approach to restrictions last summer, the conservative-led government has since outlined a plan under which the unvaccinated population will be placed under lockdown, with restrictions on their daily movements, once 600 intensive-care beds are filled with COVID-19 patients. Under that incremental plan the unvaccinated, not including those who have recovered from a coronavirus infection, will be barred from cafes and restaurants once 500 intensive-care beds are occupied by COVID-19 patients. The number of those beds currently in use is 352 and rising by more than 10 a day.
4th Nov 2021 - Reuters on MSN.com
Belgian COVID-19 hospitalisations rise back to Oct 2020 levels
Belgium on Thursday reported a jump in COVID-19 infections and hospitalisations rose back to levels that had forced a lockdown in October 2020, as the United States advised against travelling to the host of EU and NATO headquarters. Data from Belgium's Sciensano health institute showed 6,728 daily new cases on average in the last 14 days, up 36% from the previous week. An average of 164 patients with COVID-19 were admitted to hospitals daily in the last seven days, a 31% increase, and 343 coronavirus patients were in intensive care.
4th Nov 2021 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 4th Nov 2021
View this newsletter in fullFrance reports more than 10000 new COVID cases for 1st time in two months
French health authorities reported 10,050 daily new COVID-19 infections on Wednesday, the first time the tally has topped 10,000 since Sept 14. In another sign the virus is ramping up again, hospitalisations for the disease are up by 84, at 6,764, a rise unseen since Sept 6. The cumulative total of new cases now stands at 7.18 million. The number of COVID-19 patients in intensive care rose by 5 in 24 hours to 1,096 and by 58 over a week.
3rd Nov 2021 - Reuters
COVID-19 hospitalizations spike in Colorado
Colorado’s COVID-19 hospitalizations are at their highest peak since last December, according to state data. As of Wednesday, the state had nearly 1,254 hospitalizations, with 80% made up of unvaccinated COVID-19 patients, according to the Colorado health department’s data dashboard. That state data indicates that 30% of state hospital facilities are anticipating ICU bed shortages in the next week.
Democratic Gov. Jared Polis issued two executive orders on Sunday in response to the state’s hospitalization increase — one calling for additional National Guard resources and another ordering hospitals and emergency departments to transfer or stop admitting new patients due to the lack of hospital beds.
3rd Nov 2021 - The Associated Press
COVID-19 cases rise in Europe for 5th consecutive week
The number of coronavirus cases has risen in Europe for the fifth consecutive week, making it the only world region where COVID-19 is still increasing, the World Health Organization reported Wednesday. In its weekly report on the pandemic, the U.N. health agency said new cases jumped by 6%, or 3 million, in Europe compared to an 18% increase the previous week. The weekly number of new infections in other regions either fell or remained about the same, according to the report. The sharpest drops were seen in the Middle East where new cases decreased by 12%, and in Southeast Asia and Africa, where they fell by 9%.
3rd Nov 2021 - The Independent
In Russia, COVID-19 surge shows no signs of abating
Daily coronavirus cases and deaths in Russia remained at all-time highs Wednesday as more regions announced extending existing restrictions in an effort to tame the country's unrelenting surge of infections. Russia's state coronavirus task force reported over 40,000 new confirmed cases from a day earlier, the most since the start of the pandemic. It was the fifth time in seven days that the country set a daily case record. The task force also reported 1,189 deaths, another daily record. Russia is five days into a nationwide non-working period that the government introduced to curb the spread of the virus. Last month, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered many Russians to stay off work between Oct. 30 and Nov. 7. He authorized regional governments to extend the number of non-working days, if necessary.
3rd Nov 2021 - The Independent
Covid cases are surging in countries such as Romania and China – and scientists say the UK can learn from them
Countries around the world are reintroducing measures such as mask-wearing and work-from-home orders to curb a surge in Covid cases, which experts say the UK should also be doing instead of relying on vaccines alone. The Netherlands became one of the first countries in western Europe to bring back masks, while Russia said an order for people not to go to work for a week from 30 October could be extended after it reported a record 1,178 Covid daily deaths on Tuesday. China’s zero-Covid policy has allowed it to quickly quell local outbreaks but not stop them entirely, while increased cases in Romania and Ireland has seen authorities reimpose or extend measures for several weeks.
3rd Nov 2021 - iNews
S.Korean teens drive up COVID-19 cases ahead of full school reopening
South Korea said on Wednesday it would ramp up COVID-19 testing at schools after a sharp rise of infections among children, weeks ahead of a plan to fully reopen schools nationwide. The surge comes as new social distancing rules aimed at a phased return to normal came into effect on Monday as a part of the country's plan to gradually move toward living with COVID-19 on the back of high vaccination rates.
3rd Nov 2021 - Reuters
Slovenia records highest daily number of COVID cases
Slovenia registered a record high 3,456 COVID-19 infections on Tuesday, or 44.7% of the number of people tested, the state health institute said, as medical experts suggest tighter restrictions to rein in the pandemic. Currently there are 29,354 active COVID-19 cases in the small Alpine state of some two million people. There are 1.12 million fully vaccinated people, or 53% of the overall population. Medical experts this week proposed tightening curbs on gatherings, including shorter opening hours for bars and restaurants and work from home for public sector employees, national television reported.
3rd Nov 2021 - Reuters
COVID-19 has declined across the Americas, regional health agency says
COVID-19 deaths and infections have declined across the Americas for the 8th consecutive week, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) said on Wednesday, warning that a very high percentage of hospitalized cases now are unvaccinated people. In North America, all three countries reported drops in weekly cases and deaths, and there has been a notable decline in hospitalizations in the United States and Canada, PAHO said, with similar declines in South and Central America. The regional health branch of the World Health Organization said 46% of the Latin American and Caribbean population have been fully vaccinated, and a majority of countries have already reached the WHO's 40% vaccination coverage target set for the end of the year.
3rd Nov 2021 - Reuters
China's COVID-19 cases spike ahead of Communist Party conclave
China's new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases spiked to a near three-month high and tighter curbs to contain the spread are expected in the capital Beijing ahead of a key gathering of the highest-ranking members of the Communist Party next week.
The National Health Commission confirmed on Wednesday 93 new local symptomatic cases for Nov. 2, up from 54 a day earlier and the highest daily count since Aug. 9 at the peak of China's last major outbreak. Beijing reported nine new local infections, the biggest one-day increase in the capital this year.
3rd Nov 2021 - Reuters
Czech daily COVID-19 cases near 10000, highest since March
The number of daily COVID-19 cases reported in the Czech Republic neared 10,000 for the first time since March, health ministry data showed on Wednesday.
The country recorded 9,902 new infections on Tuesday, up from 6,284 on the same day a week ago. Hospitalisations reached more than 2,000 for the first time since May, including 288 people in intensive care. The country like others in central Europe has seen a renewed jump in COVID-19 cases.
3rd Nov 2021 - Reuters
UK records 41299 new COVID cases, 217 deaths
Britain reported 41,299 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday and 217 more deaths within 28 days of a positive test, official data showed.The figures compared to 33,865 cases on Tuesday and 293 deaths.
3rd Nov 2021 - Reuters
World Economic Forum postpones China event due to COVID-19
The World Economic Forum said on Wednesday that it is postponing its event planned for later this month in the Chinese city of Tianjin due to the outbreak of COVID-19 cases in the country, where new locally transmitted cases hit a near three-month high. "Regretfully, due to the circumstances around the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and recent cases in major cities and provinces in China, the Annual Meeting of the New Champions will be rescheduled," the WEF said in an email to participants.
3rd Nov 2021 - Reuters
Christmas may be tough as COVID not over, England's deputy medical officer says
Christmas may be difficult as the COVID-19 pandemic is not over, England's deputy chief medical officer warned on Wednesday, urging people to behave with caution and come forward for booster shots. Britain reported 293 deaths from COVID-19 on Tuesday, the highest daily figure since March, and there have been an average of around 40,000 new cases each day in recent weeks. Prime Minister Boris Johnson lifted restrictions in England in July, and has said he plans to cope with COVID over the winter by relying on vaccinations rather than mandating masks or lockdowns.
3rd Nov 2021 - Reuters
S.Korean teens drive up COVID-19 cases ahead of full school reopening
South Korea said on Wednesday it would ramp up COVID-19 testing at schools after a sharp rise of infections among children, weeks ahead of a plan to fully reopen schools nationwide.The surge comes as new social distancing rules aimed at a phased return to normal came into effect on Monday as a part of the country's plan to gradually move toward living with COVID-19 on the back of high vaccination rates. South Korea has fully vaccinated nearly 90% of its adult population but only began inoculating children aged between 12 and 17 in recent weeks, administering just 0.6% of the age group with both doses so far.
3rd Nov 2021 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 3rd Nov 2021
View this newsletter in fullColorado at Risk of Running Out of Hospital Beds This Month
Colorado could come close to running out of hospital beds in late November or early December if Covid-19 infections accelerate, officials warned Tuesday. An estimated 1,900 of the state’s roughly 2,000 beds could be occupied under a worst-case scenario, Rachel Herlihy, state epidemiologist, said during an online news briefing. At the current pace, hospitalizations are projected to peak at 1,500, Herlihy said. An estimated 1-in-51 state residents are contagious, Governor Jared Polis said during the briefing, imploring Coloradoans to get vaccinated. Polis said the delta variant is “like a laser-guided missile.”
2nd Nov 2021 - Bloomberg
COVID-19 deaths hit another daily record in hard-hit Russia
Coronavirus deaths in Russia hit another daily record Tuesday, four days since a nationwide order for many Russians to stay off work took effect. Russia's state coronavirus task force reported 39,008 new confirmed cases and 1,178 COVID-19 deaths. The task force has reported record daily infections or deaths almost every day for the last month. To reduce the spread of the coronavirus, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a nationwide non-working period for Oct. 30-Nov. 7. Putin has said that governments in regions where the situation is most dire could add more non-working days, if needed. The Novgorod region became the first one to do so Monday, extending the period by another week.
2nd Nov 2021 - The Independent
Slight rise in Covid-19 deaths registered in England and Wales
The number of deaths involving coronavirus registered each week in England and Wales has risen for the second week in a row, though figures remain at a low level.
A total of 792 deaths registered in the week ending October 22 mentioned Covid-19 on the death certificate, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). This is up 11% on the previous week, and follows a 7% rise a week earlier.
2nd Nov 2021 - Evening Standard
Covid-19: MPs told to wear face masks in Commons after ‘major’ Covid outbreak in Parliament
MPs have been ordered to cancel face-to-face meetings and events with visitors and start wearing face masks at all times in the Commons due to a major covid outbreak on parliamentary estate. The new rules will be in place for at least two weeks after advice from the UK Health Security Agency, which has warned of a “greater” risk of transmission in parliament.
Tours, banquets and other events with outside visitors will be cancelled, while MPs – who had been exempt from face coverings in the Commons – are now being told to to wear them in line with parliamentary staff, contractors and journalists.
2nd Nov 2021 - iNews
Greece reports record high daily COVID-19 infections
Greece recorded 5,449 new coronavirus infections in the past 24 hours, authorities said on Monday, the highest single-day figure since the pandemic began early last year. Another 52 people died from COVID-19 over the past day, taking the total to 15,990 among 747,595 COVID-19 cases. Giannis Oikonomou, a spokesman for the government, said it was "pressing" to increase the number of vaccinations, which have been moving at a slower pace than authorities anticipated. "We're not done with COVID yet. As long as there are unvaccinated people, the virus finds a suitable ground to spread," Oikonomou told a regular news briefing on Monday.
2nd Nov 2021 - Reuters
UK records 40077 new COVID-19 cases, 40 deaths on Monday
The United Kingdom recorded 40,077 new COVID-19 cases on Monday and 40 deaths of people who had tested positive for the disease within 28 days, government data showed. That compares with 38,009 coronavirus cases and 74 deaths a day earlier.
2nd Nov 2021 - Reuters UK
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 2nd Nov 2021
View this newsletter in fullRussia counts cost of missteps, vaccine refusals as COVID tide keeps rising
Ambulance attendant Roman Stebakov has come face-to-face with COVID-19 many times - but he'd rather take his chances with the disease than get himself injected with Russia's Sputnik V vaccine. Their attitudes help explain why the first nation in the world to approve a COVID-19 vaccine - and then export it to more than 70 countries - is struggling to inoculate its own population and has racked up record 24-hour death tolls on 21 days in the past month.
1st Nov 2021 - Yahoo News UK
Latvia gets ventilators, other aid from EU countries amid COVID spike
Latvia has received shipments of emergency medical equipment from the Netherlands, Finland, Hungary and Sweden as it fights the worst surge in new COVID-19 cases in the European Union amid a low take-up of vaccinations. The Baltic country of 1.9 million people filed a request last week to the European Union for more than 130 ventilators and hundreds of vital signs monitors, BNS news agency said. Latvian hospitals were treating 1,526 coronavirus patients on Sunday, their highest number ever, the public broadcaster said. One large Riga hospital, the PSKUS, converted its hallway into a makeshift ward on Monday to treat patients, news portal Delfi reported.
1st Nov 2021 - Reuters
Singapore may see 2,000 COVID-19 deaths each year- minister
Singapore could see as many 2,000 COVID-19 deaths annually over time, mainly among the elderly,but it was focused on avoiding excess mortality, a minister said on Monday, as the country battles its biggest surge in infections. At 0.2% Singapore's COVID-19 case fatality rate is similar to the rate of deaths from pneumonia before the pandemic struck, said Janil Puthucheary, a senior minister of state in parliament. It is also lower than other countries where cases surged before vaccination, he said.
1st Nov 2021 - Reuters
COVID-19's global death toll tops 5 million in under 2 years
The global death toll from Covid-19 topped 5 million on Monday, less than two years into a crisis that has not only devastated poor countries but also humbled wealthy ones with first-rate health care systems. Together, the United States the European Union, Britain and Brazil — all upper-middle- or high-income countries — account for one-eighth of the world’s population but nearly half of all reported deaths. The US alone has recorded over 740,000 lives lost, more than any other nation. “This is a defining moment in our lifetime,” said Dr Albert Ko, an infectious disease specialist at the Yale School of Public Health. “What do we have to do to protect ourselves so we don’t get to another 5 million?”
1st Nov 2021 - The Independent
What's behind the Dominican Republic's new surge in Covid-19 cases?
Dr. Jorge Marte, director of the Center for Diagnosis, Advanced Medicine and Telemedicine (CEDIMAT), one of the main hospitals in Santo Domingo, points to the spread of new variants and the reopening of schools as significant factors in the country's surging case numbers. The country's public health ministry quickly sought to wrest control of the new spread, announcing on Oct 8 new precautionary measures requiring people aged 13 and older to show a vaccination card or negative PCR test in order to access public places, like schools and workplaces. Proof of vaccination would also be required for entrance to restaurants, gyms and public transportation. But those measures could only go so far, according to Marte, who says that despite the introduction of booster shots, the country's overall vaccination campaign has been insufficient. Less than 50% of the total Dominican population has been fully vaccinated, according to JHU. The government had aimed to vaccinate 70% of the country's eligible population with at least two doses.
1st Nov 2021 - CNN
Covid-19: Ten more deaths and 948 new coronavirus cases
Ten more Covid-19-related deaths have been reported in Northern Ireland on Monday. Deaths are measured by recording those who died within 28 days of receiving a positive result in a test for coronavirus. The total number of deaths linked to Covid-19 in Northern Ireland since the start of the pandemic is 2,715. Another 948 cases of coronavirus were reported, down from 1,001 cases recorded on Sunday. That includes cases confirmed from samples taken in recent days, not necessarily just in the latest 24-hour reporting period.
1st Nov 2021 - BBC News
COVID-19: UK records another 38,009 coronavirus cases and 74 related deaths
The UK has recorded a further 38,009 coronavirus cases and 74 related deaths in the latest 24-hour period, the latest government figures show. It compares with yesterday's figures when 41,278 positive COVID-19 infections and 166 deaths were reported, while 39,962 cases and 72 fatalities were logged this time last week. The latest figures also show a total of 49,955,853 people have had one dose of a coronavirus vaccine - with another 33,763 doses being administered. The death toll, as tallied by Johns Hopkins University, is about equal to the populations of Los Angeles and San Francisco combined. It rivals the number of people killed in battles among nations since 1950, according to estimates from the Peace Research Institute Oslo. Globally, Covid is now the third leading cause of death, after heart disease and stroke.
1st Nov 2021 - Sky News
Global Covid-19 death toll passes 5m
The global death toll from Covid-19 has passed 5 million, 19 months after the pandemic was first declared, according to figures released by Johns Hopkins University. Some experts, including those from the World Health Organization, believe the true toll may be two to three times higher than official figures suggest.
The number of deaths from Covid-19 far outstrip that of other viral epidemics in the 21st century and most from the 20th century, with the notable exception of the Spanish flu. The US, Brazil, India, Mexico and the UK together account for more than half of all deaths worldwide. In the last 28 days, Johns Hopkins University has logged 197,116 deaths and 11.7 million new cases around the world.
1st Nov 2021 - The Guardian
New COVID-19 restrictions in force in Ukraine's capital amid spike in cases
The Ukrainian capital Kyiv implemented tough new restrictions on Monday in an attempt to stem a surge in COVID-19 infections that is affecting many countries across eastern Europe amid a low take-up of vaccinations. Ukraine had registered 2.94 million infections and 68,027 deaths as of Nov. 1. Only 7.4 million people, or less than a fifth of the total population of around 41 million, has been fully vaccinated so far. From Monday residents of Kyiv will have to present vaccine certificates or evidence of a negative COVID-19 test to use restaurants, cafes, gyms, entertainment facilities and shopping malls. Staff working in those places must have been vaccinated.
1st Nov 2021 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 1st Nov 2021
View this newsletter in fullUK reports 41278 new COVID cases, 166 deaths
Britain reported 41,278 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday and 166 more deaths within 28 days of a positive test, official data showed. The figures compared to 43,467 new infections and 186 deaths reported on Friday.
30th Oct 2021 - Reuters
One person in 50 had Covid in England last week, ONS data shows
Coronavirus infections in England have increased to the same levels seen at the height of the second wave in January, data has revealed, with one in 50 people in the community having the virus last week. According to figures from the Office for National Statistics, based on swabs collected from randomly selected households, an estimated 2% of people had Covid in the week ending 22 October – about 1,102,800 people. Such levels were last seen in the weeks around late December and early January, when the second wave of Covid swept across the country. The figures mark a rise on the week before, when about one in 55 people in the community in England were thought to have Covid. Such levels were last seen in the weeks around late December and early January, when the second wave of Covid swept across the country.
30th Oct 2021 - The Guardian
World could go ‘back to square one’ with new COVID-19 strains without more vaccine aid
Australia has been urged to ramp up its COVID-19 vaccine aid to developing countries and encourage other nations to do the same at this weekend’s summit of global leaders to reduce the risk of dangerous new strains emerging. Research commissioned by UNICEF Australia ahead of the G20 meeting of the world’s major economies shows Australia’s per capita vaccine supply is nine times higher than doses delivered per capita to Sub-Saharan Africa.
30th Oct 2021 - Sydney Morning Herald
With coronavirus untamed, Russia suffers deadliest September since World War II
Russia suffered its deadliest September since World War II, according to figures published on Friday, even before the peak of its current wave of the Covid-19 pandemic forced authorities to order non-working days for the first week of November. There were 44,265 deaths associated with the virus last month, bringing the pandemic’s total to nearly half a million, according to Federal Statistics Service data published late on Friday. That contributed to the highest number of September fatalities since the war, said Alexei Raksha, a demographer who left the agency last year after a dispute over its coronavirus numbers.
30th Oct 2021 - South China Morning Post
China's COVID-19 outbreak developing rapidly, health official says
China's latest COVID-19 outbreak is developing rapidly, a health official said, as the authorities demanded high vigilance at ports of entry amid growing infections in a northeastern border city caused by the virus arriving from abroad. Some 377 domestically transmitted cases with confirmed symptoms were reported from Oct. 17-29, National Health Commission (NHC) data showed. China has tackled a series of outbreaks this year since it largely contained a national spread in early 2020.
29th Oct 2021 - Reuters
Poland's tally of COVID-19 infections crosses 3 mln
Poland's total number of COVID-19 cases since the start of the pandemic passed 3 million on Friday, health ministry data showed, with daily cases hitting their highest in the fourth wave as a spike in infections gathers pace. Amid wide disregard for rules on wearing masks, infections in Poland are surging ahead of All Saints' Day, when crowds of people visit cemetries to pay their respects to the dead in a tradition that could contribute to the spread of the virus.
29th Oct 2021 - Reuters
Russia says at least 44265 people died from COVID-19 in Sept
At least 44,265 people died in Russia in September due to the coronavirus and related causes, taking the toll to around 462,000 since the pandemic began, state statistics service Rosstat said on Friday. The figure was down from a peak of 51,044 in July, although infections and fatalities began to surge again in the second half of September and have repeatedly touched record levels this month, leading authorities to reintroduce stricter health restrictions.
29th Oct 2021 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 29th Oct 2021
View this newsletter in fullSingapore probes unusual surge in COVID-19 cases after record
Singapore is looking into an "unusual surge" of 5,324 new infections of COVID-19, the city-state's health ministry said, its highest such figure since the beginning of the pandemic, as beds in intensive care units fill up. Ten new deaths on Wednesday carried the toll to 349, after 3,277 infections the previous day, while the ICU utilisation rate is nearing 80%, despite a population that is 84% fully vaccinated, with 14% receiving booster doses. "The infection numbers are unusually high today, mostly due to many COVID-positive cases detected by the testing laboratories within a few hours in the afternoon," the health ministry said in a statement.
28th Oct 2021 - Reuters
COVID infections, deaths dropping across the Americas -health agency
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) said on Wednesday, reporting that last week the continent's death and infection figures were the lowest in over a year.
Many of the larger Caribbean islands are seeing downward trends, including Cuba, the site of a major months-long COVID-19 outbreak. However, Paraguay saw a doubling of coronavirus cases in the last week and Belize a sharp jump in COVID-related deaths, the regional branch of the World Health Organization said in a briefing.
28th Oct 2021 - Reuters
UK reports 43941 more COVID-19 cases, 207 further deaths
Britain on Wednesday reported 43,941 more cases of COVID-19 and 207 further deaths within 28 days of a positive test, according to official data.
28th Oct 2021 - Reuters
Germany's COVID caseload makes biggest leap in two weeks
Germany's coronavirus caseload took its biggest jump in two weeks on Thursday, with over 28,000 new infections, the Robert Koch Institute said, adding heft to worries about restrictions this winter. The number of new infections per 100,000 people over seven days - one of the metrics used to determine policy measures - stands at 130.2, up 12.2 points from 118.0 the previous day. New infections have been steadily creeping up since mid-October
28th Oct 2021 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 28th Oct 2021
View this newsletter in fullRussia reports record COVID-19 daily death toll
Russia on Wednesday reported 1,123 new COVID-19 deaths, its highest one-day toll of the pandemic amid a surge in cases that has forced officials to partially reimpose some lockdown measures. The coronavirus task force also said it had recorded 36,582 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, including 5,789 in Moscow. Russia will go into a nationwide workplace shutdown in the first week of November, and the capital Moscow will reimpose a partial lockdown from Thursday, with only essential shops like pharmacies and supermarkets allowed to remain open
27th Oct 2021 - Reuters
NSW records 304 COVID-19 cases as new law targeting anti-vaxxers come into effect
NSW has introduced a new law stopping people from using fake vaccine certificates after the state recorded 304 new local cases of COVID-19. As of today it is now illegal to present a fake proof of vaccination when attempting to enter venues in NSW. Health Minister Brad Hazzard signed off on the amendment to the public health order yesterday after concerns about people procuring forged certificates.
Security experts have warned the federal government's COVID-19 vaccination certificates can be forged within 10 minutes as people can alter or copy versions of the certificates and then change the name shown.
27th Oct 2021 - ABC News
High Covid-19 case rates are 'partly down to more tests'
Do not “bash the UK” for its high Covid-19 case rates compared with other countries, the director of the Oxford Vaccine Group has said, as some of the difference is simply because of more testing. Professor Sir Andrew Pollard told MPs that while transmission rates were clearly high, comparisons with other nations did not take into account different testing regimens. This might partly explain why UK case rates are four times those in Germany and eight times those in France. “If you look across western Europe, we have about ten times more tests done each day than some other countries per head of population,” Pollard told the Commons science and technology committee. “We do have a lot of transmission at the moment but it’s not
27th Oct 2021 - The Times
China's growing COVID-19 outbreak tests vulnerable border towns
China has reported nearly 250 locally transmitted cases of COVID-19 since the start of the current outbreak 10 days ago, with many infections in remote towns along porous international borders in the country's northwest. China had 50 new local cases for Oct. 26, the highest daily count since Sept. 16, official data showed on Wednesday. The overall number is tiny versus many clusters outside the country. It is also modest compared with more than 1,200 local cases reported during China's July-August outbreak and the more than 2,000 cases in January during the last winter.
27th Oct 2021 - Reuters
Bulgaria hits record high daily coronavirus cases, hospitals stretched
Bulgaria's tally of coronavirus infections has risen by 6,813 in the past 24 hours, a record daily increase as the European Union's least vaccinated country grapples with a fourth wave of the pandemic, official data showed on Wednesday. The virus has killed 124 people in the past 24 hours, according to the figures, bringing the total death toll to 23,440. More than 7,300 people were in COVID-19 wards as hospitals across the Balkan country struggled to deal with the inflow of coronavirus patients amid a shortage of medical staff.
27th Oct 2021 - Reuters
Sturgeon: Cop26 does pose threat of increased Covid-19 infection
Nicola Sturgeon has announced almost £500 million of further funding to help in the fight against Covid – as she warned that the Cop26 international climate conference “inevitably” poses a risk of increased transmission of the virus. With delegates from across the world now starting to arrive in Scotland ahead of the UN climate summit, the Scottish First Minister said the coronavirus situation remained “fragile”. While cases in Scotland had been declining, Ms Sturgeon said this had now levelled off, with the most recent figures showing a “slight increase”.
26th Oct 2021 - Evening Standard
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 27th Oct 2021
View this newsletter in fullDenmark’s Covid Contamination Rate Rises After Restrictions End
Denmark, which has one of the highest vaccination rates in the world, has registered a rise in Covid-19 cases with several key indicators showing that the virus has accelerated in the past month. The reproductive rate of the virus, known as the R rate, is now 1.2, up from 1 a week ago, which means the virus is spreading, Health Minister Magnus Heunicke tweeted on Tuesday.
26th Oct 2021 - Bloomberg
Covid-19: with cases on the rise, will ‘plan B’ be enough in England?
Many experts have called for the reintroduction of some public health measures to reduce transmission rates. However, the government has repeatedly said it is not yet bringing in its ‘plan B’ for England. Madeleine Finlay speaks to science correspondent Nicola Davis about what it could entail and whether it would help us avoid the need for more stringent and longer-lasting measures down the line
26th Oct 2021 - The Guardian
Queensland records two new community COVID-19 cases, a Gold Coast teenager and woman in home quarantine
The Queensland Premier says the new COVID-19 cases detected outside hotel quarantine are a reminder the state is "not immune to the pandemic". Annastacia Palaszczuk said one of the new cases was an unvaccinated 17-year-old boy from the Gold Coast who had contact with a COVID-positive case that had travelled from New South Wales. Another was a woman in her 30s from Melbourne, who was in home quarantine. A third case — a truck driver from Gympie who travelled to Bundaberg — tested positive in NSW and will be counted as part of that state's figures.
26th Oct 2021 - ABC News
Ukraine registers record daily number of COVID-19 deaths
Ukraine reported another record daily number of COVID-19 deaths Tuesday as vaccinations in the nation of 41 million people lags. Ukraine's Health Ministry registered 734 deaths in 24 hours, raising the country's pandemic death toll to 64,936. Ukrainians can freely choose between the Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna AstraZeneca and Sinovac vaccines, but just about 16% of the population has been fully vaccinated, Europe s second-lowest rate after Armenia
26th Oct 2021 - The Independent
COVID-19 cases spike in Belgium; govt poised for action
Coronavirus indicators are shooting upward in Belgium pushing the government on Tuesday to consider re-imposing some pandemic measures that it only relaxed a few weeks ago. Daily infections in the nation of 11 million increased 75% to reach 5,299 case on a daily basis last week. Hospitalizations have increased by 69% to reach 102 daily cases. Deaths have increased slightly, with an average of 13 a day.
To turn around this trend, the government and regional officials are set to decide later Tuesday to boost measures again, although stopping well short of a going into a lockdown. Indications are that authorities are looking at increased mandatory use of face masks and virus passports.
26th Oct 2021 - The Independent
Half of children in hospital in Scotland with Covid-19 hospitalised 'because of' the virus
The figures, disclosed to The Scotsman via Freedom of Information legislation, stem from Public Health Scotland’s own analysis of patients in hospital who were considered Covid-19 patients. Over ten months between September 2020 and June this year, the average percentage of under-18s in hospital because of Covid-19 rather than simply with the disease sat at 52 per cent. This is defined as being an admission to hospital with Covid-19 being the “primary diagnostic position within the first episode of the stay”, with the figure rising to as high as 64 per cent in September and October, and as low as 33 per cent in February. In June, health secretary Humza Yousaf was criticised for allegedly “scaremongering” parents around the risk posed by Covid-19 to children after he claimed ten children had been hospitalised “because of Covid” during a row about the reopening of soft-play areas in Scotland. He later said he regretted if the statement had caused undue alarm among parents, and was slapped on the wrist by the statistics regulator for the use of “inaccurate” figures which were not available to the public.
26th Oct 2021 - The Scotsman
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 26th Oct 2021
View this newsletter in fullSome Russian regions shut workplaces as daily COVID-19 cases hit new peak
Russia reported its highest single-day COVID-19 case tally since the start of the pandemic on Monday as some regions imposed a workplace shutdown to combat a surge in infections and deaths. Faced with worsening disease rates and frustrated by the slow take-up of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine by its own population, authorities are introducing stricter measures this week to try to slow the spread of the pandemic. President Vladimir Putin last week declared that Oct. 30 to Nov. 7 would be paid non-working days but said every region could extend that period or start it earlier depending on the epidemiological situation.
25th Oct 2021 - Reuters
Dutch consider new coronavirus curbs as infections soar
The Dutch government may impose new coronavirus restrictions to reduce pressure on hospitals struggling to deal with a swelling number of COVID-19 patients, Health Minister Hugo de Jonge said on Monday. Coronavirus infections in the Netherlands have been rising for a month and reached their highest level since July in recent days, after most social distancing measures were dropped in late September. The new wave of infections has driven up the number of COVID-19 patients in hospitals faster than predicted this month, De Jonge said, and many hospitals are already cutting back regular care again to deal with coronavirus cases.
25th Oct 2021 - Reuters
Covid-19: Cases could fall in November without the need to implement Plan B, modelling suggests
Coronavirus cases could fall in November without the need to implement Plan B, according to scientists. Modelling seen by the Government suggests cases could peak before falling sharply in the winter months - without having to introduce Plan B restrictions such as compulsory face masks, vaccine passports and working from home. It is understood ministers have seen forecasts by several groups, with cases dropping to around 5,000 a day before Christmas in one scenario, the Daily Telegraph reports. Professor John Edmunds, of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and a member of Sage, said: "When we were doing the work about two weeks ago, the Health Secretary had made it very clear that the government was not planning to introduce Plan B in the near future.
25th Oct 2021 - Evening Standard
Russia's COVID-19 cases hit record as some regions impose curbs
Russia reported its highest single-day COVID-19 case tally since the start of the pandemic on Monday as some regions imposed a workplace shutdown to combat a surge in infections and deaths. Faced with worsening disease rates and frustrated by the slow take-up of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine by its own population, authorities are introducing stricter measures this week to try to slow the spread of the pandemic.
25th Oct 2021 - Reuters
New Zealand reports second-highest daily COVID-19 cases in pandemic
New Zealand reported 109 new locally acquired coronavirus cases on Monday, the bulk of them in its largest city, Auckland, as the country saw its second-worst day of daily infections since the pandemic began. Once the poster child for stamping out COVID-19, New Zealand has been unable to beat an outbreak of Delta variant of COVID-19 centred in Auckland, despite the city remaining under a strict lockdown for more than two months. The country over the weekend also reported the first community case of the virus in its South Island in nearly a year, a cause for further headache, though health officials said the risks of a further spread from the case remained low.
25th Oct 2021 - Reuters
Dutch government looking at reintroducing COVID-19 measures
The Dutch government is seeking advice from a panel of experts on whether it needs to reintroduce COVID-19 restrictions amid sharply rising infection rates, the health minister said Monday. The Netherlands has one of the fastest-rising infection rates in Europe. The 7-day rolling average of daily new cases increased over the past two weeks from 13.43 new cases per 100,000 people to 29.27 new cases per 100,000 people on Oct. 24. “It’s just going too fast. We have to face up to the fact that the numbers are rising faster and sooner than expected,” Health Minister Hugo De Jonge told reporters in The Hague. He said hospital admissions also are rising faster than anticipated when the government relaxed its lockdown last month.
25th Oct 2021 - The Associated Press
New Virus Cases Hitting Faster Than Ever Challenge China’s Covid-Zero Strategy
China has driven Covid-19 cases back to zero three times over the past five months, but outbreaks are flaring more frequently than ever before, raising questions about how long the nation can persist with a strategy that’s leaving it increasingly isolated. The gaps between major outbreaks in China have fallen from around two months in the second half of last year to as little as 12 days since May, when the country saw its first delta cases. While China is still able to drive locally-transmitted infections back to nil, the amount of time virus-free is getting shorter, data on daily cases compiled by Bloomberg News shows. It’s becoming a showdown between a containment regime that’s arguably the world’s most comprehensive -- featuring sealed borders, mass testing, exhaustive contact tracing and strict rules governing travel and movement -- and a pathogen that’s becoming more adept at penetrating those defenses designed to stop transmission.
25th Oct 2021 - Bloomberg
COVID cases in Eastern Europe surpass 20m as outbreak worsens
Coronavirus cases in Eastern Europe have surpassed 20 million, according to a Reuters tally on Sunday, as the region grapples with its worst outbreak since the pandemic started and inoculation efforts lag. Countries in the region have the lowest vaccination rates in Europe, with less than half of the population having received a single dose. Hungary tops the region’s vaccination rates with 62 percent of its population having received at least one shot, whereas Ukraine has given just 19 percent of its residents a single dose, according to Our World in Data. New infections in the region have steadily risen and now average at least 83,700 new cases per day, the highest level since November last year, Reuters data through Friday showed. Although it has just four percent of the world’s population, Eastern Europe accounts for roughly 20 percent of all new cases reported globally.
24th Oct 2021 - AlJazeera
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 25th Oct 2021
View this newsletter in fullChina warns of further spread in latest COVID-19 flare-up
China's latest COVID-19 outbreak is increasingly likely to spread further, a health official said on Sunday, as authorities urged all regions to step up monitoring and called for a reduction in travel across provinces. China has largely contained the virus but it is determined to stamp out any sporadic local outbreaks, particularly in the run-up to the 2022 Winter Olympics in February. More than 100 locally transmitted cases have been confirmed over the last week across 11 provincial areas, with most linked to 13 different tour groups.
24th Oct 2021 - Reuters
Covid-19: Five more deaths and 1,061 new coronavirus cases
Five Covid-19-related deaths have been reported in Northern Ireland on Sunday.
Deaths are measured by recording those who died within 28 days of receiving a positive result in a test for coronavirus. The total number of deaths linked to Covid-19 in Northern Ireland since the start of the pandemic is 2,661. Another 1,061 cases of coronavirus were reported in Northern Ireland on Sunday, down from 1,323 on Saturday. That includes cases confirmed from samples taken in recent days, not necessarily just in the latest 24-hour reporting period.
24th Oct 2021 - BBC News
Singapore PM Lee rules out indefinite Covid-19 lockdown
Singapore cannot go into an indefinite lockdown and stand still, but also cannot “simply let go and let things rip”, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has said. "We have to travel this road to get to living safely with Covid-19. We want to get there with as few casualties as possible,” Lee said in a Facebook post on Saturday.
Singapore’s multi-ministry task force announced on Saturday a slew of measures for the effective opening up of the affluent city-state. These include requiring vaccination for all staff returning to the workplace from Jan 1, 2022, as well as adding China's Sinovac to the national vaccination programme and expanding the home recovery scheme to certain pregnant women, The Straits Times newspaper reported. The task force is co-chaired by Trade and Industry Minister Gan Kim Yong, Finance Minister Lawrence Wong and Health Minister Ong Ye Kung.
24th Oct 2021 - Hindustan Times
New Zealand's coronavirus outbreak spreads to South Island
New Zealand reported 104 new coronavirus infections on Saturday, including the first community case of the virus in the country's South Island in nearly a year, health officials said. Most of the new infections were reported in Auckland, New Zealand's largest city that has been under a strict lockdown for more than two months. Looser restrictions are in place in most of the rest of the country of 5 million. The risks of a further spread from the case reported in Blenheim, in the north east of the South Island, remained low, health officials said, with the person likely in the late stage of infection.
24th Oct 2021 - Reuters
Britain reports highest weekly COVID-19 cases since July
Britain recorded the highest number of new cases of COVID-19 since July over the past week, government figures showed on Saturday, a day after Prime Minister Boris Johnson played down the prospect of a return to lockdown. Some 333,465 people in Britain tested positive for COVID-19 over the past seven days, up 15% on the previous week and the highest total since the seven days to July 21. Daily figures showed there were 44,985 new cases on Saturday, down from 49,298 on Friday. Daily death figures were only available for England, and showed 135 fatalities within 28 days of a positive test.
24th Oct 2021 - Reuters UK
COVID-19: Nigeria records five deaths, 176 new cases Friday
Nigeria has recorded five additional fatalities from the coronavirus pandemic with 176 fresh cases reported across 11 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
This was contained in an update shared on the Facebook page of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) late Friday night. The data indicates that Nigeria’s total infection from the pandemic currently stands at 210,136 while the fatality toll stands at 2,855.
24th Oct 2021 - Premium Times
Egypt records new 883 COVID-19 cases, 46 deaths - EgyptToday
Egypt recorded Thursday 883 COVID-19 infections, and 46 deaths as well as 819 recoveries at isolation hospitals. As such, the total figures became 321,967 infections, 18,151 deaths, and 271,792 recoveries. Egypt’s Health Ministry said citizens will receive a booster anti-COVID-19 vaccine jab a year or more after receiving the original two doses. President's Consultant for Health Affairs Awad Tag el-Din stated in a phone-in Wednesday that 21 million citizens got 32 million doses of the anti-COVID-19 vaccine as a portion of them have not received the second dose yet.
24th Oct 2021 - Egypttoday
Covid 19 Delta outbreak: Whole raft of new locations of interest - including in Blenheim after South Island's first Delta case
Ministry of Health officials have tonight released a raft of new locations of interest after the South Island received its first case of the Delta Covid-19 variant. They include flights, shops, and service stations across Auckland, Northland, Te Awamutu, Hamilton, Rotorua, Wellington and Blenheim.
24th Oct 2021 - The New Zealand Herald
New variant? No masks? Here's what's driving the U.K.'s Covid surge
What a difference three months can make. On July 19, Britons celebrated as England marked "Freedom Day," seeing a near-full lifting of Covid-19 restrictions. Covid-related hospitalizations and deaths were relatively low, even if cases continued to rise, and the country's vaccination rollout was largely lauded as a success internationally. On Thursday, there were more than 50,000 infections recorded in the U.K. in a single day — the highest daily count since mid-July and a higher number than reported in Germany, France, Italy, Spain and Portugal combined. The country also saw 115 deaths, with Tuesday marking a daily death toll of 223 people — the highest since March.
23rd Oct 2021 - NBC News
Covid-19 Australia: Victoria records 1,750 cases and nine deaths on first weekend out of lockdown
Victoria has recorded 1,750 new Covid-19 cases and nine deaths overnight as residents celebrated their first weekend out of lockdown. Residents have been taking full advantage of their new freedoms to visit hair salons, retail stores, and cafes on Saturday. It comes after stay-at-home orders were lifted at 11.59pm on Thursday after the beleaguered state passed its 70 per cent Covid vaccination target. Premier Daniel Andrews confirmed the state was on track to reach its 80 per cent double-jab target by next weekend, paving the way for further restrictions to ease. The new cases announced on Saturday marks a significant drop in infections after 2,189 were recorded on Friday.
23rd Oct 2021 - Daily Mail
New Zealand’s Covid outbreak spreads to South Island
New Zealand has reported 104 new coronavirus infections, including the first community case of the virus in the country’s South Island in nearly a year, health officials said. Most of the new infections reportedon Saturday were in Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city that has been under a strict lockdown for more than two months. Looser restrictions are in place in most of the rest of the country of 5 million. The risks of a further spread from the case reported in Blenheim, in the north-east of the South Island, remained low, health officials said, with the person likely in the late stage of infection.
23rd Oct 2021 - The Guardian
As Russia's COVID-19 toll surges, a Siberian hospital struggles to cope
The beds at the intensive care unit at this Siberian hospital rarely stay empty for long. Doctors at Hospital No. 2 in the Russian city of Biysk are having to cope with an unprecedented surge of coronavirus patients, many of whom are unvaccinated.
Doctors at the hospital have to work up to three 24-hour shifts in a row. The work is much harder than during the first wave of the pandemic last year, deputy chief doctor Olga Kaurova said. "Last year we kept the numbers at 23-24 people. Today we have 65 people in intensive care," Kaurova told Tolk Channel, a local media outlet, on Wednesday. "Most of our patients in the ICU are not vaccinated."
23rd Oct 2021 - Reuters
Analysis: Vaccinated Singapore shows zero-COVID countries cost of reopening
Few are left to inoculate in wealthy Singapore after a vigorous campaign achieved a level of coverage envied by many nations battling the coronavirus pandemic, but a record surge in deaths and infections gives warning of risks that may still lie ahead. Despite mask mandates, strict social curbs and COVID-19 booster doses available for over a month, infections in the Asian city-state's latest outbreak, driven by the Delta variant, took the death toll to 280, up from 55 early in September. "Singapore may potentially experience two to three epidemic waves as measures are increasingly relaxed," said Alex Cook, a disease modelling expert at the National University of Singapore (NUS).
23rd Oct 2021 - Reuters
German Covid-19 infections at highest since mid-May
Germany recorded the highest incidence of coronavirus infections since mid-May on Saturday, reaching the threshold of 100 cases per 100,000 in the past seven days that used to be the yardstick for imposing a strict lockdown. However, Health Minister Jens Spahn noted that Germany could cope much better now due to vaccination, although he said restrictions like mask wearing and limits on indoor activity for unvaccinated people would stay until next spring. The seven-day incidence rate of cases – which until August was used to decide whether to impose more stringent COVID-19 curbs – rose to 100 on Saturday from 95 on Friday, the Robert Koch Institute responsible for disease control said.
23rd Oct 2021 - Cyprus Mail
COVID-19 cases recorded in eastern Europe hit 20 million
The number of coronavirus infections recorded so far in eastern Europe surpassed 20 million on Sunday, according to a Reuters tally, as the region grapples with its worst outbreak since the pandemic started and inoculation efforts lag. Countries in the region have the lowest vaccination rates in Europe, with less than half of the population having received a single dose. Hungary tops the region's vaccination rates with 62% of its population having gotten at least one shot, whereas Ukraine has given just 19% of its residents a single dose, according to Our World in Data.
23rd Oct 2021 - Reuters
Russia Reports Another Day of Record Virus Deaths, Infections
Russia registered its highest number of daily coronavirus deaths and new cases since the start of the pandemic Friday as authorities across the country scramble to impose partial lockdowns and other restrictions to thwart the spread of the virus in the coming weeks. The government’s coronavirus information center reported a double record of 1,064 new fatalities and 37,141 new infections over the past 24 hours. Russia has repeatedly broken new all-time highs for Covid-19 deaths over the past month amid stubbornly low vaccination rates. It is currently reporting the second-highest number of daily fatalities in the world after the United States.
22nd Oct 2021 - The Moscow Times
A Resurgent Covid-19 Means Another Tough Winter Could Be Coming
Restaurants and hair salons are shut. Schooling is remote. People are stuck at home after 8 p.m. At least one country in Europe has already returned to full-on crisis mode as Covid flares anew from the U.K. to Russia to Singapore. Latvia’s response is the most extreme, but the Baltic nation isn’t alone in grappling with a coronavirus surge reminiscent of 2020. Britain, which inoculated residents early and dropped most Covid curbs, is now seeing the most cases since July. In Germany, they’re at the highest since May. In countries where vaccination rates are lagging behind, the situation is worse. With Covid deaths at record levels in Russia, Moscow is headed for a lockdown this month. Romania has run out of intensive-care beds.
22nd Oct 2021 - Bloomberg
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 22nd Oct 2021
View this newsletter in fullCovid-19: Four more deaths as 1,051 new cases recorded
Another four people have died after contracting Covid-19, the Department of Health has confirmed. The total number of deaths since the pandemic began now stands at 2,639. A further 1,051 cases of the virus were recorded in the latest 24-hour reporting period. As of this morning, there were 357 Covid-19 confirmed patients in hospital and 35 in intensive care. Of these, 25 are on ventilators. Hospitals in the north are over capacity by 224 beds.
21st Oct 2021 - The Irish News
New Zealand's COVID-19 cases hit record for second time this week
New Zealand reported record daily COVID-19 cases for the second time in three days on Thursday, as the Delta variant continued to spur a spike in infections in the country's biggest city, Auckland. Authorities reported 102 new COVID-19 infections, of which 94 were in Auckland, taking the total number of cases in the current outbreak to 2,260. There have been 28 deaths in total since the pandemic began and 46 people are currently hospitalised because of the virus. New Zealand had stayed largely virus-free for most of the pandemic until the Delta outbreak in mid-August that has spread across Auckland and neighbouring regions, prompting tight restrictions on some 1.7 million Aucklanders that were extended further this week.
21st Oct 2021 - Reuters
Singapore extends restrictions after reporting highest single-day Covid-19 deaths
Singapore will extend its Covid-19 restrictions for another month after the city-state reported 18 new deaths from the disease on Wednesday, its highest number of the pandemic. In a news release Thursday, Singapore's Ministry of Health said current measures would be extended to November 21, to help contain case numbers, which rose by more than 3,800 on Wednesday. "Unfortunately, given the continuing pressures on our healthcare system, more time is needed for the situation to stabilise," the ministry said in its statement, adding hospitals were braced for "a sustained, heavy patient load." "(The ministry) is doing whatever we can to support and bolster the hospitals," the statement said.
21st Oct 2021 - CNN
Belgium braces for another surge in COVID-19 cases
Belgium's government warned Thursday that the country could well be on the cusp of another major surge in COVID-19 cases despite its high vaccination rate. Though the government recently relaxed the mandatory use of facemasks, it is again starting to encourage the population to use them to counter a rise in cases reminiscent of the first three surges of the past 1 1/2 years. “We are clearly in a fourth wave,” Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke told the VRT network. “We will see a major increase in infections and, unfortunately, hospital admissions.” The government has this month loosened some restrictions, including allowing for more indoor events and dropping requirements for customers to wear masks in bars.
21st Oct 2021 - The Independent
Russia reports cases of more contagious COVID-19 Delta subvariant
Russia has reported "isolated cases" of COVID-19 with a subvariant of the Delta variant that is believed to be even more contagious, the state consumer watchdog's senior researcher said on Thursday. The researcher, Kamil Khafizov, said the AY.4.2 subvariant may be around 10% more infectious than the original Delta - which has driven new cases and deaths to a series of record daily highs in Russia - and could ultimately replace it. However, he said this was likely to be a slow process.
21st Oct 2021 - Reuters
Deep within the UK’s shocking Covid data, there may be reasons for optimism
John Edmunds, a member of Sage and professor in the faculty of epidemiology and population health at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said while the epidemic has looked relatively stable over the past few months, “this has masked large changes under the surface, with rises and falls in levels of immunity in different age groups being generated by different processes – levels of immunity are rapidly increasing in children due to sky-high infection rates, whereas immunity is falling in older age groups who were vaccinated earlier in the year”.He added: “How these dynamics play out is very difficult to predict right now, but it is clear that speeding up the vaccine rollout in children and boosters in adults will help both in the short and longer term.”
21st Oct 2021 - The Guardian
Ukraine hits all-time death record amid vaccine hesitancy
Coronavirus infections and deaths in Ukraine surged to all-time highs Thursday amid a laggard pace of vaccination, with overall inoculations among the lowest in Europe. Ukrainian authorities reported 22,415 new confirmed infections and 546 deaths in the past 24 hours, the highest numbers since the start of the pandemic.
Authorities have blamed a spike in infections on a slow pace of vaccination in the nation of 41 million. Ukrainians can choose between Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca and Sinovac vaccines, but only about 15% of the population is fully vaccinated, Europe’s lowest level after Armenia.
21st Oct 2021 - The Associated Press
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 21st Oct 2021
View this newsletter in fullRussia Orders People Not to Go to Work as Covid-19 Deaths Mount
Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered people to stay off work for at least a week while Latvia has introduced a monthlong Covid-19 lockdown as deaths climb, driving renewed fears of another wave of infections as winter sets in. Mr. Putin signed a decree Wednesday approving a period of nonworking days, as the government calls them, beginning Oct. 30 and stretching to Nov. 7 to encourage people to stay home and slow the spread of the virus. Regional governments where infection rates are especially virulent can speed up or prolong the measures, with employers continuing to pay their staffs as they stay home. Latvia, which until recently had outperformed other European countries in containing the virus, on Monday announced a slate of strict measures, including a nationwide 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew and closures of schools and nonessential retail after the seven-day average of deaths in the tiny Baltic state more than doubled last week.
20th Oct 2021 - The Wall Street Journal
New Covid Restrictions Cast Doubt on Bigger Russia Rate Hike
The Kremlin’s new stay-at-home order to curb surging cases of Covid-19 has raised questions about whether the Bank of Russia will deliver a big interest-rate increase at its meeting Friday. “There is a new uncertainty with those non-working days,” said Oleg Vyugin, a former senior central bank official. “I used to think they they will raise by 50 basis points, but now, with the new circumstances, I began to have doubts. It could be 25 basis points as well.” President Vladimir Putin Wednesday approved a government plan to declare Oct. 30 to Nov. 7 as “non-working days” nationally -- with some hard-hit regions starting a week earlier -- as new cases and deaths reach records. The restrictions would be the most sweeping since at least May and could be extended further.
20th Oct 2021 - Bloomberg
Expert blames reliance on AstraZeneca jab, waning immunity for UK case coronavirus rise
Waning immunity provided by coronavirus vaccines combined with the U.K.’s early reliance on the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine has contributed to the current spike in cases, which are close to reaching the 50,000-per-day mark, one of the county’s top epidemiologists said Tuesday. The U.K.’s speedy rollout of vaccines has meant that those vaccinated early on are now experiencing waning immunity, Neil Ferguson, director of Imperial College London’s MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis, told the BBC’s Today program. “How early we were means we were a little bit more vulnerable,” he said. The country’s reliance on the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine that “protects slightly less well than Pfizer against infection and transmission” is another factor in the increase in cases being seen in the country.
20th Oct 2021 - POLITICO Europe
Number of patients with Covid-19 in ICUs increases
The chair of the National Public Health Emergency Team's Irish Epidemiological Modelling Advisory Group has said there has been a very large number of admissions to intensive care. At a NPHET briefing, Professor Philip Nolan said 14 people were admitted to ICU in the last day, bringing the total number to 86. He said there has been a slow increase in the number in intensive care from 60 four weeks ago, to 74 on average over the last week. Case counts have continued to grow, with the seven-day moving average increased from around 1,100 coming into October, to 1,889 today.
20th Oct 2021 - RTE.ie
Senegal logs zero new COVID-19 cases for first time since pandemic began
Senegal recorded zero new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday for the first time since the pandemic began, the health ministry said. The West African country had its worst wave of coronavirus in July, when it was recording more than 1,000 new cases a day. The health ministry has registered 73,875 cases and 1,873 deaths since the outbreak began. Sixteen patients are still under treatment, the ministry said. Senegal has been seen as a positive example of a country managing COVID-19 well despite limited resources.
20th Oct 2021 - Reuters
The UK has more new Covid-19 cases than France, Germany, Italy and Spain combined
The UK's attitude towards Covid-19 has changed beyond recognition. Virtually all of England's restrictions were lifted in July, with the events and hospitality sectors returning to full capacity as Johnson urged Britons to "begin to learn to live with this virus." But the Delta variant -- more transmissible still than the Alpha strain which wrecked last year's festivities -- has not gone away. The country has quietly endured stubbornly high cases, hospitalizations and deaths when compared to the rest of Europe. Britain has registered nearly half a million cases in the past two weeks -- and almost 50,000 on Monday -- more than France, Germany, Italy and Spain combined. The UK reported 223 deaths on Tuesday, the highest daily figure since early March.
20th Oct 2021 - CNN
WHO: Europe the only region with rise in COVID-19 last week
The World Health Organization said there was a 7% rise in new coronavirus cases across Europe last week, the only region in the world where cases increased. In its weekly assessment of the pandemic released late Tuesday, the U.N. health agency said there were about 2.7 million new COVID-19 cases and more than 46,000 deaths last week, similar to the numbers reported the previous week. Britain Russia and Turkey accounted for the most cases. The biggest drop in COVID-19 cases were seen in Africa and the Western Pacific, where infections fell by about 18% and 16%, respectively. The number of deaths in Africa also declined by about a quarter, despite the dire shortage of vaccines on the continent. Other regions including the Americas and the Middle East, reported similar numbers to the previous week, WHO said.
20th Oct 2021 - The Independent
Another lockdown is possible if Government continues to ignore UK’s rising Covid cases, Sage scientist warns
The UK could be heading for another lockdown if ministers keep “ignoring Covid” and don’t put further restrictions in place, a Government adviser has warned. Stephen Reicher, professor of psychology at the University of St Andrews and a member of the Government’s Sage subcommittee advising on behavioural science – the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Modelling operational sub-group (SPI-M-O) – slammed the Government’s current policy to fight Covid-19 as new daily infections reached 49,156 on Monday. He accused the Government of watching Covid “rage” in the UK as ministers “do nothing about it”.
20th Oct 2021 - iNews
Poland considers drastic steps to tackle COVID 'explosion'
Poland is facing an explosion of COVID-19 cases that may require drastic action, the health minister said on Wednesday, after more than 5,000 daily new infections were reported for the first time since May. Central Europe has suffered a surge in COVID-19 cases over recent days, fuelling fears that vaccination rates that are lower than in the west of the continent could fan a damaging fresh wave of infections. About 61% of adult Poles are fully vaccinated, below an EU average of just over 74%.
20th Oct 2021 - Reuters
UK hospitals on the edge as government resists fresh COVID measures
Britain's health minister Sajid Javid on Wednesday resisted calls from doctors for a return of restrictions to halt a rising wave of COVID-19 infections, but gave a stark warning they would be brought back if people did not take up vaccination offers. Britain reported 223 new deaths from COVID-19 on Tuesday, the highest daily figure since March, and cases are the highest in Europe, with nearly 50,000 new infections reported on Wednesday. The government's plan is to rely on vaccines and drugs to limit the impact of the virus this winter, instead of bringing in restrictions or any more lockdowns, having already shut the economy three times
20th Oct 2021 - Reuters UK
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 20th Oct 2021
View this newsletter in fullRomania Reports Highest Daily Covid-19 Cases, Deaths on Record
Romania reported the highest number of deaths from Covid-19 since the start of the pandemic, forcing the country to seek assistance from the World Health Organization in an attempt to limit the burden on already overwhelmed hospitals.
The country is paying the price for having the European Union’s second-lowest vaccination rate, reporting 561 fatalities in the past 24 hours. That brings the toll to more than 42,000. New infections, at almost 19,000 since Monday, also reached a new high. A crisis expert from the WHO will meet in the coming days with the Romanian authorities to try to find solutions to the escalating situation. President Klaus Iohannis, government officials and health experts will on Wednesday also discuss potential tougher restrictions to try to limit the spread of the virus and the loss of life.
19th Oct 2021 - Bloomberg
Ireland Slows Reopening Plan as Coronavirus Cases Increase
Ireland’s government moved to further loosen pandemic restrictions, though it will retain more rules than planned amid a surge in cases and hospitalizations. Bars and restaurants will be allowed to resume normal opening hours, but they will still be limited to table service only and customers will need to show proof of vaccination. Full attendance will be permitted at outdoor events and religious ceremonies, though indoor concerts must be all seated. Other restrictions -- including social distancing and masks -- are set to remain in place until at least February, while a full return to the office won’t happen until next year.
19th Oct 2021 - Bloomberg
China Outbreak Tied to Rule-Breaking Couple Reaches Beijing
China’s latest Covid-19 outbreak, centered around a rule-breaking elderly couple enjoying China’s tourist sites, has now spread to the closely-guarded capital city of Beijing and possibly beyond. The flareup that surfaced over the weekend has been tied to two retired university lecturers from Shanghai who started a road trip with several others through the nation’s scenic northwestern provinces in early October, according to media reports. The pathogen proliferated, sparking a handful of local cases in northwestern provinces in recent days. One traveler from Gansu -- a close contact of an infected patient -- was diagnosed in Beijing on Monday. It’s the city’s first case since a widespread outbreak caused by the highly infectious delta variant this summer prompted officials to scrap travel there to stop further transmission. Authorities have now sealed off apartment buildings and other related venues, according to a statement Tuesday from local health officials.
19th Oct 2021 - Bloomberg
As Covid cases drop in Georgia and Florida, some states with colder weather see an increase
Southern states, many of which have been hotspots, are now starting to see a decrease in Covid-19 cases while many states that have started experiencing cold weather -- mostly in the North and Midwest -- are seeing an uptick, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. New cases in Georgia and Florida are down 37% and 25%, respectively, compared to last week, JHU data showed. Both states had among the 10 lowest case rates in the past week. But a handful of states -- in regions where cold weather has set in -- are seeing an increase. This pattern is similar to what happened last year.
19th Oct 2021 - CNN
Romania's COVID-19 deaths hit record as intensive care beds run out
Romania reported record numbers of daily coronavirus deaths and infections on Tuesday, as a hospital system stretched to breaking point by the EU's second-lowest vaccination rate ran out of intensive care beds. New infections in the preceding 24 hours topped 18,800 while 574 people died of the virus, official data showed. With emergency beds fully occupied across the country, television footage from Bucharest hospitals showed patients lying on mattresses on the floor or holding oxygen tanks on crowded benches in hallways. Morgues were also running at full capacity.
19th Oct 2021 - Reuters
New Zealand reports record Covid cases as experts sound warning over health system
Case numbers in New Zealand are expected to continue to rise in the coming weeks. “We always know that a single day is just a point on a graph on a trend curve,” said epidemiologist prof Michael Baker. “But taken with the other points [we’ve seen], we’re going to be in three digits soon - if not tomorrow then this week, probably.” Health officials have so far been unable to link more than half of the cases announced on Tuesday to existing infections. The concerning rise in unlinked cases could indicate further, undetected spread in the community. Ardern said the outbreak had spread across the city, and there were now cases in 124 Auckland suburbs. “There’s not much margin for error at the moment, in terms of the race between our vaccination program and the outbreak,” said Shaun Hendy, an epidemiologist and modeler for Te Pūnaha Matatini, on whom the government has previously relied for outbreak modeling. “It could go either way at this stage. If we don’t see numbers starting to stabilize or pull down in a couple of weeks, it’s likely that we’re looking at a much longer outbreak.”
19th Oct 2021 - The Guardian
UK keeping a very close eye on rising COVID-19 infections - PM spokesperson
Britain's government is keeping a "very close eye" on rising level of COVID-19 infections, Prime Minister Boris Johnson's spokesperson said, after infections rose to the highest level since lockdown restrictions were eased in the summer. The number of cases in Britain are currently much higher than in other western European countries and have risen by more 60% in the last month. The spokesperson said Johnson told his cabinet that the government has a plan in place to deal with COVID and deaths from the disease are broadly flat.
19th Oct 2021 - Reuters UK
UK, Eastern Europe battle rising COVID
The UK government reported 49,156 cases today, up more than 15% from the previous week and the highest number since mid-July when the country was still in lockdown. Case rates are highest in those ages 10 to 19 and lowest in adults ages 80 and older, according to the country's Health Security Agency (HSA) weekly update. Hospital admissions rose slightly and were highest in people age 85 and older. In the HSA update, Incident Director William Welfare, MBBS, MPH, said case rates across the country are high are slowly rising. He urged people to take precautions as winter approaches, get vaccinated against COVID-19 and flu, and get tested if symptoms arise.
19th Oct 2021 - CIDRAP
New Zealand reports record daily cases as Delta spreads
New Zealand recorded on Tuesday the highest number of daily cases since the pandemic began last year, as the Delta variant of the coronavirus spreads in its biggest city Auckland. The South Pacific nation reported 94 new COVID-19 infections on Tuesday, of which 87 were in Auckland, taking the total number of cases in the current outbreak to 2,099. There have been 28 deaths in total due to COVID-19 and 38 people are hospitalised over the virus. Once the poster child for stamping out COVID-19, New Zealand has been fighting a Delta outbreak that has spread across Auckland and its neighbouring regions despite tough lockdown and border closures.
19th Oct 2021 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 19th Oct 2021
View this newsletter in fullUK Covid cases near 50,000 in one day as No 10 warns of ‘challenging’ winter
Downing Street has warned of “challenging” months ahead as UK coronavirus cases reached their highest level since mid-July. The reported number of Covid cases in the UK increased steadily through October and reached 49,156 on Monday, the highest reported since 17 July and a 16% rise in new cases over the past week. The figure is only 19,000 cases short of the peak number of cases ever recorded in the UK. On 8 January 2021, 68,053 new cases were reported at the height of the most devastating wave of the pandemic last winter. The prime minister’s official spokesperson said a rise in coronavirus cases was expected over the winter and that the government would keep a “close watch” on the statistics.
18th Oct 2021 - The Guardian
Britain reports highest number of COVID-19 cases since mid-July
Britain reported the highest number of new COVID-19 cases in three months on Monday as the number of infections reached levels last seen when lockdown restrictions were in place in England during the summer. Infection numbers in Britain are currently much higher than in other western European countries and have risen more 60% in the last month. Government data showed there were 49,156 new cases of coronavirus, up from 45,140 on Sunday, and the highest daily total since July 17.
18th Oct 2021 - Reuters UK
Colin Powell dies of COVID-19 complications, was fully vaccinated
Colin L. Powell, the first Black secretary of state and a key figure in Republican administrations, died Monday of complications from COVID-19, his family said. The 84-year-old’s family announced the news on Facebook, saying he was “fully vaccinated.” “We have lost a remarkable and loving husband, father, grandfather and a great American,” the family said on Facebook about the retired four-star Army general.
18th Oct 2021 - Washington Times
Covid-19: India reports 13,596 fresh cases in 24 hours, lowest in 230 days
India reported 13,596 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, the lowest in 230 days, according to the latest Covid-19 bulletin of the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) on Monday. It was 3.9 per cent lower than what the country had witnessed a day before. The total caseload in India has now reached 3,40,81,315. The top five states which registered maximum cases are Kerala with 7,555 cases, followed by Maharashtra with 1,715 cases, Tamil Nadu with 1,218 cases, West Bengal with 624 cases and Odisha with 443 cases.
18th Oct 2021 - India Today
The ACT has recorded 17 new cases of COVID-19 as 80 per cent vaccination milestone is reached
The ACT has reached 80 per cent full vaccination coverage of Canberrans aged 12 and over. ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr made the announcement this afternoon, and said the high vaccination rate will trigger the next stage of the COVID-19 roadmap. "Details of the next step will be outlined tomorrow," he said. The milestone comes as 17 new locally acquired COVID-19 cases were recorded in the ACT. Eleven of today's cases can be linked to a known source. There are 17 people in hospital with the virus — nine of those are in intensive care, with seven people requiring ventilation.
18th Oct 2021 - ABC News
Covid-19 Australia: Victoria records 1,903 cases as state prepares to leave lockdown
Victoria has recorded 1,903 new Covid-19 cases and seven deaths overnight as the state prepares for an early exit from its long-running sixth lockdown. Phones will be running hot for pubs, hairdressers and restaurants on Monday as fully vaccinated Melburnians race for a taste of freedom. From 11.59pm on Thursday, all restrictions for leaving home will be abolished, along with the city's nightly curfew.
The state is also preparing to scrap hotel quarantine for international travellers fully vaccinated against Covid-19. However, Premier Daniel Andrews says Victoria will not follow NSW in abolishing quarantine altogether for double-dosed international arrivals from November 1.
18th Oct 2021 - Daily Mail
Russia COVID-19 cases hit record daily high as deaths spike with infection surge and sluggish vaccine rollout
Russia has reported a record number of new coronavirus infections in the last 24 hours with cases hitting 34,303 - the highest since the pandemic began. It represents a hike of more than 70% when compared with last month's figure of 20,174. Meanwhile, the number of daily COVID deaths in Russia stood at 997 - just five fewer than the record-high of 1,002 seen the previous day.
18th Oct 2021 - Sky News
COVID-19: UK records 57 more coronavirus-related deaths and 45,140 new cases, daily figures show
The UK has recorded 45,140 new cases of COVID-19 and 57 virus-related deaths in the latest 24-hour period, government figures show. It marks the fifth consecutive day the number of people testing positive for coronavirus across the country has exceeded 40,000. On Saturday, official data showed 148 deaths and 43,423 infections had been recorded and this time last week 38 fatalities were reported along with 34,574 positive cases.
18th Oct 2021 - Sky News
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 18th Oct 2021
View this newsletter in fullFauci dismayed by Texas’ move to ban mandates
Dr. Anthony Fauci is saying Sunday that it is “really unfortunate” that Gov. Greg Abbott has moved to ban vaccine mandates in the state of Texas. The nation’s leading infectious disease doctor, speaking on Fox News Sunday, said that the Republican governor’s decision to block businesses from requiring inoculations would damage public health since vaccines are the “most effective means” to stop the spread of COVID-19. Fauci was largely encouraged by the downward trend of coronavirus hospitalizations and deaths across the nation and suggested that vaccinated individuals could have a normal holiday season with others who have received the shot. But he said that those who have not been vaccinated should continue to avoid gatherings and should wear a mask.
17th Oct 2021 - Associated Press
COVID cases in Melbourne detention hotel
An asylum seeker inside a Melbourne hotel being used as an "alternative place of detention" by the Australian Border Force says detainees are frustrated and scared after three of them tested positive for COVID-19. Mustafa Salah, 23, has spent the better part of eight years inside Australian detention facilities offshore and within its borders. He's now in the Park Hotel in Melbourne where he says detainees found out on Sunday that three people had tested positive for COVID-19 and others were also showing symptoms. "We don't know what to do," Mr Salah told AAP. "We are always together ... we sit together, eat together, we really don't know what to do."
17th Oct 2021 - The Canberra Times
NSW records 319 new COVID cases as state hits 80 per cent double-dose vaccination
NSW has recorded 319 new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday as the state hit its 80 per cent double-dose vaccination target. Fully vaccinated NSW residents will on Monday have expanded freedoms, including being able to participate in community sport and having up to 20 visitors in their homes. Other relaxed restrictions at 80 per cent include the removal of a cap on guests at weddings and funerals, masks no longer being required in offices, being able to drink while standing and dancing being permitted indoors and outdoors at hospitality venues. However, regional travel is no longer on the cards for Sydneysiders at the 80 per cent vaccination level – it has been pushed back to November 1 to allow regional vaccination to catch up to the rate in Sydney.
16th Oct 2021 - Sydney Morning Herald
WA contacts still waiting for test results after coming into contact with COVID-19-infected truck driver
Eight people who came into contact with a COVID-positive truck driver while he was in WA have not yet returned negative test results. Contract tracers today said they were still waiting for the test results of eight of the 70 close or casual contacts. The 10 close contacts have been instructed to self-quarantine for 14 days. The truck driver was “potentially infectious” while in WA between September 30 and October 3. He has since travelled to South Australia and is no longer in WA — but the risk to local residents has been described as “low”.
16th Oct 2021 - PerthNow
U.S. administers 406.6 mln doses of COVID-19 vaccines - CDC
The United States has administered 406,570,875 doses of COVID-19 vaccines in the country as of Friday morning and distributed 493,139,295 doses, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.
15th Oct 2021 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 15th Oct 2021
View this newsletter in fullCDC predicts continued declines in Covid-19 hospitalizations and deaths over next 4 weeks
Covid-19 deaths and hospitalizations are expected to decline over the next four weeks, according to ensemble forecasts from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published Wednesday. The latest forecast predicts 740,000 to 762,000 reported deaths by November 6. It's third consecutive week of a projected decrease in newly reported deaths. There have been more than 717,000 Covid-19 deaths in the US, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
14th Oct 2021 - CNN
Covid-19 infections are declining in the US. But hospitalizations are still high in some hotspots
While the rate of Covid-19 infections nationwide is slowing, health care systems in some parts of the country are struggling with hospital wings still packed with patients. Montana, for instance, is facing new highs this week in coronavirus hospitalizations, with 533 Covid-19 patients in hospitals as of Wednesday, according to the US Department of Health and Human Services. This eclipses the high set in November, before vaccines were readily available, according to HHS and data from the Covid Tracking Project. The percentages of ICU beds used for Covid-19 patients in Montana, along with neighboring Idaho and Wyoming, are among the highest in the country, HHS data showed.
14th Oct 2021 - CNN
Russia's daily COVID-19 cases, deaths surge to record highs
Russia called on pension-age doctors who quit during the pandemic for safety reasons to return to their jobs on Thursday as the authorities reported a record one-day tally of COVID-19 cases as well as a record number of deaths. The Kremlin has blamed the rising toll on Russia's slow vaccination campaign and has appealed to people to get the shot. Take-up has been slow, with many Russians citing distrust of the authorities and fear of new medical products. "In a situation where infections are growing, it is necessary to continue to explain to people that they must get vaccinated," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
14th Oct 2021 - Reuters
Hungary's daily COVID-19 cases rise above 1000 for first time during fourth wave of pandemic
Hungary reported 1,141 new COVID-19 infections on Thursday, with the number rising above 1,000 for the first time during the fourth wave of the pandemic, the government said. The virus has infected 831,866 people in the country of 10 million so far and killed 30,341. Nearly 5.7 million people have been fully vaccinated in Hungary and 948,000 people have already received a third, booster shot as well.
14th Oct 2021 - Reuters
COVID-19 cases surge among children after schools reopen - but drop among adults
Coronavirus infections among children increased in England last month after schools reopened, a study has found. The surge kept overall cases high even as COVID-19's prevalence among adults fell, the research showed. The epidemic was estimated to be growing among those under 17, with an R number estimated at 1.18, according to the REACT-1 study led by Imperial College London.
14th Oct 2021 - Sky News
Britain's COVID-19 situation stable - health minister
Britain's defences against COVID-19 are working and the pandemic situation is currently stable, health minister Sajid Javid said on Thursday. "Overall things feel quite stable at this point. The numbers are a bit up, a bit down over the last few weeks," he told Times Radio. "Our primary defences against this virus are working."
Britain reported 42,776 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, the highest number since mid-July, and 136 more deaths within 28 days of a positive test, official data showed.
14th Oct 2021 - Reuters UK
COVID-19 cases in Australia's Victoria hit record daily high
Melbourne will exit months of COVID-19 lockdown next week helped by a faster-than-expected vaccine uptake, Victoria state Premier Daniel Andrews said on Thursday, ahead of schedule even though daily infections hit a record the same day. In the worst day of an outbreak of the Delta variant coronavirus that began in early August, Victoria logged 2,297 new cases on Thursday, up from 1,571 the day before and the highest for any Australian state or territory since the pandemic began. Eleven people died, bringing the total toll in the latest outbreak to 125. But the surge comes as Victoria also nears the 70% threshold for double-dose vaccination among eligible adults - the level at which authorities have promised to end strict stay-home restrictions. That target was originally expected to be met on Oct. 26, and the vaccination level was 62% as of Thursday.
14th Oct 2021 - Reuters Australia
New Zealand reports biggest rise in COVID-19 cases in six weeks
New Zealand reported on Thursday its biggest rise in COVID-19 infections in six weeks, with all cases detected in Auckland, raising prospects of a further extension of lockdown restrictions in the country's largest city beyond next week. Some 1.7 million people in Auckland are under strict stay-home orders until Monday as officials look to stamp out the highly infectious Delta outbreak, the first major spate of community cases in the country since early in the pandemic. Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson said the surge in case numbers in Auckland was not unexpected "but they are rising more quickly," and blamed illegal home gatherings for the spike.
14th Oct 2021 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 14th Oct 2021
View this newsletter in fullCOVID-19 cases in Australia's Victoria hit record daily high
COVID-19 infections in Australia's Victoria hit a pandemic record on Thursday as Melbourne, the state capital, looks to exit its lockdown next week, several days ahead of plan, helped by a faster-than-expected vaccine uptake. The surge in daily cases comes as Victoria nears the 70% threshold for double-dose vaccinations among eligible adults, when authorities have promised to end a months-long lockdown, against the original Oct. 26 forecast.
14th Oct 2021 - Reuters
Russia sets new daily COVID-19 deaths record
Russia on Wednesday reported a new record of daily coronavirus deaths amid a slow vaccination rate and authorities' reluctance to tighten restrictions. The government coronavirus task force reported 984 coronavirus deaths over the past 24 hours, the pandemic's new high. The country has repeatedly marked record daily death tolls over the past few weeks as infections soared to near all-time highs, with 28,717 confirmed new cases reported Wednesday. The Kremlin has attributed the mounting contagion and deaths to a laggard vaccination rate. Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said Tuesday that about 43 million Russians, or about 29% of the country's nearly 146 million people, were fully vaccinated.
13th Oct 2021 - The Independent
New Zealand reports 55 new local COVID-19 cases
New Zealand on Wednesday reported 55 new locally acquired cases of COVID-19, the majority in the country's largest city of Auckland, up from 43 a day earlier. New Zealand had been largely virus-free, excluding a small cluster of cases in February, until a Delta outbreak in mid-August forced officials to impose a lockdown in Auckland. Officials are looking to end strict lockdown measures once 90% of the country's population over 12 is fully vaccinated. Some 2.49 million, or 59%, have had two doses so far.
13th Oct 2021 - Yahoo News
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 13th Oct 2021
View this newsletter in fullSydney COVID-19 cases ease further as focus shifts to reviving economy
Sydney's COVID-19 cases fell to the lowest in two months on Tuesday as authorities rolled out support measures for businesses, shifting their focus to rejuvenating the economy after the city exited a nearly four-month lockdown a day earlier. Pubs, cafes and retail stores reopened in New South Wales (NSW), home to Sydney, on Monday after vaccination levels in the state's adult population crossed 70%. New daily infections in the state fell to 360 on Tuesday, the majority in Sydney, marking a steady downward trend.
12th Oct 2021 - Reuters
COVID-19: 'Surges of illness' for 'months and perhaps even years to come', WHO expert warns
"Surges of illness" caused by COVID-19 are going to continue for "months and perhaps even years to come", the World Health Organization's (WHO) special envoy for the disease has warned. Speaking to Kay Burley, Dr David Nabarro said "the pandemic is very much with us all over the world right now", and those who have not been vaccinated will be particularly affected by spikes in illness. With government data showing the UK is recording more than 30,000 COVID-19 cases a day, Dr Nabarro warned that the "virus has not gone away" and is "continuing to mutate". "It's capable probably of causing all sorts of future problems", he said. He appeared on Sky News following the release of a highly critical report by MPs that found thousands of lives have been lost due to delays and mistakes by both government ministers and scientific advisers.
12th Oct 2021 - Sky News
California coronavirus death count tops 70,000 as cases fall
California’s coronavirus death toll reached another once-unfathomable milestone — 70,000 people — on Monday as the state emerges from the latest infection surge with the lowest rate of new cases among all states. Last year at this time, cases in the state started ticking up and by January California was in the throes of the worst spike of the pandemic and was the nation’s epicenter for the virus. Daily deaths approached 700. The latest surge started in summer and was driven by the delta variant that primarily targeted the unvaccinated. At its worst during this spike, California’s average daily death count was in the low 100s. Data collected by Johns Hopkins University showed the state with 70,132 deaths by midday Monday. It’s the most in the nation, surpassing Texas by about 3,000 and Florida by 13,000, although California’s per capita fatality rate of 177 per 100,000 people is well below the overall U.S. rate of 214.
12th Oct 2021 - The Associated Press
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 12th Oct 2021
View this newsletter in full60 Covid deaths, 10,035 new cases
Thailand logged 60 new Covid-19 fatalities and 10,035 new cases during the previous 24 hours, the Public Health Ministry announced on Monday morning. On Sunday, 10,590 Covid-19 patients were discharged from hospitals after recovering from the coronavirus. The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) on Monday afternoon welcomed the dip in the death toll, which has dropped by almost half from Sept 29.
11th Oct 2021 - Bangkok Post
Covid Vaccine and Pregnancy: 1 in 5 England Patients Are Unvaxxed Mothers To Be
Pregnant women who haven’t been vaccinated against Covid-19 account for almost 20% of critically ill coronavirus patients in England’s hospitals, according to the National Health Service. One in five patients receiving treatments through a special lung-bypass machine since July were expectant mothers who have not had their first shots, the NHS said in a statement Monday. Even though women will have concerns about having the vaccine during pregnancy, there exists no link between getting jabbed and an increased risk of miscarriage, premature birth or illness, according to Edward Morris, president of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. “There is robust evidence showing that the vaccine is the most effective way to protect both mother and baby against the possibility of severe illness,” Morris said. Over 81,000 pregnant women in England have so far received their first dose, with 65,000 being fully vaccinated.
11th Oct 2021 - Bloomberg
1 in 5 critically ill coronavirus patients is pregnant, unvaccinated, England says
Unvaccinated pregnant women account for nearly 20 percent of the most critically ill coronavirus patients requiring lifesaving care in England in recent months, according to the country’s National Health Service. “Since July, one in five covid patients receiving treatment through a special lung-bypass machine were expectant mums who have not had their first jab,” the NHS said in a statement Monday.
Out of all women between the ages of 16 and 49 being treated with a therapy called Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation — used only when a patient’s lungs are so damaged by the virus that a ventilator cannot maintain oxygen levels — pregnant women make up almost a third, up from just 6 percent at the start of the pandemic.
11th Oct 2021 - The Washington Post
Some children's hospitals see another surge in rare Covid-19 complication MIS-C
Scientists still don't know a lot about a rare and serious Covid-19 complication that impacts children, but what they do know is that when there is a surge of Covid-19 cases in their area, MIS-C cases will typically follow. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday it has seen a 12% increase in reports of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children, or MIS-C, since late August. Doctors at a handful of children's hospitals around the country say they are still treating more MIS-C cases than they had been earlier in the year, even though MIS-C is considered rare. "We had a nice long break from those cases over the summer and even into the fall where we could get an occasional MIS-C case here and there, but in the last three or four weeks, there has definitely been an uptick.
11th Oct 2021 - CNN on MSN.com
Vietnam reports 3,619 new COVID-19 cases, 843,281 in total
Vietnam reported 3,619 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, including 3,617 locally transmitted and two imported, according to the country's Ministry of Health. Most of the community cases were detected in southern localities, including 1,527 in Ho Chi Minh City, 499 in Dong Nai province and 446 in Binh Duong province. The new infections brought the country's total tally to 843,281, with 20,670 deaths, the ministry said. Nationwide, as many as 784,748 COVID-19 patients have so far recovered, up 2,549 from Sunday, while over 54 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered, according to the ministry. As of Monday, Vietnam has registered a total of 838,653 locally transmitted COVID-19 cases since the start of the current wave in late April, the ministry said
11th Oct 2021 - Xinhua
Queensland records zero local cases of COVID-19, one in hotel quarantine, as state reaches 70pc first-dose mark
Queensland has recorded zero locally acquired cases of COVID-19, with just one case detected in hotel quarantine. It comes after a passenger who flew into Queensland without a valid border pass tested positive for COVID-19 on Saturday. The area is not in lockdown, but some hospitality businesses are opting to return to takeaway in fear of rising cases. The local government area recorded 18 new cases on Monday, following 31 cases on Sunday, 13 on Saturday and 11 on Friday. The area takes in the regional cities of Drouin and Warragul, and neighbours the Latrobe Valley.
11th Oct 2021 - ABC News
COVID-19 cases rise in west Gippsland, as some cafes return to takeaway only
COVID-19 cases have jumped in Baw Baw in west Gippsland, with 62 cases since Friday. The area is not in lockdown, but some hospitality businesses are opting to return to takeaway in fear of rising cases. The local government area recorded 18 new cases on Monday, following 31 cases on Sunday, 13 on Saturday and 11 on Friday. The area takes in the regional cities of Drouin and Warragul, and neighbours the Latrobe Valley.
11th Oct 2021 - ABC News
The rate of Covid-19 cases is dropping nationally but rising in these 5 states
The big picture for Covid-19 in the US is looking a little brighter as new infections and hospitalizations decline. "That's the good news. And hopefully it's going to continue to go in that trajectory downward," said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. "But we just have to be careful we don't prematurely declare victory in many respects. We still have around 68 million people who are eligible to be vaccinated that have not yet gotten vaccinated," Fauci said Sunday. "If you look at the history of the surges and the diminutions in the cases over a period of time, they can bounce back."
11th Oct 2021 - CNN
Russia's new COVID-19 infections, deaths near all-time highs
Russia’s daily coronavirus infections and deaths hovered near all-time highs Monday amid sluggish vaccination rates and the Kremlin s reluctance to toughen restrictions. Russia s state coronavirus task force reported 29,409 new confirmed cases — the highest number since the year’s start and just slightly lower than the pandemic record reached in December. After registering the highest daily death toll since the start of the pandemic at 968 over the weekend, it reported 957 new deaths on Monday.
11th Oct 2021 - The Independent
COVID-19: Unvaccinated pregnant women make up one fifth of most critically ill coronavirus patients in England
Almost a fifth of the most critically ill COVID patients in England in recent months have been pregnant women, according to NHS England, which is urging expectant mothers to get their jabs. Figures show that between July 1 and September 30, 17% of patients receiving treatment through a lung-bypass machine were unvaccinated pregnant women. Expectant mothers accounted for 32% of all females aged between 16 and 49 in intensive care on ECMO - a medical technique used when a patient's lungs are so badly damaged that a ventilator cannot maintain oxygen levels.
11th Oct 2021 - Sky News
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 11th Oct 2021
View this newsletter in fullCovid-19 Australia: NSW records 580 new cases as state hits 90 per cent first jab milestone
New South Wales has recorded 580 new Covid-19 cases overnight. State poised to hit 90 per cent single dose vaccination as soon as Saturday. Dr Kerry Chant revealed source of new variant of Delta strain came from traveller
9th Oct 2021 - Daily Mail
Brazil passes grim milestone of 600,000 Covid-19 deaths, second only to US
Brazil on Friday surpassed the grim milestone of 600,000 Covid-19 deaths, the second-highest number of fatalities in the world after the United States, according to John Hopkins University data. The South American nation, which holds half the continent's population, has now suffered 600,425 coronavirus deaths. It is only the second country to pass the 600,000 mark, after the US which has registered 712,695 deaths. Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro has been heavily criticized for his handling of the pandemic. The conservative populist leader has repeatedly downplayed the gravity of the outbreak, declared he would not get vaccinated because he had already had Covid-19, and championed the unproven malaria medicine hydroxychloroquine as a treatment.
9th Oct 2021 - CNN
Russia's daily COVID-19 death toll hits record high 968
Russia reported 968 coronavirus-related deaths on Saturday, its highest single-day death toll since the start of the pandemic. There were 29,362 new cases recorded in the last 24 hours, the government coronavirus task force said.
9th Oct 2021 - Reuters
COVID-19: Calls for stronger safety measures in schools amid pupil infection surge
Education unions have called for the reintroduction of extra safety measures in schools after official estimates showed around 270,000 secondary pupils had COVID-19 last week. The demand for action came as an expert warned about the level of coronavirus circulating among older children. The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that around one in 15 children in school years 7 to 11 in England are estimated to have had COVID-19 in the week to 2 October. This was the highest positivity rate for any age group and up from one in 20 during the previous seven-day period.
9th Oct 2021 - Sky News
UK records 133 COVID-19 deaths, 34950 new cases
Britain on Saturday recorded 133 deaths within 28 days of a positive COVID-19 test, a slight increase on a day earlier when 127 people died, government data showed. The figures also showed 34,950 new COVID cases, lower than a day earlier when 36,060 were recorded.
9th Oct 2021 - Reuters
‘Crisis unfolding’ as Papua New Guinea hospitals hit by worst Covid wave yet
Hospitals in Papua New Guinea are being pushed to the brink and morgues are overflowing, as the country suffers what health authorities say is the worst surge in Covid-19 cases since the pandemic began. The country’s health care system has long been plagued by shortages of drugs, funding, an ailing infrastructure and a severe lack of health workers. Now, major hospitals around Papua New Guinea have been forced to scale down vital medical services while at least one says it may be forced to close altogether.
9th Oct 2021 - The Guardian
India reports over 19,000 cases and 241 deaths
India’s total Covid cases have remained around 20,000 for the past four days. Friday saw 19,503 cases and 241 deaths reported from across the country. The numbers from Assam, Jharkhand, UP and Uttarakhand were yet to come at the time of filing this story and are likely to push today’s tally past the 20,000 mark.
The reduction in cases can be primarily attributed to the steady decline in positive cases from Kerala. In the past two weeks, the state’s tally has gone through a rapid decline. Compared to 16,671 cases reported on September 25 the state reported 10,944 cases today. Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Mizoram were the only other states to report over a thousand cases. Kerala logged 120 deaths today.
9th Oct 2021 - Times of India
Navajo Nation reports 51 more COVID-19 cases, 1 new deaths
The Navajo Nation on Friday reported 51 more COVID-19 cases and one additional death. It was the third consecutive day that the tribe reported at least one coronavirus-related death after going six days in a row with no additional deaths. The latest numbers pushed the tribe’s totals to 34,350 confirmed COVID-19 cases from the virus since the pandemic began more than a year ago. The known death toll now is 1,454. Navajo officials still are urging people to get vaccinated, wear masks while in public and minimize their travel.
9th Oct 2021 - The Associated Press
Covid Hospitalizations Rise in Colorado Even With High Vaccination Rate
Covid-19 hospitalizations are rising again in Colorado even with more than 70% of those eligible in the state vaccinated, health officials said Friday. The recent daily average has been around 900 hospitalizations, one of the highest readings since the pandemic started in March 2020, according to data from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Two weeks ago, the average was running around 875. An estimated 40% of intensive care unit patients in Colorado are infected with Covid-19, and ICU capacity is running at roughly 86%, data show.
The delta variant and its relatives account for “100%” of known cases in the state, demonstrating delta’s staying power, Rachel Herlihy, state epidemiologist, said during an online news briefing.
9th Oct 2021 - Bloomberg
Singapore reports highest single-day rise in COVID-19 cases
Singapore's health ministry reported 3,703 new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday, the highest since the beginning of the pandemic, while it recorded 11 new deaths from the disease. A recent spike in infections after the relaxation of some restrictions has prompted Singapore to pause further reopening. It also tightened curbs from last week that limited social gatherings to two people and made work from home a default. More than 80% of Singapore's population has been vaccinated against the virus.
9th Oct 2021 - Reuters
Coronavirus deaths in Russia hit new record
Russia’s daily coronavirus death toll hit a new record on Friday amid the country’s sluggish vaccination rate and the government’s reluctance to tighten restrictions.
Russia’s state coronavirus task force reported 936 new deaths on Friday, the highest daily number since the start of the pandemic. It was a third straight day when daily COVID-19 deaths topped 900. Russia already has Europe’s highest death toll in the pandemic — more than 214,000 — and the authorities’ conservative way of recording COVID-19 fatalities suggests the actual number could be even higher. On Friday, the government’s task force reported 27,246 new confirmed cases, just slightly less than Thursday’s number of 27,550, which was the highest so far this year.
8th Oct 2021 - The Associated Press
Brazil tops 600,000 virus deaths amid doubts about delta
Bars in Brazil’s biggest metropolis, Sao Paulo, are full again for Friday happy hours and lawmakers in the capital have nearly done away with video sessions via Zoom. Rio de Janeiro’s beaches are packed and calls for strict social distancing seem but a memory. These developments are part of Brazil’s bid to return to pre-pandemic normalcy, even as its death toll tops 600,000, according to official data on Friday from the health ministry. Relief in both COVID-19 cases and deaths have been particularly welcome given experts’ warnings that the delta variant would produce another wave of destruction in the country with the second-most victims. So far, that hasn’t materialized.
8th Oct 2021 - The Associated Press
Victoria records 1965 new local cases of coronavirus
Victoria has recorded 1965 new local cases of Covid-19 on Saturday as the state again breaks a national record for the highest number of daily infections. The Department of Health also confirmed five Victorians died from the virus in the past 24 hours. More than 84 per cent of the state’s population is now single-dose vaccinated and 56.6 per cent are fully-dosed. Saturday’s case total is a national high and comes just a day after Victoria broke that record on Friday with 1838 cases. There were 41,177 vaccine doses administered in the past 24 hours and 73,443 Covid-19 test results received. Mildura in northwest Victoria last night entered a snap seven-day lockdown from 11.59pm on Friday.
8th Oct 2021 - Perth Now
Pakistan's daily coronavirus case count under 1,000 for first time in three months
Pakistan records cases below the 1,000-mark for the first time since July 6. Another 26 people, meanwhile, lost their lives to the virus in the last 24 hours, pushing the death toll to 28,058. The current positivity rate is 1.99%.
8th Oct 2021 - Geo News
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 8th Oct 2021
View this newsletter in fullNumber of new COVID-19 cases continues to rise in Egypt on Wednesday
Egypt’s Ministry of Health and Population on Wednesday reported 788 new coronavirus cases, 37 deaths, and 788 recoveries. A total of 309,135 cases have been disclosed in Egypt, alongside 17,545 deaths and 261,190 recoveries.
The country’s fourth wave of the virus is in full force, with daily case figures ten times higher than what was recorded at the end of July. Moreover, the Health Ministry has stated that official figures likely only represent 10 percent of actual cases.
7th Oct 2021 - Egypt Independent
Covid-19: Four Covid-related deaths and 1,305 new cases
Four more coronavirus-related deaths have been reported in Northern Ireland on Thursday. Deaths are measured by recording those who died within 28 days of receiving a positive result in a test for coronavirus. The total number of deaths linked to Covid-19 in Northern Ireland since the start of the pandemic is 2,579. Another 1,305 cases of the virus were also notified by the Department of Health, down from 1,339 cases on Wednesday. That includes cases confirmed from samples taken in recent days, not necessarily just in the latest 24-hour reporting period. A total of 246,156 cases of the coronavirus have been confirmed in Northern Ireland since the pandemic began.
7th Oct 2021 - BBC News
Russia reports biggest one-day COVID-19 case tally of 2021
Russia reported 27,550 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, the biggest one-day tally it has recorded this year, amid a wave of infections that has pushed officials to urge people to get vaccinated. The government coronavirus task force also said that 924 people had died of coronavirus-linked causes in the last 24 hours, close to a record one-day toll.
7th Oct 2021 - Reuters
More than 120,000 US kids had caregivers die during pandemic
The number of U.S. children orphaned during the COVID-19 pandemic may be larger than previously estimated, and the toll has been far greater among Black and Hispanic Americans, a new study suggests. More than half the children who lost a primary caregiver during the pandemic belonged to those two racial groups, which make up about 40% of the U.S. population, according to the study published Thursday by the medical journal Pediatrics. “These findings really highlight those children who have been left most vulnerable by the pandemic, and where additional resources should be directed,” one of the study’s authors, Dr. Alexandra Blenkinsop of Imperial College London, said in a statement.
7th Oct 2021 - The Associated Press
Decline in global COVID-19 cases, deaths continues
Continuing a trend that began in August, global COVID-19 cases and deaths declined again last week, with activity decreasing in most regions except Europe, where infection levels stayed the same, the World Health Organization (WHO) said yesterday in its latest weekly snapshot of the pandemic. Maria Van Kerkhove, PhD, the WHO's technical lead for COVID-19, said on Twitter that hard work is paying off, and vaccinations are significantly cutting hospitalizations and deaths. She added, however, that vaccine equity is desperately needed, and the world is not out of the woods yet.
6th Oct 2021 - CIDRAP
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 7th Oct 2021
View this newsletter in fullHospitalization rates are down across the US, but these 8 states still have fewer than 15% of ICU beds available
The Los Angeles City Council voted Wednesday to require patrons at indoor spaces such as restaurants, gyms and movie theaters to show proof of full Covid-19 vaccination -- starting November 4. The ordinance will also apply to personal care establishments such as spas and hair salons, as well as city buildings. And while the measure doesn't go into effect until next month, businesses must display advisory notice of the requirement by October 21. Individuals with medical or religious exemptions must provide a form declaring that. People who do not meet those requirements can use the outdoor spaces of a business and will be allowed in the covered spaces to use restrooms or pick up takeout orders.
6th Oct 2021 - CNN
Poland's daily COVID-19 cases up by 70% past in week -deputy minister
Poland's daily COVID-19 cases have risen by around 70% in the past week to over 2,000, a government official said on Wednesday, warning the country that a fourth wave of the outbreak is gathering pace. Poland's health service was stretched to its limits in the spring by a third wave of the pandemic that saw daily cases exceed 35,000, but authorities believe vaccinations will help control the number of infections this autumn. "Today's data is a very fast flashing red light," Waldemar Kraska, a deputy health minister, told public broadcaster Polskie Radio 1, adding that there were 2,085 cases reported on Wednesday.
6th Oct 2021 - Reuters
Russia reports record daily death toll from COVID-19
Russia reported 929 coronavirus-related deaths on Wednesday, the largest single-day death toll it has recorded since the pandemic began. The government coronavirus task force also said it had recorded 25,133 new cases in the last 24 hours, a slight increase from a day earlier.
6th Oct 2021 - Reuters
COVID-19: UK records 33,869 new cases and 166 more coronavirus-related deaths, daily figures show
The UK has recorded 33,869 new COVID-19 cases and a further 166 coronavirus-related deaths in the latest 24-hour period, according to government data. The figures compare with 35,077 COVID-19 infections and 33 fatalities reported yesterday, and 34,526 cases and 167 deaths recorded this time last week. The number of people in hospital with the disease stands at 6,747, the latest data shows, slightly down from 7,038 seven days earlier, with 769 of those on ventilators.
6th Oct 2021 - Sky News
Fears of COVID surge in Vietnam as workers flee Ho Chi Minh City
Tens of thousands of Vietnamese who once made a living in Ho Chi Minh City, the country’s COVID-19 epicentre, are returning to their home provinces in desperation after authorities lifted a strict stay-at-home order last week, raising fears that the highly infectious Delta variant could spread in parts of the country where vaccination rates remain low. The mass exodus, which began on Friday, has left local officials in the Mekong Delta region and the Central Highlands scrambling to track and quarantine the returnees, many of whom had weathered months of lockdown without work or sufficient food in Ho Chi Minh City and its surrounding provinces.
6th Oct 2021 - Al Jazeera English
Australia reports easing in new COVID-19 infections as vaccinations rise
New daily COVID-19 cases in Australia's Victoria and New South Wales states, the epicentres of the country's worst virus outbreak, fell on Wednesday as authorities look to start easing tough restrictions amid a rise in vaccination rates. A total of 1,420 new locally acquired cases were reported in Victoria, most of them in the state capital Melbourne, down from a record 1,763 on Tuesday. Eleven new deaths were registered, the state's highest daily number in the current outbreak.
6th Oct 2021 - Reuters
Ukraine daily COVID-19 deaths top 300 for first time since May
The number of daily coronavirus-related deaths in Ukraine topped 300 for the first time since mid-May, health ministry data showed on Tuesday. The ministry reported 317 deaths over the past 24 hours and 9,846 new infections. The number of new COVID-19 cases has been growing for several weeks and the government has tightened lockdown restrictions.
6th Oct 2021 - Reuters
Wyoming COVID-19 death toll tops 1,000
Wyoming's COVID-19 death toll has surpassed 1,000. The deaths of 45 more people in recent weeks brought the state's death toll from the virus to 1,041, according to Wyoming Department of Health figures as of Wednesday.
6th Oct 2021 - Associated Press on MSN.com
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 6th Oct 2021
View this newsletter in fullJapan's dip in COVID-19 cases baffles experts; winter 'nightmare' still a risk
Japan's COVID-19 case numbers have plummeted to the lowest in nearly a year just as other parts of Asia are struggling with surging infections, leaving health experts perplexed and raising concern of a winter rebound. New daily cases in Tokyo dropped to 87 on Monday, the lowest tally since Nov. 2 last year, and a precipitous decline from more than 5,000 a day in an August wave that hammered the capital's medical infrastructure. The pattern is the same across the country.
5th Oct 2021 - Reuters
Number of pupils out of class due to Covid-19 rose by two thirds in a fortnight
The number of children out of school for Covid-19 related reasons in England has increased by two thirds in a fortnight, Government figures show. The Department for Education (DfE) estimates that 2.5% of all pupils – more than 204,000 children – were not in class for reasons connected to coronavirus on Thursday last week.
This is up from 122,300 children, or 1.5% of all pupils, on September 16 – a 67% rise from two weeks ago. The figures come as heads reported “a high level of disruption”, with a school leaders’ union warning that self-isolation rules are “actively contributing” to the spread of Covid-19 in schools.
5th Oct 2021 - Evening Standard
Kremlin blames record COVID-19 deaths on slow vaccination rate
Russia reported 895 new COVID-19 deaths on Tuesday, the most recorded in a single day since the pandemic began, with the Kremlin blaming the slow pace of vaccinations and a more virulent virus. Cases are rising after a third wave over the summer and officials are considering bringing back safety restrictions, although they say a Moscow lockdown is not being looked at. The coronavirus task force reported 25,110 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours. The record daily death toll is Russia's sixth in recent weeks.
5th Oct 2021 - Reuters
Australia to buy Merck's COVID-19 pill, Victoria cases hit record
Australia will buy 300,000 courses of Merck & Co's experimental antiviral pill, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Tuesday, as Victoria logged the highest number of daily COVID-19 infections of any state in the country since the pandemic began. Molnupiravir, which would be the first oral antiviral medication for COVID-19 if it gets regulatory approval, could halve the chances of dying or being hospitalised for people most at risk of contracting severe COVID-19, according to experts. "These treatments mean that we are going to be able to live with the virus," Prime Minister Scott Morrison told Nine News on Tuesday as Australia aims to reopen its borders next month for fully vaccinated citizens and permanent residents.
5th Oct 2021 - Reuters
UK hospitals could struggle even if COVID deaths lower this winter - epidemiologist
Hospitals may struggle to cope if there is a significant surge of COVID-19 in England this winter even if broad vaccination means that deaths do not approach the same levels as last year, one of Britain's top epidemiologists told Reuters. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is betting on vaccinating children and giving booster shots to vulnerable adults to avoid a winter COVID-19 lockdown this year. Johnson has locked down England's economy three times to avoid COVID overwhelming the National Health Service. Neil Ferguson, director of MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis and Jameel Institute, Imperial College London, said that the coming months were uncertain but could put strain on hospitals
5th Oct 2021 - Reuters UK
At a rural ICU, Covid-19’s summer surge put telehealth to the test
On the surface, there’s little about Whitfield Regional Hospital that would make it a safety net for Alabama’s sickest Covid-19 patients. It has a small ICU with eight beds, and no critical care doctors on staff. The rural hospital has spent decades focused on caring for the community surrounding Demopolis, population 7,000, in the heart of the state’s Black Belt. But over the summer, Whitfield became an unlikely landing pad for critically ill Covid-19 patients from across the entire state — with the help of a team of telemedicine specialists calling in from more than 100 miles away. As Covid-19 swept through unvaccinated communities, every ICU bed in the state was full for weeks on end — including those at the state’s largest hospital, at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
5th Oct 2021 - STAT News
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 5th Oct 2021
View this newsletter in fullGSK to supply 10000 doses of COVID-19 drug to Canada
London-based drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline PLC said on Monday it signed a deal to supply 10,000 doses of its COVID-19 monoclonal antibody therapy to the Canadian government. "With the emergence of variants of concern across the country, in particular the Delta variant, new therapies like sotrovimab are important to treating the disease in its early stages," said Ranya El Masri, head of government affairs and market access for GSK Canada. The drug, sotrovimab, developed in partnership with Vir Biotechnology Inc was approved by Canada in July to treat mild to moderate COVID-19 patients, above 12 years of age, who are at high risk for progressing to hospitalization or death.
4th Oct 2021 - Reuters
Britain reports 35,077 new COVID-19 cases on Monday
Britain on Monday reported 35,077 new daily COVID-19 cases, up from the 30,439 cases reported a day earlier, government statistics showed, with a further 33 deaths within 28 days of a positive coronavirus test result.
4th Oct 2021 - Reuters
Signs of encouragement as US sees drop in Covid cases and hospitalizations
The United States has seen a dramatic drop in the number of Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations in recent weeks, a trend that epidemiologists see as an encouraging sign that the Delta wave of the virus has peaked nationally. The seven-day average of daily new cases in America dropped from about 151,000 on 14 September to about 106,000 on 29 September, a 29% decrease, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
4th Oct 2021 - The Guardian
Russia reports record Covid deaths as official toll reaches 210,000
Russia has reported a record number of Covid deaths for four of the past six days, as the country experiences a devastating fourth wave caused by the Delta variant and a low vaccination rate of under 30% of the adult population. On Monday, 883 deaths and 25,781 new coronavirus cases were reported, taking the official death toll to 210,000. Calculations based on publicly available mortality data suggest that the “excess death” toll between the start of the pandemic and July this year is nearly 600,000. The pandemic has reached Russia’s leadership. Last month, Vladimir Putin was forced to go into self-isolation after “several dozen people” in the president’s inner circle tested positive.
4th Oct 2021 - The Guardian
Queensland records one new local mystery case of COVID-19
Queensland has recorded one new local case of COVID-19, a woman in her 50s whose infection was not linked to any known clusters.
4th Oct 2021 - ABC Local
UK might not be over the worst, scientists warn, as Covid case numbers stay high
Britain is heading into winter with the number of Covid cases remaining at a worryingly high level. At the same time, the nation’s vaccination programme appears to have stalled. That is the bleak view of leading epidemiologists who have warned that the worst effects of the pandemic may not yet be over for the UK. As the weather gets colder, more and more people are likely to socialise in restaurants, bars and cinemas rather than in parks or gardens with the result that transmission rates of Covid-19 are likely to rise. At the same time, employees are being encouraged to return to their workplaces, which will also drive up infections. At present, new Covid cases are being reported at a rate of about 35,000 a day – though Britain’s vaccination programme has kept hospitalisations to below the 7,000 level with fewer than 200 deaths occurring every day. These figures have remained fairly stable for the past few weeks.
4th Oct 2021 - The Guardian
China reports 27 new COVID-19 cases, down from 28 a day earlier
China reported 27 new COVID-19 cases on the mainland for Oct. 3, down from 28 a day earlier, the national health authority said on Monday. One of the new infections was locally transmitted and the rest imported, the National Health Commission said. The number of new asymptomatic cases, which China does not classify as confirmed cases, was 15, the same as reported the day before. Two of the asymptomatic cases were local, found in the northwestern Xinjiang region, and the rest imported.
4th Oct 2021 - Reuters
Covid-19 Australia: NSW has recorded 623 cases and six deaths
A health bureaucrat was forced to announce NSW had recorded 623 new Covid cases and six deaths alone with the state government in chaos. Dr Jeremy McAnulty delivered the figures just hours after John Barilaro made the shock announcement he would be quitting as deputy premier on Monday. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian three days earlier announced she would be resigning due to a corruption investigation by ICAC.
4th Oct 2021 - Daily Mail
Russia hits record number of daily COVID-19 deaths
Russia on Sunday reported a record daily death toll from COVID-19, the fifth time in a week that deaths have hit a new high. The national coronavirus task force said 890 deaths were recorded over the past day, exceeding the 887 reported on Friday. The task force also said the number of new infections in the past day was the second-highest of the year at 25,769. Overall, Russia, a nation of 146 million people, has Europe s highest death toll from the pandemic, nearly 210,000 people.
Yet despite the country's persistent rise in daily deaths and new cases, Russian officials say there are no plans to impose a lockdown. Mask-wearing regulations are in place but are loosely enforced. Moscow briefly tried during the summer to require proof of vaccination or a negative PCR test for indoor customers at restaurants and bars, but abandoned the program after business owners complained of reduced revenues.
4th Oct 2021 - The Independent
Australia sees COVID-19 outbreak levelling off
Australia's Delta outbreak appears to have levelled off, with more than half the country in extended lockdowns and vaccination rates starting to approach national targets, Health Minister Greg Hunt said on Monday. Hunt said 80% of Australians will have had their first COVID-19 jabs this week, while the overall battle against the virus has been boosted by the arrival in recent days of 15,000 additional doses of treatment drug sotrovimab. The Australian government wants all COVID-19 restrictions, including travel bans, to be lifted when 80% of the population above 16 is fully vaccinated. It expects that target will be reached in mid-November.
4th Oct 2021 - Reuters
New Zealand drops COVID-19 elimination strategy under pressure from Delta
New Zealand on Monday abandoned its long-standing strategy of eliminating coronavirus amid a persistent Delta outbreak, and will instead look to live with the virus and control its spread as its vaccination rate rises. The Pacific nation was among just a handful of countries to bring COVID-19 cases down to zero last year and largely stayed virus-free until an outbreak of the highly infectious Delta variant in mid-August frustrated efforts to stamp out transmission. "With this outbreak and Delta the return to zero is incredibly difficult," Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told a news conference in a major policy shift.
4th Oct 2021 - Reuters
Hungary's COVID-19 deaths rise to highest since start of fourth wave
Hungary's COVID-19 deaths and new infections jumped over the weekend to their highest level since the start of the fourth wave of the pandemic, government data showed on Monday. Health authorities registered 1,492 new infections and 31 deaths over the past three days, bringing the total number of cases to 824,876 and deaths to 30,230 since the start of the pandemic. Although the latest figures are still well below those registered during previous waves, the data reflects a slowly worsening trend. Neighbouring Serbia and Romania have seen a sharp deterioration in their COVID-19 statistics.
4th Oct 2021 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 4th Oct 2021
View this newsletter in fullCOVID-19 patients 'begging' for vaccines before being put on life support, Melbourne nurses say
A senior intensive care nurse has described Victorian patients "begging" to be vaccinated before being put on life support. Michelle Spence, the ICU nurse unit manager at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, was visibly emotional as she detailed otherwise fit and healthy people deteriorating after contracting COVID-19. "One of the saddest things I've seen over the last few weeks is people wanting the vaccination just before we put them on a life support machine," she said. "That is the absolute truth. I've seen it myself. They're begging for the vaccination. "They're very young. And once we get to that, we're about to put them on life support, it is really too late."
3rd Oct 2021 - ABC.Net.au
COVID-19: Mother warns coronavirus 'can happen to anybody' after teenage daughter dies on day she was to get vaccine
A mother has warned that anyone can die from COVID-19, even young people, after her teenage daughter died just days after contracting the virus. Jorja Halliday, 15, from Portsmouth, died at the Queen Alexandra Hospital on 28 September after she tested positive for the coronavirus four days earlier. Her mother, Tracy Halliday, 40, said: "Some children are sort of a bit blasé about, the say 'it's not going to happen to me, I'm going to be fine'. I just want people to know that it can happen to anybody, at any age, at any time. Even if you're young and healthy."
3rd Oct 2021 - Sky News
Covid cases rise as UK schools return and furlough scheme ends
The number of daily new Covid infections in the UK has risen in the past month after the removal of most pandemic restrictions and as schools and offices reopened, fuelled by the Delta variant. The latest daily figures up to 30 September show that 36,480 people tested positive for Covid-19 across the UK, an increase from the start of the month. The government said a further 137 people had died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19 as of Thursday, bringing the UK total to 136,662. Almost 49 million people have had a first shot of a coronavirus vaccine, about 90% of the adult population. Almost 45 million – about 83% – have had a second.
2nd Oct 2021 - The Guardian
Australia reports 2355 new COVID-19 cases as vaccination push continues
Australia reported 2,357 new cases of the Delta coronavirus variant on Saturday, as the push to vaccinate the country's population continues in order to end lockdowns and allow for the reopening of international borders. An 18-month ban on international travel is set to be gradually lifted from next month for some states when 80% of people aged 16 and over are fully vaccinated. Fifty-five percent of Australians were fully inoculated as of Friday, but nearly 80% have received at least one shot.
2nd Oct 2021 - Reuters
U.S. Covid Death Toll Nears 700,000 Despite Availability of Vaccines
The United States surpassed 700,000 deaths from the coronavirus on Friday, a milestone that few experts had anticipated months ago when vaccines became widely available to the American public. An overwhelming majority of Americans who have died in recent months, a period in which the country has offered broad access to shots, were unvaccinated. The United States has had one of the highest recent death rates of any country with an ample supply of vaccines. The new and alarming surge of deaths this summer means that the coronavirus pandemic has become the deadliest in American history, overtaking the toll from the influenza pandemic of 1918 and 1919, which killed about 675,000 people.
2nd Oct 2021 - The New York Times
Malaysia posts record monthly COVID-19 deaths as authorities cite backlog
Malaysia recorded 9,671 deaths due to COVID-19 in September, the deadliest month since the pandemic began, government data showed on Friday, though authorities have said the increase was mostly due to the delayed inclusion of fatalities from previous months. The spike has pushed Malaysia's death toll to among the highest per capita in Asia, even as new infections have slowed in recent weeks amid a ramped-up vaccination programme.
1st Oct 2021 - Reuters
Children lead rise in England's COVID-19 prevalence
The prevalence of COVID-19 infections in England increased in the week ending Sept 25, Britain's Office for National Statistics said on Friday, led by an increase in infections in school-age children. Schools in England have been open for around a month, and some epidemiologists have highlighted concern about rising cases among children, although it is yet to translate into a sustained increase in infections for the population more broadly. There was an estimated prevalence of 4.58% among secondary school-age children, meaning more than 1 in 25 tested positive for COVID-19, compared to 2.81% of children in the age range testing positive in the previous week.
1st Oct 2021 - Reuters UK
US COVID-19 death toll hits 700,000
The United States surpassed 700,000 coronavirus-related deaths on Friday, according to a Reuters tally, as officials roll out booster doses of vaccines to protect the elderly and people working in high-risk professions. The country has reported an average of more than 2,000 deaths per day over the past week, which represents about 60% of the peak in fatalities in January, a Reuters analysis of public health data showed. The United States still leads the world in COVID-19 cases and deaths, accounting for 19% and 14% of all reported infections and fatalities, according to Reuters tally. Globally, the pandemic is set to surpass 5 million deaths.
1st Oct 2021 - Reuters
US COVID-19 cases drop 15% in past week
The 7-day average of new COVID-19 cases dropped in the United States by 15% this week, to 106,400 cases per day, according to Rochelle Walensky, MD, MPH, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Walensky, during a White House press briefing, said hospitalizations also dropped to 8,300 per day (also a 15% decrease), and deaths remained at 1,476 per day, on average. Yesterday, according to the Johns Hopkins University tracker, the country confirmed 110,060 cases, including 2,718 deaths. "Deaths remain substantially higher in states with low vaccination coverage," Walensky said, urging the 70 million Americans who have yet to get vaccinated against the novel coronavirus to do it as soon as possible. The CDC COVID Data Tracker shows that 55.6% of Americans are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, 64.6% have received at least one dose of vaccine, and 2.2% of fully vaccinated Americans have received a booster dose.
1st Oct 2021 - CIDRAP
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 1st Oct 2021
View this newsletter in fullUS coronavirus: For the first time since June, the number of projected Covid-19 deaths in the US is decreasing
For the first time since June, the rate of new Covid-19 deaths in the US is expected to decrease over the next four weeks, according to an ensemble forecast from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And for the third week in a row, Wednesday's CDC forecast predicted that hospitalizations will decrease as well -- a bit of hope as the more transmissible Delta variant continues to spread. Currently, an average of nearly 2,000 people die and about 114,000 people are infected with Covid-19 every day, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
Dr. Scott Gottlieb, a former US Food and Drug Administration commissioner, estimated earlier this week that the Delta-driven wave of the pandemic could run its course by Thanksgiving, and Covid-19 could eventually become more of a seasonal nuisance than a devastating pandemic. But Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said Monday that is dependent on getting a lot more people vaccinated
30th Sep 2021 - CNN on MSN.com
In Well-Vaccinated Maine, Covid-19 Still Fills Hospitals With the Unvaccinated
The Delta variant is finding clusters of unvaccinated people even in some of the best-vaccinated parts of the country, such as Maine. A Covid-19 surge in the New England state has filled hospitals and put dozens of mostly unvaccinated people on ventilators, setting records for the state. The problem, public-health experts say, is the variant’s high transmissibility combined with the relaxation of precautions such as wearing masks. Covid-19 infections and hospitalizations have also flared among mostly unvaccinated people in Vermont and western Massachusetts, highlighting the risk Delta poses even in states with the best track records for getting shots in arms. “The Delta variant is so much more contagious that it doesn’t need much kindling to continue to burn,” said Dora Anne Mills, chief health improvement officer at nonprofit health system MaineHealth.
30th Sep 2021 - The Wall Street Journal
Number of people testing positive for Covid-19 in England up 18% in a week
The number of people testing positive for Covid-19 in England hasjumped 18% in a week, in a sign that new cases of coronavirus are once again on the rise. A total of 191,771 people tested positive at least once in the week to September 22, up from 162,400 the previous week, according to the latest Test and Trace figures. It is the biggest week-on-week percentage increase since mid-July, which was the last time there was a major spike in Covid-19 cases in England.
30th Sep 2021 - Evening Standard
Australian state's 50% jump in COVID-19 blamed on sport fans
Australia’s Victoria state on Thursday reported a jump of more than 50% in daily COVID-19 cases, which authorities largely blame on Australian Rules Football parties last weekend that breached pandemic regulations. State capital Melbourne traditionally hosts the annual grand final which the football-obsessed city celebrates with a long weekend. Because of Melbourne's lockdown, two Melbourne teams played for the national premiership on Saturday in the coronavirus-free west coast city of Perth. Contact tracers found a third of Victoria’s 1,438 new infections reported on Thursday had broken pandemic rules by attending social gatherings on the Friday public holiday and on game day, officials said.
30th Sep 2021 - The Independent
Ukraine faces new jump in COVID-19 infections
The number of daily new coronavirus infections in Ukraine rose to almost 12,000 over the past 24 hours for the first time since April, health ministry data showed on Thursday. Ukraine also reported 194 coronavirus-related deaths. The number of new COVID-19 cases has been growing over the past several weeks and the government has already tightened lockdown restrictions. Ukraine lifted lockdown restrictions as cases dropped over the summer but last week imposed a nationwide "yellow" code, which curbs mass events and limits the occupancy rates of gyms, cinemas and other venues.
30th Sep 2021 - Reuters
Melbourne cases hit record despite two months of lockdown
Melbourne's COVID-19 cases surged to record levels on Thursday with officials blaming illegal home gatherings to watch a key sporting event for the spike as a hard lockdown to combat the spread of the Delta variant neared two months. Authorities in Victoria, home to Melbourne, estimated nearly a third of Thursday's 1,438 new infections could be traced back to home parties last weekend to watch the Australian Rules Football Grand Final on television.
30th Sep 2021 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 30th Sep 2021
View this newsletter in fullVictoria records 950 COVID-19 cases and seven deaths as some restrictions ease slightly
It represents another day of record-high numbers as the state's outbreak worsens. With lockdowns now pegged to vaccination rates, some restrictions have eased across the state. The Latrobe Valley in Gippsland has seen huge demand for testing on its first day of lockdown
29th Sep 2021 - ABC News
Record rate of new Covid-19 cases in Wales as third wave surges
Wales is recording its highest rate of new cases of Covid-19 since comparable records began, as the third wave of coronavirus continues to surge across the nation, new figures show. A total of 20,806 new cases were recorded in the seven days to September 23 – the equivalent of 656.4 cases per 100,000 people. This is higher than at any point since mass testing was introduced in the UK in summer 2020. It is also up sharply from 536.1 cases per 100,000 people one week earlier.
29th Sep 2021 - Evening Standard
Covid-19 Australia: NSW is rocked by a pandemic -record 15 deaths and 863 new cases
State recorded 863 cases of Covid-19 and pandemic-worst 15 deaths overnight.
Ms Berejiklian said 86.2 per cent of state's population single-dose vaccinated. Premier expects NSW to reach the 90 per cent single-dose figure by next week.
Unvaccinated face $1,000 fine if they're caught enjoying October 11 freedoms.
29th Sep 2021 - Daily Mail
New Zealand's COVID cases jump as its battles Delta variant
New Zealand's daily coronavirus cases jumped to their highest level in weeks on Wednesday, a setback to the South Pacific nation's battle to eliminate the highly infectious Delta variant from its shores. Health authorities reported 45 new cases, all in the biggest city, Auckland, taking the total number of cases in the current outbreak to 1,230. It's much higher than the eight reported on Tuesday, and the highest number of daily cases since Sept 2.
29th Sep 2021 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 29th Sep 2021
View this newsletter in fullRomania Reports Most Daily Covid-19 Cases Since Pandemic Began
Romania reported a record number of daily coronavirus infections as it suffers the consequences of having the European Union’s second-least-vaccinated population. More than 11,000 new Covid-19 cases were recorded in the past 24 hours, data released Tuesday showed. Large cities including Bucharest are approaching infection rates that will lead to new restrictions, including a weekend curfew and online schooling. With the government struggling to boost the number of intensive-care beds available for virus patients, another 208 deaths were also reported since Monday. That brings total fatalities to more than 36,000, with the worst toll coming in the past three months.
28th Sep 2021 - Bloomberg
India reports lowest daily COVID cases, deaths since March
India has reported its lowest daily numbers of COVID-19 infections deaths in more than six months. The death toll of 179 COVID deaths, reported on Tuesday, is the lowest daily figure since the middle of March and takes the total to 447,373.
28th Sep 2021 - AlJazeera
Covid-19: NI records four more coronavirus-linked deaths, 1,078 cases
Four more coronavirus-related deaths have been reported in Northern Ireland on Monday. Deaths are measured by recording those who died within 28 days of receiving a positive result in a test for coronavirus. The total number of deaths linked to Covid-19 in Northern Ireland since the start of the pandemic is 2,552. Another 1,078 cases of coronavirus were reported on Tuesday, up from 903 on Monday.
28th Sep 2021 - BBC News
COVID-19: UK records another 37,960 coronavirus cases and 40 related deaths
The UK has recorded another 37,960 coronavirus cases and a further 40 related deaths in the latest 24-hour period. The figures compare with the 32,417 cases and 58 deaths within 28 days of a positive test reported on Sunday. This time last week, the UK recorded 36,100 daily cases and 49 coronavirus-related deaths, with 7,774 COVID patients in hospital at the time. The latest available data showed there were 6,865 people with the virus in hospital on Friday.
28th Sep 2021 - Sky News
Russia reports its worst single-day Covid-19 death toll since start of pandemic
Russia reported its highest Covid-19 death toll in a single day on Tuesday with 852 coronavirus-related deaths recorded in the past 24 hours, according to the country's coronavirus response center. The previous all-time high was recorded four days ago, on September 24, when 828 deaths were registered. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov acknowledged the country's regions had seen an increase in coronavirus cases while speaking to journalists on Tuesday.
28th Sep 2021 - CNN
After government pledge of 'best summer ever,' COVID swamps Alberta hospitals, premier
Premier Jason Kenney promised Albertans the "best summer ever" when he lifted most COVID-19 public health restrictions on July 1, but a surge in infections has overwhelmed the province's hospitals and left him fighting to save his political career. The western Canadian province is often called "the Texas of the North" for its oil and gas wealth, cowboy culture and conservative, independent mindset. As in Texas, COVID-19 has run rife in Alberta, which has the highest rate of active infections among Canada's 10 provinces, at nearly four times the national average. It and neighboring Saskatchewan also have the country's lowest vaccination rates.
28th Sep 2021 - Reuters
Two Europes: Low vaccine rates in east overwhelm ICUs
Around 72% of adults in the 27-nation European Union have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, but a stubbornly low uptake of the shots in some eastern EU nations now risks overwhelming hospitals amid a surge of infections due to the more contagious delta variant. Bulgaria and Romania are lagging dramatically behind as the EU’s two least-vaccinated nations, with just 22% and 33% of their adult populations fully inoculated. Rapidly increasing new infections have forced authorities to tighten virus restrictions in the two countries, while other EU nations such as France, Spain, Denmark and Portugal have all exceeded 80% vaccine coverage and eased restrictions.
28th Sep 2021 - Associated Press
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 28th Sep 2021
View this newsletter in fullUK records 37960 new COVID-19 cases, 40 more deaths
Britain reported 37,960 new COVID-19 cases on Monday and 40 more deaths within 28 days of a positive test, official data showed. The figures compared to 32,417 cases recorded on Sunday and 58 deaths.
27th Sep 2021 - Reuters
Fourth national lockdown is likely to be imposed over the winter, half of Britons believe
Another national lockdown is likely to be imposed over the winter, half of Britons believe with most expecting a “significant rise” in Covid-19 infections in the coming months. A poll for i by Redfield & Wilton Strategies suggests that three in five voters would back any decision to lock down the country for a fourth time – even though the Government has insisted it will go to any lengths to avoid doing so. There is broad approval of the Government’s current handling of the pandemic, with 46 per cent saying they are happy with how things are going and 29 per cent disagreeing.
27th Sep 2021 - iNews
ACT records first COVID-related death in current outbreak, 19 new coronavirus cases
A Canberra man in his 90s has died with COVID-19, as Chief Minister Andrew Barr unveils his roadmap out of lockdown. Nineteen new COVID-19 cases were recorded in the ACT today, with at least eight of those infectious in the community. Seventeen can be linked to a known case or cluster, while two remain unlinked. There are currently eight people in hospital with the virus. Three of them are in ICU and require ventilation. There were 3,866 Canberrans tested at ACT clinics yesterday, following the announcement of 25 COVID-19 cases yesterday and 32 cases on Saturday.
27th Sep 2021 - ABC News
Victoria records 705 new Covid-19 cases and one death as Dan Andrews announces new freedoms
Victoria records 705 new cases of coronavirus with one death on Monday. Dan Andrews announced new targets to enhanced freedoms with jab rates. Golf and tennis are back on the cards for Victorians as vaccinations increase. Leaked plans reveal the premier's plan to force every student to get vaccinated
27th Sep 2021 - Daily Mail
Vietnam COVID-19 epicentre may have 40% more unrecorded cases - report
Authorities in Vietnam's biggest city are urging the government to recognise positive rapid tests for COVID-19 to present a clearer picture of its outbreak, state media reported on Monday, a move that could increase the city's case total by 40%. Ho Chi Minh City, home to about 9 million people, has borne the brunt of Vietnam's coronavirus crisis, accounting for 80% of its more than 18,500 COVID-19 deaths and half of its 756,000 cases.
27th Sep 2021 - Reuters
Australia's Victoria state records second-highest daily rise in virus cases
Australia's Victoria state reported 779 new COVID-19 infections and two deaths on Sunday, off the previous day's record high as the country's prime minister presses state leaders to be ready to reopen once they meet vaccination targets. The daily increase was still the state's second-highest, after the 847 cases logged on Saturday, as officials battle to contain a Delta variant outbreak that has taken root since mid-year.
27th Sep 2021 - Reuters
UK's daily Covid cases rise 5% in a week to 37,960 as hospital admissions and deaths continue to fall - amid fears FOURTH wave may have already began with cases starting to spill over from children to their parents
37,960 Covid cases were recorded across the UK, latest daily figures from the Department of Health show. The figure is 5.2% higher than the 36,100 cases recorded last Monday and comes amid fears of a fourth wave. Separate data shows rates have been rising for a fortnight, following the return of pupils to classrooms. Experts had always warned of a fresh wave after the return of schools, where the majority are not vaccinated. Meanwhile, hospitalisations and deaths, which lag behind infection rates by a few weeks, continued to fall. Some 40 people were added to the Covid death toll, bringing the UK total to 136,208 since last March
27th Sep 2021 - Daily Mail
COVID-19: UK records another 58 coronavirus-related deaths - as infections rise by 15% in a week
The UK has recorded 32,417 further COVID-19 cases and 58 deaths within 28 days of a positive test, according to the latest government figures. There have been 239,342 cases over the past seven days - an increase of almost 31,974, equivalent to 15.4% - data published on the government's coronavirus website showed. A total of 965 deaths have been recorded over the past week, 38 less than last week, equating to a 3.8% reduction.
25th Sep 2021 - Sky News
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 27th Sep 2021
View this newsletter in fullEngland series in Australia abandoned because of Covid-19 restrictions
England's netball Test series in Australia has been called off because of "the evolving Covid-19 restrictions" in the host country. Jess Thirlby's side were scheduled to tour Australia in October following their first series win in New Zealand. "To get to this stage and not be able to complete the Australian leg is very saddening," said England Netball performance director David Parsons. England's players will return home in the "coming days" from New Zealand. The dates and venues for the games in Australia had yet to be confirmed as England Netball and Netball Australia worked to organise the series.
25th Sep 2021 - BBC News
Covid Australia: ACT records 32 cases of Covid-19 amid outbreak at aged care home
There were 32 new cases of Covid-19 recorded in the ACT overnight. At least two dozen of the cases were infectious in the community. There were nine cases at an aged care home were most have been vaccinated
25th Sep 2021 - Daily Mail
Covid-19 Australia: NSW records 1,007 cases as state prepares for details of new freedoms
New South Wales recorded 1,007 new Covid-19 cases and 11 deaths on Saturday
State crisis cabinet met on Friday to discuss new freedoms in New South Wales
Changes will be made when 80 per cent of state is vaccinated by October 25
Increased caps on social events are among expected changes to be announced
State government set to formally announce the restriction changes next week
25th Sep 2021 - Daily Mail
S.Korea's daily COVID-19 cases top 3000 for first time after holiday
South Korea's daily COVID-19 infections topped 3,000 for the first time as an outbreak fuelled by this week's three-day holiday spreads, authorities said on Saturday. Friday's 3,273 coronavirus cases surpassed the previous high a day earlier, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said, taking the nation's tally to 298,402 infections and 2,441 deaths.
25th Sep 2021 - Reuters
Australia's Victoria state logs record infections ahead of key sporting event
Australia's Victoria state notched up a daily record of 847 locally acquired cases of COVID-19 and one death, government figures showed on Saturday as health officials warned the public to stay home ahead of a major national sporting final.
Authorities expect case numbers in the state to keep rising until mid November as it races to raise vaccination rates above the 70% double dose threshold, up from around 46% currently.
25th Sep 2021 - Reuters
Thailand reports 11,975 new COVID-19 cases, 127 more deaths
Thailand on Saturday recorded 11,975 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 127 more fatalities from the pandemic in the past 24 hours, according to the Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA). Of the new infections, 3,612 cases were reported in the capital Bangkok and its neighboring provinces, according to the CCSA, the country's COVID-19 task force. The CCSA reported that 94 percent of the new deaths recorded were among senior patients aged over 60 years or patients with underlying diseases. An additional 14,700 new recoveries from the coronavirus epidemic were reported, while 3,323 COVID-19 patients remained in critical condition, according to the CCSA. For the Southeast Asian country which was hit by the pandemic last year, the accumulative number of COVID-19 infections has risen to more than 1.54 million, including 16,143 deaths.
24th Sep 2021 - Xinhua
70% vaccinated prisoners got COVID, 93% of unvaccinated: Texas study
About 70% of fully vaccinated people in a Texas prison caught COVID-19 in an outbreak, the CDC said. The data suggests that while Delta can spread among vaccinated people, vaccines protect against severe COVID-19. Of the unvaccinated prisoners, 93% caught COVID-19, and one died, the CDC said.
22nd Sep 2021 - Business Insider
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 24th Sep 2021
View this newsletter in fullMelbourne cases linger near record levels as Australia hits vaccine milestone
COVID-19 infections in Australia's Victoria state hovered near record levels on Friday as authorities stepped up the pace of vaccinations in hopes of easing restrictions with more than half the country's adult population fully vaccinated. Australia is grappling with a third wave of infections from the highly infectious Delta variant that has led to lockdowns in its two largest cities, Sydney and Melbourne, and the capital, Canberra, affecting nearly half the country's 25 million people.
24th Sep 2021 - Reuters
Alaska, overwhelmed by COVID-19 patients, adopts crisis standards for hospitals
Alaska, which led most U.S. states in coronavirus vaccinations months ago, took the drastic step on Wednesday of imposing crisis-care standards for its entire hospital system, declaring that a crushing surge in COVID-19 patients has forced rationing of strained medical resources.
23rd Sep 2021 - Reuters
COVID-19: Global cases sees biggest fall in two months, says WHO - but UK in top five for new infections
The number of new COVID-19 cases across the world has seen its biggest fall in more than two months, the World Health Organization (WHO) has said. New coronavirus infections fell to 3.6 million cases last week - down from the global figure of four million for the previous seven days. The most COVID cases were seen in the UK, US, India, Turkey, and the Philippines.
23rd Sep 2021 - Sky News
Singapore reports 1457 COVID-19 cases, highest since April last year
Singapore's health ministry reported 1,457 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, the highest since April last year. A recent rise in cases after the relaxation of some COVID-19 measures has prompted Singapore to pause further reopening. More than 80% of its population has been vaccinated against COVID-19.
23rd Sep 2021 - Reuters
Russia's COVID-19 deaths return to record daily highs
Russia on Thursday reported 820 coronavirus-related deaths in the last 24 hours, matching an all-time high set on Aug. 26, and authorities warned that cases were again rising rapidly. Moscow recorded 3,445 new infections in the last 24 hours, the most reported in a single day since July 31 following a case surge over the summer, authorities said. There were 21,438 cases recorded nationwide, they said. The Kremlin told reporters that officials were not discussing the idea of reimposing lockdown measures or other restrictions, but that the government and regional officials were monitoring the situation closely.
23rd Sep 2021 - Reuters
Brazil approaches 600,000 COVID deaths in second-deadliest outbreak
Brazil has had 24,611 new cases of the novel coronavirus reported in the past 24 hours, and 648 deaths from COVID-19, the health ministry said on Thursday. The South American country has now registered 21,308,178 cases since the pandemic began, while the official death toll has risen to 592,964, according to ministry data, in the world's third worst outbreak outside the United States and India and its second-deadliest after the United States. As vaccination advances, the rolling 7-day average of COVID deaths has fallen to less than one fifth of the toll of almost 3,000 a day at the peak of the pandemic in April.
23rd Sep 2021 - Reuters on MSN.com
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 23rd Sep 2021
View this newsletter in fullChild cases of COVID-19 in the US fall 7% with 225,000 under-18s testing positive last week
More than 225,000 COVID-19 cases were recorded among children and teens last week, a 7.1% decline from the 243,00 cases recorded the week before. Under-18s accounted for 25.7% of all U.S. cases recorded last week with a total of 5.5 million since the pandemic began. The South has the most weekly child Covid cases with 110,000 reported while the Northeast had the fewest with about 10,000. There have been 480 Covid deaths among children, meaning kids make up less than 0.1% of all deaths in the U.S.
22nd Sep 2021 - Daily Mail
'Soul-crushing': US COVID-19 deaths are topping 1,900 a day
COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. have climbed to an average of more than 1,900 a day for the first time since early March, with experts saying the virus is preying largely on a distinct group: 71 million unvaccinated Americans. The increasingly lethal turn has filled hospitals, complicated the start of the school year, delayed the return to offices and demoralized health care workers. “It is devastating," said Dr. Dena Hubbard, a pediatrician in the Kansas City Missouri area who has cared for babies delivered prematurely by cesarean section in a last-ditch effort to save their mothers, some of whom died. For health workers, the deaths, combined with misinformation and disbelief about the virus, have been "heart-wrenching, soul-crushing."
22nd Sep 2021 - The Independent
Brazilian health minister tests positive for Covid-19 while in New York for UN meeting
Brazilian Minister of Health Marcelo Queiroga has tested positive for Covid-19 while in New York City for the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), the Brazilian president's office announced Tuesday evening. Queiroga was part of Jair Bolsonaro's Presidential Committee, according to the statement, which added he was "doing well." So far, other members of the Brazilian delegation have tested negative for the virus. Queiroga told CNN affiliate CNN Brasil on Tuesday that he would quarantine in New York for 14 days, and wouldn't leave the United States with other members of his delegation. Some delegation members have canceled their participation due to the risk of infecting members from other countries, Queiroga said.
22nd Sep 2021 - CNN
U.S. parents weigh risks, benefits as COVID-19 vaccine for kids nears approval
Monday's announcement from Pfizer and BioNTech that a low dose of their coronavirus vaccine proved safe and effective for children ages 5 to 11 in a clinical trial has come as a relief to many parents anxiously awaiting the chance to protect their children. The highly contagious Delta variant of the virus has collided with the start of the U.S. academic year, sending infections among young children soaring - including many cases requiring hospitalization - and forcing thousands of schools to shut for days or even weeks. The companies said they plan to file for regulatory authorization as soon as possible for a 10-microgram dose for children ages 5 to 11 after it led to a strong immune response in a 2,268-participant trial.
22nd Sep 2021 - Reuters
Covid-19: India health workers' families fight for compensation
In March 2020, India's federal government promised 5m rupees ($68,000; £50,000) to the family of every health worker who died fighting Covid. But a BBC investigation, based in part on Right to Information requests, shows that a lack of data, bureaucratic hurdles and a discriminatory policy have left many of these families traumatised. The BBC spoke to several families who said they felt let down by a government that had promised to stand by them. Only a handful of them agreed to be interviewed. Others feared that speaking out could hurt their chances of being compensated. The government did not respond to our questions.
22nd Sep 2021 - BBC News
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 22nd Sep 2021
View this newsletter in fullMajor Idaho Hospital System Says 70% of ICU Patients Have Covid
An unprecedented 70% of intensive care unit patients have Covid-19 at a hospital network in Idaho, a state where vaccination rates are low, medical care is being rationed and virus hospitalizations are setting records. The Covid-19 ICU mortality rate is up to 43% at St. Luke’s health system, higher than the prior peak, and 98% of ICU patients suffering the deadly malady are unvaccinated, James Souza, chief physician executive of the statewide network of six hospitals, told an online news briefing.
21st Sep 2021 - Bloomberg
Vietnam's total confirmed COVID-19 cases surpass 700,000
Vietnam reported 11,692 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, including 11,687 locally transmitted and five imported, according to the country's Ministry of Health. The new infections brought the country's total tally to 707,436, with 17,545 deaths, the ministry said. Most of the community cases were detected in southern localities, including 6,521 in the epicenter Ho Chi Minh City, 3,609 in the nearby Binh Duong province, and 590 in Dong Nai province. As many as 475,343 COVID-19 patients have so far recovered, up 11,017 from Monday, while over 35 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered nationwide, according to the ministry.
As of Tuesday, Vietnam has registered a total of 702,972 locally transmitted COVID-19 cases since the start of the current wave in late April, the ministry said.
21st Sep 2021 - Xinhua
Nearly 226,000 Covid-19 cases were reported in children last week, pediatrician group says
Covid-19 infections have continued to increase "exponentially" among children across the US, and now account for nearly 26% of all cases reported nationwide, according to data published Monday. Over the past week, the American Academy of Pediatrics reported the second highest total of new diagnoses among children over the course of the pandemic, with 225,978.
21st Sep 2021 - CNN
Victoria's construction industry has been linked to 403 Covid-19 cases prompting shut down
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has shut down the state's construction industry after it was revealed 403 Covid-19 cases have been linked to the sector. There are now 300,000 tradies out of work for two weeks following the shut down announced late on Monday night with hundreds taking to the streets of Melbourne to protest outside construction union CFMEU's office. The state's health minister Martin Foley said that the hundreds of cases found within the industry have been recorded across 186 construction sites.
21st Sep 2021 - Daily Mail
Covid-19 Australia: ACT boosts funding to mental health services as 16 new Covid cases are recorded
ACT Chief Minister announced extra $14million to boost mental health services
Includes support for people with eating disorders, alcohol and drug services
The increase in funding will also assist Indigenous and social housing residents
Canberra recorded 16 cases with lockdown scheduled to run until October 15
21st Sep 2021 - Daily Mail
Covid-19 has now killed as many Americans as the 1918-19 flu pandemic
Covid-19 has now killed as many Americans as the 1918-19 flu pandemic, with more than 675,000 reported deaths. The US population a century ago was just a third of what it is today, meaning the flu cut a much bigger, more lethal swath through the country. But the Covid-19 crisis is by any measure a colossal tragedy in its own right, especially given major advances in scientific knowledge and the failure to take maximum advantage of vaccines. Unlike a century ago, vaccines have been made widely available. However, an extensive reticence to be inoculated, fueled in part by baseless fears about safety and efficacy, means that 36% of people in the US aged 12 and over have yet to be fully vaccinated, according to data from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
21st Sep 2021 - The Guardian
Covid-19: NI health service 'will topple over' without action
Northern Ireland's health service is "about to topple over" if immediate action is not taken, the deputy first minister has said. Michelle O'Neill said staff were "facing into a very difficult winter" under current pressures. She met staff at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast on Tuesday along with First Minister Paul Givan. They both said they wanted to avoid any further lockdowns or "circuit breakers".
21st Sep 2021 - BBC News
UK’s wider Covid-19 death toll passes 160,000
More than 160,000 people in the UK have had Covid-19 recorded on their death certificate, new figures show. The total was passed on September 7, but has only now been confirmed due to the time it takes for deaths to be registered. The figures, which have been published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), show that 160,374 deaths involving coronavirus have occurred in the UK since the pandemic began. This includes all deaths where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate, including suspected cases.
21st Sep 2021 - Evening Standard
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 21st Sep 2021
View this newsletter in fullIndonesia logs fewest daily COVID-19 cases in over a year
Indonesia on Monday reported 1,932 new daily coronavirus infections, the lowest since August 2020, data from country's COVID-19 task force showed, and the government further eased restrictions in Java and on its resort island Bali. Indonesia, once Asia's coronavirus epicentre, has reported nearly 4.2 million infections overall and over 140,000 deaths, but new cases have dropped 98% from their peak in July, senior cabinet minister Luhut Pandjaitan said. Its average positivity rate - the percentage of tests that are positive - was just below 4% this month, under the World Health Organization's 5% threshold for determining whether an outbreak is under control.
20th Sep 2021 - Reuters
Premier warns COVID-19 cases will 'go through the roof' when state reopens as NSW records 935 new infections
Premier Gladys Berejiklian has warned COVID-19 cases will "go through the roof" once the state opens up next month after NSW recorded 935 new infections. It is the first time new case numbers have dropped below 1,000 since August 27. Four more people died during the reporting period, bringing the total number of fatalities in NSW to 301 since the start of the pandemic. On Monday evening, a positive case in northern NSW was confirmed. The person, who was not a local, travelled to the area from Sydney on September 18.
20th Sep 2021 - ABC News
Covid-19 cases forcing hospitals to ration care is unfair and unacceptable, expert says
The magnitude of Covid-19 patients filling hospital beds is avoidable, doctors say. But in some hospitals, patients with or without coronavirus are paying the price.
"We are at the point where not every patient in need will get the care we might wish we could give," said Dr. Shelly Harkins, chief medical officer of St. Peter's Health in Helena, Montana. It's one of the latest hospitals to resort to crisis standards of care, meaning emergency medicine personnel must ration care.
20th Sep 2021 - CNN
End of working from home 'fuelled England's third Covid wave': Government figures show infection rates were highest among white-collar workers after No10 dropped WFH guidance
There were some 235 cases per 100,000 person-weeks among white people during third Covid wave. Meanwhile, the figure was as low as 98 in other ethnic groups suggesting white people drove cases up. And cases were higher among office-based jobs during, Office for National Statistics data shows
20th Sep 2021 - Daily Mail
Covid cases surge nearly 20% in a week as 36,000 new infections are recorded
Coronavirus cases have shot up by 17% in just a week following a week of steadying infection levels. Today a further 36,100 cases and 49 deaths were suffered in the UK, government data shows. In comparison, last Monday 30,825 new infections and 61 new deaths were clocked. In the past few days the increase of daily cases had been slowing significantly, despite the recent return to school and easing of restrictions. On August 18, a month and two days ago, there were 111 new Covid deaths recorded, making Saturday's rise of 30,144 new Covid cases and more 164 more an increase of 47%.
20th Sep 2021 - The Mirror
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 20th Sep 2021
View this newsletter in fullHow Europe's hospitals are faring in the face of another pandemic fall
Much of Europe has opened up to international visitors and scaled back Covid-19 restrictions since a wave of cases swept the continent in the spring. Those steps back toward pre-Covid life have been accompanied by a gradual rise in cases and hospitalizations in many nations, with the more transmissible Delta variant dominant in the region. However, vaccination rollouts have kept hospital admissions far below where they were in the first months of 2021. As a result, Europe presents a varied picture as governments brace for a potential rise in cases in the autumn and winter months.
18th Sep 2021 - CNN
Singapore optimistic as severe COVID-19 cases remain low
Singapore, which has one of the world's highest COVID-19 vaccination rates, is seeing encouraging signs that the number of severe cases is not rising at the same pace as new infections, a senior health official said on Friday. The country reported 910 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, the most in 15 months, with average new daily infections rising from 146 two weeks ago to 682 in the past week. But the number of people in serious condition remains low, however, with 12 in intensive care units (ICU), from a total of 837 people hospitalised with COVID-19 in Singapore as of Thursday, the health ministry said.
17th Sep 2021 - Reuters
England's COVID-19 prevalence decreases to 1 in 80, ONS says
The prevalence of COVID-19 infections in England was around 1 in 80 people in the week ending Sept. 11, Britain's Office for National Statistics (ONS) said on Friday, a slight decrease from the previous week's estimate of 1 in 70.
17th Sep 2021 - Reuters UK
Covid-19: Nisra records slight fall in virus-related deaths
There has been a very slight fall in the number of Covid-19 related deaths registered in Northern Ireland. The government statistics agency Nisra said in the week up to 10 September, the virus was mentioned on the death certificates of 61 people, a decrease of three on the previous week. It brings the total number of deaths registered by the agency to 3,307. The Department of Health's total for the same date, based on a positive test result being recorded, was 2,445.
17th Sep 2021 - BBC News
Florida surpasses 50K COVID deaths after battling delta wave
Florida surpassed 50,000 coronavirus deaths since the pandemic began, health officials reported Thursday, with more than one fourth of those succumbing this summer as the state battled a fierce surge in infections fueled by the delta variant. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tallied 50,811 deaths after adding more than 1,500 COVID-19 deaths provided Thursday by the state’s health department. Those reported deaths occurred over various dates in recent weeks. Florida has the 11th worst per-capita death rate among the 50 states, the CDC says. New Jersey, Mississippi and New York have had the worst, but Florida has risen from the 17th spot in the past two weeks.
17th Sep 2021 - Associated Press
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 17th Sep 2021
View this newsletter in fullFlorida vaccine advocate loses 6 members of her family to Covid-19 within 3 weeks
More than 56% of the population of Palm Beach County is fully vaccinated, slightly ahead of the US average, according to data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, the CDC also describes the county as having a high rate of community transmission. "I really hope that people are encouraged by her telling her story and encouraged in a way that they won't want their family to go through this and be vaccinated," McKinlay said. Following the loss of her family members, Wilson continues to encourage others, including members of her family, to get a vaccine
16th Sep 2021 - CNN
Vladimir Putin admits 'several tens of people' in his inner circle have COVID-19
Russian President Vladimir Putin is in self-isolation after revealing that several members of his staff and inner circle have contracted COVID-19. “Cases of coronavirus have been identified in my immediate environment, and this is not one, not two, but several tens of people,” Putin said via video link, according to The Associated Press. “Now we have to observe the self-isolation regime for several days.” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said none of the cases are severe at this time and that Putin is fully vaccinated against the coronavirus. According to Our World in Data, less than 30 percent of Russia’s population is fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
16th Sep 2021 - The Hill
Ukraine's daily COVID-19 deaths exceeds 100 first time since June
The number of daily coronavirus related deaths in Ukraine exceeded 100 over the past 24 hours for the first time since early June, when the country reported 118 deaths, the health ministry data showed on Thursday. Ukraine reported 101 death on Sept. 16 while the number of new infections rose to 5,744 from 4,640 a day earlier. The number of new COVID-19 cases has been growing over the past few weeks and the government has already announced that it will tighten lockdown restrictions in the near future
16th Sep 2021 - Reuters
COVID-19: Army could be called in to help Scottish ambulance service, amid reports man died after a 40-hour wait
The military could be called in to help Scotland's ambulance service which is facing "acute pressure", Nicola Sturgeon has announced. Scotland's first minister apologised "unreservedly" for long waiting times and confirmed that targeted military assistance to help deal with "short-term pressure points" is under consideration. The announcement came as Ms Sturgeon was questioned about the death of Gerald Brown, a 65-year-old from Glasgow, who reportedly died after waiting 40 hours for an ambulance.
16th Sep 2021 - Sky News
COVID-19: UK records 30,597 new cases and 201 deaths - with over 8,000 coronavirus patients in hospital
The UK has recorded 30,597 new COVID cases and a further 201 coronavirus-related deaths, with the number of coronavirus patients in hospital over 8,000 for the seventh day in a row. The total number of people in hospital with coronavirus in the UK currently stands at 8,340 - it has been over 8,000 for eight of the past nine days. Before this, the last time figures surpassed the 8,000 mark was in early March.
16th Sep 2021 - Sky News
Australia COVID-19 cases rise but vaccination surge gives hope
Australia's Victoria state reported its biggest one-day rise in COVID-19 cases of the year on Thursday as a surge in vaccinations nationwide raised hope for easing restrictions with almost 70% of the adult population having had a first dose. Victoria, home to the city of Melbourne, detected 514 new infections, exceeding the year's previous daily high of 473 on Monday. Sydney and Melbourne, Australia's largest cities, have ramped up their immunisation drives as the country struggles to contain a third wave of infections fuelled by the highly infectious Delta variant, putting nearly half of the 25 million population under strict stay-at-home orders.
16th Sep 2021 - Reuters
Indonesia quells COVID, but is a new wave on the way?
Official data in Indonesia shows a Delta-driven second wave of COVID-19 that saw the Southeast Asian nation become the global epicentre of the pandemic in July and August has run its course. But some of the country’s top epidemiologists say poor testing and tracing capacity, inaccurate estimates on the death toll and the deliberate falsification of data, means there is still no clear picture of the pandemic in Indonesia and a third wave could be brewing. At the peak of Indonesia’s second wave in July, a staggering one in three people tested for COVID-19 in the country showed a positive result. But the seven-day average positivity rate has now dropped to 3.64 percent and is still falling, according to the National Board for Disaster Management.
16th Sep 2021 - AlJazeera
Alaska, Idaho using crisis standards of care over COVID-19
Alaska now joins Idaho in establishing crisis standards of care as its largest hospital is now prioritizing treatment to patients most likely to survive COVID-19 infections. "While we are doing our utmost, we are no longer able to provide the standard of care to each and every patient who needs our help," Kristen Solana Walkinshaw, MD, chief of staff at Providence Alaska Medical Center in Anchorage, wrote in a letter addressed to Alaskans and published yesterday. "We have been forced within our hospital to implement crisis standards of care," Walkinshaw said. "We have been required to develop and enact policies and procedure to ration medical care and treatments, including dialysis and specialized ventilatory support.”
15th Sep 2021 - CIDRAP
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 16th Sep 2021
View this newsletter in fullCovid USA: Babies could be given low-dose of Pfizer's jab this winter
Pfizer seeking approval to jab kids aged six months to five years by this winter. Timeline will depend on findings of in-house trials of vaccines on young children.
Pfizer's jab already being used for over-12s in majority of countries in the West.
15th Sep 2021 - Daily Mail
COVID-19: UK records 26,628 new cases and 185 more coronavirus-related deaths, daily figures show
The UK has recorded 26,628 new COVID cases and 185 more coronavirus-related deaths in the latest 24-hour period, according to government data. The figures compare with 30,825 infections and 61 fatalities reported yesterday, while 37,489 cases and 209 deaths were announced this time last week.
15th Sep 2021 - Sky News
Malaysia's germ-busting clown finds new role in pandemic
When the coronavirus pandemic struck Malaysia, Shaharul Hisam Baharudin, like many others working closely with people, soon lost his work as an entertainer who juggled and sometimes dressed up as a clown. But rather than give up, the 43-year-old from Taiping, in western Malaysia found a new way of using his skills - disinfecting people's homes while wearing his clown's outfit. For his new role, he adapted the smoke machine he had used at parties to become a disinfection device, while providing some extra cheer by entertaining children in his clown outfit, completed by a surgical mask with a painted-on red nose and smile.
15th Sep 2021 - Reuters
COVID-19 cases climbing, wiping out months of progress
COVID-19 deaths and cases in the U.S. have climbed back to levels not seen since last winter, erasing months of progress and potentially bolstering President Joe Biden’s argument for his sweeping new vaccination requirements. The cases — driven by the delta variant combined with resistance among some Americans to getting the vaccine — are concentrated mostly in the South. While one-time hot spots like Florida and Louisiana are improving, infection rates are soaring in Kentucky, Georgia and Tennessee, fueled by children now back in school, loose mask restrictions and low vaccination levels.
14th Sep 2021 - The Associated Press
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 15th Sep 2021
View this newsletter in fullSingapore reports 607 new COVID-19 cases
Singapore's health ministry reported 607 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, the highest since August last year. The country's COVID-19 cases have hit a one-year high in the recent days as it entered a phased reopening after more than 80% of its population was fully vaccinated.
14th Sep 2021 - Reuters
A California couple died of Covid-19 weeks apart, orphaning 5 young children including a newborn
The couple was unvaccinated and died on August 26 and September 9, respectively, leaving behind children ranging in age from 3 weeks to 8 years old, Macias told CNN on Monday. "It wasn't that they didn't want to be vaccinated -- they planned on it," she said. She was adamant that this was a personal choice and each wanted to learn more about its safety prior to being inoculated.
14th Sep 2021 - CNN
Russia's Vladimir Putin self-isolates after COVID-19 found in entourage
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday he was self-isolating after several members of his entourage fell ill with COVID-19, including someone he worked with in close proximity and had been in close contact with all of the previous day.
14th Sep 2021 - Reuters
Third wave of Covid-19 in the UK: What are the latest numbers?
Covid-19 patient numbers and deaths in the UK are continuing to rise slowly, although both remain well below levels seen during the last wave of the virus, latest figures show. The Government is on Tuesday setting out its plan for tackling Covid-19 during the autumn and winter, including offering more than 30 million people a booster dose of vaccine.
14th Sep 2021 - Evening Standard
COVID-19 cases in southeast China more than double as Delta spreads
New local COVID-19 infections more than doubled in China's southeastern province of Fujian, health authorities said on Tuesday, prompting officials to quickly roll out measures including travel restrictions to halt the spread of the virus.
14th Sep 2021 - Reuters
Sydney COVID-19 infections ease, but unclear if they have peaked
Sydney's COVID-19 cases rose at the slowest pace in nearly two weeks on Tuesday, but officials said they needed to see a steady drop in daily cases before deciding whether infections had peaked after 12 weeks in lockdown.
14th Sep 2021 - Reuters
Kids' COVID-19 cases continue to rise in US
The American Academy of Pediatrics' (AAP's) latest numbers on US pediatric COVID-19 cases once again show a significant rise in confirmed cases in patients under 18. More than 243,000 child COVID-19 cases were reported from Sep 2 to Sep 9, representing 28.9% of weekly reported US COVID-19 cases, the second highest weekly total for pediatric cases in the pandemic. "After declining in early summer, child cases have increased exponentially, with nearly 500,000 cases in the past 2 weeks," the AAP said. Children represent 15.5% of all US COVID-19 cases.
14th Sep 2021 - CIDRAP
School-based COVID outbreak in China’s Fujian grows
An outbreak of the Delta variant of COVID-19 that is thought to have begun in a primary school in Putian in China’s southeast continues to grow, prompting authorities to impose measures, including travel restrictions and school closures, to curb the spread of the virus. Putian, a city of 3.2 million in coastal Fujian province, ordered the testing of all residents on Tuesday after cases linked to a man who returned from Singapore ballooned into a province-wide outbreak of more than 100 people.
14th Sep 2021 - AlJazeera
ICUs Are Filled With Covid — And Regret
It’s a struggle for Joe Gammon to talk. Lying in his bed in the intensive care unit at Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital in Nashville, Tennessee, this month, he described himself as “naive.” “If I would have known six months ago that this could be possible, this would have been a no-brainer,” said the 45-year-old father of six, who has been in critical condition with covid-19 for weeks. He paused to use a suction tube to dislodge some phlegm from his throat. “But I honestly didn’t think I was at any risk.”
14th Sep 2021 - KHN.org
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 14th Sep 2021
View this newsletter in fullQueensland COVID-19 exposure site list grows after student was infectious in the community
Queensland authorities have added further venues to the state's growing exposure sites list in the wake of two positive COVID-19 cases among school students. Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said one of the 15-year-old students from a Brisbane high school had spent a short period of time infectious in the community before entering home quarantine. As a result, several close contact venues have been added to the list in the Brisbane suburb of Mount Gravatt, including food courts, major shopping centres and a bus route.
13th Sep 2021 - ABC News
Seriously ill COVID-19 patients double in vaccine pace-setter Singapore
The rapid pace of new COVID-19 infections and a doubling of seriously ill patients in Singapore have raised unexpected hurdles to reopening plans for the vaccination frontrunner, where 81% of the population is fully vaccinated. Singapore, one of the fastest in the world to reach that level, has seen its inoculation rates plateau, and this month paused its gradual reopening plans, spooked by daily infections that returned to one-year peaks this month.
13th Sep 2021 - Reuters
China reports 92 new COVID-19 cases for Sept 13 vs 49 day ago
New local COVID-19 infections more than doubled in China's southeastern province of Fujian, health authorities said on Tuesday, in the country's latest outbreak of the novel coronavirus. The National Health Commission said 59 new locally transmitted cases were reported for Sept. 13, up from 22 infections a day earlier. All of them were in Fujian.
13th Sep 2021 - Reuters Africa
Britain records 56 COVID-19 deaths, 29173 new cases
Britain reported 56 new deaths within 28 days of a positive COVID-19 test on Sunday, down from 156 a day earlier, and 29,173 new cases, again lower than the 29,547 recorded on Saturday.
12th Sep 2021 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 13th Sep 2021
View this newsletter in fullThe 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
11th Sep 2021 - ABC News
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".
11th Sep 2021 - ABC News
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.
11th Sep 2021 - Reuters
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
11th Sep 2021 - Daily Mail
Covid-19 Australia: A huge spike in pregnant women becoming severely ill with the virus
Seven pregnant women with Covid taken to Monash Medical Centre last week
Health authorities are alarmed as the virus has caused premature births
Dr Ryan Hodges worried over the spike in pregnant women in hospital with Covid
Overwhelmingly the women being looked after in the ward are not vaccinated
Dr Hodges noted international data showed Pfizer is safe for pregnant women
11th Sep 2021 - Daily Mail
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.
11th Sep 2021 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 10th Sep 2021
View this newsletter in fullCOVID-19 is rising again in the U.K., but many shrug it off
A spike in new COVID-19 infections is sweeping Britain, but from packed trains on London's subway to full audiences at West End musicals, the prevailing attitude may be shifting to "We can live with it." "It's done. COVID is over, for sure," Hannah Worrel, 34, said as she joined a crowded throng of after-work partiers on Soho's famed Old Compton Street. England lifted mask mandates — except in some places such as the London subway — and occupancy restrictions for indoor gatherings over the summer. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have kept them in place for now.
9th Sep 2021 - CBC.ca
South Korea Covid-19 cases at record highs as country looks to relax virus restrictions
South Korea has become the latest country in the Asia Pacific region to consider abandoning its coronavirus elimination strategy, announcing plans to potentially lift Covid-19 restrictions despite rising case numbers. Seoul is attempting to bring the country's fourth -- and largest -- Covid-19 outbreak under control, with more than 2,100 new local infections reported in the past 24 hours, according to Korea's Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). The Greater Seoul area remains under level 4 restrictions, the toughest available, with gatherings of five or more people banned. Authorities fear the upcoming Korean Thanksgiving Chuseok holiday beginning September 17 could worsen the outbreak.
9th Sep 2021 - CNN
Covid-19 Victoria: State will see 18,000 Covid cases within weeks and 800 people in hospital
Entire Victorian families are testing positive for Covid before even one member knows they are infected with the virus. Worried health authorities blame this discovery as a reason the state's rapidly-spreading Delta outbreak is on track to hit 18,000 active cases in a matter of weeks. 'We are finding cases where entire households are positive when the first person has come forward to get tested and the adjoining households and families are all positive at the same time,' Covid commander Jeroen Weimar said on Thursday.
9th Sep 2021 - Daily Mail
Covid cases among children are surging in the US as students head back to school
As millions of children head back to school across the US, health experts are highlighting a troubling trend: hundreds of thousands of them are testing positive for Covid. More than 250,000 children had new cases in the last week of August, the American Academy of Pediatrics said in a report published on Tuesday. That’s the highest weekly rate of new pediatric cases since the pandemic began, and it’s a 10% increase in two weeks.
9th Sep 2021 - The Guardian
US data show child COVID-19 cases rising exponentially
For the first time during the pandemic, children now account for more than one quarter of new weekly US COVID-19 cases, according to the latest report from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Nearly 252,000 child COVID-19 cases were reported for the week ending Sep 2, the largest number recorded for children during the pandemic, according to the report. Children accounted for 26.8% of reported weekly US cases.
9th Sep 2021 - CIDRAP
COVID cases soar in the Americas as vaccination rates lag: PAHO
Amid lagging vaccination rates, new COVID-19 infections in the Americas are nearly double the rate they were at the same time last year, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) says. In a weekly virtual news briefing on Wednesday, PAHO Director Carissa Etienne said only 28 percent of people in Latin America and the Caribbean have been fully vaccinated so far, largely due to limited supplies.
8th Sep 2021 - AlJazeera
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 9th Sep 2021
View this newsletter in fullUK records 191 COVID deaths and 38975 cases
The United Kingdom recorded a further 191 daily deaths from COVID-19 and 38,975 new cases on Wednesday, official data showed. Infection numbers in the last seven days are up 15.3% on the week before, and the weekly death count is up 26.1%.
8th Sep 2021 - Reuters
Bulgaria, EU's least vaccinated nation, faces deadly surge
Standing outside the rundown public hospital in Bulgaria’s northern town of Veliko Tarnovo, the vaccination unit’s chief nurse voices a sad reality about her fellow citizens: “They don’t believe in vaccines.” Bulgaria has one of the highest coronavirus death rates in the 27-nation European Union and is facing a new, rapid surge of infections due to the more infectious delta variant. Despite that, people in this Balkan nation are the most hesitant in the bloc to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Only 20% of adults in Bulgaria, which has a population of 7 million, have so far been fully vaccinated. That puts it last in the EU, which has an average of 69 % fully vaccinated.
8th Sep 2021 - The Associated Press
Idaho moves to start rationing medical care amid surge in covid hospitalizations
For the first time in Idaho’s history, officials in the state on Tuesday moved to start rationing medical care in some overburdened hospitals grappling with a surge in covid-19 patients — a grim reflection of the delta variant’s devastation and a dire warning for other health-care systems pushed to the brink by rising infections.
Officials activated Idaho’s “crisis standards of care” for at least 10 hospitals in two public health districts, saying in a statement that a “massive increase in patients with COVID-19 who require hospitalization” had led to a shortage of staff and beds. Idaho has one of the lowest vaccination rates in the country, with less than 40 percent of the population fully vaccinated.
8th Sep 2021 - The Washington Post
Covid Mu variant: 53 cases of coronavirus strain detected in the UK with fears it may resist vaccines
A total of 53 cases of the Mu Covid variant that displays some indications of vaccine resistance have been detected in the UK – but experts have stressed it may not pose a major threat. Public Health England (PHE) figures released today confirmed additional cases of the strain, which was first recorded in Colombia in January and is classed as a “variant under investigation” by UK health authorities. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said the new variant “has a constellation of mutations that indicate potential properties of immune escape” similar to the South Africa-originating Beta variant, though it stressed any impact on vaccine resistance “needs to be confirmed by further studies”.
8th Sep 2021 - iNews
Children make up more than a quarter of the weekly US Covid-19 cases, pediatricians' group says
Children now represent more than a quarter -- or 26.8% -- of weekly Covid-19 cases nationwide, according to data released Tuesday from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). The update comes as schools across the US have been in session or are getting into full swing. Experts have encouraged adults to get vaccinated to protect young children returning to the classroom.
"If we want to protect the children, particularly those who are not yet eligible for vaccination, you want to surround the children with people who are vaccinated -- teachers, school personnel, everyone else," Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said Tuesday.
8th Sep 2021 - CNN
Two London hospitals ban visitors after rise in Covid-19 cases
Two West London hospitals have requested that visitors stop attending after a rise in coronavirus infections in the area. Hillingdon Hospital in Uxbridge and Mount Vernon hospital in Northwood issued the guidance to people wishing to visit the after a “growing number of positive patients in our hospital.”
8th Sep 2021 - The Independent
Australia's New South Wales reports 1480 COVID-19 cases, 9 deaths
Australia's New South Wales state reported on Wednesday 1,480 locally acquired cases of COVID-19, up from 1,220 a day earlier, as first-dose vaccination rates among the state's adult population topped 75%. Nine new deaths were reported, including a man in his 20s, taking the total number of deaths in the latest outbreak to 148. A total of 1,136 people are hospitalised, with 194 people in intensive care, 78 of whom require ventilation.
8th Sep 2021 - Reuters
In Parts Of The U.S., Delta Covid-19 Surge Is Forcing Hospitals To Ration ICU Beds
When Representative Jim Jordan (R-OH) tweeted on Tuesday, September 7th, that “Real America is done with Covid-19” it raises the question whether the Congressman is even aware that the 7-day average of daily Covid-19 deaths is approaching 1,500 (real Americans, by the way), and approximately 100,000 Covid-19 patients are hospitalized nationwide. The Delta surge of Covid-19 is forcing hospitals in parts of the U.S. to plan for or implement rationing of intensive care unit (ICU) beds. On September 6th, Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Disease, said that as hospitals in a number of states fill up with Covid-19 patients, doctors will have to make “tough choices” regarding who will get an ICU bed.
8th Sep 2021 - Forbes
Northern Ireland schools “on verge of collapse under strain of Covid-19” as hundreds of pupils sent home
Northern Ireland schools are “on the verge of collapse under the strain of Covid-19, a leading teaching union has warned. Jacquie White, General Secretary of the Ulster Teachers’ Union, was speaking as the Education Committee meets today to discuss the significant difficulties across schools at the start of the new term. Health chiefs are under pressure to ramp up coronavirus testing capacity as schools across Northern Ireland continue to send hundreds of pupils home. There is also concern at suggestions a faster form of Covid-19 testing could be used to allow self-isolating students to return to school.
8th Sep 2021 - Belfast Live
Firebreak lockdown ‘not something we need to consider’ despite cases rising
The government isn’t considering a firebreak lockdown this autumn despite rising cases and deaths. Scientific advisors to the government have discussed the move and described it as ‘on the cards’, according to reports. But speaking to Sky News, health secretary Sajid Javid ruled out the move, saying: ‘I don’t think that’s something we need to consider. ‘I haven’t even thought about that as an option at this point.’
8th Sep 2021 - Metro
Czech Republic's daily COVID cases highest since May
The Czech Republic on Wednesday recorded 588 new cases of coronavirus, the highest daily tally since May 25, as government officials predict a continued rise in infections.
8th Sep 2021 - Reuters
Australia's NSW reports rise in COVID-19 cases; vaccinations accelerate
Three-quarters of people over the age of 16 in Australia's New South Wales (NSW) have now had at least their first vaccination dose, the state reported on Wednesday, along with the first rise in new infections in three days. Australia has locked down Sydney and Melbourne, its largest cities, after outbreaks from the highly infectious Delta variant in June ended months of little or no community transmission.
8th Sep 2021 - Reuters
New Zealand marks downward trend in new COVID-19 cases
New Zealand reported a further fall in locally acquired COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, as the largely coronavirus-free nation looks to eradicate an outbreak of the highly infectious Delta variant. New Zealand reported 15 new locally acquired cases of COVID-19, down from 21 a day earlier, on the first day of an easing of tough restrictions in all regions outside its largest city Auckland.
8th Sep 2021 - Reuters
COVID-19 surge in the US: The summer of hope ends in gloom
The summer that was supposed to mark America’s independence from COVID-19 is instead drawing to a close with the U.S. more firmly under the tyranny of the virus, with deaths per day back up to where they were in March. The delta variant is filling hospitals, sickening alarming numbers of children and driving coronavirus deaths in some places to the highest levels of the entire pandemic. School systems that reopened their classrooms are abruptly switching back to remote learning because of outbreaks. Legal disputes, threats and violence have erupted over mask and vaccine requirements.
8th Sep 2021 - The Associated Press
India restricts religious festivals over COVID third wave fears
Indian authorities are restricting major religious festivals that start this week and attract huge crowds, warning that a new COVID-19 wave had already begun in the financial capital, Mumbai. State governments across the country of 1.3 billion people, which saw a devastating coronavirus surge in April-May, are clamping down on mass gatherings.
8th Sep 2021 - AlJazeera
Czech Republic's daily COVID cases highest since May
Article reports that the Czech Republic on Wednesday recorded 588 new cases of coronavirus, the highest daily tally since May 25, as government officials predict a continued rise in infections. The country, which was one of the hardest hit by the pandemic in earlier waves, has seen low infection rates since the summer months. In the past two weeks, it has reported 25 cases per 100,000 people, compared with 137 in Germany, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).
8th Sep 2021 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 8th Sep 2021
View this newsletter in fullCovid-19 Testing Is Keeping Some Students in School and Out of Quarantine
Some schools are trying a new plan to keep students safely in the classroom: Rather than quarantining children who have an in-school contact with a positive case, they are testing them. A lot. The method keeps children in school after exposure to a classmate or teacher who tested positive for Covid-19 if they test negative at least every other day. Known as test-to-stay, the approach is a higher transmission risk than keeping exposed students at home, but some public-health experts and educators say the trade-off is worth it to avoid missed days in class.
7th Sep 2021 - The Wall Street Journal
Britain reports 209 daily deaths from COVID, highest since March
Britain on Tuesday reported 209 deaths within 28 days of a positive COVID-19 test on Tuesday, the highest daily total since March 9, government statistics showed.
Cases have been rising steadily since the start of August although death totals are impacted by irregular reporting patterns from hospitals over the weekend. Only 45 deaths were reported on Monday. There were 37,489 new cases reported on Tuesday, compared to 41,192 reported on Monday.
7th Sep 2021 - Reuters UK
Queensland records no new locally acquired COVID-19 cases, more vaccinations encouraged
Queensland has recorded zero new cases of COVID-19 as Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk stepped up the state government's push to get people vaccinated as quickly as possible. Ms Palaszczuk said 53.33 per cent of eligible Queenslanders have had their first dose of the COVID vaccine and 34.75 per cent of eligible Queenslanders are fully vaccinated — both rates below the national average. The Premier said the government would be sending Queenslanders text messages with important vaccine information
7th Sep 2021 - ABC.Net.au
Covid-19 Australia: Victoria's coronavirus crisis worsens as 246 new cases are recorded
Victoria recorded 246 new Covid-19 cases on Tuesday - one more than Monday's figure - as the state rushes to vaccinate its Year 12 students before their end-of-year exams begin. The state's Department of Health on Tuesday morning said only 90 of the 246 cases were linked to known cases and outbreaks and 156 are still under investigation. Victoria is aiming to get all students in their final year of high school injected with at least one vaccination dose before their final exams, as part of a 10-day priority access scheme beginning on Tuesday
7th Sep 2021 - Daily Mail
US reaches 40 million recorded Covid-19 cases -- with 4 million counted in the last 4 weeks
The U.S.'s Covid-19 case rates have generally soared since the start of the summer as the highly contagious Delta variant spread -- and the current average is more than three times higher than it was a year ago. The United States' seven-day average of new cases Monday (137,270 daily) dwarfs the average seen on Labor Day of last year (39,355 daily), according to Johns Hopkins University data. Hospitalizations and daily Covid-19 deaths also have risen lately, and where these counts go from here is "up to us," Dr. Anthony Fauci told CNN
7th Sep 2021 - CNN
India 'prepares for the worst' ahead of possible COVID-19 third wave
As COVID-19 cases and deaths exploded in India in April and May, New Delhi's premier Sir Ganga Ram Hospital and several others ran so short of oxygen that many patients in the capital suffocated. When Reuters visited the hospital on Friday, its last coronavirus patient was readying to leave after recovery - a remarkable turnaround health experts attribute to growing levels of immunity from natural infection and vaccinations. But hospitals have learned from bitter experience during the second COVID wave, when funeral pyres burned non-stop and bodies littered the banks of the holy Ganges river, as India braces for another possible surge in infections around its September-November festival season.
7th Sep 2021 - Reuters
Covid-19 weekly deaths in England and Wales at five-month high
The number of deaths involving Covid registered each week in England and Wales has climbed to its highest level for five months. A total of 668 deaths registered in the week ending August 27 mentioned Covid-19 on the death certificate, according to the Office for National Statistics. This is up 17 per cent on the previous week, and is the highest number since 719 deaths were registered in the week to March 26. Deaths had dipped as low as 84 in the week to June 11.
7th Sep 2021 - Evening Standard
Covid-19: UK passes 7 million confirmed Covid cases
More than seven million confirmed cases of coronavirus have been recorded in the UK since the pandemic began, official figures show. It comes as another 41,192 positive tests were reported on Monday, along with 45 Covid-related deaths. But the real number of people infected during the pandemic is likely to be much higher, partly due to the lack of testing in the early stages. Covid-19 has been named on the death certificate of 156,119 people. The most recent figures show that there are 7,606 Covid-19 patients in hospital, with 1,034 on ventilators.
7th Sep 2021 - BBC News
Covid-19: Northern Ireland health system 'one step from chaos'
"Bodies would start piling up" if more people do not get vaccinated, a senior doctor in Northern Ireland has warned. Dr George Gardiner said "they would have been piling up already without the vaccine". "We are now facing winter pressures, Respiratory Syncytial Virus for children, the next wave of flu and Covid. We cannot do all," he added. BBC News NI was given exclusive access inside Belfast City Hospital's Intensive Care Unit. Seven Covid patients were battling the virus - six of the men and women in their 20s, 40s and early 60s were unvaccinated.
7th Sep 2021 - BBC News
In Vietnam’s COVID epicentre, ‘everyone is struggling to survive’
Home to nine million people, Ho Chi Minh City has been under a total lockdown since August 23, with residents forbidden from leaving their homes even to shop for food. With the restrictions set to last until September 15, newly elected Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has ordered mass testing for the city’s residents and deployed soldiers to enforce the stay at home orders and help with the delivery of food. But despite the strict measures, the number of infections continue to rise in Ho Chi Minh City and more than 200 people are dying every day. On Monday, the city reported more than 7,000 new cases and 233 deaths, rising from a caseload of 5,889 a week ago.
7th Sep 2021 - AlJazeera
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 7th Sep 2021
View this newsletter in fullGovernment plans October firebreak lockdown if Covid hospital admissions remain high
The Government has drawn up plans for an October “firebreak” Covid lockdown should hospitalisations continue at their current level and threaten to overload the NHS, a senior Government scientist has told i. The member of the Government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) said the UK is about to enter “an extended peak” of infections and hospitalisations, which are in danger of pushing the NHS beyond breaking point and could force the Government to re-introduce restrictions over the school half term period at the end of next month.
6th Sep 2021 - iNews
United States eclipses more than 1,500 COVID-19 deaths per day - the highest in six months
The United States eclipsed a 1,500 deaths per day average over the weekend, the first time that mark has been reached in six months. More than 100,000 Americans are hospitalized with the virus as well, and hospitalizations doubled in August when compared to July. Florida currently leads the nation with the most total deaths and deaths per 100,000 residents. Louisiana is struggling to handle its COVID-19 situation in the wake of Hurricane Ida
6th Sep 2021 - Daily Mail
Covid-19: NI records nine coronavirus-linked deaths, 1,764 cases
Nine coronavirus-related deaths have been reported in Northern Ireland on Monday. Deaths are measured by recording those who died within 28 days of receiving a positive result in a test for coronavirus. The total number of deaths linked to Covid-19 in Northern Ireland since the start of the pandemic is 2,417.
Another 1,764 cases of coronavirus were reported on Monday, up from 1,248 on Sunday.
6th Sep 2021 - BBC News
'Surprised and disappointed.' Doctors in Covid-19 hotspots last year are dealing with new record hospitalizations
With the more contagious Delta variant of Covid-19 sweeping across the country this summer, health care workers and officials are finding themselves returning to a crisis experienced last year when hospitals struggled to handle an influx of patients.
In the Southeast, Georgia is now seeing its highest number of hospitalizations since the start of the pandemic, matching peaks experienced in January, according to US Health and Human Services Department (HHS) data.
6th Sep 2021 - CNN
Emergency covid-19 mental health pop-up clinics set up in Sydney
Ten new pop-up mental health clinics have opened to assist NSW residents. Most are in the hard-hit western Sydney suburbs ravaged by coronavirus. Anyone in distress can seek advice and support through Lifeline (13 11 14)
6th Sep 2021 - Daily Mail
Britain records 37011 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday
Britain recorded 37,011 new daily COVID-19 cases on Sunday, similar to the previous day's total of 37,578, government statistics showed. There were 68 deaths within 28 days of a positive coronavirus test reported, down from Saturday's figure of 120. Figures can fluctuate due to hospital reporting patterns over the weekend.
6th Sep 2021 - Reuters UK
Covid-19: Malaysia hit by record cases despite prolonged lockdown
Having overtaken India in infections and deaths, how will Malaysia exit the new deadly wave sweeping Asia? Rachael Lum reports On 23 May 2021, Malaysia surged past India to record one of South East Asia’s highest covid-19 infection rates, with deaths per capita now exceeding India and neighbouring Indonesia.
Since then, the numbers have only grown, despite the nation being in a state of emergency for seven months and in lockdown since June. Malaysia reported a record high of 22 242 daily cases on 18 August 2021, with a total of 1.47 million cases and 13 302 deaths during the pandemic. Doctors in east Malaysia and the southern state of Johor told The BMJ that emergency departments are seeing a surge in cases and have reached maximum capacity. The situation has been worsened by insufficient ventilators and staff.
6th Sep 2021 - The BMJ
Sydney COVID cases seen topping 2000 a day; Australia ramps up vaccinations
More pressure on health system in next few weeks, premier says. Daily cases in Sydney hotspots to rise as high as 2,000. First vaccine shipments from Britain arrive
6th Sep 2021 - Reuters
Daily COVID-19 infections up more than 300 percent from Labor Day last year | TheHill
Daily COVID infections are up more than 300 percent from Labor Day weekend of last year, USA Today reported, citing data from Johns Hopkins University. According to the data, COVID-19 cases have risen 316 percent since Labor Day 2020 and daily COVID-19-related deaths are twice as high. Hospitalizations are also up by 158 percent compared to Labor Day weekend a year ago, according to data from Health and Human Services.
6th Sep 2021 - The Hill
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 6th Sep 2021
View this newsletter in fullThis COVID Ward Reveals What Is Killing Israelis
The medical team in a central Israeli hospital returned to the COVID ward earlier and more dramatically than expected, where most of the patients in the fourth wave have one shared characteristic. “Most people here are unvaccinated,” says Dr. Ilya Kagan, head of the coronavirus intensive care ward at Beilinson Hospital. “It’s frustrating most of all for the patients themselves,” says Dr. Katya Orvin. “It’s hard to judge. Last week I had a patient who didn’t get vaccinated due to an allergy, and she died.”
5th Sep 2021 - Haaretz
Nearly 80% of fatalities in deadly August COVID surge among unvaccinated, partially vaccinated Oregonians
Nearly four in five coronavirus deaths in Oregon during the first four weeks of August were among unvaccinated or partially vaccinated individuals, according to new data released by the Oregon Health Authority. And roughly five in six of the 51,391 known COVID-19 infections during the same period were among people who were unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated, according to a state report. The share of so-called breakthrough cases and deaths among fully vaccinated Oregonians remains tiny compared to the 2.4 million Oregonians who were fully vaccinated as of Aug.28, demonstrating the effectiveness of vaccines at preventing severe COVID-19.
5th Sep 2021 - Oregon Live
New Zealand reports first death from Delta variant of COVID-19
New Zealand reported on Saturday the first death from the Delta variant of the new coronavirus and 20 further daily infections, all in Auckland, the epicentre of the outbreak. The woman who died was in her 90s and had a number of underlying health conditions, health officials said in a statement. It is the first coronavirus-related death in the country since mid-February.
4th Sep 2021 - Reuters
New Zealand sees success in curbing Delta outbreak as new cases plunge
New Zealand reported 28 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, a big drop compared to the last few days, as authorities said the country was breaking the chain of transmission of the highly infectious Delta variant of coronavirus. Authorities said 27 new cases were in Auckland and one was in Wellington. Friday's numbers were lower than 49 new cases reported on Thursday and 75 the day before.
4th Sep 2021 - Reuters
Hospitalizations for Children Sharply Increase as Delta Surges
Pediatric hospitalizations for Covid-19 have soared over the summer as the highly contagious Delta variant spread across the country, according to two new studies from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. From late June to mid-August, hospitalization rates in the United States for children and teenagers increased nearly fivefold, although they remain slightly below January’s peak, one new study found.
4th Sep 2021 - The New York Times
Australia's Victoria reports 190 local COVID-19 cases
Australia, struggling to quell its worst wave of COVID-19, reported 1,756 infections on Saturday, another record high, and officials warned that worse is yet to come, urging people to get vaccinated. Most of the cases were again in New South Wales, which has been fighting an outbreak of the highly infectious Delta variant since mid-June. The state reported 1,533 new cases and four further deaths.
4th Sep 2021 - Reuters
‘Stressed’ Victorian hospitals brace for COVID’s third wave
Victorian hospitals are bracing for a third wave of seriously ill coronavirus patients, with staff shortages, workforce burnout and overrun emergency departments fuelling a crisis across the public health system. With the state recording 208 new coronavirus cases on Friday – and Premier Daniel Andrews warning that cases would continue to rise — senior doctors at Victoria’s hospitals are now reviewing their surge planning and reclaiming wards and other spaces for COVID beds.
4th Sep 2021 - The Age
COVID-19: UK records 121 more coronavirus-related deaths and 42,076 new cases
The UK has reported 121 more coronavirus-related deaths and 42,076 cases in the latest 24-hour period, according to government data. It compares with 178 deaths and 38,154 infections yesterday, while last Friday 100 fatalities and 38,046 cases were announced. Today's cases figure is the highest since 21 July, when there were 44,104 reported.
3rd Sep 2021 - Sky News
Doctor says ERs overwhelmed with people overdosing on livestock drug ivermectin to treat COVID-19 | TheHill
Physician Jason McElyea told KFOR patients who took doses of ivermectin meant for a horse are filling up hospitals in eastern and southeastern Oklahoma. “The ERs are so backed up that gunshot victims were having hard times getting to facilities where they can get definitive care and be treated,” McElyea said. Ivermectin has gained popularity as a COVID-19 treatment despite unproven anti-viral benefits
3rd Sep 2021 - The Hill
Egypt's covid crisis has reached a dangerous level, health ministry sources say
Sources in Egypt's Ministry of Health have said that coronavirus in the country has reached a dangerous level due to the government's neglect of precautionary measures. The state has continued to allow parties and festivals and stopped enforcing closing times on shops, reports Al-Araby Al-Jadeed. This mirrors what was said by a senior Egyptian official at the end of August, that in three weeks the number of infections were set to rise significantly.
3rd Sep 2021 - Middle East Monitor
Oregon’s Covid-19 Wave Is at Its Worst Despite High Vaccination Rate
When the Covid-19 vaccines came out, Kelsea Robinson, manager of the intensive care unit at Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center in southern Oregon, said she thought the worst was finally behind her. Oregon has the 12th highest vaccination rate in the U.S., with 58% of all residents fully vaccinated, according to data compiled by the Mayo Clinic—but the intensive care units in Asante’s three hospitals are overflowing with Covid-19 patients. They can’t transfer elsewhere in the state because most Oregon hospitals are in a similar situation. At one Asante hospital, the pipes that carry oxygen recently began to freeze because Covid-19 patients were using so much.
3rd Sep 2021 - Wall Street Journal
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 26th Feb 2021
View this newsletter in fullCalifornia death toll from Covid-19 tops 50,000 after winter surge
California’s Covid-19 death toll rose above 50,000 on Wednesday, after Los Angeles county reported another 806 deaths during the winter surge. The county, which has a quarter of the state’s 40 million residents, said the deaths mainly occurred between 3 December and 3 February. The department of public health identified them after going through death records that were backlogged by the sheer volume of the surge’s toll. Johns Hopkins University put California’s overall Covid-19 death toll at 50,890, about one-tenth of the US total from the pandemic. The grim figure comes days after the US recorded a half-million deaths.
25th Feb 2021 - The Guardian
UK Covid alert level drops as NHS threat 'reduced'
The four UK chief medical officers and NHS England's national medical director agreed the change following advice from the Joint Biosecurity Centre. The alert level has been at level five since early January, when Scotland and England began their latest lockdowns. The top medics urged people to "remain vigilant" by following lockdown rules. A change in alert system does not automatically mean restrictions can ease, but it helps to inform government decisions on lockdown rules.
25th Feb 2021 - MSN.com
UK Covid hospital deaths up 311 as cases plunge 78% since start of England's lockdown
The UK's coronavirus hospital death rate has risen by 311. England has recorded 254 further deaths, Wales 21, Scotland 31 and Northern Ireland, five. It marks a 75 drop on last week's figures - when 386 hospital deaths were recorded across the UK. Confirmed cases of coronavirus have plunged by more than 78% since the start of England's lockdown, new figures show today.
25th Feb 2021 - Mirror Online
France, Germany to beef up COVID-19 controls at common border
France said on Thursday it would bring in new COVID-19 restrictions for the area around its common border with Germany, as President Emmanuel Macron’s government tries to contain a surge of coronavirus variants in the French region of Moselle. Cross-border workers, who had exemptions until now, will need to present negative PCR tests to get through if travelling for reasons unrelated to their jobs, France’s European affairs and health ministers said in a joint statement. Home working in the area will also be reinforced, they said, after France and Germany said earlier this week they were trying to find ways to prevent a closure of their common border.
25th Feb 2021 - Reuters
Spain leaves ‘extreme risk’ coronavirus situation, with incidence rate falling to 235 cases per 100,000
Spain has finally left a situation of “extreme risk” due to the coronavirus. According to the latest report from the Health Ministry, released Tuesday evening, the epidemiological curve in the country continues to fall, and the 14-day cumulative number of coronavirus cases per 100,000 inhabitants is now at 235. This is below the limit of 250 that the ministry had set as a situation of maximum alert and that indicated that the pandemic was not under control.
25th Feb 2021 - EL PAÍS in English
Ukraine faces almost 40% jump in new daily COVID-19 cases
Ukraine has registered an almost 40% jump in new coronavirus cases over the past 24 hours, Health Minister Maksym Stepanov said, just as the country starts its COVID-19 inoculation. A total of 8,147 cases were registered on Wednesday, the highest figure since mid-January when the number of new cases stood at 8,199, Stepanov said on Facebook. There were 5,850 new cases as of Feb. 24.
25th Feb 2021 - Reuters
Sweden readies new measures as COVID-19 cases accelerate
Sweden is preparing new measures to try to curb a resurgence in COVID-19 cases as the coronavirus strain first detected in Britain spreads rapidly, the architect of Sweden’s pandemic strategy said on Tuesday. Sweden has avoided lockdowns throughout the pandemic. But health statistics agency figures on Tuesday showed 10,933 new coronavirus cases had been registered since Friday, a rise from 9,458 in the corresponding period the previous week. “The British variant is increasing very fast,” Chief Epidemiologist Anders Tegnell told a news conference. “This variant will with fairly high probability be the dominant one within a few weeks or a month.”
25th Feb 2021 - Reuters
Czech government seeks tougher COVID measures to tame virus surge
The Czech government will meet on Thursday to decide on tougher lockdown restrictions to rein in one of the world’s fastest spreads of COVID-19. Prime Minister Andrej Babis said on Wednesday hospitals faced “catastrophe” if no action is taken. His minority government met late into the evening on Wednesday and will reconvene on Thursday evening after talks with opposition parties to shore up support. The central European country of 10.7 million has struggled with a renewed surge in COVID-19 cases, straining hospitals as the number of patients in serious condition hits records.
25th Feb 2021 - Reuters
European countries battle more COVID-19 flare-ups
A handful of European countries are grappling with new spikes in COVID-19 activity, such as the Czech Republic, where intensive care units are nearly overrun. Meanwhile, as groups look ahead to the future, the World Health Organization (WHO) yesterday published its strategic operations plan to target the pandemic in 2021 and European officials eyed a vaccine passport system, with hopes that it could preserve this year's tourist season.
25th Feb 2021 - CIDRAP
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 25th Feb 2021
View this newsletter in fullCzech Leader Warns of 'Hellish Days' and Tighter Lockdown Coming
The Czech Republic is preparing to impose a stricter lockdown to prevent the collapse of its medical system as existing measures fail to contain one of the fastest-spreading and deadliest virus outbreaks in Europe. Almost exactly a year after the first Covid-19 case appeared in the European Union member, the crisis is worse than ever and the situation requires a tougher response, Prime Minister Andrej Babis said. The cabinet will discuss more extreme rules to limit contact among people on Wednesday evening, he said. “It’s necessary, otherwise there would be a total catastrophe in hospitals,” Babis told reporters. “Hellish days are ahead.”
24th Feb 2021 - Bloomberg
France considers new local lockdowns to stem ‘worsening’ Covid-19 situation
France may need to impose new local restrictions to deal with a worsening Covid-19 situation as it scrambles to avoid a new national lockdown, a government spokesman said Wednesday. Infections have reached worrying levels in several parts of the country, spokesman Gabriel Attal told reporters after a weekly cabinet meeting. The warning comes only days after the French Riviera was ordered into lockdown for the coming two weekends to contain Covid-19 which has been spreading faster in the tourist hotspot than elsewhere in France, and border controls were tightened.
24th Feb 2021 - Yahoo News UK
France Contemplates ‘Targeted Measures,’ Seeks To Avoid Lockdown
France is reviewing local coronavirus hot spots on a case-by-case basis, and has decided to implement “targeted measures” to prevent the spread of new and more virulent variants.
24th Feb 2021 - Bloomberg
Auckland high school closes again after third student tests positive for Covid
One of New Zealand’s largest high schools has closed again after another student and two siblings tested positive for Covid-19. Papatoetoe high school in south Auckland was closed last week after two students and two parents tested positive. It reopened this week but closed again on Wednesday after a third student tested positive on Tuesday. Two siblings of the students also tested positive later on Tuesday. Health authorities have been trying to test and contact-trace all 1,500 students, but were unable to find and test a small number of pupils and their families.
24th Feb 2021 - The Guardian
NSW, Victoria and Queensland restrict COVID-19 travel from New Zealand in face of Auckland outbreak
Australia's eastern states have imposed fresh restrictions on New Zealand travellers in the face of the COVID-19 outbreak in Auckland. Tasmania, NSW, Victoria and Queensland have limited quarantine-free travel now that at least eight cases have been linked to an Auckland high school. New Zealand authorities say they are confident the outbreak, which prompted a lockdown in New Zealand's biggest city, is under control. NSW Health said it was contacting travellers who arrived from New Zealand since Saturday, and, as a precaution, those people should get tested and isolate until they get a negative result.
24th Feb 2021 - ABC News
COVID-19 situation 'worrying' in 10 French departments, government says
France’s government on Wednesday ordered a weekend lockdown in the Dunkirk area to arrest an “alarming” rise in COVID-19 cases, signalling extra curbs might also be needed elsewhere as daily cases nationwide hit their highest since November. Unlike some of its neighbours, France has resisted a new national lockdown to control more contagious coronavirus variants, hoping a curfew in place since Dec. 15 can contain the pandemic. But it reported 31,519 new infections on Wednesday, up from 25,018 a week ago and the most since mid-November. Government spokesman Gabriel Attal said the national situation was deteriorating, and “a source of worry in about 10 regional departments”. Some required “rapid and strong” containment measures.
24th Feb 2021 - Reuters
French COVID-19 intensive care patients at a 12-week high
France’s number of patients treated in intensive care units for COVID-19 has gone up again on Tuesday, reaching a 12-week peak of 3,435 as regional officials urge for a ban on public gatherings and consider a partial weekend lockdown. Unlike some of its neighbours, France has resisted a new national lockdown to control more contagious variants, hoping a curfew in place since Dec. 15 can contain the pandemic. France ended its second national lockdown, which ran from Oct. 30 to Dec. 15. But one of the conditions for switch from lockdown to a national curfew was that the ICU figures remained between 2,500 and 3,000.
24th Feb 2021 - Reuters
Merkel says Germany in third wave of pandemic: sources
Germany is in a third wave of the coronavirus pandemic, Chancellor Angela Merkel told lawmakers in her conservative party, two sources at the meeting told Reuters on Tuesday. “We are now in the third wave,” they quoted her as saying and said she warned that any easing of lockdown measures introduced late last year and extended until March 7 would have to be done carefully and gradually. The closure of all non-essential businesses and border controls with Austria and the Czech Republic, where there have been outbreaks linked to a more infectious variant of the virus, have helped Germany bring down new daily COVID-19 infections. But a slow vaccination roll-out and the risk of major outbreaks of fast-spreading variants already identified in Germany could make any easing of restrictions more difficult.
24th Feb 2021 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 24th Feb 2021
View this newsletter in fullUkraine gets first vaccine shipment as hospitals struggle
Ukraine on Tuesday received its first shipment of coronavirus vaccine raising hopes that authorities can start beating back the virus spread in a country where cases have strained the fragile health care system. A consignment of 500,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine was flown to the capital Kyiv from India. Officials said the first tranche of vaccine will be administered to medical workers and military personnel in eastern Ukraine, where conflict with Russian-backed separatists has been ongoing since 2014, and to regions of western Ukraine where the rate of infections has been the most severe
23rd Feb 2021 - The Independent
COVID-19: UK reports another 548 coronavirus deaths and 8,489 cases - as vaccine count nears 18m
Nearly 18 million people have now had their first dose of a coronavirus vaccine in the UK, while another 548 deaths have been reported. It compares to 178 deaths reported yesterday and 799 last Tuesday, and takes the total to 121,305. There have been 8,489 more confirmed COVID cases, compared to 10,641 yesterday and 10,625 last Tuesday.
23rd Feb 2021 - Sky News
COVID-19: Number of deaths falling in all English regions - here's where they are still highest
The number of deaths involving coronavirus is dropping in all regions of England, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has said. In its latest figures, it said that during the week ending 12 February (week six), every area of the country recorded a week-on-week fall in the number of registered COVID-19 deaths. The highest number - 974 - was recorded in southeast England - down 31% from 1,415 in the previous week. That was also the biggest decline in the number of fatalities, at 441.
23rd Feb 2021 - Sky News
COVID-19: Biden leads candlelit ceremony for COVID victims as US passes half a million deaths
President Joe Biden has led a minute's silence to honour America's coronavirus victims after the country became the first to record more than half a million deaths.
As 500 lit candles lined the White House steps to commemorate the dead, a military band played Amazing Grace and the president made his emotional remarks. "Today we mark a truly grim, heartbreaking milestone - 500,071 dead. That's more Americans who have died in one year in this pandemic than in World War One, World War Two and the Vietnam War combined," he said.
23rd Feb 2021 - Sky News
As covid-19 death toll nears 500,000, Biden urges Americans to ‘fight this together’
Joe Biden began his presidency by marking a devastating milestone in the coronavirus pandemic. One month later, he presided over a somber memorial once again, leading the nation in the mourning of 500,000 American covid-19 deaths.
On Monday evening, as the official toll neared half a million, Biden held a moment of silence and a candle-lighting ceremony at the White House, accompanied by Vice President Harris. “That’s more lives lost to this virus than any other nation on Earth," Biden said. "But as we acknowledge the scale of this mass death in America, we remember each person and the life they lived.”
23rd Feb 2021 - The Washington Post
France considers fresh measures to stem Covid-19 spread in Dunkirk
French Health Minister Olivier Véran will head to Dunkirk in northern France on Wednesday as the government eyes new measures to limit the spread of Covid-19 in the region, the prime minister's office said on Tuesday. Prime Minister Jean Castex had discussed the local health situation earlier on Tuesday with the mayor of Dunkirk, a coastal city of 92,000 near the Belgian border. "They agreed that in view of the sharp deterioration in health indicators in recent hours, additional measures to limit the epidemic must be taken," the statement said.
23rd Feb 2021 - FRANCE 24 English
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 23rd Feb 2021
View this newsletter in fullUK records 445 new deaths as more than 17 million Brits have received a coronavirus vaccine
More than 17 million people in the UK have now received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, new figures reveal. The UK reported 445 coronavirus-related deaths and 10,406 new infections on Saturday. However, London continues to lag behind other regions bar the South West. The NHS England data shows a total of 1,753,957 jabs were given to people in London between December 8 and February 19, including 1,687,471 first doses and 66,486 second doses.
22nd Feb 2021 - Evening Standard
ER doctor documents COVID-19 battle in LA hospital with emotional photographs
Dr Scott Kobner, 29, chief resident at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center’s Department of Emergency Medicine, documented his front-line colleagues
The amateur photographer took pictures of doctors and patients at the 600-bed public hospital using Leica M6 and M10 cameras and posted them on Instagram
Dr Kobner had permission from the hospital and patients. Kobner, originally from New York, doesn't photograph people he treats but comes in on his days off instead. He tested positive for the virus in the summer but recovered alone at home
In LA County, more than 19,880 people have died of COVID-19. There is a long history of photographing medical treatment during disasters that gained popularity in the US during the Civil War
22nd Feb 2021 - Daily Mail
Coronavirus: High Covid rates delay France and Germany easing
Stubbornly high infection rates are hampering French efforts to ease coronavirus restrictions, with Nice in the south a particular hotspot. In Germany many schools are reopening on Monday, but officials say infection rates remain worryingly high.
France is not under lockdown, but there is a national curfew (18:00-06:00). The area around Nice, which has the highest rate in France, will go into partial lockdown for the next two weekends.
22nd Feb 2021 - BBC News
South Africa's COVID-19 cases, deaths decline as variant spreads globally
COVID-19 cases have been declining in South Africa despite the nation battling to contain a more contagious variant that has spread globally. Worldwide, the virus has killed 2,477,790 people with 111,953,292 cases in tracking by Worldometers.info. The United States continues to lead both categories, surpassing 28 million infections and fewer than 2,000 deaths from 500,000 fatalities, according to Johns Hopkins tracking, ahead of two other North American nations, Brazil at 246,504 and No. 3 Mexico with 179,797
22nd Feb 2021 - UPI.com
COVID-19: Lockdown if cases keep rising for 8-15 days, says Uddhav Thackeray
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday said that in view of the rising COVID-19 cases, religious, social and political gatherings will be prohibited in the state from Monday
22nd Feb 2021 - National Herald
French city of Nice asks tourists to stay away amid COVID surge
The mayor of Nice in southern France called on Sunday for a weekend lockdown in the area to reduce the flow of tourists as it battles a sharp spike in coronavirus infections to triple the national rate. The Nice area has France’s highest COVID-19 infection rate, with 740 new cases per week per 100,000 residents, according to Covidtracker.fr. “We need strong measures that go beyond the nationwide 6 p.m. curfew, either tighter curfew, or a partial and time-specific lockdown. A weekend lockdown would make sense,” Mayor Christian Estrosi said on franceinfo radio. Health Minister Olivier Veran said on Saturday the government would decide this weekend on tightening virus control measures in the Mediterranean city.
22nd Feb 2021 - Reuters
US COVID-19 death toll hits 500,000 as hospital cases drop
Today the United States met a grim milestone: In 1 year, more than half a million Americans have died from COVID-19, as at least 28,174,133 million have suffered infections, thousands have lost jobs, and all have had the pandemic touch multiple aspects of everyday life. To mark the passing of 500,000 Americans, President Joe Biden today will hold a moment of silence and candle-lighting ceremony at sundown at the White House. The Washington Post today put the 500,000 death toll in context. The first US death from COVID-19 was reported on Feb 29, 2020. By May 28, 100,000 had died. Deaths remained at a fairly steady clip until a post-holiday surge.
22nd Feb 2021 - CIDRAP
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 22nd Feb 2021
View this newsletter in fullUK records 215 coronavirus-related deaths and 9,834 new cases as infections plummet
The UK recorded 215 coronavirus-related deaths and 9,834 new cases on Sunday as infections continue to plummet. This is a considerable drop from the peak of 1,820 deaths on January 1st. The figures have dropped significantly since last Sunday when the UK recorded 258 deaths and 10,972 infection, in a sure sign lockdown is working. A total of 17,582,121 have received at least one dose of the vaccine and 615,148 have received their second dose. A third (33.4%) of the UK adult population has now been given the first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine.
21st Feb 2021 - Evening Standard
Africa reaches 100,000 known COVID-19 deaths as danger grows
Twenty-one countries in Africa now have case fatality rates that are higher than the global average, Nkengasong said, including Sudan, Egypt, Liberia, Mali and Zimbabwe. The case fatality rate continent-wide remains higher than the global average at 2.6%. “The second wave came with full might, partly because of this new variant (in South Africa), partly because we created superspreading opportunities” such as holiday parties, said Salim Abdool Karim, the top COVID-19 advisor to South Africa’s government. “The virus adapts and gets better with time because it’s mutating progressively to be better adapted.”
21st Feb 2021 - The Independent
Tanzania’s president admits country has COVID-19 problem
Tanzania’s president is finally acknowledging that his country has a coronavirus problem after claiming for months that the disease had been defeated by prayer. Populist President John Magufuli on Sunday urged citizens of the East African country to take precautions and even wear face masks — but only locally made ones. Over the course of the pandemic he has expressed wariness about foreign-made goods, including COVID-19 vaccines. The president’s comments came days after the country of some 60 million people mourned the death of one of its highest-profile politicians, the vice president of the semi-autonomous island region of Zanzibar, whose political party had earlier said he had COVID-19. The president’s chief secretary also died in recent days, though the cause was not revealed.
21st Feb 2021 - Associated Press on MSN.com
UK records 445 new deaths as more than 17 million Brits have received a coronavirus vaccine
More than 17 million people in the UK have now received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, new figures reveal. The UK reported 445 coronavirus-related deaths and 10,406 new infections on Saturday. However, London continues to lag behind other regions bar the South West. The NHS England data shows a total of 1,753,957 jabs were given to people in London between December 8 and February 19, including 1,687,471 first doses and 66,486 second doses.
20th Feb 2021 - Evening Standard
COVID-19 surge is now helping to create herd immunity
"I don’t want to provide a false sense of assurance here,” said L.A. County chief science officer Dr. Paul Simon, who pointed out that 60% of Angelenos would remain vulnerable even if more than a third have already been infected with the coronavirus. “Unless they’ve had vaccination, they continue to be susceptible. I think we need to continue to be vigilant.”
20th Feb 2021 - Los Angeles Times
Covid-19: Number of coronavirus-related deaths falls for third week
The weekly number of Covid-19 related deaths registered in Northern Ireland has fallen for a third week. The NI Statistics and Research Agency (Nisra) said the virus was mentioned on the death certificates of 99 people, in the week to Friday 12 February. That is 27 fewer than the previous week, bringing the agency's total to 2,673. The Department of Health's total for the same date, based on a positive test result being recorded, was 1,985.
20th Feb 2021 - BBC News
COVID-19: More than 17 million people have received first jab - as deaths surpass 120,000
More than 17 million people in the UK have now received their first dose of a coronavirus vaccine, while the number of deaths has surpassed 120,000. Another 445 people have died within 28 days of a positive COVID-19 test, according to the latest government figures, taking the total to 120,365. The deaths included a 16-year-old with no known underlying health conditions. Where patients were aged 16 to 100, all except four - aged between 16 and 68 - were known to have had underlying health conditions.
20th Feb 2021 - Sky News
Germany sees drop in virus cases flatten as variant surges
The head of Germany’s disease control agency is warning that the decline in new coronavirus cases the country had been seeing has leveled off and the share of cases involving more contagious variants is rising
20th Feb 2021 - The Independent
Germany, Once a Model, Is Swamped Like Everyone Else by Pandemic’s Second Wave
After winning widespread recognition for its handling of the coronavirus last year, Germany now finds itself struggling with its sluggish vaccine rollout and a frustrated population.
20th Feb 2021 - The New York Times
Coronavirus: Infections in Germany stagnate at high level
Amid repeated calls for the government to lift the lockdown, Spahn urged the public to remain cautious, adding that the coronavirus "doesn't just give up." "There are rising demands to end the lockdown and this is possible, but we need to be careful in order not to jeopardize our achievements," Spahn said on Friday. The RKI reported on Friday a slight drop in COVID-19 infections over seven days, with 56.8 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, compared to 57.1 the day before, according to the German Press Agency (DPA). Germany's federal government aims for a level of infections below 50. States cas move towards easing the lockdown when the level remains under 35.
20th Feb 2021 - DW (English)
BMC seals 1,305 buildings as Covid-19 cases surge in Mumbai
Two days after the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) made the norms for lockding down buildings in the city again civic data shows the number of buildings locked down stands at 1,035. Sealed floors being linked to a rise in COVID-19 cases
20th Feb 2021 - Times of India
US COVID-19 markers decline; vaccine makers eye expanding recipient pool
Across the country 7-day averages of new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are dropping in 43 and 49 states, respectively. According to CNBC, only Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming reported a rise in new cases. The US reported 69,230 new COVID-19 cases yesterday, and 2,542 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins COVID-19 tracker. In total, the US remains the hardest hit country in the global pandemic, with 27,950,547 cases and 495,015 deaths. The news of case declines comes as Pfizer and BioNTech, the makers of the first mRNA vaccine approved for use in the United States, began a global phase 2/3 trial targeting pregnant women, and submitted new temperature data to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) suggesting they could allow their COVID-19 vaccine to be stored in pharmacy freezers rather than ultra-cold storage facilities.
19th Feb 2021 - CIDRAP
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 19th Feb 2021
View this newsletter in fullCOVID-19: Another 454 deaths and 12,057 cases in UK - as over 16.4 million have had first vaccine dose
The UK has reported another 454 coronavirus deaths and 12,057 further cases, while more than 16.4 million have now received their first vaccine dose. Today's figures are down on Wednesday when 738 further deaths and 12,718 new cases were recorded. And they represent the lowest daily figure since 424 were announced on 11 December, excluding days when numbers have been artificially low due to delays in reporting caused by weekends and Christmas holidays.
18th Feb 2021 - Sky News
COVID-19 infection rate plummets in England, says Imperial College study
One of the largest and most authoritative coronavirus surveys has found that infections are quickly falling in England, confirming that lockdown is working to suppress the virus. Imperial College London's REACT study found that infections had fallen by more than two-thirds since the last time it reported in mid-January. Last time, REACT found that 1 in 63 people currently had the virus. This time, it estimates that 1 in 196 people are infected.
18th Feb 2021 - Sky News
Italy’s balconies fall silent as singers retreat in face of Covid’s second wave
It seems eons since last March, when Italians kept their spirits high and impressed the world by donning masks and singing from their balconies, spurring hope that Italy would rebound after the lockdown with an explosion of energy similar to that which fuelled the country’s postwar boom. But after Italians brought the virus back home from holiday discos in the summer — ushering in the second spike — new daily cases were peaking at 40,000 by November, more than six times the first wave record of 6,500 reached on March 13. The national rate may have now slowly fallen to about 10,000 but it is already rising again in areas such as Umbria in central Italy where the UK variant is spreading fast.
18th Feb 2021 - The Times
South Korea warns against lax distancing as daily COVID-19 count hits one-month high
South Korea's Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun on Wednesday warned against the loosening enforcement of social distancing rules after the number of new coronavirus cases hit the highest levels in nearly 40 days. The government relaxed distancing curbs on Saturday to take effect starting this week, after getting on top of a third wave of COVID-19 outbreaks that peaked at around 1,200 daily cases in late December. But the numbers shot back up in just three days, topping 600 for the first time in 39 days on Tuesday, after a ban on nighttime entertainment facilities was lifted and a restaurant curfew extended by one hour to 10 p.m.
18th Feb 2021 - Reuters on MSN.com
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 18th Feb 2021
View this newsletter in fullCOVID-19: Another 738 deaths and 12,718 cases in UK - as over 15.9m have had first vaccine dose
The UK has reported another 12,718 coronavirus cases and 738 further deaths - and almost 16 million people have now had their first dose of a vaccine. While the number of new infections is higher than the 10,625 reported yesterday, deaths are down slightly from Tuesday's 799 fatalities. Overall, the numbers are lower than what they were a week ago, when 13,013 new cases were confirmed alongside 1,001 deaths.
17th Feb 2021 - Sky News
Global COVID-19 cases drop, but more nations report variants
In its weekly snapshot of the pandemic yesterday, the World Health Organization (WHO) said cases and deaths continue to drop, mainly driven by steep declines in the two highest-burden countries, the United States and the United Kingdom. Also, the B117 virus variant has now been detected in 94 countries spanning all six WHO regions, with local transmission occurring in 47.
17th Feb 2021 - CIDRAP
Health experts call for tight new lockdown as British COVID-19 variant sweeps through Italy
Leading health authorities in Italy fear the British variant will soon trigger a surge in COVID-19 infections and fatalities unless a strategy is implemented
16th Feb 2021 - The Globe and Mail
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 17th Feb 2021
View this newsletter in fullCoronavirus: Deaths among over-80’s fall faster as vaccine impact emerges
Deaths among people over 80 is falling faster than with other age groups, suggesting the UK’s vaccine programme is starting to have an impact on the coronavirus pandemic. According to analysis of the latest data, the proportion of deaths among the over-80s, as a seven day average, have dropped by almost 50 per cent between 31 January to 10 February. This compares to a fall of 39 per cent for those aged under 80 over the same period.
16th Feb 2021 - The Independent
A coronavirus vaccine entrepreneur held an indoor conference. Now dozens of attendees have the virus.
Last month, entrepreneur Peter Diamandis stood on a purple-lit stage inside the offices of one of his tech companies in Culver City, Calif., as hundreds listened online to his presentation. The summit was not completely virtual, though. Dozens of attendees, some of whom had traveled from abroad, also sat in the indoor space that Diamandis pledged would be safe thanks to regular testing, vitamins and doctors on-site. Instead, nearly three weeks later, at least 24 people who attended the conference have tested positive for the coronavirus — including Diamandis himself.
16th Feb 2021 - The Washington Post
COVID-19: Another 799 coronavirus deaths and 10,625 cases in UK - as over 15.5 million have had first vaccine dose
Another 799 COVID-related deaths and 10,625 more cases have been reported in the UK in the last 24 hours, government data shows. This is down from the 1,052 deaths and 12,364 cases recorded this time last week. Yesterday, a total of 230 fatalities and 9,765 infections were reported; however, it's important to note that figures can differ widely early in the week due to a reporting lag from the weekend.
16th Feb 2021 - Sky News
Palestinian refugees in Lebanon three times more likely to die with COVID-19
Palestinian refugees in Lebanon are three times more likely to die with COVID-19 than the population as a whole, according to U.N. figures that highlight the pandemic's outsized impact on the community. An estimated 207,000 Palestinian refugees live in Lebanon after being driven from their homes or fleeing the conflict surrounding Israel's 1948 creation, the vast majority in cramped camps where social distancing is impossible.
16th Feb 2021 - Reuters on MSN.com
COVID-19: Experts left puzzled by sudden drop in coronavirus cases in India
Scientists have been left confused by the plummeting rate of coronavirus infections in India - particularly because the country was at one point on course for the biggest toll worldwide. Nearly 100,000 infections were reported each day during India's peak, but this has taken an unexplained tumble since September to around 11,000 a day. Official figures in November also showed 90% of New Delhi's critical care beds with ventilators were filled, whereas just 16% were full last Thursday.
16th Feb 2021 - Sky News
Suspected cases of coronavirus variant now in 2 Manitoba First Nations
A second First Nations community in Manitoba is under lockdown following the potential discovery of a highly infectious coronavirus variant. On Monday, the chief of Pimicikamak, also known as Cross Lake First Nation about 530 kilometres north of Winnipeg, confirmed the community has seen at least one suspected case of the coronavirus variant first detected in the United Kingdom. Chief David Monias said in a statement the sample has been sent to the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg for confirmation.
16th Feb 2021 - CBC.ca
As the virus crisis drags on, hard-hit French youth struggle
On a recent evening, Leïla Ideddaim waited to receive a bag of food, along with hundreds of other French young people who are unable to make ends meet. She saw the chitchat that accompanied the handout as a welcome byproduct, given her intense isolation during the pandemic. The 21-year-old student in hotel and restaurant management has seen her plans turned upside down by the virus crisis. With restaurants and tourist sites shuttered and France under a 6 p.m. curfew, her career prospects are uncertain. Odd jobs that were supposed to keep her going during her studies are hard to come by.
16th Feb 2021 - The Associated Press
Coronavirus pandemic back on upward trend in Poland - minister
The COVID-19 pandemic is on the rise again in Poland, the health minister said on Tuesday, a worrying turnaround after case numbers stabilised following a second wave of infections last autumn. Poland has loosened some of its COVID-19 restrictions, and scenes of partying tourists at Poland’s main ski resort at the weekend have raised fears of a new rise in infections. “The reversal in the trend has become a fact,” Health Minister Adam Niedzielski wrote on Twitter. “The trend for the weekly growth rate (seven-day moving average) is positive for the first time since mid-November (excluding post-holiday anomalies).” On Tuesday, Poland reported 5,178 new cases of the novel coronavirus and 196 deaths. The European Union member states has reported a total of 1,596,673 cases and 41,028 deaths.
16th Feb 2021 - Reuters
Four reasons experts say coronavirus cases are dropping in the United States
The rate of newly recorded infections is plummeting from coast to coast and the worst surge yet is finally relenting. But scientists are split on why, exactly, it is happening. Some point to the quickening pace of coronavirus vaccine administration, some say it’s because of the natural seasonal ebb of respiratory viruses and others chalk it up to social distancing measures. And every explanation is appended with two significant caveats: The country is still in a bad place, continuing to notch more than 90,000 new cases every day, and recent progress could still be imperiled, either by new fast-spreading virus variants or by relaxed social distancing measures.
15th Feb 2021 - Washington Post
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 16th Feb 2021
View this newsletter in fullCOVID-19: Another 230 coronavirus deaths in UK - as 15.3 million have first vaccine dose
The latest figures have been announced as the prime minister said there will be a "cautious" approach to easing lockdown rules. The UK has recorded another 230 coronavirus deaths - compared to the 333 fatalities confirmed on this day last week. The latest figure is also a drop from the 258 deaths announced on Sunday, government data shows. Since the pandemic began, a total of 117,396 people have died within 28 days of a positive COVID-19 test.
15th Feb 2021 - Sky News
Portugal's daily COVID-19 deaths below 100 for first time in six weeks
The number of new daily COVID-19 deaths in Portugal fell to its lowest level in around six weeks on Monday, with infections also declining, adding to evidence that an alarming post-Christmas surge in the coronavirus pandemic is slowing. The good news came hours after grim data showing the once-booming tourism sector suffered its worst results since the mid-1980s last year as the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns worldwide grounded flights and kept visitors away.
15th Feb 2021 - Reuters on MSN.com
Death toll reaches 2,000 as 477 people battle COVID-19 in our hospitals
The latest statistics reveal that another four people died in the last 24 hours. Meanwhile there have been another 234 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the last 24 hours. This jumps to 2,095 people in the last seven days. There are now 477 people with confirmed cases of COVID-19 in our hospitals - and 59 of those battling in ICU. There are now 79 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in NI Care Homes.
15th Feb 2021 - Belfast Newsletter
Maharashtra to Face Another Lockdown? Rise in COVID-19 Cases Alarming, May Take Harsh Steps, Warns Deputy CM
Describing the rise in fresh COVID-19 cases in some districts of Maharashtra as “alarming”, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Monday warned of taking some “harsh decisions” and asked people to be prepared. Some districts in Vidarbha region in east Maharashtra, especially Amravati and Nagpur, and Nashik in north Maharashtra have seen the number of new cases rising over the last few days.
15th Feb 2021 - India.com
Vietnamese province reimposes stay at home order in coronavirus battle
Vietnam on Monday reintroduced stay at home measures in the northern province of Hai Duong after it reported dozens of COVID-19 cases there every day since a new outbreak last month. Having stayed clear of the virus for nearly two months, Vietnam was back on high alert after the government confirmed its first community infections in Hai Duong on Jan. 28. The province, where 499 COVID-19 infections have been detected, will be under lockdown from midnight on Tuesday until further notice, the government said.
15th Feb 2021 - Reuters
Hungary's PM seeks renewal of special powers to fight COVID-19
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban asked parliament on Monday to extend the government’s special powers to handle the COVID-19 pandemic, saying only vaccinations would enable the government to ease lockdown measures introduced last autumn. Hungary became the first European Union member state last week to start administering Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine after its regulator approved the shot for emergency use rather than wait for a green light from the EU’s European Medicines Agency. The Hungarian drug regulator has also granted approval to Chinese Sinopharm’s vaccine, also a first in the EU.
15th Feb 2021 - Reuters
Health ministry advisor Ricciardi calls for new lockdown
Walter Ricciardi, a top Italian physician and advisor to Health Minister Roberto Speranza, has suggested Italy have another full-blown nationwide lockdown amid concern about the spread of new variants of COVID-19 in Italy. Ricciardi suggested a short but tough lockdown, in which non-essential activities would be stopped and schools closed. The proposal stirred angry reactions from many quarters, with League leader Matteo Salvini blasting "experts who sow fear". Ricciardi reacted to calls for him to quit by saying he would be prepared to do so if that were deemed "useful".
15th Feb 2021 - ANSA
A new study identifies seven U.S. virus variants with the same worrying mutation.
As Americans anxiously watch the spread of coronavirus variants that were first identified in Britain and South Africa, scientists are finding a number of new variants that seem to have originated in the United States — and many of them may pose the same kind of extra-contagious threat. In a study posted on Sunday, a team of researchers reported seven growing lineages of the coronavirus, spotted in states across the country. All have gained a mutation at the exact same spot in their genes.
14th Feb 2021 - The New York Times
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 15th Feb 2021
View this newsletter in fullFrench hospitals to move into crisis mode from Thursday: newspaper
France’s Health Ministry has asked regional health agencies and hospitals to enter “crisis organisation” to prepare for a possible surge in coronavirus cases as a result of highly contagious variants, Le Journal Du Dimanche reported. The move, which would echo measures taken in March and November when France went into lockdown, involves increasing the number of hospital beds available, delaying non-urgent surgery and mobilising all medical staff resources. “This crisis organisation must be implemented in each region, regardless of the level of hospital stress and must be operational from Thursday Feb. 18,” the DGS health authority said
14th Feb 2021 - Reuters
New ‘do not resuscitate’ orders imposed on Covid-19 patients with learning difficulties
People with learning disabilities have been given do not resuscitate orders during the second wave of the pandemic, in spite of widespread condemnation of the practice last year and an urgent investigation by the care watchdog. Mencap said it had received reports in January from people with learning disabilities that they had been told they would not be resuscitated if they were taken ill with Covid-19. The Care Quality Commission said in December that inappropriate Do Not Attempt Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (DNACPR) notices had caused potentially avoidable deaths last year
13th Feb 2021 - The Guardian on MSN.com
COVID-19: New surge testing after more South Africa variant cases detected
Surge testing is being introduced in more areas of England after a few more cases of the coronavirus variant first discovered in South Africa were detected. The testing will be deployed in: Middlesbrough within the TS7 postcode - Areas in Walsall - Specific areas in the RG26 postcode in Hampshire - People in these areas are strongly encouraged to take a COVID test this week, whether or not they have symptoms.
13th Feb 2021 - Sky News
Italy tightens virus curbs as variant fears rise
Italy on Friday extended a domestic travel ban and tightened restrictions in four regions amid rising concern about the spread of more infectious coronavirus variants. In one of its final acts in office, outgoing prime minister Giuseppe Conte's cabinet renewed until February 25 a ban on travelling between regions that had been due to expire on Monday, a spokesman said. The regions of Abruzzo, Liguria, Tuscany and the autonomous province of Trentino were also moved up to the medium-risk "orange" category from Sunday, meaning that bars, restaurants and museums will be shut. The rest of Italy remains "yellow", with bars and restaurants open until 6:00 pm except for takeaway service, but with a nationwide night curfew.
13th Feb 2021 - Medical Xpress
New Covid-19 outbreaks in China reopen pet owners’ wounds, but public pressure eases some lockdown restrictions
During early pandemic quarantines, many pet owners in China were forced to leave their pets alone at home or send them into the wild. Following public pressure, Daxing district in Beijing adjusted measures to allow pets to be moved to hotels with their owners.
13th Feb 2021 - South China Morning Post
Melbourne lockdown: How new circuit-breaker rules work as Australia tries to tackle rise in Covid cases
The Australian state of Victoria will be placed under a “short, sharp circuit breaker” after an outbreak of new coronavirus cases were linked to a quarantine hotel. A five-day snap lockdown has been issued in the southeastern state after 13 people tested positive for Covid-19 at the Holiday Inn near Melbourne Airport in quick succession since Sunday.
13th Feb 2021 - iNews
Doctors blame virus outbreaks on shoppers’ complacency
More than 35 Covid-19 outbreaks have been linked to supermarkets in recent weeks as consumers become complacent, health experts have warned. According to the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC), 35 were linked back to shops in Ireland in the last 11 weeks. Nineteen were recorded in the last month, with three in the last week. Dr Gabriel Scally, the president of epidemiology and public health at the Royal Society of Medicine, said there was clear evidence that shops are places where the coronavirus can be transmitted.
13th Feb 2021 - Irish Independent
Covid-19: a first case of serious reinfection by the variant identified in South Africa described in France
A worrying first. Serious reinfection caused by the South African Covid-19 variant identified by French researchers. "This case illustrates the variant may be responsible for severe reinfection after a first mild infection" from the normal coronavirus
13th Feb 2021 - Franceinfo
New Zealand reports three new COVID-19 local cases, first since January
New Zealand on Sunday reported three new locally acquired COVID-19 cases, the country’s first since late January, when a returned traveller tested positive after leaving quarantine. New Zealand’s minister for COVID-19 response, Chris Hipkins, said the three cases were a couple and their daughter in Auckland, and that genomic testing was being conducted to see if the family’s infection was linked to any highly infectious variants. The new cases, the first since Jan. 24, forced Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to return to the capital Wellington, skipping a gay pride event in Auckland that she was due to attend on Sunday afternoon.
13th Feb 2021 - Reuters
France not planning lockdown in eastern Moselle over COVID-19 variants
The French government has no plans for now to order local lockdown measures in the eastern area of Moselle to rein in the spread of highly contagious COVID-19 variants, Health Minister Olivier Veran said on Friday. Veran told reporters that a high number of cases of the South African COVID-19 variant had been found in the region.
12th Feb 2021 - Reuters
COVID-19 in retreat in UK, 'R' number below one for first time since July
The COVID-19 pandemic in Britain is retreating and the reproduction “R” number, which measures transmission rates, has dropped below 1 for the first time since July, adding to hopes that some lockdown restrictions could be eased next month. Estimates published on Friday showed that the COVID-19 “R” number for Britain is now between 0.7 and 0.9, a slight drop from last week’s estimate of 0.7 and 1.0, and dipping under one for the first time in over six months. The prevalence of COVID-19 infections in England was also shown to be dropping in separate data released on Friday. The Office for National Statistics said that about one in 80 people were infected in the week ended Feb.6, compared to one in 65 people the previous week
12th Feb 2021 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 12th Feb 2021
View this newsletter in fullCOVID-19 surge takes toll on Portugal's undertakers
Standing next to the sealed coffin of yet another COVID-19 victim in Portugal, funeral parlour worker Carlos Carneiro wept as the bereaved family played a record of a traditional fado song as a final goodbye. Carneiro, 37, has been in the undertaking business for two decades helping people cope with loss, but never felt as affected by sorrow and fear as now. Portugal fared better than others in Europe in the first wave of the pandemic in March-April, but the new year brought a devastating surge in infections and deaths, overwhelming the health service and funeral homes. More than 14,700 people have died of COVID-19 in Portugal, with cumulative infections since the start of the pandemic at nearly 775,000.
11th Feb 2021 - Reuters
NI records one of its lowest numbers for new daily Covid-19 infections in months
In data published in its daily Covid-19 dashboard the DoH reported 253 new infections in the last 24 hours. To put this into context, two weeks ago, on Thursday January 28 the DoH reported 592 new infections in 24 hours and 4,066 in the seven days leading up to that date. Fast-forward two weeks to today, Thursday February at the number of daily infections is down 57 per cent to 253 and the number of infections in the last seven days is down 42 per cent to 2,377.
11th Feb 2021 - Belfast Newsletter
UK announces 13,494 more coronavirus cases and 678 deaths
Department of Health data show cases fell by over a third on last Thursday and deaths down by 26 per cent. Adds to further evidence to Britain being past the worst of the second wave which wreaked havoc over winter. NHS Test & Trace showed the weekly total of cases was last week a quarter down on the week before it. And Public Health England figures show positive test rates down in all regions and ages, and most boroughs
11th Feb 2021 - Daily Mail
Spain reports 18,114 new coronavirus cases, adds 643 deaths to official toll
The epidemiological curve in Spain continues to fall, but the coronavirus pandemic in the country is still far from a situation whereby transmission is under control. In its Wednesday report, the Health Ministry reported 18,114 new infections and added 643 victims to the official death toll – below the record figure since the first wave that was set on Tuesday of 766 fatalities. The slowdown in the transmission of the virus is also being seen in a fall in the 14-day cumulative number of coronavirus cases per 100,000 inhabitants, which is now at 584. But while this downward trend is positive, the third wave is still a serious threat in Spain: the average incidence across the country is double the level of 250 considered to be extreme risk by the Health Ministry, and the pressure on the country’s intensive care units (ICUs) persists. The ministry called on citizens not to lower their guard, but some regions, such as Madrid, Andalusia, Extremadura and Castilla-La Mancha, are already talking about relaxing social restrictions.
11th Feb 2021 - EL PAÍS in English
Sewage samples show COVID-19 spreading fast in some French cities
Sewage samples from a new nationwide COVID-19 monitoring system show that in some French cities traces of coronavirus are spiking above levels seen during the second wave of the epidemic in the autumn. France's new "Obepine" network continuously samples city sewage in nearly 50 waste water stations and publishes charts that indicate the quantity of genetic material from the SARS-CoV-2 virus which causes COVID-19. For cities where data are available from spring 2020, the indicator charts show a strong correlation with charts of the number of positive cases and can give early warning signals. "In Lille, Marseille and Strasbourg we see a strong uptick, while in the Paris region the situation seems more under control," said Vincent Marechal, a Sorbonne university virology professor and co-founder of the Obepine network.
11th Feb 2021 - The Peninsula Qatar
Tanzania experiencing surge in COVID-19 cases, says U.S.
The United States said on Wednesday that Tanzania, whose president has advised citizens to shun coronavirus vaccines, is experiencing a surge in COVID-19 cases and its healthcare facilities could be quickly overwhelmed. In a statement, the U.S. embassy in Dar es Salaam said it was “aware of a significant increase in the number of COVID-19 cases since January”. “The practice of COVID-19 mitigation and prevention measures remains limited ... healthcare facilities in Tanzania can become quickly overwhelmed in a healthcare crisis.”
11th Feb 2021 - Reuters
Experts urge caution as coronavirus variants spread in Japan
The number of people found infected with new strains of the coronavirus in Japan has topped 100, with community infections reported and major clusters seen in Saitama Prefecture, north of Tokyo. The World Health Organization (WHO) said that one variant was up to 70% more transmissible than the original, and experts in Japan are calling for people to be careful. The first variant cases were detected on Dec. 25 last year at Haneda Airport in the capital, and Kansai International Airport in western Japan. Then on Jan. 18, three people who'd had no contact with people who returned from overseas were confirmed to have been infected in Shizuoka Prefecture in what were believed to be cases of community transmission.
11th Feb 2021 - Mainichi Shimbun
Europe tracks variant spread as COVID deaths spike in Africa
The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) European office today said that the region's 4-week drop in cases is good news but warned that outbreaks and community transmission involving variants is increasing, requiring a close watch and careful response decisions. At a briefing today, Hans Henri Kluge, MD, MPH, said daily case numbers and deaths are still too high. "At this point, the overwhelming majority of European countries remain vulnerable," he said. "Right now, it’s a thin line between the hope of a vaccine and a false sense of security."
11th Feb 2021 - CIDRAP
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 11th Feb 2021
View this newsletter in fullVaccine nationalism is worsening Covid-19 in Malawi
A second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, mainly driven by the South African variant, is bringing hospitals in Malawi to the brink. CNN's David McKenzie goes inside a hospital in Blantyre, Malawi, where the doctors are working around the clock to battle the pandemic amid a shortage of vaccines.
10th Feb 2021 - CNN on MSN.com
COVID-19: Vaccination total passes 13m as another 1,001 COVID-related deaths reported
The total number of people to have received a first dose of the coronavirus vaccine in the UK has passed 13 million, as another 1,001 deaths were reported. Today's official government figure compares to the 1,053 deaths recorded on Tuesday. And 13,013 new cases of COVID-19 were reported, up on the 12,364 yesterday.
10th Feb 2021 - Sky News
Surging virus in French African outpost reveals inequalities
Mayotte’s main tourist office stands nearly empty, a lonely tropical outpost overlooking a people-less port. Its only hospital, however, is overwhelmed. The demand for intensive care beds is more than quadruple the supply, as medical workers fight to contain the French Indian Ocean territory’s worst coronavirus outbreak yet. The Mayotte islands are the poorest corner of the European Union, tucked between Madagascar and the mainland coast of Mozambique in southern Africa - and were the last spot in France to receive any coronavirus vaccines. Local authorities feel forgotten and say their difficulties in fighting the virus reflect long-standing inequalities between France’s majority-white mainland and its far-flung multiracial former colonies.
10th Feb 2021 - ABC News
France Stalls Between Slow Covid Vaccine Rollout and High Infection Rates
In the town of Pontoise, which gently slopes upward from the Oise River about 15 miles northwest of Paris, Mayor Stéphanie Von Euw is laser-focused on her new vaccination center — a blocky, sand-colored recreational facility where up to 450 shots are administered daily to those over 75 or otherwise at high risk. Ms. Von Euw was energetic on a recent visit, chatting with doctors and vaccine recipients. But here in Pontoise, as in many other parts of France, there is no hiding that a winter of pandemic doldrums has set in. “To keep my chin up, I try to follow this rule: I take one day at a time,” Ms. Von Euw said across a table covered with chocolate boxes left by recent vaccine recipients. “If I look to the future, I lose myself.”
10th Feb 2021 - The New York Times
Denmark says cases of more contagious British coronavirus variant on rise
The share of people infected with the more contagious coronavirus variant first identified in Britain is on the rise in Denmark, authorities reported on Wednesday, citing preliminary data. In the first week of February, 27% of positive cases analyzed for their genetic material were carrying the B117 variant, up from 20% the week before, the State Serum Institute (SSI) said in a report.
10th Feb 2021 - Reuters
France's daily new COVID-19 cases hold steady on average
France reported 18,870 new confirmed COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, up from Monday’s 4,317 but well down from the previous Tuesday’s 23,337, and hospital numbers fell again after a two-day rise. The seven-day moving average of new infections, which evens out daily reporting irregularities, stands at 19,348, a low since Jan. 20. The total cumulative number of cases increased to 3.36 million, the sixth highest in the world. This seven-day moving average has now stayed in a tight 19,200-20,700 range for almost three weeks, a trend that seems to warrant the government’s decision not to resort to a third lockdown despite health experts calling for it.
10th Feb 2021 - Reuters
Sweden registers 4,070 new COVID-19 cases, 138 deaths on Wednesday
Sweden, which has spurned a lockdown throughout the pandemic, registered 4,070 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, Health Agency statistics showed. The country of 10 million inhabitants registered 138 new deaths, taking the total to 12,326. The deaths registered have occurred over several days and weeks. Sweden’s death rate per capita is several times higher than that of its Nordic neighbours, but lower than several European countries that opted for lockdowns.
10th Feb 2021 - Reuters
Covid-19 cases are falling in the U.S. It could be a calm before a variant-driven storm
If the U.S. Covid-19 epidemic were a marathon, the country might have made it to Mile 20. It’s been through a lot, and already, there are signs things are getting better. But there are building leg cramps that could make this last push, which isn’t actually all that short, really painful. The two existing vaccines are reaching more people, and soon, the country will likely have a third, from Johnson & Johnson, that’s just one dose and comes with easier transport and storage requirements. Cases and hospitalizations have fallen precipitously since their peaks last month, and now deaths — which are a lagging indicator — have turned downward as well. That will ease the burden on health systems and offer a reprieve from what had for months been worsening infection and death data.
10th Feb 2021 - Stat News
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 10th Feb 2021
View this newsletter in fullCOVID-19: Another 1,052 UK deaths reported as 12.6 million receive first vaccine jab
Another 1,052 coronavirus-related deaths have been reported in the UK, according to the latest government figures. The number is up from the 333 fatalities confirmed on Monday. A further 12,364 infections were also confirmed on Tuesday, compared with the 14,104 cases reported yesterday. It brings the total number of cases in the UK to 3,972,148.
9th Feb 2021 - Sky News
Second wave of Covid deaths in England and Wales peaked on 19 January, says ONS data
The second wave of coronavirus peaked in England and Wales on 19 January at 1,404 deaths in a single day, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistic. The figure, which based on reported deaths 28 days after a positive Covid test,
9th Feb 2021 - The Independent
COVID-19: 'Surge testing' in Manchester after mutation of Kent variant detected
Thousands of extra COVID tests are being rolled out in Manchester after a mutation of the Kent variant was found in the city. Four people from two unconnected households were found with the E484K mutation, Manchester City Council said, and 10,000 extra tests will now be distributed.
9th Feb 2021 - Sky News
UK coronavirus death toll up by 1,052 as infection rates continue to fall
The UK's official coronavirus death toll has risen by 1,052 and infections are up by 12,364 in the last 24 hours. The number of deaths has more than trebled since Monday when 333 people died - the lowest number since December 2020. Between February 3 - 9 the number of deaths have gone down by 25.7% compared to the previous seven days. While the number of infections over the same period is down by 26.6%. The figures suggest the lockdowns currently in place across the UK are continuing to have an impact in driving down the number of new reported cases of coronavirus. But Government scientific advisers have warned that the UK needs to "take the pain" of restrictions now or risk being trapped in a cycle of lockdowns due to variants of the virus
9th Feb 2021 - The Mirror
UK Covid Lockdown: Record 46% of Deaths in England Wales Linked to Virus
The proportion of Covid-19 deaths in England and Wales climbed to a record in the last week of January, as the total number of fatalities associated with the disease continued to rise despite the severe lockdown. Almost 46% of total deaths in the week to Jan. 29 were linked to the virus, the highest since the pandemic began, the Office for National Statistics said Tuesday. The total number of fatalities mentioning Covid rose by 11 to 8,433, the most since the height of the first wave in April. While new infections have fallen since the lockdown began last month, and officials say the U.K. has passed the peak of the latest surge, the figures show how the devastating impact of the winter wave of the virus is still being felt.
9th Feb 2021 - Bloomberg
Spain’s primary healthcare centers struggling to cope with strain of pandemic
The coronavirus pandemic has pushed Spain’s primary healthcare workers to the breaking point. When describing their situation, the words they use are “overwhelmed,” “disheartened” and “exhausted.” In the first wave of the pandemic, primary healthcare workers were the protective wall against the epidemic. In the second, they were the guards looking out for the spread of virus on the street and in senior residences. Now, in the third wave, they are leading the charge, overseeing both the Covid vaccination campaign and assisting patients whose care has been delayed by the pandemic.
9th Feb 2021 - EL PAÍS in English
Keep students at home for a month to avoid new lockdown, say school doctors
School and university doctors in France have demanded the closure of all schools and colleges for four weeks to stem the spread of the coronavirus and avoid a third national lockdown. The syndicat national des médecins scolaires et universitaires (snmsu.unsa) made the call as school holidays got underway in one the three zones covering establishments in cities such as Marseille and Nice in the south, Amiens, Caen and Lille in the north as well as Nancy and Metz in the east and Nantes to the west. The doctors say a month-long break for all of the country’s pupils and students would help to cut the number of infections
9th Feb 2021 - RFI English
Japan Keeps Its Covid Fight Simple With a Rule Starting at Dinnertime
Call it the Zen art of lockdowns. In the fight to suppress Covid-19, Japan has found success by stripping down its policy to one simple measure: closing restaurants and bars at 8 p.m. When the government declared a state of emergency in Tokyo and other urban areas on Jan. 7, it changed little, except to urge places that serve food and drinks to close by 8 p.m. Most complied in exchange for support that includes payments of about $600 a day. Infections since then have fallen by more than two-thirds nationwide, even though other daily activities such as shopping and commuting have continued. The government hopes to lift the state of emergency by March 7. “In consultation with experts, we carefully crafted a policy centered on reducing the hours of restaurants and bars,” Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said Feb. 2.
9th Feb 2021 - The Wall Street Journal
Austria warns against travel to Tirol after Bavaria threatens border closure
Austria is warning against non-essential travel to Tirol after neighbouring Bavaria threatened to seal its borders over an outbreak of the South African Covid-19 variant in the Alpine province. “The government is warning against travel to Tirol in order to prevent the South African variant from spreading and the government asks all citizens to restrict journeys to Tirol to those that are absolutely necessary,” the Austrian chancellor, Sebastian Kurz, said in a statement. Authorities in Tirol, which contains several ski resorts popular with tourists, said on Monday morning it had so far detected 165 fully sequenced cases of people being infected with the South African variant. A further 112 suspected cases were being investigated, said Tirol’s governor, Günther Platter.
9th Feb 2021 - The Guardian
Texas, California see large drop in COVID-19 cases
Texas and California, two of the states hardest hit by COVID-19 since Thanksgiving, have reached new milestones indicating that the spread of infections is slowing. The number of new daily coronavirus cases in California fell to just over 10,000 yesterday, down from 50,000 a month ago, according to KQED. Gov. Gavin Newsom also reported a 25% decline in COVID-19 patients in intensive care units. "Everything that should be up is up, and everything that should be down is down," Newsom said during remarks given yesterday at San Diego Petco Park, which will be the state's first mass vaccine "super station."
9th Feb 2021 - CIDRAP
Austria tries to contain S.African variant outbreak by voluntary means
Austria on Monday opted against placing the whole Alpine province of Tyrol under quarantine to contain an outbreak of the so-called South African variant of the coronavirus, instead urging the public not to go there unless they have to. The province, a winter sports hotspot, has so far been unable to explain how the variant arrived in the Ziller Valley, long a popular tourist area. Austrian ski lifts have been allowed to open since Dec. 24, but hotels are closed for all but business travel and restaurants can only serve takeaway meals. Tyrol's provincial government has opposed the idea of a province-wide quarantine in talks with the national government on how to contain the variant. Both governments are led by the conservative People's Party. Austria loosened a national lockdown on Monday, letting non-essential shops reopen.
8th Feb 2021 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 9th Feb 2021
View this newsletter in fullLópez Obrador’s pandemic optimism falls flat after he catches Covid-19
On his first day in isolation after contracting Covid-19, Mexico’s president Andrés Manuel López Obrador had a call with Vladimir Putin. Whereas his first call with President Joe Biden, three days earlier, had been “friendly and respectful”, López Obrador gushed about the “genuine affection” from the Russian president as Mexico prepared to receive 24m doses of Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine. Foreign diplomacy does not usually interest López Obrador, but this time it was urgent: Mexico, one of the world’s worst-hit countries, faced a three-week halt in vaccines from BioNTech/Pfizer and needed more fast.
8th Feb 2021 - Financial Times
British COVID Variant Gaining Strong Foothold in the United States
The highly contagious coronavirus variant that drove Britain into lockdown in December is now spreading quickly across the United States, a new study shows. What has been dubbed the B.1.1.7 variant is doubling its prevalence every nine days in this country,
8th Feb 2021 - U.S. News & World Report
UK facing even tougher lockdown rules if mutant Covid continues to spread
A Sage scientist warned for further restrictions after a study found the Oxford/AstraZeneca jab was 'less effective' against the highly infectious South African variant.
8th Feb 2021 - Metro
Is Brazilian Covid variant en route to Britain? Troublesome strain spotted in France, Italy and Faroe Islands will inevitably end up in UK, experts warn
The troublesome Brazilian variant of coronavirus will inevitably end up in Britain, scientists have warned amid fears it could make vaccines less effective. Cases of the mutant strain — which shares a mutation with the South African variant — have already been spotted in France, Italy, the Netherlands and the Faroe Islands. Health ministries in Germany and Spain claim to have also discovered cases of the dangerous strain. Experts now say it is only a 'matter of time' before the variant — dubbed P1 — lands on Britain's shores because ministers 'can't rely' on border controls to lock it out.
8th Feb 2021 - Daily Mail on MSN.com
'I've Never Seen Such Sadness': Doctors' Burden Of Watching Daily Tragedies, Then Going Home To Lockdown
Usually we would go home from an awful shift and maybe have a drink or a meal with a friend, maybe go to the gym, maybe play some music and laugh. And then we are recharged and ready for when we go back to our next shift and we are able to deal with all the awfulness again.
8th Feb 2021 - Huffington Post UK
France reports fresh fall in number of new COVID-19 cases
France reported a fall in new COVID-19 infections on Sunday for the fourth successive day. Health ministry data showed there had been 19,175 new confirmed COVID-19 infections in the past 24 hours compared with 20,586 the previous day.
But the data also showed the number of patients being treated in hospital for the disease had risen to 27,694 from 27,369 the previous day, following a four-day decline. The number of COVID-19 patients in intensive care also rose, increasing to 3,272 from 3,225 the day before.
8th Feb 2021 - Reuters
UK care workers use up leave to avoid losing pay while sick with Covid
Some UK care workers are having to take holiday when they are off sick with Covid or see already low wages fall to £96 per week, raising fears they may not self-isolate. Staff on the minimum wage claim to have been offered only statutory sick pay when ill with Covid or self-isolating. This contravenes government policy that they should be paid in full to limit infection spread. One care worker involved in an ongoing outbreak at a nursing home involving several fatalities told the Guardian the employer does not provide sick pay, so the worker and other infected colleagues had to take holiday to prevent their earnings falling. One colleague took holiday pay to maintain earnings while very ill with Covid in intensive care, the care worker said.
8th Feb 2021 - The Guardian
Daily COVID-19 cases fall below 100,000, but CDC head says stay vigilant
According to the COVID-19 case tracker maintained by Johns Hopkins University, the United States reported 86,928 new cases yesterday, and 1,268 deaths, marking the first time since Nov 2 daily case counts have fallen below 100,000. "But daily cases are still higher than the average during the summer peak," warned Rochelle Walensky, MD, Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) during today's White House coronavirus task force briefing. Walensky said hospitalizations were also still at record levels. There are 81,439 COVID-19 patients in US hospitals, according to the COVID Tracking Project.
8th Feb 2021 - CIDRAP
U.K. coronavirus variant spreading rapidly through United States, study finds
The coronavirus variant that shut down much of the United Kingdom is spreading rapidly across the United States, outcompeting other strains and doubling its prevalence among confirmed infections every week and a half, according to new research made public Sunday.
The report, posted on the preprint server MedRxiv and not yet peer-reviewed or published in a journal, comes from a collaboration of many scientists and provides the first hard data to support a forecast issued last month by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that showed the variant becoming dominant in the United States by late March.
7th Feb 2021 - The Washington Post
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 8th Feb 2021
View this newsletter in fullBurkina Faso hospitals worry as second COVID-19 wave hits
For nearly a year, Ousseni Yanogo thought he was doing everything he could to protect himself from the coronavirus. The 63-year-old retired gendarme diligently wore a mask, washed his hands and stayed a safe distance from other adults. When he held hands with his granddaughter to sing happy birthday when she turned 6, he never imagined he'd find himself fighting to survive in a coronavirus isolation ward weeks later. “I didn’t know contact (with children) was that dangerous, otherwise I wouldn’t have allowed the party to be organized,” Yanogo said while seated on his bed at the Bogodogo Medical Teaching Hospital in Ouagadougou, the capital of the West African country of roughly 20 million.
7th Feb 2021 - The Independent
Virus Variant First Found in Britain Now Spreading Rapidly in U.S.
A more contagious variant of the coronavirus first found in Britain is spreading rapidly in the United States, doubling roughly every 10 days, according to a new study. Analyzing half a million coronavirus tests and hundreds of genomes, a team of researchers predicted that in a month this variant could become predominant in the United States, potentially bringing a surge of new cases and increased risk of death. The new research offers the first nationwide look at the history of the variant, known as B.1.1.7, since it arrived in the United States in late 2020. Last month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned that B.1.1.7 could become predominant by March if it behaved the way it did in Britain. The new study confirms that projected path.
7th Feb 2021 - New York Times
Covid-19: Extra testing opens in Bristol and South Gloucestershire
Additional testing to track and suppress the spread of a Covid-19 variant has been rolled out in Bristol and South Gloucestershire. People who do not have symptoms but live in 24 postcode areas are "strongly encouraged" to get tested. Additional testing has been introduced in Worcestershire and Sefton after the South Africa variant was found. Bristol City Council's director of public health said people should follow existing health advice.
7th Feb 2021 - BBC News
COVID-19: More than 11.4 million have now had first vaccine dose as UK reports another 828 deaths
A total of 11,465,210 people have received a first vaccine as the UK has reported another 828 deaths associated with the virus. The number of deaths is down from the 1,014 reported on Friday, and comes after another 18,262 cases were reported on Saturday, latest government figures show. The number of daily infections is less than the 19,114 cases confirmed yesterday and the 20,634 reported on Thursday.
6th Feb 2021 - Sky News
Biden administration to survey schools on COVID-19 impact
The Biden administration will soon begin collecting data from thousands of U.S. schools to find out how they have been affected by the pandemic, including how many have returned to in-person instruction, officials said Friday. Led by the Education Department the effort will collect monthly data from 7,000 schools on a range of topics related to COVID-19 It’s the first federal effort to gather data on the pandemic’s impact on education. President Joe Biden called for the data in a Jan. 21 executive order on school reopening. The Trump administration declined to collect data on the subject, saying it wasn’t the role of the federal government to do so.
6th Feb 2021 - The Independent
Bolivia funeral homes, cemeteries overwhelmed as COVID-19 deaths mount
Corpses in Bolivia have begun to pile up as a fierce second wave of the coronavirus has overwhelmed funeral homes and cemeteries, according to officials, stoking fears the growing backlog could become yet another focal point of infection.
6th Feb 2021 - Reuters on MSN.com
Covid-19: NI records seven more coronavirus-related deaths
A further seven Covid-19 related deaths have been recorded by the Department of Health in Northern Ireland. The department's coronavirus death toll now stands at 1,922. The latest figures, released on Saturday, also recorded 390 new positive cases of the virus. There are 602 people being treated for Covid-19 in hospitals in Northern Ireland, with 67 of those patients being treated in intensive care units (ICU).
6th Feb 2021 - BBC News
Covid-19: UK records 828 deaths and 18,262 cases
The UK has recorded a further 828 Covid-19 deaths and 18,262 cases in the past 24 hours, the Government has said. The number of deaths, 28 days after a positive test, still remains high with a seven-day average of 1,000 a day. But cases, hospitalisations and deaths continue to fall as the lockdown pushes down the number of people mixing in the community. The figures bring the total number of cases in the UK to 3,929,835 and deaths to 112,092 - one of the highest in the world.
6th Feb 2021 - LBC
Covid-19: Are NI's pandemic trends turning in the right direction?
We're now into February, nearly a full year since Northern Ireland's first case of Covid-19. And we can say that we've just exited the worst month of the pandemic to date. The death toll in January far outstripped any other month so far. There were more positive cases last month than at any other time and more people ended up in our hospitals because of the virus than ever before. But there is much cause for optimism as we face into the spring - trends indicate that most of the numbers used to measure the pandemic in Northern Ireland are going in the right direction.
6th Feb 2021 - BBC News
Germany's confirmed coronavirus cases rise by 10,485 - RKI
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 10,485 to 2,275,394, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Saturday. The reported death toll rose by 689 to 61,286, the tally showed.
6th Feb 2021 - Reuters
Up to 100 UK children a week hospitalised with rare post-Covid disease
Up to 100 children a week are being hospitalised with a rare disease that can emerge weeks after Covid-19, leaving them in intensive care, doctors have said.
In a phenomenon that is worrying paediatricians, 75% of the children worst affected by paediatric inflammatory multi-system syndrome (PIMS) were black, Asian or ethnic minority (BAME). Almost four out of five children were previously healthy, according to an unpublished snapshot of cases. When PIMS emerged in the first wave of the pandemic, it caused confusion among doctors, concern among NHS bosses and alarm among parents. It was initially thought to be Kawasaki disease, a rare condition that mainly affects babies and infants. But PIMS has been recognised as a separate, novel post-viral syndrome that one in 5,000 children get about a month after having Covid, regardless of whether they had symptoms.
5th Feb 2021 - The Guardian
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 5th Feb 2021
View this newsletter in fullCOVID-19: Another 915 die with coronavirus in UK - as one in five adults has first vaccine dose
Another 915 people have died with coronavirus in the UK, according to the latest government data. This compares to the 1,322 fatalities that were reported yesterday. It comes as Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the UK remained on track to complete the vaccination of the top four priority groups - 15 million people - by 15 February,
4th Feb 2021 - Sky News
COVID-19: 15.3% of England's population estimated to have had coronavirus by mid-January
About one in seven people in private households in England had contracted coronavirus by mid-January, according to Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimates. The figure is equivalent to 6.9 million people - 15.3% of the population.
The estimate is up from one in nine people in December last year, and one in 11 people in November. The numbers are the proportion of the population who are likely to have tested positive for antibodies to COVID-19, based on blood test results from a sample group aged 16 and over.
4th Feb 2021 - Sky News
Coronavirus Northern Ireland: 10 further Covid-19 deaths recorded by Department of Health
The Department of Health has reported a further 10 coronavirus related deaths. According to the latest update, four of the fatalities are said to have occurred within the current reporting period, and six outside of it. The death toll in Northern Ireland now stands at 1,899, according to the DoH.
Thursday's dashboard update reports a further 412 positive cases of the virus, bringing the total number of positive cases to 105,637 since the start of the pandemic. Over the past seven days, the Department says 3,205 individuals have tested positive in Northern Ireland. There are currently 671 Covid-19 confirmed patients in hospital and 68 in intensive care.
4th Feb 2021 - Belfast Live
Variant detected in UK reported in Italian town
The Netherlands has become the latest European country to limit AstraZeneca's coronavirus vaccine to people aged under 65, despite the European Union approving it for all ages. France, Germany, Belgium, Denmark and Sweden are among the other countries to put age limits on the vaccine, which was developed by the company with Oxford University. "Because the immune system starts to function less well with increasing age, the council considers the vaccine suitable for people up to the age of 65," the Dutch Health Council said in a statement. The council said it "recommends that the first available doses of the vaccine from AstraZeneca be used in elderly people aged 60 to 65 years".
4th Feb 2021 - RTE.ie
Yet again, the virus has us all holding our breath
Here we go again. Victoria had just reached 28 days without community coronavirus transmission, but on the back of one positive case finds itself desperately trying to limit another outbreak. With the possibility that a tennis hotel quarantine worker is infected with the highly infectious UK super-strain, there is little room for mistakes or lack of urgency. Premier Daniel Andrews is right to concede that, particularly with the new mutation reaching our shores, the likelihood of it breaching the revamped hotel quarantine program is heightened. And while the rollout of COVID-19 vaccination appears on track for later this month, herd immunity is not expected to be reached for many months, leaving no room for dropping the ball.
4th Feb 2021 - The Age
To avoid lockdown, France cracks down on Covid rule breakers
The scene at the small Parisian cafe looks almost normal: smokers queueing for a pack of cigarettes, gamblers buying lottery tickets or picking up betting slips for the races. That is, until the police walk in, reminding customers, and the owner, that nothing is the same in the Covid pandemic. "There are too many people here, count them," an officer orders his team.
4th Feb 2021 - RFI
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 4th Feb 2021
View this newsletter in fullCoronavirus outbreak at vaccine lab visited by Boris Johnson
An outbreak of coronavirus has been confirmed at the vaccine laboratory which was visited by Boris Johnson in Scotland last week. There were a number of cases reported at the Valneva site in Livingston ahead of the Prime Minister's visit on Thursday - an event which had already received some criticism. Valneva's chief financial officer David Lawrence told the Daily Record that Downing Street was informed of the outbreak ahead of the trip
3rd Feb 2021 - The Northern Echo
Up to 600 players, staff and officials at Australian Open to isolate after hotel worker’s positive Covid-19 test
The build-up to the Australian Open has been plunged into fresh chaos after 600 people associated with the tournament were ordered to immediately isolate, forcing the complete cancellation of Thursday’s schedule involving the various warm-up events at Melbourne Park. More than 100 players, plus coaches, staff and officials staying at the Grand Hyatt in Melbourne’s city centre have been deemed as “casual contacts” of a hotel quarantine worker who tested positive for Covid-19. All must remain inside their rooms until a negative result has been confirmed.
3rd Feb 2021 - The Times
Over 300 million Indians may have COVID-19 - source citing government study
About one in four of India’s 1.35 billion people may have been infected with the coronavirus, said a source with direct knowledge of a government serological survey, suggesting the country’s real caseload was many times higher than reported. India has confirmed 10.8 million COVID-19 infections, the most anywhere outside the United States. But the survey, whose findings are much more conservative than a private one from last week, indicates India’s actual cases may have crossed 300 million. The state-run Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), which conducted the survey, said it would only share the findings at a news conference on Thursday
3rd Feb 2021 - Reuters
Seventy-five per cent of all Covid-19 cases in Leeds are the new variant
Around three-quarters of all coronavirus cases in Leeds are currently from the new Kent variant, the council has revealed. The news was revealed in a press briefing held by Leeds City Council to update the public on the district's continuing fight against Covid-19. Providing an update on infections in the city, Victoria Eaton said that around 75 per cent of all cases currently recorded in the region are from the Kent variant. Yesterday, scientists revealed a "mutation of concern" had been detected in the Kent variant of coronavirus and described the development as a "worrying development."
3rd Feb 2021 - Leeds Live
U.S. response to coronavirus variants emphasizes masks and vaccines instead of lockdowns
As America faces the potential for catastrophic coronavirus spikes fueled by highly infectious variants, public health authorities remain wary of imposing the stricter measures adopted by other nations. Instead, they continue to embrace a stick-to-the-basics strategy: Wear a mask, maybe even two. Avoid crowds. And get vaccinated — fast. The restrained approach differs from strict preemptive measures taking place in Europe, including lockdowns, classroom closures and requirements to wear medical-grade masks. It also illustrates the realities of the pandemic response in America, where there is little appetite for more limitations to curb viral spread. The federal government and individual states have taken steps to expand genetic monitoring, but authorities are flying blind in the meantime.
3rd Feb 2021 - The Washington Post
ICU faces constant pressure as France waffles over lockdown
While France holds its breath to see if a daily 12-hour curfew and other restrictions are enough to keep a new crisis at bay, all eyes are on hospitals like La Timone, which has been a flashpoint in France throughout the pandemic. France has lost more than 77,000 lives to the virus, and more than 400 on Tuesday alone. Virus infections have stabilized in recent days but remain stubbornly high. But President Emmanuel Macron’s government says it won’t shut down the country again unless its hospitals are again at risk of overflowing with virus patients.
3rd Feb 2021 - The Independent
UK begins door-to-door testing of 80,000 people to halt South African variant
Volunteers and police officers in several parts of England began knocking on people’s doors to hand out COVID-19 testing kits on Tuesday to try to halt the spread of a highly infectious variant that originated in South Africa. The testing surge was announced by the government on Monday after 11 people in different regions tested positive for the variant without having any links to people who had travelled to South Africa. In total, Britain has found 105 cases of the variant, of which all but those 11 were people who had either been to South Africa or been in contact with someone who had
3rd Feb 2021 - Reuters UK
France's COVID situation fragile but new lockdown not inevitable -government spokesman
The COVID-19 situation in France remains fragile but a new national lockdown is not necessarily inevitable, French government spokesman Gabriel Attal told reporters on Wednesday.
3rd Feb 2021 - Reuters
CDC: COVID-19 cases drop to pre-Thanksgiving levels
After 2 months of record-setting case counts, hospitalizations, and deaths, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said today the United States has finally returned to pre-Thanksgiving levels of COVID-19 transmission. "We are now averaging 144,000 cases per day, and though deaths continue to increase, a recent decline in hospitalizations gives us hope those will also soon fall," said Rochelle Walensky, MD, during today's White House coronavirus press briefing.
3rd Feb 2021 - CIDRAP
Coronavirus: German medics fly in to aid Portugal's hospital emergency
The sight of a German military plane touching down in Lisbon on Wednesday, carrying intensive care specialists and ventilators to help save lives in Portugal's embattled hospitals, recalls the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic in Europe. Last spring, when Italy was overwhelmed by the first wave of infections, it was helped out by several other European countries taking in patients - even if many Italians felt it was too little, too late. Now, almost a year on, it is Portugal's turn. The country's national health service is overwhelmed. There's a shortage of beds and specialist nurses, and in one hospital last week, potentially life-threatening problems in an overburdened oxygen system.
3rd Feb 2021 - BBC News
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 3rd Feb 2021
View this newsletter in fullCOVID-19: More than 10 million vaccine doses administered in UK - as deaths rise by 1,449
The number of COVID vaccine jabs given in the UK has now passed 10 million, government figures show. A total of 9,646,715 were first doses, while 496,796 were second doses. Meanwhile, the UK has recorded another 1,449 coronavirus deaths - yesterday this number was 406, and last Tuesday it was 1,631. A further 16,840 cases have also been confirmed, compared to 18,607 on Monday and 20,089 last Tuesday.
2nd Feb 2021 - Sky News
Covid-19: Captain Sir Tom Moore dies with coronavirus
In England, Captain Sir Tom Moore has died with coronavirus. The 100-year-old, who raised almost £33m for NHS charities by walking laps of his garden, was admitted to Bedford Hospital on Sunday. The Queen led tributes to Capt Sir Tom, "recognising the inspiration he provided for the whole nation and others across the world". He tested positive for Covid-19 last week. His family said due to other medication he was receiving for pneumonia, he was unable to be vaccinated.
2nd Feb 2021 - BBC News
China sees new COVID-19 cases drop to lowest in a month
China reported the fewest new COVID-19 cases in a month as imported cases overtook local infections, official data showed on Tuesday, suggesting the country’s worst wave since March 2020 is being stamped out ahead of a key holiday. Thirty cases were reported in the mainland on Feb. 1, the National Health Commission said in a statement, down from 42 cases a day earlier and marking lowest total since 24 cases were reported on Jan. 2. The commission said 18 of the new cases originated overseas, overtaking locally transmitted cases for the first time in about a month
2nd Feb 2021 - Reuters
French COVID-19 indicators at a two-months high but no lockdown
France’s main COVID-19 indicators have reached two-month highs on average on Monday and the country’s ski lifts will remain closed throughout February but the government is still hoping to avoid a third national lockdown. President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday defended his decision to hold off such a new lockdown, telling the public he had faith in their ability to rein in COVID-19 with less severe curbs even as a third wave spreads and the vaccine rollout falters. Earlier in the day, government spokesman Gabriel Attal did nonetheless say the chance of avoiding a third lockdown was slim, adding everything would be done to avoid it.
2nd Feb 2021 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 2nd Feb 2021
View this newsletter in fullCritically-ill Covid-19 patients being sent to Bristol from Birmingham amid 'extreme' ICU pressure
A hospital in Bristol is taking critically ill coronavirus patients from as far away as Birmingham. Southmead Hospital is stepping in amid "extreme" pressure on intensive care units (ICUs) elsewhere, BristolLive has reported. The hospital in north Bristol is taking about five coronavirus -positive patients from other regions each week. And that number is expected to rise, according to a hospital chief. North Bristol NHS Trust's chief operating officer, Karen Brown, said: "We've had patients transferred to us from Kent and also Birmingham as well."
1st Feb 2021 - Birmingham Live
COVID-19: 9.3 million people have received first vaccine dose as UK records another 406 deaths
Over half of people in their 70s have now received a coronavirus jab, as UK vaccinations hit nearly 9.3 million. It comes as the UK recorded a further 406 coronavirus-related deaths, the lowest daily rise since 28 December, and another 18,607 confirmed cases, the lowest number of daily cases since 15 December. The figures bring the total number of UK deaths to 106,564 and total number of cases to 3,835,783.
1st Feb 2021 - Sky News
Germany sees positive trend in COVID-19 infections after second lockdown
The number of new COVID-19 infections in Germany remained below the previous week’s levels, with another 14,022 cases reported within one day, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) said on Friday. So far, more than 2.19 million infections have been registered in Germany since the outbreak of the pandemic, according to the federal government agency for disease control and prevention. The death toll related to COVID-19 stood at 55,752. To stop the spread of infections in the country, Germany entered a second lockdown at the beginning of November. The lockdown, failing to reverse the trend in infections, was tightened and recently extended until mid-February. Non-essential shops, schools and restaurants in Germany were closed and strict contact restrictions imposed.
1st Feb 2021 - Independent
French police block passengers as new Covid rules kick in
French border police turned away some passengers bound for non-EU destinations Monday as new rules came into force banning flights to and from countries outside the bloc. Prime Minister Jean Castex announced the measure Friday as part of new efforts to contain Covid-19 infections and avoid another nationwide lockdown. Travellers must also present proof of a recent negative Covid test. Only urgent reasons for travel are accepted and border police require written proof before allowing passengers to board, as Toure, a Malian national, found out when he tried to leave France for Bamako without the necessary document. "I said that my mother, whom I hadn't seen in a while, was ill but they told me I needed proof," Toure, who withheld his last name, told AFP at Paris's main airport Roissy-Charles-de-Gaulle.
1st Feb 2021 - Yahoo News Australia
Japan Set to Extend Covid Emergency as Economy Sputters
The use of masks by television personalities and news anchors on camera is sparking a debate among the public and within the entertainment industry in Japan after broadcasters on a major network began wearing them during a program. TV Tokyo Corp. began having its anchors wear masks from Jan. 18. After anchor Mariko Oe asked viewers for feedback, the network received over 1,000 comments, of which approximately 80% saw the move in a favorable light. Some of those who disliked the use of masks on camera remarked it was difficult to make out the anchor’s facial expressions. The network is planning to start using subtitles after viewers with hearing difficulties said the masks meant they were unable to lip-read.
1st Feb 2021 - Bloomberg
Japan's super-spreader weekends
Recent COVID-19 cases in Japan have shot up sharply, leading to another round of partial lockdowns, but reported cases appear subdued compared to the United States or Europe. Total cases in the United States have surpassed 23,000,000 cumulative while the cumulative number for Japan passed 315,000 cases. That is 69 cases per 1,000 people in the United States compared with two cases per 1,000 in Japan. If Japan had the same ratio of cases per 1,000 people as the United States, Japan would have more than 8,700,000 cases. That approximates the population of metropolitan Tokyo. If the United States had the same ratio of cases per 1,000 people as Japan, the number of cases would be under 660,000. That is about the population of Oklahoma City. Much has been researched and written about this disparity, but we will probably not learn of meaningful factors that can explain it for several more years.
1st Feb 2021 - The Japan Times
Britain's centenarian fundraiser Captain Tom in hospital with COVID-19
British centenarian Captain Tom Moore, who raised millions of pounds for the health service by walking laps of his garden in last year’s lockdown, has been admitted to hospital after testing positive for COVID-19, his daughter said on Sunday. The World War Two veteran caught the public’s imagination in April, just before his 100th birthday, when he was filmed doing laps with the help of a walking frame around his garden in the village of Marston Moretaine, north of London. He hoped to raise 1,000 pounds. Instead, he raised more than 30 million ($41 million) for the National Health Service, broke two Guinness world records, was knighted by Queen Elizabeth, scored a No. 1 single, wrote an autobiography and helped set up a charity.
1st Feb 2021 - Reuters
Covid: Door-to-door testing to be introduced across parts of England in response to South Africa variant
Some 80,000 people across England are being encouraged to come forward for “surge” testing, regardless of whether they have symptoms, as part of efforts to contain the growing spread of the South African coronavirus variant. A total of 105 cases in the UK have so far been attributed to the new variant – 11 of which were recently found to be community-based and not linked to people who had travelled to South Africa, suggesting the virus is now circulating among local populations. These infections were detected in eight different English postcodes: in Hanwell, Tottenham and Mitcham in London; Walsall in the West Midlands; Broxbourne, Hertfordshire; Maidstone, Kent; Woking, Surrey; and Southport, Merseyside.
1st Feb 2021 - The Independent
Why can't Ireland be more like New Zealand on Covid?
For the first time, how to confront the threat posed by Covid-19 has become political. On one side are the government and the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet), pursuing a policy of suppressing the virus through intermittent lockdowns. On the opposing side is a “zero Covid” movement, initially led by scientists but now backed by several opposition parties, which wants much stricter controls to emulate the example of New Zealand and rid Ireland of the coronavirus. The most prominent advocate of zero Covid has been the Independent Scientific Advisory Group (Isag), a collective of scientists from both sides of the border. In order to eliminate community transmission, it suggests closing borders, imposing a mandatory 14-day quarantine on any new arrivals, and then rigorously tracking
31st Jan 2021 - The Times
COVID back in Australia as Perth enters lockdown
The Australian city of Perth was ordered into lockdown on Sunday after a security guard working in hotel quarantine tested positive for COVID-19, ending the country’s longest coronavirus-free run. Soraya Ali reports.
31st Jan 2021 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 1st Feb 2021
View this newsletter in fullCOVID-19: UK reports another 587 coronavirus deaths - as vaccine doses rise by more than 600,000 for first time
Another 587 people have died with coronavirus in the UK, according to government figures - while the number of people to receive a vaccine dose has climbed above 600,000 in a single day for the first time. It compares to 1,200 fatalities announced yesterday and 610 last Sunday, and brings the total number of deaths within 28 days of a positive COVID-19 test to 106,158. Britain has recorded more coronavirus deaths than any other country in Europe and has one of the highest COVID death rates in the world, but the tally reported on Sundays is often lower due to a lag in reporting.
31st Jan 2021 - Sky News
Macron defends decision not to order third lockdown as third wave spreads
President Emmanuel Macron defended his decision to hold off on a third lockdown on Saturday, telling the public he had faith in their ability to rein in COVID-19 with less severe curbs even as a third wave spreads and the vaccine rollout falters. From Sunday, France will close it borders to all but essential travel to and from countries outside the European Union, while people arriving from within the bloc will have to show a negative test. Large shopping malls will be shut and police patrols increased to enforce a 6 p.m. curfew. But Macron has stopped short of ordering a new daytime lockdown, saying he wants to see first if other measures will be enough to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
31st Jan 2021 - Reuters
One of largest cemeteries in U.S. struggles with wave of Covid-19 deaths
One of the largest cemeteries in North America is fighting to keep up with the demand for funeral services because of an uptick in Covid-19 deaths. Rose Hills Memorial Park and Mortuary in Whittier, California, covers over 1,000 acres, but families are having to wait up to five weeks for funeral arrangements, compared to the usual waiting period of five to seven days. “Many families have been very understanding about the backlog of services,” said Patrick Monroe, president and CEO of Rose Hills, adding that the daily call volume for requests spiked a few weeks after Thanksgiving.
30th Jan 2021 - NBC News
COVID-19: 'People in their 30s are dying' - exhausted ITU staff reveal brutal truth of coronavirus frontline
Hope and agony on the COVID wards. It's around 4 o'clock when seven ambulances arrive all at once. COVID-19 hospital admissions may have dipped slightly this week, but glimpse into Barnet Hospital's emergency department for a reality check. You will see we are still in the thick of a crisis. Domestic cleaner Larisa Atanasova, renowned in the hospital for her machine-like efficiency, can barely wipe down the bays quickly enough. She wipes and wipes and wipes; beds, rails, sinks and taps.
30th Jan 2021 - Sky News
COVID-19: More than 900 people in the UK died each day on average in first fortnight of 2021
An average of more than 900 people died with COVID-19 each day in the first two weeks of this year, according to new analysis. The second half of April 2020 - the peak of the first wave - is the last time there was a 15-day period as deadly, according to Office for National Statistics (ONS) data. However, January's average is likely to increase as more deaths are registered. Today marks a year since the UK's earliest known death from the disease - 84-year-old Peter Attwood from Chatham in Kent.
30th Jan 2021 - Sky News
Coronavirus: Is Northern Ireland exiting the Covid-19 peak?
The initial indications are that Northern Ireland is just starting to come out of the current peak of the coronavirus pandemic. The numbers give plenty of cause for hope - but they also suggest there's a long way to go yet. The death rate is high, but has been falling slowly and hospital admissions have also dropped. Both of these things are positive but there are still hundreds of people in hospital with Covid-19. On a brighter note, the vaccination rollout continues and the spread of the virus has slowed.
30th Jan 2021 - BBC News
Covid-19: France closes borders to most non-EU travel
France has imposed new Covid-19 border restrictions, but has once again resisted a new nationwide lockdown. All but essential travel from outside the EU has been banned, while testing requirements on travellers from within the EU has been tightened. PM Jean Castex said France's night curfew would be more tightly enforced and large shopping centres would close. But the measures were seen as mild and favouring the economy. Some doctors fear they will not curb infections.
30th Jan 2021 - BBC News
Portugal close to running out of ICU beds for COVID patients
Portugal said on Saturday it only had seven vacant beds left in intensive care units (ICUs) set up for COVID-19 cases on its mainland, as a surge in infections prompted the authorities to send some critical patients to Portuguese islands. Health Ministry data showed that, out of 850 ICU beds allocated to COVID-19 cases on its mainland, a record 843 beds were now occupied. The nation of 10 million people has an additional 420 ICU beds for those with other ailments. The ministry said the number of daily infections was 12,435, dipping from Thursday’s record, while there were 293 deaths.
30th Jan 2021 - Reuters
Parisians' relief as France avoids third lockdown
Parisians expressed their relief on Saturday (January 30) after French PM Jean Castex announced stronger curfew measures but no new lockdown on Friday night. Edward Baran reports
30th Jan 2021 - Reuters
Bolivian doctors demand lockdown as COVID surge threatens health service 'collapse'
Bolivian doctors are demanding a nationwide lockdown and threatening to stop taking in new patients as a surge in COVID-19 cases, which they say is killing an average of one medic per day, strains hospitals to breaking point. New daily coronavirus infections in the Andean country, which received its first batch of Russian Sputnik V vaccines on Thursday, hit a single-day record of 2,866 this week and deaths attributed to the epidemic climbed above 10,000. “At the rate we are going, there will be a total collapse,” said Ricardo Landivar, a director of the La Paz Medical College. “... We are going to have patients dying in the streets without being able to be treated by medical staff.”
30th Jan 2021 - Reuters
France can still avoid third coronavirus lockdown, Prime Minister says
France decided against imposing a third coronavirus nationwide lockdown on Friday and instead ordered tighter controls at its borders, increased police action against curfew breakers and a greater adherence to working from home. Prime Minister Jean Castex said the public health crisis remained of great concern as France’s death toll jumped above 75,000, the seventh-highest in the world. “We know the grave impact (of a lockdown). Tonight, looking at the data of the past few days, we consider that we can still give ourselves a chance to avoid one,” Castex said in a televised statement. Speaking shortly after President Emmanuel Macron conferred with senior ministers about the crisis, Castex said that from Sunday all arrivals into France from outside the European Union would be banned, except for essential travel.
30th Jan 2021 - Reuters
A year after COVID-19's arrival, India's active cases fall
India has around 170,000 active COVID-19 patients, the lowest since June 2020. It has reported 10.7 million infections and 154,147 deaths - one of the world’s lowest fatality rates, attributed partly to its relatively young population. The country has recorded the highest number of coronavirus cases in the world after the United States and, with the likely true rate of infection even higher, one study suggests pockets of India have attained herd immunity through natural infection. India started its immunisation programme on Jan. 16, with healthcare workers and a target of reaching 300 million people by July-August.
30th Jan 2021 - Reuters
COVID prevalence in England high, not falling during lockdown - survey
The prevalence of COVID-19 infections in England remains high, the Office for National Statistics said in its weekly infection survey on Friday, finding that current levels of coronavirus cases had plateaued but are not falling. The ONS said that around 1 in 55 people had COVID-19 in the week ending Jan. 23, the same prevalence as reported the previous week. “In England, the percentage of people testing positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19) remains high,” the ONS said.
29th Jan 2021 - Reuters
Portugal airlifts COVID patients to Madeira as hospitals near capacity
Ambulances under police escort rushed three intensive-care patients from overstretched Lisbon hospitals to a military base on Friday to be airlifted to the island of Madeira. As the number of patients in Portugal’s intensive care units hit record levels, the regional government in Madeira said it had 157 beds to spare and could take people in even though it is also experiencing a spike in COVID-19 cases. Portugal’s hospital system is creaking under the pressure of the world’s worst surge in COVID-19 cases and deaths per capita, blamed on a relaxation of rules around Christmas and the rapid spread of the coronavirus variant first detected in Britain.
29th Jan 2021 - Reuters
Portugal extends lockdown and closes border over 'terrible' Covid outbreak
Portugal’s parliament has voted to extend the current lockdown until the middle of February and announced the closure of its border with Spain, as the prime minister warned that the country is in a “terrible” situation and facing “the worst moment” of the Covid-19 pandemic. On Thursday, Portugal reported a record 303 deaths from the virus and 16,432 new cases. To date, the country has registered 685,383 cases and 11,608 deaths. The current lockdown, which came into effect on 15 January, will now run until at least 14 February. Non-essential services are closed, remote work is compulsory where possible and schools are shut. The Portuguese government also announced that it would close it border with Spain for two weeks from Friday.
29th Jan 2021 - The Guardian
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 29th Jan 2021
View this newsletter in fullPortugal breaks daily records in COVID-19 cases and deaths
Portugal reported a record-breaking 303 COVID-19 deaths and 16,432 cases on Thursday, as it struggles to contain a crippling surge in cases over the past month. The country of 10 million people, which has so far reported a total of 11,608 COVID-19 deaths and 685,383 cases, has the world's highest seven-day rolling average of cases and deaths per capita, according to data tracker
28th Jan 2021 - Reuters on MSN.com
Southern Africa caught in COVID-19 surge
The coronavirus pandemic has struck southern Africa harder than any other region on the continent. DW looks at stories from South Africa to Tanzania that shed light on how different countries are battling the disease. Southern Africa welcomed news on Thursday that the African Union (AU) had secured an additional 400 million doses of coronavirus vaccines for its member states. South Africa is set to receive its first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine on Monday after approving it for emergency use. However, there is still little cause for celebration as the region's healthcare systems begin to wilt under the strain of the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic. The devastating reality of the pandemic is playing out differently in these five southern African countries.
28th Jan 2021 - Deutsche Welle on MSN.com
Covid-19 deaths rise by 1,239 as UK records 28,680 more infections
Some 1,239 more people in the UK have died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19, the government announced on Thursday. The number compares with 1,725 deaths reported the previous day and brings the total number of deaths from the disease in Britain to 103,126. The latest daily figure is slightly under the 1,290 fatalities reported on the same day last week and could raise hopes that the country’s daily death toll is peaking. However, separate figures published by the UK's statistics agencies for deaths where Covid-19 has been mentioned on the death certificate, together with additional data on deaths that have occurred in recent days, show there have now been 120,000 deaths involving Covid-19 in the UK.
28th Jan 2021 - Evening Standard
UK coronavirus cases continue to decline with 28,680 more positive tests
Cases have been down week-on-week every day for 20 days in a row, the latest data from Health chiefs shows. Death toll remains high as almost 37,000 patients are still receiving treatment in hospitals across the UK. Separate data shows lockdown 3.0 is bringing winter outbreak under control, although some say it is too slow
28th Jan 2021 - Daily Mail
France Inches Toward Tighter Curbs as Virus Variants Gain Ground
More dangerous variants of the coronavirus are becoming increasingly common in France, putting pressure on the hospital system and raising the likelihood the government will soon impose tighter curbs. Health authorities are finding more than 2,000 cases a day of new forms of the virus, up from “several hundred” at the start of January, Health Minister Olivier Veran said on Thursday, during a weekly update of the health situation. President Emmanuel Macron has been trying to give a national curfew, which runs from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., a chance to slow the virus’s spread but he’s coming under mounting pressure to impose another lockdown, the third since the crisis began about a year ago. “The tension on the hospitals is real,” Veran said. “The curfew doesn’t allow us to sufficiently stop the variant from developing, and if we follow the development curve of these variants, we could enter an English, Portuguese or Spanish scenario, and you’ve seen the damages that can cause.”
28th Jan 2021 - Bloomberg
Young People Spreading Covid a Concern in Rapidly Aging Japan
The world’s most rapidly aging society has long struggled to talk to its youth. That’s a disconnect that’s turning deadly in the pandemic. The difficulty in persuading young adults to upend their lifestyles to prevent Covid-19’s spread has challenged countries across the globe. Yet nowhere are the stakes higher than in Japan, where nearly a third of residents are over the age of 65, and the virus response depends on voluntary cooperation. The nation has so far relied on people changing their behavior in its largely successful fight against the virus, as authorities lack the legal ability to enforce lockdowns. But while calling for cooperation worked in the early days of fighting an unknown pathogen, like their global peers younger Japanese are increasingly hit with virus fatigue. That’s left officials struggling to persuade a demographic that’s least likely to be struck by a harsh bout of Covid, but most likely to pass the virus on.
28th Jan 2021 - Bloomberg
China’s Zero-Tolerance Covid Tactics Now Include Anal Swabs
China is ramping up efforts to neutralize the coronavirus as new outbreaks challenge its already stringent pandemic strategy, with another weapon added to an arsenal of border curbs, mass testing and hard lockdowns: anal swabs. While there’s no nationwide policy on use of the technique, some residents in China’s northern regions -- where more than 1,700 cases have emerged -- have been subjected to the swabs with little warning. The method involves the insertion of a saline-soaked cotton swab about two-to-three centimeters into the anus, with the sample then tested for active traces of the virus. More than 1,000 schoolchildren and teachers in Beijing were given anal, throat and nose swabs last week, along with a separate antibody test, after one asymptomatic virus case was detected on campus, according to local officials.
28th Jan 2021 - Bloomberg
Chinese New Year: Clamping down on going home for the holidays
Today marks the start of the world's largest human migration - an event which sees millions of people travel thousands of miles across China to reach home in time for the Lunar New Year. For some, it is the only time they will see their families all year and is an event not to be missed. But there are fears the Spring Festival travel season, or Chunyun in Chinese, could become a superspreader event. After all, last year's Chunyun is believed to have played a significant role in the spread of Covid-19. So the Chinese authorities have been left with a problem: how do you encourage people to stay local, without actually cancelling the country's biggest annual celebration?
28th Jan 2021 - BBC News
All countries should pursue a Covid-19 elimination strategy: here are 16 reasons why
The past year of Covid-19 has taught us that it is the behaviour of governments, more than the behaviour of the virus or individuals, that shapes countries’ experience of the crisis. Talking about pandemic waves has given the virus far too much agency: until quite recently the apparent waves of infection were driven by government action and inaction. It is only now with the emergence of more infectious variants that it might be appropriate to talk about a true second wave. As governments draw up their battle plans for year two, we might expect them to base their strategies on the wealth of data about what works best. And the evidence to date suggests that countries pursuing elimination of Covid-19 are performing much better than those trying to suppress the virus. Aiming for zero-Covid is producing more positive results than trying to “live with the virus”.
28th Jan 2021 - The Guardian
Third lockdown is working as Covid R rate falls to 0.9
The number of coronavirus infections is falling across the country and the R rate could be as low as 0.9, a new study shows. The findings from the eighth round of Imperial College London’s React study indicates a drop in numbers last week, suggesting lockdown is starting to have an effect. But the research, which tested more than 167,600 volunteers in England between January 6 and 22, also shows Covid-19 cases remained high over this period, with one in 64 people infected. Scientists warned this number is still at the highest level recorded since May.
28th Jan 2021 - Metro
Variant COVID among triggers for grim surge in Manaus, Brazil
In one of the most puzzling and worrisome developments in the pandemic, scientists are racing to explain what's happening in Manaus, Brazil, a city of 2.2 million at the edge of the country's rainforest that is experiencing a second explosive outbreak, even though the first one was so bad it was thought to have produced herd immunity. As the situation deepens in Manaus, overwhelming the city's health system again, researchers from Brazil and the United Kingdom yesterday said four possibilities might explain the recent dramatic resurgence, including variant SARS-CoV-2 viruses that arose in Brazil. They published their analysis yesterday in The Lancet.
28th Jan 2021 - CIDRAP
South Carolina identifies the first U.S. cases of coronavirus variant first seen in South Africa
Health authorities have identified the first U.S. cases of Covid-19 caused by a fast-spreading form of the coronavirus initially seen in South Africa, in two people in South Carolina. Neither person has a history of travel to countries where the variant has been confirmed, and there is no connection between the two people, South Carolina health officials said Thursday. That indicates there has been some local spread of the variant after it arrived in the United States. One case was found in South Carolina’s Pee Dee region, and one in the Lowcountry. The announcement Thursday means that three coronavirus variants that appear to be more contagious and have emerged in recent months have all been documented in the United States. But in a way, the news was no surprise to experts. They had for weeks said the variant that first cropped up in South Africa, called B.1.351, was likely already in the U.S., but this country’s limited system of surveillance for different iterations of the coronavirus meant the variant likely went unnoticed once it was imported via a traveler and could have even been spreading.
28th Jan 2021 - Stat News
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 28th Jan 2021
View this newsletter in fullBattling COVID-19, South Africa prepares for first vaccines
Battling a COVID-19 resurgence driven by a more infectious variant, South Africa is preparing to roll out its first vaccines to frontline healthcare workers. A delivery of 1 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine is expected to arrive imminently at Johannesburg s international airport and there are plans for jabs to be given to doctors and nurses starting next week. Health Minister Zweli Mkhize has said South Africa intends to vaccinate 67% of its 60 million people in 2021, starting with the most vulnerable health workers.
27th Jan 2021 - The Independent
Spanish PM appoints new health minister amid worsening pandemic
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez appointed Regional Policy Minister Carolina Darias as the new health minister on Tuesday after her predecessor resigned to run in an election in a move criticised by the opposition amid rising COVID-19 infections.
In her previous job, the 55-year-old lawyer-turned- politician from the Canary Islands helped coordinate Spain's response to the pandemic, overseeing weekly meetings of regional health chiefs. Spain's cumulative infections now total 2,629,817, while the death toll is at 56,799. Despite the two-week number of infections tripling over the past month to a record 893 cases per 100,000 people on Tuesday, Spain, unlike many European countries, has chosen not to impose a new nationwide lockdown after the first one ended in May.
27th Jan 2021 - Majorca Daily Bulletin
France inches toward new lockdown
The French government admitted on Wednesday that current restrictions designed to contain the spread of coronavirus were not enough, raising the prospect of a third nationwide lockdown. "Maintaining the current regime looks very unlikely", spokesman Gabriel Attal said after a cabinet meeting, amid concern about the spread of the more contagious UK variant of COVID-19. A nationwide night curfew, which was introduced on January 14, is "not sufficient at this stage", Attal added, leaving the government to study new options. President Emmanuel Macron was reported at the weekend to favour a new lockdown, but the government decided to hold off for several days to analyse the data on new infections and hospital admissions.
27th Jan 2021 - Medical Xpress
France Holds Off On New Lockdown, Worries About Unrest Risk
The French government is delaying an agonizing decision to lock down the country once more, mulling options to slow new variants of Covid-19 as the current curfew is considered insufficient. President Emmanuel Macron “has asked for additional analysis” on the spread of the virus before deciding on any new restrictions. Macron is under pressure to shut down the economy for the third time in less than a year, as doctors and researchers raise the alarm about mutations of the coronavirus spreading through the country. Yet with a presidential race coming up next year, the French leader also has to navigate criticism of his handling of the crisis, including a slow start to the vaccination campaign. And while surging U.K. cases and deaths demonstrate the perils of the new virus variants, riots in the Netherlands against a government curfew show the risks of tighter measures.
27th Jan 2021 - MSN.com
New coronavirus cases rise in France, third national lockdown feared
The daily number of new coronavirus infections in France stayed above 20,000 on average for the fourth straight day on Tuesday while hospitalisations reached an eight-week high of 27,041, increasing fears of a third national lockdown. President Emmanuel Macron still hopes a 6 p.m. curfew put in place 11 days ago will be enough to rein in the surge in new cases caused by the emergence of more contagious variants of the virus. Despite calls from some doctors and medics for a new lockdown, government minister Agnes Pannier-Runacher said earlier there was no need to make a decision on such a measure at this stage.
27th Jan 2021 - Reuters
Outbreaks in S Korean schools drive Covid surge
South Korean authorities moved to rein in coronavirus outbreaks centred on Christian schools as the country reported a jump in infections, dampening hopes of a speedy exit from a third wave of the pandemic. At least 323 Covid-19 cases had been traced to churches and mission schools run by a Christian organisation in two cities. More than 100 cases were confirmed overnight among people linked to churches and its mission schools in Gwangju, about 270kms south of Seoul, officials said.
27th Jan 2021 - RTE.ie
Willingly or pressured, Slovaks take COVID tests to avoid tough lockdown
Slovak physiotherapist Katarina Caklosova was ready to close shop for two weeks rather than heed government requirements to undergo a coronavirus test - until she found that new rules would also ban her from her favourite nature walks. That tipped the balance and Caklosova, 50, will join almost 3 million Slovaks who have taken a test to avoid stricter lockdown measures kicking in on Wednesday and aimed at curbing the number of new COVID-19 cases. Under the new rules to be applied until Feb. 7, people who cannot show a certificate proving they tested negative in the previous week or had the infection in the past, are barred from moving around even for work and exercise.
27th Jan 2021 - Thomson Reuters Foundation
Global COVID-19 cases surpass 100 million as nations tackle vaccine shortages
Global coronavirus cases surpassed 100 million on Wednesday, according to a Reuters tally, as countries around the world struggle with new virus variants and vaccine shortfalls. Almost 1.3% of the world’s population has now been infected with COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, and more than 2.1 million people have died. Around 56 countries have begun vaccinating people for the coronavirus, administering at least 64 million doses.
27th Jan 2021 - Reuters
Malta tightens restaurant closing times to curb COVID-19 infections
Malta on Wednesday cancelled carnival events and imposed an 11 p.m. closing time on restaurants to contain the spread of COVID-19, although Prime Minister Robert Abela said there would be no lockdown or curfew. Abela said a surge of cases in January had been the result of gatherings over Christmas and the New Year. “February is a particular time with many enjoying carnival and mid-term holidays. We are asking people to be responsible and businesses to make some sacrifices,” Abela said. Police and other law enforcement officers will have a stronger presence in the streets and crack down on large gatherings in rented premises.
27th Jan 2021 - Reuters
Sweden registers 4,183 new COVID-19 cases, 178 deaths on Wednesday
Sweden, which has spurned a lockdown throughout the pandemic, registered 4,183 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, Health Agency statistics showed. The country of 10 million inhabitants registered 178 new deaths, taking the total to 11,425. The deaths registered have occurred over several days and weeks. Sweden’s death rate per capita is several times higher than that of its Nordic neighbours, but lower than several European countries that opted for lockdowns.
27th Jan 2021 - Reuters
Cases drop in main global pandemic hot spots but surge elsewhere
In its weekly snapshot of COVID-19 activity, the World Health Organization (WHO) said cases fell for the second week in a row, mainly in the highest-burden countries, but it warned that the pattern masks sharp rises in other countries in some regions. Meanwhile, the world's level of deaths, often a lagging indicator, stayed about the same as the previous week. And more countries reported detections of variants of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. In its weekly situation report, the WHO said cases declined 15% from last week. The largest drops were in the European and African regions. Of the five countries reporting the highest number of cases, all had drops except for France, where the illness level rose 10%. Those that had the biggest decreases included the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland (24%) and the United States (20%).
27th Jan 2021 - CIDRAP
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 27th Jan 2021
View this newsletter in fullPortugal urged to seek international help as COVID-19 deaths hit record
Portugal’s government was urged to transfer COVID-19 patients abroad on Tuesday as deaths hit a record high and the oxygen supply system of a large hospital near Lisbon partly failed from overuse. COVID-19 fatalities in the past 24 hours reached a record 291, bringing the total to 653,878 cases and 11,012 deaths. It now has world’s the highest seven-day average of cases and deaths per million people. Health Minister Marta Temido told broadcaster RTP on Monday: “The Portuguese government is triggering all mechanisms available, including in the international framework, to ensure it provides the best assistance to patients.”
26th Jan 2021 - Reuters
Spain reports 93,822 new coronavirus cases on Monday, the highest weekend figure so far
Spain’s central Health Ministry reported 93,822 new coronavirus infections on Monday, as well as adding 767 fatalities to the overall death toll. The figures, which account for Friday, Saturday and Sunday, represent new record highs – for the entire pandemic in the former case, and for this third wave of the crisis in the latter. Presenting the figures on Monday evening, Fernando Simón, the director of the Health Ministry’s Coordination Center for Health Alerts (CCAES), warned that Spain must “urgently” relieve the pressure on the country’s hospitals and intensive care units (ICUs), which are in a “critical situation.”
26th Jan 2021 - El País
France, Spain And Portugal Struggle To Contain New Coronavirus Infections
While many European countries have seen declines in new daily coronavirus cases, Spain, France and Portugal after relaxing crackdowns in December are fighting off a new surge of infections that have leaders mulling over new lockdowns and stricter restrictions to keep cases at bay. Unlike other countries across Europe, Spain, Portugal and France relaxed their coronavirus crackdowns in December for Christmas, which experts suggest lent itself to the surge in new cases. The spread of the U.K. coronavirus variant may have also contributed to the increase in infections, as the mutation is believed to be more contagious.
26th Jan 2021 - Forbes
Calls for third lockdown grow as France’s new Covid-19 hospitalisations rise sharply
The number of people hospitalised in France for COVID-19 rose by more than 1,000 over the last two days, a trend unseen since Nov. 16, and the number of patients in intensive care units for the disease exceeded 3,000 for the first time since Dec. 9. A growing number of medical experts have called for a third lockdown in France while the government rolls out the vaccine, but French media reported that President Emmanuel Macron was trying to avoid such a measure. As of Monday, France had vaccinated 1,092,958 people.
26th Jan 2021 - FRANCE 24
Why Malaysia’s contact-tracing efforts are falling dangerously short
Covid-19 numbers in Malaysia continue to soar a year to the day since the country’s first case was detected – but after more than 180,000 infections, 678 related deaths and two nationwide lockdowns, public health experts are now concerned that the nation’s contact-tracing efforts are falling dangerously short. People who have tested positive for the disease have taken to social media to complain that they had not yet been contacted by health officials, while contact-tracing applications such as MySejahtera and SELangkah are overwhelmed, with reports indicating that thousands of close contacts are potentially being missed on a daily basis.
26th Jan 2021 - South China Morning Post
Brazilian COVID-19 variant detected in Minnesota
The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) confirmed the nation's first case of COVID-19 caused by a variant strain, known as the Brazil P.1 variant, in a person who had recently travelled to Brazil. The person is a resident of the Twin Cities who became ill the first week of January. He or she provided a specimen for testing on Jan 9, and MDH detected the variant strain through a surveillance program that performs whole-genome sequencing on 50 COVID-19 specimens each week. MDH has interviewed the patient and is advising quarantine, as well as follow-up with the person's contacts. In addition to the P.1 variant, MDH sequencing also revealed two more cases of B117, known as the UK variant, in two patients who had recently traveled to California and the Dominican Republic, respectively.
26th Jan 2021 - CIDRAP
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 26th Jan 2021
View this newsletter in fullGrandmother, 92, dies with Covid-19 five days after her first vaccine dose
Mary Green, 92, got the Covid-19 vaccine at her care home in North Tyneside
But the dementia-sufferer tested positive for the virus five days later. Scientists say jab came too late to save her as it takes two weeks for immunity. Professor Adam Finn said data showed there could be a large gap between doses. UK's largest charity care home boss says he feels residents are 'half-protected'
25th Jan 2021 - Daily Mail
Covid-19: Mexican President López Obrador tests positive
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has announced he has tested positive for Covid-19. The 67-year-old said on Twitter that his symptoms were mild and that he was "optimistic" following the diagnosis. The development comes as Mexico grapples with an upsurge in infections, with deaths nearing 150,000. Mr López Obrador says he will continue working from home, including speaking to President Vladimir Putin about acquiring a Russian-made vaccine. It was announced earlier on Sunday that a call between the two leaders will take place on Monday to discuss their bilateral relationship and the possible supply of Sputnik V jabs.
25th Jan 2021 - BBC News
Confirmed cases of coronavirus pass 25 million in the US
The US has passed the grim milestone of more than 25 million confirmed cases of coronavirus. The new milestone means the US accounts for roughly one in four cases reported worldwide and one in five deaths. According to the data compiled by Johns Hopkins University, the total number of infections since the pandemic began is 25,077,155. Earlier this week the US coronavirus death toll passed 400,000. It means the number of people who have died from Covid-19 is nearly equal to the number of Americans killed in the Second World War.
25th Jan 2021 - Evening Standard
Covid: Ministers urged to intervene as mass outbreak at DVLA offices in Swansea branded a ‘scandal’
Ministers have been urged to intervene after a mass outbreak at the DVLA’s offices in Wales, by a union declaring the government agency’s response a “scandal”. More than 350 employees at the UK vehicle licensing agency’s contact centre in Swansea tested positive in the four months to December, bringing the total number of cases since the start of the pandemic to above 500. Welsh health minister Vaughan Gething is among several senior politicians to say he is “concerned about anecdotal reports” emerging from the offices – with the BBC and The Observer reporting that some symptomatic employees had been encouraged to return to work, amid an alleged “culture of fear”.
25th Jan 2021 - The Independent
COVID-19: UK records lowest daily rise in coronavirus cases so far this year
The UK has recorded its lowest daily rise in coronavirus cases so far this year, with 22,195. The last time the number of cases by date reported was lower than that was 15 December, according to the government's coronavirus data dashboard. While there is usually a reporting lag over and immediately after the weekend, resulting in lower increases, it's also well down on yesterday's figure of 30,004 and the 37,535 posted last Monday.
25th Jan 2021 - Sky News
Spain's virus surge hits mental health of front-line workers
The unrelenting increase in COVID-19 infections in Spain following the holiday season is again straining hospitals, threatening the mental health of doctors and nurses who have been at the forefront of the pandemic for nearly a year. In Barcelona’s Hospital del Mar, the critical care capacity has more than doubled and is nearly full, with 80% of ICU beds occupied by coronavirus patients. “There are young people of 20-something-years-old and older people of 80-years-old, all the age groups,” said Dr. Joan Ramon Masclans, who heads the ICU. “This is very difficult, and it is one patient after another.”
25th Jan 2021 - Associated Press
Spain struggling to contain third coronavirus wave as more infectious strain takes hold
Disastrous. Difficult. Disheartening. That’s how dozens of health experts have described the coronavirus epidemiological situation in Spain to EL PAÍS. The country is reaching the peak of the third wave of the pandemic, if it is even possible to say the second ever ended. The number of new infections likely peaked last Thursday, when 44,357 cases were reported – the highest single-day figure since the start of the pandemic. If the curve has not started to flatten since then, it will do so this week, according to experts. But with the 14-day cumulative number of cases per 100,000 inhabitants at 828, the real question is how quickly will contagions start to fall and if they will instead reach a plateau.
25th Jan 2021 - EL PAÍS in English
Head of French health regulatory body: COVID situation is worrying
The COVID-19 situation in France is worrying, the head of the country’s Haute Autorite de Sante (HAS) health regulator told France Inter radio on Monday, as President Emmanuel Macron’s government considers a new lockdown. France has the world’s seventh-highest COVID-19 death toll, with more than 73,000 deaths. “It is a worrying moment. We are looking at the figures, day by day. We need to take measures pretty quickly....but at the same time, not too hastily,” said HAS head Dominique Le Guludec.
25th Jan 2021 - Reuters
Mexican president contracts COVID-19 after worst week of pandemic
Mexico’s President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Sunday he had tested positive for COVID-19 amid the country’s deadliest week yet in the coronavirus pandemic, which has pushed the health system of the Mexican capital to its limits. The 67-year-old president, who was a heavy smoker until suffering a major heart attack in 2013, said in a tweet that his symptoms were light and he was receiving treatment. “As always, I am optimistic,” said Lopez Obrador, who has resisted wearing a face mask in public since the virus reached Mexico over 10 months ago. The president, who is back in Mexico City after a three-day visit to parts of northern and central Mexico, said he would continue working, and still planned to take part in a call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday morning.
25th Jan 2021 - Reuters
UK detects 77 cases of South African COVID variant, nine of Brazilian
Britain has detected 77 cases of the South African variant of COVID-19, the health minister said on Sunday, also urging people to strictly follow lockdown rules as the best precaution against Britain’s own potentially more deadly variant. Matt Hancock said all 77 cases were connected to travel from South Africa and were under close observation, as were nine identified cases of a Brazilian variant. “They are under very close observation, and we have enhanced contact tracing to do everything we possibly can to stop them from spreading,” he said during an interview on BBC television. Oxford professor Anthony Harnden, deputy chair of a scientific committee on vaccination that advises the government, said the South African and Brazilian variants were of concern because COVID-19 vaccines may not be effective against them.
25th Jan 2021 - Reuters
Israel bans international flights to curb coronavirus spread
Israel will ban passenger flights in and out of the country from Monday evening for a week, the government announced on Sunday, as protesters in some ultra-Orthodox Jewish communities clashed with police over coronavirus lockdown measures. Clashes broke out between ultra-Orthodox protesters in the city of Bnei Brak and police forces who came to enforce the lockdown. One police officer, feeling his life was in danger, fired in the air to repel the crowds, police said. Smaller confrontations with ultra-Orthodox protesters broke out in several other towns, police said. The ban on flights will come into force from Monday at 2200 GMT and last until the end of January, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said in a statement.
25th Jan 2021 - Reuters
France probably needs new lockdown as early as February: top adviser
France probably needs to move into a third lockdown, perhaps as early as the February school holidays, because of the circulation of new variants of the virus, the government’s top medical adviser on COVID-19 policy said on Sunday. French schoolchildren have two weeks off in February, but the entire month is a holiday month as three different zones stagger the start of their holidays by one week, with the first starting on Feb. 6. “We probably need to go towards a confinement. Whether that needs to be a very strict confinement like the first one in March or a softer form like in November, that is a political decision,” Jean-François Delfraissy, head of the scientific council that advises the government on COVID-19 response, told BFM television.
25th Jan 2021 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 25th Jan 2021
View this newsletter in fullUK detects 77 cases of South African COVID variant, nine of Brazilian
Britain has detected 77 cases of the South African variant of COVID-19, the health minister said on Sunday, also urging people to strictly follow lockdown rules as the best precaution against Britain’s own potentially more deadly variant. Matt Hancock said all 77 cases were connected to travel from South Africa and were under close observation, as were nine identified cases of a Brazilian variant. “They are under very close observation, and we have enhanced contact tracing to do everything we possibly can to stop them from spreading,” he said during an interview on BBC television. Oxford professor Anthony Harnden, deputy chair of a scientific committee on vaccination that advises the government, said the South African and Brazilian variants were of concern because COVID-19 vaccines may not be effective against them.
24th Jan 2021 - Reuters
Mexico's death toll from COVID-19 set to pass grim milestone of 150,000
Crying outside a Mexico City cemetery, a family embraced the box that contained the ashes of their beloved grandmother. The grandmother had fallen ill a few days after they met to celebrate New Year’s, and died shortly after, family members said. She was not even 60 years old. Mexico is set to surpass 150,000 deaths from COVID-19, one of the world's highest death tolls, a Reuters tally shows. Its death count is closing the gap with that of India, a country with a population several times larger. Only the United States and Brazil have reported higher numbers. “You feel so powerless when you see your relative slipping away, when you have no way to do anything for them, to save them,” said Lesly Garcia. “It hurt me not to see her again.”
24th Jan 2021 - Reuters
COVID-19: UK records another 1,348 coronavirus-related deaths and 33,552 cases
The UK has recorded another 1,348 coronavirus-related deaths and 33,552 cases, according to the latest government figures. A total of 5,861,351 people have also had a first dose of a vaccine, with another 468,617 people so far receiving their second inoculation against the virus. It comes after the UK reported 1,401 coronavirus deaths and an additional 40,261 infections on Friday. The total number of deaths in the UK is now 97,329.
23rd Jan 2021 - Sky News
COVID-19: China orders millions in Beijing to get tested after three new cases
Millions of people in Beijing are being tested for COVID-19 after the Chinese capital recorded three new cases on Friday. Provinces around the country have also been ordered to prepare mass quarantine facilities. Mainland China has a current total of 1,960 officially confirmed cases, but the government is going to extraordinary lengths to stop limited outbreaks turning into a second wave.
23rd Jan 2021 - Sky News
Coronavirus: NI health staff braced for expected Covid-19 surge
Senior medics have issued a stark Covid-19 warning as health staff brace themselves for a predicted surge in coronavirus cases this weekend. On Saturday, 12 further deaths with Covid-19 were recorded by the Department of Health, taking its death toll to 1,716. Another 670 people tested positive for the virus. There are 810 people in hospital with Covid-19, of which 66 are in intensive care. Dr Thelma Craig, a respiratory consultant at Belfast's Mater Hospital, said that more patients are being hospitalised in this wave of the virus. It is affecting younger people too.
"We are seeing people coming in with very little past medical history - coming in, in respiratory failure, desperately unwell," Dr Craig told BBC News NI.
23rd Jan 2021 - BBC News
Covid-19: Is NI in the toughest period of the pandemic?
Medics have been warning that we are now at the peak of the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic in Northern Ireland. While the numbers and statistics used to measure the pandemic can never portray the suffering and individual cost of the virus, they do give us an insight into how we're coping with the outbreak. In short, we are now going through the toughest period since Covid-19 became a part of our lives. More people are in our hospitals suffering from the virus. More people are dying with Covid.
23rd Jan 2021 - BBC News
Covid-19: Nurses call for better masks to protect all staff
Nurses are calling for all UK staff to be given a higher grade of face mask to protect them against new variants of coronavirus. The Royal College of Nursing warns that inadequate PPE may be putting the lives of nursing staff at risk. It has written to the workplace safety watchdog detailing its concerns, soon after a similar appeal from doctors. England's Department of Health says there is no reason to change current guidance. It follows a comprehensive review of all the evidence around the new variants and the impact on PPE.
23rd Jan 2021 - BBC News
A year after Wuhan lockdown, China sees small rise in COVID-19 cases
China on Saturday reported more new cases of COVID-19 and the financial hub of Shanghai imposed new restrictions, as the country marked the anniversary of the world’s first coronavirus lockdown in Wuhan city, where the disease emerged in late 2019. The National Health Commission said 107 new COVID-19 cases had been identified in the mainland on Saturday, up from 103 cases the day before. The commission said in a statement that 90 of the new cases were local infections.
The northeastern province of Heilongjiang recorded 56 new cases and neighbouring Jilin province had 13. Beijing and Shanghai recorded three new cases each, and the province of Hebei, which surrounds Beijing, recorded 15 new cases.
23rd Jan 2021 - Reuters
France had 23,292 new COVID-19 cases and 649 more deaths in last 24 hours
France registered a further 23,292 new confirmed COVID-19 cases and 649 more deaths from the virus in the last 24 hours as President Emmanuel Macron’s government fought against the possibility of a third national lockdown. Health ministry data published on Friday showed that France’s overall COVID-19 death toll stood at 72,647 - the seventh biggest in the world. The number of confirmed COVID cases stood at just over 3 million. Pressure is also building on France’s hospital system, with 2,912 COVID-19 patients currently in intensive care units, although France is stepping up its COVID-19 vaccination programme.
23rd Jan 2021 - Reuters
Three cases linked to Australia Open carry highly virulent COVID-19 variant
Three people in hotel quarantine associated with the Australian Open tennis tournament have tested positive for the highly transmissible coronavirus variant linked to the United Kingdom, officials said on Saturday. The three quarantined in Melbourne are not players, said the state agency responsible for quarantining overseas travellers. All have been in hard lockdown since their Jan. 15 arrival. “Three quarantine residents associated with the Australian Open who tested positive for coronavirus have been found to have the UK variant of the virus,” COVID-19 Quarantine Victoria said in a statement.
23rd Jan 2021 - Reuters
Portugal holds presidential election as COVID-19 cases spiral
Portuguese voters - largely confined to their homes due to a strict COVID-19 lockdown - will pick a new president on Sunday, but many fear going to the polls could worsen a surge in coronavirus cases and low turnout is expected. The country of 10 million people, which fared better than others in the first wave of the pandemic, now has the world’s highest seven-day rolling average of new cases and deaths per capita. Authorities reported a record daily toll of 274 deaths and more than 15,300 new cases on Saturday. “It wouldn’t have been a problem to wait another month. Exceptional times call for exceptional measures,” said Lisbon resident Miguel Goncalves, 55.
23rd Jan 2021 - Reuters
Britain to discuss tighter travel restrictions
British ministers are to discuss on Monday further tightening travel restrictions, the BBC reported on Saturday, adding that people arriving in the country could be required to quarantine in hotels. Prime Minister Boris Johnson told a news conference on Friday that the UK may need to implement further measures to protect its borders from new variants of COVID-19. Britain’s current restrictions ban most international travel while new rules introduced earlier in January require a negative coronavirus test before departure for most people arriving, as well as a period of quarantine.
23rd Jan 2021 - Reuters UK
Israel begins to give Covid jabs to teenagers
Over 2.5 million of Israel's nine-million-population have had first vaccine dose. The country's campaign is currently leading the global vaccination drive. Teenagers aged 16-18 are now being given the first dose, starting on Saturday
Wednesday saw the country recorded its highest number of Covid-19 cases and deaths in a single day, with 10,213 cases and 101 deaths
23rd Jan 2021 - Daily Mail
Panama detects first case of South Africa COVID-19 variant - health ministry
Panama has registered its first case of a COVID-19 variant matching a strain of the virus detected in South Africa, the Central American country’s health ministry said on Friday. The variant was detected in a 40-year-old native of Zimbabwe who entered Panama on Jan. 5 from South Africa. The person did not show symptoms and has been isolated, the ministry said in a statement.
22nd Jan 2021 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 22nd Jan 2021
View this newsletter in fullIsrael coronavirus cases soar even as it pushes on with vaccine drive
Coronavirus infections in Israel are soaring among those yet to be vaccinated, straining hospitals and forcing the government to extend a strict lockdown even as the country continues its breakneck vaccination drive.
21st Jan 2021 - The Financial Times
Biden takes charge as US Covid-19 deaths hit record high
Joe Biden has taken charge of the US response to the coronavirus pandemic as the country reported a record daily increase in deaths. One year to the day since the first Covid-19 case was diagnosed in the US, states attributed a further 4,409 deaths to the virus, according to data on Wednesday from the Covid Tracking Project. The latest figures came hours after Mr Biden in his inauguration speech reflected on a “deadly virus” that has claimed the lives of about 400,000 Americans, cost millions of jobs and closed businesses. He called for a unified response to address what he said “may well be the toughest and deadliest period of the virus”.
21st Jan 2021 - Financial Times
COVID-19: Nearly 5 million people get first vaccine dose as UK records another 1,290 deaths
Almost five million people have been given a first dose of a COVID vaccine, as the UK recorded another 1,290 deaths and 37,892 cases, figures show. A total of 363,508 first coronavirus vaccinations were administered yesterday, the highest daily figure to date. As many as 4,973,248 first doses have now been given and 464,036 second doses, an increase of 3,411 on figures released the previous day.
21st Jan 2021 - Sky News
In U.K. Hospitals, a Desperate Battle Against a Threat Many Saw Coming
As a new and more contagious variant of the coronavirus pounds Britain’s overstretched National Health Service, health care workers say the government’s failure to anticipate a wintertime crush of infections has left them resorting to ever more desperate measures. Hundreds of soldiers have been dispatched to move patients and equipment around London hospitals. Organ transplant centers have stopped performing urgent operations. Doctors have trimmed back the level of oxygen being given to patients to save overloaded pipes.
21st Jan 2021 - New York Times
100,000 more Americans could die from Covid-19 in next month, CDC forecasts
The United States could see an additional 100,000 deaths from Covid-19 within the next month, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) projected. Due to the current viral surge, the country hit the grim milestone of 400,000 coronavirus deaths this week. This milestone came as the US averaged more than 4,000 deaths per day, making it the daily leading cause of death in the country. The death toll currently stands at 406,196 as of Thursday morning, according to Johns Hopkins University.
21st Jan 2021 - The Independent
COVID-19: Coffins stacked high in crematorium of German town ravaged by coronavirus
A crematorium is a sobering place to visit during a pandemic. Especially the one in the town of Meissen, eastern Germany, where coffins are stacked on top of each other in every available space. Attached to each simple wooden casket is a small piece of paper giving the basic details about the body inside. The name of the deceased, date of birth and death. And chalked on to the side of so many is the word COVID. We are standing amongst the victims of a virus which has hit Meissen hard. In the basement, vast furnaces and workers are operating around the clock. They need to, such is the demand for cremations in a town which has experienced one of the highest COVID-19 rates in Germany.
21st Jan 2021 - Sky News
Portugal suffers surging Covid-19 deaths after mastering first wave
Marta Temido, health minister and one of the best-known figures of Portugal’s fight against coronavirus, stood outside a beleaguered hospital near Lisbon this week and made an impassioned plea. “We are mobilising every health resource at our disposal,” she said. “But there is a limit, and people have to know that we are very close to that limit.” Her appeal for the country to respect the rules of a second national lockdown was made as record numbers of new cases and hospital admissions threatened to overwhelm a national health service struggling to find more beds and more staff. After infection rates began soaring in early January, Portugal this week became the country with the highest seven-day average of new coronavirus cases per 100,000 inhabitants in the world, according to Johns Hopkins University.
21st Jan 2021 - Financial Times
UK hits new daily record for Covid-19 deaths as 3rd lockdown fails to slow spread
In the United Kingdom, the coronavirus situation remains bleak, with the government’s chief scientific advisor saying that some hospitals “now resemble to war zones” due to the influx of Covid-19 patients. 1,820 deaths were confirmed on Wednesday, the highest daily toll in the country so far. Prime Minsiter Boris Johnson has been under criticism for not acting sooner, particularly regarding the new variant of the coronavirus. But Johnson called on British to remain home wherever possible.
21st Jan 2021 - FRANCE 24
Sweden registers 4,702 new COVID-19 cases, 206 deaths on Wednesday
Sweden, which has spurned a lockdown throughout the pandemic, registered 4,702 new coronavirus on Wednesday, Health Agency statistics showed. The country of 10 million inhabitants registered 206 new deaths, taking the total to 10,797. The deaths registered have occurred over several days and weeks. Sweden’s death rate per capita is several times higher than that of its Nordic neighbours but lower than several European countries that opted for lockdowns.
21st Jan 2021 - Reuters
France reports 26,784 new COVID-19 cases, highest since November 18
The French health ministry reported 26,784 new confirmed COVID-19 cases over the past 24 hours, up from 23,608 on Tuesday and 23,852 last Wednesday. Wednesday’s tally was the highest since Nov. 18, when 28,383 infections were registered during France’s second lockdown that month. A record 86,852 cases were recorded on Nov 7. France also reported 310 new coronavirus deaths in hospitals in the past 24 hours, from 229 last Wednesday. The seven-day moving average of coronavirus deaths in hospitals and retirement homes rose to 374, from 363 on Tuesday. Four weeks after Christmas - when the government eased a curfew so French families could gather - the number of people in hospital with the virus increased by 119 to 25,686. The seven-day moving average of new hospital admissions rose to 131, its highest level since Nov. 18. At the start of the second lockdown, that average stood over 1,000 for nine days.
21st Jan 2021 - Reuters
Sweden extends pandemic curbs amid tentative signs of slowing outbreak
Sweden extended distance learning for high school students and told public employees to continue to work from home, renewing measures to limit the spread of the coronavirus pandemic despite signs that infections are beginning to slow. Sweden has avoided the kind of lockdown seen across much of Europe, but has gradually tightened restrictions after being hit by a second wave of COVID-19 infections in autumn last year. Those measures seem to be bearing fruit with authorities cautiously optimistic that, in some parts of the country, the situation is improving. The government said it nevertheless needed to extend many of the measures aimed at social distancing.
21st Jan 2021 - Reuters
Portugal's COVID-19 cases hit record, health service pushed to limit
Daily coronavirus cases in Portugal rose 40% on Wednesday from the day before to a record 14,647, with the national health system (SNS) on the verge of collapse and the government pondering tougher lockdown measures to tackle the surge. “The situation is serious and the government will not fail to do everything to protect the Portuguese,” Health Minister Marta Temido told reporters. “We have the SNS at its extreme limit.” The European Union country of 10 million people, where authorities implemented a 15-day lockdown last week to fight the spread of the virus, also hit a record of 219 new deaths on Wednesday from 218 the day before, health authority DGS said.
21st Jan 2021 - Reuters
'No evidence of decline' in COVID-19 rates in England's third lockdown
A third pandemic lockdown appears to be having little impact on rates of COVID-19 in England, researchers warned on Thursday, with prevalence of the disease “very high” and “no evidence of decline” in the first 10 days of renewed restrictions. Until rates of COVID-19 are reduced substantially, health services “will remain under extreme pressure” and the number of deaths will continue to rise rapidly, researchers leading Imperial College London’s REACT-1 prevalence study said. “The number of COVID-19 in-patients (in hospital) is extremely high at the moment, and we can’t expect that to drop unless we can achieve lower levels of prevalence,” said Steven Riley, a professor of infectious disease dynamics who co-led the work.
“The fact that (prevalence) is not going down has potentially serious consequences”
21st Jan 2021 - Reuters
Biden says 'help is on the way' with national COVID-19 strategy
"Help is on the way," said President Joe Biden today as he unveiled his 200-page national COVID-19 strategy and signed 10 executive actions aimed at tackling the pandemic, including ensuring the safe opening of schools, new guidance for foreign travel, and ensuring the National Guard in all 50 states is involved in the pandemic response. "Things will get worse before they get better," Biden said, flanked by Vice President Kamala Harris, Anthony Fauci, MD, chief medical advisor to the president and the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and Jeff Zients, the Biden administration's COVID czar.
21st Jan 2021 - CIDRAP
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 21st Jan 2021
View this newsletter in fullNew CDC director to take over beleaguered agency amid worsening COVID-19 crisis
Dr. Rochelle Walensky will be tasked with reasserting the agency while the pandemic is in its deadliest phase yet and the nation’s largest-ever vaccination campaign is wracked by confusion and delays
20th Jan 2021 - The Globe and Mail
Zimbabwe's foreign minister dies of COVID-19 amid resurgence
Zimbabwe’s Foreign Minister Sibusiso Moyo, who gained prominence in 2017 as the military general who announced the coup against then-president Robert Mugabe on television, has died from COVID-19 the government announced Wednesday. He was 61. Moyo, previously little known to the public, became the face of the coup when he announced that the military had placed Mugabe under house arrest as the military's armored vehicles rolled into the capital, Harare The coup ended Mugabe's 37-year rule in Zimbabwe and he later died in Sept. 2019.
20th Jan 2021 - The Independent
COVID-19: UK records another 1,820 coronavirus deaths and 38,905 new cases
A further 1,820 people have died within 28 days of testing positive for COVID-19 - the highest number of UK deaths reported on a single day since the outbreak began. It surpasses the previous record of 1,610, which was announced on Tuesday. Since the start of the pandemic, a total of 93,290 people have now died in the UK within 28 days of a positive COVID test. When asked by reporters about the record number of deaths, Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned "there will be more to come" and said the figures were "appalling".
20th Jan 2021 - Sky News
COVID-19: 'Public health emergency unfolding' in prisons as coronavirus cases soar
The new coronavirus strain and a rapidly rising number of infections in prisons across England and Wales is a "public health emergency unfolding before our eyes," the shadow justice secretary has warned. Labour MP David Lammy said it was vital that ministers "act urgently" to prevent the virus from spreading further in jails - or risk preventable deaths. "We're not condemning our prisoners to death in this country, but for some prisoners, that's what it means," said Mr Lammy.
20th Jan 2021 - Sky News
Spain reports highest weekly figure of new coronavirus cases so far: 233,523
The coronavirus is spreading in Spain at a slightly slower rate, according to data released on Tuesday by the Spanish Health Ministry. On Monday, Fernando Simón, the director of the Health Ministry’s Coordination Center for Health Alerts (CCAES), said that Spain could be reaching the peak of the third wave of the virus, and there are indications in the latest figures that suggest this could be the case, although the data must be viewed with caution. For example, for the first time since January 7, a region has reported a drop in the 14-day cumulative number of cases per 100,000 inhabitants. Indeed three regions registered a fall in their incidence rate: the Balearic Islands (-0.31%), Cantabria (-0.98%) and Catalonia (-1.54%). On the opposite end of the spectrum, the incidence rate in Extremadura has risen to 1,412.
20th Jan 2021 - EL PAÍS in English
Spain rejects tighter rules despite rising Covid-19 cases
Spain is gambling that its coronavirus wave is peaking and has rejected calls for tough new lockdowns despite high case numbers and warnings that intensive care units are full. Infections have tripled and hospital admissions doubled in the past three weeks, with about one in five hospital beds and a third of the intensive care capacity occupied by Covid-19 patients. Non-urgent operations have already been postponed.
20th Jan 2021 - The Times
Spain headed toward de facto lockdown amid surge in coronavirus cases
The third wave of the coronavirus pandemic is pushing Spain toward a de facto lockdown, that – while stopping short of the strict home confinement rules introduced last spring during the first wave – greatly restricts social activities and freedom of movement. In response to the rising number of coronavirus cases, Spanish regions have introduced tough new measures, such as the perimetral lockdowns of municipalities and the closure of all food and drink establishments. But there is now debate about whether or not the current state of alarm should be modified to allow regions to apply even stricter restrictions.
20th Jan 2021 - EL PAÍS in English
How South Korea's Covid-19 success faltered
South Korea’s aggressive response to Covid-19 has often been praised internationally as a success, becoming the envy of many countries around the world struggling to control their own outbreaks. One year on, the nation’s tight-grip approach to containing the virus is now slowly taking its toll on citizens – and has become the subject of fierce attacks from critics. The country detected its first Covid-19 case on 20 January 2020. One month later, a major cluster of cases hit, centred around the Shincheonji Church of Jesus in the city of Daegu. The religious group was blamed for thousands of infections and made sensational headlines around the world. Health authorities, however, were ready. Their weapon of choice? Pervasive contact tracing. It proved effective in flattening the curve of the country’s first wave without the need to close private businesses, and provided an example to the world of how best to tackle the virus.
20th Jan 2021 - New Statesman
Coronavirus deaths hit grim new daily high, as expert warns it will be weeks before they fall significantly
Deaths from coronavirus hit a grim record on Tuesday, with daily fatalities reaching a high of 1,610 across the UK as a government scientific adviser warned that it could be weeks before significant reductions are seen. The highest daily toll of the pandemic brought the total official figure for deaths above 90,000. But a separate measure of death certificates which mentioned Covid-19 put the total at 108,000.
Antibody data suggested that one in eight people in England had been infected with coronavirus at some point in the pandemic up to December, in what one expert described as “one of the worst coronavirus problems in the world”.
20th Jan 2021 - The Independent
Malaysia Holds Key Rate Amid Lockdown to Curb Virus Surge
Malaysia kept its benchmark interest rate unchanged Wednesday, saving its policy ammunition as the country grapples with a surge in Covid infections that could take months to subside. Bank Negara Malaysia maintained the overnight policy rate at a record-low 1.75% at its first meeting of the year, as expected by 12 of 23 economists surveyed by Bloomberg. The rest had forecast a 25-basis point cut.
20th Jan 2021 - Bloomberg
China's capital steps up COVID-19 measures as outbreak persists
China’s capital Beijing said it will investigate all individuals who entered the city from abroad from Dec. 10 and it shut down a subway station after reporting the biggest daily jump in new COVID-19 cases in more than three weeks. The measures come amid what has become China’s most serious coronavirus outbreak since March 2020 ahead of Lunar New Year holiday season, when hundreds of millions of people travel, raising fears of another major COVID-19 wave that could bring the country back into a debilitating standstill. The National Health Commission said on Wednesday a total of 103 new COVID-19 cases were reported on Jan. 19, down from 118 a day earlier. Northeastern Jilin province reported 46 new infections, however, setting another record in daily cases, while Hebei province surrounding Beijing reported 19 new cases.
20th Jan 2021 - Reuters
Third Portuguese minister hit by coronavirus in a week
Portuguese Economy Minister Pedro Siza Vieira has tested positive for COVID-19 and is in self-isolation, his office reported late on Tuesday, the third cabinet member to be diagnosed with the virus in a week. He had already been in quarantine at home since Saturday as a precautionary measure after Finance Minister Joao Leao tested positive following a meeting with top EU officials. Siza Vieira and Prime Minister Antonio Costa were also at that meeting. Siza Vieira was the third minister to be diagnosed with the coronavirus in the past week, following Leao and Labour Minister Ana Mendes Godinho.
20th Jan 2021 - Reuters
France reports 23,608 COVID cases over 24 hours
France reported 23,608 new confirmed COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, up from 3,736 on Monday, while admissions to intensive care units continued to rise. Health Minister Olivier Veran said earlier the coronavirus was still circulating at a worrying level, but stopped short of recommending a third national lockdown. A nationwide curfew was brought forward to start at 6 p.m. from last Saturday, and authorities say it will remain in place for at least a fortnight. Health ministry data also showed 656 people had died from the virus in hospitals on Tuesday, up from 403 on Monday, bringing the total death toll to 71,342, the world’s seventh-highest.
20th Jan 2021 - Reuters
Desperate relatives of Covid patients in Brazil queue for hours to fill their loved-ones' oxygen tanks as mutant strain ravages country
Amozonas state has been gripped by a devastating resurgence of the disease and doctors at hospitals in Manaus, the rainforest's largest city, are having to decide which of their patients should get oxygen. Desperate family members queued up outside a local oxygen plant during a downpour on Tuesday. They arrived with huge green tanks to be filled with oxygen and then rushed back to their ailing relatives. Comes as Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro dispatched oxygen to the region infuriating President Jair Bolsonaro. 'He could give aid to his people too, right? Wages there don't buy half a kilo of rice,' Bolsonaro said
20th Jan 2021 - Daily Mail
Global COVID-19 deaths climb; hot spot locations shift
Global COVID-19 cases declined a bit last week, but the number of deaths rose to record levels, as hot spots within world regions shift and more countries report the detection of variant SARS-CoV-2 strains, the World Health Organization (WHO) said yesterday in its regular weekly update. Cases were down 6%, partly led by declines in parts of Europe and the Americas. Deaths, however, increased by 9%, with the world reporting a record weekly high of 93,000, the WHO said, noting that hospitalizations and deaths are a lagging indicator.
20th Jan 2021 - CIDRAP
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 20th Jan 2021
View this newsletter in fullThird wave hits Spain in record rise
Joe Biden’s team announced that he plans to extend travel restrictions barring people from much of Europe and Brazil from travelling to the US, shortly after President Trump said he would lift the restrictions on January 26. Mr Trump signed an order yesterday ending the ban, which he imposed early last year in response to the pandemic, after securing support from his coronavirus task force and public health officials.
19th Jan 2021 - The Times
Spain reports 84,287 new coronavirus cases on Monday, the highest weekend figure so far
The third wave of the coronavirus is continuing to break records in Spain. The Spanish Health Ministry reported that 84,287 new cases had been detected since Friday, the biggest increase recorded on a Monday – when weekend data is also included – since the start of the pandemic. The previous record was set last Monday, when 61,422 new infections were reported. “We could be reaching the peak of the third wave,” said Fernando Simón, the director of the Health Ministry’s Coordination Center for Health Alerts (CCAES), at a government press conference on Monday. But, he warned, it may be some time before the figures are consolidated, as there is typically underreporting over the weekends. Spain also recorded its highest incidence rate of the pandemic on Monday. The 14-day cumulative number of cases per 100,000 inhabitants is now 689 – nearly triple the 250-threshold considered to be an indicator of extreme risk.
19th Jan 2021 - EL PAÍS in English
France sticks to Covid plans in race between vaccines and contagious variant
France’s government said Tuesday it would avoid the strictest lockdown measures despite gradually increasing Covid-19 cases and hospital admissions, preferring to bank on vaccinations. The spread of a more contagious variant of the new coronavirus seems to have prompted many to get the jab and there are now concerns over delays in delivery. Despite laboratory delays and reports of shortages and logistical problems in its vaccine campaign, France’s government said it would avoid toughening health restrictions even as case numbers and hospital admissions continued to increase. “We already took a tough decision last week to impose a 6pm curfew on the country as a whole,” health minister Olivier Véran told France Inter radio. “I cannot say we will impose a confinement but the circulation of the virus remains worrying.”
19th Jan 2021 - RFI
COVID-19 still circulating at a 'worrying' level in France, says minister
French Health Minister Olivier Veran said on Tuesday the coronavirus was still circulating at a “worrying” level in France, but stopped short of recommending a third national lockdown. “We already took a tough decision last week to impose a 6 p.m. curfew on the country as a whole,” Veran told France Inter radio. “I cannot say we will impose a confinement but the circulation of the virus remains worrying.”
19th Jan 2021 - Reuters
Hospitals in Japan close to collapse as serious Covid cases soar
Hospitals in Covid-hit regions of Japan are on the brink of collapse, medical experts have warned, as the country battles a third wave of infections that has caused record numbers of people to fall seriously ill. Japan reported more than 4,900 coronavirus infections on Monday, with serious cases rising to a record high of 973, local media reported. Although Japan has avoided the huge caseloads and death tolls seen in some other countries, infections have doubled over the past six weeks to about 338,000, according to the public broadcaster NHK, with 4,623 deaths. The increase, coupled with the discovery of the first recorded community transmissions of a fast-spreading strain of Covid-19 initially identified in Britain, is adding to pressure on the prime minister, Yoshihide Suga, to move quickly to protect stretched medical services.
19th Jan 2021 - The Guardian
COVID-19: Deaths registered in England and Wales soar as coronavirus rates climb
There were 17,751 deaths registered in England and Wales in the week ending 8 January - up 7,682 on the preceding week, new figures show. Of the deaths registered, 6,057 mentioned "novel coronavirus", accounting for 34.1% of all deaths in England and Wales, according to figures from Office for National Statistics. This nearly doubled on the previous week when 3,144 coronavirus-related deaths occurred and represents a 92.7% increase.
19th Jan 2021 - Sky News
Number of COVID-19 patients in Irish hospitals falls
The number of patients being treated for COVID-19 in Irish hospitals fell on Tuesday from the highest level recorded since the pandemic began a day earlier, as a surge in infections that threatened to overwhelm the health system began to ease. Ireland had the fastest-growing incidence rate in Europe at the start of the year, fuelled by the relaxation of restrictions ahead of Christmas and the increasing prevalence of a new, more transmissible variant first detected in England. That led to 2,020 patients being admitted to hospital with COVID-19 by Monday, more than double the previous peak set in the first wave of infections in April. The total fell 3% to 1,954 on Tuesday as more patients were discharged than admitted.
19th Jan 2021 - Reuters
COVID situation in UK is serious despite falling infections, PM tells ministers
Prime Minister Boris Johnson told his team of cabinet ministers on Tuesday the COVID situation in Britain was still “very serious” despite infection rates beginning to decline, urging others to follow the lockdown guidelines. “The prime minister opened cabinet with an update on the current COVID situation, noting that although we are beginning to see a decline in infection rates, the situation remains very serious and it remains as important as ever for people to follow the guidance to continue to suppress the spread of the virus,” his spokesman told reporters.
19th Jan 2021 - Reuters UK
China's COVID outbreak worst since March 2020
China is battling the worst outbreak of COVID-19 since March 2020, with one province posting a record daily rise in cases, as an independent panel reviewing the global pandemic said China could have done more to curb the initial outbreak. State-backed tabloid the Global Times on Tuesday defended China’s early handling of COVID-19, saying no country had any experience in dealing with the virus. “Looking back, no country could perform perfectly in facing a novel virus... No country can guarantee they won’t make mistakes if a similar epidemic occurs again,” it said. China reported more than 100 new COVID-19 cases for a seventh day on Tuesday. It posted 118 new cases on Monday, up from 109 a day earlier, the national health authority said in a statement.
19th Jan 2021 - Reuters
Portugal's daily COVID deaths hit record high as hospitals struggle
Portugal, initially praised for its swift response to the coronavirus pandemic, recorded a record number of COVID-19 related deaths on Monday as its hospitals struggled to cope. The Portuguese government, facing concerns over low compliance with lockdown measures brought in last week, also introduced further rules to try to curb the spread of the coronavirus among its population of 10 million people. Portugal posted 167 COVID-19 related deaths over the last 24 hours, bringing the total to 9,028 since the pandemic began. “After so many cases, and so many deaths, nobody can ... think COVID-19 only happens to others,” Portugal’s Prime Minister Antonio Costa told reporters.
19th Jan 2021 - Reuters
France reports rising number of COVID-19 patients in intensive care
The French health ministry reported 3,736 new coronavirus infections over the previous 24 hours on Monday, a figure lower than Sunday’s 16,642 but higher than last Monday’s 3,582, raising fears the country might have to resort to a third lockdown. France’s cumulative total of cases now stands at 2,914,725, the sixth-highest in the world. The seven-day moving average of new infections, which averages out weekly data reporting irregularities, increased to 18,270, the highest since Nov. 24. The number of people being treated in intensive care units for the disease was up for the ninth consecutive day, going beyond the 2,800 threshold for the first time since Dec. 17.
19th Jan 2021 - Reuters
Hospitals in Americas, Europe under growing strain of COVID-19
The world added more than 2 million new COVID-19 cases in the past 3 days, with health systems coming under pressure in the Americas and in more European countries and China reporting another pocket of local spread, triggering more strong measures. Over the past week, the World Health Organization (WHO) Americas region reported 2.5 million cases, making up more than half of the global total, Carissa Etienne, MBBS, MSc, who directs the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), said today at a briefing. She added that over the past week, 42,000 more people in the region died from their infections.
19th Jan 2021 - CIDRAP
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 19th Jan 2021
View this newsletter in fullCoronavirus China: COVID-19 'super-spreader' is linked to 102 infections in Jilin
A travelling salesman in China has been linked to 102 COVID-19 infections after giving public lectures while carrying the virus without showing symptoms. The man, who has been dubbed a 'super-spreader', had held the talks at health salons popular with elderly citizens before the cluster infections erupted in the north-eastern province of Jilin, state media reported. China reported more than 100 new COVID-19 cases for the sixth consecutive day on Monday. Rising infections in the northeast are fuelling concern of another wave when hundreds of millions of people travel for the Lunar New Year holiday.
18th Jan 2021 - Daily Mail
Covid-19: Critical care wards full in hospitals across England
Ten hospital trusts across England consistently reported having no spare adult critical care beds in the most recent figures. It comes as hospital waiting times, coronavirus admissions and patients requiring intensive care are rising. England's 140 acute trusts had 5,503 adult critical care beds on 10 January, with 4,632 in use. NHS bosses have warned hospitals could "hit the limit" of their capacity this week. "I think, this next week, we will be at the limit of what we probably have the physical space and the people to safely do," Danny Mortimer, the chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said.
18th Jan 2021 - BBC News
Ten areas in England with biggest Covid rise as 36 places record jump despite lockdown
Covid infection rates are still rising in 36 areas in England despite lockdown - but which areas are the worst? Figures from Public Health England reveal that Knowsley in Merseyside is the country's worst hotspot, with 1,228.3 cases per 100,000 people. It is followed by Barking and Dagenham, Newham and Slough, which have rates above 1,000. But the encouraging data from Public Health England reveals the worst-affected areas are seeing a fall in new infections, two weeks into the latest national lockdown. Of the 315 local areas in England, 36 (11 per cent) have seen a rise in case rates while 279 (89 per cent) have seen a fall.
18th Jan 2021 - Mirror Online
UK Records the highest-ever number of Covid-19 cases
Over the last month, the number of daily confirmed Covid-19 cases in the UK soared, with reports of over 68,000 confirmed cases on 8 January 2021, the highest reported since the start of the pandemic. The new record comes at a time when the nation is on lockdown and has been administering highly effective vaccines for a month, showing that the Covid-19 trend can be slow to turn despite interventions. According to GlobalData’s Covid-19 dashboard, confirmed cases in the UK started to rise considerably (Figure 1) after a noticeable decline between the middle of November 2020 and the start of December 2020. Over 1.3 million positive cases were reported between 10 December 2020, and 10 January 2021, an average of over 40,000 new cases daily. This may be a result of the UK relaxing lockdown rules on 2 December 2020, as well as the compounding effect of the influenza season.
18th Jan 2021 - pharmaceutical-technology.com
As bodies pile up, Germany's eastern COVID hot spots struggle for answers
For some in Meissen the caskets piling up in the eastern German city’s sole crematorium are a tragic reminder of what happens when the coronavirus is not taken seriously. For others it is simply nature’s way. Meissen, along with other places across old East Germany that are generally poorer, older and more supportive of a far-right opposed to lockdown, are the worst hit by the pandemic in the country, complicating Chancellor Angela Merkel’s efforts to bring it under control. “It’s heartbreaking,” said manager Joerg Schaldach, whose furnaces cremated 1,400 bodies last month, double the figure from December last year. More than half had died of COVID-19 and Schaldach expects some 1,700 cremations in total this month.
18th Jan 2021 - Reuters
COVID deaths cross 4000 as ministers set to debate extending lockdown
Israel on Monday crossed a grim milestone, as Health Ministry confirmed the death toll from the coronavirus stood at 4,005. Israel has recorded 551,689 coronavirus cases since the pandemic erupted in March 2020. There are currently 1,130 patients in serious condition, while 467,790 Israelis have recovered from the disease. Some 2,116,257 Israelis have vaccinanted against COVID-19 over the past month, and 309,065 have already received the second dose. Coinciding with the launch of the vaccination campaign has been a surge in coronavirus cases, with some 9,000 daily new infections diagnosed in recent days. The cabinet is set to decide on Wednesday whether to extend the lockdown – Israel's third – by at least another week. The Health Ministry is pushing to extend it until the end of January, but Blue and White and the ultra-Orthodox parties vehemently oppose the move.
18th Jan 2021 - Israel Hayom
Ukraine sees lowest daily coronavirus tally since late September
Ukraine reported 3,034 new coronavirus cases on Monday, its lowest daily tally since the end of September, health minister Maksym Stepanov said. The number of deaths decreased to 67 from 116 the day earlier, he said on Facebook. A strict lockdown would end as scheduled on Jan. 25, the ministry said last week. Ukraine closed schools, restaurants and gyms on Jan. 8. The number of new coronavirus cases dropped in early January to less than 10,000 a day from record levels in mid-December. Ukraine has registered more than 1.16 million coronavirus cases with 20,869 deaths.
18th Jan 2021 - Reuters
Stocks sink as coronavirus fears outweigh recovery hopes
Global stock markets wavered on Monday as soaring COVID-19 cases offset investor hopes of a quick economic recovery, even after data showing that the Chinese economy rebounded faster-than-expected in the fourth quarter of 2020. European stocks as measured by the STOXX 600 index struggled for direction, last trading 0.1% higher as of 1446 GMT, after failed merger talks between French retailer Carrefour and Alimentation Couche-Tard pulled the gauge lower at the open. The continent’s 50 biggest stocks were down 0.2% [.EU] In Asia, Chinese blue chips gained 1.1% after the economy was reported to have grown 6.5% in the fourth quarter, on a year earlier, topping forecasts of 6.1%. Industrial production for December also beat estimates, although retail sales missed expectations.
18th Jan 2021 - Reuters
China reports more than 100 new COVID cases as New Year holiday exodus looms
China reported more than 100 new COVID-19 cases for the sixth consecutive day, with rising infections in the northeast fuelling concern of another wave when hundreds of millions of people travel for the Lunar New Year holiday. Tough new controls in the city of Gongzhuling in Jilin province, which has a population of about 1 million people, brings the total number of people under lockdown to more than 29 million. According to the Global Times newspaper, at least 11 regions in the provinces of Hebei, Heilongjiang and Jilin have imposed lockdowns and introduced extensive testing programmes. The National Health Commission reported 109 new COVID-19 cases for Sunday, unchanged from the day earlier. Of the 93 local infections, 54 were in Hebei, which surrounds Beijing.
18th Jan 2021 - Reuters
Portugal's health system on brink of collapse as COVID-19 cases surge
Portugal’s public health system is on the verge of collapsing as hospitals in the areas worst-affected by a worrying surge in coronavirus cases are quickly running out of intensive care beds to treat COVID-19 patients. “Our health system is under a situation of extreme pressure,” Health Minister Marta Temido told reporters on Sunday afternoon after a visit to a struggling hospital. “There is a limit and we are very close to it.”
17th Jan 2021 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 18th Jan 2021
View this newsletter in fullUK daily coronavirus cases rise above 50,000 for first time this week as 1,280 deaths reported
The number of daily coronavirus cases has rise above 50,000 for the first time in five days, despite hopes that the outbreak is slowing in parts of the UK. A further 1,280 deaths of people within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19 were also reported on Friday. It is the first time daily infections have topped 50,000 since Sunday, and brings the total number of confirmed cases in the UK to 3,316,019. Earlier on Friday, the Government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies said the UK’s coronavirus reproduction rate — the R number — had narrowed to between 1.2 and 1.3.
17th Jan 2021 - Evening Standard
Covid-19: Tamil Nadu reports less than 600 new cases, 7 deaths
The Covid-19 vaccine was administered to 3,225 persons today. New coronavirus cases in Tamil Nadu declined to less than 600 to 589 in the last 24 hours to take the total number of infections in the State to 8,30,772. After 770 Covid-19 patients were discharged, the number of active cases declined to less than 6,000 to 5,940.
There were seven deaths registered and 52,213 samples tested.
17th Jan 2021 - Business Line
China reports 109 new COVID-19 cases to keep concerns simmering before Lunar New Year
Worries simmered in mainland China about a potential fresh wave of coronavirus cases ahead of the Lunar New Year next month as authorities on Sunday reported 109 new COVID-19 cases, most of them in Hebei province surrounding Beijing. Though the Jan. 16 tally of new cases was less than the previous day’s 130, China has in the past week seen the number of daily cases jump to an over 10-month high. The unsettling trend has emerged while a World Health Organization-led (WHO) team of investigators remained in quarantine in the city of Wuhan, where the disease was first detected in late 2019. The team aims to investigate the origins of the pandemic that has now killed over 2 million people worldwide.
17th Jan 2021 - Reuters
CDC warns more infectious Covid-19 variant could dominate US by March
The new coronavirus variant first discovered in the UK could become the predominant strain in the US by March, according to a new model from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC warned on Friday the B.1.1.7 variant was likely to spread rapidly across the US in the coming months. So far, 76 cases were identified in 10 US states, but scientists warn the actual number of B.1.1.7 cases is likely to be higher, as the US lags behind many other countries with its genomic sequencing to identify the variants. The CDC is now trying to expand sequencing to track the variant and other possible mutations.
17th Jan 2021 - Financial Times
Covid-19: Critical care wards are full in hospitals across England
Ten hospital trusts across England reported having no spare critical care beds for most of last week. It comes as hospital waiting times, coronavirus admissions and patients requiring intensive care rises. Across all England's acute trusts the total number of critical care beds available is 5,503, with 4,632 in use on 10 January.
NHS England has not yet commented. Last year, hospitals added 39% more beds for seriously ill patients. The latest figures from NHS England show the number of trusts who were, on average, at full capacity in adult critical care rose from four to ten in the week to 10 January.
17th Jan 2021 - BBC News
Covid-19: Further 1,295 deaths recorded in the UK
A further 1,295 deaths within 28 days of a positive Covid test have been reported in the UK, the third-highest daily total since the pandemic began. It brings the total number of deaths by this measure to 88,590. There have also been a further 41,346 lab-confirmed cases, and 4,262 more people have been admitted to hospital. Dr Yvonne Doyle, medical director for Public Health England, said the "continuous rise in cases and deaths should be a bitter warning for us all". "We must not forget the basics," she added. "The lives of our friends and family depend on it. "Keep your distance from others, wash your hands and wear a mask."
17th Jan 2021 - BBC News
Covid-19: Is Northern Ireland winning the battle against the virus?
The coronavirus pandemic has brought with it an intense interest in the statistics and figures that can be used to try to understand what's happening with the virus.
While numbers can't reflect the real human cost of the pandemic, they can give us an insight into how we are doing in our battle against Covid-19. Deaths are counted in different ways by authorities in Northern Ireland. The Department of Health counts the number of people who die within 28 days of a having a positive Covid test. This is published daily on the department's dashboard. The Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (Nisra) counts the number of death certificates that mention Covid-19, regardless of whether that person had a test for the virus. This is usually published on Friday mornings.
17th Jan 2021 - BBC News
Small coronavirus cluster emerges in Sydney suburb
A cluster of new coronavirus cases has emerged in Australia’s New South Wales State, health officials said on Sunday, just as the country appeared on the verge of snuffing out all community transmission. Health authorities were still investigating a mystery case in a man who tested positive on Friday in the western Sydney suburb of Berala. All six locally acquired cases registered on Sunday were close contacts of the man. Australia, which has managed the coronavirus better than many other nations through targeted lockdowns and high rates of testing and contact tracing, last week recorded a day of zero locally acquired cases, raising hopes that outbreaks in three states over the summer holidays had been brought under control. The latest outbreak shows how easily the virus can spread, New South Wales state leader Gladys Berejiklian told reporters in Sydney as she called for more people to come forward for testing.
17th Jan 2021 - Reuters
Portuguese hospitals under pressure as COVID-19 cases reach record
Portugal’s fragile health system is under growing pressure due to a worrying rise in coronavirus infections, with the country reporting 10,947 new cases and 166 deaths on Saturday, the worst surge since the pandemic started last year. The cases, which come a day after a new lockdown was put in place, bring the total number of cases in a country of just over 10 million people to 539,416, with the death toll increasing to 8,709. The number of infections per 100,000 people measured over the past 14 days is 901, nearly double that in hard-hit neighbouring Spain, data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control showed.
17th Jan 2021 - Reuters
UK sees third-highest daily death toll with new cases at three-week low
Britain reported its lowest number of daily new coronavirus infections since the start of the year on Saturday, adding to signs that a national lockdown is slowing the spread of a more infectious variant of the disease. However the effect of the recent surge in cases remains clear in the death toll, which was the third-highest on record. Health experts have warned it has further to rise. Government figures showed the number of people testing positive was 41,346, compared with 55,761 on Friday. It was the lowest daily reading since Dec. 27, when fewer people were getting tested over the festive holiday period.
17th Jan 2021 - Reuters
Denmark logs 256 cases of more contagious coronavirus variant
Denmark on Saturday found its first case of a more contagious coronavirus variant from South Africa, and saw a rise in the number of infections with the highly transmissible B117 variant first identified in Britain, health authorities said. The Nordic country extended a lockdown for three weeks on Wednesday in a bid to curtail the spread of the new variant from Britain, which authorities expect to be the dominant one by mid-February. Denmark has become a front-runner in monitoring coronavirus mutations by running most positive tests through genome sequencing analysis.
17th Jan 2021 - Reuters
Covid-19: Brazil hospitals 'run out of oxygen' for virus patients
Hospitals in the Brazilian city of Manaus have reached breaking point while treating Covid-19 patients, amid reports of severe oxygen shortages and desperate staff.
The city, in Amazonas state, has seen a surge of deaths and infections. Health professionals, quoted by local media, warned "many people" could die due to lack of supplies and assistance. Brazil has recorded more than 205,000 virus deaths - the second-highest tally in the world, behind the US. A new coronavirus variant has recently emerged in Brazil, with several cases in travellers arriving in Japan traced back to the Amazonas region.
16th Jan 2021 - BBC News
Brazil rushes to save premature babies as Covid-19 swamps Manaus hospitals
Authorities in the Brazilian Amazon are reportedly racing to save dozens of premature babies after a surge in coronavirus cases caused a catastrophic breakdown in the oxygen supply to hospitals and clinics. On Friday, CNN Brasil reported that the northern state of Amazonas was seeking to transfer at least 60 babies from neonatal units in its capital, Manaus, to hospitals elsewhere in the country.
16th Jan 2021 - The Guardian
Covid-19 positives on Australian Open flights put 47 players into isolation
As the 15 chartered planes transporting more than 1,000 players and team members began to land in Australia this past week, many athletes punctuated their arrivals with a stream of statements expressing deep gratitude towards Tennis Australia, the Victorian Government and the Australian Open tournament director, Craig Tiley, for making the event possible. That heartwarming honeymoon did not last long. There were no positive messages on Saturdaymorning as two groups of players were confined to their rooms for 14 days. The tournament begins on 8 February, meaning those players on the affected flights will be restricted to little more than a week of practice.
16th Jan 2021 - The Guardian
Pandemic deaths top 2 million; crisis deepens in Americas
The world's death toll from COVID-19 today topped 2 million, with yesterday marking the deadliest day of the pandemic, with 16,056 fatalities logged, amid reports of collapsing health systems in parts of Brazil and exponential spread in some of its neighbors. Death levels are still soaring in hard-hit parts of Europe, and health officials say human behaviors, including those that occurred over the holiday season, are the main driver of virus surges, though they are worried about the potential impact of new, more transmissible SARS-CoV-2 variants.
15th Jan 2021 - CIDRAP
Brazilian airforce transport patients with covid-19 from Manaus to other states due to services being overwhelmed
The Brazilian Air Force flew the first shipment of patients with covid-19 in Manaus to other states. Nine patients and five doctors boarded the flight to Teresina. Two C-99 aircraft from the First Squadron of the Second Transport Group (1st / 2nd GT) - Condor Squadron, carried out patient transfers with the objective of minimizing the impact on the Amazonas state health system
15th Jan 2021 - Noticias.uol.com.br
Health care in Brazil's Amazonas state in 'collapse' as Covid-19 infections surge
Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro said Friday that "all means" are being made available to help the country's largest state, Amazonas, where hospitals are running out of beds and oxygen tanks amid soaring coronavirus infections. His claim came a day after Brazilian Health Minister Eduardo Pazuello described the healthcare system in the Amazonas state capital, Manaus, as being in "collapse."
"I would say yes, there is a collapse in healthcare in Manaus. The line to get a hospital bed has grown a lot, today we have about 480 people waiting in line. And the reality is that there is a lower supply of oxygen -- not an interruption, but a lower supply of oxygen," he said during a Facebook live with Bolsonaro on Thursday.
15th Jan 2021 - CNN
NHS heroes fear Government are using them as coronavirus vaccine 'guinea pigs'
NHS heroes have blasted the Government for using them as “guinea pigs” by denying them an early booster vaccine. Doctors, nurses and paramedics fighting Covid must wait three months like the rest of us for a second jab – instead of the three weeks recommended after manufacturer trials. But calls are growing for frontline heroes to get the booster within the 21 days vaccine maker Pfizer deems vital for best protection. The UK’s chief medical officers recommended the 12-week gap so more of the population can get some immunity from the first jab. Currently, the NHS is under severe strain with record numbers of Covid patients.
15th Jan 2021 - Mirror Online
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 15th Jan 2021
View this newsletter in fullU.S. military base in Seoul reports multiple COVID-19 cases
A large U.S. military base in central Seoul is reporting multiple COVID-19 cases as South Korea struggles to keep up with the novel coronavirus. U.S. Forces Korea said Thursday seven USFK-affiliated people at Yongsan Garrison tested positive for the novel coronavirus Wednesday. Five out of the seven people, who were not identified by name, work for the U.S. Department of Defense. "All five have been in self-quarantine at their separate off-installation residences since Jan. 8 following their direct contact with an individual who recently tested positive for COVID-19," USFK said.
14th Jan 2021 - UPI.com
Another 4,000 in U.S. die of COVID-19; 40K deaths so far this month
Another 4,000 people in the United States have died of COVID-19, according to updated data Thursday from Johns Hopkins University -- not too far off the record toll seen one day earlier. There were about 3,960 coronavirus deaths on Wednesday. On Tuesday, 4,500 died, a single-day record, according to the research university's updated tracking data -- making the total over the past two days roughly 8,500. About 40,000 patients in the United States have died of COVID-19 since the start of 2021, the data shows. Meanwhile, another 230,000 coronavirus cases were added nationwide on Wednesday, a slight increase from the day before.
14th Jan 2021 - UPI.com
COVID-19: Ban on all arrivals from 15 South American countries and Portugal over Brazil variant
Travel to the UK from every country in South America, as well as Portugal, has been banned due to fears over the coronavirus variant first identified in Brazil. The government's COVID-19 operations committee met at lunchtime to discuss the issue - and the ban will come into effect from 4am on Friday.
14th Jan 2021 - Sky News
Number of London transport staff dying with Covid-19 increases to 60
The number of London transport staff dying with Covid has increased to 60, including 46 bus workers, it was revealed today. The figure, up three from earlier this week, came as Sadiq Khan and his Tory mayoral rival Shaun Bailey said London key workers most at risk of contracting Covid should be the next to be prioritised for vaccination. In separate interventions, the Mayor and Mr Bailey said the second phase of the rollout should focus on higher-risk essential workers such as police, teachers and transport staff once vulnerable elderly Londoners and health and care staff were inoculated. The total figure, up three from 57 revealed earlier this week, includes staff working for the private bus firms contracted by Transport for London to run the capital's buses, plus Tube and rail staff and TfL head office workers. The death toll includes 37 bus drivers and nine other bus workers, such as bus station staff.
14th Jan 2021 - Evening Standard
Covid: Infections levelling off in some areas - scientist
The coronavirus growth rate is slowing in the UK and the number of infections is starting to level off in some areas, a top scientist has said. Prof Neil Ferguson told the BBC that in some NHS regions there is a "sign of plateauing" in cases and hospital admissions. But he warned the overall death toll would exceed 100,000.
On Wednesday, the UK saw its biggest daily death figure since the start of the pandemic, with 1,564 deaths. It has taken the total number of deaths by that measure to 84,767. There were also 47,525 new cases. It comes after Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the national lockdown measures were "starting to show signs of some effect", but it was early days and urged people to abide by the rules.
14th Jan 2021 - BBC News
Covid-19: Brazil travel ban to be discussed over new variant
Travel from Brazil to the UK could be banned in response to the discovery of a new coronavirus variant. Ministers have met to discuss possible measures and a block on flights could also be extended to other South American countries in a bid to stop its spread. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said he is "concerned" about the new variant and "extra measures" were being taken. Arrivals from Brazil are currently required to self-isolate for 10 days. Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove chaired a meeting earlier to discuss whether measures should be put in place.
14th Jan 2021 - BBC News
Covid-19: Surge leaves key hospital services 'in crisis'
The surge in Covid hospital cases has left key hospital services in England in crisis, doctors are warning. NHS data showed A&Es were facing rising delays admitting extremely sick patients on to wards. Meanwhile, the total number of people facing year-long waits for routine treatments is now more than 100 times higher than it was before the pandemic. Cancer experts are also warning the disruption to their services was "terrifying" and would cost lives. Reports have emerged of hospitals cancelling urgent operations - London's King's College Hospital has stopped priority two treatments, which are those that need to be done within 28 days. And Birmingham's major hospital trust has temporarily suspended most liver transplants.
14th Jan 2021 - BBC News
Record daily German COVID deaths spark Merkel 'mega-lockdown' plan - Bild
Germany recorded a new record number of deaths from the coronavirus on Thursday, prompting calls for an even tighter lockdown after the country emerged relatively unscathed in 2020. Chancellor Angela Merkel wanted a "mega-lockdown",
14th Jan 2021 - Reuters on MSN.com
UK suffers record number of Covid deaths as Scotland tightens lockdown
The UK reported a daily record 1,564 deaths within 28 days of testing positive with coronavirus on Wednesday, as Boris Johnson warned that intensive care units in some hospitals could soon be overwhelmed. The prime minister told the liaison committee of MPs there was a “very substantial” risk of the NHS running out of ICU beds and no guarantee that schools would be allowed to reopen after the half term break in mid-February. But Mr Johnson said the numbers of people testing positive for the virus were falling, indicating that existing restrictions should be given a chance to work before tighter curbs are brought in.
14th Jan 2021 - Financial Times
German lockdown loopholes criticized as deaths hit new high
Germany has too many loopholes in its coronavirus lockdown rules, the head of the country’s disease control agency said as figures published Thursday showed the highest number of daily deaths since the start of the pandemic. The Robert Koch Institute said 1,244 deaths from COVID-19 were confirmed in one day up to Thursday, taking the total number to 43,881. There were also 25,164 newly confirmed cases, putting Germany’s total known infections close to 2 million. Lothar Wieler, president of the institute, said data indicated people in Germany are traveling more than during the first phase of the pandemic in spring, contributing to the virus’ spread.
14th Jan 2021 - The Associated Press
Spain extends travel ban for Scots amid fears over mutant coronavirus strain
Scots have been banned from entering Spain for a further period of time amid concerns over the mutant strain of coronavirus. No one will be allowed to enter the country from Scotland via air or sea until 6pm on February 2 under the new restrictions.
14th Jan 2021 - Daily Record on MSN.com
Coronavirus variant from UK 'must not get out of hand' warns EU
The EU has warned that the highly contagious coronavirus variant first found in Britain is now having “a significant impact” in other European countries, and said its spread “must be stopped at all costs”. “We cannot be complacent,” Stella Kyriakides, the bloc’s health commissioner, said on Wednesday. “We cannot let it get out of hand. So we are ready to help member states in the area of genomic sequencing of samples. There is no way around this.” Concerns were also shared during the virtual meeting of EU health ministers of a “significant under-reporting” of the new variant by member states, with the commission urging health ministries to make detection of the mutation a priority.
14th Jan 2021 - The Guardian
Spain extends travel ban for Brits due to mutant Covid strain in UK
Spain has extended its travel ban for Brits because of the mutant coronavirus strain currently found in the UK. The Spanish government has extended the restrictions until February 2, at 5pm UK time. The rules apply to anyone arriving to Spain from the UK by air or sea, with exceptions being made only for Spanish nationals or residents of Spain returning to the country. The travel ban was first introduced back in December 2020 when the mutant strain was detected, and originally was planned to last until January 9. It had already been extended once until January 19. This goes alongside existing restrictions and rules in Spain during the pandemic, such as travellers arriving in the country being required to provide proof of a negative Covid-19 test taken up to 72 hours before their departure
14th Jan 2021 - Mirror Online
France braces for new Covid curbs but set to avoid lockdown
The French government is expected Thursday to announce new restrictions to stave off a rise in coronavirus cases but unlike some of its neighbours a full lockdown appears off the agenda for now. Among the measures floated to try to avert a much-feared third wave of infections include expanding a 6:00 pm curfew in place in parts of the east to the whole country. Most of France is still subject to an 8:00 pm curfew imposed in mid-December when a second national lockdown was lifted.
14th Jan 2021 - FRANCE 24
Japan widens virus emergency to 7 more areas as cases surge
Japan expanded a coronavirus state of emergency to seven more prefectures Wednesday, affecting more than half the population amid a surge in infections across the country. Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga also said Japan will suspend fast-track entry exceptions for business visitors or others with residency permits, fully banning foreign visitors while the state of emergency is in place. Suga's announcement comes less than a week after he declared a state of emergency for Tokyo and three nearby prefectures. The new declaration, which adds seven other prefectures in western and central Japan, takes effect Thursday and lasts until Feb. 7.
14th Jan 2021 - ABC News
China records its first coronavirus death since MAY and the most new cases in more than 10 months
The patient, a woman from northern China's Hebei, died yesterday afternoon
Apart from suffering the virus, she also had a serious heart disease, officials said
Hebei, the new epicentre, has locked down several cities amid the fresh crisis
The latest coronavirus death is the first one reported in China since May 16
China also reported its biggest daily jump in Covid-19 cases in around 10 months
National Health Commission said 138 infections noted, up from 115 a day earlier
14th Jan 2021 - Daily Mail
'At 6 pm, life stops': Europe uses curfews to fight virus
As the wan winter sun sets over France’s Champagne region, the countdown clock kicks in. Laborers stop pruning the vines as the light fades at about 4:30 p.m., leaving them 90 minutes to come in from the cold, change out of their work clothes, hop in their cars and zoom home before a 6 p.m. coronavirus curfew. Forget about any after-work socializing with friends, after-school clubs for children or doing any evening shopping beyond quick trips for essentials. Police on patrol demand valid reasons from people seen out and about. For those without them, the threat of mounting fines for curfew-breakers is increasingly making life outside of the weekends all work and no play.
14th Jan 2021 - Associated Press
Swedish COVID-19 cases cross 500,000 mark as hospitals near limit
Sweden has registered 17,395 new coronavirus cases since Friday, taking the total above 500,000 cases since the start of the pandemic, as hospitals struggled to cope with a rampant second wave of the virus, Health Agency statistics showed on Tuesday. The statistics showed that Dec. 17 was the deadliest day since the start of the pandemic with 116 deaths, surpassing a previous peak of 115 daily deaths set in April. More people are being treated for COVID-19 at hospitals in Sweden now than at any time during the pandemic. While Sweden still has around 20% spare capacity at intensive care units, there are worries the spread will accelerate again as people return to work and schools after the holidays.
14th Jan 2021 - Reuters
Global COVID rise continues; 50 nations report B117 variant
In its weekly snapshot of global COVID-19 trends, the World Health Organization (WHO) said yesterday that after lower reporting over the 2-week holiday period, cases and deaths are on the rise again in all but one of its regions and that 50 countries have now detected the more transmissible B117 variant first detected in the United Kingdom. In a separate announcement today, the WHO said its COVID-19 emergency committee will meet tomorrow for the sixth time to discuss the latest developments and tweak their recommendations.
13th Jan 2021 - CIDRAP
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 14th Jan 2021
View this newsletter in fullCNN reporter breaks down in tears live on air as she ‘grieves’ for families affected by Covid-19
Journalist Sara Sidner could barely speak during Tuesday’s segment where she spoke about the Covid-19 crisis in California. Sara broke down in tears following a news package about how the virus has disproportionately affected Black and Latino families. A clip that was shown on the programme, centered around a family that had to hold a funeral for their mother in a parking lot. ‘This is the 10th hospital that I have been…,’ Sara began as she choked back the tears. ‘I’m sorry,’ she added. ‘I apologise, I’m going to try to get through this.’
13th Jan 2021 - Metro
Ontario reports 2,961 new COVID-19 cases as province set to give update on vaccine distribution efforts
Ontario’s premier is defending his government’s new stay-at-home order against criticism that the latest measure to fight COVID-19 is not clear. Doug Ford stressed that the measure means people should “use their best judgment” to determine if they need to leave their home as virus rates surge. Under the order that takes effect Thursday, Ontario residents will be required to stay at home except for essential activities such as accessing health care, shopping for groceries, or outdoor exercise. The government has also restricted hours of operation for non-essential retailers currently offering delivery and curbside pick up to between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m., and a five-person cap on outdoor social gatherings.
13th Jan 2021 - The Globe and Mail
COVID-19 live updates: Quebec reports 2,071 new cases, 35 deaths as hospitalizations continue to rise
Updated throughout the day on Wednesday, Jan. 13. Questions/comments: ariga@postmedia.com Top updates Quebec reports 2,071 new cases, 35 deaths as hospitalizations rise Quebec is recording more cases,
13th Jan 2021 - The Gazette on MSN.com
British tourist is blamed for Covid-19 outbreak in Switzerland that has caused officials to scrap Ski World Cup races
91st Luberhorn classic in Wengen, Switzerland, was cancelled earlier this week
Covid outbreak infected 60 at resort - half of the cases blamed on a single Briton
World Cup races moved to Kitzbuehel but Austrian officials have since moved the races again - now to Flachau - after British mutant strain discovered in Tyrol
13th Jan 2021 - Daily Mail
Mental health of NHS staff placed under further strain as Covid hospitalisations continue to rise
Doctors and nurses treating coronavirus patients in overstretched hospitals are increasingly suffering from mental health issues, figures show – as health chiefs warn staff will be pushed to their limit over the next few weeks of the pandemic. The number of doctors seeking psychiatric help through the British Medical Association has doubled since the pandemic began, The Independent can reveal, while new research shows that nearly half of all NHS staff in intensive care units (ICUs) are likely to meet the threshold for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety or depression. And in a letter sent to doctors on Tuesday, the UK’s chief medical officers said that the weeks ahead “are likely to be among the most challenging of all our professional lives” and will push staff “to the limits of [their] physical and mental endurance”.
13th Jan 2021 - The Independent
Bodies pile up at crematorium in Germany's virus hot spot
The caskets are stacked three high in the Meissen crematorium’s somber memorial hall, piled up in empty offices and stored in hallways. Many are sealed with plastic wrapping, others are labeled “infection risk,” “urgent” or simply “COVID.” A surge of coronavirus deaths in this corner of eastern Germany has boosted business for crematorium manager Joerg Schaldach and his staff, but nobody is celebrating. “The situation is a little bit tense for us at the moment,” Schaldach said as another undertaker’s van pulled up outside. The crematorium would typically have 70 to 100 caskets on site at this time of year, when the flu season takes its toll on the elderly
13th Jan 2021 - The Associated Press
Soaring COVID-19 cases in Spain prompt more regions to toughen response
The Spanish regions of Galicia, La Rioja and Cantabria became the latest to tighten coronavirus restrictions on Wednesday amid a spiralling national infection rate that officials have blamed on lax adherence to the rules over Christmas. After a lull in contagion in late November, cases skyrocketed through December and into early January, doubling the incidence of the virus as measured over the past 14 days in just three weeks, to 454 cases per 100,000 people. Unlike European countries such as Britain and the Netherlands, which have extended national lockdowns, the Spanish authorities have repeatedly said a return to confinement is not necessary. Instead it has delegated regional authorities to deploy a mixture of curfews, caps on group meetings and restrictions on business opening hours.
13th Jan 2021 - Reuters
Spanish regions ramp up coronavirus restrictions as third wave takes hold
The feared third wave of the coronavirus after Christmas is getting worse in Spain, and is forcing the country’s regional governments to take action. After relaxing restrictions for the holiday season, which saw a spike in social interaction, and given the rise in daily infections and increased pressure on hospitals, coronavirus measures are once again being revised. On Tuesday, the central Health Ministry reported 25,438 new cases and added 408 fatalities to the official death toll. What’s more, the 14-day cumulative number of coronavirus cases per 100,000 inhabitants now stands at 454, well about the 250-limit that the ministry considers to be extreme risk. The effect of last week’s Kings’ Day celebrations is yet to be seen in the figures.
13th Jan 2021 - EL PAÍS in English
Third coronavirus wave gains pace in Spain, with 25,500 new infections and 408 Covid-related fatalities
Spain is being plunged into a third wave of the coronavirus pandemic, and the country’s hospitals are beginning to suffer as a result. There are currently more than 17,600 Covid-19 patients being treated, 64% up on the figure before Christmas, and the number of people in intensive care units (ICUs) has risen 39% since December 24. Epidemiologists are warning that the curve of infections will continue to rise, while some experts are calling for a home lockdown in order to stop the transmission of the virus and avoid hospitals becoming overwhelmed. The relaxation of restrictions in December and the rise of social interaction over the Christmas period are behind this third wave, which comes hot on the heels of the second one, which was seen in the autumn. The Health Ministry reported 25,438 new infections and added 408 victims to the overall death toll on Tuesday, while the 14-day cumulative number of coronavirus cases per 100,000 inhabitants is currently at 454 for the whole of Spain.
13th Jan 2021 - EL PAÍS in English
France likely to have to take tougher measures due to virus variants
France will likely have to consider more restrictions on people’s movements soon to limit the spread of the UK and South African variants of the coronavirus, Jean-François Defraissy, head of the scientific council advising the government on the epidemic said on Tuesday. “There will probably be — and these are political decisions — a certain number of tougher measures to take,” Defraissy told TF1 television. The government is currently pondering whether to impose a third national lockdown
13th Jan 2021 - Metro US
Tokyo's Covid outbreak adds to doubts over hosting Olympic Games
A dramatic rise in coronavirus cases in Tokyo has reignited speculation about the Olympic Games, which are due to open in the city in just over six months’ time. Japan widened its coronavirus state of emergency to cover more than half the population on Wednesday as surging infections sparked warnings of intense pressure on hospitals. The prime minister, Yoshihide Suga, said anti-virus measures introduced in the greater Tokyo region – at the centre of the latest wave of cases – would be expanded to include seven other prefectures. Suga said he would “take every measure” to protect lives, adding that all non-resident foreign nationals would be banned from entering Japan until the emergency measures were lifted. Japan had previously permitted business travellers from 11 Asian countries where case numbers appeared to be under control.
13th Jan 2021 - The Guardian
Japan expands state of emergency over coronavirus as infections climb
Japan will expand its state of emergency to seven more prefectures, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said Wednesday. The country reported 4,527 new cases and 51 deaths Tuesday, bringing the national total to almost 300,000, with a death toll of 4,158. More than 61,500 patients are in hospitals across the country, which have been struggling to deal with a spike in cases brought on in part by freezing winter temperatures. Tokyo, previously among the worst hit areas, reported 970 new cases Tuesday, the first time the Japanese capital's daily tally has dropped below 1,000 in over a week. The total number of confirmed cases in Tokyo now stands at 77,133.
13th Jan 2021 - CNN
Australian paramedic in UK's 'chaotic' COVID-19 surge says most colleagues have caught the virus
Every morning, Declan Gregg covers himself from head to toe in PPE — mask, goggles, gloves and a full gown — before climbing into an ambulance and heading to the first call of the day. An Australian paramedic based in Crawley, south of London, he knows the first job will inevitably be a coronavirus patient. As will the next job, and the one after that. Hospitals across the United Kingdom are overflowing as case numbers and deaths soar to new records every day, with the mutant, more transmissible strain of the virus spreading rapidly.
13th Jan 2021 - ABC News
Swiss boost coronavirus restrictions, shy away from full lockdown
Switzerland on Wednesday tightened measures to tackle new variants of the COVID-19 virus spreading across the country while stopping short of the full lockdown neighbouring countries have adopted to choke off the pandemic. The wealthy Alpine country also eased rules for pandemic-hit businesses to apply for state aid, which will force the government to ask parliament to top up the latest 2.5 billion Swiss franc ($2.82 billion) pot of money for hardship cases. Governments across Europe have announced tighter and longer coronavirus lockdowns over fears about a fast-spreading variant first detected in Britain, with vaccinations not expected to help much for another two to three months.
13th Jan 2021 - Reuters
UK's Second Wave Covid Deaths Surpass First Wave Total
More people have now died during the second wave of coronavirus in the UK than the first, the latest government figures reveal. From the beginning of the pandemic up to September 1, when three people died of Covid – the lowest number since the pandemic began – 41,565 people died within 28 days of a positive test. Since then, at least 43,196 more people have died, Wednesday’s figures show. Meanwhile, analysis by the PA news agency of separate figures published by the UK’s statistics agencies for deaths where Covid-19 has been mentioned on the death certificate – together with additional data on deaths that have occurred in recent days – suggest there have now been 100,000 deaths involving coronavirus in the UK
13th Jan 2021 - HuffPost UK
Italian medics may be permitted to ration life-saving care under new pandemic plan
The Italian health ministry has been criticised after a draft of the country’s new pandemic plan revealed medics would be permitted to choose which patients receive life-saving care. This is the first time Italy has updated its pandemic plan since 2006. The absence of an adequate plan is thought to have contributed to Italy’s coronavirus death toll of more than 79,000. The draft copy of the pandemic plan for 2021-23, seen by the Guardian, stipulates that while health workers are obliged to provide the best and most appropriate care to patients, there are circumstances that may make it necessary to prioritise who to try to save.
12th Jan 2021 - The Guardian
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 13th Jan 2021
View this newsletter in fullCovid-19 cases ‘unlikely to peak for weeks’
Pressure on the NHS is unlikely to peak until next month as cases surge far beyond London, a health service chief has claimed.The comments by Chris Hopson, chief executive of NHS Providers, came as
12th Jan 2021 - The Times
UK Covid-19 death toll rises by 1,243 in second deadliest day of pandemic so far
The UK has recorded its second deadliest day since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, with a further 1,243 lives lost to the virus. The Department of Health also confirmed that 45,533 people had tested positive for the virus in 24 hours. Only once, last Friday, has the daily death toll been higher, when 1,325 fatalities were announced. It brings the UK's official coronavirus death toll to 83,203. There have been 6,898 Covid deaths in the past seven days - a 45 per cent rise compared to the previous week. It comes as NHS staff struggle to cope with the surge in Covid-19 hospital admissions and Home Secretary Priti Patel backs police forces taking a tough stance on rule breakers.
12th Jan 2021 - Mirror Online
3rd House lawmaker tests positive for COVID-19 after lockdown during Capitol attack
A third House lawmaker has tested positive for COVID-19 after being exposed to the virus while in lockdown with some Republican members who refused to wear masks during the attack on the Capitol last week, bringing the total number who have so far tested positive to three. The announcements from Democratic Representatives Brad Schneider, Bonnie Watson Coleman and Pramila Jayapal come days after the attending physician for the Capitol warned members they may have been "exposed to another occupant with coronavirus infection." Congressman Brad Schneider announced he had tested positive for COVID-19 in a statement on Tuesday, and blamed Republicans for spreading the virus.
12th Jan 2021 - CBS News
Third Democrat tests positive for COVID after riot lockdown
Democrats have proposed a $1,000 a day fine on lawmakers who refuse to wear masks while in the Capitol complex. Rep. Debbie Dingell is leading the charge on the issue and blasted Republicans for 'laughing off' requests to wear one. Democratic Rep. Brad Schneider became the third lawmaker to test positive for COVID after being in lockdown with lawmakers last week. About 100 lawmakers were huddled in a poorly-ventilated room together during the MAGA riot on the Capitol with many Republicans refusing to wearing masks. He slammed Republicans: 'I was forced to spend several hours in a secure but confined location with dozens of other Members of Congress,' he said. 'Several Republican lawmakers in the room adamantly refused to wear a mask'
He is isolating at home in Illinois and not yet showing symptoms. Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal, 55, also tested positive for COVID-19. And Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, 75, announced earlier on Monday that she had tested positive for the coronavirus and was suffering mild symptoms. Both Jayapal and Coleman blame their infections on being trapped with Republicans who refused to wear face masks
Jayapal says she believes it will turn out to be a 'superspreader event'
12th Jan 2021 - Daily Mail
S.Korea daily virus cases under 500 for first time since record highs in Dec -KDCA
South Korea reported fewer than 500 new coronavirus infections on Monday for the first time since record high daily case numbers over the Christmas holiday period.
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) reported 451 new cases as of midnight on Sunday, driven by a lull in testing as well as an apparent easing in infections. The country reported a record 1,241 cases in one day during the Christmas holiday, the peak of the country's largest wave of infections yet. South Korea stopped short of a complete lockdown or stay-at-home order, but has imposed unprecedented restrictions for weeks, including banning private gatherings of more than four people. In the capital Seoul and surrounding areas a number of high-risk businesses such as bars and gyms were ordered to close and coffee shops can only offer takeaway service.
12th Jan 2021 - The Guardian
3 new Covid-19 strains that are leading to fresh lockdowns
Japan’s health ministry has declared a new coronavirus variant in the country. The new strain features 12 mutations, including one that was found in England and South Africa. Both the UK variant — which is significantly more transmissible — and a second strain in South Africa have raised concerns about whether a vaccine-resistant version could eventually develop.
12th Jan 2021 - Khaleej Times
WA coronavirus cases will likely end in snap lockdown, Chief Health Officer warns
The "hard and fast" snap lockdown used to manage COVID-19 outbreaks in other states is the "likely outcome" if WA were to also experience an outbreak, the state's Chief Health Officer Andrew Robertson says. Dr Robertson said there appeared to be a "very good rationale" for cities to impose hard, snap lockdowns in the event of a coronavirus outbreak. "It would depend … on the circumstances," Dr Robertson told ABC Radio Perth. "How many cases we had, how much community spread, whether it's one outbreak.
12th Jan 2021 - ABC News
Australia records handful of new coronavirus cases as national frictions grow
Australia recorded a handful of new locally acquired coronavirus cases on Tuesday, with frictions increasing between state leaders over the best approach to manage and contain the outbreaks. The northern state of Queensland recorded one new case, in the quarantined partner of a cleaner who was found to have the highly infectious UK strain last week, which triggered a three-day lockdown over the weekend to Monday. The country’s most populous state of New South Wales logged five new locally acquired infections, including two mystery cases that caused the emergency department at Sydney’s Mount Druitt hospital to close for deep cleaning on Monday.
12th Jan 2021 - Reuters Australia
French new COVID cases at seven-week high
France’s new COVID-19 infections are on average increasing by more than 18,000 a day, a seven-week high, and the number of people hospitalised is rising again as the country grapples with the more infectious variant of the virus first found in Britain. These latest trends, published on Monday, will be discussed in the coming days by the government which is pondering whether to impose a third national lockdown and extend a 6 pm curfew, now enforced in some areas, to all of France.
12th Jan 2021 - Reuters
New Austrian COVID cluster: mainly British group on ski teacher course
Austria said on Tuesday it has identified a new cluster of 17 COVID-19 cases, a mainly British group on a ski teacher training course, despite the country being on lockdown and having banned flights from Britain over fears of a new coronavirus variant. The Alpine province of Tyrol, which suffered Austria’s worst outbreak to date at the ski resort of Ischgl, said the cluster in the town of Jochberg was suspected to be of the new, more infectious variant first pinpointed in Britain in September that has spread to dozens of countries including Austria. The fact such a training course was allowed to happen despite lockdown restrictions, which include closing schools to all but daycare, stunned many Austrians.
12th Jan 2021 - Reuters
Lebanon tightens lockdown, imposes 24-hour curfew, as hospitals buckle
Lebanon announced a tightening of its lockdown on Monday, introducing a 24-hour curfew from Thursday as COVID-19 infections overwhelm its medical system. The new all-day curfew starts at 5 a.m. (0300 GMT) on Thursday and ends at 5 a.m. on Jan. 25, a statement by the Supreme Defense Council said. Lebanon last week ordered a three-week lockdown until Feb. 2 that included a nighttime curfew from 6 p.m. to 5 a.m. But tighter measures were now necessary as hospitals run out of capacity to treat critically ill patients, President Michel Aoun said in the statement.
12th Jan 2021 - Reuters
As Canada battles rising COVID-19 cases, lack of sick leave fuels transmission
As Canadian provinces struggle to contain rising COVID-19 infections, a lack of adequate paid sick leave for front-line workers is fuelling transmission, doctors and advocates say. While political leaders and health officials advise sick people to stay home, many people can’t afford to. Some 58% of workers in Canada lack enough paid sick leave, according to the Decent Work and Health Network, and that percentage rises as wages drop. One morning last spring, 67-year-old part-time support worker Susan woke up feeling “a hurt in my heart like a knife.” She went to work at a Toronto rehabilitation home anyway -- she said it was the only way to pay the bills. Susan, who is using an pseudonym for fear of professional repercussions, had no sick days and couldn’t afford to miss even a day’s pay.
12th Jan 2021 - Reuters
COVID surges press health systems in several nations
Fresh surges in COVID-19 activity triggered strengthened measures in several parts of the world, as soaring death levels in part of England led to the use of a temporary morgue. Health officials expected a surge of cases from holiday gatherings, but the emergence of at least two more transmissible variants is amplifying new surges in part of Europe and South Africa, as more countries brace for their potential impact. Daily cases in the United Kingdom are down bit from record highs reported last week, but hospitals in the hardest-hit areas are struggling, and deaths—which typically lag cases—are up 45.6% over the last 7 days, according to the latest government data.
12th Jan 2021 - CIDRAP
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 12th Jan 2021
View this newsletter in fullChina reports biggest daily COVID-19 case jump in over five months
Mainland China saw its biggest daily increase in COVID-19 cases in over five months, the country’s health authority said on Monday, as new infections in Hebei province surrounding Beijing continued to rise. A county in northeastern Heilongjiang province on Monday moved into lockdown after reporting new coronavirus infections, state television also reported separately. Hebei accounted for 82 of the 85 new local infections reported on Jan. 10, the National Health Commission (NHC) said in a statement, with Liaoning province also reporting two new cases and Beijing reporting one new case. The country also saw 18 new imported infections from overseas. The total number of new COVID-19 cases stood at 103, the highest since 127 cases were reported on July 30.
12th Jan 2021 - Reuters
Coronavirus: UK to face ‘worst weeks of pandemic’, Whitty warns as cases surge
England’s chief medical officer has warned the coming weeks are going “to be the worst weeks” of the coronavirus pandemic for the NHS, as he urged the public to minimise unnecessary contacts in order to reduce transmissions. Highlighting the pressure on the health service, professor Chris Whitty said that while 18,000 people were in hospital with Covid-19 during the April peak last year, on Sunday there were over 30,000 beds occupied by patients with the disease. “This is going to be a significant crisis for the NHS unless we take evasive action,” he warned on BBC Breakfast several days after the government imposed the third nationwide lockdown in England to curb the spread of the virus.
11th Jan 2021 - The Independent
Over half a million under lockdown as Beijing outbreak spreads
More than half a million people were placed under lockdown in Beijing on Monday as the government imposed strict measures to stamp out a handful of Covid-19 cases. China has largely brought the virus under control, but is tackling a number of local infections with lockdowns and mass testing. Authorities are keen to stem any outbreak in the capital -- home to over 20 million people -- particularly ahead of a week-long national holiday next month.
11th Jan 2021 - FRANCE 24
Japan finds new mutant Covid strain as infectious as variant in UK
Japan has detected a third mutant strain of coronavirus that is similar to the highly infectious variants spreading across the UK and South Africa. The strain was found in four passengers arriving from Brazil who were quarantined at Haneda Airport in Tokyo when they tested positive, Nikkei Asia reports. Three of the group developed symptoms including struggling to breath, a fever and a sore throat, while one man in his 40s arrived on January 2 without any symptoms. But he was later rushed to hospital with difficulties breathing, Bloomberg reports.
11th Jan 2021 - Metro
Global COVID-19 cases surpass 90 million as battle against new variant continues
Worldwide coronavirus cases surpassed 90 million on Monday, according to Reuters tally, as nations around the globe scramble to procure vaccines and continue to extend or reinstate lockdowns to fight new coronavirus variants. The new COVID-19 variants discovered initially in the United Kingdom and South Africa are rapidly spreading globally. The novel coronavirus has picked up pace in the past few months with about one-third of total cases registered in the last 48 days, according to a Reuters tally.
11th Jan 2021 - CTV News
China reports biggest daily COVID-19 case jump in over 5 months
Mainland China saw its biggest daily increase in COVID-19 cases in over five months, the country’s health authority said on Monday, as new infections in Hebei province surrounding Beijing continued to rise. A county in northeastern Heilongjiang province on Monday moved into lockdown after reporting new coronavirus infections, state television also reported separately. Heibei accounted for 82 of the 85 new local infections reported on Jan. 10, the National Health Commission (NHC) said in a statement, with Liaoning province also reporting two new cases and Beijing reporting one new case. The country also saw 18 new imported infections from overseas. The total number of new COVID-19 cases stood at 103, the highest since 127 cases were reported on July 30.
11th Jan 2021 - Reuters
Sweden passes lockdown law to allow closures amid high death toll
Sweden has introduced a law that would allow the government to close restaurants, shops, and public transport to combat the spread of COVID-19. The new legislation signals a major shift away from the country's initial no-lockdown approach to the pandemic. A severe second wave of COVID-19 infections has prompted Sweden gradually to abandon the unique approach it first adopted towards the pandemic, when it relied on voluntary social distancing measures. Anders Tegnell, the architect of Sweden's initial no-lockdown response, said last week that the COVID-19 situation showed no signs of improvement in Sweden.
11th Jan 2021 - Business Insider
Over half a million under lockdown as Beijing outbreak spreads
More than half a million people were placed under lockdown in Beijing on Monday as the government imposed strict measures to stamp out a handful of COVID-19 cases. China has largely brought the virus under control, but is tackling a number of local infections with lockdowns and mass testing. Authorities are keen to stem any outbreak in the capital -- home to over 20 million people -- particularly ahead of a week-long national holiday next month.
11th Jan 2021 - CTV News
UK steps vaccinations as COVID surges, worst weeks still to come
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday Britain was in “a race against time” to roll out COVID-19 vaccines as deaths hit record highs and hospitals ran out of oxygen, and his top medical adviser said the pandemic’s worst weeks were imminent. A new, more transmissible variant of the disease is now surging through the population, with one in 20 people in parts of London now infected, threatening to overwhelm the National Health Service (NHS) as hospitals fill up with patients. The death toll in the United Kingdom has been soaring and now stands in excess of 81,000 - the world’s fifth-highest official toll - while more than three million people have tested positive.
11th Jan 2021 - Reuters
Global coronavirus cases surpass 90 million in battle on new variant
Worldwide coronavirus cases surpassed 90 million on Monday, according to Reuters tally, as nations around the globe scramble to procure vaccines and continue to extend or reinstate lockdowns to fight new coronavirus variants. The new COVID-19 variants discovered initially in the United Kingdom and South Africa are rapidly spreading globally. The novel coronavirus has picked up pace in the past few months with about one-third of total cases registered in the last 48 days, according to a Reuters tally. Europe, which became the first region to report 25 million cases last week, remains the worst-affected area in the world, followed by Latin America with 22.4 million and 16.3 million cases respectively.
11th Jan 2021 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 11th Jan 2021
View this newsletter in fullUPDATE 1-French city of Marseille gets tougher curfew as new COVID-19 variant discovered
France has imposed a stricter evening curfew in Marseille after authorities said the new variant of the COVID-19 virus initially found in the UK had been discovered in the Mediterranean city. Marseille joined other French cities such as Strasbourg and Dijon in having its curfew moved forward to 6 p.m. from 8 p.m., and running through to 6 a.m. the following morning. The stricter Marseille measures will start on Sunday evening. The move came as COVID-19 related deaths and cases increased in France, which has the world's seventh-highest death toll from the coronavirus. There were 20,177 new, confirmed COVID cases in the last 24 hours and roughly 170 more deaths.
9th Jan 2021 - Reuters on MSN.com
Nine further Covid-19 deaths in Northern Ireland
A further nine people who tested positive for Covid-19 have died in Northern Ireland in the past 24 hours. The latest figures from the Department of Health also show 1,442 more positive cases for coronavirus here out of 4,777 tested. The hospitals are operating at 97% bed occupancy, with 674 Covid inpatients, 47 in ICU and 33 on ventilators. There are 137 active outbreaks across Northern Ireland’s care homes. It comes as Northern Ireland entered into the second day of tough new restrictions to help stem the spread of rising Covid-19 cases.
9th Jan 2021 - ITV News
Covid-19 outbreaks in care homes double in a fortnight as care sector is biggest source of infection clusters
The number of apparent Covid-19 outbreaks inside care homes has more than doubled in a fortnight with the care sector now the largest source of multi-infection incidents once again, according to official data. Public Health England figures show that in the week to 3 January, there were 749 “acute respiratory infection incidents” in care homes across the UK, up from 480 the week before and 364 in the week before that. The incidents are defined as two or more confirmed or suspected cases of a respiratory illness such as Covid-19 or flu, and a large majority were confirmed to involve Covid-19 through virus testing.
9th Jan 2021 - iNews
Northern Ireland Health Minister Robin Swann says peak of Covid-19 surge "expected in third week of January"
As Northern Ireland entered a new range of restrictions at midnight on Thursday, the Department of Health reported 20 further coronavirus related deaths. Friday's dashboard update also reported a further 1,500 positive cases of the virus in the last 24 hour period, bringing the total number of positive cases to 86,146 since the start of the pandemic. In a statement to the Assembly this evening, Minister Swann said that "it is essential that the current lockdown successfully and significantly reduces the R number". He also said that it is estimated that in some parts of NI, where transmission is particularly high, as many as 1 in 40 people currently have Covid-19 and for Northern Ireland as a whole, the estimated figure is in the region of 1 in 60. In his statement to the Assembly, Mr Swann said: "This week, a number of our Health and Social Care Trusts have confirmed a downturn of elective surgery. This reflects the unprecedented pressures that the Covid-19 pandemic is creating in our hospitals.
9th Jan 2021 - Belfast Live
U.S. breaks record for daily COVID-19 cases with 310k new infections
The United States on Saturday surpassed 370,000 coronavirus deaths a day after the nation broke a record for the highest new cases of COVID-19 in one day as California and New Jersey experienced a massive one-day surge. A total of 370,119 people have died since the start of the pandemic, according to Johns Hopkins Medical Center. Additionally, there were 310,080 new cases reported on Friday 50,000 of which were in California and 20,000 in New Jersey, according to the COVID Tracking Project. It comes as there were 23,083 COVID-19 deaths already recorded in the first eight days of the year and 16 states reported their highest number of COVID-19 hospitalizations this week, in yet more troubling signs for the post-holiday surge
9th Jan 2021 - Daily Mail
COVID-19: NHS at breaking point and public 'not listening' to lockdown, warns top doctor
The NHS is "breaking in front of us" as people fail to obey lockdown rules, and hospitals may soon be too short of staff to keep their patients safe, a leading doctor has warned. Dr Zudin Puthucheary, council member of the Intensive Care Society and a critical care consultant, told Sky News he was "scared and angry" as the COVID-19 crisis takes its toll on hospitals - notably in London. A major incident was declared in the capital on Friday due to rising numbers of coronavirus cases threatening to overrun its already stretched hospitals.
9th Jan 2021 - Sky News
Covid-19: Act like you've got the virus, government urges
People in England are being told to act like they have got Covid as part of a government advertising campaign aimed at tackling the rise in infections. Boris Johnson said the public should "stay at home" and not get complacent. On Friday 1,325 deaths within 28 days of a positive Covid test were recorded in the UK - the highest daily figure yet - along with 68,053 new cases. Government sources say there is likely to be more focus from police on enforcing rather than explaining rules. "With over 1,000 people dying yesterday it's more important than ever everyone sticks to rules," a source told the BBC.
9th Jan 2021 - BBC News
Australia scrambles to block coronavirus variant; travellers must show negative test
Travellers to Australia will have to show a negative Covid-19 test before they can get on their plane, the prime minister said on Friday (Jan 8), as the city of Brisbane went into lockdown after the discovery of a case of a virulent new coronavirus variant. The more than 2 million residents of Brisbane, Australia’s third-largest city, will be barred from leaving their homes for anything but essential business for three days from Friday evening after a worker at a quarantine hotel tested positive for the new variant, which was first detected in Britain. Australia has detected several cases of the variant but this was the first one to appear outside the quarantine system.
9th Jan 2021 - The Straits Times
False Reports of a New ‘U.S. Variant’ Came from White House Task Force
Reports of a highly contagious new coronavirus variant in the United States, published on Friday by multiple news outlets, are based on speculative statements made by Dr. Deborah Birx and are inaccurate, according to several government officials. The erroneous report originated at a recent meeting where Dr. Birx, a member of the White House coronavirus task force, presented graphs of the escalating cases in the country. She suggested to other members of the task force that a new, more transmissible variant originating in the United States might explain the surge, as another variant did in Britain.
9th Jan 2021 - The New York Times
Coronavirus latest updates: India reports 18,222 new cases; mutant strain patients spike to 90
India on Saturday reported 18,222 new COVID-19 cases, 19,253 discharges, and 228 deaths. As India gears up for the corona vaccination program, a dry run has been conducted in the country to assess the readiness of the mechanism laid out for immunisation drive. In Maharashtra, dry run was conducted across 32 of the total 36 districts. Maharashtra Minister also asserted that the central government should bear the entire cost of vaccination. Meanwhile, the state's coronavirus tally has increased to 19.61 lakh with the addition of 3,693 cases. As the virus claimed the lives of 73 patients during the day, the fatality count mounted to 49,970.
9th Jan 2021 - Mumbai Mirror
Coronavirus Vaccine Demand Has Health Officials Turning to Eventbrite
In the early stages of a global push to distribute the coronavirus vaccine to those who need it most — a process that has, so far, managed to be both hectic and slow — some health officials have turned to an unexpected tool: the ticketing website Eventbrite. Before the pandemic, the platform was a place to book tickets to performances, art shows or pub crawls. Now, public health officials are using it to schedule vaccination appointments. Mai Miller, 48, of Merritt Island, Fla., scoured Eventbrite last week in search of a slot for her mother. She scrolled through pages of dates and times, repeatedly refreshing the site and hunting for booking buttons that were blue, signaling availability. She found a few, but she couldn’t seem to click on them quickly enough. “It was just a scramble,” she said. “Like musical chairs with 20 chairs and 4,000 people.”
9th Jan 2021 - The New York Times
Doctors raise alarm as Covid strikes down NHS workforce
In England, the number of doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers who are falling ill with Covid-19 has reached crisis levels and is seriously hampering the fight against the rapidly escalating pandemic, senior figures in the NHS have warned. The problem of staff absence, because of illness or the need to self-isolate when family members test positive, is also beginning to hamper the vaccination programme – just as the government throws maximum resources into efforts to vaccinate 15 million high priority people by the middle of February.
9th Jan 2021 - The Guardian
US sees most single-day deaths in pandemic: 4,000+
Yesterday 4,085 Americans died of COVID-19, a bleak record in the year-long pandemic. In total, the US reported 274,403 new cases, an uptick from the 200,000 daily average seen through the beginning of the month, and one that likely represents a holiday-related increase. According to the dashboard maintained by Johns Hopkins University, the country has 21,776,072 cases and 367,635 deaths, by far the most in the world. Several states are setting daily records in both cases and deaths. New York state reported a single-day record of 17,609 new COVID-19 cases yesterday, and has set case records 5 of the past 9 days,
8th Jan 2021 - CIDRAP
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 8th Jan 2021
View this newsletter in fullExclusive: London will be overwhelmed by covid in a fortnight says leaked NHS England briefing
London’s hospitals are less than two weeks from being overwhelmed by covid even under the ‘best’ case scenario, according to an official briefing given to the capital’s most senior doctors this afternoon. NHS England London medical director Vin Diwakar set out the stark analysis to the medical directors of London’s hospital trusts on a Zoom call. The NHS England presentation, seen by HSJ (see slides below story), showed that even if the number of covid patients grew at the lowest rate considered likely, and measures to manage demand and increase capacity, including open the capital’s Nightingale hospital, were successful, the NHS in London would be short of nearly 2,000 general and acute and intensive care beds by 19 January.
7th Jan 2021 - Health Service Journal
France reports 22 cases of new COVID-19 variants, ministry says
French Health ministry said on Thursday that 22 cases of new variants of the coronavirus have been detected in France. The ministry also said in a statement that two high-risk clusters that could feature the new British variant of COVID-19 have been found in the Brittany and the Paris regions.
7th Jan 2021 - Reuters
Return to home lockdowns ruled out as Spain’s COVID-19 cases soar in ‘third wave’
Spain's Health Minister has ruled out any home confinements to combat the 'third wave' of the coronavirus pandemic. Salvador Illa said today (January 7) that the Madrid government is not considering a new State of Alarm decree to supersede the one imposed on October 25th to stop the fresh onslaught of Covid-19. Regional governments have the flexibility under the current State of Alarm to impose measures to reduce the spread of new infections, but they cannot bring in home confiements.
7th Jan 2021 - Olive Press
Covid-19: Virus Hammers California as Deaths and Hospitalizations Surge
California’s daily coronavirus case tallies remain around four times what they were during the state’s summer surge, and officials predict that the aftereffects of a December surge linked to holiday gatherings will worsen as the winter drags on. After new infections — driven by Thanksgiving travel and gatherings, then Christmas festivities — resulted in a surge unlike any the state had yet seen, the trajectory of its new cases has leveled off somewhat in the early days of 2021. But there are more than twice as many Covid-19 patients in California hospitals now as there were a month ago, and many intensive care units in the state have been overflowing. At least six people in the state have also been found to be infected with the new, more transmissible variant of the virus first identified in Britain.
7th Jan 2021 - The New York Times
Spain tightens virus curbs but rules out lockdown
Spain's regions stepped up virus restrictions this week but the government remained adamant it would not impose a lockdown despite an expected post-Christmas surge in infections, a minister said Thursday. Outgoing Health Minister Salvador Illa said the situation was causing "a great deal of concern", warning there were "complicated weeks ahead and people must remain on high alert".
7th Jan 2021 - Medical Xpress
The UK can't even keep track of its spiralling Covid-19 case numbers
Ten months after the first one, the UK is back where it started: stuck a national lockdown. Since England came out of a national lockdown on December 2, the trajectory of daily confirmed cases across the UK has morphed into a near-vertical climb. Confirmed cases topped 60,000 for the first time on January 5, and a day later the daily death toll surpassed 1,000 for the first time since April. It’s obvious that the virus is spreading across the UK, but the testing numbers reveal something else worrying going on. The country is reporting a higher share of positive Covid-19 tests than at any point since April, when testing was extremely limited. This suggests that the real number of people with the virus is much higher than testing currently conveys.
7th Jan 2021 - Wired.co.uk
Japan Emergency May Last Months as Critics Say Steps Too Narrow
Restrictions set to be imposed under Japan’s state of emergency could last months, with both government advisers and critics of its strategy calling for broader steps than current proposals. Japan is set to declare an emergency as early as Thursday in Tokyo and three surrounding areas, with relatively narrow restrictions focused on reducing infections at bars and restaurants. But as in spring, the declaration may drag on if those moves fail to change people’s behavior, experts contend.
7th Jan 2021 - Bloomberg
Malaysia reports record jump in COVID-19 cases amid fears of new lockdown
Malaysia reported its biggest daily rise in coronavirus cases on Thursday as the government considered imposing restrictions in some areas, while businesses warned that another nationwide lockdown would further batter the economy. A jump in infections has spooked investors, with the Kuala Lumpur stock index falling as much as 1.2% on Thursday, a day after authorities said the rise in cases was straining the health system. The government was considering targeted lockdowns in parts of the country in response, Director-General of Health Noor Hisham Abdullah had said on Wednesday. The Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers said that it supported a partial lockdown but that wider restrictions could cripple businesses already impacted by the pandemic
7th Jan 2021 - Reuters UK
China COVID cases at highest in five months amid Hebei outbreak
The number of new COVID-19 cases in China nearly doubled on Wednesday as more patients were confirmed with the virus in Hebei, the province surrounding Beijing, which began mass testing of the entire provincial capital and restricted travel after detecting 20 cases earlier this week. Hebei, which entered “wartime mode” on Tuesday, accounted for 51 of the 52 new locally transmitted cases reported by the National Health Commission on Thursday. State media reported that 50 of those cases were in the provincial capital, Shijiazhuang, a city of 11 million people about 300 kilometres (200 miles) south of Beijing.
7th Jan 2021 - Al Jazeera English
Arizona deemed ‘hot spot of the world’ amid virus surge
Five months after President Donald Trump hailed Arizona as a model for how it dealt with the COVID-19 pandemic, public health experts warned Wednesday that the state has become “the hot spot of the world” and that health restrictions the governor has been hesitant to impose could have tamped down the crisis. “It’s way worse than July already, and it’s going to continue to get worse. We’re probably two weeks behind LA in terms of our situation,” Will Humble, head of the Arizona Public Health Association, said referring to Los Angeles County, where a COVID-19 surge has created a shortage of oxygen and led ambulance crews to stop transporting patients they can’t revive in the field.
7th Jan 2021 - AP News
Europe coronavirus cases surpass 25 million - Reuters tally
Coronavirus cases in Europe surpassed 25 million on Thursday, according to a Reuters tally, with several countries reinstating or extending lockdowns as a resurgence in the pandemic threatens to overwhelm health services.
7th Jan 2021 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 7th Jan 2021
View this newsletter in fullMore infectious COVID-19 variant in at least five U.S. states - NIH Director
A more contagious variant of COVID-19 that has swept through the United Kingdom has been reported in at least five states in the U.S., National Institutes of Health Director Francis Collins said in an interview to the Washington Post on Wednesday. “We have now seen that same UK virus in the U.S. in at least five states and I would be surprised if that doesn’t grow pretty rapidly,” Collins said, adding that it doesn’t however seem to be more severe. Last week, Reuters reported that Florida became the third known U.S. state to identify such a case, with two other cases identified in Colorado and California. Scientists have said newly developed vaccines should be equally effective against both variants.
6th Jan 2021 - Reuters
Record-high COVID-19 hospitalizations strain southwestern Ontario health-care system
A southwestern Ontario hospital grappling with record-high COVID-19 admissions was cancelling surgeries and transferring patients to other facilities this week while another scrapped procedures to free up staff who could care for the gravely ill. The capacity crunch due to rising cases of the novel coronavirus had the head of a group representing Ontario’s hospitals warning that the acute-care system is more stretched than ever and the situation could get worse. The Windsor Regional Hospital cancelled all non-urgent, elective surgeries indefinitely and is preparing to send patients to hospitals near and far, hospital CEO David Musyj said Wednesday.
Some acute-care patients are being transferred to the hospital in nearby Chatham-Kent, Ont., he said, while those with higher needs are being transferred to London, Ont.
6th Jan 2021 - The Star
COVID-19: Benjamin Netanyahu blames Israel's spike in coronavirus cases on 'British mutation'
Benjamin Netanyahu has blamed the "British mutation" of COVID-19 for a big spike in coronavirus cases in Israel. The Israeli prime minister said the pandemic was "spreading at top speed with the British mutation" as his government placed the country under stricter lockdown measures for the third time. "It [the British mutation] has reached Israel and is claiming many lives. We need to impose a full lockdown immediately," said Mr Netanyahu.
6th Jan 2021 - Sky News
U.S. sets COVID-19 hospitalization record as states work to ramp up vaccination efforts
More Americans were hospitalized with COVID-19 on Wednesday than at any time since the pandemic began, as total coronavirus infections crossed the 21 million mark, deaths soared across much of the United States and a historic vaccination effort lagged. U.S. COVID-19 hospitalizations reached a record 130,834 late on Tuesday, according to a Reuters tally of public health data, while 3,684 reported fatalities was the second-highest single-day death toll of the pandemic. That appalling toll meant that on Tuesday someone died from COVID-19 every 24 seconds in the United States. With total deaths surpassing 357,000, one in every 914 U.S. residents has died from COVID-19 since the pandemic began, according to a Reuters analysis.
6th Jan 2021 - Reuters UK
Covid-19: UK records more than 1,000 daily virus deaths
The UK has reported a further 1,041 people have died with coronavirus, the highest daily death toll since April. It came as 62,322 new cases were recorded, the highest daily rise since mass testing began, and as MPs supported England's lockdown. Health Secretary Matt Hancock earlier said doctors could be forced to ration treatment without the new curbs. There are 30,074 Covid patients in UK hospitals, he said, as an ambulance trust told of severe pressure. Current patient numbers are 39% higher than the previous peak on 12 April last year, when 21,684 were in hospital. The number of those who died within 28 days of a positive test in the past week is 37% higher than the previous seven days.
6th Jan 2021 - BBC News
Swamped Hospitals Expose Depth of Britain’s Unfolding Crisis
If the British government’s goal throughout the coronavirus pandemic has been to protect the health service, the next few weeks will be the biggest challenge yet. After overtaking Italy again as the country with Europe’s highest death toll, the U.K. is at the epicenter of the continent’s struggle to contain Covid-19. Daily infections are at a record—one in 50 people in England now have the disease—while Prime Minister Boris Johnson this week shut schools and ordered the population to stay at home. Medical staff say they may be forced to turn people away from hospitals if the latest lockdown fails to curb quickly enough a new strain of the virus that emerged in southeast England last month.
6th Jan 2021 - Bloomberg
New strain of coronavirus has been circulating in Spain for two weeks, experts conclude
The mutation of SARS-CoV-2 first identified in the United Kingdom has been detected by a research foundation in Valencia in two patients with no epidemiological connection to the country. The new, more contagious strain of the coronavirus that was first detected in the United Kingdom is already circulating in Spain between people who have no epidemiological connection with that country. That’s according to a preliminary genetic analysis carried out by the Fisabio Foundation research institute in Valencia, which has found the same mutations of SARS-CoV-2 that were detected in the UK in samples taken two weeks ago from two patients who had not traveled to the country, nor come into contact with someone who had.
6th Jan 2021 - EL PAÍS in English
Health Secretary Says Spain Can Avoid New Lockdown
Silvia Cazon, Spain's Secretary of State for Health, has claimed that Spain can avoid a full national lockdown despite fears of a third wave alongside the new British mutant strain. Speaking to Hoy por Hoy, Silivia Cazon said that Spain can implement "immediate measures" using "current instruments" to curb the rise in Covid cases without restorting to another national lockdown.
6th Jan 2021 - Euro Weekly News
Spain’s regions tighten restrictions as Covid-19 cases surge
Valencian authorities are confining 26 municipalities, Extremadura is closing bars and restaurants in its main cities, and La Rioja will limit all social gatherings to four people. After partially loosening restrictions during the Christmas holidays, Spanish regional governments are tightening their coronavirus measures again as cases continue to soar amid what experts are already describing as a third wave of the pandemic. The decisions come as Health Ministry data on Tuesday showed a 25% rise in reported cases over the last seven days. Nine Spanish territories now have an incidence rate categorized as “extreme risk” by health authorities.
6th Jan 2021 - EL PAÍS in English
COVID-19: UK records 1,041 COVID deaths and highest daily increase in cases
The UK has recorded its highest number of COVID-related deaths since 21 April, and the highest daily increase in cases. The government figures reported on Wednesday afternoon showed another 1,041 people had died within 28 days of testing positive for the virus. This is the 10th time since the pandemic began that the daily number of deaths has been above 1,000. The figure was a significant increase from the 830 deaths reported on Tuesday, with both days likely to contain some deaths that took place over the Christmas and New Year period that have only just been reported.
6th Jan 2021 - Sky News
A third lockdown should not be ruled out in France, says health expert
A third national lockdown to rein in the COVID-19 pandemic should not be ruled out in France, where new daily cases are picking up, but it is still too early to make that decision, a senior medical expert said on Wednesday. "A new lockdown should not be ruled out," Eric Caumes, head of infectious diseases expert at Paris' Pitie-Salpetriere hospital, told BFM TV.
6th Jan 2021 - swissinfo.ch
3rd Lockdown In France? Bars Restaurants Fear The Worst Amid Vaccination Controversy
With Covid-19 cases hitting a plateau in France, it appears bars and restaurants will remain closed beyond the target date of January 20. The news comes as the government tries to reboot a vaccination strategy that has been widely criticized as too slow. Back in late November, President Emmanuel Macron spelled out 3 stages for re-opening the country after its second lockdown when daily cases peaked at 86,852 on November 7. But following the first stage that allowed many local businesses to re-open, France’s case stopped falling and eventually settled into a more or less steady pace of 15,000 per day.
6th Jan 2021 - Forbes
Covid variant behind latest UK lockdown now spreading in France, officials say
French health officials say a potentially more contagious strain of the virus causing Covid-19 has caused a handful of cases in the country, including the Paris region. The variant, identified in Britain last month, has been linked to a surge in cases that has forced the UK government to impose the most restrictive lockdown since early last summer. As France scrambles to catch up with its neighbours in vaccinating against Covid-19, top officials said they were closely watching for signs of the potentially highly contagious new variant, which has been identified in a small number of cases. “At this stage, we have about 10 suspected or confirmed cases” of the variant, which “is not spreading widely in France” for the moment, Health Minister Olivier Véran told RTL radio.
6th Jan 2021 - RFI English
Tokyo daily coronavirus cases exceed 1,500, renewing record - media
Rising infections have driven Tokyo and surrounding areas to the highest level of a four-stage alert, prompting regional governors to call for a declaration of emergency that Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga is expected to announce on Thursday. The health ministry held a meeting of infectious disease experts on Wednesday, the second in as many days. They have called for stricter and longer countermeasures, while Suga has sought a more limited response to avoid damaging the economy. “Even if we take strong measures immediately, it will be difficult to bring the Tokyo metropolitan area down to stage 3 by the end of January,” Takaji Wakita, chief of the National Institute of Infectious Diseases, told reporters after the meeting
6th Jan 2021 - Reuters UK
Legal revisions would add weight to Japan's COVID-19 response
With numbers of new COVID-19 cases across the Tokyo region surging to record levels, the government is expected to announce a state of emergency this week for the capital and three adjacent prefectures. But Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga’s government already has doubts about its effectiveness, and wants the Diet to approve a bill by the start of next month that would revise the 2020 special measures law on infectious diseases. The revision could strengthen the existing law by levying fines against businesses that ignore government demands to shorten their hours or shut to prevent the spread of infection.
6th Jan 2021 - The Japan Times
China hits city of 11 million with tight restrictions as more than 100 COVID cases discovered
Travel has been restricted to a northern Chinese city of 11 million people and schools closed as authorities moved on Wednesday to snuff out a cluster of COVID-19 cases after more than 100 infections were confirmed. Ten major highways leading into the city of Shijiazhuang, around 200 miles south of Beijing, have been closed and a bus terminus was closed in an attempt to prevent the virus spreading beyond the city in Hebei province. China's state-run Global Times newspaper said all train ticket sales from neighboring Hebei province into the capital were halted and Shijiazhuang's long-distance bus station closed as officials declared Hebei in "wartime mode" against the virus.
6th Jan 2021 - CBS News
Virus Has Recently Infected 1 in 50 in England
As England re-entered lockdown on Tuesday, new figures showed that one in 50 people had recently been infected with the virus, and officials warned that some restrictions on daily life could still be needed next winter. Speaking at a news conference, Prime Minister Boris Johnson promised to focus government efforts on rolling out its strained mass vaccination program intended to prevent a surge in infections of a highly transmissible variant of the virus from overwhelming the health service.
6th Jan 2021 - The New York Times
NSW tightening protocols on hotel quarantine drivers to stop COVID-19 spread
New South Wales health authorities will ramp up testing on workers transporting Australians returning from overseas, after an infected driver unwittingly put thousands of people in Greater Sydney at risk of contracting COVID-19. Drivers had been getting weekly throat and nose swabs for the virus, but from January 21, all people transporting passengers coming back from overseas will have a daily saliva test. The test involves taking a small amount of saliva to detect fragments of the virus and is about 85 per cent accurate at picking up COVID-19.
6th Jan 2021 - ABC News
Australian nurses in the frontline fight to save lives as coronavirus overwhelms UK hospitals
The coronavirus health crisis facing the United Kingdom is dire, this week forcing the country back into lockdown until at least mid February as authorities brace for the potential of hospitals being completely overwhelmed. There are routinely more than 50,000 new cases being recorded each day as an aggressive new strain of the virus takes hold. Health workers are stretched to the limit, and among them are many Australian professionals. Here, three Australian nurses tell first-hand of their experiences
6th Jan 2021 - ABC News
Indonesia to impose more targeted restrictions to fight COVID-19
Indonesia will impose two weeks of increased coronavirus restrictions in parts of its most populous island of Java from Jan. 11 and in the resort island of Bali, to support hospitals and reduce fatality rates, a minister said on Wednesday. The chief economic minister, Airlangga Hartarto, said some of the measures include changes to opening hours for malls and limited capacity at restaurants and places of worship.
6th Jan 2021 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 6th Jan 2021
View this newsletter in fullCovid-19: UK daily coronavirus cases top 60,000 for first time
The number of new daily confirmed cases of coronavirus in the UK has topped 60,000 for the first time since the pandemic started. According to government figures on Tuesday, the number of people who tested positive was 60,916. One in 50 people in private households in England had Covid last week - and one in 30 in London, according to estimates based on the latest data. A further 830 people have also died within 28 days of a positive test. It comes as England and Scotland announced new strict lockdowns, with people told to stay at home.
5th Jan 2021 - BBC News
COVID-19: More than a million have coronavirus in England, says PM - as variant is 'taking off' around UK
More than a million people in England are currently infected with coronavirus, the prime minister has said. Boris Johnson was speaking at a Downing Street news conference on the first full day of the nation's third lockdown, as the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said one in 50 people in England have COVID-19. Chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty said it was "really quite a large number indeed" and warned the new variant is "taking off" in areas outside London and the South East.
5th Jan 2021 - Sky News
New York reports first case of new coronavirus variant as U.K. orders third national lockdown
New York on Monday reported its first case of a U.K. variant of the coronavirus that appears to be more contagious and has been reported in more than 30 countries. The news came as Prime Minister Boris Johnson ordered a third national lockdown for England amid a surging outbreak driven by the variant.
5th Jan 2021 - The Washington Post
New coronavirus infections increase by 25% in a week in Spain
Compared with the data seen on December 28, the ministry’s latest report is showing a very similar situation – both of these reports were released after a four-day period of celebrations, the former Christmas, the latter New Year. The number of new cases notified has risen 25% in the last report from a week ago, from 24,462 to 30,579, bringing the overall total of official cases in Spain to 1,958,844 since the health crisis began. In terms of the 14-day cumulative number of coronavirus cases per 100,000 inhabitants, the figure has risen from 246.19 to 272.22 over this seven-day period, a figure that is far from the 188.72 on December 10, as Minister Darias pointed out while speaking after a meeting of the country’s regional health chiefs and the central Health Ministry
5th Jan 2021 - EL PAÍS in English
South Korea's COVID-19 death toll passes 1000, gyms protest distancing rules
The number of deaths linked to the coronavirus in South Korea passed 1,000 on Tuesday (Jan 5), while an increasing number of gym owners said they would reopen in protest against strict social distancing rules. After using aggressive testing and tracing to blunt several earlier waves of the coronavirus without widespread lockdowns, South Korea has imposed increasingly strident social distancing rules as it struggles to stop its largest wave yet. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) reported 28 new deaths and 715 new cases, for a total of 1,007 deaths and 64,979 cases overall.
5th Jan 2021 - CNA
Japan weighs state of emergency in Tokyo area as COVID cases surge
Public health experts advising Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga called on Tuesday for the swift imposition of a state of emergency in the Tokyo area as daily COVID-19 cases hit a record and some citizens accused the government of dragging its feet. The government’s top spokesman, Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato, said a decision would likely come on Thursday on whether to impose the second state of emergency since the start of the pandemic. Japanese media said it would take effect by Friday and last about a month. The government is anxious about the economic impact of another state of emergency as it prepares to host the Olympics in the summer.
5th Jan 2021 - Reuters
Level 5 restrictions: 10 other lockdown measures that could be considered as Covid cases skyrocket
Ireland is in Level 5 lockdown as countries across Europe implement tough measures in an attempt to slow the rapid spread of Covid-19. As the number of Covid cases in this country hit record levels, we take a look at further restrictions which could be brought in to contain the virus.
5th Jan 2021 - Independent.ie
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 5th Jan 2021
View this newsletter in fullCovid-19 rates falling in most parts of Wales except in the north
Covid-19 case rates have dropped in a majority of areas in Wales, with the biggest falls in Neath Port Talbot, Merthyr Tydfil and Blaenau Gwent. Rates have risen in parts of North Wales, however, with the biggest jump in Flintshire where the rate is up from 349.8 to 559.9. The figures, for the seven days to December 31, are based on tests carried out in NHS Wales laboratories and those conducted on Welsh residents processed in commercial laboratories. They show that the number of new cases per 100,000 people in Neath Port Talbot has dropped sharply week-on-week from 724.3 to 478.7, while in Merthyr Tydfil the rate has decreased from 901.8 to 669.7. In Blaenau Gwent, the rate is down from 740.0 to 543.9.
4th Jan 2021 - ITV News
Covid-19: The areas in England seeing a surge in cases and hospital patient numbers
Covid-19 case rates are increasing in all parts of England and the prime minister has warned there is "no question" tougher measures are needed to control the virus. NHS hospitals are under increasing pressure with a rising number of coronavirus patients requiring care. Most areas around the country are reporting a record number of Covid-19 patients in hospital, beyond the peaks seen in April.
Here's a rundown of the case rate in your area and the number of Covid patients in your local hospitals.
4th Jan 2021 - ITV News
Boris Johnson warns of tougher Covid-19 restrictions for England
Boris Johnson has put England on alert for tougher Covid-19 restrictions and possible further school closures as ministers raced to deploy a vaccine ahead of a chaotic return to the classroom. The UK prime minister’s plan to reopen most primary schools in England on Monday morning was in disarray, with unions and some councils calling for them to remain closed and some schools shutting their doors unilaterally. In an attempt to regain control of the pandemic response, ministers have now deployed more than 5,000 armed forces personnel to the UK-wide pandemic effort — Britain’s biggest ever homeland operation in peacetime.
4th Jan 2021 - Financial Times
US daily COVID-19 hospitalizations have topped 100,000 for a month
Saturday marked one month of more than 100,000 consecutive, daily coronavirus hospitalizations in the US. Those numbers likely reflect people who were infected before the Christmas holiday. Experts anticipate that hospitalizations will continue to climb, meaning the pandemic's worst days may still be ahead.
4th Jan 2021 - Business Insider
Mexico COVID-19 cases surge after influx of American tourists
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Americans have flocked to Mexico to vacation or to settle, according to multiple reports. In November, more than half a million Americans traveled to Mexico, The New York Times reported. The influx of Americans has been partly due to relaxed restrictions at the Mexican border: While many countries require proof of a negative coronavirus test or a quarantine upon arrival, Mexico does not ask for either. But the influx has contributed to a surge in COVID-19 cases in the country. Mexico has recently reported new highs in daily cases.
4th Jan 2021 - Business Insider
Spain’s Andalucia detects 1,077 COVID-19 cases Monday as it convenes expert committee to decide future of current restrictions
Andalucia has detected 1,077 new coronavirus cases on Monday. While it is 1,143 fewer than the number reported on Sunday, the figure represents a significant increase from last Monday, when 567 cases were detected. However deaths have decreased, with 10 people losing their livess to the virus in the past 24 hours, four fewer than the day before.
4th Jan 2021 - Olive Press
Japan PM says government will consider state of emergency for Tokyo area
Japan said on Monday it would consider declaring a state of emergency for the Greater Tokyo metropolitan area as coronavirus cases climb, casting fresh doubt over whether it can push ahead with the Olympics and keep economic damage to a minimum.
4th Jan 2021 - Reuters
UK's Johnson to outline new restrictions to slow COVID-19
Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on Monday a new national lockdown for England until at least mid-February to combat a fast-spreading new variant of the coronavirus, even as Britain ramped up its vaccination program by becoming the first nation to start using the shot developed by Oxford University and drugmaker AstraZeneca. Johnson said people must stay at home again, as they were ordered to do so in the first wave of the pandemic in March, this time because the new virus variant was spreading in a “frustrating and alarming” way. “As I speak to you tonight, our hospitals are under more pressure from COVID than at any time since the start of the pandemic,” he said in a televised address.
4th Jan 2021 - The Associated Press
A year since Covid first emerged in China, the world battles its deadliest surge yet
It’s been a year since the coronavirus emerged from a seafood market in Wuhan, China. The coronavirus is still surging, but not so much in those early countries that were forced into lockdowns at the beginning of 2020 to contain the disease. The initial vaccines, which were produced and authorized in record time, have been slow to roll out as the U.S. misses its year-end goal.
4th Jan 2021 - CNBC
Boris Johnson to decide today on nationwide lockdown ‘lasting until April’
Boris Johnson is reportedly set to decide today whether to implement tougher Covid-19 restrictions lasting for months, as he faces urgent calls to introduce a national lockdown. The Government’s key ‘Covid-O’ committee, which oversees coronavirus restrictions, is reportedly set to meet today to decide changes to the tier system. According to the Daily Mail, a Government source last night said ministers are considering putting yet more areas of England under the strictest tier four measures. Currently, 44 million people – about three-quarters of the country – are living under the restrictions which include a strict ‘stay at home’ message, with only essential retail permitted to open.
4th Jan 2021 - Metro
Will there be a national lockdown? Why Boris Johnson has warned of new Covid rules as cases soar in England
The Prime Minister has hinted tougher new restrictions could be implemented in England following a surge in Covid-19 cases, while the Health Secretary has said the Government will not rule out a new lockdown to bring the virus under control.
4th Jan 2021 - iNews
US COVID deaths top 350,000 as vaccine rollout continues
Over the New Year weekend, the United States reported that 350,000 Americans had died from the novel coronavirus—a grim milestone as state leaders and officials from Operation Warp Speed continue to try to roll out millions of doses of COVID-19 vaccines. Though it's too soon to tell how or if New Year’s celebrations will affect daily case totals, in the last week the US reported an average of 213,437 new daily COVID-19 cases and 2,637 virus-related deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
4th Jan 2021 - CIDRAP
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 4th Jan 2021
View this newsletter in fullAustralia's COVID-19 cases on the rise as masks made compulsory
Australia’s most-populous state of New South Wales (NSW) reported eight new COVID-19 cases on Sunday, while neighbouring Victoria’s tally increased by three, as new measures to combat the disease kicked in. The NSW outbreak started around mid-December in Sydney’s Northern Beaches area, where a quarter of a million people are in strict lockdown until Jan. 9. Cases associated with the cluster now total 148. A smaller cluster in the west of the city, linked to a different genome sequence, has 13 confirmed cases. But the state’s chief health officer, Kerry Chant, said authorities are worried as recent transmission at a liquor store occurred with “fleeting” exposure.
4th Jan 2021 - Reuters Australia
Norway imposes new restrictions to prevent new wave, says PM
Norway will impose fresh restrictions to prevent a resurgence in the spread of the coronavirus, Prime Minister Erna Solberg said on Sunday, including a nationwide ban on serving alcohol in restaurants and bars and not inviting guests home. The Nordic country has seen a rise in cases over the past month and now estimates its R number - which represents the average number of people that one infected person will pass the virus on to - stands at 1.3. “We see more signs of a new wave of infections,” Solberg told a news conference, citing Christmas and New Year’s Eve celebrations and the emergence of the more contagious variant of the virus first identified in Britain among the reasons.
4th Jan 2021 - Reuters
Thailand mulls more restrictions amid second wave of coronavirus
Thailand’s government held off from ordering new nationwide business shutdowns on Sunday amid a wave of coronavirus cases but empowered some provincial governors to set their own restrictions and pleaded with the public not to travel. Thailand, which had largely controlled the virus by mid-2020, saw a second wave of outbreaks beginning in December. On Sunday, it confirmed 315 new coronavirus cases, the majority of which are local transmission, bringing its total to 7,694 cases and 64 deaths since its first case last January.
3rd Jan 2021 - Reuters UK
Tokyo to request new emergency declaration as COVID-19 cases climb - media
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government will ask the central government later on Saturday to declare a state of emergency following a resurgence of COVID-19 cases, local media reported. Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike will make the request in a meeting with Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura, who coordinates government measures to fight the pandemic, the Nikkei newspaper said, citing multiple sources. Calls by Reuters to the governor’s office were not answered.
2nd Jan 2021 - Reuters UK
Coronavirus: Kent hospitals ‘overwhelmed’ as ICU bed occupancy hits 137%
More critically ill patients are being transferred to hospitals across England as NHS trusts in Kent reported bed occupancy levels in intensive care reaching 137 per cent on New Year’s Day. Eleven hospitals across the Kent and Surrey regions are failing to meet nurse-to-patient staffing ratios in intensive care, raising concerns for patient safety. Thresholds for admitting patients to intensive care are being revised, and clinicians in the region say some patients who should be in intensive care are instead being looked after on other wards because there is simply not enough space available.
1st Jan 2021 - The Independent
Suddenly overwhelmed, Ireland says thousands of COVID-19 cases yet to be added to tally
Ireland said on Friday it had under-reported coronavirus cases in recent days by thousands more than previously known as its system came under strain, suggesting the EU’s fastest growing outbreak is worsening even more rapidly than figures showed. More than 9,000 people who have tested positive for COVID-19 have yet to been added to the official tally of confirmed cases, the National Public Health Emergency Team said. A day earlier it had estimated the number of positive tests still pending registration at just 4,000. Ireland has gone from having the lowest infection rate in the European Union just two weeks ago to having the fastest rate of deterioration, after shops and large parts of the hospitality sector were allowed to reopen for most of December.
1st Jan 2021 - Reuters UK
UK records 53,285 new COVID-19 cases, 613 deaths
The United Kingdom recorded a further 53,285 cases of COVID-19 on Friday, the fourth day running that it has topped 50,000, and 613 deaths, official data showed.
The rise in cases compares with the 55,892 that were reported on Thursday, while the death tally marks a fall from the 964 reported the day before.
1st Jan 2021 - Reuters UK
Americans Urged to Keep Guard Up as New Virus Strain Spreads
Officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urged Americans on Wednesday to step up social distancing and other measures to curb the spread of Covid-19, a day after confirming a more contagious strain of the virus had reached the United States. The CDC also confirmed another variant of the coronavirus originating from South Africa is turning up in other countries and may soon appear in the U.S. “Both of these variants appear to infect people more easily,” said Dr. Henry Walke, the CDC’s Covid-19 incident manager, in a press call. “There is no evidence that either of these variants causes more severe disease or increases the risk of death.”
31st Dec 2020 - Courthouse News Service
Doctors can't get a Covid vaccine in Wales and say the health service is in danger of collapse
Frontline doctors and other healthcare professionals are still struggling to access the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine in Wales, it is claimed. Dr David Bailey, chairman of the British Medical Association's (BMA) Welsh Council, said the Welsh NHS was "in danger of collapse" due to soaring staff absence levels. He said it was "unacceptable" that frontline clinicians were still being exposed to the virus day in, day out without proper protection. His comments come following the announcement that the Oxford University AstraZeneca vaccine has been approved for use by the MHRA and will be rolled out in Wales from next week.
31st Dec 2020 - Wales Online
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 30th Dec 2020
View this newsletter in fullCovid-19 in Scotland: Nicola Sturgeon tells Hogmanay revellers to stay at home and halt coronavirus spread
Nicola Sturgeon has warned revellers to stay at home on Hogmanay as Scotland recorded the highest daily number of cases since the pandemic began. The number of people testing positive for Covid-19 has doubled in 24 hours from 967 reported yesterday to 1,895 today. There has also been a 12 per cent rise in hospital cases from 973 on Christmas Day to 1,092 today — the highest figure since November 27 when there were signs that the second wave was abating. Epidemiologists fear household mixing at Christmas coupled with a new and more infectious strain is fuelling the second wave.
29th Dec 2020 - The Times
Covid-19: Health workers 'back in eye of storm', says NHS chief
Health workers are "back in the eye of the storm" as coronavirus cases continue to rise, NHS England's chief executive Simon Stevens has said. It has been the "toughest year" for the NHS, which has treated 200,000 severely ill Covid-19 patients, he added. Hospitals in England are currently treating more Covid patients than at the peak of the first wave in April. A government scientific adviser has warned national restrictions are needed to prevent a "catastrophe". On Monday, a record 41,385 new Covid cases were reported in the UK, though it is thought the infection rate was higher during spring when testing was much more limited.
29th Dec 2020 - BBC News
Covid patient numbers exceed April peak as Nightingale hospitals stand empty
There are now more coronavirus patients in England’s hospitals than there were during the peak of the first wave of the pandemic, new figures show. As of 8am on Monday, there were 20,426 patients in the country’s NHS hospitals compared to the 18,974 patients recorded on April 12, NHS England revealed. The sobering update comes after the UK recorded its highest daily number of Covid-19 cases to date, with 41,385 infections confirmed as of 9am on Monday, according to the Department of Health. Meanwhile, London’s Nightingale hospital has been stripped of its beds as medics warn there are not enough staff to run the facility, the Telegraph reported.
29th Dec 2020 - Evening Standard
Renewed COVID lockdowns likely in Southern California as ICUs stay filled
The United States topped 19 million COVID cases on Monday as hospital intensive care units were full to overflowing across much of California, a major U.S. virus hot spot, portending an extension of strict stay-at-home orders imposed this month. California Governor Gavin Newsom said mandatory constraints on social gatherings and business activities would almost certainly be renewed for at least three more weeks in Southern California - encompassing the state’s biggest metropolitan areas - and its agricultural heartland, the San Joaquin Valley. Newsom said a formal decision on continuing the stay-at-home orders, among the most stringent in the United States, would be announced on Tuesday, based on trends projected by health authorities for the coming weeks.
29th Dec 2020 - Reuters
UK coronavirus cases rise by record 53,000 amid calls for tougher lockdown
The UK has recorded 53,135 coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours in the biggest daily rise since the pandemic began. It is the first time daily cases have surpassed 50,000 and is over 10,000 more than yesterday’s record high of 41,385. The figures from the Department of Health show another 414 people have died within 28 days of testing positive, compared to 357 on Monday. It brings the total death toll to 71,567 – one of the highest in the world.
29th Dec 2020 - Metro
Dr Fauci says ‘worst is yet to come’ from coronavirus as December becomes deadliest month of pandemic
Dr Anthony Fauci has warned that he believes the worst of the coronavirus pandemic “is yet to come” as December becomes America’s most deadly month for Covid-19.
Speaking to anchor Dana Bash on CNN’s State of the Union on Sunday morning, Dr Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert and part of the White House coronavirus task force, warned US residents to brace for a surge of cases in the new year.
“We very well might see a post-seasonal – in the sense of Christmas, New Years – surge or as I’ve described it, a surge upon a surge,” Dr Fauci said on Sunday.
29th Dec 2020 - The Independent
Spain’s Virus Deaths Surpass 50,000 Amid Holiday Restrictions
Spain became the fourth European country to record more than 50,000 coronavirus deaths as nations across the region start to roll out a vaccine. Fatalities from the disease rose to 50,122 on Monday, according to Health Ministry figures. Some 408 people have died from the virus in the past week. Cases diagnosed over the last 24 hours amounted to 2,822, bringing the total to 1.88 million. Spain is one of the countries in Europe to be hit hardest by the pandemic, forcing the government to impose a state of emergency in March. When it emerged from a strict national lockdown three months later, management of the pandemic was placed in the hands of regional governments.
29th Dec 2020 - Bloomberg
Covid: UK surge in cases an 'extreme concern'
A surge in coronavirus cases in the UK is of "extreme concern", a health boss says, as a record number of cases was reported for the second day running. On Tuesday, 53,135 new Covid cases were recorded as well as 414 more deaths within 28 days of a positive test. Not all data was reported in full over the Christmas period, leading to a lag in some data, but Public Health England said there had been a "real increase". The health secretary said the NHS was facing "unprecedented pressures". Ahead of an announcement on any changes to England's tier restrictions on Wednesday, Matt Hancock added in a tweet: "We must suppress this virus to protect our NHS & save lives until the vaccine can keep us safe."
29th Dec 2020 - BBC News
New Year lockdown fears grow as health task force decide fate of France's Covid-hit regions
Despite the positive news of the roll-out of a Covid-19 vaccination campaign, the French are ending 2020 with the threat of a possible 3rd lockdown, which could be implemented on a regional or local basis. Covid-19 infection rates coming out of France’s Grand Est region have been troubling Macron administration, triggering an emergency meeting of a health defense council this Tuesday. It is not yet known whether new lockdown measures will be decided at today’s gathering, but regional politicians already have their own idea of what the outcome may be.
29th Dec 2020 - RFI English
France considers third national lockdown as Covid-19 cases rise
President Emmanuel Macron meets with France’s health council on Tuesday to consider whether to reimpose lockdown restrictions for a third time amid concern over a rise in Covid-19 cases. France eased restrictions imposed during a second lockdown on December 15 but the average number of daily coronavirus cases has not fallen below a key 5,000 threshold set by the government. Although the number of new infections appeared to have fallen over the Christmas holidays – only 2,960 new coronavirus infections were reported on Monday, down from 8,822 on Sunday and 3,093 on Saturday – officials fear the figures are misleading. Many of the country’s testing facilities closed over the holidays and the drop could simply be due to fewer people getting tested.
29th Dec 2020 - FRANCE 24 English
U.K. Virus Surge Surpasses Spring Peak as Lockdown Choices Loom
Facing record case and hospital numbers and a threatening variant strain, Prime Minister Boris Johnson is under pressure to shut schools and reimpose national restrictions, measures he once decried.
29th Dec 2020 - New York Times
South Africa Imposes New Virus Measures As Vaccines Roll Out
South Africa banned alcohol sales and made masks mandatory in public from Tuesday, tightening restrictions after a surge in coronavirus cases as more countries joined in mass vaccination campaigns to beat the pandemic.
29th Dec 2020 - International Business Times
Coronavirus: South Korea reports highest daily deaths amid third wave
Filipino workers returning from the countries, which include the UK, China and Singapore, are exempted from the ban, the Philippine labour chief says
Meanwhile, Indonesia is finalising deals to secure 50 million doses of coronavirus vaccines from drugmakers Pfizer and AstraZeneca
29th Dec 2020 - South China Morning Post
Russia's Covid-19 death toll could be 3 times higher than reported
Russia's death toll from Covid-19 could be three times higher than previously thought, according to one of the country's leading politicians. New data released by Russian statistics agency Rosstat Monday showed that the number of deaths from all causes between January and November had risen by 229,700 compared to the same period last year. After the figures were released, Deputy Prime Minister Tatiana Golikova was quoted by Russia’s Interfax agency as saying that more than 81 percent of this increase in mortality over this period is due to Covid-19 and consequences of the disease.
29th Dec 2020 - NBC News
New lockdowns likely in Southern California as COVID cases top 19 mil in U.S.
The United States topped 19 million COVID cases on Monday as hospital intensive care units remained filled to overflowing across much of California, a major U.S. coronavirus hot spot, portending an extension of strict stay-at-home orders imposed this month. California Gov Gavin Newsom said mandatory constraints on gatherings and business activities would almost certainly be renewed for at least three more weeks in Southern California - encompassing the state's biggest metropolitan areas - and its agricultural heartland, the San Joaquin Valley. Newsom said a formal decision on continuing stay-at-home orders, among the most stringent in the United States, would be announced on Tuesday, based on trends projected by health authorities for the coming weeks.
29th Dec 2020 - Japan Today
Coronavirus variant from South Africa found in Japan
Japan on Monday detected a coronavirus variant found in South Africa, the government said, the first such discovery in a nation that has already identified more than a dozen cases of another variant that is spreading rapidly in Britain
29th Dec 2020 - News24
Australia could deport hundreds of Brits after ‘super-spreader’ party
Hundreds of backpackers risk being stripped of their visas and deported from Australia after a huge party was thrown on a beach on Christmas Day. Shocking footage from Sydney shows around 300 people, many believed to be British travellers, chanting next to Bronte Beach wearing Santa hats and what appear to be England football shirts. Australian immigration minister Alex Hawke said he was ‘shocked’ and would be ‘very happy’ to deport those caught disobeying public health orders in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. ‘Absolutely, under the migration act, if someone is threatening public safety or health, their visa can be cancelled and revoked,’ Mr Hawke said on 2GB this morning.
29th Dec 2020 - Metro
Coronavirus death toll triples in Russia after government admits to downplaying COVID-19 outbreak
The new figures show more than 186,000 Russians have died from COVID-19
This is up from the 55,265 the country had officially reported. The country's health authorities previously only counted COVID-19 deaths confirmed by autopsy
29th Dec 2020 - ABC News
Moscow extends school holiday amid rise in coronavirus infections in Russia
Moscow will extend the school holiday by one week until Jan. 17 in hopes of stabilising the situation regarding new coronavirus infections and avoid new COVID-19-related restrictions, the Russian capital’s mayor said on Tuesday. Russia, which launched a voluntary vaccination programme with the Russian-made Sputnik V vaccine earlier this month, has resisted imposing a strict lockdown as it did early this year, relying on targeted measures instead.
29th Dec 2020 - Reuters India
COVID-19 hospitalisations continue to rise in France
Hospitalisations for COVID-19 continued to rise on Monday in France as President Emmanuel Macron and some senior cabinet ministers are to review the health situation on Tuesday amid another surge in cases that has spurred fears of a third lockdown in the country. The French Health Ministry reported that the number of people admitted to hospital for COVID-19 rose by 25 on Monday to 24,678 while patients in intensive care - the most important measure of a health system’s ability to deal with the pandemic - went up by 44 to 2,703.
28th Dec 2020 - Reuters UK
Variant virus gains bigger foothold in UK as cases surge
Developments with variant SARS-CoV-2 continued to dominate global COVID-19 news today, with the United Kingdom reporting more record-high case numbers and new reports revealing more about the prevalence and risk. Meanwhile, a new risk assessment from European health officials said the UK variant may have emerged in September and is expected to push hospitalizations and deaths higher, and more countries reported the detection of the South African variant virus.
28th Dec 2020 - CIDRAP
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 29th Dec 2020
View this newsletter in fullCovid-19: UK records 30,000 new cases and 316 deaths
A further 30,501 positive tests for coronavirus were reported on Sunday, as hospitals in parts of the UK warn they are at risk of being overwhelmed. Another 316 people died within 28 days of a positive test, bringing the total to 70,752. The true numbers are likely to be higher as some parts of the UK are not reporting data over Christmas. It comes as doctors in Scotland warned that the health system was "severely stretched" and a Welsh hospital made an urgent appeal for help with Covid-19 patients on Saturday night.
28th Dec 2020 - BBC News
Covid: South Africa passes one million infections as cases surge
South Africa has become the first country on the continent to register more than one million Covid-19 cases. It comes just days after authorities confirmed that a new, faster-spreading, coronavirus variant had been detected. Some hospitals and medical centres have reported a huge rise in admissions, putting a heavy strain on resources. President Cyril Ramaphosa is widely expected to announce tougher restrictions to prevent the virus from spreading further.
28th Dec 2020 - BBC News
Covid-19: Hospitals under pressure as coronavirus cases rise
England's "very high" Covid infection level is a "growing concern" as the NHS struggles to cope with rising patient numbers, a health official has said. On Monday, a record 41,385 Covid cases and 357 deaths were reported in the UK. NHS England said the number of people being treated for the virus in hospital is now 20,426, which is higher than the previous peak of about 19,000 in April. BBC health editor Hugh Pym said Monday's figure included some infections where reporting was delayed, but that officials did not deny there had been a significant increase in infections.
28th Dec 2020 - BBC News
Ukrainians flock to local ski resort, with many European resorts shut to curb coronavirus spread
Ukraine’s biggest ski resort Bukovel in the Carpathian mountains is fully booked until the end of year as Ukrainians have sped to it instead of other foreign resorts that have been shut due to coronavirus-linked restrictions across Europe. Bukovel’s management said the resort had already been booked at 80% capacity through January. Unlike some European countries, Ukraine did not tighten restrictions on the movement of its residents within the country to curb the spread of the coronavirus over the Christmas and New Year season.
28th Dec 2020 - Reuters UK
South Africa's total COVID-19 cases cross 1 million mark
South Africa’s total coronavirus infections since the first case in March crossed a million on Sunday, its Health Ministry said, just days after a new faster spreading variant was confirmed to be present in the country. The grim milestone comes nine days after the country, the worst hit in Africa, reported 900,000 cases. The country had taken two weeks to reach 900,000 from the 800,000 seen early in December.
28th Dec 2020 - Reuters UK
Sydney told to watch its famous New Year's Eve fireworks from home
Sydney, one of the world’s first major cities to welcome each New Year with a public countdown featuring a fireworks display over its well-known Opera House, has banned large gatherings that night amid an outbreak of the coronavirus. A mid-December resurgence of COVID-19 in the city’s northern beach suburbs has grown to 125 cases after five new infections were recorded on Monday. About a quarter of million of people there must stay in strict lockdown until Jan. 9. That has led to further restrictions of the already toned-down plans for the New Year’s Eve. New South Wales (NSW) Premier Gladys Berejiklian banned most people from coming to Sydney’s downtown that night and limited outdoor gatherings to 50 people.
28th Dec 2020 - Reuters UK
A Growing Number of Countries Find Cases of the New Virus Variant
Japan, Spain, France, Sweden and Canada have found small numbers of infections involving a new, potentially more transmissible variant of the coronavirus, most linked to travel from Britain, where it was first detected. The rapid spread of the variant led to the lockdown of London and southern England this week, prompted a temporary French blockade of the English Channel and resulted in countries around the world barring travelers from Britain. Because few countries have the level of genomic surveillance that Britain does, there is concern that the variant may have been traveling across the world undetected for weeks.
27th Dec 2020 - The New York Times
Beijing tightens COVID-19 curbs as cases detected across capital
Beijing has tightened COVID-19 curbs over concerns that China's mass travel during the holiday period could cause cases to spike in the capital, as it reported locally transmitted cases for a fourth straight day on Sunday. A meeting led by the capital's Communist party boss, Cai Qi, urged all districts in Beijing to enter an "emergency" mode, sealing off residential compounds and villages where infections are found. Shunyi district, where all the recent coronavirus cases have been reported, has declared a wartime mode and testing for all its 800,000 people. All the cases reported on Saturday were close contacts of previous cases.
27th Dec 2020 - Reuters on MSN.com
One in 1,000 Americans have died from Covid-19
Within 10 months since the onset of a public health crisis that has upended the lives of millions of Americans, the nation’s death toll has surpassed 330,000, during what has become the year’s deadliest month, with nearly 60,000 lives lost within the final weeks of 2020. The overwhelming scale of death means that one in 1,000 Americans have died from Covid-19. Nearly 19 million confirmed infections have been reported in 2020, with an average number of daily new cases remaining above 200,000 within the year’s final days, according to Johns Hopkins University – more than three times higher than the outbreak’s summer peak in July.
27th Dec 2020 - The Independent
COVID-19: South Korea braced for 'third wave' as daily cases hit new highs
South Korean officials have warned of a third wave of coronavirus, as a resurgence in cases continues over the Christmas period. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) recorded 1,132 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday, which was the country's second-highest daily increase after 1,241 on Christmas Day. South Korea has been seen as one of the countries to have responded best to the pandemic since it began, but has seen significant coronavirus outbreaks in prisons, nursing homes and churches recently - leading to officials asking people to stop end-of-year gatherings.
27th Dec 2020 - Sky News
COVID-19: Canada among latest countries to confirm first cases of new COVID variant
The new variant of coronavirus that is spreading through Britain has been detected in Norway and on the Portuguese island of Madeira. It follows several countries in reporting cases of the mutation, listed as VUI-202012/01, first spotted in the UK and thought to be up to 70% more transmissible - meaning it can spread much faster. Authorities in Madeira have not said how many people are infected, but confirmed it had been "detected in travellers who arrived there from the United Kingdom". Norway also discovered the mutation in two people who had arrived there from the UK.
27th Dec 2020 - Sky News
South Korea to decide on tougher distancing as COVID-19 count hits another high
South Korea plans to discuss whether it needs to further tighten distancing rules this weekend as the current curbs failed to reverse a resurgence in outbreaks, with the daily coronavirus count hitting another high on Friday, officials said. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) reported 1,241 new coronavirus cases as of midnight Thursday, the highest daily count recorded. Daily numbers have been hovering at record levels over the past few weeks, around 1,000, but the government resisted calls for imposing the toughest Level 3 at least for the greater Seoul area due to economic concerns, calling it a last resort.
27th Dec 2020 - Reuters
Canada's Ontario finds two cases of virus variant first seen in UK
Health officials in Ontario said on Saturday that two confirmed cases of the new coronavirus variant first detected in the United Kingdom have appeared in the Canadian province. Scientists say the variant is about 40%-70% more transmissible than the original strain. Several other countries, including Australia, Italy and the Netherlands say they detected cases of the new strain. The Canadian cases, identified in a couple in southern Ontario with no known travel history, exposure or high-risk contact, came as the province went into a lockdown on Saturday.
27th Dec 2020 - Reuters
Sydney awaits verdict on New Year's Eve festivities as COVID-19 outbreak grows
Sydney’s COVID-19 outbreak continued on Sunday with more than a quarter million people in lockdown as Australia’s largest city awaited word on whether any public New Year’s Eve celebrations will be allowed. Seven cases of the new coronavirus were reported in New South Wales state, six linked directly to the outbreak in Sydney’s northern beach suburbs, which are under a stay-at-home order until Wednesday. Infections stand at 122. “I appreciate frustration levels are increasing as we get closer to New Year’s Eve and days we stay at home increase,” state Premier Gladys Berejiklian told a news conference.
27th Dec 2020 - Reuters Australia
Philippines eyes more COVID curbs to halt new variants
The Philippines approved measures on Saturday to slow the spread of new, more infectious coronavirus variants, as President Rodrigo Duterte warned of a second lockdown should cases spike before the country gets its first vaccines in May. Countries around the world have in recent days closed their borders to flights from Britain and South Africa, where more infectious variants have been detected. Duterte extended an existing a ban on flights from Britain by two weeks to mid-January, and said the Philippines would impose travel curbs on countries with local community transmission of the UK variant.
27th Dec 2020 - Reuters UK
German daily COVID death toll nears 1,000 a week into lockdown
Germany reported a record daily coronavirus death toll of 962 on Wednesday, a week after the start of a hard lockdown that has forced most stores as well as hair salons and other services to close. The total death toll now stands at 27,968, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed. The previous daily death toll record was 952, reported on Dec. 16, the day the lockdown came into effect.
27th Dec 2020 - Reuters UK
Health officials brace for a surge in US Covid-19 cases after the holidays
With Christmas in the rear view mirror, public health experts are bracing for yet another surge in Covid-19 cases, similar to those seen after other US holidays in recent months. "We've just seen these amplification events, and that's what's happened at the end of this year in the US," said Erin Bromage, an associate professor of biology at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.
"We had Thanksgiving, we had Labor Day, we had Halloween, and each one of these events brought lots of people together and just gave the virus more fuel to move through the population," Bromage said. "Christmas is going to do a similar thing."
26th Dec 2020 - CNN
UK records 210 more COVID-19 deaths, cases rise to 34,693
The United Kingdom recorded 210 COVID-19 deaths on Saturday, down from 570 the day before, while cases rose 1,968 to 34,693, the government said, citing partial data. The latest R number is estimated at 1.1 to 1.3, the government said.
The United Kingdom has recorded a death toll of 70,405, defined as those dying within 28 days of a positive test. Under that measure, it has the world’s sixth largest toll, after the United States, Brazil, India, Mexico and Italy.
26th Dec 2020 - Reuters UK
Covid-19: NI concern at spread of new coronavirus variant
Health officials in Northern Ireland are concerned that the spread of a variant form of coronavirus could have "substantial consequences", according to NI's chief scientific adviser. Prof Ian Young said the reproduction rate of the virus could rise by between 0.4 and 0.6 as a result. On Wednesday, the health minister confirmed a positive case of the new strain had been detected in NI. However, Prof Young said detecting new variants "is not unexpected".
25th Dec 2020 - BBC News
First case of new COVID variant found in France as cases rise
France recorded its first case of the new variant of coronavirus, as the number of cases and deaths from COVID-19 mounted in the country, increasing concerns of a new wave of the virus hitting the euro zone’s second-biggest economy. The French health ministry said a Frenchman who recently arrived back in France from London had tested positive for the new variant of the coronavirus. The ministry said the case - the first in France - had been found in the city of Tours. The man in question arrived from London on Dec. 19. He was currently self-isolating and felt alright, the ministry added.
25th Dec 2020 - Reuters UK
COVID-19: Fears new variant could prevent schools returning in January
One of the biggest potential casualties of the new variant of COVID-19 may be the possibility of a normal return to school in England in January. Scientists are currently studying the evidence that children might be more affected.
It could mean a return to home schooling for thousands of children. Secondary schools across England are already staggering their start of term, to allow a testing programme to get under way. Recent figures show there's been a sharp rise in cases of COVID among school-aged children. This might be driven by the new variant of the virus, which could spread more easily in young people.
22nd Dec 2020 - Sky News
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 22nd Dec 2020
View this newsletter in fullCalifornia hospitals struggle to cope with Covid-19 surge double July peak
Hospitals in California are scrambling to handle an explosion of coronavirus cases that threatens to overwhelm the state’s emergency care system, with some facilities in hard-hit Los Angeles county even drawing up emergency plans for rationing care. As of Sunday, more than 16,840 people were hospitalized with Covid-19 infections, more than double the previous peak reached in July. That number could reach 75,000 by mid-January, according to one state model.
21st Dec 2020 - The Guardian
Latin America nations suspend flights with the U.K. due to 'Super COVID-19 strain' fears
Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Peru and El Salvador are among the first nations in Latin America to ban flights from the United Kingdom. The decision comes after the U.K. announced a new COVID-19 strain that is 70% more transmissible than existing strains appeared to be driving the rapid spread. U.K. flights are still being allowed into Mexico, where 118,602 people have died of coronavirus
Brazil, the epicenter of the pandemic in Latin America, has not announced any measures
21st Dec 2020 - Daily Mail
Covid-19: More than 40 countries ban UK arrivals
More than 40 countries have banned UK arrivals because of concerns about the spread of a new variant of coronavirus. Flights from the UK are being suspended to countries across the world including Spain, India and Hong Kong. France shut its border with the UK for 48 hours, meaning no lorries or ferries can leave from the port of Dover. Boris Johnson said he spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron and both sides wanted to resolve "these problems as fast as possible". The prime minister told a Downing Street press conference: "We had a very good call and we both understand each other's positions."
21st Dec 2020 - BBC News
Covid-19: Thailand tests thousands after virus outbreak in seafood market
Thailand hit by worst Covid surge yet. After months of avoiding the surge in cases seen by its neighbours, Thailand has been hit by its worst Covid-19 outbreak yet.
Tens of thousands of people are being tested after hundreds of cases linked to its biggest seafood market. It has locked down Samut Sakhon, the coastal province near the capital Bangkok, home to the market which employs mostly migrant workers from neighbouring Myanmar. Workers have been ordered to stay home.
21st Dec 2020 - BBC News
France says mutated Covid strain may already be in the country
France’s health minister has said it is "entirely possible" the mutated Covid-19 strain identified in parts of England is already spreading in France. "It is entirely possible that the virus is circulating in France," Olivier Véran told Europe 1 radio, adding that the strain had not yet been identified in the country. Fears over the mutant strain have led France and many other countries to ban passengers arriving on flights, trains and ferries from the UK. Mr Véran, who is a neurologist as well as serving in Emmanuel Macron’s cabinet, also said that the current vaccines were likely to work against the new strain of the virus.
21st Dec 2020 - The Independent
India suspends flights from UK due to ‘prevailing situation’ with new Covid strain
India announced a temporary ban on flights from the UK until 31 December effective from midnight on Tuesday, spooked by a new and more transmissible strain of the coronavirus. The decision was taken after a meeting of health ministry officials earlier on Monday. “Considering the prevailing situation in (the) UK, the government of India has decided to suspend all flights originating from the UK to India," India’s civil aviation ministry said. “Consequently flights from India to UK shall stand temporarily suspended... as a measure of abundant precaution, passengers arriving from (the) UK in all transit flights (flights that have taken off or flights which are reaching India before 22 December at 23:59 hours) should be subject to mandatory RT-PCR test on arrival at the airports concerned,” according to a tweet posted by the official Twitter account of India’s civil aviation ministry.
21st Dec 2020 - The Independent
Italy worries about high death toll among coronavirus patients
For every 100 Italians infected, more than 3 people die (3.5 percent). Among the 20 most-affected countries in the world, only Mexico and Iran have higher fatality rates among infected patients (9 percent and 4.7 percent respectively), according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Italy’s numbers are high in comparison to others in Europe too: In France, the case-fatality rate is 2.4 percent; in Germany it’s 1.6 percent; and hard-hit Spain has a rate of 2.7 percent. Only the United Kingdom, with 3.4 percent, has similarly worrying figures. There is no easy explanation for the high mortality among infected Italians, according to Enrico Bucci, a biochemist and adjunct professor at Temple University of Philadelphia. Most likely, it is the result of a combination of known factors: the age of Italy’s population, the quality of its health care system, and the choices made by politicians — though it is unclear how much weight each carries, said Bucci. According to Eurostat data, the median age in Italy is 46.7, compared with an EU average of 43.1, making it one of the oldest in Europe — and that trend is only accelerating. Between 2009 and 2019, the percentage of Italians over 80 went from 5.6 percent to 7.2 percent. By comparison, that figure is 6.5 percent in Germany and 6.4 percent in Portugal.
21st Dec 2020 - POLITICO.eu
France has imposed a travel ban from the UK
France has imposed a travel ban on UK passengers for 48 hours, due to concerns about the new strain of Covid. This has resulted in the port of Dover closing to outbound traffic - with warnings about “serious disruption” in place - which has caused fears that imported food products will be affected. Boris Johnson is holding an emergency Cobra meeting on Monday 21 December in an attempt to resolve the situation.
21st Dec 2020 - The Scotsman
Cautious optimism over latest Sydney Covid-19 outbreak
Australia's most populous state has reported its lowest one-day rise in new Covid-19 cases in three days, stoking cautious optimism that authorities have contained an outbreak in Sydney's northern beachside suburbs. New South Wales said 15 people had tested positive for Covid-19 in the past 24 hours, down from the 36 infections detected a day earlier and bringing the total cases in the northern beaches outbreak to 83. It confirmed it had detected cases of the fast-spreading new coronavirus strain that has forced Britain to reverse plans to ease curbs over Christmas.
21st Dec 2020 - RTE.ie
S.Korea's capital to ban gatherings larger than four as coronavirus deaths rise
South Korea’s capital Seoul and surrounding areas banned gatherings of more than four people over the Christmas and New Year holidays as the country recorded its highest daily death toll from the coronavirus on Monday. The national government has resisted calls to impose a strict national lockdown but the governments of Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon city ordered unprecedented restrictions on gatherings from Dec. 23 to Jan. 3. “We cannot overcome the current crisis without reducing cluster infections that are spreading through private gatherings with families, friends and colleagues,” Seoul acting mayor Seo Jung-hyup said at a briefing.
21st Dec 2020 - Reuters UK
EU states begin suspending all flight travel from UK over new Covid strain
EU states have started suspending all incoming air travel from the UK amid mounting concern over a new strain of Covid-19. The new variant of coronavirus apparently native to Britain is up to 70 per cent more transmissible than the original. Germany, France and Ireland are the latest to have suspended travel, announcing the moves shortly after Austria, Italy, the Netherlands and Belgium made similar decisions. Bulgaria has also suspended travel from Britain, Reuters reported on Sunday evening. A spokesperson for the German government said on Sunday afternoon that the country was working on a regulation to restrict travel from Britain to protect the country from the new coronavirus variant. It wasn't immediately clear when or for how long the restrictions would last
21st Dec 2020 - The Independent
Hong Kong May Consider Unprecedented Virus Curbs, Including Curfews
Unprecedented virus control measures including curfews and shutdowns of non-essential businesses may be considered in Hong Kong, according to a government health adviser, as the city continues to see a high number of locally-transmitted cases and the holiday season looms. Limiting the number of people per household allowed to shop for groceries, shuttering all businesses deemed non-essential and shortening mall operating hours are among the curbs that may have to be imposed to prevent another Covid-19 wave, David Hui, a respiratory disease expert at the Chinese University of Hong Kong who advises the government on the virus response, told TVB on Sunday, according to various local media reports.
21st Dec 2020 - Bloomberg
Australia detects new UK strain; Hong Kong, India cancel Britain flights
Australia said on Monday it had detected cases of the new fast-spreading coronavirus strain identified in the United Kingdom, while Hong Kong and India said they would suspend flights from Britain. Two travellers from the United Kingdom to Australia’s New South Wales state were found carrying the mutated variant of the virus that Britain has said could be up to 70% more infectious. Both are in hotel quarantine, and the recent spike in infections in Sydney is not linked to this, authorities said. The new strain has prompted Britain’s European neighbours and several others including Canada and Iran to close their doors to travellers from the country.
21st Dec 2020 - Reuters
COVID-19: New strain found in Italy, Denmark, Netherlands, Australia and Gibraltar
Cases of the new coronavirus strain spreading rapidly in the UK have been confirmed in Denmark, Italy, Gibraltar, the Netherlands and Australia. France and South Africa also believe they have cases of the mutation - known as VUI-202012/01 - but these have not been confirmed. French health minister Olivier Veran said it is "entirely possible" the new variant is already circulating in France, but no cases have been officially identified yet.
21st Dec 2020 - Sky News
Hard lockdown needed to prevent Sydney Christmas Covid surge, health experts warn
A hard lockdown across Sydney for the next three days is needed to reduce the risk of Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve becoming super spreader events, some health experts have warned. The dual celebrations could lead to thousands of new cases in the first weeks of 2021 without drastic action, warned Prof Raina MacIntyre, the head of the biosecurity program at the University of New South Wales’ Kirby Institute. But other epidemiologists have suggested the current localised lockdown and limit on gatherings is the way to go. They argue the state’s “very skilled’” public health team has previously gotten on top of outbreaks and it should be trusted to do so again.
21st Dec 2020 - The Guardian
Northern beaches coronavirus outbreak unlikely to lead to Melbourne-style lockdown, expert says
Greater Sydney lockdown fears as Gladys Berejiklian warns coronavirus cases to worsenThe GuardianCoronavirus: Sydney isolated from rest of Australia as outbreak growsThe Irish TimesSydney imposes lockdown on beach suburbs as Covid cluster growsCNBCState by state: Australia shuts borders with Sydney as Northern Beaches outbreak escalates9NewsView Full coverage on Google News
21st Dec 2020 - ABC News
A Fresh Virus Wave Is Testing South Korea’s No-Lockdown Strategy
Time after time this year, South Korea prevented the coronavirus from spreading uncontrollably, applying its elite testing-and-tracing practices that have become a global model for managing the pandemic without draconian, economy-sapping lockdowns. Now, this “living with the virus” strategy -- as the nation of 51 million calls it -- is being tested like never before. While case numbers are still small compared to the U.S. and parts of Europe, Korea saw new infections top 1,000 for five consecutive days through Sunday, a staggering jump from an average of about 100 in previous months. The fierce winter wave has alarmed a country that’s drawn pride from being globally lauded for its Covid-19 response.
21st Dec 2020 - Bloomberg
Thai PM urges calm as new coronavirus outbreak sees cases surge
Thailand’s prime minister called for calm on Monday and said there were no immediate plans for a wider lockdown after 382 new coronavirus infections were confirmed, the majority linked to the country’s worst outbreak yet. Of the new cases, 360 were migrant workers connected to a seafood centre outbreak in Samut Sakhon, a province near the capital Bangkok, where a lockdown has been imposed and thousands of tests were being conducted to contain and track the spread. Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said the government would monitor the situation for a week before taking further action.
21st Dec 2020 - Reuters
UK gives dark glimpse of pandemic’s next act
Despite the initial shock of Britain’s not-so-splendid isolation, the new strain could have some helpful domestic effects. The UK is now spared a five-day period over Christmas that could have exacerbated an already dangerous viral spread. It also acts as a handy stress test of how prepared Britons really are for tangible shortages of goods. Every day 5,000 trucks enter Britain from the continent via the Dover-Calais crossing. In the winter, they carry nearly all Britain’s fresh fruit and vegetables. Retailer J Sainsbury predicted shortages of items like lettuce, broccoli and cauliflower within days. If they happen, Prime Minister Boris Johnson may see the logic of agreeing a post-Brexit trade deal before his Dec. 31 deadline.
21st Dec 2020 - Reuters
Britain faces isolation as world tightens borders to keep out new coronavirus strain
Countries across the globe shut their borders to Britain on Monday due to fears about a highly infectious new coronavirus strain, causing travel chaos and raising the prospect of food shortages days before Britain is set to leave the European Union. India, Pakistan, Poland, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden, Russia, Jordan and Hong Kong suspended travel for Britons after Prime Minister Boris Johnson said a mutated variant of the virus had been identified in the country. Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Oman closed their borders completely. Several other nations blocked travel from Britain over the weekend, including France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Austria, Ireland, Belgium and Canada - although experts said the strain may already be circulating in countries with less advanced detection methods than the United Kingdom.
21st Dec 2020 - Reuters UK
India hits 10m Covid cases as tough measures fail to halt spread
India has recorded 10m Covid-19 cases, the second country after the US to reach the grim landmark, underscoring how strict containment measures have failed to stop the virus rampaging across its population of 1.4bn. The world’s second most populous nation achieved the unwanted record on Saturday after notching 25,000 cases daily over the past week, down from a peak of almost 100,000 new infections per day in September. India largely avoided the worst of the early waves of the virus that spread through Asia and Europe in March, before emerging as a global coronavirus hotspot.
20th Dec 2020 - Financial Times
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 21st Dec 2020
View this newsletter in fullEmmanuel Macron’s health condition is stable ‘compared to Friday,’ according to his doctor.
As President Emmanuel Macron of France entered his third day in isolation after being infected with the coronavirus, his doctor said on Saturday that he was in “stable health condition compared to Friday.” “He is still presenting the same symptoms of the Covid-19 illness (fatigue, coughing, aches) which do not prevent him from performing his duties,” Dr. Jean-Christophe Perrochon said in a statement, adding that regular clinical examinations “have proved to be reassuring.”
19th Dec 2020 - The New York Times
Christmas comfort over COVID vaccines collides with new curbs
Coronavirus vaccine approvals have brought comfort and joy for many this Christmas but failed to halt new curbs on travel and gatherings as COVID-19 cases rise worldwide and deaths in the United States surpassed 3,000 for a third straight day. Scientists and government leaders have hailed the vaccines as a huge success in attacking the pandemic, but only once they are administered, a process likely to take months, even in the world’s richest countries. More than 73.68 million people have been reported to be infected by the coronavirus globally and 1,655,424 have died, according to a Reuters tally, with the United States leading the way in the number of deaths and infections.
19th Dec 2020 - Reuters
UK discusses action after confirmation new COVID strain spreads more quickly
Prime Minister Boris Johnson imposed an effective lockdown on over 16 million people in England and reversed plans to ease curbs over Christmas, saying Britain was dealing with a new coronavirus strain up to 70% more transmissible than the original.
19th Dec 2020 - Reuters UK
Sydney virus cluster grows, border restrictions isolate city
The New South Wales premier, Gladys Berejiklian, has warned residents of greater Sydney to prepare for an increase in restrictions if the outbreak of Covid-19 expands beyond the northern beaches. Meanwhile travellers from NSW to Queensland will needed a border pass declaration from 1am Sunday and Western Australia announced it was reinstating its hard border with NSW. The Sydney to Hobart yacht race was cancelled after Tasmania also introduced border restrictions with Sydney.
19th Dec 2020 - Reuters UK
Boris Johnson refuses to rule out another lockdown
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is refusing to rule out the possibility of imposing a third national lockdown after Christmas. Since the second lockdown finished there has been a significant rise in coronavirus infections, with almost 29,000 thousand confirmed cases in the last 24 hours and 489 deaths. “The reality is that the rates of infection have increased very much in the last few weeks,” Mr Johnson said. Meanwhile Northern Ireland has followed Wales in imposing a six-week lockdown on Christmas day.
18th Dec 2020 - Sky News Australia
Sweden bumps up COVID-19 measures, but stops short of lockdown as cases soar
Sweden has introduced its toughest measures yet in the face of soaring COVID-19 infections, including a recommendation to wear masks at peak hours on public transport. But the Government stopped short of ordering a general lockdown of society. Unlike many other European countries, Sweden has resisted imposing lockdowns, relying on voluntary measures focused on social distancing and good hygiene. It has left most schools, businesses and restaurants open throughout the pandemic. However, a severe second wave of infections, with record numbers of new cases almost every week for the past two months, has prompted the Government to do more.
18th Dec 2020 - ABC News
WA brings back hard border with NSW
Western Australia is reinstating its hard border with NSW as of midnight tonight in response to the growing COVID-19 cluster on Sydney's Northern Beaches.
Premier Mark McGowan said NSW had moved to a "medium risk" state.
After midnight tonight, arrivals from NSW without a legitimate exemption could well be turned back at the border or the airport, Mr McGowan said.
18th Dec 2020 - 9News
Covid Swamps Los Angeles as Residents Spurn Fear and Lockdowns
For weeks, Los Angeles officials have warned residents of a surge in Covid-19 cases tied to the holidays. To make the point, they shut all dining at restaurants and even suggested people wear masks in their own homes when family visits. “Assume everyone you would see is infectious,” Mayor Eric Garcetti said three days before Thanksgiving.
18th Dec 2020 - Bloomberg
India becomes second country to cross 10 million Covid cases amid chronic ‘mask fatigue’ and fears for 2021
India has become only the second country in the world to cross 10 million confirmed Covid-19 cases, with the last million recorded in about one month despite a significant drop in new infections in recent days. Health experts say that while daily infections are considerably down on a peak of almost 100,000 a day, India must be on its guard for a rebound in the new year as fatigue with public-safety measures spreads through the population.
18th Dec 2020 - The Independent
Scotland Yard urges Londoners not to attend Christmas parties tonight
Scotland Yard has issued an open letter urging people not to attend large gatherings over the last weekend before Christmas, amid fears of further anti-lockdown protests in the capital. The force said extra officers will be on London's streets to encourage compliance with strict Tier 3 Covid-19 regulations and to "swiftly clamp down on those wilfully and dangerously ignoring them". An anti-lockdown demonstration is expected in Parliament Square on Saturday, with others planned around the country.
18th Dec 2020 - Evening Standard
Sweden's second wave offers hard reality check
The U.K.’s misguided flirtation with a hands-off “herd immunity” strategy in March led quickly to a U-turn and tough restrictions. France and Spain promised they’d never repeat the draconian lockdowns they imposed early on — only to break their vow when test-and-trace systems failed to keep pace with summer vacation contagion. Israelis, who after a first lockdown were told to enjoy life and “have a beer,” are now facing a third one. Donald Trump recently claimed he’d ended the pandemic (he hadn’t). Now, it’s Sweden’s turn. After a summer lull, the country famous for its voluntary “trust-based” approach to social distancing is getting battered by a winter wave of the coronavirus. Its 7-day average of daily cases and deaths per capita is currently outpacing the U.K., France and Spain, and isn’t far off the tally in the United States. While Sweden’s total deaths of 7,514 are on a per-capita basis lower than those countries, they far outstrip its neighbors at five times Denmark’s rate, nine times Finland’s and 10 times Norway’s.
18th Dec 2020 - The Japan Times
Emmanuel Macron blames Covid infection on negligence and bad luck
Emmanuel Macron has blamed his coronavirus infection on a combination of negligence and bad luck and urged his compatriots to stay safe, as critics pointed out slip-ups in his behaviour to prevent infection ranging from a handshake to repeated large-group meals over the past week. In what looked like a self-shot video from the presidential retreat in Versailles where he was isolating with symptoms that included headaches, fatigue and a dry cough, Macron promised to be “totally transparent” about the evolution of his illness. “I am doing well,” he said, speaking softly and dressed casually in a turtleneck top. “Normally, there is no reason for it to evolve in a bad way.”
18th Dec 2020 - The Guardian
COVID-19 Is Now A Top Cause Of Death In 5 Latin American Nations : Goats and Soda
COVID-19 has become the leading cause of death in five Latin American nations and the second most common cause in six others. The World Health Organization's "Americas Region," which stretches from the Canadian Arctic to Cape Horn in Chile, has been hit harder by the pandemic than any other part of the globe. The region currently accounts for 48% of the 1.65 million COVID-19 deaths reported to WHO so far worldwide. While the United States is a major contributor to that trend with more than 300,000 deaths, Peru's death rate from the disease is actually higher than the U.S. COVID-19 now surpasses coronary heart disease as the No. 1 cause of death in Brazil, Chile, Ecuador and Panama.
18th Dec 2020 - NPR
London Put in Emergency Lockdown as U.K. Fights New Strain
More than 16 million Britons are now required to stay at home as a lockdown came into force Sunday in London and southeast England, part of Boris Johnson’s attempt to control a fast-spreading new strain of the coronavirus. The measures ban household mixing in the capital and the southeast, and restrict socializing to just Christmas Day across the rest of England. Residents across the country were told to keep to their local areas. Johnson had originally planned to ease pandemic rules for five days during the holiday, but made an abrupt change of tack after emergency talks on the virus mutation with his top officials. Emerging scientific evidence suggests the new variant -- which currently appears virtually unique to the U.K. -- can spread significantly more quickly than previous strains in circulation and is behind a huge surge in infections in recent days.
18th Dec 2020 - Bloomberg
Global COVID-19 cases surpass 75 million
Global coronavirus infections surpassed the 75 million mark on Saturday, according to a Reuters tally, as several nations around the world begin vaccinating against the virus.
18th Dec 2020 - Reuters
Spanish Health Ministry confirms evolution of pandemic worsening
Spain’s coronavirus incidence rate rose again on Thursday, indicating that there is no longer any doubt that the trend has changed. In 10 regions, the rate is rising and in the remaining nine territories, including the North African exclave cities of Ceuta and Melilla, it has stabilized. In the coming days, the situation may worsen as a result of contagions from last week’s public holidays, which according to Fernando Simón, the director of the Health Ministry’s Coordination Center for Health Alerts (CCAES), have not yet been reflected in the data. Compounding the situation is the expected rise in cases over the Christmas holiday period, when more travel and gatherings are expected to take place.
18th Dec 2020 - EL PAÍS in English
Toughest COVID-19 measures yet for Sweden as cases soar
Unlike many other European countries, Sweden has resisted imposing lockdowns, relying on voluntary measures focused on social distancing and good hygiene. It has left most schools, businesses and restaurants open throughout the pandemic.
However, a severe second wave of infections, with record numbers of new cases almost every week for the past two months, has prompted the government to do more. Prime Minister Stefan Lofven said on Friday non-essential public workplaces, such as municipality gyms, pools and libraries, would close until Jan. 24. He also said the government now recommended wearing masks on public transport during peak hours, when it is harder for passengers to keep apart.
18th Dec 2020 - Reuters
South Africa's coronavirus cases cross 900,000: health ministry
South Africa’s total reported coronavirus cases surpassed 900,000 on Friday, just a fortnight after it reported crossing 800,000, signaling a rapid rise in infections in the country battling a second wave. South Africa, hardest hit on the continent, reported its first case in March and saw peak infections in July when daily cases almost touched 14,000. The rise in daily infections, which had eased in the last few months with reports of daily new cases between 1,000 and 2,000 till mid-November, reached 8,725 with 274 deaths, the health ministry said in a statement.
18th Dec 2020 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 18th Dec 2020
View this newsletter in fullUS surpasses 17 million official Covid-19 cases as FDA panel considers Moderna's vaccine candidate
As the United States on Thursday surpassed 17 million official Covid-19 cases, a US Food and Drug Administration advisory panel recommended a second coronavirus vaccine for the country. The developments come as the US, after starting distribution of its first authorized vaccine this week, is dealing with record rates of daily cases, daily deaths and numbers of Covid-19 patients in hospitals.
The FDA is widely expected to grant emergency use authorization for Moderna's vaccine candidate -- as it did for Pfizer's vaccine last week -- after its vaccine advisory panel voted to recommend it.
17th Dec 2020 - CNN
Covid-19: 'Nightmare six weeks' ahead for NI health service
Paramedics from the Republic of Ireland's National Ambulance Service (NAS) will be working in Northern Ireland this weekend. It comes amid severe Covid-19 related pressures on the health service in NI. Hospitals have faced severe pressures over the past few days, with ambulances queuing outside hospitals. It is not the first time NAS ambulances have helped out in NI, they assisted during the first wave of the pandemic and also in 2019. Irish Health Minister Stephen Donnelly said ambulance crews from the Republic of Ireland will "provide support" to the Northern Ireland Ambulance service (NIAS) over the weekend "due to the pressures being experienced".
17th Dec 2020 - BBC News
Swinney refuses to rule out post-Christmas lockdown
Tougher restrictions - including a potential lockdown - after the festive period cannot be ruled out, the deputy first minister has warned. John Swinney said the Scottish government would review Covid levels next Tuesday as part of an unplanned "decision-making moment". He said the move reflected the "deteriorating situation" across Scotland and the UK. Ministers have however ruled out a law change around the five-day festivities. The current Covid rules will be relaxed between 23 and 27 December to allow people to travel within the UK and spend Christmas together.
17th Dec 2020 - BBC News
Downing Street refuses to rule out third lockdown in England as London covid cases soar
Downing Street today declined to rule out a third national lockdown in England as Covid-19 cases soar in London and other parts of the country. With 25,161 confirmed new cases in the UK announced yesterday and 18,038 coronavirus patients in hospitals, No10 said the latest trends would be kept “under review”. Health Secretary Matt Hancock today put a swathe of the South East into Tier 3, with more than 38 million people, or 68 per cent, in England now in the strictest of restrictions. However, the virus is continuing to spread in some areas already in Tier 3 and cases were growing in London even before lockdown ended on December 2.
17th Dec 2020 - Evening Standard
Germany’s Winning Covid Strategy Has Stopped Working
When Covid-19 swept across Europe this spring, Germany gained plaudits for its handling of the pandemic. Now authorities fear they are losing control of the virus.
Germany registered one of the lowest death rates from the disease in the world in the first half of the year. It had fewer infections than most of its large neighbors and its hospitals never ran out of emergency care beds, factors that led to the government enacting one of the mildest lockdowns in Europe.
17th Dec 2020 - The Wall Street Journal
Madrid rules out stricter Christmas restrictions despite coronavirus fears
The premier of Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, announced on Thursday that the region is not considering stricter restrictions for the Christmas period, despite concerns about the rising number of coronavirus cases there. The news comes after Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called on Wednesday for tougher rules to be introduced in regions where the coronavirus incidence rate is on an upward trend, which includes Madrid. But Díaz Ayuso has ruled out such a move, indicating that the Madrid government will only follow the current restrictions set by the Spanish Health Ministry two weeks ago. Under the Health Ministry’s national Christmas plan, which was approved by a council made up of central and regional health officials, all regions in mainland Spain must seal their borders between December 23 and January 6
17th Dec 2020 - EL PAÍS in English
Spain ready to implement tougher measures as 'Christmas clock' is ticking
With the virus not going away ahead of the Christmas season, the Spanish government is ready to implement tougher measures, Spain’s socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez told parliament on Wednesday, EFE reports. The epidemiologic situation in Spain was kept relatively under control for a few weeks, but the latest reports are no bearers of good news: the incidence rate of the COVID-19 pandemic has risen for the fourth day in a row. There is a “worrying increase in infections,” Sánchez said in a speech before parliament (Congreso de los Diputados), where he informed MPs about the current health situation. “We cannot relax. We cannot lower our guard… We have fought hard this year, united, and we are facing the last effort”, Sánchez stressed.
17th Dec 2020 - EURACTIV
French President Macron Tests Positive for Covid-19
French President Emmanuel Macron tested positive for the coronavirus, his office said Thursday, delivering a blow to a country that has been among Europe’s hardest hit by the pandemic. The 42-year-old was tested after showing symptoms of Covid-19, the Élysée Palace said, adding that he would isolate for seven days while continuing to work. Mr. Macron has a fever, a cough and is tired, a spokesman for the Elysée Palace said. Mr. Macron’s test result immediately rippled across Europe, affecting the activities of a number of leaders who have recently been in contact with him. The Élysée Palace said he received his test results on Thursday, but didn’t specify when the test was administered
17th Dec 2020 - The Wall Street Journal
How coronavirus has rocked India's economy
As well as having the second highest number of cases and third highest number of deaths, India has suffered a huge economic hit from Covid-19. The FT's Mumbai correspondent Benjamin Parkin explains why India's economy has been hit especially hard by the virus.
17th Dec 2020 - The Financial Times
Sweden and Japan are paying the price for COVID exceptionalism
One of the most striking things about the COVID-19 pandemic is just how dramatically different the responses have been from country to country. In early 2020, when little was known about the virus, this difference was unsurprising. Today, with tens of thousands of research articles and cases of best practice to learn from, one would expect to see more convergence. And yet some countries continue to resist popular strategies, such as lockdowns, and insist on going their own way – with varying degrees of success. Two such countries are Sweden and Japan, which in 2020 have forged a different path to their neighbours on coronavirus and attributed their early successes to the assumed advantages of an inherent national character. But today, both seem to be paying the price.
17th Dec 2020 - The Conversation
Japanese leader appears to flout virus guidelines as country grapples with record cases
Japan's Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has expressed "remorse" for attending a group dinner with celebrity friends in apparent breach of his own government's coronavirus guidelines, as infection rates in the country continue to surge. For weeks, Japanese health officials have urged citizens to reduce their daily activities, remain vigilant and only dine out in small numbers to curb a resurgent winter Covid-19 wave that has seen daily case numbers climb to their highest levels since the beginning of the pandemic. But on Monday, Suga appeared to disregard those guidelines by attending a gathering with seven guests, who were all over the age of 70, at a high-end steak restaurant in Tokyo's Ginza district.
17th Dec 2020 - CNN
More than HALF of schools in England had coronavirus cases in November, report finds
Infection rates were highest among secondary school pupils, the survey found
They were lowest in primary school staff, with primary pupils also lower
Teenagers have high rates of coronavirus but officials refuse to close schools
ONS survey is the first of its kind to look at asymptomatic cases in education
17th Dec 2020 - Daily Mail
Coronavirus: Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf says coronavirus approach 'has failed'
Sweden's king has said his country "failed" to save lives with its relatively relaxed approach to the coronavirus pandemic. King Carl XVI Gustaf made the remarks as part of an annual TV review of the year with the royal family. Sweden, which has never imposed a full lockdown, has seen nearly 350,000 cases and more than 7,800 deaths - a lot more than its Scandinavian neighbours. Prime Minister Stefan Lofven said he agreed with the king's remarks. "Of course the fact that so many have died can't be considered as anything other than a failure," Mr Lofven told reporters.
17th Dec 2020 - BBC News
Why Sweden’s anti-lockdown strategy hasn’t worked as Covid-19 cases spike
Sweden’s anti-lockdown strategy had been heralded as a victory for common sense by sceptics, with bars and restaurants open for business and people going about their normal lives, social distancing permitting.
17th Dec 2020 - iNews
Macron tests positive for COVID-19, forcing leaders to self isolate
President Emmanuel Macron tested positive for the coronavirus on Thursday, prompting a track-and-trace effort across Europe following numerous meetings between the French leader and EU heads of government in recent days. Macron, who will turn 43 on Monday, is running France remotely and has gone into quarantine at the presidential retreat of La Lanterne close to the Palace of Versailles, the presidency said. A presidential official described Macron as tired and having a cough. His wife Brigitte tested negative but was also self-isolating, staying at the Elysee palace in central Paris.
17th Dec 2020 - Reuters
Sweden's king says 'we have failed' over COVID-19, as deaths mount
Sweden’s king said his country had failed in its handling of COVID-19, in a sharp criticism of a pandemic policy partly blamed for a high death toll among the elderly. Carl XVI Gustaf, whose son and daughter-in-law tested positive last month, used an annual royal Christmas TV special to highlight the growing impact of the virus, in a rare intervention from a monarch whose duties are largely ceremonial. Sweden has stood out from most countries by shunning lockdowns and face masks, leaving schools, restaurants and businesses largely open and relying mainly on voluntary social distancing and hygiene recommendations to slow the spread. An official commission said on Tuesday systemic shortcomings in elderly care coupled with inadequate measures from the government and agencies contributed to Sweden’s particularly high death toll in nursing homes.
17th Dec 2020 - Reuters UK
Netherlands hits new daily COVID-19 infection record as lockdown imposed
The number of coronavirus infections in the Netherlands jumped by more than 11,000 in 24 hours, hitting a new record, data released by the National Institute for Public Health (RIVM) on Wednesday showed. The steep increase came just a day after a tough, 5-week lockdown was imposed in the Netherlands, where more than 10,000 people have died during the COVID-19 pandemic.
17th Dec 2020 - Reuters UK
S.Korea reports record coronavirus deaths as lockdown fears spark panic buying
South Korea reported a record number of coronavirus deaths on Thursday as the country’s biggest wave of infections since the start of the pandemic strained hospital resources and sparked panic buying in anticipation of a harsh new lockdown. The novel coronavirus had claimed another 22 lives as of midnight on Wednesday, sharply up from a previous high of 13 deaths in a single day earlier in the week, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) reported. Deaths were expected to rise after infections had spiked in Seoul and surrounding areas, with another 1,014 cases reported on Thursday including a daily record of 423 in the densely populated capital city.
17th Dec 2020 - Reuters UK
COVID-19 surges stretch health systems in US, elsewhere
COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths in the United States continue to climb, with some declines seen in some Upper Midwest states, but surging activity in states such as California. In Europe, some countries are struggling with slowing their activity in the final days leading up to Christmas, and several Americas countries are experiencing steady rises.
16th Dec 2020 - CIDRAP
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 17th Dec 2020
View this newsletter in fullNew York's COVID-19 hospitalizations rise by 23% in a week
There were 128 deaths reported on Monday across New York, which is the highest daily death toll since May 16 when 132 fatalities were reported. Hospitalizations have surged 23 percent in the last week with 5,982 patients currently being treated for COVID-19 across the state. There are now 1,065 patients being treated in intensive care - a 17 percent increase from a week earlier. Gov. Andrew Cuomo has threatened to close all nonessential businesses in regions where hospitalizations reach 90 percent. Currently, 77 percent of hospital beds are full in New York state and 67 percent of ICU beds are occupied. New York City's hospital beds are now 80 percent full. Cuomo is warning that hospitals in parts of the state could become overwhelmed by January based on the current 'unsustainable trajectory.' He said the state may be headed for a second lockdown, like the one seen in the spring, if the trajectory of hospitalizations, cases and deaths doesn't change
16th Dec 2020 - Daily Mail
Family festivities or safe, solo celebrations. Here's how Europe is handling a Covid-19 Christmas
Europe is preparing for a Christmas season like no other, as governments desperately try to thread the needle between preserving public health and allowing families to gather for traditional celebrations at the end of a tough year. Countries across the continent are taking varied approaches, even as Covid-19 cases continue to rise in some nations. Here's what European nations are planning this festive season
16th Dec 2020 - CNN
Germany reports record Covid deaths as country enters Christmas lockdown
Germany has recorded a daily record 952 coronavirus-related deaths, as shops, schools and nurseries across the country close for an emergency Christmas lockdown. After experiencing relatively low numbers of infections and fatalities compared with other European countries in the spring, Germany’s disease control agency has recorded more than 400 deaths for 11 days in a row. Wednesday’s figure of 952 deaths was artificially inflated by the fact that Saxony, one of the federal states most affected by the second wave, also supplied numbers its health authorities had failed to report for Monday.
16th Dec 2020 - The Guardian
'Lock down,' says Italy adviser, as deaths head for wartime levels
An adviser to Italy’s health ministry has called for coronavirus restrictions to be drastically tightened to avoid a “national tragedy” after the national statistics bureau ISTAT said deaths this year would be the highest since World War Two. “We are in a war situation, people don’t realise it but the last time we had this many deaths, bombs were dropping on our cities during the war,” public health professor Walter Ricciardi told the television channel la7 on Tuesday evening. Ricciardi, the adviser to Health Minister Roberto Speranza, said the government, which is considering tightening restrictions over the Christmas and New Year holidays, should lock down the main cities completely.
16th Dec 2020 - Reuters
Germany sees record death toll on first day of new lockdown
German streets were quiet "like Sunday" on the first day of a new partial lockdown to try to halt surging infections, as the country reported a record number of Covid-19 deaths. A total of 952 people died in the previous 24 hours, according to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) disease control centre Wednesday, a figure that could rise as the hard-hit Saxony region was not included in Tuesday's numbers. The RKI said 27,728 new coronavirus cases were registered, a figure close to the daily record of nearly 30,000 infections reported on Friday.
16th Dec 2020 - FRANCE 24
South Korea reports record coronavirus cases as Seoul runs out of critical care beds
South Korea reported a record daily rise in novel coronavirus cases on Wednesday and the prime minister issued an urgent call for more hospital beds to cope with the country’s worst outbreak since the start of the pandemic. Hospitals were at breaking point with only three critical care beds available in greater Seoul, an area with a population of almost 26 million people, officials said. “The top priority is securing more hospital beds,” Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun told a government meeting, according to a transcript. “Full administrative power should be mobilised so that no patient would wait for more than a day before being assigned to her bed.”
16th Dec 2020 - Reuters
Honeymoon over for Japan's new PM amid Covid third wave
Yoshihide Suga’s honeymoon period as Japan’s prime minister had barely begun when coronavirus intervened. Now, two months into his leadership, he finds himself battling a resurgent outbreak and disillusionment among voters. Enthusiasm for the farmer’s son who worked part-time to pay his way through university has all but evaporated since he took office in late September. As Japan prepares for a holiday period that experts fear could be overshadowed by a sharp rise in Covid-19 cases, an anxious public has Suga in its sights. After the ruling Liberal Democratic party (LDP) selected Suga to replace an apparently ailing Shinzō Abe as party leader and, following parliamentary approval, prime minister, his support rating was briefly 74%.
16th Dec 2020 - The Guardian
German Factories Saw Bottlenecks in Days Before New Lockdown
German manufacturing powered ahead in December, with global demand helping factories post a better-than-forecast performance. IHS Markit’s monthly index unexpectedly jumped to 58.6, the highest level in almost three years, from 57.8. Orders across the goods-producing sector increased sharply, with many firms citing stronger demand from China in particular. The reading pushed the euro higher. It extended its gain and was up 0.4% to $1.2198 as of 10:47 a.m Frankfurt time. The yield on German 10-year bonds rose.
16th Dec 2020 - Bloomberg on MSN.com
If Australia can close internal borders to fight Covid so can we. Here's how.
Great news, a Covid vaccine is coming! But we can’t let our guard down now--it will take many months to fully roll it out, and it remains only one important tool in our toolbox. In the meantime, we must deploy parallel strategies to suppress Covid so that health and business can get back to normal as soon as possible. Failing that, we will face more lockdowns and risks, for example, the new Covid strain revealed this week in England, which could spread to Ireland given significant traffic between the two jurisdictions. Also this week, Michael Martin warned us about an impending January lockdown, as have many experts.
16th Dec 2020 - The Irish Times
COVID: Italy urged to ‘lock down’ to avoid ‘national tragedy’
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is under pressure to review plans aimed at easing coronavirus restrictions for the Christmas period. Several European countries have imposed tighter coronavirus restrictions ahead of the festive season. The United States reported another record number of new cases as worldwide infections near 73 million, with more than 1.6 million deaths. South Korea hit another record high of daily new COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began, prompting health officials to consider even tougher measures.
16th Dec 2020 - AlJazeera
Bed shortage looms as S.Korea reports record new coronavirus cases
South Korea reported a record daily rise in novel coronavirus cases on Wednesday and the prime minister issued an urgent call for more hospital beds to cope with the country’s worst outbreak since the start of the pandemic. Hospitals were at breaking point with only three critical care beds available in greater Seoul, an area with a population of almost 26 million people, officials said. “The top priority is securing more hospital beds,” Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun told a government meeting, according to a transcript. “Full administrative power should be mobilised so that no patient would wait for more than a day before being assigned to her bed.”
16th Dec 2020 - Reuters UK
Should COVID cancel Christmas? UK says it is a personal decision
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Wednesday that people should plan only for a “merry little Christmas” and exercise extreme caution but he refused to outlaw festive family gatherings as COVID-19 cases soared across swathes of Britain.
16th Dec 2020 - Reuters UK
Swiss coronavirus expert calls for lockdown to curb COVID-19
The leading expert advising the Swiss government on the coronavirus pandemic urged it on Tuesday to impose an immediate and strict lockdown to contain the infection rate, echoing calls by other scientists, officials and medical professionals. “We think we need very strong measures, the earlier the better,” Martin Ackermann, who heads the independent scientific advisory body on COVID-19, told a media briefing. Ackermann called for the closure of restaurants and non-essential shops and for strict work-from-home rules.
16th Dec 2020 - Reuters UK
'On the brink': Covid pressure mounts at hospitals in Northern Ireland
When ambulances started queueing outside hospitals across Northern Ireland, revealing a health system overwhelmed by Covid-19, Sean Brophy was not surprised. Weeks earlier the 52-year-old hospital transport worker had himself been hospitalised with the virus and saw how even then the system was cracking under pressure. “When someone died or was discharged the bed was filled within an hour – they were already at capacity. Staff were brilliant but they looked as fatigued as those of us with Covid. It was just wrong. I could see where it was heading,” said Brophy.
16th Dec 2020 - The Guardian
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 16th Dec 2020
View this newsletter in fullArizona averages of COVID-19 deaths, cases double in 2 weeks
Arizona on Tuesday reported more than 60 new known deaths as the current coronavirus surge set another record for hospitalizations and saw the rolling seven-day averages of additional cases and deaths more than double over the past two weeks.
The state Department of Health Services on Tuesday reported 4,134 additional known cases and 64 deaths, increasing the state’s totals to 424,382 cases and 7,422 deaths.
The rolling average of daily new cases rose from 3,499 on Nov. 30 to 7,772.1 on Monday while the rolling average of daily deaths rose from 25 to 58.3, according to data from Johns Hopkins University and The COVID Tracking Project.
15th Dec 2020 - Associated Press
UK reports 18,450 new cases of COVID-19, 506 deaths
Britain reported 18,450 new cases of COVID 19 on Tuesday, alongside 506 new deaths within 28 days of a positive test.
15th Dec 2020 - Reuters
Covid in Scotland: Pre-Christmas review of restriction levels
The latest review of Scotland's Covid-19 restriction levels will be announced at Holyrood later. All 32 local authority areas will have their situation assessed by politicians and public health officials. It could be the last review before the five-day Christmas easing of restrictions begins on 23 December. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said levels for all areas including Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire would be considered. Ms Sturgeon said last week she expected it to be the last review until 5 January although a parliamentary update on levels is scheduled for next week
15th Dec 2020 - BBC
COVID-19: UK reports 506 coronavirus deaths and 18,450 cases
The UK has reported a further 506 coronavirus deaths and 18,450 confirmed cases, government figures show. This is up from the 12,282 cases and 385 deaths reported last Tuesday. The number of cases and deaths per nation are as follows:
Wales - 615 cases, nine deaths - Scotland - 845 cases, 24 deaths - Northern Ireland - 486 cases, six deaths - England - 16,504 cases, 467
15th Dec 2020 - Sky News
Nicola Sturgeon considering tightening Christmas lockdown as fears grow over virus
Nicola Sturgeon is considering tightening the Christmas lockdown restrictions after fears the virus is spreading too fast. Under the current UK-wide plans eight people from three households will be able to mix indoors between December 23 and 27. However, government leaders across the UK are under pressure after public health and medical experts warned about the impact of the temporary easing. Following a joint call from the British Medical Journal and Health Service Journal, the leaders of the devolved administrations and the UK Government agreed to discuss the changes today.
15th Dec 2020 - Daily Record
Grieving alone: Some Turks want lockdown to halt new virus wave
Siyar Guldiken, still short of breath from his own battle with the coronavirus, was not able to grieve after his grandmother and uncle died of the related disease, as one of the world’s worst second waves of the pandemic slammed Turkey. After 10 days in isolation in Diyarbakir last month, Guldiken said only a full lockdown could stop the pandemic from worsening in Turkey, which has registered the seventh most cases globally. Ankara has resisted such calls so far. But pressure for more stringent action is growing from medical bodies, opposition parties and Istanbul’s mayor, after daily cases jumped to more than 30,000 and deaths to 200, even as the country prepares for a vaccine to arrive shortly. President Tayyip Erdogan’s government has issued weekend stay-at-home orders to tackle the pandemic, and it plans a five-day lockdown over New Year.
15th Dec 2020 - Reuters
Sweden’s Second Wave Offers Hard Reality Check
Every country has at one point dared to believe they’ve figured out how to beat SARS-CoV-2, until reality sets in. The U.K.’s misguided flirtation with a hands-off “herd immunity” strategy in March led quickly to a U-turn and tough restrictions. France and Spain promised they’d never repeat the draconian lockdowns they imposed early on — only to break their vow when test-and-trace systems failed to keep pace with summer vacation contagion. Israelis, who after a first lockdown were told to enjoy life and “have a beer,” are now facing a third one. Donald Trump recently claimed he’d ended the pandemic (he hadn’t).
15th Dec 2020 - Bloomberg
In frozen north, a Japanese city's coronavirus crisis maps out winter vulnerability
A freezing Hokkaido city that has become a red flag for Japan’s winter vulnerability to the coronavirus pandemic is weathering the worst of its COVID-19 crisis, local medical officials say, as military nurses take the strain from drained hospital staff.
The city of Asahikawa was hit by outbreaks at two major hospitals, exacerbated by subzero temperatures and restricted ventilation that can promote the virus’s spread. But a voluntary lockdown, combined with medical reinforcements sent by central government last week, have helped the city stabilize — for now. There are now signs the cluster crisis is “peaking out,” said Yasutaka Kakinoki, a hematologist at Asahikawa City Hospital. That’s a relief, he said by phone, as staff have been pushed to the brink fighting the steady rise in COVID-19 cases over the last two months. “The lack of health care workers is a big problem,” he said.
15th Dec 2020 - The Japan Times
New York City May Go Back Into Lockdown, De Blasio Says
New York City may have to go back into a total lockdown in the coming weeks if coronavirus cases continue to rise, Mayor Bill de Blasio told CNN on Monday, noting the city’s hospitals will become overwhelmed if the surge doesn’t slow.
15th Dec 2020 - Forbes
South Africa tightens restrictions further as COVID-19 infections rise
South Africa imposed further COVID-19 restrictions on Monday, closing down beaches on the eastern coast and limiting large public gatherings ahead of the festive season, as the country looks to slow a sharp rise in infections. South Africa, which has recorded 866,127 total coronavirus cases, has seen a sharp spike in infections since the start of December with reported cases hovering around 8,000 per day in last few days, from around 3,000 in November. The country’s reported daily cases in the first wave peaked at around 14,000 in July.
15th Dec 2020 - Reuters
France's COVID-19 hospitalisations inch up before end of lockdown
The number of people hospitalised for COVID-19 rose in France for the third day running on Monday, a worrying trend with the country set to replace a second national lockdown with a more lenient 8 p.m.-6 a.m. curfew. The three-day steady rise in hospitalisations is also a sequence not seen since mid-November. Patients in intensive care - the most important measure of a health system’s ability to deal with the pandemic - went up by 35 to 2,906, increasing for the second straight day after a continuous decline since Nov. 17.
15th Dec 2020 - Reuters
COVID-19 prevalence rose in London even as lockdown cut English cases, study finds
COVID-19 cases rose in London during the last weeks of a national lockdown even as prevalence in England as a whole fell, a study said on Tuesday, adding that a planned relaxation of rules over Christmas posed risks. London will move into England’s highest tier of coronavirus restrictions from midnight on Wednesday morning after an exponential rise in cases. When a national lockdown ended on Dec. 2, London was not placed under the strictest restrictions in the three-tier system. But while the prevalence of COVID-19 cases fell in England by around 30% during lockdown between Nov. 13 and Dec. 3, prevalence was rising in London, according to Imperial College London’s REACT-1 prevalence study.
15th Dec 2020 - Reuters UK
COVID-19 cases hit new record high in South Korea
South Korea has hit another record high of daily new coronavirus cases since the pandemic began, prompting health officials to consider even tougher measures to curb the spread of infection. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) reported 1,078 more COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, breaking the previous record of 1,030 only last Sunday. Of the new cases, most transmissions were reported from the capital, Seoul, the nearby Gyeonggi Province as well as the city of Incheon. Wednesday’s numbers were only the second time that new cases breached the 1,000 mark, according to Yonhap news agency.
15th Dec 2020 - AlJazeera
Tourists in Turkey can roam freely, but locals are in lockdown
When in Rome, do as the Romans do. But when in Turkey, do whatever you please — but only if you are a tourist. According to some latest news reports, just like many other countries, Turkey has also been witnessing a spike in the number of COVID-19 cases, and to bring things under control, the country’s capital Istanbul instituted a lockdown, which is in force on weekends only — between 9.00 pm on Fridays and 5.00 am on Mondays. But, this lockdown does not apply to international tourists — it is for local residents only. According to a New York Times report, most museums stayed open for visitors, and hotel restaurants were allowed to remain open, but only for guests. In fact, the lockdown was monitored by police, who checked IDs to make sure locals stayed home. Anyone found flouting the norm was fined.
15th Dec 2020 - The Indian Express
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 15th Dec 2020
View this newsletter in fullUK reports 20,263 new COVID cases, 7-day total up 22%
The United Kingdom reported 20,263 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday, taking the total figure over the past seven days to 131,708, up 21.6% compared with the previous seven-day number, official data showed. The country reported 232 new deaths from the disease, with the seven-day total rising to 2,984, almost unchanged from the previous seven days. Since the start of the pandemic, the United Kingdom has recorded 1.870 million cases of COVID-19 and 64,402 deaths from the virus.
15th Dec 2020 - Reuters UK
Italy reports 491 COVID-19 deaths on Monday, 12,030 new cases
Italy reported 491 coronavirus-related deaths on Monday against 484 the day before, the health ministry said, while the daily tally of new infections declined to 12,030 from 17,938. There were 103,584 swabs carried out in the past day, down sharply from a previous 152,697, the ministry said. The first Western country hit by the virus, Italy has seen 65,011 COVID-19 fatalities since its outbreak emerged in February, the highest toll in Europe and the fifth highest in the world.
14th Dec 2020 - Reuters
U.S. heads for sobering COVID-19 death toll of 300,000 as vaccinations begin
Critical care nurse Sandra Lindsay in Queens, N.Y. the first person in U.S. to receive COVID-19 vaccine. Italy passes U.K. for highest COVID-19 death toll in Europe. Germany pandemic restrictions over the holidays. The U.S. reached the sobering milestone of 300,000 for COVID-19 related deaths on Monday, a contrast to the hope and relief felt after the first person in the U.S. received a shot to protect against the deadly pandemic. The U.S. death toll climbed to 300,267 as of Monday afternoon, and the case tally rose to 16,388,504, according to data aggregated by Johns Hopkins University.
14th Dec 2020 - MarketWatch
New strain of Covid-19 may be cause of rise in cases, Hancock tells MPs
A new Covid-19 variant has been identified in the UK, the health secretary has revealed, suggesting it could be linked to the rapid spread of the virus in south-east England as millions more people in London are being moved into the toughest restrictions. Cases of the strain have been found in almost 60 areas, Matt Hancock disclosed, although he stressed that clinical advice suggested it was “highly unlikely” the mutation would fail to respond to a vaccine. It came as he confirmed that the capital, as well as the majority of Essex and parts of Hertfordshire, would be placed into tier 3 from Wednesday after an “exponential” rise in cases.
14th Dec 2020 - The Guardian
Covid: Intensive care staff plead for pre-Christmas lockdown
The Christmas relaxation of lockdown rules "makes no sense" as Covid-19 cases continue to rise in Wales, doctors have warned. The Welsh Intensive Care Society also wants an "urgent" lockdown across Wales before Christmas, warning critical care would be unable to cope without urgent action. It comes after the number of positive Covid-19 tests passed 100,000 in Wales. Wales' health minister Vaughan Gething has said "nothing is off the table". But Mr Gething fears people would "make up their own rules" if meeting up over Christmas was banned.
14th Dec 2020 - BBC
Health Minister Vaughan Gething refuses to rule out lockdown in Wales before Christmas
The health minister has refused to rule out introducing tougher restrictions before Christmas in the wake of rising coronavirus cases across Wales. Vaughan Gething said in his press conference on Monday afternoon that "every option was still available" to the Welsh Government and that discussions had taken place with partners to set out the best course of action. The number of confirmed cases of coronavirus passed the 100,000 mark over the weekend in Wales, and there are now more than 2,000 people with confirmed or suspected cases of the virus in our hospitals. When asked about whether there was still a chance restrictions could be tightened further before Christmas, Mr Gething said: "Every option is still available to us. I have had a meeting with local stakeholders across Wales about a range of challenges in different regions. Ministers in Cabinet will also meet today in our new virtual form.
14th Dec 2020 - Wales Online
Bill Gates says US entering worse phase of COVID pandemic and predicts lockdowns will last into 2022
Bill Gates offered his predictions during an interview with CNN on Sunday. It came as the US set new records for new cases, hospitalizations and deaths over a seven-day period. 'Sadly the next four to six months could be the worst of the epidemic,' Gates said. He went on to signal support for coronavirus-related business restrictions. 'Bars and restaurants in most of the country will be closed as we go into this wave, and I think sadly that's appropriate,' he said. Gates said he thinks the US will become more 'normal' by summertime after a vaccine is rolled out
He also expressed optimism about Joe Biden's incoming administration
14th Dec 2020 - Daily Mail
Queues form outside Milan food banks as crisis bites ahead of Christmas
Long queues have been forming outside food banks and help centres in Italy’s financial capital Milan as the economic devastation caused by the coronavirus has deepened before Christmas. s case numbers surged after the summer, Italy - the first European country to be struck by the pandemic and among the worst hit - has seen its stagnant economy dealt a blow by lockdowns to try to halt the spread of COVID-19. “During this period of the pandemic, the numbers have gone up,” said Luigi Rossi, vice-president of local aid group Pane Quotidiano, as a queue stretched down the block outside the centre in the south of Milan.
14th Dec 2020 - Reuters UK
South Korea orders schools to shut as COVID-19 cases spike
South Korea ordered schools to close from Tuesday in the capital Seoul and surrounding areas as it battles its worst outbreak of novel coronavirus since the pandemic began, surpassing the previous peak in February. Schools in the capital region would move classes online until the end of the month, in the latest ratcheting up of social distancing measures which so far have failed to reverse the spike in infections. The school closure is a step towards the imposition of Phase 3 social distancing rules, a move that would essentially lock down Asia’s fourth-largest economy.
14th Dec 2020 - Reuters
South Korea ramps up testing as coronavirus cases surge
South Korea is ramping up its coronavirus testing after reporting its highest daily number of infections since the start of the pandemic. The country that had been held up as a success story, but now health authorities are getting increasingly nervous.
14th Dec 2020 - Deutsche Welle
COVID-19 Cases, Deaths Reach New Records
Daily records continue to tumble for COVID-19 cases and deaths in many parts of the world, forcing governments to impose restrictions or consider lockdowns to halt the spread of the coronavirus. In Europe, Germany is heading for a second lockdown starting on Wednesday amid rising coronavirus infections. The government in urging citizens to avoid Christmas shopping in the two days before most stores close and social distancing rules tighten. According to Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center (JHU), as of Monday morning, Germany had recorded over 1,350,800 confirmed cases and more than 22,080 deaths. Italy has overtaken Britain as the European country with the most COVID-19 deaths, according to data collected by JHU. Monday morning Italy had 64,520 deaths, while Britain 64,267.
14th Dec 2020 - Voice of America
South Korea weighs tougher Covid-19 restrictions to stem third wave
South Korea is considering raising Covid-19 restrictions to the highest level as the country struggles to contain a third wave of infections. Chung Sye-kyun, South Korea’s prime minister, on Monday said the government “won’t hesitate in making a bold decision” after the country reported a record for new cases over the weekend.
Mr Chung, however, refrained from imposing a nationwide level 3 lockdown. “[Adopting] the level 3 social distancing scheme should be our last resort as it requires cautious deliberation,” he said.
14th Dec 2020 - Financial Times
China coronavirus cases on Russia border spark lockdowns, tests
China has put one northern city in lockdown and launched citywide coronavirus testing in another, after two local infections involving workers at a port and trade zone respectively, authorities have said. There was one new case each in Dongning and Suifenhe, which both sit on the country's border with Russia. In Dongning, a 40-year-old maintenance worker at a port tested positive on Thursday, triggering the latest measures. Officials there said Saturday it would enter "wartime mode"—temporarily suspending public bus services and road transport, while requiring anyone leaving the city to produce a negative COVID-19 test from the preceding 24 hours.
14th Dec 2020 - Medical Xpress
Japan, South Korea fret as surging coronavirus undermines leaders' support
Japan and South Korea grappled with surging coronavirus cases and growing public frustration on Monday, with Japan suspending a contentious travel subsidy programme and South Korea closing some schools and considering its toughest curbs yet. Japan reported more than 3,000 new cases on Saturday, yet another record as winter set in, with infections worsening in Tokyo, the northern island of Hokkaido and the city of Osaka. But Japan, with a focus on the economic costs, has steered clear of tough lockdowns. It tackled its first wave of infections in the spring by asking people to refrain from going out and for businesses to close or curtail operating hours.
14th Dec 2020 - Reuters UK
Why us again? Italy suffers disproportionate toll in second COVID wave
In late November doctor Maurizio Cappiello visited more than 130 patients in the emergency room of Cardarelli hospital, in the southern Italian city of Naples. More than two-thirds had COVID-19. The virus which was limited mainly to Italy’s industrial north during the first wave in the spring was now also ravaging the poor south, overwhelming its fragile public health system. “Despite our efforts it was impossible to help them as we would have wanted and to transmit a sense of humanity, we tried to be fast and concentrate on the most critical,” Cappiello, a top official at Italy’s national ANAAO-ASSOMED doctors’ union, told Reuters.
14th Dec 2020 - Reuters UK
Coronavirus: Success stories Japan and South Korea start to struggle
Two countries lauded for keeping COVID-19 largely under wraps face uptick in cases. South Korea is closing schools and offering free tests, while Japan's prime minister is under fire for a travel incentive scheme. The coronavirus has put South Korea "against the wall," President Moon Jae-in told the nation on Monday as schools were ordered to close under what's expected to become a "Phase 3" lockdown — this year's first in Asia's fourth-largest economy. South Korea since January has largely kept the global spread of the virus SARS-CoV-19 in check with residents proactively wearing face masks, curbs on travel and strict social distancing.
14th Dec 2020 - Deutsche Welle
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 14th Dec 2020
View this newsletter in fullNavajo Nation reports 203 new COVID-19 cases, 7 more deaths
Navajo Nation health officials have reported 203 new COVID-19 cases and seven more deaths as they implement a weekend-long lockdown for reservation residents. As of Saturday night, the tribe has now reported 19,420 cases and 718 known deaths since the pandemic began. Navajo Department of Health officials said more than 181,000 people on the vast reservation that includes parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah have been tested for COVID-19 and over 10,000 have recovered.
13th Dec 2020 - Associated Press
South Korea's Moon warns of toughest COVID-19 curbs after two days of record cases
South Korea’s President Moon Jae-in warned on Sunday that COVID-19 restrictions may be raised to the highest level after a second day of record increases in cases as the country battles a harsh third wave of infection. Presiding over an emergency meeting at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters for the first time since February, Moon urged vigilance and called for an all-out efforts to contain the virus. “Unless the outbreak can be contained now, it has come to the critical point of considering escalating social-distancing measures to the third level,” he said, referring to the tightest curbs under the country’s five-tier system.
13th Dec 2020 - Reuters
New COVID-19 cases in Netherlands jump by almost 10,000 - data
The number of new coronavirus infections in the Netherlands has jumped by almost 10,000 in the past 24 hours, data released by national health authoriites showed on Sunday, marking their biggest jump since the end of October. The increase continues a rising trend seen over the previous week, as the effects of a partial lockdown which has been in effect since Oct. 13 seem to have waned. The Dutch government has convened an emergency meeting for Sunday to discuss extra measures to limit the spread of the disease.
13th Dec 2020 - Reuters UK
China reports 24 new COVID-19 cases vs 13 a day earlier
China reported 24 new coronavirus cases in the mainland for Dec. 12, up from 13 cases a day earlier, the health commission said on Sunday. There were five local cases and 19 imported infections, according to a statement by the National Health Commission. The number of new asymptomatic cases, which China does not classify as confirmed cases, fell to 14 from 17 a day earlier. As of Saturday, mainland China had 86,725 confirmed coronavirus cases, the health authority said. The COVID-19 death toll remained at 4,634.
13th Dec 2020 - Reuters on MSN.com
Sweden coronavirus: Intensive care beds running low amid soaring cases
Sweden has been hit hard by coronavirus second wave, after shunning lockdown
Stockholm intensive care units are at 99 per cent capacity, with seven beds left
Top medic says neighbouring nations, which used lockdowns, may need to help
Sweden has suffered a total of 312,000 cases of the virus and 7,000 deaths, while Finland has seen just 30,000 cases and 400 deaths
12th Dec 2020 - Daily Mail
South Korea reports 1,030 new coronavirus case, record daily rise
South Korea reported 1,030 new coronavirus infections on Sunday, the second daily record in a row as a country that had initial success controlling COVID-19 now battles a harsh third wave. Of the new cases, 1,002 were locally transmitted. It brings the total to 42,766 infections with 580 deaths, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said. Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun on Saturday said further tightening social distancing restriction to the nation’s highest level would be inevitable if the spread continues, which would be practically a lockdown for the first time in Asia’s fourth-largest economy.
12th Dec 2020 - Reuters UK
Brazil rolls out COVID-19 vaccination plan
The Brazilian government unveiled its long-awaited national vaccination plan against COVID-19 on Saturday with an initial goal of vaccinating 51 million people, or about one-fourth of the population,
12th Dec 2020 - Reuters on MSN.com
UK records 21,672 COVID-19 cases and 424 deaths
The United Kingdom recorded 21,672 cases of COVID-19 on Friday, up slightly from the day before, and 424 deaths of people who had tested positive for the disease within 28 days, official data showed. The UK had recorded 20,964 cases on Thursday and 516 deaths.
11th Dec 2020 - Reuters
Montreal records largest single-day increase in COVID-19 cases
Montreal’s public health director is once again urging people to respect the COVID-19 measures in effect and reduce their contacts as the disease spreads at an increasingly “alarming” rate. Montreal recorded its highest single-day increase in cases Thursday, adding 648 new infections. The new cases mostly come from school-aged children and seniors over 85 living in long-term care centres and residences, but the spread is increasing across all age groups.
11th Dec 2020 - Montreal News on MSN.com
Nicola Sturgeon: Care homes with Covid-19 outbreaks must tell families of residents
There is a “big responsibility” on care home providers to ensure good communication with relatives, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said. Speaking at the coronavirus daily update on Friday, Ms Sturgeon said she would investigate the reported case of a woman who first found out about a Covid-19 outbreak at the care home of a relative in the North East through the media. It comes after investigations were launched by the Crown Office into outbreaks at two care homes in the North East.
11th Dec 2020 - The Scotsman
Care home Covid-19 case numbers much lower than during first wave – Sturgeon
The number of coronavirus cases in Scotland’s care homes is much lower than it was during the first wave of the virus, Nicola Sturgeon has said. A recent outbreak at Inchmarlo House care home in Banchory, Aberdeenshire, led to more than 40 cases being detected. It is one of two care homes in the north east where the Crown Office is investigating several deaths.
11th Dec 2020 - Evening Express
Second Covid-19 wave could be worse: Professor Karim
THE second Covid-19 wave has been worse than the first for half of the countries that have experienced a resurgence of the virus.
This is according to epidemiologist and infectious diseases specialist Professor Salim Abdool Karim, speaking at the 2020 Postgraduate Research and Innovation Symposium in Durban yesterday.
11th Dec 2020 - IOL News
Navajo nation president says second COVID-19 wave hitting the tribe is 'more dire and severe than the first'
Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez said Sunday that the most recent wave of COVID-19 cases is 'much more dire and much more severe than the first wave'
Confirmed cases reached 18,163 on Monday among the reservation's population of only 173,667. ICU units are reaching capacity as another three-week lockdown began. Nez warned that healthcare workers will soon be forced to make 'difficult decisions' in treating patients due to a lack of resources. More than 600 residents have now died from COVID-19, bringing the death rate to 347 for every 100,000 people. The reservation had already been among the hardest hit in the nation, registering the highest per capita level of positive test results in May
11th Dec 2020 - Daily Mail
Expert predicts number of COVID-19 cases in Jordan to exceed two million by end of second wave
Disease Diagnostic Consultant Hussam Abu Farsakh Tuesday said he expects the number of people infected with coronavirus in Jordan will exceed two million by the end of the second wave. Abu Farsakh told Roya that studies say the real number of COVID-19 cases may be ten times the number of recorded cases, which is the case across the rest of the world. In regard to the coronavirus vaccine, Abu Farsakh called on health authorities to conduct an antibody test prior to administering the vaccine to ensure antibodies are not already present in the body.
11th Dec 2020 - Roya News English
More than 100 coronavirus cases recorded in care home outbreak
A spokesperson for the IMT said: “There is now 102 detected cases of Covid-19 associated with the outbreak at Inchmarlo House Care Home. “We continue to support the home with staffing to ensure the care of residents.” A spokesperson for Inchmarlo House said: “As reported yesterday, we acknowledge that the matter of the Covid-19 outbreak is in the hands of the Procurator Fiscal and we will, of course, co-operate fully with the process.” “The care, safety and wellbeing of our residents is always our primary focus and we will continue to work closely with the relevant authorities who are supporting us.”
11th Dec 2020 - STV News
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 11th Dec 2020
View this newsletter in fullCovid-19 could 'run out of control' over winter without caution, Sturgeon warns
The First Minister has come in for fierce criticism for keeping the city under Level 3 restrictions – the second toughest level available in Scotland’s five-tier system. She argued if the Scottish Government does not apply “real caution” when considering these issues there is a risk Covid-19 infections could rapidly spiral. Both Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard and Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie challenged the First Minister on the failure to move Edinburgh to Level 2 – something many had expected to happen this week. Ms Sturgeon warned going down a level and easing restrictions “gives the virus more opportunity to spread”.
10th Dec 2020 - Aberdeen Evening Express
Mexico's coronavirus czar faces criticism as COVID-19 surges
There’s hardly a Mexican who doesn’t know Hugo López-Gatell Ramírez by now. Mexico’s undersecretary of prevention and health promotion has sat across from reporters at 7 p.m. sharp almost every single night since late February to update them, and the country, on the toll of the coronavirus pandemic. His firm demeanor, careful speech, and courteous personality have made his televised coronavirus press briefings even more popular than those of the country’s president. But as COVID-19 deaths in Mexico continue to soar—surpassed only by the United States, Brazil, and India—many have questioned López-Gatell Ramírez’s leadership. Critics accuse him of undercounting the true numbers and mishandling the nation’s response. In early August, the governors of nine Mexican states demanded his resignation. His defenders, though, say he’s making sound decisions based on science and doing the best he can with the resources at his disposal.
10th Dec 2020 - Science Magazine
Coronavirus: 'London must enter tier 3 now' warn experts
London should be placed in tier three "now" to avoid a spike in deaths over Christmas, experts have warned. The city saw a spike in Covid-19 cases at the end of England-wide lockdown on 2 December, new figures have revealed. Government officials are due to meet on 16 December to review what tier each area should be allocated. Prof John Ashton, author of Blinded by Corona, said "if London doesn't want hospitals to be full over Christmas the government need to get a grip today".
"Deaths will start going up during the Christmas period and new year unless something is done," said Prof Ashton, a former regional director of public health for north-west England.
10th Dec 2020 - BBC
Global cases stabilizing, but COVID deaths continue to climb
Global incidence of new COVID-19 cases remained high but stable for the second week in a row, while global coronavirus deaths increased, according to the latest weekly epidemiologic update from the World Health Organization (WHO). Meanwhile, with the United Kingdom's vaccination campaign in its second day, UK health officials said today that people with a significant history of allergic reactions to food, medicine, or vaccines should not receive the COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer-BioNTech following allergic reactions in two health workers.
10th Dec 2020 - CIDRAP
Compromise lockdown struggles to subdue Germany's Covid second wave
In the spring, Germany was praised as a pandemic role model for its Covid-19 crisis management: its low fatality and high testing rates and efficient hammering of the curve were the envy of much of the rest of the world. But this winter the virus is exposing the weaknesses as well as strengths of Germany’s consensus-based federal system, as its “compromise lockdown” struggles to subdue the second wave. While the German infection rate remains below the EU average, the numbers have taken a “worrying” turn for the worse, as Lothar Wieler, the head of the country’s disease control agency, warned on Thursday.
10th Dec 2020 - The Guardian
French to find out if virus surge will ruin Christmas holidays
With just two weeks to go until Christmas, French people were on Thursday nervously awaiting news by the Prime Minister on whether lockdown restrictions will be relaxed as planned. Failure to adequately stem the number of coronavirus cases has fuelled fears that Jean Castex will scupper end-of-year festivities at a press conference set for 6pm.
Under plans laid out in November, cinemas and theatres are due to reopen on 15 December, with a night-time curfew replacing a nationwide lockdown – allowing people to travel to see loved ones over the holidays.
10th Dec 2020 - RFI English
Covid-19: Second wave wouldn't be unexpected, but hard lockdown a ‘blunt tool’, says top expert
Many countries are experiencing a second Covid wave, and scientists are worried that SA is heading in the same direction. However, implementing another hard lockdown is impractical as the first one pretty much proved unsuccessful in containing the spread of the virus.
10th Dec 2020 - News24
Japanese medical community despairs at public's lack of concern for mounting virus wave
The air has shifted -- and many in the medical community are concerned by the changes in attitudes toward the coronavirus they're seeing in society at large. Compared to the first wave of infections, in which the whole country got in the mood to limit its activities, now people are more relaxed, with some shops even refusing to comply with requests to reduce their business hours. Disparities in the way ordinary people and medical professionals perceive the threat are widening.
10th Dec 2020 - The Mainichi
Covid-19 Surge Hits South Korea and Japan, After They Had Contained Virus
Some Asian countries that have been among the world’s most successful at containing Covid-19 are now struggling to beat back a winter resurgence, a sign of how elusive sustained progress can be until a vaccine gets rolled out widely. On Wednesday, South Korean President Moon Jae-in convened an emergency meeting after the country saw a nine-month peak of 686 cases that has forced officials to use shipping containers to address a hospital-bed shortage. Japan on Wednesday recorded 2,810 new cases, the government said, its highest daily total yet. Vietnam reported community infections for the first time in around three months, prompting authorities to suspend all inbound commercial flights. Hong Kong, which had taken daily infections down to single digits, has seen cases surge past 100, requiring the reintroduction of limits on dine-in restaurant service and gym closures. Several regions of Malaysia went into lockdown after cases doubled within a month.
10th Dec 2020 - The Wall Street Journal
U.S., Breaking a Record, Tops the 3,000 Daily Death Mark
Just one week after the United States broke a daily record for coronavirus deaths, it did so again on Wednesday, when officials across the country reported at least 3,011 new fatalities. Last week’s record — 2,885 deaths reported in a single day — was a milestone because not since the pandemic’s first peak, in spring, had so many deaths been reported. The high point then was 2,752 deaths, on April 15. As a brutal surge gathers speed across the country, the country went on last week to record its most coronavirus-related deaths over a seven-day period.
10th Dec 2020 - The New York Times
'We need help,' says Stockholm healthcare chief as COVID fills intensive care wards
The head of Stockholm’s health service appealed to national authorities on Wednesday to send specialist nurses and other hospital staff as it struggles to cope with a second wave of COVID infections that has filled intensive care wards in Sweden’s capital city. Sweden, which has not opted for the kind of lockdown adopted by many other European nations, has suffered many times more COVID-19 deaths per capita than its Nordic neighbours, with the total reaching almost 7,300 on Wednesday. Stockholm and the surrounding region are among the areas hardest hit with 2,836 deaths. Infection rates are picking up again after a lull in the summer and autumn, and intensive care wards are now full.
10th Dec 2020 - Reuters UK
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 10th Dec 2020
View this newsletter in fullBrazil registers highest COVID-19 daily death toll in almost a month
Brazil reported 51,088 additional confirmed coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours and 842 fatalities from COVID-19, its Health Ministry said on Tuesday, marking the highest death toll since Nov. 14. The South American country has now registered 6,674,999 cases since the pandemic began, while its official death toll has risen to 178,159, according to ministry data. Brazil has the world’s third highest case count, after the United States and India, and second highest death toll. Easing quarantines in Brazilian cities have led to crowded bars and restaurants, giving some the impression that life has returned to normal. With the approaching holiday season, experts worry that COVID-19 will spread even faster.
9th Dec 2020 - NBC News
California's hospitals are close to 'breaking point' as COVID-19 surges
Governor Gavin Newsom is now bringing in hundreds of hospital staff from outside the state and preparing to re-start emergency hospitals that were created but barely used when the coronavirus surged last spring to cope with the new surge. The seven-day rolling average for new cases in the county's most populous state has doubled over the past two weeks to 23,000 a day. During the summer surge, average infections in California peaked at 10,000 per day.
9th Dec 2020 - Daily Mail on MSN.com
Christmas spike in Covid-19 cases ‘inevitable’
A spike in Covid-19 cases is “inevitable” as people mix over the Christmas holidays, the Tanaiste has said. Leo Varadkar said if further restrictions are introduced in January it “won’t be done lightly”. Referring to a rise in coronavirus cases following gatherings in the US and Canada for Thanksgiving, Mr Varadkar said it gives an indication on how the virus will spread over the festive holidays.
9th Dec 2020 - Belfast Telegraph
COVID-19: Another 533 deaths reported and 16,578 new cases
The UK has reported another 533 deaths with COVID-19 and 16,578 new cases of the virus in the last 24 hours. That compares to 12,282 cases and 616 deaths on Tuesday, according to government data. It means the total number of people who have died within 28 days of testing positive for the virus is now 62,566.
9th Dec 2020 - Sky News
UK records 16,578 more cases of coronavirus and 533 deaths as fatalities continue to decline in the wake of England's second lockdown
Department of Health figures show the number of cases rose by 2.5 per cent compared to last Wednesday. Deaths, however, fell by 17 per cent compared to last week after 533 were recorded by health chiefs. Covid-19 cases in Briton have been plateauing since England's national lockdown was lifted on December 2
9th Dec 2020 - Daily Mail
Covid cases: Hospital admissions rise in most of England’s NHS regions despite lockdown, figures show
Admissions to hospital of patients with Covid-19 are rising in four out of seven NHS regions of England despite the month-long lockdown in November, official figures have shown. The increases are in London, east of England, south east and the Midlands, suggesting a third wave of the epidemic could be threatening the NHS just before the Christmas relaxation period.
9th Dec 2020 - iNews
London ‘facing Tier 3 before Christmas’ as figures shows rates up in 21 boroughs
Londoners might be facing Tier 3 lockdown restrictions just a week before Christmas as data shows infections are up in two thirds of the capital’s boroughs.
The latest Public Health England data shows infection rates are rising in the capital, with cases per person up by half in certain areas of the city. Some officials are reportedly now voicing concern about London. Rates in some areas were rising even before lockdown was lifted on December 2 - and before Londoners enjoyed the first weekend of slightly eased measures.
9th Dec 2020 - Evening Standard
Germany coronavirus: Merkel backs tougher restrictions as Covid deaths hit record
German Chancellor Angela Merkel advocated tougher restrictions on public life and pleaded with her compatriots to cut down on socializing as the country reported its highest single-day death toll of the coronavirus pandemic on Wednesday. Germany is gradually moving toward a tighter lockdown, at least for a limited period after Christmas, as new virus cases remain stubbornly high — and are even beginning to creep higher — despite a partial shutdown that started on Nov. 2.
9th Dec 2020 - The Independent
With record deaths, Germany may tighten lockdown
Chancellor Angela Merkel is throwing her weight behind calls for a fuller lockdown in Germany that would include closing shops after Christmas, telling legislators that vaccines alone would not majorly alter the pandemic's course. Olivia Chan reports.
9th Dec 2020 - Reuters
Covid cases revealed for each London borough as millions urged to help keep capital out of Tier 3
Every single Londoner was today urged to join the battle to keep the city out of Tier 3 as official figures showed Covid-19 cases rising in more than two thirds of boroughs. MPs and Mayor Sadiq Khan called on millions of people across the capital to stick to social distancing, self-isolation, mask wearing and good hygiene rules and guidance to reverse the latest coronavirus surge. The number of confirmed cases is increasing across east London, apart from Redbridge which saw a very small decrease in the week to December 3, compared to the previous seven days.
9th Dec 2020 - Evening Standard
Asia Today: S. Korea sees 686 new cases, 2nd-biggest spike
South Korea has reported 686 new cases of the coronavirus, tying its second-highest daily jump since the emergence of the pandemic, as a resurgence driven by the greater capital area threatens to erase hard-won gains against the virus.
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said Wednesday that 536 of the new cases were reported in the Seoul metropolitan area, where new clusters of infections have been popping up from seemingly everywhere, including restaurants, markets, saunas, hospitals, long-term care facilities and army units.
9th Dec 2020 - Associated Press
International update: Global Covid cases pass 68.3 million - more than 15.1 million in US
Global coronavirus infections pass 68.3 million. Meanwhile, the global coronavirus death toll has passed 1,559,000 according to researchers at Johns Hopkins University. US: Covid-19 infections have passed 15 million. Record cases in at least three states – Arizona, Alabama and Ohio – pushed the cumulative case load to over 15 million, according to a Reuters tally of state and county data. Meanwhile, the US coronavirus death toll is 286,338 according to researchers at Johns Hopkins University.
9th Dec 2020 - pharmaceutical-technology.com
Germany records highest Covid death toll
The number of people who have died in Germany after catching the coronavirus has surged to 590, marking the highest daily death toll for the country in the pandemic yet. The figure, reported by the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), the national agency for disease control, beat the last record of 487 by more than 100. The RKI added 20,815 new coronavirus cases to the country's tally of confirmed infections, which amounts to 1,218,524 so far. The daily rise in new cases last Wednesday was lower at 17,270, providing further proof that a partial lockdown put in place in early November has failed to break Germany's second wave of infections
9th Dec 2020 - The West Australian
U.S. Breaks Record for Most Deaths in a Week
The United States has recorded its most coronavirus-related deaths over a weeklong period, as a brutal surge gathers speed across the country. With a seven-day average of 2,249 deaths, the country broke the previous mark of 2,232 set on April 17 in the early weeks of the pandemic. Seven-day averages can provide a more accurate picture of the virus’s progression than daily death counts, which can fluctuate and disguise the broader trend line. The United States is approaching 300,000 total deaths, with nearly 283,000 recorded, according to a New York Times database. The nation is averaging nearly 200,000 cases per day, an increase of 15 percent from the average two weeks earlier, and has recorded over than 15 million total cases.
9th Dec 2020 - The New York Times
Swedish govt to ask parliament for tougher powers to fight pandemic
Sweden’s government on Wednesday proposed new temporary legislation to expand its powers to fight the coronavirus pandemic, giving it greater leeway to implement and enforce lockdown measures such as closing shopping malls and gyms. The legislation, which will be submitted for review to relevant stakeholders before a vote in parliament, would come into force on March 15 next year and be valid for just over a year, the coalition said in a statement. Since summer and early autumn’s lull in the pandemic, a second wave of the virus has swept the Nordic country with infections hitting daily records, while hospitalisations and deaths have also shot up over the past two months.
9th Dec 2020 - Reuters India
French new coronavirus cases jump to 13,717
New confirmed coronavirus infections over the past 24 hours in France jumped to 13,713 on Tuesday, from 3,411 on Monday and 8,083 last Tuesday, health ministry data showed. On the 11th day after the government eased a nationwide lockdown, the number of people in intensive care however fell by 110 to 3,088, bringing it closer to a 2,500-3,000 government threshold that is one of the conditions for further lockdown easing.
9th Dec 2020 - Reuters UK
New powers allow Hong Kong government to lock down Covid-19 hotspots
Chief Executive Carrie Lam adopts powerful new tool to combat an escalating fourth wave of the virus and urges residents to stay home as much as possible
Authorities tighten social-distancing restrictions, with restaurants to end dine-in service at 6pm and gyms to close, as 100 new cases confirmed
8th Dec 2020 - South China Morning Post
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 9th Dec 2020
View this newsletter in fullCovid-19 pandemic: As hospitals start to max out, medical workers beg for help
Dr. Cleavon Gilman served in the Iraq War, but he said that doesn't compare to the battle he's fighting as an emergency room physician in Arizona. "This pandemic is a lot worse than being in Iraq just because when you're in a war zone, you can leave that war zone. You can fly out of Iraq; you're OK here in the United States," the Yuma doctor said.
8th Dec 2020 - CNN on MSN.com
Matt Hancock urges Londoners to ‘stick to the rules’ as Covid cases rise
Matt Hancock issued an urgent appeal to Londoners today to “stick by the rules” after shock figures showed Covid-19 cases rising in 21 boroughs increasing the risk of Tier 3 for the city before Christmas. The Health Secretary also stressed that more people in the capital will end up in hospital and die because of the disease’s spread. He spoke out after alarming data showed confirmed cases jumping by 46.7 in Haringey in the week to December 2, with many boroughs in east London also being particularly badly hit. Worryingly, much of the rise happened before lockdown ended last Wednesday. The coronavirus surge is all the more striking as just over a week earlier cases were falling in 30 out of 32 boroughs.
8th Dec 2020 - Evening Standard
Russian doctors demand probe into Covid-19 patients jumping from high rise buildings
Russia and Ukraine has seen a number of Covid-19 patients fall to their deaths
The latest, one of Russia's oldest war heroes, had recently been discharged
Russian doctors are now calling for an investigation into the suicide cases
They want to look into whether Covid-19 can cause neuropsychiatric disorders
8th Dec 2020 - Daily Mail
America's COVID-19 death toll now surpasses the April peak
The US recorded 1,404 deaths and 192,299 new coronavirus cases yesterday, while the number of people currently hospitalized reached a record 102,148
Deaths, which have been rising rapidly since last month, are now currently averaging 2,200 per day. During the initial peak of the virus in April, the highest seven-day rolling average was just over 2,000. In the last week, 15,658 Americans have died from COVID-19 - making it the deadliest week since April. Hospitalizations have consistently set single-day highs since late October and are currently rising in 31 states. In the last week, every state apart from Utah and Montana have reported an increase in deaths compared to the previous seven days. The Dakotas continue to record the most deaths per 100,000 across the country. Rhode Island is currently the worst affected state with an average of 110 cases per 100,000 people in a week. It comes as alarming new red wave maps created by US government health officials show how surging COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths have engulfed the United States in the last four months
The data, included in the most recent White House task force situation report sent weekly to states, tracks the number of new COVID-19 admissions per 100 inpatient beds across the country
8th Dec 2020 - Daily Mail
More areas in England recording rise in Covid-19 case rates, figures show
A growing number of areas in England are seeing a rise in Covid-19 case rates.
Seven days ago, just 21 out of a total of 315 local authority areas had recorded a week-on-week jump in rates. That figure now stands at 126. A majority of places are still recording a fall – but there is only one region, north-east England, where are rates coming down in all local areas.
8th Dec 2020 - Aberdeen Evening Express
Covid deaths climbed to highest number since May just before England’s lockdown ended
As people welcome the news that a 90-year-old woman has become the first person in the world to receive a Covid-19 jab, stark new data has highlighted why the vaccine programme will be vital in the UK’s ongoing fight against the coronavirus. Despite tough restrictions brought in across England and Wales in recent months, new figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that by the end of November the number deaths from Covid-19 had reached the highest rate since May.
8th Dec 2020 - iNews
London's Covid cases are higher now than BEFORE England's lockdown
Matt Hancock has refused to rule out imposing Tier Three measures onto the capital a week before Christmas. Department of Health data shows infections in the city continued to rise during the four-week lockdown. But NHS hospital admissions and deaths from the virus are still flat-lining despite the surge in infections
8th Dec 2020 - Daily Mail
Covid-19: U.S. Surpasses 10 Million Coronavirus Cases as Global Cases Top 50 Million
The United States reported its 10 millionth coronavirus case on Sunday, with the latest million added in just 10 days, as most of the country struggled to contain outbreaks in the third and most widespread wave of infection since the pandemic began. More than 103,600 new cases were announced on Sunday, the fifth-highest total of the pandemic, according to a New York Times database, and the fifth day in a row the country exceeded 100,000 cases in a single day. Case reports have soared in the last week, shattering records. The seven-day average of new cases now exceeds 111,000 per day, far more than any other country. The United States accounts for about one-fifth of all reported coronavirus cases in the world, a total that has passed 50.2 million.
8th Dec 2020 - The New York Times
Japan announces $708bn in fresh stimulus as COVID-19 cases rise
Japan will compile a fresh economic stimulus package worth 73.6 trillion yen ($708bn), Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said on Tuesday, signalling his resolve to pull the country out of its coronavirus crisis-induced slump. The new stimulus package will include fiscal spending worth around 40 trillion yen ($384.2bn), Suga said in a meeting with ruling party executives. The government is set to finalise the stimulus package later on Tuesday, which would follow a combined $2.2 trillion from two previous packages that focused on dealing with the immediate strain on households and business. The new economic measures would help push “new economic growth,” Suga said at the meeting. The package is likely to include subsidies and incentives to prod companies to boost green investment and spending on digitalisation, an area Suga has laid out as his key policy priorities.
8th Dec 2020 - AlJazeera
London ‘facing Tier 3 before Christmas’ as figures shows rates are up in 21 boroughs
Londoners might be facing Tier Three lockdown restrictions just a week before Christmas as data shows infections are up in two thirds of the capital’s boroughs.
The latest Public Health England data shows infection rates are rising in the capital, with cases per person up by half in certain areas of the city. Some officials are reportedly now voicing concern about London. Rates in some areas were rising even before lockdown was lifted on December 2 - and before Londoners enjoyed the first weekend of slightly eased measures. Government officials are set to meet on December 16 to review tiers across the country - just over a week before Christmas Day.
8th Dec 2020 - Evening Standard
US total tops 15 million as COVID-19 surge expands
More than 200,000 Americans are now testing positive for COVID-19 each day, on average, according to a CNBC analysis of Johns Hopkins data. Yesterday, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released its most detailed report of hospital capacity yet, the first to show facility-level status, NPR reported. The HHS data show that for 126 US counties, the average hospital is 90% occupied.
Yesterday, the United States reported 192,299 new cases and 1,404 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins tracker. And the COVID Tracking Project reported that 102,148 Americans are currently hospitalized for COVID-19.
8th Dec 2020 - CIDRAP
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 8th Dec 2020
View this newsletter in fullMore people died in the US from COVID-19 nearly every day last week than died in the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor
COVID-19 data shows that the US daily death toll for 5 of 7 days last week topped the 2,403 lives lost in the attack that plunged the US into WWII.
7th Dec 2020 - Business Insider
L.A. County faces ‘three weeks of devastation’ before COVID-19 surge might slow, experts say
The coronavirus wave engulfing California over the last week seems to confirm that the worst of the surge is far from over. But how bad will it get? The numbers — which have reached record proportions — still don’t reflect anyone who may have gotten sick during Thanksgiving. Generally, it takes two weeks after an event to determine whether coronavirus transmission occurred, and two additional weeks for hospitalization numbers to increase as a result. It also will take several weeks for the effects of the latest stay-at-home order, which began in Los Angeles County last week and in much of California just before midnight Monday.
7th Dec 2020 - Los Angeles Times
Wales considers new Covid lockdown amid rapid rise in infections
Another lockdown may be needed in Wales to stop the NHS being overwhelmed as the number of Covid-19 patients in hospital soared to a record high. There are now more than 1,800 people in Welsh hospitals with confirmed or suspected coronavirus – the highest number recorded and 400 more than the previous peak in April. Describing the situation as “incredibly serious”, the Welsh health minister, Vaughan Gething, accepted more restrictions might be needed, possibly even before Christmas. The figures come just a month after the end of a 17-day “firebreak” lockdown, which was believed at the time to have been successful and was expected to give the country a clear run up to the new year. But the Welsh government has since conceded that it might have been better to bring in other curbs when the firebreak was lifted.
7th Dec 2020 - The Guardian
Are Covid cases beginning to creep back UP? Daily infections jump 19.4% in a week to 14,718 as data shows curve began to flatten BEFORE lockdown ended – but deaths continue ...
The UK's daily infection curve began to flatten roughly a week before the draconian restrictions were lifted. In contrast, 12,330 positive tests were added to the tally last Monday — meaning today's figure is a 19.4% rise. Deaths are still continuing to fall, however, as a result of the national lockdown, according to official figures
7th Dec 2020 - Daily Mail
Covid Sweden: Infection rate overtakes UK, Germany and Spain
Sweden's infection rate is higher than in Britain, France, Spain, Italy or Germany
Average daily deaths are once again above those in Denmark, Norway or Finland
Gatherings have been limited to eight people, compared to 50 in the spring
7th Dec 2020 - Daily Mail
South Korea Cancels Annual New Year Bell-ringing Ceremony Amid Surge In COVID-19 Cases
South Korea government announced cancellation as Seoul recorded confirmed 631 new coronavirus cases over the past 24 hours, with a noticeable spike.
7th Dec 2020 - RepublicWorld
South Korea reports 615 new coronavirus cases as third wave grows
South Korean President Moon Jae-in called on Monday (Dec 7) for expanded COVID-19 testing and more thorough tracing as the country struggled to control its latest and largest wave of infections. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency reported 615 new COVID-19 cases as of midnight Sunday, capping a month of triple-digit daily increases that have led to 8,311 confirmed patients in quarantine, the most ever. Moon ordered the government to mobilise every available resource to track infections, and to expand testing by deploying the military and more people from the public service, presidential Blue House spokesman Chung Man-ho told a briefing.
7th Dec 2020 - Channel NewsAsia
COVID-19 clusters break out in Japan's coldest city as winter closes in
The emergence of Japan’s coldest city as a COVID-19 hotspot has raised fears among health experts that it could be a sign of what the rest of the nation may face as winter sets in and more people stay indoors, raising airborne transmission risks. The city of Asahikawa, about 140 km (87 miles) north of Sapporo on the northern island of Hokkaido, is reeling from infection clusters at two hospitals and a care home. By Sunday, the number of cases recorded on the island was more than 10,000, and Asahikawa had accounted for 16% of the 256 deaths. It prompted the government to announce a plan on Monday to send nurses from Self Defense Forces to the region and western metropolis of Osaka to help fight the outbreak.
7th Dec 2020 - Reuters
South Korea, Japan to deploy military to combat COVID-19
South Korea and Japan are deploying their militaries to assist healthcare workers in combatting COVID-19, with South Korean soldiers called in to expand coronavirus testing and tracing and Japanese military nurses tapped to fill a shortage of staff at hospitals in the hard-hit regions of Hokkaido and Osaka. Moon Jae-in, the president of South Korea, on Monday ordered the government to mobilise “every available” resource to track infections and to expand testing by deploying the military and more people from the public service, presidential Blue House spokesman Chung Man-ho told a briefing.
7th Dec 2020 - AlJazeera
Kremlin sees no need to impose broad lockdown
The Kremlin said on Monday there was no need to impose lockdown restrictions to curb the sharp rise in coronavirus cases since September and that the current set of measures in place were widely seen by authorities as enough. Infections have surged to record highs in recent weeks. Earlier on Monday authorities confirmed 28,142 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, including 7,279 in Moscow.
7th Dec 2020 - Reuters
French coronavirus infection rate unlikely to fall to lockdown threshold -minister
French BFM TV reported on Monday that Health Minister Olivier Veran has told members of parliament that it is unlikely that the number of daily new coronavirus cases will fall to 5,000 by Dec. 15. French President Emmanuel Macron has said that threshold is one of the conditions for ending a nationwide lockdown on Dec. 15. Another condition was for the number of people in intensive care to fall below 3,000. On Sunday, France registered 11,022 new cases, down from a high of over 86,000 per day a month ago. The number of people in ICUs fell by 10 to 3,220 on Sunday.
7th Dec 2020 - Reuters UK
Covid-19 cases rise by 14,718 as UK records another 189 deaths
The Government said a further 189 people had died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19 with vaccines expected to be rolled out to public tomorrow. The latest data shows as of Monday, the UK total has suffered 61,434 deaths. The Government said that, as of 9am on Monday, there had been a further 14,718 lab-confirmed cases of coronavirus in the UK. It brings the total number of cases in the UK to 1,737,960. Separate figures published by the UK’s statistics agencies for deaths where Covid-19 has been mentioned on the death certificate, together with additional data on deaths that have occurred in recent days, show there have now been 77,000 deaths involving Covid-19 in the UK.
7th Dec 2020 - Evening Standard
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 7th Dec 2020
View this newsletter in fullLong a Holdout From Covid-19 Restrictions, Sweden Ends Its Pandemic Experiment
After a late autumn surge in infections led to rising hospitalizations and deaths, Sweden has abandoned its attempt to combat the pandemic through voluntary measures.
6th Dec 2020 - The Wall Street Journal
Most of California to be under stay-at-home orders as COVID-19 surges
California’s two most densely inhabited regions and its agricultural breadbasket will be under stay-at-home orders by Sunday night as the COVID-19 pandemic strains hospitals in the most populous U.S. state, officials said. Designed to kick in when intensive care units in any of five regions have little remaining capacity, the order affecting Southern California and the San Joaquin Valley will close bars, hair salons and barbershops, and allows restaurants to remain open only for takeout and delivery service. The shutdowns, which go into effect at 11:59 pm Sunday, are triggered by an order announced Wednesday by Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat.
6th Dec 2020 - Reuters
South Korea to consider new curbs as coronavirus cases hit 9-month high
South Korea on Sunday reported 631 new coronavirus cases, the highest in nine months, ahead of an expected government decision on whether to further tighten social distancing curbs as health authorities struggle to contain a third wave of outbreaks. After implementing tighter restrictions on Saturday, the government is to decide on Sunday whether to impose new measures in a country that had seen initial success through aggressive contact tracing and other steps. The new cases bring the country’s tally to 37,546, with 545 deaths, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency reported.
6th Dec 2020 - Reuters
COVID-19: How the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine is being rolled out - and who will get it first
More details have emerged about who will be first to get the Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine when the UK rollout begins next week. First doses of the highly anticipated jab reached Britain on Thursday after being brought through the Eurotunnel on lorries from Belgium. It is just the start of the huge and complex logistical and technical operation that lies ahead to protect those most vulnerable across the UK.
5th Dec 2020 - Sky News
Southern California headed for strict COVID lockdown due to lack of ICU beds
More than 20 million people across 23 Southern California counties will be under one of the country’s strictest COVID lockdowns beginning Monday morning. People in Los Angeles, San Diego, all surrounding counties and the state’s Central Valley will be legally prohibited from gathering with anyone outside their immediate household, and nearly all businesses must close under the new stay-at-home order. The lockdown rules last at least three weeks, meaning they’ll be in effect through Christmas. People wait in line to be tested for COVID-19 at a testing site in the North Hollywood section of Los Angeles on Saturday.
5th Dec 2020 - New York Daily News on MSN.com
Pennsylvania man begs for help in finding a new ICU bed for his mom with COVID-19
Shawn Rider posted to Facebook on Tuesday pleading for information on another Pennsylvania hospital that had a free ICU bed and an EMCO machine. His mother Karen had been on a ventilator due to COVID-19 since November 23 but her condition had deteriorated and she needed a transfer. A nurse at York hospital spotted his post and found the family an ICU bed. Karen was transferred the next day but is still in a serious condition. She has now been on an ventilator for 13 days
Shawn has continued to share her story as the family hopes people will 'take more precautions so they don't end up in the position we are in.'
5th Dec 2020 - Daily Mail
`Biggest crisis`: South Korea tightens COVID-19 restrictions amid record high surge
After months of keeping the novel coronavirus spread under control, a new outbreak has scared the authorities of a threat bigger than the starting of the grim year. Following a sudden surge in the COVID-19 cases, South Korea has raised its coronavirus alert to the highest level in the capital city Seoul as the authorities believe this outbreak may take longer to be controlled. South Korea had been following the "trace, test and treat" approach for the past few months, and had managed to contain the spread of the deadly virus. Following a drop in cases, the country had reopened its economy, letting people step out to meet friends and go to work, and life was slowly returning back to normal.
5th Dec 2020 - WION
UK reports 13,430 new COVID-19 cases, 603 deaths
Britain reported 15,539 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday and 397 new deaths within 28 days of a positive test result, both falls on the previous day’s figures.
5th Dec 2020 - Reuters
Russia reports record 29,039 new COVID-19 cases
Moscow wants to vaccinate up to seven million people, its Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said, as Russia on Sunday reported yet another record high number of new COVID-19 cases. Moscow began distributing its Sputnik V COVID-19 shot via 70 clinics on Saturday to the most exposed groups, marking Russia’s first large-scale vaccination against the disease. “In prospect, we have to vaccinate six to seven million people,” Sobyanin told state TV Rossiya-1 in an interview published on Sunday.
5th Dec 2020 - Reuters
COVID-19: Vaccine clinics open across Moscow to start issuing Sputnik V jab
Seventy COVID-19 clinics opened in the Russian capital on Saturday, three days after President Vladimir Putin ordered a "large-scale" immunisation programme that he claims will begin with two million doses being made available this week. The Sputnik V has not yet completed Phase 3 of its trials, unlike the vaccine produced by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, sparking widespread criticism it is not safe for use. The Moscow-based Gamaleya Institute, which is producing the vaccine, says an "advanced" study on 40,000 volunteers showed 91.4% efficacy after two doses.
5th Dec 2020 - Sky News
COVID-19: Vaccines will only have 'marginal impact' on NHS winter pressures, chief medical officers warn
COVID-19 will keep hospitals under continued strain in the coming months as new vaccines will only have a "marginal impact" on patient numbers over winter, the UK's chief medical officers have warned. In a letter written to healthcare colleagues, the group - which includes England's Professor Chris Whitty - also said that festive gatherings were likely to put additional pressure on the NHS. "Winter is always a challenging time for the NHS and wider health and social care service. This year will be especially hard due to COVID-19," it said.
4th Dec 2020 - Sky News
The Pro Cyclist Who Caught Covid Twice
Back in February, when the sports world was still wondering how severe an outbreak of something called Covid-19 might be, a Colombian cyclist named Fernando Gaviria was finding out for himself. Gaviria was doing his job, racing bikes in the United Arab Emirates, when he became one of the first international athletes to contract the coronavirus. The symptoms were harsh enough to land him in hospital for two weeks. “Back then we knew very little about the virus,” he wrote in an email. By the time Gaviria was healthy enough to leave Abu Dhabi, his world was a more uncertain place. The sports calendar had been scrubbed. Entire countries were shutting down. But Gaviria’s virus ordeal seemed to come with a personal silver lining. Prevailing wisdom suggested he’d at least be immune for the foreseeable future. That future lasted barely seven months. In October, Gaviria tested positive a second time. His reaction was sheer disbelief. “I was completely asymptomatic and felt OK,” he wrote.
2nd Dec 2020 - The Wall Street Journal
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 4th Dec 2020
View this newsletter in fullFall in UK Covid cases brings relief to hospitals
Coronavirus cases have halved in the past two weeks among people in their twenties and seventies, with falls continuing in all age groups.Test and Trace figures also show a drop of more than a quarter
4th Dec 2020 - The Times
Sweden's COVID-19 death toll rises above 7,000
Sweden, whose unorthodox pandemic strategy placed it in the global spotlight, registered 35 new COVID-19 related deaths, Health Agency statistics showed on Thursday, taking the total to 7,007. Sweden registered 6,485 new coronavirus cases on Thursday. The increase compared with a previous high of 7,240 daily cases recorded two weeks ago. Sweden’s death rate per capita is several times higher than that of its Nordic neighbours but lower than several European countries that opted for lockdowns.
3rd Dec 2020 - Reuters
COVID-19: UK deaths pass 60,000 as another 414 are recorded - and 14,879 more cases
There have been a further 14,879 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 414 deaths recorded in the UK in the last 24 hours, government figures show. The update brings the total number of coronavirus cases in the UK to 1,674,134 - and takes the number of deaths within 28 days of a positive COVID-19 test to 60,113. On Wednesday, 16,170 cases and 648 deaths were recorded.
3rd Dec 2020 - Sky News
Positive coronavirus tests fall 28 per cent as England's lockdown makes its mark
Positive Covid cases dropped more than a quarter in England last week, according to the latest Test and Trace figures, as the country begins to feel the effects of the nationwide lockdown. Figures from the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) found that just over 110,000 people in England tested positive for coronavirus in England in the week to 25 November, marking a 28 per cent slump on the previous week.
3rd Dec 2020 - City A.M.
South Africa fears virus return after cluster outbreaks
Localised coronavirus outbreaks in parts of South Africa have raised fears that the country could see a resurgence in cases compounded by gatherings during the upcoming festive season. Officials in Africa's hardest virus-hit country are scrambling to contain infections after a flare-up was reported in the impoverished Eastern Cape province and adjacent Western Cape province last month. The national number of new daily cases crept over 3,000 last week, up 50% from an average of 2,000 earlier in November.
3rd Dec 2020 - RTE.ie
Europe struggles with 2nd virus wave as winter arrives
France, having the highest number of COVID-19 cases with more than 2.27 million, announced a gradual exit strategy from lockdown last month. On Nov. 28, lockdowns started to loosen with the opening of shops that had been considered non-essential, but only until 9:00 p.m. local time (2000GMT). Religious services resumed, albeit with a 30-person limit. However, lockdown will be lifted on Dec. 15, but a curfew will be imposed from 9:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. excluding Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve. Museums, theaters, movie houses, conservatories, and music schools will reopen. On Jan. 20, restaurants, cafes, bars, gyms, and sports halls will finally reopen.
3rd Dec 2020 - Anadolu Agency
Swedes' support for anti-lockdown stance slips amid rising Covid deaths
Support for Sweden’s government and public confidence in authorities’ ability to handle the coronavirus crisis are sliding as the country’s anti-lockdown approach continues to be tested by mounting numbers of deaths and new cases. As the national health agency announced 6,485 new infections and 33 more deaths on Thursday, the prime minister, Stefan Löfven , said the country’s high schools would switch to distance learning from 7 December for the rest of the term. “This is being done so as to have a slowing effect on the spread of the disease, Löfven said, adding that the measure was “not an extended break”. What the country does now “will determine how we can celebrate Christmas”, he said.
3rd Dec 2020 - The Guardian on MSN.com
Lebanese minister says COVID cases rising, beds won't suffice
Lebanon will not have enough hospital beds to cope with increasing COVID-19 cases, the health minister in the caretaker government warned on Thursday, saying compliance with a two-week lockdown that ended this week had been patchy. In a Tweet, Hamad Hassan said cases were on the rise and although more hospital beds had been added, these would not be enough. Intensive care units were at critical capacity when Lebanon ordered the lockdown and caretaker Prime Minister Hassan Diab had warned the shutdown may be extended if people did not comply.
3rd Dec 2020 - Reuters India
Hungary reports record 182 daily COVID deaths
Hungary reported 182 new COVID-19 deaths on Thursday, by far the highest daily toll since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, government data showed. Thursday’s tally brought the total number of deaths to 5,324, while infections rose by 6,635 to 231,844. As of Wednesday, Hungary ran the European Union’s fifth-highest death rate per 100,000 people over a two-week period based on data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s government imposed a partial lockdown three weeks ago to slow the spread of the virus, including a 1900 GMT curfew and closing secondary schools.
3rd Dec 2020 - Reuters UK
Italy bans Xmas midnight mass, movement between regions amid high COVID toll
Italians will not be able to attend midnight mass or move between regions over the Christmas period, a top health ministry official said on Wednesday, as the country battles high coronavirus infection rates and deaths. Italy has been reporting more daily COVID-19 fatalities than any other European nation in recent weeks and, while the increase in new cases and hospital admissions is slowing, the government is worried about gatherings over Christmas. Junior Health Minister Sandra Zampa said Christmas Eve mass must end by around 8:30 p.m. so that worshippers can return home before a 10 p.m. curfew, and people should not invite non-family members home for Christmas lunch or other celebrations.
2nd Dec 2020 - Reuters UK
Coronavirus surging in England's three worst hotspots - even before lockdown ended
Latest Public Health England data shows Swale in Kent, Boston in Lincolnshire and Medway, also in Kent, are among a small number of towns and cities to see a seven day rise in cases
2nd Dec 2020 - Mirror Online
The covid-19 symptoms to watch out for
Symptoms of covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus, can range from mild to severe. The most common include fever, a dry cough or shortness of breath, but there are other indications you could need to be tested or have a conversation with your doctor. Not everyone experiences the same symptoms, and the order in which they appear can vary. Some people don’t show any symptoms — what health experts call “asymptomatic” cases — but still could spread the virus to others.
2nd Dec 2020 - The Washington Post
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 3rd Dec 2020
View this newsletter in fullArizona hospitals scramble to boost staffing as state's COVID-19 crisis deepens
A shortage of medical providers could exacerbate Arizona's growing COVID-19 crisis, as hospitals compete for contract labor in the midst of a pandemic that is gripping the entire United States. Arizona hospital officials are most worried about finding enough staff — not PPE or beds — to treat a surge of new COVID-19 patients. "The number one limiting factor is staffing right now," said Ann-Marie Alameddin, president and CEO of the Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association. "It's a much tighter supply because the whole country is in need of the same skill set." What's happening with COVID-19 in Arizona in this latest second wave of infection is a different situation than the summer.
2nd Dec 2020 - USA Today
Coronavirus hospital deaths soar by 465 with healthy 19-year-old among victims
On the day that the national lockdown was replaced with a tier system, approval was given to the Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine, which can now be rolled out across the country
2nd Dec 2020 - Mirror Online
Italy tightens antivirus restrictions for Christmas
Italy will have to adopt strict restrictions over Christmas holidays to avoid a third wave of the pandemic next year, Health Minister Roberto Speranza told parliament on Wednesday. The new rules -- which will be effective from Dec. 4 -- will include an almost total ban on international movements and between Italian regions, aimed at avoiding the spread of the virus across the country and limiting huge get-togethers.
The restriction will be even tougher on Dec. 25-26 and Jan. 1, when citizens would not be allowed to travel even between cities. A nationwide curfew at 10 p.m. will be maintained also on Christmas night and New Year’s Eve, likely obliging Italian churches to anticipate the traditional midnight mass. The government is still discussing a few exceptions to these limitations, possibly for students who plan to visit their families in a different region, or elderly parents and grandparents who live alone and would spend the holidays by themselves.
2nd Dec 2020 - Anadolu Agency
Germany is now seeing MORE Covid-19 infections than Britain and reports its highest number of deaths yet after its 'lockdown light' failed to reduce number of cases
Germany is seeing around 18,000 infections per day, next to 15,000 in Britain
Contagion has remained high despite a month-long 'lockdown light' in Germany
Germany's death rate has also reached record levels with new high of 487 today
2nd Dec 2020 - Daily Mail
To slow down a killer virus, Spain breaks with decades-old Christmas traditions
For 41 years, families in the Spanish capital have kicked off the Christmas season by gathering behind the department store El Corte Inglés to watch a performance by giant singing puppets. The store’s “Cortylandia” show has treated crowds in the past to festive depictions of “Gulliver’s Travels” and “Aladdin,” among numerous others, including the Noah’s ark story. But this year, as all the world battles a killer virus, the tradition has been replaced with a light display that simply reads, in lowercase letters, felices fiestas. Happy holidays. The loss of a beloved 15-minute puppet show is among the Christmastime traditions of this traditionally Catholic country being altered or even eliminated, as the government tries to keep its physically demonstrative populace a step ahead of a virus that has killed 45,069 to date in the country.
2nd Dec 2020 - MarketWatch
New COVID-19 cases in France stay below 10,000 for third day
New COVID-19 infections in France stayed below 10,000 for the third day in a row on Tuesday, a sequence unseen since mid-September, and the number of people hospitalised for the disease resumed a downward trend. The government has loosened its second national coronavirus lockdown, put in place on Oct. 30, by allowing all shops to reopen at the weekend. President Emmanuel Macron said last week the lockdown could be lifted on Dec. 15 if by then the number of new infections per day fell to 5,000 and the number of COVID-19 patients in intensive care declined to between 2,500 and 3,000. Earlier in the day, Macron said that France should be in a position to embark on a broader COVID-19 vaccination campaign between April and June next year, after initially targeting a smaller group of people.
2nd Dec 2020 - Reuters
Zimbabwe tightens gathering limits as COVID-19 cases rise
Political analyst Rashweat Mukundu said the increase “points to [a] notable failure in government’s COVID-19 response and also the mishandling of the opening up of the socioeconomic sector”. Mukundu cited the reopening of schools last month “without adequate precautionary measures” as one of the reasons behind what he described as a “ticking time bomb”. “The government’s response has largely been politicised,” Mukundu said, urging authorities “to go back to the drawing board”.
2nd Dec 2020 - AlJazeera
Florida becomes the third state to reach one million COVID-19 cases after Texas and California - and Governor DeSantis STILL refuses to order a lockdown
Florida Department of Health released new COVID-19 figures on Tuesday. Total statewide tally of COVID-19 cases has reached 1,008,166, DOH data shows. Of those, 18,679 Floridians have died of the disease caused by the coronavirus. Governor Ron DeSantis, a Republican, has refused calls for strict lockdown. DeSantis slammed those who urged school closures, calling them 'flat-earthers.' Last week, he barred towns from fining people for violating mitigation measures
1st Dec 2020 - Daily Mail
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 2nd Dec 2020
View this newsletter in fullCovid-19 death toll passes 1000 in Northern Ireland
Coronavirus-linked deaths recorded by health officials in Northern Ireland have surpassed 1,000. Health minister Robin Swann said the region had passed a “sad milestone” after 15 further fatalities were reported on Tuesday, taking the toll collated by the Department of Health to 1,011. Another 391 confirmed cases of the virus were also recorded in the last 24-hour reporting period.
1st Dec 2020 - Evening Express
How USA has become one giant hotspot: 1,172 Americans are now dying each day - an 80% increase in just one month - while hospitalizations soar to a record 96,000
A new map from an internal federal government brief shows that 48 US states and the District of Columbia are marked as 'sustained hotspots' of coronavirus
Only two states on the map, dated November 29 and labeled 'not for distribution', did not fall in this category, which were Hawaii and Rhode Island. Another map from the brief also revealed the incidence rate of COVID-19 across the country is 336 cases per 100,000 people, up from 322 cases per 100,000 two weeks prior
Most US counties on the map had incidence rates of either 200-499 new cases per 100,000 or 500+ new cases per 100,000. It comes as the US hit a grim new record of 96,039 coronavirus hospitalizations across the nation. Hospitals in several states are beyond capacity with health officials blaming 'COVID fatigue' and travel that occurred over Thanksgiving
1st Dec 2020 - Daily Mail
Hospitalizations hit record 96,039 and rise in 41 states and America faces new restrictions
Hospitals from Rhode Island to Alabama and Montana were beyond capacity
The pandemic now has no epicenter and is rampant across the whole country
Case loads rose in 41 states and the mayor of El Paso blamed 'COVID fatigue'; he said that many cases in his city had been traced back to large stores
Health officials are resigned to the situation worsening thanks to Thanksgiving and those who did travel for Thanksgiving are urged to assume they have COVID
The decision by more than a million to travel means Christmas will be miserable
On Monday Scott Atlas, Trump's favorite member of COVID taskforce, resigned. He has been strongly criticized for his skepticism about masks and lockdown
1st Dec 2020 - Daily Mail
COVID-19: UK records another 13,430 cases and 603 deaths
Another 13,430 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in the UK, with 603 more having died after contracting the disease. The latest government figures bring the total number of coronavirus cases in the UK to 1,643,086 - and the total number of deaths within 28 days of a positive COVID-19 test to 59,051. It is a slight rise from the 12,330 new cases that were posted on Monday, but a significant increase on the 205 deaths that were recorded.
1st Dec 2020 - Sky News
UK coronavirus death toll passes 75,000
The UK’s total Covid death toll has passed 75,000, according to a tally of all fatalities that mention the disease on death certificates. The grim milestone comes just over a month after the UK surpassed 60,000 deaths in late October, showing how the Covid death toll accelerated since September, having slowed during the summer. The figure is higher than the government’s Covid death toll of 59,051. The latter figure only covers people who have died within 28 days of testing positive for the virus. Covid deaths have been recorded in almost every corner of the UK, with the Isles of Scilly the only local authority area in the country not to have had a coronavirus fatality.
1st Dec 2020 - The Guardian on MSN.com
Another 603 Covid deaths recorded the day before lockdown lifts
Another 603 UK coronavirus deaths have been reported today – hours before England comes out of its second national lockdown. The latest official figures show Covid-19 cases are continuing to drop, with another 13,430 people testing positive, bringing the total since the pandemic began to 1,643,086. The overall death toll for the UK now stands at 59,051, though separate figures from statistics agencies and more recent deaths suggest Covid-19 has been linked to some 74,000 deaths. Today’s death toll, the highest since 696 reported deaths on November 25, is a significant rise on the past couple of days – but figures at the weekend are often lower since reporting can lag behind. However, they will still alarm scientists and those who fear a third national lockdown in England, which is set to return to a harsher tiered system from tomorrow.
1st Dec 2020 - Metro
UK coronavirus hospital deaths soar by 422 on day before England lockdown ends
England is preparing to exit a month-long full national lockdown but 99% of the population will remain in Tier 2 or 3 coronavirus measures from December 2 onwards
1st Dec 2020 - Mirror Online
One chart shows how bad Germany's second wave of the coronavirus is
Germany was widely seen as a poster-child for its approach to tackling the coronavirus during the first wave of cases that emerged in Europe in the spring. Covid-19 cases in the country started to creep higher in October, however. This rise has been accompanied by an increasing daily death rate, on a 7-day average, which has now passed its April peak.
1st Dec 2020 - CNBC
In Europe’s Nursing Homes, a Soaring Covid-19 Death Toll and the Pain of Isolation
The coronavirus has resurged in Europe’s nursing homes, killing thousands of older people and forcing facilities to make a difficult choice: impose another period of crushing isolation or risk greater exposure to the virus. Nursing home outbreaks have dashed hopes that their residents could be shielded from the virus when it is spreading quickly in society at large. As cases soared across Europe this fall, nursing home personnel and visitors brought the virus in with them despite strict sanitary rules, infecting tens of thousands of residents.
1st Dec 2020 - The Wall Street Journal
Austria set to bow to pressure on Covid risk with ski holiday ban
Austria’s government appears to have bowed to pressure from Germany, France and Italy and will ban skiing holidays over the Christmas break in an attempt to control the coronavirus pandemic, Austrian media is reporting. The decision, expected to be officially announced on Wednesday, follows heated disagreements between Berlin and Vienna. On Tuesday morning, Austria’s tourist minister accused the German government of interfering in its domestic affairs after Angela Merkel said she had wanted a ban on skiing holidays. The chancellor secured the backing of the Italian and French governments as well as the leaders of the 16 German states.
1st Dec 2020 - The Guardian
Coronavirus: Netherlands makes face masks mandatory indoors
The Netherlands has made it compulsory to wear a face mask in indoor public spaces in an effort to contain the spread of coronavirus. The country is one of the last in Europe to introduce such a measure. The rule will apply to those over the age of 13 in public buildings such as shops, railway stations and hairdressers from Tuesday. The Netherlands has been one of the countries worst affected by Europe's second wave of Covid-19. It broke daily case records throughout October, and the number of new confirmed infections in the country of 17 million has remained fairly stable at about 5,000 a day for several weeks.
1st Dec 2020 - BBC
As the virus resurges, mental health woes batter France
The panicked 22-year-old is led to Consultation Room No. 2, with its easy-mop floor and honeycombed meshing over the window. Behind her, the psychiatric emergency ward’s heavy double doors — openable only with a staff member’s key — thud shut. With anxious taps of her white sneakers, she confides to an on-duty psychiatrist how the solitude of the coronavirus lockdown and the angst of not finding work in the pandemic-battered job market are contributing to her maelstrom of anxieties. She is unnerved that she is starting to obsess about knives, fearful that her mental health might be collapsing.
1st Dec 2020 - Associated Press
WHO head hails first weekly decline worldwide in COVID-19 cases
The World Health Organization chief is hailing the first weekly decline in global COVID-19 cases since September, citing the impact of measures mainly in hard-hit Europe and warning that “this is no time for complacency.” Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the “welcome news” still should be taken with caution and warned that death counts were still rising across the world — and cases were still rising in other parts of the world outside of Europe. “This is no time for complacency, especially with holiday season approaching in many cultures and countries,” he said.
30th Nov 2020 - The Boston Globe
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 1st Dec 2020
View this newsletter in fullNew York City Nurse Braces for New Covid-19 Surge. ‘Nobody Wants to Do it Again.’
About six weeks ago, Erin Smith got the sinking feeling that a new surge of Covid-19 infections had hit New York City. The Covid-19 unit that she oversees at Manhattan’s Lenox Hill Hospital was full, with very sick patients, including some who died. It stayed that way for two to three weeks before almost emptying. Ms. Smith, a 39-year-old nurse manager, said she estimates it will be full again the first week of December. The mood inside the hospital is anxious, but hopeful, she said, but a potential repeat of the experience in March and April, when Covid-19 first ripped through the city, is petrifying. “It was a hella six months,” said Ms. Smith. “Nobody wants to do it again.”
30th Nov 2020 - The Wall Street Journal
UK reports 12,330 new COVID-19 cases, 205 new deaths
The United Kingdom reported 12,330 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday, up from 12,155 a day earlier and taking the cumulative total since the start of the pandemic to 1,629,657 cases, government data showed. A total of 205 new deaths from the disease were also reported, down from 215 the previous day. The United Kingdom has the highest total death toll in Europe at 58,448.
30th Nov 2020 - Reuters
U.S. reported more COVID-19 cases in November than most countries had all year
The United States reported more than 4 million coronavirus cases in November, which is higher than the total number of cases seen all year by any country in the world except India and Brazil. Public health experts are warning that the U.S. will keep seeing record-breaking numbers in the final month of 2020. Since the pandemic began, the U.S. has seen more than 13.3 million confirmed cases and over 267,000 deaths, by far the highest numbers in the world, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. The U.S. accounts for nearly 20% of the global death toll.
30th Nov 2020 - CBS News
Edinburgh's Covid-19 rate described as 'encouraging' as Jason Leitch points to drop in cases
Edinburgh's Covid-19 rate is "encouraging" according to Jason Leitch, with the number of positive cases per 100,000 people down 16 per cent in the last week.
The National Clinical Director says the people of Edinburgh "seem to be following the guidance in such a way that gets test positivity down". Leitch pointed to the fact the Covid cases, per 100,000, slowly dropped in the week leading up to 26 November. However he warned against getting too excited, adding that the test positivity number is only down marginally. He said: "One of the challenges with this disease, apart from the incubation period, is the time it takes for the numbers to fall. It's much easier for the virus to rise than fall. Edinburgh city does look better in the last seven days. It's 16 per cent down in number of positives per 100,000. It is only 0.8 down in test positivity, so we shouldn't get too excited.
30th Nov 2020 - Edinburgh Live
Covid-19 Northern Ireland: 10 further deaths in the past 24 hours
There have been 10 further deaths as a result of Covid-19 in the past 24 hours, according to the Department of Health. The department's daily dashboard shows that there have been 290 further positive tests with 2,505 people being infected in the past seven days. The death toll in Northern Ireland from coronavirus now stands at 996, the Department of Health says. Belfast has had the highest number of new cases in the past 24 hours with 41, followed by Derry City and Strabane with 37 and Mid and East Antrim with 34. In the last seven days Belfast has also had the highest number of positive cases with 381, followed by Derry City and Strabane with 298.
30th Nov 2020 - Belfast Live
US hits four million monthly Covid-19 cases as Fauci warns of holiday surge
The United States passed four million cases of the coronavirus for November on Saturday, more than double the record 1.9 million cases set in October. Now experts have warned Americans to expect that sharp rise in cases to continue, due in part to the Thanksgiving holiday – potentially worsening heading into the December holiday season. “What we expect, unfortunately, as we go for the next couple of weeks into December, is that we might see a surge superimposed on the surge we are already in,” Dr Anthony Fauci said in an interview on NBC News’ Meet the Press on Sunday. The government’s leading infectious disease expert added officials “tried to get the word out for people, as difficult as it is, to really not have large gatherings” but ultimately the travel industry suggested many Americans didn’t heed calls to stay home.
30th Nov 2020 - The Guardian
Covid UK: Hospital deaths drop by 8% as 229 new fatalities reported
Figures are positive sign that England's second lockdown slowed infection rate
Cases recorded today shaves more than third off 18,662 reported last Sunday
Official figures released today have also revealed 215 more coronavirus deaths
30th Nov 2020 - Daily Mail
Covid-19 cases: UK infections have fallen by 30% in lockdown and R rate has dropped to 0.88, study says
Covid-19 cases have fallen by roughly a third in lockdown, a new study has found.
Infections in some of the worst-hit areas dropped, and while experts confirm lockdown restrictions were a success, cases nationally remain high. Health Secretary Matt Hancock said while the drop in cases is “encouraging”, the public must stick to the rules in the coming weeks. The findings come just days before England ends its four-week lockdown, when the country will go into tiered restrictions with a review set for 16 December.
30th Nov 2020 - The i on MSN.com
Coronavirus cases fell by roughly 30% during England's lockdown
Covid infections in England fall by 30% over lockdown - React studyBBC NewsCovid infections in England down by nearly a third since second lockdownThe GuardianCOVID-19 cases fell by a third in England during second lockdown, study suggestsSky NewsCoronavirus infections down 30% in England and halved in North during lockdownMirror OnlineView Full coverage on Google News
30th Nov 2020 - CNN
Nationwide Lockdown on Cards? PM Modi to Hold All-party Meet on December 4 to Discuss COVID Situation
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair an all-party meeting on Friday to discuss the COVID-19 situation. The second all-party meeting, which comes amid a sudden spurt in COVID-19 cases will be held virtually at 10.30 am. The meeting assumes significance as it is being held after the prime minister’s visit to Zydus Cadila, Bharat Biotech, and Serum Institute of India (SII) to personally review coronavirus vaccine development work there.
30th Nov 2020 - India.com
Swedish epidemiologist sidelined after country's no-lockdown rule leads to rise in number of deaths
Sweden "loses faith" with its Covid expert as deaths rise. An epidemiologist who led the no-lockdown strategy appears to have been sidelined by his government. The high-profile epidemiologist who led Sweden's no-lockdown strategy in the spring appears to be being sidelined by his country's government after his prediction that greater immunity would mean a lighter second wave proved badly wrong. Anders Tegnell's biweekly press conference was on Thursday pushed into the shade by an overlapping press conference fronted by Stefan Lofven, Sweden's prime minister, where scenarios prepared by the Public Health Agency were announced.
30th Nov 2020 - New Zealand Herald
England's COVID infections fell 30% in lockdown
COVID-19 infections have fallen by 30% during England's month-long national lockdown and the virus is now in retreat, a large-scale study of more than 100,000 volunteers showed on Monday. Emer McCarthy reports.
30th Nov 2020 - Reuters
US braces for continued surge in COVID-19 cases, hospitalisations
As newly reported cases of the coronavirus continued to spike across much of the United States, breaking records for hospitalisations, some local leaders are moving to enact more stringent restrictions. US officials had pleaded with Americans to avoid travel and limit social gatherings as the nation entered its winter holiday season. But many appear to have disregarded those pleas over the long Thanksgiving weekend as the Transportation Security Administration screened nearly 1.2 million airline passengers on Sunday, the highest since mid-March.
30th Nov 2020 - AlJazeera
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 30th Nov 2020
View this newsletter in fullCoronavirus deaths hit new daily record in Greece
Greece reported 121 coronavirus-related deaths on Saturday, a daily record, with hospitals in the north of the country under pressure as intensive care beds fill up with COVID-19 patients. Health authorities reported 1,747 COVID-19 cases on Saturday, bringing the total since the first case was detected in February to 103,034. The death toll stands at 2,223.
29th Nov 2020 - Reuters UK
Fauci warns of ‘surge upon surge’ of COVID-19 in coming weeks
Top US infectious disease expert Dr Anthony Fauci, a member of President Donald Trump’s coronavirus task force, has warned that residents should brace for a “surge upon a surge” of infections following the Thanksgiving holiday. Fauci, speaking shortly after the US holiday, which saw the highest rate of travel in the US since the first major outbreak, said on Sunday, “There almost certainly is going to be an uptick because of what has happened with the travel.”
29th Nov 2020 - AlJazeera
New Covid-19 cluster emerges in Hong Kong restaurants amid fourth wave
Hong Kong authorities are warning of an even more severe fourth wave of coronavirus infections after identifying a new group of cases at three restaurants that may be linked to the ever-expanding “super-spreader” dance venue cluster.
More than 10 servers, cleaners and patrons at the three restaurants – Stellar House in Wan Chai, 8½ Otto e Mezzo Bombana in Central, and Chuen Cheung Kui in Sheung Wan – have been confirmed sick, with authorities adding the venues to the mandatory testing list. The city recorded 115 new Covid-19 cases on Sunday, the highest daily increase since August 1, when it saw 125 new infections. Of those, 62 were linked to the dance venue cluster, bringing the city‘s largest coronavirus outbreak so far to 479 cases.
29th Nov 2020 - South China Morning Post
India's Modi visits key vaccine facilities as COVID-19 case load surges
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi toured three of the nation’s leading vaccine development and manufacturing sites on Saturday as coronavirus cases continue to soar. India has recorded 9.35 million COVID-19 infections, second only to the United States. It reported 41,322 new cases and 485 deaths on Saturday. The western state of Maharashtra - home to India’s financial hub, Mumbai - has been particularly hard hit by the virus. Its tally of 1.68 million cases is higher than countries such as Spain, Italy and the United Kingdom.
28th Nov 2020 - Reuters
Swedes question Covid-19 approach as second wave hits
Sweden’s centre-left government has long seemed happy to allow Anders Tegnell, the state epidemiologist, to be the public face of the country’s distinctive approach to handling the Covid-19 pandemic. But as the second wave has hit Sweden, which resisted a formal lockdown, much harder than its Nordic neighbours — contrary to predictions made by Mr Tegnell in the spring and summer — so the government in Stockholm has stirred into action. Stefan Lofven, the Swedish prime minister, announced two weeks ago what he called the most intrusive measures in “modern times” in banning public gatherings of more than eight people. That night, Mr Tegnell told Swedish radio that it was not his public health agency “putting our foot down”, and that the ban was less wide-ranging than the prime minister had suggested.
28th Nov 2020 - The Financial Times
Pressure on critical care facilities in covid-19 patients in India
The covid-19 pandemic has presented multiple challenges to healthcare systems around the world. We want to highlight the difficulties in Kerala, India, of providing palliative care for patients with pre-existing advanced disease who are infected with coronavirus. There are difficult ethical issues related to triage and care rationing when resources are limited and demand is high, alongside the logistical challenge of making such decisions. The pandemic has now laid bare issues about futile and inappropriate medical interventions in certain contexts.
28th Nov 2020 - The BMJ
COVID-19: UK's R number falls to lowest level since August as daily infections decline
The UK's R number has fallen to between 0.9 and 1, according to new figures. Scientists have estimated the reproduction number, known as the R number, is now edging below one. It comes as the daily infection rate dropped slightly, with the UK recording a further 16,022 coronavirus cases and 521 related deaths. On Thursday 17,555 cases were recorded along with 498 deaths. The Government Office for Science said the impact of England's lockdown, which started on 5 November, is only beginning to be observed in the R number this week.
28th Nov 2020 - Sky News
US is 'rounding the corner into a calamity,' expert says, with Covid-19 deaths projected to double soon
As Thanksgiving week draws to an end, more experts are warning the Covid-19 pandemic will likely get much worse in the coming weeks before a possible vaccine begins to offer some relief. More than 205,000 new cases were reported Friday -- which likely consists of both Thursday and Friday reports in some cases, as at least 20 states did not report Covid-19 numbers on Thanksgiving. As of Saturday evening, more than 138,000 new cases and 1,100 deaths had been reported, according to Johns Hopkins University. And while there is more good news on the vaccine front, for now Americans need to "hunker down" and prepare for a difficult winter ahead, according to Dr. Leana Wen, an emergency medicine physician and a visiting professor at George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health.
28th Nov 2020 - CNN
With no action by Washington, states race to offer virus aid
Faulting inaction in Washington, governors and state lawmakers are racing to get pandemic relief to small-business owners, the unemployed, renters and others whose livelihoods have been upended by the widening coronavirus outbreak. In some cases, elected officials are spending the last of a federal relief package passed in the spring as an end-of-year deadline approaches and the fall COVID-19 surge threatens their economies anew. Underscoring the need for urgency, the number of new COVID-19 cases reported in the United States reached 205,557 on Friday, according to data from Johns Hopkins University – the first time its daily figure topped the 200,000 mark. Its previous daily high was 196,000 on Nov. 20.
28th Nov 2020 - Houston Chronicle
UK coronavirus death toll jumps by 479 as London lockdown protesters clash with police
The UK has recorded 15,871 new coronavirus cases and a further 479 deaths overnight. Today’s rise in infections follows a steady decrease in case rates across the country. The total number of infections recorded over the past week is 35,955 fewer than over the previous seven days – a fall of 24.1 per cent. It takes Britain’s total Covid-19 infection count since the start of the pandemic to 1,605,172. However, the positive trend in cases comes amid an ongoing rise in weekly deaths.
28th Nov 2020 - Evening Standard
Germany's coronavirus case toll tops 1million after 22,806 new infections were added to the total
German logged 22,268 new cases of coronavirus on Friday, bringing its overall total from 983,588 to 1,006,394 as 426 deaths were also recorded - the highest one-day toll of the whole pandemic.
28th Nov 2020 - Daily Mail on MSN.com
The seven local Irish areas with alarming Covid-19 rates despite lockdown with one as bad as Spain
Seven local areas in Ireland still have Covid-19 incidence rates of over 240 per 100,000 people in the last two weeks despite lockdown. Four electorate areas in Donegal as well as one in Limerick, Louth and Offaly are the worst in the country according to the latest data up until midnight, November 23. Milford in Donegal has the worst rate in the country at 355.8 which, according to the ECDC, is not far off the rate of Spain's which stands at 361.4 today. Letterkenny is the only other electorate area in Ireland that currently has a rate of over 300. Here's a look at the seven spots with rates of over 200 per 100,000 people.
28th Nov 2020 - Irish Mirror
Asia Today: Speed of viral spread causes concern in S. Korea
South Korea reported more than 500 new coronavirus cases for the third straight day on Saturday, the fastest spread of infections the country has seen since the early days of the pandemic. The 504 cases reported by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention brought the total number of infections since the pandemic began to 33,375, including 522 deaths. Around 330 of the new cases came from the Seoul metropolitan area, home to about half of the country’s 51 million people, where health workers are struggling to stem transmissions linked to hospitals, schools, saunas, gyms and army units.
28th Nov 2020 - Associated Press
England's hospitals could be overwhelmed without new tier system - minister
England needs tough restrictions after its current lockdown ends if hospitals are not to become overwhelmed, a senior minister said, as Prime Minister Boris Johnson wrote to lawmakers to say the measures would end in February to try to quell opposition. Britain upped preparations for a vaccine roll-out on Saturday as Johnson named Nadhim Zahawi as a new health minister to oversee its deployment and the Financial Times reported that the UK is set to approve the BioNTech Pfizer vaccine next week. But despite progress on the vaccine, the government still needs to convince lawmakers to back its new tougher tiered measures which will put 99% of English people into the highest two levels of restrictions when the current national lockdown ends on Dec. 2.
28th Nov 2020 - Reuters Canada
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 27th Nov 2020
View this newsletter in fullIn Italy’s South, War Zone Doctors Are Called to the Rescue Amid Covid-19 Upsurge
Italy’s troubled south, which was largely spared earlier on in the pandemic, is now struggling to cope—so much so that the government is turning for help to a medical charity used to working in war zones. The Milan-based nongovernmental organization Emergency is best known for assisting war victims in countries such as Afghanistan, or Ebola patients in Sierra Leone. It has now agreed to help confront the crisis in Italy’s poorest region of Calabria, where the dysfunctional health care system is ill-equipped to deal with a viral outbreak.
26th Nov 2020 - The Wall Street Journal
Coronavirus: South Korea faces a third wave
South Korea on Thursday reported 583 new cases of Covid-19 infection, the highest daily number in eight months, and which authorities now call “the third wave” of the epidemic. The majority of new infections were recorded in Seoul (208 new infections), and in the surrounding province of Gyeonngi (177 new cases), according to data from the Korea Center for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).
26th Nov 2020 - The Brussels Times
South Korea virus cases hit highest level since March
South Korea reported its highest daily number of coronavirus cases since March on Thursday, with a surge of new infections sparking fears of a major third wave. Officials announced 583 new cases after several weeks of fresh infections ranging between around 100 and 300. The latest cases have mostly been clusters at offices, schools, gyms and small gatherings in the greater Seoul area, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said.
26th Nov 2020 - Japan Today
Coronavirus infections levelling during England lockdown
Coronavirus infection rates in England are continuing to show signs of levelling off - but the picture across the UK is mixed, according to data from the Office for National Statistics. In Wales and Northern Ireland, infections have been decreasing in recent weeks - but in Scotland, they seem to be rising. After lockdown ends in England, most areas face tougher tier restrictions
26th Nov 2020 - BBC
California, Texas set nationwide records for new coronavirus infections in a single day
The United States’ two largest states broke the nationwide record for most new coronavirus infections reported in a single day on Wednesday, with California tallying 18,350 and Texas nearly 16,100 — around 3,000 and 1,000 cases more than the previous high, respectively. The new records come amid a trio of surging metrics: infections, virus hospitalizations and deaths are all on the rise across the country. Wednesday was the 33rd consecutive day that the United States set a new record in its seven-day average of reported cases, according to data compiled and analyzed by The Washington Post. Nearly 90,000 people are currently in hospitals with covid-19, another record.
26th Nov 2020 - The Washington Post
Covid: Pakistan cricket squad quarantined after positive tests in New Zealand
Six members of Pakistan's cricket team have tested positive for Covid-19 while on tour in New Zealand. All six have been moved from managed isolation into quarantine and the team's exemption from social-distancing rules for training has been suspended. Health officials said all 53 members of the visiting squad were tested on arrival in the country. New Zealand, widely praised for its pandemic response, had previously seen a total of 2,040 cases and 25 deaths.
26th Nov 2020 - BBC
Britain records 17,555 new Coronavirus cases, 498 new deaths
Britain recorded 17,555 new coronavirus cases on Thursday and 498 new deaths within 28 days of a positive COVID-19 test, official data showed. Both measures were lower than on Wednesday, when there were 18,213 new coronavirus infections and 696 deaths.
26th Nov 2020 - Reuters UK
Pace of global COVID-19 rise slows, but deaths still climbing
The global surge in COVID-19 cases slowed a bit last week for the first time in months, though deaths from the virus continued a steady rise, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in its latest weekly situation report. Led mainly by continued levels in the Americas and Europe, the pandemic total topped 60 million cases. In the United States, hospitalizations continued to surge, with 88,080 Americans currently receiving inpatient care for COVID-19, up from 85,836 the day before, according to the COVID-19 Tracking Project.
25th Nov 2020 - CIDRAP
A ‘bad case of déjà vu’: New Jersey hospitals brace for Covid-19 surge, but hope this time will be different
In New Jersey, doctors and nurses say that they feel better prepared to deal with the coronavirus than in the spring, when so little was known about it. Because it was hit so hard in the first wave, New Jersey’s per capita death rate remains the highest in the country. But the recent numbers are discouraging. On Sunday, the state reported 3,968 new cases of the coronavirus, more than double the 1,743 new cases reported on Nov. 1. And the state’s hospitalization rates have tripled in the past month, from 732 on Oct. 17 to 2,446 on Nov. 17. While they are far short of the 8,000 who were hospitalized in April, as the days shorten, the temperature drops, flu season deepens, and the holidays loom, many depleted frontline workers are preparing for another season of difficulty.
25th Nov 2020 - STAT News
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 26th Nov 2020
View this newsletter in fullSoaring Covid-19 Hospitalizations Again Put Traveling Nurses in Demand
As the number of people hospitalized due to the coronavirus rises across the U.S., hospitals are turning to a tactic they used in earlier surges: hiring more traveling nurses. Demand is so great that hospitals are paying as much as twice the usual hourly pay for nurses, in one case $140 an hour, traveling-nurse agencies and hospital-industry leaders say. Hospitalizations, which have set new records every day for two weeks, hit a fresh high of 85,836 on Nov. 23, according to the Covid Tracking Project. That is higher than any of the prior surges in the U.S., where hospitalizations—at their highest—were pushing the 60,000 mark.
25th Nov 2020 - The Wall Street Journal
Potential COVID-19 surge following Thanksgiving could cause 'humanitarian crisis,' experts warn
As Americans prepare for what will likely be an untraditional Thanksgiving, health experts and state officials are pleading with the public to heed their warnings to not travel and to avoid large gatherings and the mixing of households, as the country tries to get ahold on what experts call an "uncontrolled" spread of the coronavirus. "If we layer in travel and large indoor gatherings which we know are drivers of transmission, we expect to see a massive surge on top of an already dire situation," said Dr. John Brownstein, chief innovation officer at Boston Children's Hospital and an ABC News contributor, warning that such a surge could result in a "humanitarian crisis."
25th Nov 2020 - ABC news
How Do We Stop This Surge? Here's What Experts Say Could Help
As the U.S. wades deeper into a brutal fall surge of the coronavirus, Americans are living under a growing list of restrictions aimed at curbing the exponential rise of COVID-19. But given the unrelenting advance of the virus, can these varied approaches make a difference? Or is it delaying the inevitable return to the sweeping lockdowns of the springtime? "It's really hard to slow it down once it gets going like this," says Don Milton, professor at the University of Maryland School of Public Health. "That's when these awful draconian measures come into play."
25th Nov 2020 - NPR
Thanksgiving Travel Drops as Americans Rethink Rituals
The leader of France says the country is past the peak of its second Covid-19 wave. A surge in California is shattering records. Pennsylvania bans alcohol sales past 5 p.m. on Wednesday, in a bid to stop pre-Thanksgiving partying.
25th Nov 2020 - The New York Times
Lessons From Europe’s Covid Surge: Control Is Fragile and Losing It Is Easy
As Americans enter a period of peak travel among their states starting with Thanksgiving, new discoveries about how Europe’s second coronavirus wave spread provide an object lesson. Many European regions had made such gains against Covid-19 as to be cited as models. Those gains proved fragile: Unanticipated pockets of infection on the continent and a rush to relax rules allowed it to surge across Europe again. Much of Europe’s new wave can now be traced to outbreaks among agricultural workers living in cramped conditions in Spain’s Catalonia and Aragón regions, according to researchers from Switzerland and Spain. It spread to nearby cities and across Spain, then home with tourists.
25th Nov 2020 - The Wall Street Journal
Coronavirus surge: Is lockdown 'fatigue' to be blamed for the rise in cases?
Delhi, which once successfully turned the tide over in COVID-19 is grappling with infection spikes again. The same has been witnessed in other cities across India. Unlike what many believe, the worst might not just be over yet. This, despite the fact that India as a country is witnessing a depleting peak of COVID. While authorities are imposing strict measures to safeguard the community, there have been significant lapses on the part of the public as well.
25th Nov 2020 - The Times of India
Winter cold, young spreaders, small gatherings spur South Korea's Covid-19 third wave
Falling temperatures, young asymptomatic spreaders and small social gatherings where people tend to take off their masks. These are reasons cited by experts to explain South Korea's latest surge in coronavirus cases in what is viewed as the third major wave since February and possibly the biggest and toughest to curb. South Korea, which has prided itself on using massive testing and aggressive contact tracing to fight the coronavirus outbreak without resorting to lockdowns, is now struggling to contain Covid-19 ahead of an all-important college entrance exam due on Dec 3.
25th Nov 2020 - The Straits Times
Germany reports record COVID-19 deaths ahead of Christmas talks
Germany reported a record 410 COVID-19 deaths in the last 24 hours, before the 16 federal state leaders and Chancellor Angela Merkel meet on Wednesday to discuss restrictions for the Christmas and New Year holidays. The number of confirmed coronavirus cases increased by 18,633 to 961,320, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed.
25th Nov 2020 - Reuters
Global coronavirus cases surpass 60 million infections – Reuters tally
The global tally of confirmed coronavirus cases hit 60 million on Wednesday, with the pace of new infections accelerating and the United States reporting record numbers of hospitalizations, according to a Reuters tally. The United States has reported 1 million new COVID-19 cases in less than a week, taking its total reported infections to over 12.5 million and its death toll to 260,000, according to the Reuters data based on official statements. Globally, infections stood at 60.005 million and deaths at 1.4 million.
25th Nov 2020 - Reuters
South Korea confirms most COVID-19 cases since March
South Korea has reported almost 600 new cases of coronavirus – the highest in more than eight months – as the country scrambles to contain a third wave of infections despite months of stringent safety measures nationwide. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said that “sporadic cluster infections across the country” from private gatherings, public facilities, hospitals and the military were behind most of the 583 new cases on Thursday.
25th Nov 2020 - AlJazeera
US COVID-19 daily death toll tops 2,000 with many hospitals full
Daily US deaths from COVID-19 surpassed 2,000 for the first time since May and with hospitals across the country already full, portending a surge in mortalities to come as the coronavirus pandemic casts a shadow over the holiday season.
The death toll reached 2,100 on Tuesday, with another 200,000 people infected, according to a Johns Hopkins University tally, numbers that experts say could grow with millions of Americans defying official warnings and travelling for Thursday’s Thanksgiving holiday.
25th Nov 2020 - AlJazeera
Coronavirus Malaysia: Top Glove on defensive over treatment of foreign workers as infections spread
Human resources minister M. Saravanan assails company for ‘terrible’ living conditions of workers and vows stern action. Company chairman dismisses possibility that its gloves could be contaminated as a result of the mass infections among work force
25th Nov 2020 - South China Morning Post
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 25th Nov 2020
View this newsletter in fullKremlin says healthcare under heavy strain as COVID-19 deaths hit new high
The Kremlin said on Tuesday Russia’s healthcare system was under heavy strain as authorities reported a record 491 deaths linked to COVID-19 and infections surged. Russia has resisted imposing national lockdown restrictions, as it did earlier this year, preferring targeted regional measures, even as thousands of cases are reported each day, with 24,326 new infections on Tuesday. “The healthcare system is working under heavy strain, but with the exception of a few regions...the situation remains under control,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
24th Nov 2020 - Reuters
Minneapolis doctor wipes away tears in describing Covid-19's toll on hospital workers
In the past seven days, Minnesota has had the fifth-most new coronavirus cases per capita in the country, behind only the Dakotas, Wyoming and New Mexico, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. The swell of new infections has pushed hospitals -- and perhaps more importantly, the people who make them go -- to the brink. Dr. Shirlee Xie took care of five patients with Covid-19 the last time she worked at her Minneapolis hospital. "I can't prevent anyone from getting Covid, all I can do is try to keep Covid from killing you," she said. "So we are not the front lines. We are the last line of defense, and so what we need is for people to step up and to wear masks and to distance from people and just try to keep themselves safe and everybody else safe."
24th Nov 2020 - MSN.com
Turkey's daily COVID-19 deaths hit a record high of 161 -ministry
Turkey’s daily death toll from the coronavirus hit a record high of 161 on Tuesday, according to data from the Health Ministry, after the country introduced nationwide measures last week amid a surge in cases. The data showed 7,381 new COVID-19 patients were recorded in the country, while the overall death toll rose to 12,672. Since July, Ankara has only reported symptomatic COVID-19 patients, a move critics say hides the true scale of the outbreak.
24th Nov 2020 - Reuters
Covid-19 is taking a devastating toll on Filipino American nurses
Nearly a third of the nurses who've died of coronavirus in the US are Filipino, even though Filipino nurses make up just 4% of the nursing population nationwide. A recent report from the largest nurses' union in the country revealed the disproportionate number of deaths. It's a jarring statistic researchers are working to understand and a tragedy families across the US and around the world are living with every day.
24th Nov 2020 - CNN
Resigned to the pandemic, Brits are now indifferent to the death toll
When Boris Johnson announced England's second national shutdown on October 31, my phone lit up as family, friends and colleagues in Australia shared disbelief over Britain's mounting death toll and expressed sympathy about facing another lockdown. They had good reason to raise the former - in the 25 days since, 8796 people have died from COVID-19 in the UK and about 34,000 were admitted to hospital. While deaths are not spiking as sharply as earlier this year, they are high and likely to stay high for the next few months. But this lockdown has looked and felt nothing like the one in April and May. As cases climbed, the public largely carried on with life. Something profound has happened: rightly or wrongly, most here no longer fear the virus. In the great balancing act between health and the economy, the scales are now overwhelmingly lean towards jobs and social cohesion.
24th Nov 2020 - The Sydney Morning Herald
Stricter COVID-19 measures take effect in South Korea amid rise in cases
A stricter level of physical distancing restrictions went into effect in the greater Seoul area on Tuesday as health officials scrambled to contain what they have described as a third wave of COVID-19. The government raised its distancing level on its five-tier scale, from Level 1.5 to Level 2, as new cases continue to linger at the highest levels since August. South Korea saw more than 300 cases on Tuesday, most in the Seoul metropolitan region, where roughly half of the country's 52 million people live.
24th Nov 2020 - UPI.com
The Virus Surge, Once Centered in the Midwest, Is Accelerating in 45 U.S. States
AstraZeneca said its vaccine candidate was up to 90 percent effective, suggesting that the world could eventually have at least three working vaccines. At the same time, the virus is accelerating across the U.S., and officials are imposing new restrictions to flatten the curve. When infections began rising sharply in the U.S. in September, the growth was driven largely by outbreaks in the Upper Midwest. States like North Dakota and Wisconsin soon became the hardest hit in the nation, relative to their size, and the region continues to struggle. Now, though, with the whole country’s daily average of new cases is as high as it has ever been — over 171,000 — the most rapid growth is happening elsewhere.
24th Nov 2020 - The New York Times
Europe weighs COVID-19 steps as global total tops 59 million
As some European countries see some promising signs that their latest lockdowns are slowing the pace of COVID-19, the progress raises new questions about how to unwind the measures in a way that prevents a third wave of infections at the start of the new year. Over the weekend and through today, the world added about 2 million cases, putting the global COVID-19 total just over the 59 million mark. The total today climbed to 59,004,131 cases, and 1,393,736 people have died from their infections, according to the Johns Hopkins online dashboard.
24th Nov 2020 - CIDRAP
Japan Eyes Tighter Virus Steps as Severe Cases in Tokyo Jump
As Japan returned to work Tuesday following a holiday weekend, regional and national authorities moved toward boosting restrictions designed to contain the spread of a coronavirus surge. A campaign to spur domestic travel, which some have blamed for spreading infections, will be partly suspended. The metropolitan region of Osaka, where cases have spiked, plans to ask bars and restaurants to close early, while Tokyo was reported to be making plans for similar steps as serious cases jumped to a new high in the city. Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike last week said that severe cases, rather than sheer number of infections, were her “red line” that would spur further action. Those cases, which the area defines as those on a ventilator or ECMO machine, jumped 24% overnight to a total of 51, the most Tokyo has seen during the pandemic.
24th Nov 2020 - Bloomberg
Japan pauses domestic travel push in two cities as COVID spreads
Japan paused its domestic “Go To Travel” promotion campaign in two cities following sharp rises in COVID-19 infections, a government minister said on Tuesday, a blow to Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga’s plan to help prop up regional economies. Critics of the programme had said it risked spreading the infection from major cities to the countryside. “We have agreed to temporarily exclude trips destined for the cities of Sapporo and Osaka from the travel campaign,” Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura said on Tuesday. “Although we have tried to balance both economic revitalization as well as virus containment, we have made this decision at the local governors’ request,” Nishimura told reporters after a meeting with Prime Minister Suga and Tourism Minister Kazuyoshi Akaba.
24th Nov 2020 - Reuters UK
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 24th Nov 2020
View this newsletter in fullDelaware COVID-19 numbers hit high mark before Thanksgiving
The seven-day average daily coronavirus case count in Delaware set an all-time high as the state tested a record number of people in the days before Thanksgiving. The News Journal reports that the state reported 486 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday, raising the seven-day average of new cases to a record 428.4. On Wednesday, the state recorded nearly 11,000 tests, the most ever in one day.
The numbers show more people in Delaware are seeking out a test and a significant portion of them are returning positive results. The daily average percent of tests that are positive is 5.9%, the highest it’s been since early June. The average daily case count has grown by 90% over the past two weeks.
23rd Nov 2020 - The Washington Post
Italy's COVID-19 death toll passes 50,000, with 630 new fatalities
Italy reported 630 COVID 19-related deaths on Monday, rising from 562 the day before and taking the official toll since its outbreak began in February to 50,453, according to health ministry data. Italy, the first Western country to be hit by the epidemic, becomes the sixth nation in the world to surpass 50,000 deaths, and the second in Europe after Britain. The health ministry also reported 22,930 new coronavirus infections over the past 24 hours, down from 28,337 the day before, with the fall reflecting the usual drop in the number of swabs conducted on Sundays. There were 148,945 coronavirus tests carried out in the past day, the ministry said, against a previous 188,747.
23rd Nov 2020 - Reuters
Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak orders statewide 'pause' for three weeks with restaurants, bars and casinos being forced to reduce capacity as COVID-19 cases surge
Nevada Gov Steve Sisolak has ordered a statewide 'pause' for three weeks
Under Sisolak's latest public health orders, restaurants and bars must reduce operations from 50% to 25% of capacity. There are also additional social-distancing requirements, including prohibitions on service without advance reservations, according to the governor. Casinos, which reopened in June after being ordered closed for more than two months following COVID-19 outbreak, will likewise be capped at 25% capacity. Nevada has set daily records for hospitalizations in the last week alone. On Friday, the state reported the most hospitalizations since the pandemic hit the US in March with 1,288; on Sunday, the state reported 1,273 hospitalizations
23rd Nov 2020 - Daily Mail
A birthday lunch left 15 Texas relatives battling covid-19: ‘Please don’t be like my family’
Enriqueta Aragonez reclined on a hospital bed in Arlington, Tex., with plastic tubes snaking from her nose and pneumonia in both of her lungs. The 57-year-old had a message for everyone doubting the need for covid-19 restrictions. “I went to my nephew’s house and loved seeing my family, but now, I’m fighting against covid-19,” Aragonez said in a video message. “Please protect yourself. It’s real.” Aragonez is one of 15 family members who contracted the coronavirus after a small indoor birthday celebration earlier this month where no one wore masks. Weeks later, in an emotional video shared by the city of Arlington, the family is begging others to avoid gathering with anyone outside their immediate household.
23rd Nov 2020 - The Washington Post
3 million new Covid-19 infections were reported in November, as hospitalizations reach a record high
November isn't even over, and the US has already seen more new Covid-19 cases than any other month of this entire pandemic.
More than 3 million new cases were reported between November 1 and 22, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. That's about a quarter of all US cases since the beginning of this pandemic.
Yes, testing has increased. But it hasn't kept pace with the rate of new infections.
As of late last week, the number of daily new cases increased 25% compared to the previous week, according to Johns Hopkins data.
23rd Nov 2020 - CNN
Shanghai airport momentarily descends into chaos after workers test positive for Covid-19
Shanghai's biggest international airport momentarily descended into chaos Sunday night, after authorities ordered a mass testing drive in response to a small outbreak of Covid-19 linked to several cargo handlers. Since the beginning of November, seven cargo workers and their close contacts at the Shanghai Pudong International Airport have been diagnosed as confirmed coronavirus cases, including two reported on Sunday. In a bid to contain the cluster, authorities ordered all cargo staff at the airport to undergo coronavirus tests overnight and set up a temporary testing site on the second floor of a parking garage, according to a statement from the Shanghai government.
23rd Nov 2020 - CNN
Covid: 'Entire families in hospital after coronavirus surge'
On 14 October, Farah Husain, a critical care specialist in Delhi's largest Covid-19 hospital, heaved a sigh of relief. "After a gruelling four months for healthcare workers in dedicated Covid hospitals, India records lowest daily rise in new cases," she tweeted. Barely a month later, Dr Husain sounds wistful. "I really thought we were past it. Now we are facing the intensity of a winter surge of coronavirus," she told me. Doctors fear that Delhi may well become the epicentre of India's first wave of winter infections.
23rd Nov 2020 - BBC
Millions of Americans set to ignore warnings against Thanksgiving travel
Ominous warnings came as Donald Trump appeared to admit that coronavirus is “running wild” across the US, in contrast with his statements throughout the election campaign that the virus would simply “go away” or “disappear” and, more recently, that the country was “rounding the turn” on the pandemic. As new Covid-19 infections in the US approached 200,000 a day, Trump tweeted on Saturday night to insist things were bad outside the United States as well, posting: “The Fake News is not talking about the fact that ‘Covid’ is running wild all over the world, not just in the US.”
23rd Nov 2020 - The Guardian
Maharashtra considering another lockdown to cap Covid-19 surge
The Maharashtra government will decide in the next eight days whether to impose curbs or a complete lockdown depending on the surge in Covid-19 cases, Vijay Wadettiwar relief and rehabilitation minister said Monday. He said that such measures will have to be taken if lives are to be saved. “If needed, in the next eight days, after careful study we will decide whether there is a need for a complete lockdown or imposition of some curbs or add new conditions. Such measures will have to be taken because ultimately lives are important,” the minister said.
23rd Nov 2020 - Hindustan Times
Will India Announce Lockdown? PM Modi to Meet CMs of States Tomorrow to Review COVID Situation
Looking at the rising cases of coronavirus across the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet the chief minister of states on Tuesday via video-conferencing. During the day-long meeting with the chief ministers, PM Modi will review the CIVUD situation and as per their suggestions, he will take possible decision. As a number of states have partially announced lockdown by imposing night curfews and Section 144, it is possible that PM Modi might announce another lockdown in states where the cases are rising in rapid rate. However, the Centre would give states the power to decide on the announcement of lockdown
23rd Nov 2020 - India.com
South Korea's capital Seoul announces new coronavirus controls
Authorities in the South Korean capital on Monday announced a tightening of social distancing regulations, including shutting nightclubs, limiting service hours at restaurants and reducing public transportation. The measures going into effect on Tuesday also include a ban on public rallies or demonstrations of more than 10 people. Restaurants can provide only take out and delivery after 9 p.m., and public transportation will be limited after 10 p.m. Acting Seoul Mayor Seo Jung-hyup told reporters one-third of city employees will work from home. He recommended that churches convert to online worship services only.
23rd Nov 2020 - Arab News
The Scientist Who Saved Japan Once Now Battles a New Virus Surge
Having mocked him at first for his theories on how the coronavirus spread, the world came to recognize the effectiveness of Japanese scientist Hitoshi Oshitani’s “Three C’s” approach to the pandemic: avoiding closed spaces, crowded places and close contact situations where the virus thrives. It’s a strategy that’s helped Japan avoid thousands of deaths without a lockdown -- but one that’s now being challenged with infections rapidly escalating as cold weather sets in. Oshitani fears the nation may not be ready. “People’s concern is decreasing,” Oshitani, a virologist and infectious disease specialist, said in an interview with Bloomberg News. “We may see a sudden increase in severe cases and deaths.”
23rd Nov 2020 - BNNBloomberg
China tests millions after coronavirus flareups in 3 cities
Chinese authorities are testing millions of people, imposing lockdowns and shutting down schools after multiple locally transmitted coronavirus cases were discovered in three cities across the country last week. As temperatures drop, widescale measures are being enacted in Tianjin, Shanghai and Manzhouli, even though the number of new cases remains low compared to the United States and other countries that are seeing new waves of infections. Experts and government officials have warned that the chance of the virus spreading will be greater in cold weather. Recent flareups have shown that there is still a risk of the virus returning, despite being largely controlled within China.
23rd Nov 2020 - The Associated Press
Hungary imposes restricted shopping hours to protect elderly in pandemic
Hungary’s government on Monday limited retail store visits in an effort to separate elderly shoppers and contain the coronavirus pandemic in the most vulnerable over-65 age group. “This government decree serves the protection of the elderly,” Prime Minister Viktor Orban said in a Facebook video. “The pandemic’s statistics clearly show that the most endangered age group is that of our parents and grandparents. Let’s take care of them.” Hungary has tried for months to avoid a second lockdown and prevent further harm to the economy but was forced to close secondary schools and impose an 8 p.m.-5 a.m curfew.
23rd Nov 2020 - Reuters
In Malaysia's Sabah, pandemic rages as migrants flee testing
Some flee on boats. Some hide in the stilts under their homes. Others run into the woods. All across Malaysia’s Sabah region on Borneo island, stateless residents and undocumented migrants are fleeing public health officials conducting coronavirus screenings, fearful of being detained or deported. The race to tackle COVID-19 in Sabah, Malaysia’s biggest palm oil producing state, is being complicated by an estimated one million undocumented migrants and stateless residents who account for a third of the population.
23rd Nov 2020 - Reuters UK
Lithuanian parliament sets week-long recess as COVID-19 cases spike
Lithuania’s parliament goes into a week-long hiatus from Tuesday to help contain the spread of COVID-19 among its members.
The Baltic country’s government is considering extending and tightening its COVID-19 lockdown by closing shopping centres as the current level of restrictions had done little to curb a second wave of the disease among the population.
The number of new COVID-19 infections in Lithuania more than doubled over the the past two weeks despite the lockdown that took effect on Nov. 3, when 316 cases per 100,000 people were registered over the preceding two weeks.
23rd Nov 2020 - Reuters
Lockdown Restrictions Likely to Return in This State Amid Surge in COVID Cases
Amid the sudden spurt in coronavirus cases, the Himachal Pradesh government is planning to impose a few restrictions across the state. The development comes a day after Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur presided over a meeting with the district level officers at Mandi to review the COVID-19 situation in Mandi district. “Keeping in view the upsurge in the COVID-19 cases in the state, the government would consider imposing a few restrictions to avoid social gatherings and ensure that people take all necessary precautionary measures. It is also important to regularly monitor the COVID-19 positive cases kept in home isolation as that number is more than those admitted in hospitals”, the CM said.
23rd Nov 2020 - India.com
South Korea records a spike in Covid infections with 386 new cases as Asia battles rising cases
South Korea had eased social distancing in October after months of few cases
But infections are rising and experts fear they could see 1,000 a day in weeks
Japan has scrapped a government campaign to encourage eating out
21st Nov 2020 - Daily Mail
Coronavirus cases rise in South Korea after restrictions were eased
South Korea has reported 386 new cases of coronavirus in a resurgence that could force authorities to reimpose stronger social distancing restrictions after easing them in October to spur a faltering economy. The figures released by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency raised the country’s total number of confirmed cases to 30,403, including 503 deaths. More than 270 of the new cases have come from the Seoul metropolitan area, where health workers have struggled to track transmissions in schools, private tutoring academies and religious facilities.
21st Nov 2020 - Belfast Telegraph
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 23rd Nov 2020
View this newsletter in fullCovid rampages across US, unifying a splintered nation as cases surge
The virus is on the rise so uniformly across the vast landmass of the US, that records are being shattered daily. Chris McGreal in Kansas City, Kenya Evelyn in Milwaukee, Vivian Ho in Oakland and Adam Gabbatt and Ed Pilkington in New York.
The Disunited States of America are united once more. After a brutal election that exacerbated bitter partisan divisions and left the country feeling as though it had been torn in two, it has at last been thrown back together. For all the wrong reasons. The great leveler is coronavirus. Covid-19 is rampaging across the US as though it were on a personal mission to unify the splintered nation in an unfolding catastrophe. Of the 50 states of the Union, all but one – isolated Hawaii – is seeing alarming surges in new cases. The virus is on the rise so uniformly across the vast landmass of the US, that records are being shattered daily.
22nd Nov 2020 - The Guardian
Portugal to ban domestic travel, close schools around national holidays
Portugal is to ban domestic travel and close schools around two upcoming holidays in a bid to reduce the spread of coronavirus ahead of Christmas, Prime Minister Antonio Costa said on Saturday. Travel between municipalities will be banned from 11 p.m. on Nov. 27 to 5 a.m. on Dec. 2, and then again from 11 p.m. on Dec. 4 to 5 a.m. on Dec. 9, to prevent movement around national holidays on Dec. 1 and Dec. 8. Schools will close on the Mondays before both holidays, while businesses must close early. Employers are being encouraged to give workers the day off in order to minimise travel activity. “We continue to have a very high number of cases which is a threat to our health,” Costa told a press conference. “We must persist to not only halt that growth rate but invert it.”
22nd Nov 2020 - Reuters
The US recorded 195,000 new Covid-19 cases in a day. An expert says spread is now 'faster' and 'broader' than ever
The number of US coronavirus cases surpassed 12 million Saturday -- an increase of more than 1 million cases in less than a week. At least 12,085,389 cases have been confirmed, according to Johns Hopkins University data, and 255,823 Americans have died. It's another horrific milestone in a month full of devastating Covid-19 records in the country. November already accounts for almost a quarter of all Covid-19 cases and 9% of deaths. Almost every state has reported a rapid surge in cases, and nationwide numbers have been climbing much faster than ever before -- with the country reporting a staggering 2.9 million infections since the beginning of the month.
22nd Nov 2020 - CNN
Some Russian hospitals face shortages of COVID-19 drugs
Some Russian hospitals are experiencing serious shortages of drugs used to treat COVID-19 and cannot restock because of panic buying, high demand and problems with a new labelling system, officials, distributors and doctors said.
21st Nov 2020 - Reuters on MSN.com
California enacts nighttime curfew as COVID-19 cases spike
California enacts a nighttime curfew Saturday as spiking coronavirus cases threaten to swamp health care systems and the state's largest county warned that an even more drastic lockdown could be imminent. The newest restrictions require people not on essential errands to stay home from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. through Dec. 21, with a possible extension if rapidly worsening trends don’t improve. People will be allowed to shop for groceries, pick up food and even walk their dogs. Authorities say the focus is on keeping people from social mixing and drinking — the kinds of activities that are blamed for causing COVID-19 infections to soar after dipping only a few months ago. Dr. Mark Cullen, an infectious disease expert who recently retired from Stanford University, said the underlying goal is based on a reasonable interpretation of data.
21st Nov 2020 - The Independent
Iran tightens COVID-19 restrictions, but some streets still busy
Iran introduced tougher restrictions on Saturday to stem a third wave of coronavirus infections, including closing non-essential businesses and travel curbs, but state media reported widespread flouting of the rules. “Tehran streets are crowded despite the restrictions,” state TV said on Saturday morning. It said some non-essential businesses were open, but later showed mostly empty streets and shuttered shops. The semi-official ISNA news agency posted photos of crammed metro trains with the hashtag “Coronavirus kills.” Other media sites posted photos of packed buses.
21st Nov 2020 - Reuters
Coronavirus: Ten more Covid-19-related deaths in NI
Ten more people in Northern Ireland have died after contracting Covid-19, taking the Department of Health's total of recorded deaths to 923. Another 357 people have tested positive for the virus, taking the overall number of confirmed cases to 49,442. The figures come a day after some businesses reopened ahead of a two-week lockdown from 27 November. The restrictions have been criticised by some businesses but First Minister Arlene Foster has defended the move.
21st Nov 2020 - BBC
Covid-19: Sweden now has a higher infection rate than France or UK
Sweden today recorded some 393 daily cases of Covid-19 per million people
This far surpasses 337 per million seen in Britain and 324 per million in France
Nation has seen hospital admissions for Covid-19 patients double each week
21st Nov 2020 - Daily Mail
Coronavirus: Northern Ireland to enter tougher two-week lockdown as hospitals face being ‘overwhelmed within weeks’
Northern Ireland will shut non-essential retail, pubs and restaurants for two weeks from November 27 to save the health service from becoming swamped. The country was poised to emerge from a limited circuit-breaker lockdown until the number of infections rose to worrying levels. Close-contact services and cafes can open this Friday as planned but will have to close again next Friday, while other hospitality sectors like pubs and licensed restaurants will remain closed throughout, Stormont ministers said.
21st Nov 2020 - The Independent
Wisconsin governor renews mask mandate despite court challenge as pandemic worsens
Wisconsin’s governor on Friday extended a statewide mask mandate despite a legal challenge from conservatives, renewing an emergency health order requiring face coverings in public spaces to curb an alarming surge in COVID-19 infections.
21st Nov 2020 - Reuters
Record COVID infections in Germany up pressure for stricter measures
Germany reported a record number of new coronavirus cases on Friday, upping the pressure on leaders of the country’s 16 federal states to implement stricter restrictions favoured by Chancellor Angela Merkel to tame a second wave before Christmas.
21st Nov 2020 - Reuters UK
India’s coronavirus cases top nine million mark
India’s total number of coronavirus cases since the pandemic began crossed the nine million mark on Friday. Nevertheless, the country’s new daily cases have seen a steady decline for weeks now and the total number of cases represents 0.6% of India’s 1.3 billion population. The health ministry reported 45,882 new infections and 584 fatalities in the past 24 hours on Friday. The death toll since the pandemic began is more than 132,000.
20th Nov 2020 - Irish Examiner
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 20th Nov 2020
View this newsletter in fullWhy Congress should be much more worried about Covid-19 than they are
Over the last 48 hours, at least four House members and a US senator have tested positive for the coronavirus, seemingly part of the broader surge in cases across the country. The overall reaction within the halls of Congress has been relatively ho-hum -- particularly among Republican lawmakers. This is a major mistake, especially when you consider what we know about the virus' transmissibility and who it threatens the most. The situation, is ripe -- VERY ripe -- for an outbreak. (And I didn't even mention that lots of members are flying to and from their home states or home districts, further raising the Covid-19 risk.) And yet, the level of concern among members doesn't seem to match the threat.
19th Nov 2020 - CNN
US sees highest Covid-19 death toll in months as deaths top a quarter of a million
The United States saw the highest Covid-19 daily death toll in more than six months Tuesday, with at least 1,707 fatalities, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. The coronavirus is now killing at least one American every minute of the day, bringing the country to another horrific milestone on Wednesday: At least 250,029 people in the country have died of Covid-19 since the first death on February 29 in Washington state. And it's only going to get worse, said Dr. Jonathan Reiner, a professor at George Washington University School of Medicine. "The horrible death count that we saw yesterday in the United States ... reflects the number of people who were being infected three weeks ago -- two to three weeks ago, because that's the lag," Reiner said
19th Nov 2020 - CNN
Mayo Clinic: 900 employees at top US hospital catch Covid-19 in two weeks
More than 900 employees at Mayo Clinic, a top research hospital that is based in Rochester, Minnesota, have contracted Covid-19 in the last two weeks. Dr Amy Williams, dean of clinical practice at the hospital, said that the vast majority of staff who were infected – 93% – were not infected at work. Most of those who were infected at work contracted the virus while eating without a mask during their breaks, Williams said. The hundreds of employees who have contracted the virus over the last two weeks make up over a third of all employees who were infected since the start of the pandemic. The hospital is experiencing a shortage of 1,000 employees at its headquarters in Rochester. “It shows you how easy it is to get Covid-19 in the midwest,” Williams said
19th Nov 2020 - The Guardian
Covid-19 was third biggest killer in England in October, ONS
Coronavirus was the third biggest killer in England in October, official figures show — but the total number of deaths from all causes for the month was no different to last year. An Office for National Statistics report found there were 43,265 fatalities recorded last month — just eight more than in October 2019 — of which 3,367 involved Covid-19 (7.8 per cent). The number-crunching body has previously said deaths were 'front-loaded' this year because so many elderly and vulnerable people fell victim to the disease in the spring. The 3,367 Covid deaths meant the disease was third leading cause of death in England last month, having climbed from 19th in September, when there were 690.
19th Nov 2020 - Daily Mail
The Coronavirus Has Now Killed 250,000 People in the U.S.
The United States passed a grim milestone on Wednesday, hitting 250,000 coronavirus-related deaths, with the number expected to keep climbing steeply as infections surge nationwide. Experts predict that the country could soon be reporting 2,000 deaths a day or more, matching or exceeding the spring peak, and that 100,000 to 200,000 more Americans could die in the coming months. Just how bad it gets will depend on a variety of factors, including how well preventive measures are followed and when a vaccine is introduced. “It all depends on what we do and how we address this outbreak,” said Jeffrey Shaman, a Columbia University professor of environmental health sciences who has modeled the spread of the disease.
19th Nov 2020 - The New York Times
The U.S. COVID-19 Outbreak Is Worse Than It’s Ever Been. Why Aren’t We Acting Like It?
Nothing about the current COVID-19 explosion should come as a surprise. As the virus spread throughout summer and fall, experts repeatedly warned winter would be worse. They cautioned that a cold-weather return to indoor socializing, particularly around the holidays, could turn a steady burn into a wildfire. So it has. The U.S. is now locked in a deadly cycle of setting, then shattering, records for new cases and hospitalizations. On Nov. 13, a staggering 177,224 people in the U.S. were diagnosed with COVID-19. As of Nov. 17, more than 70,000 coronavirus patients were hospitalized nationwide. And unlike in earlier waves, which were fairly regionalized, the virus was as of Nov. 17 spreading–and fast–in virtually every part of the U.S., according to Johns Hopkins University data.
19th Nov 2020 - TIME
Stop talking about a ‘national lockdown.' It won’t happen, and it is a distraction.
A national lockdown is not going to happen in the United States. Every time it’s brought up, it distracts attention from practical public health measures that can work to control covid-19. I understand that a “shutdown” or “lockdown” is a convenient shorthand to describe restrictions that states have recently put into place. This week, Washington state closed bars and restaurants for indoor dining and prohibited indoor social gatherings for people in different households. Michigan closed casinos and movie theaters and ended in-person classes for colleges and high schools. And as of Thursday, New York City’s public schools are returning to all-remote instruction. But let’s get our terminology right: These restrictions are not lockdowns. A lockdown is what the Chinese government imposed in February, forcing people to remain in their homes and preventing 780 million people from traveling city to city. A broader definition of lockdown could also include the stay-at-home orders most states instituted in March.
19th Nov 2020 - The Washington Post
Samoa leader appeals for calm after COVID case
The leader of the small Pacific nation of Samoa appealed for calm Thursday after the country reported its first positive test for the coronavirus, although a second test on the same patient returned a negative result. Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi addressed the nation live on television and radio, urging people to remain vigilant with their virus precautions. Samoa was among a dwindling handful of nations to have not reported a single case of the virus.
19th Nov 2020 - Associated Press
Ukraine faces 'severe' coronavirus winter but no new lockdown measures, minister says
Ukraine faces a “very severe” period of COVID-19 cases but will not tighten lockdown restrictions because measures taken last week should stabilise the situation, Health Minister Maksym Stepanov told Reuters. The government on Saturday introduced a lockdown at weekends, closing or restricting most businesses except essential services such as grocery shops, pharmacies, hospitals and transport. A member of President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s administration resigned over the decision, some mayors refused to comply with the government’s order and some business owners held protests.
19th Nov 2020 - Reuters
Coronavirus: London appears to be faring better during second wave
London was the worst-hit part of the UK during the first wave of coronavirus but the second time around it appears to be faring rather better. Data released this week by the Office for National Statistics showed 952 deaths registered in London in the week ending November 6, the same number as would be predicted based on the average for the past five years. It was the only one of the nine regions of England used for official statistics not to register any excess deaths. By contrast, the 1,900 deaths registered in the northwest were 496 higher than average, a difference of 35 per cent. Wales’s 832 deaths were 207 above normal, a 33 per cent difference. Experts told The Times it was too early to tell exactly why London was doing better, but one theory is that it now has some level of herd immunity.
19th Nov 2020 - The Times
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 19th Nov 2020
View this newsletter in full'A catastrophic situation': COVID-19 threatens to overwhelm Canada's health system
In July, the Canadian province of Manitoba went two weeks without a single new case of COVID-19. Theaters and casinos reopened and children soon returned to school. By October, the 1.4 million people living in a province only slightly smaller geographically than Texas had Canada’s highest rate of active cases - now 512 per 100,000 people, or nearly quadruple the national rate. “In a couple of weeks, we’re going to be in a catastrophic situation,” said Dr. Anand Kumar, a Manitoba intensive care physician.
18th Nov 2020 - Reuters
Putin admits he is ‘alarmed’ by Russia’s spike in Covid-19 deaths and says officials ‘cannot pretend all is fine’
Putin said the rising death rate was 'alarming' after record 456 fatalities today
Russia has stopped short of imposing strict new measures like much of Europe
In a further blow, smoke was seen billowing from a major hospital in Russia today
18th Nov 2020 - Daily Mail
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott won’t order lockdown as coronavirus cases rise
The last time case numbers were this high, Abbott closed bars and urged Texans to avoid summer holiday gatherings. This time, he's staying the course, relying on a 2-month-old blueprint to claw back reopenings regionally based on hospitalizations.
18th Nov 2020 - The Texas Tribune
As virus hits Italy's south, some flee troubled health care
Patients some wrapped in blankets that look like they came from home, moan in their beds. What appears to be medical tubing and a wad of gauze or paper towels litter the floor of San Giuliano public hospital which treats coronavirus patients in a bleak town in Italy's Neapolitan hinterland. In another surreptitiously filmed scene, 15 kilometers (9 miles) away in Naples an elderly man suspected of having COVID-19 takes his last, labored breaths in a bathroom at the emergency room of Cardarelli Hospital, his undignified end memorialized on a phone camera by a fellow patient and posted online.
18th Nov 2020 - The Independent
Italy reports 34,283 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, 753 deaths
Italy has registered 34,283 new coronavirus infections over the past 24 hours, the health ministry said on Wednesday, up from 32,191 the day before. The ministry also reported 753 COVID 19-related deaths, up from 731 on Tuesday and the highest daily tally since April 3, when the country was in full national lockdown. There were 234,834 coronavirus swabs carried out in the past day, the ministry said, against a previous 208,458. Italy was the first Western country to be hit by the virus and has seen 47,217 COVID-19 fatalities since its outbreak emerged in February, the second highest toll in Europe after Britain’s, and 1.27 million cases.
18th Nov 2020 - Reuters
Brutal Covid second wave exposes Italy's shortage of intensive care staff
Italian hospitals are struggling with a shortage of intensive care specialists as the country battles a severe coronavirus second wave, while some citizens are also turning against health workers. Covid-related deaths rose by 731 on Tuesday – the highest daily toll since early April, when Italy was in complete lockdown – and by 753 on Wednesday, as weaknesses in the healthcare system across the country become more exposed. According to a study by Johns Hopkins University in the US, Italy has recorded four deaths per 100 infections - the third highest rate in the world. Tuesday’s count equated to one death every two minutes. Admissions to intensive care units have almost doubled to 3,612 since 1 November and the number of people in hospital with coronavirus – 33,074 – has eclipsed that reached during the first wave.
18th Nov 2020 - The Guardian
Italy and Spain report highest daily Covid deaths of second wave
Italy and Spain have both recorded their highest daily coronavirus death tolls of the second wave, reporting 731 and 435 deaths respectively over the past 24 hours.
Italy, the first western country hit by the virus, has logged 46,464 Covid deaths while Spain has logged 41,688. Such high Italian daily death figures have not been seen since 3 April, when the country was still in lockdown. The Spanish toll is well up on last week’s previous second-wave record of 411 deaths.
18th Nov 2020 - The Guardian
France is the worst-hit country for COVID-19 cases in Europe. But these teens are angry their schools remain open
The sun had barely risen over Paris and already pepper spray filled the air. Students protesting against an alleged lack of COVID-19 protections inside schools were the target of last week’s protest, but anyone nearby could feel the acrid substance in their nostrils. They tried to form a barricade of wheelie bins to block the entrance to their high school, General Lycée Colbert, in northern Paris. But police had prior warning of their plan and tried to snuff out the protest before it had even begun.
18th Nov 2020 - ABC News
South Korea sees biggest rise in Covid-19 cases since August
South Korea has recorded its largest daily increase in coronavirus infections in nearly three months as it gets set to tighten social distancing rules in the greater Seoul area. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency reported 313 new cases on Wednesday, raising the country's total to 29,311, including 496 deaths. It's the first time the country's daily caseload exceeded 300 since late August.
18th Nov 2020 - Deccan Herald
Japan cases hit record as Tokyo plans to raise virus alert
COVID-19 cases rose to a record of more than 2,000, according to local media tallies, as the nation that had previously shown success in containing the virus now faces a rapid spread of the pathogen.
18th Nov 2020 - bnnbloomberg
Tokyo to raise alert as Japan sets daily record with 2000-plus COVID-19 cases
Japan set a daily record with more than 2,000 new COVID-19 cases — including a new high of 493 in the capital — on Wednesday, following reports Tokyo was expected to raise its virus alert to the highest level Thursday amid an ongoing surge of infections. Prior to Wednesday, record nationwide tallies had been reported for three consecutive days through Saturday, with the figure hitting 1,737 on that day. While the final figure for Wednesday was yet to be confirmed, local media tallies showed the figure had risen above the 2,000 threshold. But much of the focus has been on the capital and the surge in cases there. While raising the virus alert level, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government may also call on businesses to close early, according to local media reports.
18th Nov 2020 - The Japan Times
Ireland has only one way to avoid entering third lockdown
The whole of Europe is in a disastrous second wave of Covid-19 and a second lockdown. On past experience, it is likely to head into a third wave and third lockdown in January, which will bring further and unimaginable damage to us all, and a collapse of confidence in our medical advisers and governments. Vaccines and anti-virals will not arrive in time to avoid this catastrophe, and any talk of significant relaxation of guidelines for Christmas is highly irresponsible. We must go further and face the fact that the European policy of living with Covid-19 is wrong.
18th Nov 2020 - The Irish Times
Turkey says additional coronavirus measures will take effect from Nov. 20
Turkey said on Wednesday new coronavirus measures limiting the working hours of restaurants and cafes and introducing a partial lockdown on weekends will take effect from the evening of Nov. 20, according to an interior ministry statement. Restaurants, cafes, shopping malls and hairdressers will only be allowed to operate from 0700 GMT to 1700 GMT, the statement said, while restaurants and cafes will only be open for takeaway and delivery services. Under the new curbs, which will take effect from 1700 GMT on Friday, cinemas will be closed for the rest of the year. The government said on Tuesday it would impose tighter coronavirus measures as cases surged in recent weeks. Ankara reported 3,819 new symptomatic cases on Tuesday and 103 COVID-19 deaths in the country, taking the total death toll to 11,704.
18th Nov 2020 - Reuters
Confirmed coronavirus infections in France surpass two million
France’s cumulative number of COVID-19 cases now exceeds two million but efforts to rein in the pandemic are starting to bear fruit, its top health official said on Tuesday. Authorities have reported a total of 2,036,755 confirmed coronavirus infections, with the number of deaths in hospitals and nursing homes now at 46,273, including 437 over the past 24 hours, Director General of Health Jerome Salomon said. “Our collective efforts are starting to bear fruit, the number of new cases has been going down over a few days...We must double down our efforts to regain control of the epidemic,” Salomon told a news conference.
18th Nov 2020 - Reuters UK
Covid Stalks U.S. Nursing Homes Again With Pandemic Redoubling
The tip of the coronavirus spear is piercing the country’s long-term care facilities again in a surge that underscores the nation’s repeated failure to protect its most vulnerable. States reported over 29,000 new infections last week in places such as nursing homes and assisted-living facilities, the steepest uptick since at least May, according to Covid Tracking Project data. They come as national daily case counts were higher than ever in November, with a record of more than 170,000 new cases reported Nov. 13.
18th Nov 2020 - Bloomberg
Wedding with over 300 guests in Washington state linked to COVID-19 outbreak
A wedding in Washington state attended by over 300 people has been linked to nearly 40 COVID-19 cases so far, health officials said. The massive party was held near Ritzville, in rural Adams County, on Nov. 7, officials said. By Monday, neighboring Grant County had traced 17 cases of COVID-19 to the event, "with more being added daily," local health officials said in a news release. On Tuesday, the number of cases connected to the wedding was approaching 40, the Grant County Health District confirmed to ABC News.
18th Nov 2020 - ABC News
Covid: New York City closes all schools amid virus spike
New York City has been ordered to close its schools from Thursday, amid a Covid-19 spike. The decision to close the US's largest public school system comes as positive test rates for the virus surpassed the 3% threshold, officials say. It will affect some 300,000 children. New York, where 35,000 residents have died with coronavirus, was the epicentre of the outbreak in the US in the spring. It now appears to be facing a new wave. The US has more infections and more deaths from the virus than any other nation, and has reported record levels of cases in recent days.
17th Nov 2020 - BBC
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 18th Nov 2020
View this newsletter in fullSpain reports 435 new COVID-19 deaths, new infections slow down
Spain's death toll from the coronavirus rose by 435 to 41,688 on Tuesday - the steepest daily increase in the second wave of contagion - but new infections continued to slow, health ministry data showed.
17th Nov 2020 - Reuters
Covid-19 in the US: Is this coronavirus wave the worst yet?
Americans may have tuned out of coronavirus news as they focused on the outcome of the presidential election, but the pandemic has quietly been getting worse in the country. The number of infections in the US has reached new heights in recent days, surpassing 160,000 cases in one day for the first time since the outbreak began. Dr Anthony Fauci, the top US infectious diseases expert, has warned that the country faces "a very challenging and ominous situation" as it approaches winter. So how bad is the situation and how much does it vary across the country?
17th Nov 2020 - BBC
Lockdowns, Round 2: A New Virus Surge Prompts Restrictions, and Pushback
California and Michigan moved to shut down indoor dining, and Philadelphia severely limited indoor gatherings. With more than 150,000 virus cases daily, the nation is shutting down again.
17th Nov 2020 - The New York Times
Covid: States clamp down as US cases pass 11 million mark
Michigan, Washington and California are the latest US states to bring in strict measures to try to curb the spread of Covid-19, as cases top 11 million. High schools and colleges are to halt on-site teaching while restaurants are prohibited from offering indoor dining in Michigan from Wednesday. Indoor restaurant dining is also banned in Washington State, and gyms, cinemas, theatres and museums will close. And much of California will return to its most severe restriction level. On average, more than 1,000 people a day are dying with the virus, and the overall death toll is close to 250,000. Hospital admissions have also reached record levels with nearly 150,000 new cases across the US on Monday.
17th Nov 2020 - BBC
Lockdown U-turn in Sweden as COVID-19 cases soar and herd immunity hopes falter
Sweden, whose unorthodox pandemic strategy garnered global attention, has registered 15,084 new coronavirus cases since Friday, Health Agency statistics showed on Tuesday. The number comes after Sweden hit a new daily record of 5,990 new cases last Friday, with the number of people testing positive rising by about 50 per cent a week.
17th Nov 2020 - National Post
Spain reports 38,273 new coronavirus cases and adds 484 victims since Friday
The coronavirus data sent by Spain’s regions to the central Health Ministry showed a clear improvement on Monday, according to the daily report that is published each weekday. Compared with the data released on Friday, all Spanish territories apart from Asturias and Cantabria have registered a fall in the 14-day cumulative number of coronavirus cases per 100,000 inhabitants, one of the key indicators being used to track the progress of the epidemic.
17th Nov 2020 - EL PAÍS in English
Europe's second wave shows signs of slowing after new lockdowns
New lockdowns and tough social restrictions were reintroduced across numerous European countries in October in an effort to contain the second wave. The latest numbers suggest these steps seem to be working. Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Monday that the restrictions were causing case numbers to stabilize “somewhat, but too slowly.”
17th Nov 2020 - CNBC
France's new daily COVID-19 infections at one-month low
French health authorities on Monday reported 9,406 new COVID-19 infections over the past 24 hours, a more than one-month low and a figure sharply down from Sunday's 27,228 and way below the all-time high of 86,852 reached on Nov 7. Health minister Olivier Veran had said earlier in the day that recent data had shown some encouraging signs from the second national lockdown - albeit lighter than the first one - put in place on Oct 30. Nonetheless, the number of people hospitalised for the new coronavirus was up by 416 to reach a new all-time high of 33,497. And COVID-19 fatalities increased by 506, to 45,054, versus a seven-day moving average of 581.
17th Nov 2020 - YAHOO!News
'There's light at the end of tunnel': AIIMS' Randeep Guleria pins hope on COVID-19 vaccines as cases surge
With the number COVID-19 cases witnessing a surge in Delhi again, the Arvind Kejriwal government on Tuesday sought the Centre's approval to allow it to shut markets that may emerge as COVID-19 hotspots for a few days. The Delhi has already confirmed that the city is witnessing a third wave of COVID-19, adding that it has already peaked out. AIIMS director Dr Randeep Guleri, in an exclusive interaction with India TV, listed out several reasons behind the spike in coronavirus cases in the national capital. Due to the festival season, people were seen flouting the COVID-19 protocols. Markets witnessed huge rush of people. It is quite likely that some events acted like superspreader, Dr Guleria said.
17th Nov 2020 - India TV News
With coronavirus cases rising in Hokkaido, is the prefecture going into a lockdown?
The northernmost island in Japan, Hokkaido is a popular destination for local and international tourists, famed for its cool summer, abundant snowfall in winter and exceptional seafood. Since last Thursday (November 12), however, the prefecture has been making headlines for its rising coronavirus cases. It reported a record 236 new Covid-19 cases on that day and a daily tally of over 200 new cases through to Sunday. Yesterday, Monday November 16, there were 189 new infections. When news of Hokkaido's upward trend in case numbers broke, there was speculation that the prefecture might be taken off the enticing Go to Travel domestic tourism campaign, which sees the government subsidising up to half of your travel costs. However, according to The Japan Times, Prime Minister Suga has said that the Go to Travel subsidy will continue as is.
17th Nov 2020 - Time Out
Australia scrambles to contain new COVID-19 cluster
Australian authorities conducted mass tests on Tuesday and about 4,000 people were confined to quarantine in the hope of stifling a new cluster of cases of the novel coronavirus after hopes it had been largely eradicated. The state of South Australia reimposed social distancing restrictions on Monday after detecting 21 cases of the coronavirus, most of which were acquired locally. The cases were the first local transmissions of the virus in Australia in nine days. South Australia Premier Steven Marshall said testing had identified five new cases in the past 24 hours, while 14 people were suspected to be infected and were awaiting test results.
17th Nov 2020 - Reuters
Sask. nurses' union head pitches short-term 'circuit break' lockdown to help turn back tide of new COVID-19 cases
Saskatchewan Union of Nurses president Tracy Zambory joined CTV News at Five anchor Jeremy Dodge to explain why she thinks the province's new COVID-19 rules don't go far enough and how a novel approach taken in Australia could help stop the spread of coronavirus in Saskatchewan. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. So last week, you spoke to us here at CTV News about some of your concerns. And they proved not to be unfounded with, you know, over 400 cases of COVID-19 being confirmed on the weekend. Of course, the impact on the healthcare system has been felt by nurses and everybody on the front lines. Now, the government has taken some action, with new restrictions, what are your thoughts on where we stand?
17th Nov 2020 - CTV News Saskatoon
Jacinda Ardern refutes China's claims it found coronavirus in meat imported from New Zealand
Jacinda Ardern has hit back at claims from China that traces of coronavirus were detected in frozen meat imported from New Zealand. The Prime Minister is now seeking official clarification from China in a determined bid to get to the bottom of the matter after claims emerged from the eastern province of Shandong. Health authorities in the Chinese city of Jinan claimed coronavirus was detected on beef, tripe and product packaging from Brazil, Bolivia and New Zealand.
17th Nov 2020 - Daily Mail
Learning the lessons of Covid-19
Each country is trying to find a route through winter which will disrupt life as little as possible while still safeguarding health. There’s also a wish, as the UK’s Prime Minister put it, to “save Christmas”. And each country has a slightly different approach. Here in Switzerland the government has opted for a “slowdown” rather than a lockdown. Neighbouring France has gone into another “confinement” with strict rules around movement. To our east, Austria is beginning a “hard lockdown”, with schools closed and a daytime as well as a nighttime curfew. There is increasing debate, and confusion, about which measures are most successful. In most parts of Switzerland we can still go out for dinner. Our friends in France cannot. But since the introduction of the Swiss slowdown and the French confinement, cases of Covid-19 in both countries have begun to fall
17th Nov 2020 - swissinfo.ch
Covid-19: Weak positive case confirmed to be community infection
The weak positive case reported yesterday has been confirmed as a community case, with two more cases also reported at New Zealand's border. In a statement, the Health Ministry said the weak positive result from a neighbour of this week's community case in Auckland - reported yesterday - has now had a third test that returned a positive result. "These test results indicate that this new case is a very recent infection." This case has been in the Auckland quarantine facility since 12 November, the ministry said.
17th Nov 2020 - RNZ
Crisis-weary Beirut residents defy new lockdown despite COVID surge
Beirut’s popular Sabra market teemed with shoppers this week, some of them unmasked, in apparent defiance of a full national lockdown imposed on Saturday to stem a resurgence of coronavirus infections. The Lebanese government ordered the two-week restrictions, including a 5 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew on Sundays, as new daily infections rose above 1,000. Lebanon reported 1,016 new infections on Monday, bringing its total to 106,446 cases and 827 deaths since Feb. 21. After city streets and roads emptied on Sunday, pedestrians were back on Monday and some motorists could be seen flouting a re-imposed odd-even licence plate alternate day driving rule.
17th Nov 2020 - Reuters India
Sweden Tests Limit of Controversial Covid Strategy as Cases Soar
Sweden is bumping up against the limits of a strategy that has so far relied on recommendations rather than rules to stop people transmitting the coronavirus. The country famously avoided a lockdown earlier this year, arguing instead that citizens would voluntarily do the right thing. But this week, Prime Minister Stefan Lofven took what he called the “unprecedented” step of banning public gatherings larger than eight people, amid signs that Sweden’s softer approach is falling short.
On Tuesday, state epidemiologist Anders Tegnell said Swedes appear to be paying less attention to social distancing guidelines now than when the pandemic first erupted. That’s despite warnings from Lofven that Sweden faces a “really dark” winter with the virus.
17th Nov 2020 - Bloomberg
UK Coronavirus deaths jump by 598 in highest daily rise since May 12
The UK has recorded a further 598 coronavirus deaths, the highest daily increase since May 12. It brings the total official death toll to 52,745 since the outbreak began, according to figures from the Department of Health and Social Care. Separate figures published by the UK’s statistics agencies for deaths where Covid-19 has been mentioned on the death certificate, together with additional data on deaths that have occurred in recent days, show there have now been 68,000 deaths involving Covid-19 in the UK.
17th Nov 2020 - Evening Standard
Tokyo to raise coronavirus alert level to highest of four levels: Nikkei
Tokyo is preparing to raise its coronavirus alert level to the highest of four levels as the number of positive cases in the Japanese capital creeps up, the Nikkei business daily reported on Wednesday. As part of the move, the metropolitan government is considering asking some businesses to shorten their hours again, the paper said, citing multiple unnamed sources. The announcement will be made on Thursday, the Nikkei said. Tokyo authorities did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
17th Nov 2020 - Reuters
France becomes first European country to top two million COVID-19 cases – Reuters tally
France on Tuesday became the first European country to surpass 2 million coronavirus cases despite an Oct. 30 nationwide lockdown that has led to a sharp decline in new infections, according to a Reuters tally. France is fourth in the number of infections reported, with 2,036,755, behind the United States, India and Brazil. With a death toll topping 45,000, France ranks seventh in COVID-19 deaths globally.
17th Nov 2020 - Reuters
Facing a ‘crisis’, South Korea moves to tighten COVID-19 curbs
South Korea will tighten physical distancing rules for Seoul and its surrounding areas from Thursday, the government saying its anti-coronavirus efforts are “facing a crisis” as it works to contain increases in new cases in and around the capital.
The tougher measures – including limits on public gatherings of 100 or more people as well as the numbers able to attend religious services and sporting events – will come into force on Thursday, Yonhap news agency reported.
17th Nov 2020 - AlJazeera
Covid Is Resurging, and This Time It’s Everywhere
Pervasive spread in smaller communities fuels nationwide case record, though mortality rates are lower than in the spring. With a third surge of the Covid-19 pandemic hitting the U.S., many public-health authorities are warning the coronavirus is now so widespread that it will take pervasive new measures to contain it.
16th Nov 2020 - The Wall Street Journal
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 17th Nov 2020
View this newsletter in fullSt. Louis Is So Overwhelmed With Covid-19 It’s Asking People To Do Their Own Contact Tracing
As health officials across the country struggle with dwindling resources amid a third resurgence of the coronavirus, St. Louis said Monday the county is so overwhelmed with Covid-19 it no longer has enough capacity for contact tracing.
16th Nov 2020 - Forbes
Covid-19 Northern Ireland: 14 further Covid-19 deaths recorded by Department of Health
There have been 14 further Covid-19 deaths recorded in Northern Ireland, with 10 of these taking place in the past 24 hours, according to the Department of Health. The department's daily dashboard says there have been 331 positive tests in the past day, with 3,831 people contracting the virus in the past week. The Northern Ireland death toll from the virus now stands at 869, says the DoH. Since the outbreak began, 47,162 individuals have tested positive for Covid-19. Belfast has seen the largest number of new infections in the past seven days, with 696, followed by Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon with 544, and Causeway, Coast and Glens with 451. Those aged 20 to 39 have had the most positive tests in the past week, with 1,267, followed by those aged 40 to 59 with 1,199.
16th Nov 2020 - Belfast Live
Covid-19: Boris Johnson and six Tory MPs self-isolating after No 10 meeting
Boris Johnson, six Tory MPs and two political aides are self-isolating after a breakfast meeting inside Downing Street last Thursday. One of the MPs, Lee Anderson, later tested positive for Covid-19, and on Sunday the prime minister was told to self-isolate by NHS Test and Trace. In a video from No 10, Mr Johnson urged others to "follow the rules" if contacted by the system. The PM's official spokesman insisted that Downing Street is "Covid-secure". He said "social distancing did happen" but factors such as the length of the meeting were considered by Test and Trace. Mr Johnson, who was admitted to intensive care with coronavirus seven months ago, spent about 35 minutes with Mr Anderson - who lost his sense of taste the day after the meeting.
16th Nov 2020 - BBC
States enact more Covid-19 rules as the US hits 11 million cases
The United States surpassed 11 million coronavirus cases on Sunday, according to data from Johns Hopkins University, as states across the country moved to enact restrictions aimed at slowing the spread of the virus. The latest milestone comes just six days after the US recorded 10 million cases, per Johns Hopkins data. It was the fastest the US has added one million new cases since the pandemic began.
At least 45 states have reported more new infections this past week compared to the previous week, according to Johns Hopkins University. "We have this firestorm of coronavirus all across the country," emergency medicine physician Dr. Leana Wen said. "It's not one or two hotspots, the entire country is a hotspot of coronavirus infection."
16th Nov 2020 - CNN
Coronavirus: US rules out lockdown as daily cases near 200000
America’s top infectious diseases experts have ruled out a national lockdown against the coronavirus even as the country heads for a record of 200,000 new cases a day. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said that it would fall to local and regional leaders to instigate mitigation measures even after Joe Biden, the president-elect, assumes power, and called on President Trump to stop stonewalling efforts by the new administration to get a plan in place. “We’re not going to get a national lockdown. I think that’s very clear,” Dr Fauci said.
16th Nov 2020 - The Times
Covid: Michigan and Washington State clamp down as US cases pass 11 million mark
Michigan, Washington and California are the latest US states to bring in strict measures to try to curb the spread of Covid-19, as cases top 11 million. High schools and colleges are to halt on-site teaching while restaurants are prohibited from offering indoor dining in Michigan from Wednesday. Indoor restaurant dining is also banned in Washington State, and gyms, cinemas, theatres and museums will close. And much of California will return to its most severe restriction level. On average, more than 1,000 people a day are dying with the virus, and the overall death toll is close to 250,000. Hospital admissions have also reached record levels.
16th Nov 2020 - BBC
Sweden limits public gatherings to eight people amid Covid surge
Sweden has cut its limit on attendance at public gatherings to eight people, as its light-touch approach to the coronavirus pandemic continues to be tested by a surge in new infections and hospitalisations. Public gatherings have until now had to adhere to limits of between 50 and 300 people depending on the type of event. The prime minister, Stefan Löfven, said the stricter limit would come into force from 24 November. “This is the new norm for the entire society,” Lofven said, adding that Swedes were not observing coronavirus recommendations as well they had in the spring. “Don’t go to gyms, don’t go to libraries, don’t host dinners. Cancel,” he said.
16th Nov 2020 - The Guardian
Covid figures suggest France has passed peak of second wave: health minister
With more tests being carried out and fewer people admitted to intensive care, French Health Minister Olivier Véran says there is every reason to believe the country has passed the peak of the second wave of the coronavirus epidemic. But the battle is a long way from over, the minister warned. Health Minister Véran said the epidemic is being brought under control. "Thanks to the lockdown, just as in March, the virus is spreading less quickly," Véran told journalists from a group of regional newspapers at the weekend.
16th Nov 2020 - YAHOO!
"Delhi Has Crossed Peak Of Third Covid Wave, No Lockdown": Minister
Delhi will not be put under another lockdown in the wake of the third wave of COVID-19 since it has already peaked out, state Health Minister Satyendar Jain said today, dismissing all speculation. "There is no chance of a lockdown," Health Minister Satyendar Jain said today. "I can tell you today that the peak of Delhi's third wave is gone," Mr Jain said. When asked about markets being shut down, he said, "It has not even been considered. The festival is over, the crowds will get thinner now on." However, he said people ought to be cautious and wear masks. "The lockdown was a learning exercise...What we learnt was that the gains from a lockdown were the same as those from wearing masks." Delhi on Sunday recorded 3,235 new COVID-19 cases and 95 deaths due to coronavirus, state government data shows.
16th Nov 2020 - NDTV
Japan looks to avert Covid-19 lockdowns and keep economy open
Japan can make it through the winter without lockdowns or mass screening for Covid-19 but the public will have to socialise — and drink — with care, according to the doctor leading the country’s response. Dr Shigeru Omi, chair of the government’s expert committee on the virus, told the Financial Times in an interview that Japan was determined to keep the economy open even as case numbers were rising. Japan has been relatively successful in living with the virus — rather than seeking near elimination as has been pursued in Australia, New Zealand, China and Taiwan — making it a potential model for Europe and the US.
16th Nov 2020 - The Financial Times
Asia at a crossroads in fight against coronavirus as cases surge
Countries across the Asia-Pacific region reported record new coronavirus numbers and fresh outbreaks on Monday, with Japan facing mounting pressure to reimpose a state of emergency and South Korea warning it was at a “critical crossroads”. The resurgence of the virus in Asia comes as travel restrictions are gradually being eased in the region and it will dampen prospects for broader reopening that would boost the recovery underway in economies such as Japan. New daily cases in Japan reached a record 1,722 on Saturday, with hot spots in the northern island of Hokkaido and the western prefectures of Hyogo and Osaka. In Tokyo, cases have neared 400 in recent days, levels not seen since early August.
16th Nov 2020 - Reuters UK
Japan looks to avert Covid-19 lockdowns and keep economy open
Japan can make it through the winter without lockdowns or mass screening for Covid-19 but the public will have to socialise — and drink — with care, according to the doctor leading the country’s response. Dr Shigeru Omi, chair of the government’s expert committee on the virus, told the Financial Times in an interview that Japan was determined to keep the economy open even as case numbers were rising. Japan has been relatively successful in living with the virus — rather than seeking near elimination as has been pursued in Australia, New Zealand, China and Taiwan — making it a potential model for Europe and the US.
16th Nov 2020 - Financial Times
Covid: South Australia goes on high alert after first outbreak in months
South Australian authorities say they are facing a "dangerous situation" after reporting 18 coronavirus cases in the state's first outbreak since April. Up to 13 infections were linked to a hotel quarantine worker in Adelaide who spread the virus to a family in the local community, officials said. The state has ramped up testing and brought in new restrictions. Australia had seen cases drop to near zero after beating a second wave that was largely confined to Victoria. Victoria's capital, Melbourne, spent almost four months in a stringent lockdown before re-opening last month.
16th Nov 2020 - BBC
Australia back on outbreak alert as state virus infections spike
South Australia reported 14 new coronavirus cases on Monday, a rapid spike in the state’s first outbreak since April, prompting officials to impose social distancing restrictions. The cluster also prompted some other Australian states to reimpose strict quarantine measures on anybody arriving from South Australia - just days after Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he expected all internal borders to be open by Christmas. South Australia authorities first reported three locally-acquired COVID-19 cases on Sunday, saying the outbreak was caused by a worker from a quarantine hotel infecting family members. By Monday, case numbers had jumped to 17.
16th Nov 2020 - Reuters
US COVID-19 infection numbers grow by one million in just six days
The US surpassed 11 million coronavirus cases on Sunday, according to data from Johns Hopkins University, as states across the country moved to enact restrictions aimed at slowing the spread of the virus. The latest milestone comes just six days after the US recorded 10 million cases, per Johns Hopkins data. It is the fastest the US has added one million new cases since the pandemic began.
16th Nov 2020 - 9News
How Adelaide could go into a Melbourne-style lockdown because of hotel quarantine worker
South Australia outbreak has echoes of Melbourne's COVID-19 situation in June
Adelaide now has 17 active cases with 15 of them linked to one large family
SA Police Commissioner Grant Stevens said next 24 to 48 hours were crucial
16th Nov 2020 - Daily Mail
Indian capital's third coronavirus wave has peaked: minister
The latest surge of coronavirus infections in the Indian capital, that has swamped its intensive care wards and killed hundreds of people, has passed its peak, the city’s top health official said on Monday, dismissing fears of another lockdown. “I can definitely tell you that the peak is gone and cases will slowly come down now,” Satyendar Jain, minister of health in the city government, told Reuters partner ANI, pointing to a decline in the city’s positivity rate. New Delhi has seen a surge in novel coronavirus infections this month, what authorities have called a third wave that has killed more than 600 people dead in the past week, even as cases in other parts of the country have declined.
16th Nov 2020 - Reuters
PM Johnson self-isolating after COVID-19 contact
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is self-isolating after coming into contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19, a fresh setback after infighting among his top advisers plunged Downing Street into chaos last week. Johnson, who was admitted to intensive care in a London hospital earlier this year with the novel coronavirus, is well and does not have any symptoms, a spokesman for the prime minister said on Sunday. “He will carry on working from Downing Street, including on leading the government’s response to the coronavirus pandemic,” the spokesman said. “The prime minister will follow the rules and is self-isolating.” Johnson met lawmakers in Downing Street on Thursday, including Lee Anderson, a Conservative Party member who subsequently developed COVID-19 symptoms and tested positive.
16th Nov 2020 - Reuters
Spain's hard-pressed millennials move out of the city amid COVID
Thirty-one-year-old Ines Alcolea ditched the bustling life of Madrid in October for a village near the much quieter medieval town of Toledo, unable to face the prospect of more COVID-19 restrictions in her small flat in the Spanish capital. “At least here, if there’s another lockdown we’ll have more space, a garden. It’ll be lighter,” Alcolea said, sitting in her new home surrounded by boxes and her two cats. She is paying half the rent she used to for nearly twice the space, and has a rooftop terrace thrown in.
16th Nov 2020 - Reuters
French virus data encouraging but too soon claim victory: minister
France’s health minister said on Monday it was too early to claim victory over a resurgence in coronavirus infections even if recent data showed some encouraging signs during a second national lockdown. Olivier Veran said that authorities were in the process of gradually regaining control over the COVID-19 pandemic but warned that it was too soon to let up. “We have not defeated the virus yet,” Veran told reporters in Lyon, adding that that as long as daily infection numbers did not drop significantly and the hospital system remained under pressure, lockdown measures must continue.
16th Nov 2020 - Reuters UK
France records 27,228 new COVID-19 cases, 302 more deaths
France has registered 27,228 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and a further 302 deaths from the disease in the last 24 hours, health ministry data showed on Sunday, although there were signs of a fall in the rate of new cases. France has now recorded 1,981,827 confirmed COVID-19 cases in all, while 44,548 people have died from the virus - the seventh-highest death toll in the world. Nevertheless, the data marked a slight decrease compared with the previous day’s COVID-19 figures in terms of new confirmed cases and deaths.
16th Nov 2020 - Reuters UK
Malaysia's Top Glove workers under stricter COVID lockdown: government
The Malaysian government tightened movement curbs in an area where Top Glove Corp Bhd worker dormitories are located, to enable targeted coronavirus screenings on workers and residents as infections rise, the security ministry said on Monday. The curbs, in effect from Tuesday until the end of the month, will affect 13,190 workers and close to 1,200 residents in Klang, about 40km west of Kuala Lumpur, Senior Minister of Security Ismail Sabri Yaakob said at a media conference. “(This enforcement) will allow the Health Ministry to continue targeted screenings on workers and residents in the area,” he said.
16th Nov 2020 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 16th Nov 2020
View this newsletter in fullCzech Republic sees further decline in COVID cases, still among highest in Europe
The Czech Republic reported on Sunday a further decline in the number of COVID-19 infections and deaths from daily highs seen in early November, but the country remains among the hardest hit in Europe during this second wave of the pandemic. Health ministry data showed 4,199 new cases were reported on Saturday, down by more than 3,500 from the same day a week earlier, amid tough lockdown measures, with 132 new fatalities, which includes revisions to previous days.
15th Nov 2020 - Reuters
Mexico reaches one million COVID-19 cases, nears 100,000 deaths
Mexico has surpassed one million coronavirus cases, according to top health officials and recorded nearly 100,000 confirmed deaths. Mexican Director-General of Health Promotion Ricardo Cortes Alcala announced on Saturday that the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Mexico now stood at 1,003,253, with at least 98,259 deaths from COVID-19.
15th Nov 2020 - Aljazeera
Irish health chief concerned by unexpected rise in COVID-19 cases
An unexpected 10% rise in the five-day moving average of new COVID-19 cases in Ireland threatens to reverse a recent sharp drop in the incidence rate of the disease to the third-lowest level in Europe, the country’s chief medical officer said on Saturday. Ireland was among the first European countries to reimpose tough nationwide measures last month to curb the spread of the new coronavirus, with restrictions on travel and the closure of non-essential retail more than halving the 14-day infection rate to 130 cases per 100,000 people.
14th Nov 2020 - Reuters
Schools start closing — or delay reopening — as covid-19 cases jump across the country
Schools in some parts of the United States have started to close down and numerous districts are postponing plans to reopen in the face of skyrocketing community covid-19 cases, setting back efforts to try to reopen campuses closed since this past spring when the coronavirus pandemic began. Though the latest covid-19 surge is being blamed by health experts on social gatherings and not on schools, officials in Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston, Topeka, San Diego, Sacramento, Minneapolis, D.C. and other districts have put off plans to soon reopen school buildings for the first time in the 2020-21 school year. Instead students will keep learning remotely at home, with no set date to return to school
14th Nov 2020 - The Washington Post
Governors issue stringent new measures as US reports a staggering Covid-19 record of more than 184,000 daily cases
Coronavirus cases in the US will spike after Thanksgiving, further stressing health care systems and prompting new restrictions, an emergency physician said Saturday, as states continued to report soaring numbers of new cases, hospitalizations and deaths. Dr. James Phillips, chief of disaster medicine at George Washington University Hospital, told CNN's Erica Hill he is "terrified" about what's going to happen this holiday season. "We're going to see an unprecedented surge of cases following Thanksgiving this year, and if people don't learn from Thanksgiving, we're going to see it after Christmas as well," Phillips said.
14th Nov 2020 - CNN
Biden aide says no U.S.-wide COVID lockdown planned as West Coast states advise against travel
President-elect Joe Biden’s top coronavirus adviser said on Friday there were no plans for a wholesale nationwide lockdown to curb the surging COVID-19 pandemic, while three U.S. West Coast states jointly called for a halt in non-essential travel. The warning against unnecessary transit came as the daily increase in COVID-19 cases in the United States rose to a record of over 177,000 on Friday, the fourth straight day a new all-time high has been set, according to a Reuters tally of figures from U.S. public health agencies.
14th Nov 2020 - Reuters
Italy Does Not Need National Lockdown: Deputy Health Minister
Italian Deputy Health Minister Pierpaolo Sileri discusses the status of the coronavirus pandemic in the nation, focusing on regional lockdowns, and the ability to distribute a vaccine. He speaks with Bloomberg’s Francine Lacqua on “Bloomberg Surveillance
14th Nov 2020 - Bloomberg
Coronavirus: Italy extends 'red zones' as infections soar
Italy has added more regions to its coronavirus high-risk "red zones" as cases across the country hit a new daily record. Campania and Tuscany will join other regions placed under the strictest lockdown measures from Sunday. Authorities in Campania, which includes Naples, have warned that the health system there is close to collapse. Friday's announcement came as Italy confirmed 40,902 new infections - its highest ever daily total. It passed the one million mark earlier this week and there have been more than 44,000 deaths. The government's coronavirus consultant, Walter Ricciardi, told reporters that the country has "two to three weeks to decide whether to impose a new national lockdown".
14th Nov 2020 - BBC
Coronavirus incidence rate falls in 12 Spanish regions, but deaths continue to rise
Spain’s national coronavirus incidence rate remains high, but has been on a downward trend for the past week, according to the latest report by the Spanish Health Ministry. The daily report, released Thursday, put the 14-day cumulative number of coronavirus cases per 100,000 inhabitants in Spain at 504, down from the record of 528 registered on November 4. But it will be some time before this fall is reflected in the number of coronavirus fatalities. The Health Ministry added 356 deaths to the official toll on Thursday, up from 329 on Wednesday. This brings the average number of daily reported victims this week to close to 300.
14th Nov 2020 - EL PAÍS in English
Coronavirus deaths cast a pall over France, two weeks into a national lockdown
Two weeks into its second national lockdown, France may be seeing the first indications that it is bending the curve of coronavirus infections, but it could match or even eclipse the devastation of the spring before bringing the virus in check.
14th Nov 2020 - The Washington Post
France Offers Another Glimmer of Hope on Covid
When Nobel Prize-winning economists Esther Duflo and Abhijit Banerjee urged France’s Emmanuel Macron in September to impose a tough three-week circuit-breaker lockdown to halt the spread of Covid-19 in time for Christmas, they were politely ignored. Macron’s health minister, Olivier Veran, dismissed such planning as “pie in the sky” and said lockdowns were to be avoided. Six weeks later, the economists look prescient. Covid’s second wave has been brutal in France with daily deaths now averaging around 500 versus 70 at end-September. The number of patients in hospitals is above where it was at the peak of the first wave, and intensive-care occupancy isn’t far off. France may not be alone in this struggle, but it has the highest total caseload in Europe and the third-highest death toll behind the U.K. and Italy (unadjusted for population). On Oct. 30, the country began a national lockdown.
14th Nov 2020 - Bloomberg
South Korea reports 205 coronavirus cases, above 200 for first time since September
South Korea reported 205 new coronavirus cases as of Friday midnight, rising above 200 for the first time since September, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said on Saturday. Of the new cases, 166 were domestically transmitted and 39 imported. More than 65% of the locally transmitted cases were from Seoul and Gyeonggi province, a densely populated region near the capital.
14th Nov 2020 - Kontan
Fed officials differ over economy's risks as coronavirus surges
For St. Louis Fed President James Bullard, the current surge in U.S. coronavirus cases can be controlled and the economy recover if households are just nudged in the right direction, exhorted in a ‘this-time-we-mean-it’ push to wear masks and take other steps that health officials have urged since March. New York Fed President John Williams says a full recovery will have to wait for a vaccine, with the health crisis putting a “question mark” on the economy until then. Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari on Friday re-upped his support for a temporary lockdown to try to slow the spread and reduce deaths in an overwhelmed healthcare system, predicted a muted recovery if the virus remains uncontrolled.
14th Nov 2020 - Reuters
Second wave, same strategy: Swedish COVID-19 czar defiant despite surge
Sweden remains steadfast in its strategy of voluntary measures and no lockdowns, the architect of its unorthodox COVID-19 response said on Friday, as the country battles a growing second wave of a disease that has now killed more than 6,000 Swedes. The Nordic nation of 10 million people, whose soft-touch approach to combating the virus has drawn worldwide attention - and harsh domestic criticism from some - has seen a surge in the number of cases, hospitalisations and deaths in recent weeks. At 5,990, the number of new cases reported on Friday was the highest since the start of the pandemic. A further 42 deaths were also recorded, the most for around three months.
14th Nov 2020 - Reuters India
Istanbul mayor wants lockdown to restrain second virus wave
Istanbul’s mayor called on Saturday for a lockdown of at least two weeks to contain an “out of control” rise in coronavirus cases, and said virus-related deaths in the city alone outstrip reported nationwide figures. Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, a leading politician in Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), said the country’s largest city must act fast and provide a clear picture of how the pandemic’s second wave is emerging. “This job is not like it was in the March-April-May period (during the first wave). The circle is getting narrower,” he said at the opening of a water treatment plant.
14th Nov 2020 - Reuters UK
Biden coronavirus advisers nix national U.S. lockdown
The head of Democratic U.S. President-elect Joe Biden’s coronavirus advisory board said on Friday there was no plan to shut the country down and that the new administration’s approach will be targeted at specific areas. Dr. Vivek Murthy, a former U.S. surgeon general tapped to lead the board, said doctors have learned a lot about how the virus spreads and what steps to reduce risk are effective. “We’re not in a place where we’re saying shut the whole country down. We got to be more targeted,” Murthy said in an interview with ABC’s “Good Morning America.”
14th Nov 2020 - Reuters India
India fears annual Diwali festivities will cause coronavirus surge
India fears annual Diwali festivities will cause coronavirus surge - The crowds filling shopping areas ahead of the Diwali festival of lights on Saturday are raising hopes of India's distressed business community after months of lockdown losses but also spawning fears of a massive coronavirus upsurge. People who've restricted their purchases to essentials for months appear to be in a celebratory mood and traders are lapping it up, said Praveen Khandelwal, general secretary of the Confederation of All India Traders. "The past three days have seen a tremendous increase in customer footfall in shopping markets for festival purchases,” he said.
13th Nov 2020 - YAHOO!
The business case for a short, sharp shutdown and why it likely won't work in Canada
The argument seems like a strong one: If Canadians would just follow the lead of countries and regions around the world that appear to have licked COVID-19 for now, not only would our health crisis be over, but so would our economic one. As epidemiologists like Peter Jüni, director of the applied health research centre at Toronto's St. Michael's Hospital, know, under perfect conditions, breaking the link in the chain of viral spread for a mere matter of weeks would stop the disease in its tracks. Like a forest fire on an island, as soon as the available fuel is gone, it burns itself out. "Theoretically if you have the possibility of doing a hard lockdown ... after nine days you see the effect kick in very reliably," Jüni said in a phone conversation Wednesday. "Stuff like that is theoretically possible."
13th Nov 2020 - CBC.ca
COVID-19 infections are soaring. Lockdowns could be coming. A list of restrictions in your state.
As COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths continue to rise nationwide, some states are halting phased reopening plans or imposing new coronavirus-related restrictions. Several are putting limits on social gatherings, adding states to travel quarantine lists, mandating face masks and encouraging residents to stay home, as many did in the spring. Others are restricting business hours of operation and limiting restaurant capacity. Thirty-five states – plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico – now require people to wear face coverings in public statewide, according to a list maintained by AARP. Utah and North Dakota joined the list in recent days, and Maine, Ohio and West Virginia strengthened their mandates this week.
13th Nov 2020 - USA TODAY
Lockdowns possible as Illinois, Maryland and Washington governors weigh more restrictions
New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) said the state is at a “breaking point” and reinstated the country’s most restrictive statewide measures since the fall surge began, while Oregon Gov. Kate Brown (D) announced a two-week statewide “freeze” on Friday, which included curbing gatherings ahead of Thanksgiving. Other states are trying to avoid full-blown shutdowns by enacting almost every other kind of restriction, as the United States reported more than 177,000 new coronavirus cases, a record high for the third straight day.
13th Nov 2020 - The Washington Post
Covid-19: Lockdowns Return and North Dakota Issues Mask Mandate as Records Fall
After months of resisting ordering the people of North Dakota to wear masks and limit the size of gatherings, the state’s Republican governor relented in an effort to stem a coronavirus surge that is among the worst in the U.S. and that threatens to overwhelm the state’s hospitals. Gov. Doug Burgum’s executive order Friday night came as a surprise and only hours before the state recorded new daily records for hospitalizations and infections. Throughout the pandemic, the former software executive had been leaving it to individuals to take personal responsibility for slowing the spread of the virus, beseeching the public during his weekly press briefings to wear masks but emphasizing a “light touch” by government.
13th Nov 2020 - Associated Press
‘Lockdown fatigue’ behind Delhi’s third Covid wave, experts call for behavioural change
Standing under the shade of an umbrella, Vinod Kumar is rolling out one paratha after another for office-goers in Delhi’s central district, just as he has done for 31 years now. But a mask is missing on his face. He doesn’t plan on wearing one either. “This coronavirus is nothing. I don’t believe it will harm me or my family. If something happens, it’s up to God to save us,” he says.
13th Nov 2020 - ThePrint
As Covid cases shoot up, Greece braces for tougher lockdown
Greece comes under tougher lockdown restrictions on Friday, a day after the country’s health authorities reported its worst performance since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. Starting on Friday, a curfew is being imposed nationwide from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. the next day in a bid to slow the virus’ transmission by preventing the public from engaging in non-essential activity outside the home, which has been much higher since the lockdown began last Saturday, compared to the spring.
12th Nov 2020 - Ekathimerini
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 13th Nov 2020
View this newsletter in fullCzech Republic reports 8,925 new COVID-19 cases
The Czech Republic reported 8,925 new coronavirus cases for Nov. 11, Health Ministry data showed on Thursday, well below a record daily tally registered a week ago as the country seeks to push down Europe's highest per-capita infection rate. Wednesday's tally brings the total number of infections in the country of 10.7 million since the pandemic started to 438,805. A record one-day tally of 15,727 cases was hit on Wednesday last week.
12th Nov 2020 - Reuters on MSN.com
Montana emergency physicians warn Covid-19 has their community on 'the brink of disaster'
A group of emergency physicians in Montana is pleading with their community to follow Covid-19 restrictions, warning that a surge in cases and dwindling hospital capacity in Ravalli County has the community "on the brink of disaster." "This is a real threat, and it is getting worse daily -- there is no exaggeration in saying that," said a letter signed by seven emergency physicians affiliated with Marcus Daly Memorial Hospital in Ravalli County. "We are on the brink of disaster."
12th Nov 2020 - CNN on MSN.com
Covid: UK daily cases reach new high of 33,470
A record 33,470 people have tested positive for coronavirus in the UK government's latest daily figure. It is the highest daily number reported in the UK, although testing capacity has increased greatly since the first wave of the epidemic.
It brings the total number of cases in the UK to more than 1.29 million. Government minister Alok Sharma said rising case numbers were "a reminder to us about why we are taking action to stop the spread of the virus". On Wednesday the UK became the first country in Europe to pass 50,000 Covid deaths, based on government figures. On Thursday, a further 563 people were reported to have died within 28 days of a positive Covid test, down from Wednesday's figure of 595. Other ways to measure deaths, such as the number of people whose death certificates mention Covid-19, have put the overall toll at more than 60,000.
12th Nov 2020 - BBC
Video of dead man in hospital lavatory highlights COVID crisis in Italy's south
The health crisis in Italy’s third largest city Naples is out of control, Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio said on Thursday, after a video was posted on social media showing a corpse sprawled in a hospital lavatory. The unidentified man was a suspected coronavirus sufferer who had been waiting for a test in a packed, squalid hospital emergency room, which was also shown in the amateur video.
12th Nov 2020 - Reuters
Italian hospitals face breaking point in fall virus surge
Dr. Luca Cabrini was certain his hospital in the heart of Lombardy‘s lake district would reach its breaking point caring for 300 COVID-19 patients. So far, virus patients fill 500 beds and counting. Italy, which shocked the world and itself when hospitals in the wealthy north were overwhelmed with coronavirus cases last spring, is again facing a systemic crisis, as confirmed positives pass the symbolic threshold of 1 million. “We are very close to not keeping up. I cannot say when we will reach the limit, but that day is not far off,” said Cabrini, who runs the intensive care ward at Varese’s Circolo hospital, the largest in the province of 1 million people northwest of Milan.
12th Nov 2020 - The Associated Press
Swedish surge in Covid cases dashes hopes of herd immunity
New infections and hospital admissions have surged in Sweden as the country battles a second wave of the coronavirus pandemic that officials had hoped its light-touch, anti-lockdown approach would mitigate. “We consider the situation extremely serious,” the director of health and medical care services for Stockholm, Björn Eriksson, told the state broadcaster SVT this week. “We can expect noticeably more people needing hospital care over the coming weeks.” Swedish hospitals were treating 1,004 patients for Covid-19, SVT said, an increase of 60% over the previous week’s 627. Data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control suggests the rise in recent weeks may be Europe’s fastest.
12th Nov 2020 - The Guardian
Italy passes 1m Covid cases as calls grow for national lockdown
Italy surpassed 1m confirmed coronavirus infections on Wednesday, as its death toll climbed rapidly in a second wave that is wreaking havoc on hospitals. The government is biding its time on resorting to another national lockdown despite repeated calls from overwhelmed medics for such a policy. A further 623 Covid-related deaths were registered on Wednesday, the highest daily tally since early April, and there were 32,961 new infections. Italy is the third country in mainland Europe, after Spain and France, to exceed 1m cases. Italy was the first country in Europe to be hit by the pandemic and has the highest death toll on the continent, at 42,953. Doctors said this week there would be an additional 10,000 deaths in a month unless drastic action was taken.
12th Nov 2020 - The Guardian
Spain’s official coronavirus death toll rises above 40,000
Spain has now exceeded 40,000 official coronavirus victims since the start of the pandemic, according to the latest report from the Health Ministry. Wednesday’s data saw 349 Covid-19-related fatalities added to the overall death toll, taking the total to 40,105. The ministry also reported 19,096 new infections, a slight rise on the figure for the day before. The official number of cases confirmed by testing now exceeds 1.4 million in Spain.
12th Nov 2020 - EL PAÍS in English
Signs of hope in Germany, France but virus strains hospitals
The surge of new coronavirus cases appears to be slowing in Germany and France generating hopes that the two European heavyweights are beginning to regain control over the pandemic But authorities said Thursday that hospitals are crowded and are likely to face further strain in the coming weeks. Countries across Europe have implemented more or less drastic lockdown measures in recent weeks as they try to tamp down a resurgence of the pandemic, with numbers of confirmed cases hitting records. They have largely overwhelmed contact-tracing efforts even in Germany, which was credited with handling the pandemic's first cases well and is still in better shape than most of its neighbors.
12th Nov 2020 - The Independent
Two weeks into new lockdown, France faces further restrictions as cases surge
French Prime Minister, Jean Castex will hold a press conference on Thursday evening, looking at the Covid-19 situation, two weeks after the latest lockdown regulations. With the number of infections continuing to rise, few commentators are optimistic that there'll be any relaxation of restrictions. Paris centrist newspaper Le Monde has asked the prime minister what he'll say at Thursday's press conference.
"We'll see if we're in a position to relax or reinforce the current regulations,on the basis of the latest statistics" Castex said. But, while admitting that there was evidence of a slight slowdown in the number of French infections, he added that "this is certainly not the moment to lower our guard".
12th Nov 2020 - YAHOO!
Coronavirus appeared to be under control in Pakistan. But one young ICU doctor fears the worst is yet to come
Amara Khalid was only a month into her new job as a doctor in one of Pakistan's biggest hospitals when the nation's number of coronavirus cases exploded for the first time. Late one night in June, she decided to record a video on her mobile phone from the back of an ambulance. "I don't even want to imagine what some people are going through right now," she said through thick, muffling personal protective equipment (PPE). In the video, she sounds exhausted. "So many people are dying. So many people are sick. I am just helpless." Dr Khalid is in her first year out of university.
12th Nov 2020 - ABC News
Modi declares victory in India's first coronavirus election as cases soar in country's capital
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has claimed victory in the country's first major state election held during the pandemic. Results from the Election Commission of India show that Modi's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its coalition partners have returned to power after a tight race for control of the legislative assembly in Bihar, the country's third most populous state with more than 100 million people. "Democracy has once again prevailed in Bihar with the blessings of the people," Modi tweeted Tuesday local time, as results rolled in from Bihar's legislative election. "I assure every citizen of Bihar that we will continue to work for the equal development of every region and for every person."
12th Nov 2020 - CNN
As U.S. Breaks Hospitalization Records, N.Y. and Other States Add Restrictions
With coronavirus cases surging in New York and across the country, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said on Wednesday that private indoor and outdoor gatherings statewide would be limited to 10 people and that gyms, bars and restaurants must close daily at 10 p.m. The restrictions will take effect Friday, and Mr. Cuomo said that local governments will be responsible for enforcing them. The limit on gatherings will apply to private homes. The curfew will apply only to bars and restaurants licensed by the state liquor authority, and restaurants can continue to provide takeout and delivery after 10 p.m., but only for food. Mr. Cuomo said that officials were moved to announce the new restrictions as they confronted an increase in cases.
12th Nov 2020 - The New York Times
New Zealand reports first new community coronavirus case with no link to its border regime since August
Aucklanders are being urged not to panic after New Zealand health authorities announced a new case of COVID-19 in the community without a link to the country's border regime. It is the first case that cannot be drawn to the country's managed isolation (MIQ) facilities since August, when a new cluster formed and infected 179 people, killing three. COVID-19 Minister Chris Hipkins said it was too soon to suggest the infected person would trigger an outbreak. "Panic never helps with COVID-19. We're still in the very early stages of this case investigation," he said.
12th Nov 2020 - SBS
One of Biden's coronavirus advisors says the U.S. should go into national lockdown for 4 to 6 weeks
Dr. Michael Osterholm, a member of Biden's COVID-19 task force, suggests the U.S. should go into a national four- to six-week lockdown as it awaits a vaccine to keep deaths low.
12th Nov 2020 - Daily Mail
New Zealand businesses waiting for workers Covid-19 tests
About 100,000 Aucklanders who work in the city's CBD are being advised to work from home tomorrow if they can.
Karyn speaks with the CEO of Business New Zealand, Kirk Hope, about the impact of this waiting game after a year of various lockdown alert levels on Auckland and the country's businesses.
12th Nov 2020 - RNZ
Alberta doctors are calling for a 'circuit breaker' lockdown. Here's what that would mean
As Alberta doctors call for a short, sharp "circuit breaker" lockdown to prevent the province's health-care system from being overwhelmed, one epidemiologist says it may not be enough to curb the spread of COVID-19. "I think a circuit breaker is a compromise between doing nothing and doing what you need to do," Raywat Deonandan, an epidemiologist and associate professor at the University of Ottawa, told The Current's Matt Galloway. "What you need to do, probably, is a ... long-term suppression strategy followed by mitigation, rather than the short-term break in the system, leading to a rise in the cases when you lift these efforts."
12th Nov 2020 - CBC.ca
New Zealand partially shuts central Auckland over mystery Covid case
Health authorities in New Zealand are partially shutting down the central city of Auckland on Friday, asking workers in the city to stay home as they try to trace how a student became infected with Covid-19. “Out of an abundance of caution, we are asking people who work in downtown Auckland to work from home tomorrow where possible,” Covid-19 minister Chris Hipkins said. The number of workers in Auckland central business district instructed to stay home on Friday is 100,000. “If you must go into this area, please use masks and social distancing while health authorities continue work to trace the source of this infection.”
12th Nov 2020 - The Guardian
Turkey bans smoking in public areas amid surge of COVID-19 patients
Turkey on Wednesday banned smoking in crowded public places to slow a recent surge in symptomatic coronavirus patients, the Interior Minister said, as the government warned citizens to abide by protective measures. Daily coronavirus cases in Turkey have recently spiked, with 2,693 patients identified on Wednesday. Ankara only reports the number of those who show symptoms, a decision which critics have said hides the true scale of the outbreak in the country. In a nationwide notice, the Interior Ministry said the smoking ban aimed to ensure citizens comply with rules to wear protective masks properly in public because people were seen to lower them while smoking.
12th Nov 2020 - Reuters
ICU beds full as COVID surges in Indian capital, weekend festival a worry
After his 92-year-old grandmother started coughing and her blood oxygen levels plummeted, Varunn Kaushik took her to two top private hospitals in New Delhi on Monday. Neither took her in, even after one of them found her positive for COVID-19. Kaushik said several other hospitals told him and his family on the phone that they did have free beds, but not in the intensive care units (ICU) his grandmother needed. He finally admitted her to a non-ICU COVID bed in a government hospital, 10 hours after leaving home.
12th Nov 2020 - Reuters
Texas tops 1 million cases as COVID-19 surge engulfs the US
Texas on Wednesday became the first state with more than 1 million confirmed COVID-19 cases, and California closed in on that mark as a surge of coronavirus infections engulfs the country. In New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said all restaurants, bars and gyms statewide will have to close at 10 p.m. starting Friday, a major retreat in a corner of the U.S. that had seemingly brought the virus largely under control months ago. He also barred private gatherings of more than 10 people. Texas, the second-most populous state, has recorded 1.02 million coronavirus cases and over 19,000 deaths since the outbreak began in early March, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. California, the most populous state, has logged more than 995,000 cases.
12th Nov 2020 - AP
Japan sees near-record 1,547 coronavirus cases in possible 3rd wave
Japan reported Wednesday a near-record 1,547 cases of the novel coronavirus, the highest level since early August, amid signs of what some health experts say is a "third wave" of infections as cooler temperatures arrive and people spend more time indoors without enough ventilation. The nationwide tally, compiled by Kyodo News based on official information, inched closer to the single-day record of 1,596 logged on Aug 7 after areas with big urban populations saw a spike in the number of new cases. Tokyo confirmed 317 cases, topping the 300 mark for the first time since Aug. 20, bringing its cumulative total to 33,377, the highest by far among the country's 47 prefectures. Osaka, Hyogo and Saitama prefectures all reported record single-day increases since the outbreak of the virus, while there has also been a rapid rise of cluster infections in northern regions such as Hokkaido, a popular tourist destination.
12th Nov 2020 - Japan Today
Covid patients ‘head to toe’ on trolleys in A&E spark warnings over ‘lethal’ situation
Patients, including those with the coronavirus, are being kept “head to toe” on trolleys in accident and emergency departments in Manchester, with some forced to wait up to 40 hours for a bed. The “dangerous” situation has sparked warnings from the president of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine over the “potentially lethal” crowding of patients in A&Es across the country this winter. Katherine Henderson said she was “absolutely terrified” by what was happening in some departments. She said she had warned NHS England about the dangers of crowding patients in A&E but that not enough action had been taken.
12th Nov 2020 - The Independent
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 12th Nov 2020
View this newsletter in fullCOVID-19 cases still surging in the Americas, the WHO warns
COVID-19 cases are still surging in the Americas, averaging 150,000 a day in last week, the World Health Organization’s regional office said on Wednesday. The United States continues to report record-breaking numbers, while parts of Canada and some states in Mexico, including the capital, are experiencing spikes, the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) said. The United States became the first country to surpass 10 million COVID-19 infections, according to a Reuters tally, as the third wave of the virus surges across the nation. Other countries in the Americas are doing better. Argentina, Costa Rica and Jamaica have curbed the outbreak with effective contact tracing, and most Caribbean nations have avoided spikes by acting fast, PAHO Assistant Director Jarbas Barbosa said.
12th Nov 2020 - Reuters UK
UK confirmed COVID-19 deaths surge past 50,000
The United Kingdom passed 50,000 deaths linked to COVID-19 on Wednesday, with a recent rise in infections leading to a new grim milestone for the European country hit hardest by the pandemic.
11th Nov 2020 - Reuters
Record Covid-19 Hospitalizations Strain System Again
Hospitals across the nation face an even bigger capacity problem from the resurgent spread of Covid-19 than they did during the virus’s earlier surges this year, pandemic preparedness experts said, as the number of U.S. hospitalizations hit a new high Wednesday. The number of hospitalized Covid-19 patients reached 65,368, according to the Covid Tracking Project, passing the record set Tuesday for the highest number of hospitalizations since April. A spring surge in the Northeast pushed hospitalizations near 60,000. Hospitalizations hit a nearly identical peak again in late July, as the pandemic’s grip spread across the South and West. Epidemiologists said the record is likely to be swiftly replaced by another as Covid-19 cases soar nationally. “We already know this is going to go far north,” said Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota.
11th Nov 2020 - The Wall Street Journal
Covid-19: Liverpool mass-trial sees 23,000 tested with 154 positive
More than 23,000 people have been tested for Covid-19 in Liverpool's mass trial with 154 testing positive. City mayor Joe Anderson said 23,170 people have been tested since midday on Friday with 0.7% testing positive. Those testing positive had no symptoms, testers said. All residents and workers in Liverpool have been offered tests. There are 18 test centres - including Liverpool's Anfield stadium - and Mr Anderson said there had been a "great response" from people. Prime Minister Boris Johnson had urged all the city's 500,000 residents to take part, saying "do it for your friends, for your relatives, for your community" in a bid to drive the disease down".
11th Nov 2020 - BBC
Boris Johnson urges York to take up mass testing for Covid-19
The Prime Minister has urged City of York Council to take up the Government's offer of mass coronavirus testing in the city. Boris Johnson was speaking in the Commons after being quizzed by York Outer MP Julian Sturdy about testing and also about whether York can go straight back into Tier 1 once the lockdown ends next month. The exchange during Prime Minister's Questions came after York's director of public health, Sharon Stoltz, said on Tuesday that York would not - as yet - be joining more than 60 other local authorities in taking up a Government offer of mass testing. She said that at this point, further information and consideration was needed. The PM said: “I urge York Council and councils across the land to take up this offer of mass lateral flow testing. I think it’s a very, very exciting possibility….it’s one of the boxing gloves we seek to wield to pummel this disease into submission."
11th Nov 2020 - York Press
Coronavirus hospitalizations in US reach an all-time high with more than 60,000
With the number of coronavirus cases in the United States skyrocketing, many health experts warned the total number of people hospitalized in a given day would rise too. On Tuesday, the number of people with Covid-19 at US hospitals for the first time topped 60,000. The COVID Tracking Project, a volunteer organization that compiles data on coronavirus cases, said the number as of Tuesday was 61,694. That's 2,024 more people than were hospitalized on April 15, the previous record.
The United States currently averages about 1,661 new hospitalizations per day, the organization's data shows.
11th Nov 2020 - CNN
What Joe Biden Has Said About a Nationwide Lockdown If U.S. COVID Cases Continue to Spiral
President-elect Joe Biden has said he will do "everything possible to get COVID-19 under control" in what he describes as "the worst wave yet in this pandemic," following his first coronavirus briefing this week. Biden expressed similar sentiments in August, saying he would do "whatever it takes to save lives," including a national lockdown, if COVID-19 infections surged in January, exacerbated by the flu season.
"I would shut it [the country] down; I would listen to the scientists," Biden told ABC News anchor David Muir.
11th Nov 2020 - Newsweek
Covid: UK first country in Europe to pass 50,000 deaths
The UK has become the first country in Europe to pass 50,000 coronavirus deaths, according to the latest government figures. A total of 50,365 people have died within 28 days of a positive Covid test, up 595 in the past 24 hours. The UK is the fifth country to pass 50,000 deaths, coming after the US, Brazil, India and Mexico.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the figures showed, despite hopes for a vaccine, "we are not out of the woods". He said: "Every death is a tragedy," but added: "I do think we have got now to a different phase in the way that we treat it."
11th Nov 2020 - BBC
COVID-19: Number of UK coronavirus deaths passes 50,000, government figures show
The number of people who have died with coronavirus in the UK has passed 50,000, according to government figures which highlight the devastating impact of the virus on the country. A further 595 deaths were announced on Wednesday - the highest number since 12 May - bringing the country's total to 50,365. It marks a significant moment in the pandemic for the UK, which has been one of the countries hardest hit by COVID-19 with Europe's highest recorded number of deaths.
11th Nov 2020 - Sky News
Germany sees spike in COVID-19 deaths
Chancellor Angela Merkel warned against reading too much into a moderate drop in new coronavirus infections almost two weeks into an emergency lockdown in Germany, which reported the biggest rise in COVID deaths on Wednesday since April. Europe’s biggest economy, in a partial lockdown since Nov. 2 designed to tame a second wave of the coronavirus, recorded 18,487 new infections and 261 deaths in a day, the Robert Koch Institute for infectious diseases said. “As it was the case with the Spanish flu, we now also have to expect that the second wave will be more severe,” Merkel said during a video conference with the government’s council of economic advisers.
11th Nov 2020 - Reuters
Coronavirus deaths in Spain rise to levels not seen since the full lockdown in spring
The number of new coronavirus cases reported on Tuesday by Spain’s Health Ministry was, at 17,395, one of the lowest in recent weeks. Not since October 21 has a better figure been seen. That said, the number of Covid-19 fatalities reported set a new record. The ministry added 411 victims to the overall death toll in yesterday’s report, the highest so far in this second wave of the pandemic – apart from that of Monday (512), but this cannot be used for comparison given that it includes data from the entire weekend. The last time that 400 coronavirus victims were reported in a single day was back in April, when residents of Spain were still in a total lockdown.
11th Nov 2020 - EL PAÍS in English
India’s Covid-19 Cases Have Plummeted. Many Fear a New Wave.
Two months ago, India looked like a coronavirus disaster zone. Reported infections neared 100,000 a day, deaths were shooting up, and India seemed ready to surpass the United States in total recorded cases. Today, India’s situation looks much different. Reported infections, deaths and the share of people testing positive have all fallen significantly. By contrast, infections in Europe and the United States are surging.
11th Nov 2020 - New York Times
Japan's surge in COVID-19 cases reignites debate over tougher virus law
As flu season approaches and new cases of the novel coronavirus remain consistently high or surge again in several cities, fears of a twofold crisis have led many to call for laws to be revised to distribute power concentrated in the central government and appease municipal leaders demanding teeth in the fight against COVID-19. Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga maintains that legal revision is an arduous political process that should be shelved until after the coronavirus is contained. But experts say doing so is an immediate necessity, one that could be achieved within months if not for complacency and bipartisan politics. “It’s better to have a tool and not use it, than to not have it and suffer the consequences,” said Shuya Nomura, a professor at the Chuo University Graduate School of Law. “It’s true that the country has avoided heavy casualties without imposing citywide lockdowns or strict measures, but we don’t know why we got lucky or if those methods will continue to work.”
11th Nov 2020 - The Japan Times
What Joe Biden Has Said About a Nationwide Lockdown If U.S. COVID Cases Continue to Spiral
President-elect Joe Biden has said he will do "everything possible to get COVID-19 under control" in what he describes as "the worst wave yet in this pandemic," following his first coronavirus briefing this week. Biden expressed similar sentiments in August, saying he would do "whatever it takes to save lives," including a national lockdown, if COVID-19 infections surged in January, exacerbated by the flu season.
11th Nov 2020 - Newsweek on MSN.com
Hungary's COVID-19 deaths near record on eve of partial lockdown
Hungarian lawmakers on Tuesday granted Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s government a special 90-day mandate to rule by decree in an effort to curb a spiking coronavirus pandemic, and they approved new restrictions amounting to a partial lockdown. Hungary’s government reported 103 new COVID-19 deaths on Tuesday, making it the third hardest hit country in Europe in terms of deaths per 100,000 people over the past 14 days, behind the Czech Republic and Belgium, European Union data showed. Orban, signalling a shift away from his policy of avoiding tough restrictions in order to protect the economy, announced a limited lockdown from 12:01 a.m. (2301 GMT) on Wednesday to avoid hospitals being overwhelmed.
11th Nov 2020 - Reuters India
Merkel warns of winter long haul as German COVID deaths soar
Chancellor Angela Merkel warned against reading too much into a moderate drop in new coronavirus infections almost two weeks into an emergency lockdown in Germany, which reported the biggest rise in COVID deaths on Wednesday since April. Europe’s biggest economy, in a partial lockdown since Nov. 2 designed to tame a second wave of the coronavirus, recorded 18,487 new infections and 261 deaths in a day, the Robert Koch Institute for infectious diseases said. “As it was the case with the Spanish flu, we now also have to expect that the second wave will be more severe,” Merkel said during a video conference with the government’s council of economic advisers. The government says the emergency month-long lockdown that includes the closure of restaurants, gyms and theatres was necessary to reverse a spike in coronavirus cases that risks overwhelming hospitals.
11th Nov 2020 - Reuters
Bill de Blasio says lockdown restrictions are 'on table' as the NYC infection rate jumps to 2.34%
Mayor Bill de Blasio said during his daily coronavirus press briefing earlier today that the city will ‘have to do something quickly’ to prevent a second wave. He said the city's latest figures are 'very worrisome' and a 'warning sign if I've ever seen one' during his daily coronavirus press briefing on Tuesday. On Monday, NYC’s daily positive test rate for the coronavirus was 2.88 percent – the highest single-day figure since at least early August. De Blasio added that the city’s seven-day rolling average of new cases has now hit 2.34 percent, with NYC recording an average of 795 new cases of per-day
10th Nov 2020 - Daily Mail
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 11th Nov 2020
View this newsletter in fullU.S. COVID-19 hospitalizations surge to record of just over 59,000 patients: Reuters tally
There were just over 59,000 COVID-19 patients in hospitals across the United States on Monday, the country’s highest number ever of in-patients being treated for the disease, with new infections at record levels for the sixth consecutive day. The harsh statistics tallied by Reuters cemented the United States' position as the nation worst affected by the coronavirus pandemic, even as drugmaker Pfizer Inc provided some hope with successful late-stage tests of its vaccine. President-elect Joe Biden hailed Pfizer’s progress, but urged Americans to wear masks as he noted a vaccine may not be widely available for many months. The number of Americans with COVID-19 currently hospitalized has surged around 73% over the past 30 days to at least 59,008 - a record level that surpasses the previous high of 58,370 on July 22. Daily new infections, meanwhile, exceeded 100,000 for the sixth consecutive day.
10th Nov 2020 - Reuters
Expert predicts US could soon hit 200,000 daily coronavirus cases as the country tops 10 million infections
More people are currently hospitalized in the United States with Covid-19 than ever before, according to the Covid Tracking Project. Tuesday, 61,964 people were hospitalized with Covid-19, according to the tracking project. The nation has never before topped 60,000 current hospitalizations. The United States currently averages roughly 1,661 new hospitalizations per day, CTP data shows.
10th Nov 2020 - CNN
Coronavirus: Russia resists lockdown and pins hopes on vaccine
The ticket booths at Krylatskoye ice palace are shuttered, but the rink is full: not of speed skaters and hockey players, but rows of coronavirus patients. It's one of five facilities in Moscow transformed into giant temporary hospitals that are now swinging into action as the number of new Covid cases reaches daily record highs.
The Kremlin describes the rate of infection as "worrying" - close to 21,000 new cases were announced across Russia on Tuesday - and it admits that healthcare facilities in some regions are "overloaded".
10th Nov 2020 - BBC
In Italy’s Second Coronavirus Wave, Milan Staggers as Hospitals Fill Up
Italy’s business capital has become the center of a second wave of the coronavirus, putting at risk the country’s economic recovery and reviving the specter of a health-care crisis Italians thought they had overcome this spring. With infections, hospitalizations and deaths linked to Covid-19 rising exponentially, hospitals in Milan are running out of beds even after having converted wards and suspended nonurgent procedures. Ambulances have been forced to wait for hours to drop off patients at hospitals where Covid-19...
10th Nov 2020 - The Wall Street Journal
Beaches, mountains, COVID data: Spain's lesser-known regions shine amid pandemic
The popularity of once under-the-radar regions like Asturias on Spain's northwestern coast has boomed as Spaniards factor in their handling of the pandemic alongside newfound priorities including sparse population and abundant natural spaces.
10th Nov 2020 - Reuters
As virus spikes, Europe runs low on ICU beds, hospital staff
In Italy lines of ambulances park outside hospitals awaiting beds, and in France the government coronavirus tracking app prominently displays the intensive care capacity taken up by COVID-19 patients: 92.5 per cent and rising. In the ICU in Barcelona, there is no end in sight for the doctors and nurses who endured this once already. Intensive care is the last line of defence for severely ill coronavirus patients and Europe is running out — of beds and the doctors and nurses to staff them.
10th Nov 2020 - 9News
Spain reports first weekend fall in coronavirus cases, but sets new record for fatalities
The number of new weekend coronavirus cases reported in Spain has fallen for the first time in more than a month. According to the Health Ministry’s report, released Monday night, 52,386 new infections were detected since Friday – a figure that covers the weekend, given that no data is released on Saturdays and Sundays. The last time a fall was recorded over this period was October 5. The number of Covid-19 related deaths, however, broke a new record. Since Friday, 512 fatalities have been added to the official toll, the largest weekend figure of Spain’s second wave.
10th Nov 2020 - EL PAÍS in English
Hungary's COVID-19 deaths near record on eve of partial lockdown
Hungarian lawmakers on Tuesday granted Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s government a special 90-day mandate to rule by decree in an effort to curb a spiking coronavirus pandemic, and they approved new restrictions amounting to a partial lockdown. Hungary’s government reported 103 new COVID-19 deaths on Tuesday, making it the third hardest hit country in Europe in terms of deaths per 100,000 people over the past 14 days, behind the Czech Republic and Belgium, European Union data showed. Orban, signalling a shift away from his policy of avoiding tough restrictions in order to protect the economy, announced a limited lockdown from 12:01 a.m. (2301 GMT) on Wednesday to avoid hospitals being overwhelmed.
10th Nov 2020 - Reuters
Sick patients ‘in limbo’ as operations suspended and mental health problems soar - GPs voice fears over the winter ahead
Family doctors have voiced worries about a growing mental health crisis, battles to get patients into hospital and how exactly the Covid-19 vaccine roll-out will work, as entire surgeries find themselves self-isolating
10th Nov 2020 - Manchester Evening News
Covid: NHS staff helped through crisis by 'wobble room'
In small room in the Royal Derby Hospital, there's a table bearing a laminated sign. "You are not alone," it says. It continues: "Kindness will get you through. Embrace the challenge. Look after each other. You are stronger than you think." This is the "wobble room", set aside not for patients but for front-line staff to get them away - briefly - from the intense pressure and strain experienced in the first wave of Covid-19. "We made a wobble room because that's what we needed," Kelly-Ann Gurney, an intensive-care nurse, told the BBC.
10th Nov 2020 - BBC
Nepal to offer free COVID-19 tests and treatment as cases surge
Nepal will provide free COVID-19 tests and treatment for everyone, an aide to the prime minister said on Tuesday, as the total number of infections was set to cross the 200,000 mark. The move follows a Supreme Court order for free treatment last week after the Communist government asked citizens who could afford to pay to do so, limiting free testing and care to only those who couldn’t.
10th Nov 2020 - AlJazeera
Why is Spain taking longer to respond to the coronavirus pandemic than its European neighbors?
El Pais speaks to experts about why Spanish authorities continue to drag their feet when it comes to introducing measures that have already been applied in several nations with much lower incidence rates
9th Nov 2020 - EL PAÍS in English
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 10th Nov 2020
View this newsletter in fullCovid-19: Global coronavirus cases pass 50 million
The total of confirmed coronavirus cases has surged past 50 million following record numbers of new cases in several countries. More than 1.25 million people have now died after contracting the virus, according to Johns Hopkins university.
But the numbers are thought to be higher because of insufficient testing in many countries. A second wave of the virus has accounted for a quarter of all cases, Reuters reported. Europe, with more than 12.5 million cases and 305,700 deaths, is again a hotspot after being the first epicentre of the pandemic earlier this year.
In the US just under 10 million have tested positive. It has seen more than 125,000 cases per day three days in a row.
9th Nov 2020 - BBC
From lockdowns to Dr. Fauci: Here's how President-elect Joe Biden plans to fight the coronavirus pandemic
The U.S. can expect increased Covid-19 testing, a national mask mandate and the possibility of nationwide lockdowns once President-elect Joe Biden takes office Jan. 20. Biden has also said he plans to repair the U.S. relationship with the World Health Organization. The transition team wasted no time, naming its own Covid-19 advisory board on Monday.
9th Nov 2020 - CNBC
Italy’s coronavirus situation is ‘out of control’ and a new national lockdown is needed, country’s health chiefs warn
Health expert Massimo Galli has backed calls for a second national lockdown
Italy recorded 32,616 new cases of coronavirus on Sunday and 331 more deaths
Health service is under strain with some patients being treated in corridors
Government is desperate to avoid an economically-crippling full lockdown
9th Nov 2020 - Daily Mail
France and Italy report record cases as virus ravages Europe.
As winter approaches, Europe is struggling with a brutal resurgence of the virus, one that, along with the U.S. surge, has helped push the global case count over 50 million, according to a New York Times database. France and Italy have reported record daily case totals in recent days as both countries have moved to lock down some regions. In Italy, where the devastation of the first wave in the spring looms large, 39,809 new coronavirus cases were reported on Saturday, a new daily record. Its daily average has increased by 119 percent over the past two weeks.
Deaths in Italy have increased by a staggering 232 percent over the past two weeks, with 425 deaths reported on Saturday.
9th Nov 2020 - The New York Times
Boris Johnson needs an Australian-style Covid plan
In a typical year, Australia makes as many ripples in British public life as you would expect from a rich, war-free country of 25m people at the other end of the world, which is to say not many. As a transplanted antipodean in London, this year has not felt typical. It began with news from Prime Minister Boris Johnson that it did not matter if Britain failed to get the EU trade deal it wanted by the end of the year because it could always have what he called an arrangement “like Australia’s”. This idea of an Australian-style trade deal took off like a dingo strapped to a Saturn V rocket. There were only four days in the entire month of October when the term did not appear somewhere in the British media, news databases show. That is even more astonishing considering Australia does not actually have a comprehensive free trade agreement with the EU. And it was just the start of it.
9th Nov 2020 - Financial Times
Boris Johnson needs an Australian-style Covid plan
In a typical year, Australia makes as many ripples in British public life as you would expect from a rich, war-free country of 25m people at the other end of the world, which is to say not many. As a transplanted antipodean in London, this year has not felt typical. It began with news from Prime Minister Boris Johnson that it did not matter if Britain failed to get the EU trade deal it wanted by the end of the year because it could always have what he called an arrangement “like Australia’s”. This idea of an Australian-style trade deal took off like a dingo strapped to a Saturn V rocket. There were only four days in the entire month of October when the term did not appear somewhere in the British media, news databases show. That is even more astonishing considering Australia does not actually have a comprehensive free trade agreement with the EU. And it was just the start of it.
9th Nov 2020 - Financial Times
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 9th Nov 2020
View this newsletter in fullCOVID-19 Nursing Home Cases Up 400% in Surge States
The number of coronavirus infections among nursing home residents in 20 of the hardest-hit states has increased by 400 percent since May, reports the Associated Press. The new data comes from a study by the University of Chicago which determined that cases rose from 1,083 to 4,274 between the week ending May 31 and the week ending October 31. Nursing home resident deaths more than doubled to 699 during the same period and infections among staff more than quadrupled to more than 4,000 in the same five-month period. The rise comes even though the Trump administration has allocated $5 billion to help beef up testing in the country’s nursing homes, including more than 14,000 fast test machines. The 20 states analyzed in the study are those with the highest COVID-19 hospitalizations: Alaska, Arkansas, Iowa, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Utah, Wisconsin, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
9th Nov 2020 - Daily Beast
Iran's daily COVID-19 deaths hit record of 459 - TV
Iran’s daily tally of coronavirus deaths hit a record high of 459 on Sunday, the health ministry announced, increasing the official toll to 38,291 in the Middle East’s worst-hit country. Ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari told state TV that the total number of confirmed coronavirus cases increased by 9,236 to 682,486. Iran has been hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic in the Middle East
8th Nov 2020 - Reuters
Britain reports 20,572 new cases of COVID-19, 156 deaths
Britain reported 20,572 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday and 156 deaths from the virus, both lower than figures from a day before, government data showed.
8th Nov 2020 - Reuters
Covid-19: Nursing shortage warning as winter looms
Widespread nursing shortages across the NHS could lead to staff burnout and risk patient safety this winter, the Royal College of Nursing has warned. The nursing union said a combination of staff absence due to the pandemic, and around 40,000 registered nursing vacancies in England was putting too much strain on the remaining workforce. The government says more than 13,000 nurses have been recruited this year. It has committed to 50,000 more nurses by 2025. It also hopes England's four-week lockdown will ease pressure on the NHS. The RCN has expressed concern that staff shortages are affecting every area of nursing, from critical care and cancer services to community nursing, which provides care to people in their own homes.
8th Nov 2020 - BBC
While the US is focused on the election, the Covid-19 pandemic keeps growing
This week, as voters cast ballots and waited to see who would clinch the White House, the Covid-19 pandemic largely fell out of view. But even as CNN projected former Vice President Joe Biden would become the 46th President of the United States, the coronavirus continued to spread, in some places at a higher rate than ever before. The US broke one record after another. Patients flooded hospitals, and thousands died. And officials across the country implemented more restrictions to get the virus under control. Here's what happened this week in the country's fight against Covid-19.
8th Nov 2020 - CNN
Coronavirus Northern Ireland: Further seven deaths and 420 new cases of Covid-19
A further seven Covid-19 related deaths have taken place in Northern Ireland, the Department of Health has confirmed. All of the deaths occurred within the past 24 hours and it brings the death toll from the virus in the region to 781. Two of the deaths occurred in the Belfast council area, two in Derry City and Strabane, one in Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon, one in Mid Ulster and one in Newry, Mourne and Down. Another 420 cases of Covid-19 have been diagnosed after 5,762 tests were carried out on 2,386 people on Saturday. Since the start of the pandemic a total of 42,917 in Northern Ireland have tested positive for the virus.
8th Nov 2020 - Belfast Telegraph
Hospital trust declares major incident as Covid-19 surge sees oxygen demand jump
A hospital trust has declared a major incident as demand for oxygen surges among coronavirus patients. Grimsby and Scunthorpe hospital Trust has seen a surge in coronavirus patients admitted as one of the worst affected areas in the country. As of this morning, there were 106 Covid-positive patients being treated in the Trust's three hospitals - 56 at Grimsby's Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital, 47 at Scunthorpe General Hospital and three at Goole. There are six people in ICU in each of the Grimsby and Scunthorpe hospitals, reports the Grimsby Telegraph.
Additional nursing staff have been called in to work extra shifts as the virus continues to take its toll on staff. Across the Trust last week, 140 staff members were unavailable to work. This includes 71 from Grimsby's hospital, 48 at Scunthorpe, 6 in Goole, and 15 'across the trust'.
8th Nov 2020 - Mirror Online
Coronavirus: How thousands died of Covid-19 they caught in hospitals
During the first wave of the pandemic, patients who went into hospital to be treated for conditions unrelated to Covid were infected and died. Hospital-acquired infections accounted for one in ten Covid deaths. Though the figures relate to all deaths from Covid from March 1 to August 31, experts are calling for action to protect the public as the problem is 'ongoing'
8th Nov 2020 - Daily Mail
Doctors fear more death as Dakotas experience virus 'sorrow'
With coronavirus cases running rampant in the Dakotas and elected leaders refusing to forcefully intervene, the burden of pushing people to take the virus seriously has increasingly been put on the families of those who have died. The ranks of those who know what it means to lose someone they love to COVID-19 are on the rise. North Dakota and South Dakota have the nation’s worst rate of deaths per capita over the last 30 days. Despite advances in treating COVID-19 patients, hundreds more people have died in recent weeks than during any other period — a grim exclamation point on the virus outbreak slamming the northern Plains and Upper Midwest.
8th Nov 2020 - The Associated Press
COVID-19 surge creates new headache for beleaguered PM Muhyiddin
As Malaysia celebrated its national day at the end of August, it appeared to have brought COVID-19 to heel. But two months later, the Southeast Asian nation of 30 million people finds itself confronted with a brutal resurgence of the virus centred mostly on Sabah on the Malaysian part of Borneo
8th Nov 2020 - AlJazeera
UK reports 24,957 new COVID cases, 413 more deaths
Britain reported 24,957 new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday and 413 deaths from the virus, both up on figures from the day before, government data showed.
8th Nov 2020 - Reuters
U.S. reports 130,000 new coronavirus cases, fourth straight daily record
The United States on Saturday reported a record increase in coronavirus cases for a fourth consecutive day with at least 131,420 new infections, bringing the country’s total caseload to about 9.91 million, according to a Reuters tally. Seventeen states reported a record one-day increase on Saturday while 14 states reported record daily numbers of hospitalized patients. The number of deaths nationwide was more than 1,000 for a fifth consecutive day on Saturday, according to a Reuters tally.
8th Nov 2020 - Reuters UK
Three areas recording the biggest coronavirus spikes as England enters lockdown
Three areas in northern England are recording the highest spikes in coronavirus rates. Hull, in east Yorkshire is now recording the biggest week-on-week jump, with infection rates are up from 318.7 to 543.
7th Nov 2020 - Daily Mirror
Can I still go fishing during coronavirus lockdown?
Anglers will be able to continue with their sport during lockdown, which started across England on Thursday. The national governing body representing all game, coarse and sea anglers in England, Angling Trust, is urging people to: "Fish safely, locally and respect the ‘rule of two’ during lockdown." Those who enjoy spending time on the banks of waters are being trusted by Government to respect the restrictions tied-in with fishing's continuance, as they were as the first to enjoy recreational activity again after spring's lockdown when many newcomers were attracted to the sport.
7th Nov 2020 - Lancashire Telegraph
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 6th Nov 2020
View this newsletter in fullThe US just reported 102,831 new Covid-19 infections in 1 day. That's an all-time high
The United States broke another daily coronavirus record on Thursday -- in a week marked by record daily cases -- when it surpassed 114,000 new infections. Health experts had warned weeks ago that the nation's daily cases would eventually reach six digits, but that alarming reality hit sooner than expected. Still, the situation is expected to get worse, with health experts now predicting that Covid-19's death toll could reach 266,000 by the end of November. Thursday saw at least 114,876 new cases nationwide, according to Johns Hopkins University. There were also at least 1,159 reported deaths, a near 20% increase from the same day last week.
5th Nov 2020 - CNN
Fresh curbs for England and Italy as US sets new case record
England's 56 million people joined much of western Europe in a second coronavirus lockdown Thursday, as the United States set a fresh daily record with close to 100,000 new infections. European governments are struggling to contain a fresh wave of the pandemic, which has now infected more than 11 million across the continent. The new stay-at-home orders from London came as Denmark said it would cull its entire population of more than 15 million minks after a mutation of the virus was found to have spread to people from the otter-like mammals.
5th Nov 2020 - Medical Xpress
German COVID cases at record high
Data released on Thursday, November 5, from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases, showed cases had increased by 19,990 to 596,583. Statistics Office data showed that ahead of the new partial lockdown, which took effect from November 2, toilet paper sales in the week beginning October 19 were 139% above the average for the pre-crisis months of August 2019 to January 2020. Disinfectant purchases also rose by 104% over pre-crisis levels in the last week of October.
5th Nov 2020 - Euro Weekly News
Spanish government to wait ‘two or three weeks’ before taking tougher coronavirus measures
The Spanish Health Ministry remains hopeful that the restrictions introduced by regional governments under the state of alarm will be able to curb the spread of the coronavirus. This would avoid the need for a home lockdown like the one seen during the first wave of the pandemic, when millions of Spaniards were confined to their homes. The government wants to avoid this at all costs in order to prevent further damage to the Spanish economy, which lost around one million jobs in March and April due to the strict lockdown. Health Minister Salvador Illa said on Wednesday that “two or three weeks” are needed to see if the current measures have been able to reduce transmission rates.
5th Nov 2020 - EL PAÍS in English
U.S. Records 100,000 Cases in a Day for the First Time
The United States on Wednesday recorded over 100,000 new coronavirus cases in a single day for the first time since the pandemic began, bursting past a grim threshold even as the wave of infections engulfing the country shows no sign of receding. The total count of new infections on Wednesday was more than 107,800, according to a New York Times database. Twenty-three states have recorded more cases in the past week than in any other seven-day stretch. Five states — Maine, Minnesota, Indiana, Nebraska and Colorado — set single-day case records. Cases were also mounting in the Mountain West and even in the Northeast, which over the summer seemed to be getting the virus under control.
5th Nov 2020 - The New York Times
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 5th Nov 2020
View this newsletter in fullUK daily COVID-19 death toll rises by 492, most since mid-May
Britain recorded 492 new COVID-19 deaths on Wednesday, the biggest toll since May 13 and up from 397 on Tuesday, government data showed. The cumulative toll for those who died within 28 days of a first positive COVID-19 test now stands at 47,742. The daily figures also showed 25,177 new cases of COVID-19.
4th Nov 2020 - Reuters
Greek government prepares more curbs to contain COVID-19 spread
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is expected to announce new restrictions to curb a resurgence in COVID-19 cases, government officials said on Wednesday.
Greece has reported fewer cases than most European countries but the number of infections has been gradually increasing since early October, prompting it to reimpose restrictions.
4th Nov 2020 - Reuters
The US reported its second-highest number of new Covid-19 cases on Election Day, with more than 91,000 infections
The US recorded 91,530 new Covid-19 infections on the day many Americans cast their ballots, adding to a series of staggering case numbers reported within just the past week. The country's five highest days of coronavirus cases have all been recorded since October 29, affirming experts' warnings another surge is well underway and will only get worse. The nationwide seven-day average of new daily cases now stands at about 86,363 -- more than double what it was on September 4, data from Johns Hopkins University show.
4th Nov 2020 - CNN
Covid-19 drive to clear hospital beds left some of those discharged with unmet needs and no support
The drive to rapidly clear hospital beds at the start of the pandemic left some of those discharged unsupported with unmet care needs, research has found. More than four in five of those discharged between March and August 2020 (82%) did not receive a follow-up visit and assessment at home, with 18% of this group reporting an unmet care need, found a survey of 352 patients and 177 carers of people discharged during this time. Almost half (45%) of disabled respondents to the survey by Healthwatch and the British Red Cross reported unmet needs following their discharge, as did 20% of those with long-term conditions. Issues reported by those with unmet needs included problems accessing aids and equipment, a lack of consideration of their home situation and being unsure how to manage their conditions.
4th Nov 2020 - Communitycare.co.uk
NI can access furlough scheme if lockdown needed, says PM
Northern Ireland can access the Government’s furlough scheme if it has to introduce lockdown measures at a different time from England, Boris Johnson said.
The Prime Minister told MPs the NHS faced an “existential threat” from Covid-19.
The South Eastern Health Trust, which includes the Ulster Hospital, said it had the highest number of Covid positive patients to date and was operating at 111% capacity.
4th Nov 2020 - Belfast Telegraph
UK coronavirus death toll soars by 406 with hours to go before lockdown
The UK coronavirus death toll has soared on Wednesday - with NHS England reporting 302 COVID-19 hospital deaths that occurred over 15 dates. 174 were reported last Wednesday. A record 44 new Covid-19 related deaths will be recorded later today by Public Health Wales according to Welsh Government minister Eluned Morgan.
4th Nov 2020 - Birmingham Mail on MSN.com
Covid-19: NHS in England moves to highest alert level
The NHS in England has been placed on its highest alert level, bosses have announced. The move by NHS England means staff can be moved around the country, while patients may be sent to other regions for treatment if Covid threatens to overwhelm local services. Health bosses said they were seriously concerned, adding the NHS was facing a "very difficult winter". But they said they hoped lockdown would help avoid major disruption. Evidence presented at a press briefing in London suggested hospitals could take a maximum of 20,000 Covid patients before other services, such as routine surgery, would be disrupted. Hospitals are currently treating just over 10,000 patients - and are expected to get close to the 20,000-mark in the coming weeks, given the infection levels seen recently.
4th Nov 2020 - BBC
Nearly one-third of all intensive care beds in Spain occupied by coronavirus patients
A third of Spain’s intensive care unit (ICU) beds are now occupied by coronavirus patients, according to the latest report on the pandemic supplied on Tuesday by the Health Ministry. In total, 2,754 people are receiving intensive care treatment for Covid-19, 104 more than on Monday, and with 531 more admissions than discharges. Since the pandemic took hold in March, a total of 15,898 patients have needed ICU treatment for the coronavirus.
4th Nov 2020 - EL PAÍS in English
Spain under pressure to impose virus lockdown
With coronavirus infections rising, Spain's central government was under pressure Wednesday to follow the example of other European nations and impose a new national shutdown. The country has the second-highest caseload in the European Union after France. It has recorded more than 1.2 million cases so far and 36,495 deaths, including 18,669 new infections and 238 new deaths reported by the health ministry on Tuesday. More worryingly, pressure on hospitals is increasing with nearly a third of all hospital intensive care unit beds, 29 percent, occupied by Covid-19 patients.
4th Nov 2020 - FRANCE 24
COVID-19 reached community spread, impossible to wipe-off with just lockdown says Delhi Health Minister
Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Saturday said it is "impossible to wipe off" COVID-19 transmission through a lockdown as the virus has "spread through the community" and people should treat wearing a face mask as a vaccine till the real medication is made available. His remarks come amid a massive spike in fresh cases with a record 5,891 incidences reported on Friday, the third consecutive day when over 5,000 cases have been registered in a day. Interacting with reporters, the minister said that the lockdown was imposed in the beginning as "it was a new virus then" and its behaviour was totally unpredictable. "There have been a lot of learnings from the lockdown, and a lot was also said that after the 21-day lockdown the virus spread will stop or with temperature going to 40 degrees Celsius, it will stop.
4th Nov 2020 - Firstpost
After shunning lockdowns, Sweden now says its coronavirus situation is 'very serious'
Sweden says a maximum of eight people will now be allowed to dine together at restaurants or cafes, as the country faces a sharp rise in coronavirus cases and deaths. "We see that the situation is heading in the wrong direction - the situation is very serious," Prime Minister Stefan Lofven told a press conference on Tuesday.
He added that more patients were being treated in intensive care units for severe cases of COVID-19, and it was likely that fatalities would rise. One in five patients receiving intensive care was a COVID-19 patient, added Lena Hallengren, Sweden's minister of health and social affairs.
4th Nov 2020 - SBS News
The UK can learn from Victoria how to bring its Covid second wave under control
The decision to go into coronavirus lockdown is not one that any government takes lightly as there are considerable economic and human costs. However, when virus transmission has spiralled out of control, most experts agree that there is little choice but to go down this path. As the UK likely begins its month-long lockdown on Thursday, and after the rapid soaring in cases that has occurred over the previous month, it’s perhaps appropriate to look to Australia, and particularly the state of Victoria, for guidance on how best to bring its second wave under control.
4th Nov 2020 - The Guardian
Jordan suffers Covid surge after early success against virus
Rates of new Covid-19 cases in Jordan have risen to among the highest in the world a few months after the kingdom appeared to have eliminated community transmission of the virus and relaxed most public health restrictions. As recently as three months ago, Jordan was counted alongside New Zealand, Thailand and Vietnam as a coronavirus success story, after going weeks without detecting infections in the community and registering just over 1,100 cases and 11 deaths as of late July. On Monday this week the country of 10 million people announced it had detected a daily record 5,877 cases – one of the highest per capita rates in the world – with more than 80,000 detected overall. Nearly 970 people have died.
4th Nov 2020 - The Guardian
France's COVID-19 deaths rise by almost 1,000
France’s daily COVID-19 death toll spiked by 854 on Tuesday, an increase unseen since April 15, while the number of people hospitalised for the disease went up by more than a 1,000 for the fifth time in nine days. And if the number of new infections, at 36,330, was sharply down versus Monday’s all-time high of 52,518, the seven-day moving average of additional cases, which evens out reporting irregularities, reached a record for a second day in a row, at 43,438. France reinstated a one-month national lockdown on Friday to try and contain the resurgence of the pandemic but it generally takes two weeks for restrictive measures to have some effect.
4th Nov 2020 - Reuters
Netherlands poised to tighten curbs to slow second COVID-19 wave
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte on Tuesday ordered extra lockdown measures to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus in the Netherlands, and said the government is also considering curfews and school closures. The new measures, which include a ban on public meetings of more than two people not in the same family, were imposed amidsigns the epidemic had reached a second peak. Rutte said the government was strongly recommending that people not travel abroad for holidays until mid-January. “The number of new cases is falling, but not quickly enough,” Rutte said in a televised press conference. The new measures go into effect on Wednesday for two weeks.
4th Nov 2020 - Reuters
Nearly 600 NHS staff are off work amid Covid outbreak at hospitals in Stoke and Stafford as six workers at trust test positive for coronavirus after sharing car without wearing masks
Nearly 600 NHS staff at hospitals in Stoke and Stafford are self-isolating. Trust reported nearly 1,000 staff are off sick amid the coronavirus pandemic. Six workers fell ill with Covid-19 after not wearing face masks in car share
4th Nov 2020 - Daily Mail
France registers over 40,000 new COVID-19 cases, warns of under-reporting
France registered 40,558 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, compared with 36,330 on Tuesday and a record of 52,518 on Monday, health ministry data showed. The total number of cases increased to 1,543,321 but the ministry added that the number of new cases reported on Wednesday was a minimum number that could increase due to problems with data gathering. The ministry also reported that the number of people who have died from the virus increased by 385 to 38,674, compared with 854 on Tuesday but those numbers included a multi-day batch of 428 deaths in retirement homes. The ministry said there were 394 new deaths in hospitals over the past 24 hours.
4th Nov 2020 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 4th Nov 2020
View this newsletter in fullU.S. coronavirus hospitalizations hit three-month high over 50,000: Reuters tally
The number of coronavirus patients in U.S. hospitals breached 50,000 on Tuesday, the highest level in nearly three months, as a surge in infections threatens to push the nation’s health care system to the edge of capacity.
4th Nov 2020 - Reuters UK
Covid-19 deaths in Wales at highest level since June
There have been 65 deaths involving Covid-19 in Wales registered for the latest week, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). This is a further rise on the 47 deaths reported the previous week and is the highest since June. The 25 in the Cwm Taf Morgannwg health board area included 23 in hospital for the week ending 23 October. There were 12 in the Aneurin Bevan health board and 11 each in the Betsi Cadwaladr and Cardiff and Vale areas. There were five deaths in Swansea Bay and one hospital death involving a Powys resident, although none in the Hywel Dda health board area.
3rd Nov 2020 - BBC
Argentina's Fernandez says 'horizon' in sight as COVID-19 cases appear to slow
Argentina’s President Alberto Fernandez said on Tuesday the “horizon” was starting to come into sight as the country battles against the coronavirus pandemic, with some signs the peak in cases may be over after rising since the outbreak began. The South American country imposed a strict lockdown in March, which initially slowed the spread of COVID-19 infections, but as restrictions were eased cases climbed rapidly above 1 million with one of highest testing positive rates in the world. However, a rolling seven-day average of new cases has dipped significantly since hitting a high on Oct. 21, raising hopes the peak may finally be over for the country, which has 1.18 million confirmed cases and 31,623 deaths.
3rd Nov 2020 - Reuters
France reports more than 850 daily COVID-19 deaths
French health authorities on Tuesday reported 36,330 new COVID-19 infections over the past 24 hours, well below the 52,518 record set on Monday, but the 854 daily death toll linked to the disease was the highest since April 15. That tally was double Monday’s 416 figure and the total number of fatalities now stands at 38,289
The cumulative number of cases now totals 1,502,763, the fifth-highest in the world.
3rd Nov 2020 - Reuters
U.S. to Use Covid Testing, Isolation Over Lockdowns: Johns Hopkins
Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security Senior Scholar Dr. Amesh Adalja discusses how the 2020 election could impact the U.S. approach to the coronavirus and the importance of having the Centers for Disease lead the public health response to Covid-19. He speaks on "Bloomberg Surveillance." The Bloomberg School of Public Health is supported by Michael R. Bloomberg, founder and majority owner of Bloomberg LP, the parent company of Bloomberg News
3rd Nov 2020 - Bloomberg
New Russian infections soar; UK, Germany widen testing
Coronavirus cases hit new daily highs this week in Russia, and Germany and the U.K. announced plans Tuesday to expand virus testing as European countries battled rapidly increasing COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations. Nations reintroduced restrictions to get ahead of a virus that has caused more than 1.2 million deaths around the globe, over 270,000 of them in Europe, according to Johns Hopkins University, and is straining health care systems. New measures took effect Tuesday in Austria, Greece and Sweden, following a partial shutdown imposed in Germany Monday and tighter rules in Italy, France, Kosovo and Croatia. England faces a near-total lockdown from Thursday, although schools and universities will stay open.
3rd Nov 2020 - Associated Press
Germany in decisive phase of pandemic, health minister says
Germany is in a decisive phase of the coronavirus pandemic, Health Minister Jens Spahn said on Tuesday, urging a national effort to slow the spread of the virus a day after month-long lockdown measures took effect. “This pandemic is really a mammoth task for the government and for every individual in society,” Spahn, who has just recovered from his own coronavirus infection, told a news conference. “For eight months we have been working together to stem the virus. According to everything we know, we have not yet reached the peak of this task. We are in a decisive phase. The situation is serious. It is a national effort.”
3rd Nov 2020 - Reuters
Italy prepares new coronavirus curbs as deaths surge
Italy on Tuesday reported 353 COVID-related deaths, the highest daily figure since May 6 and up from 233 on Monday, the health ministry said, as Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte prepares new curbs to tame the surge in infections and deaths.
Some 28,244 new coronavirus infections were recorded over the past 24 hours, up from 22,253 on Monday. A total of 39,412 people have now died in Italy because of the disease, while 759,829 cases have been registered to date. Tougher measures will include a nationwide nightly curfew from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. and the closure of museums and exhibitions, a draft decree seen by Reuters shows.
3rd Nov 2020 - YAHOO!
Italian doctors urge tougher restrictions fearing 'tsunami' on hospitals
Italian doctors have urged the government to impose more aggressive measures to contain escalating infections over fears of a coronavirus “tsunami” on hospitals.
Giuseppe Conte’s government is working towards a “light lockdown” to avoid paralysing the country, Sandra Zampa, a health ministry undersecretary said before a meeting with regional presidents to thrash out an agreement that could see shutdowns only in badly affected and at-risk regions.
3rd Nov 2020 - The Guardian
Spain sets new weekend record for coronavirus cases, fatalities in the second wave
The best thing that can be said about the spread of the coronavirus in Spain is that it is growing at a constant speed. Last Monday, the rise in the number of new cases – a figure that covers the weekend, given that no data is released on Saturdays and Sundays – was 12.7%. Yesterday, it came it at 12.9%. The number of new cases reported on Monday by the Health Ministry was 55,019, and 379 victims were added to the death toll – both new records for this second wave of the virus. The total number of official infections in Spain now stands at 1,240,697, and the death toll is 36,257. Excess deaths for the year, however, could be as high as 60,000, given that many people with the coronavirus passed away during the first wave without being tested.
3rd Nov 2020 - EL PAÍS in English
Contact Tracers Eye Cluster-Busting to Tackle Covid’s New Surge
As a resurgent coronavirus sweeps across Europe and the U.S., some health experts are calling for a “cluster-busting” approach to contact tracing like the one Japan and other countries in Asia have used with success. Rather than simply tracking down the contacts of an infected person and isolating them, proponents advocate finding out where the individual caught Covid-19 in the first place. That extra step, known as backward tracing, exploits a weak spot of the virus — the tendency for infections to occur in clusters, often at super-spreading events. KJ Seung, a doctor who helps oversee contact-tracing for Massachusetts, said he adapted his approach this summer after watching a seminar with Japanese scientists. Since his team started backward tracing, they’ve uncovered clusters at weddings, funerals, bars and other places where people congregated, generating fresh insights into the spread of the disease.
3rd Nov 2020 - Bloomberg Quint
France sees record number of new COVID-19 cases, hospitalisations spike
France’s reported a record 52,518 new COVID-19 on Monday and the number of people hospitalised with the disease rose by more than a 1,000 for the fourth time in eight days, as the pandemic showing no signs of abating despite a new lockdown. The timing of the latest daily record could be seen as particularly worrisome as Mondays have, until now, seen a dip in new cases reported due to fewer tests being carried out on a Sunday. The cumulative number of cases now totals 1,466,433 in France, the fifth-highest total in the world behind the United States, India, Brasil and Russia.
3rd Nov 2020 - Reuters
Coronavirus surges across midwest as Trump attacks health professionals
America set a world record for new daily cases over the weekend as Covid-19 cases spread across the midwest and hospitalizations increased. The increases come just as Americans anxiously ready themselves for an election season climax, in which the incumbent Donald Trump has attacked healthcare providers and adopted Covid-19 misinformation in his final arguments for re-election.
3rd Nov 2020 - The Guardian
Swedish PM warns pandemic respite over as deaths start rising
COVID-19 cases are increasing fast in Sweden, Prime Minister Stefan Lofven said on Tuesday as he announced stricter recommendations for another three regions amid signs the resurgence was beginning to lift deaths from the disease.
3rd Nov 2020 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 3rd Nov 2020
View this newsletter in fullFrance reports record new daily COVID-19 cases at more 52,000
France’s reported a record 52,518 new COVID-19 on Monday and the number of people hospitalised with the disease rose by more than a 1,000 for the fourth time in eight days, as the pandemic showing no signs of abating despite a new lockdown. The timing of the latest daily record could be seen as particularly worrisome as Mondays have, until now, seen a dip in new cases reported due to fewer tests being carried out on a Sunday. The cumulative number of cases now totals 1,466,433 in France, the fifth-highest total in the world behind the United States, India, Brasil and Russia.
2nd Nov 2020 - Reuters
COVID-19 US: Nearly 50,000 hospitalized, with 81,431 new cases today
Coronavirus hospitalizations have risen in 47 states over the last month and a total of 47,502 Americans are currently hospitalized with the virus. The Wisconsin Hospital Associations reported that an average of nearly 1,300 people are hospitalized with COVID-19 and about 25% are in the ICU. New Mexico hospitalizations reached an all-time high of 365 with more young people being admitted compared to the early days of the pandemic. In Michigan, there are more than 1,700 people hospitalized due to COVID-19 - the highest level seen since early May. North Dakota currently has the nation's highest number of new cases per 100,000 people over the past two weeks at 137.7 per 100,000
More than 81,000 infections on Sunday, with the country's total case count of 9.2 million rising by more than one million in the last two weeks
2nd Nov 2020 - Daily Mail
Coronavirus lockdowns could return to US, doctor says
Dr. Ashish Jha, dean of the Brown University School of Health, tells TODAY that if the U.S. “continues to ignore” its current surge in coronavirus cases, it may be heading the way of Europe, which is now imposing drastic new lockdowns. But he says that could be avoided if people wear masks, avoid gatherings and observe social distancing. He also says he thinks “in-person voting is very safe” if people follow basic precautions and plan their vote ahead.
2nd Nov 2020 - TODAY
Ravaged by first wave, Italy ill-prepared as second COVID assault hits
One month ago, the World Health Organization posted a video praising Italians’ “strong and effective response” to the coronavirus pandemic. At the time, Italy had one of the lowest infection rates in the Western world and appeared to have learnt the lessons of the first wave, which killed more people than anywhere else in Europe except Britain. Now it appears that Italy, ahead of the rest of Europe when COVID-19 arrived, was simply behind the curve when it roared back as summer ended. New cases are rising at record rates, hitting 31,758 on Oct. 31 against around 2,500 at the start of the month, while deaths are up tenfold to more than 200 a day.
2nd Nov 2020 - Reuters
Italy faces new coronavirus curbs, but no national lockdown - PM
The Italian government is going to tighten restrictions to limit the spread of the coronavirus, but is holding back from re-introducing a blanket, nationwide lockdown, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said on Monday. Addressing parliament, Conte said more stringent measures, including curbing travel been the worst-hit regions and introducing a nighttime curfew, were now needed given the recent resurgence of the virus. He said the country would be divided into three areas depending on the risk level. He warned that intensive care units would be overwhelmed in 15 of Italy’s 20 regions by next month unless action was taken, and said certain places faced tougher restrictions than others.
2nd Nov 2020 - Reuters UK
Frustrations and infections rise in Naples as second Covid lockdown looms
The four women huddling around their neighbour in an alleyway off Via dei Tribunali, in central Naples, took turns to call an ambulance. “It’s an absolute disaster!” yelled one of them, called Antonietta. “Nobody is responding, we’ve been trying for hours.” The woman sitting on a chair in the middle of them, with her head bent forward, had a heart problem. Not even taxi drivers were answering the phone. One woman suggested calling the police. “Now do you understand why we’re so angry?” said Antonietta. “Things are so desperate here – Covid is not the only thing that is killing us.” Emotions are running high as coronavirus rapidly spreads through the southern Italian city and the prospect of another lockdown looms. Giuseppe Conte’s government is working towards new restrictions, expected to be decided on Monday, that could result in shutdowns in areas where the virus is escalating.
2nd Nov 2020 - The Guardian
Spain’s Andalucia considering a return to lockdown amid surge of COVID-19 cases
Andalucia is considering a return to home confinement if hospital pressure does not drop. Junta president, Juanma Moreno has said he doesn’t rule out lockdown as a last option if the current measures fail
2nd Nov 2020 - Olive Press
Covid in Scotland: First minister faces 'dilemma' over lockdown decision
Scotland's first minister says she faces a "dilemma" over whether a national lockdown should be introduced in the coming days. Nicola Sturgeon said she was seeking "absolute clarity" from the Treasury as to whether financial support was only available while England is locked down. A new five-level system of measures came into force in Scotland on Monday. Ms Sturgeon said a decision on whether to go further within days may depend on how long furlough funding is available.
2nd Nov 2020 - BBC
Why is Europe yet again at the centre of the coronavirus pandemic?
Last week Europe registered 1.5m new cases of Covid-19 – a record – making it once again the centre of the pandemic. The UK is not exempt, and England will enter a new lockdown from Thursday 5 November. From the outside, it might seem the continent is in the grip of a second wave that is ramping rapidly towards its peak. But it is not one wave, it’s many local waves, and that is crucial in understanding how to rein it in and prevent the same thing happening again.
2nd Nov 2020 - The Guardian
Italy to tighten COVID curbs, but holds back from lockdown
Italy will tighten COVID restrictions but is holding back from re-introducing a nationwide lockdown, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said on Monday as infections, hospital admissions and deaths surge. Conte told parliament tougher measures, including curbing travel between the worst-hit regions and a nighttime curfew, were now needed given the resurgence of the virus. Italy’s daily tally of infections has increased 10-fold over the last month and hovered around 30,000 in the last few days, while hospital admissions, intensive care occupancy and deaths have also risen steeply. “Despite our efforts ... the evolution of the epidemic in the last few days is very worrying,” Conte said, warning that
2nd Nov 2020 - Reuters UK
Coronavirus: Spain's funeral homes strike as cases rise
Staff at funeral homes in Spain have gone on strike to demand more workers as coronavirus deaths continue to rise. Unions say more staff are needed to prevent the delay in burials that was seen during the first wave of the pandemic in March.
Europe is grappling with a second wave as cases and deaths continue to rise. A number of countries have introduced new measures such as curfews and lockdowns to try and bring infection rates down.
1st Nov 2020 - BBC
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 2nd Nov 2020
View this newsletter in fullRussia's remote regions struggle to cope with burgeoning Covid cases
Months after the Kremlin said it had the coronavirus pandemic under control, record numbers of Russians are falling ill and dying of the disease every day, pushing the country’s health services to breaking point while Vladimir Putin has ruled out a new nationwide lockdown. The official daily tally of new cases rose above 18,000 for the first time on Friday, when 355 deaths were also reported. Critics say the death toll indicated by tallies of excess deaths could be far higher. The increases have mirrored those in European countries such as France and Spain, but the brunt of the outbreak has been borne by far-flung regions that rarely make the evening news. As opposed to the spring outbreak, when Moscow, St Petersburg and the Caucasus region were worst affected, the new rise has been driven by the disease’s spread across the Urals, Siberia and the border with Kazakhstan, where colder weather has already driven many people indoors.
1st Nov 2020 - The Guardian
Half of Slovakia's population tested for coronavirus in one day
Nearly half of Slovakia’s entire population took Covid-19 swabs on Saturday, the first day of a two-day nationwide testing drive the government hopes will help reverse a surge in infections without a hard lockdown. The scheme, a first for a country of Slovakia’s size, is being watched by other nations looking for ways to slow the virus spread and avoid overwhelming their health systems. The defence minister, Jaroslav Naď said on Sunday 2.58 million Slovaks had taken a test on Saturday, and 25,850 or 1% tested positive and had to go into quarantine. The EU country has a population 5.5 million and aims to test as many people as possible, except for children under 10.
1st Nov 2020 - The Guardian
19 NHS trusts are already treating more Covid-19 patients than in April, analysis
Liverpool, Lancashire, Nottinghamshire, Warrington, Greater Manchester, Bradford and Leeds all affected. Even some places in Tier Two lockdowns treating more coronavirus patients than at peak six months ago. Dominic Raab today hinted Government could introduce a new Tier Four set of even stricter restrictions
31st Oct 2020 - Daily Mail
Britain resists full lockdown in face of rising cases and falling support
COVID-19 infections are rising so persistently in the United Kingdom that unless something can be done to reduce infections, the “reasonable worst case” scenario of 80,000 dead could be exceeded, scientists said on Friday. Britain has recorded more than 20,000 new coronavirus cases a day on average over the last week, but the government has resisted a new national lockdown even as France and Germany reintroduce country-wide restrictions. British government scientists said that numbers were heading in the “wrong direction”. They said the “reasonable worst case” planning scenario for the winter of reaching 500 deaths a day and a toll of over 80,000 is in danger of being exceeded unless infection numbers are cut, according to papers published by the government’s science advisers on Friday.
31st Oct 2020 - Reuters
NJ governor on coronavirus lockdown: 'If we have to shut the whole place down we will'
As COVID-19 numbers continue to spike across the U.S., New Jersey became the first state to mandate safety protocols to protect workers from the coronavirus.
“We can’t wait any longer,” New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy tells Yahoo Finance. “We’re doing it now, frankly, because the federal government should be doing it, and they haven’t done it.” The executive order goes into effect at 6 a.m. on Nov. 5. It requires employers in both the public and private sector to, among other things, conduct daily health checks of workers, such as temperature screenings and visual symptom checking. Employers must also notify workers when there is possible exposure to the virus and provide them with breaks throughout the day to wash their hands.
31st Oct 2020 - Yahoo Finance
Fears must be eased in search for coronavirus vaccine
Scepticism about vaccines is not what the world needs with the Covid-19 pandemic a continuing threat and, in some places, at its worst yet. Immunisation remains the best chance of ending restrictions and reopening economies and hopes are pinned on a handful of drugs in the final stages of testing. Public anxiety over dozens of deaths in South Korea linked to seasonal influenza shots is therefore worrying. Authorities everywhere have to allay concerns to prevent a health crisis from being made worse by a reluctance or even refusal to get jabs. Health experts have warned that the approaching flu season could exacerbate the pandemic. The South Korean government ordered 20 per cent more vaccines than usual and have launched a free immunisation programme.
31st Oct 2020 - South China Morning Post
State leaders facing 2nd wave resist steps to curb virus
Even as a new surge of coronavirus infections sweeps the U.S., officials in many hard-hit states are resisting taking stronger action to slow the spread, with pleas from health experts running up against political calculation and public fatigue. Days before a presidential election that has spotlighted President Donald Trump’s scattershot response to the pandemic, the virus continued its resurgence Friday, with total confirmed cases in the U.S. surpassing 9 million. The number of new infections reported daily is on the rise in 47 states. They include Nebraska and South Dakota, where the number of new cases topped previous highs for each state.
30th Oct 2020 - AP.com
Germany to go into circuit-break lockdown as coronavirus surges
Germany will impose an emergency month-long lockdown that includes the closure of restaurants, gyms and theatres to reverse a spike in coronavirus cases that risks overwhelming hospitals, Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Wednesday. "We need to take action now," she said, adding the situation was "very serious". Effective Nov. 2, private gatherings will be limited to 10 people from a maximum of two households. Restaurants, bars, theatres, cinemas, pools and gyms will be shut and concerts cancelled. People will be asked not to travel for private, non-essential reasons, and overnight stays in hotels will be available only for necessary business trips.
28th Oct 2020 - AOL.co.uk
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 30th Oct 2020
View this newsletter in fullCovid-19: Nicola Sturgeon unveils Scotland's restriction levels
No areas of Scotland are to be placed in the highest level of the country's new five-tier coronavirus restrictions system. The Scottish government had been considering putting both North and South Lanarkshire in level four. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has now confirmed they will both be placed in level three instead, along with the rest of the central belt and Dundee. Much of the rest of the country has been put in level two. But the Highlands, Orkney, Shetland, the Western Isles and Moray, which have far fewer cases of the virus, have been moved down to level one.
29th Oct 2020 - BBC
Covid-19: Number of patients in hospital grows again
The number of patients in hospital with coronavirus in Wales has grown again - up nearly a quarter on last week. Latest NHS Wales figures show 1,110 Covid-19 patients in hospital beds, which is more than 80% of the level at the pandemic's peak in April. Cwm Taf Morgannwg health board has nearly 100 more patients in its hospitals compared with last week. There have been rises elsewhere, with numbers doubling in Hywel Dda, which had only 33 Covid patients a week ago.
29th Oct 2020 - BBC
As Coronavirus Surges, Chastened Dutch Wonder, ‘What Happened to Us?’
As coronavirus cases have shot through the roof, waiting times for tests and results have grown so lengthy that the health authorities have considered sending samples to labs in Abu Dhabi. Contact tracing, divided among 25 competing contractors, has never gotten off the ground. After months of discouraging the use of masks, saying they promote a false sense of security, the government just did an about face, calling for them to be worn in all public spaces. And topping it all off, the royal family, ignoring the government’s advice to travel as little as possible, flew off to their luxurious holiday home in Greece, adding to growing mistrust and resentment at home.
29th Oct 2020 - The New York Times
Britain resists COVID lockdown as Europe counts cost
Europe began counting the cost of sweeping restrictions on social life imposed to contain a surge in coronavirus infections while Britain continued to hold out against following Germany and France in ordering a second lockdown. As the pandemic raced ahead across the continent, Europe has moved back to being an epicentre of the global pandemic, facing the prospect of a prolonged economic slump alongside a public health crisis which has so far seen more than 44 million infections and 1.1 million deaths worldwide. “The total number of confirmed cases has moved from 7 to 9 million in just 14 days, and, today, Europe exceeded the 10-million-case milestone,” Hans Kluge, regional director for Europe at the World Health Organization (WHO), told an emergency meeting of European health ministers on Thursday.
29th Oct 2020 - Reuters
Minister rejects calls for lockdown in England as Covid infections soar
A government minister on Thursday rejected calls for a national lockdown to combat the spread of coronavirus even as a new report indicated that the rate of infections in England was in excess of government targets. Housing secretary Robert Jenrick said broad differences in infection rates across the country meant that a “one size fits all” approach was not appropriate. His comments came after one of the largest studies into the prevalence of Covid-19 in England found the R rate — the average number of new cases generated by an infected individual — was 1.6. The government has set a goal to keep it below 1.
29th Oct 2020 - Financial Times
Italy Weighs New Curbs as Cases Rise and Neighbors Lock Down
Italy could tighten restrictions on movement including targeted lockdowns as virus cases spiral and European peers take more stringent measures. Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte wants to use next week to assess the efficacy of the most recent set of curbs before taking further decisions, government officials said. The country could go into a near-full lockdown as soon as Nov. 9 if infection figures continue spiking, according to daily Il Messaggero. The next wave of curbs could include a new series of “red zones” in the country, ring-fencing some of the most-affected cities and their surrounding areas, one of the officials said. Milan, the country’s financial center, and Naples have been hit hardest.
29th Oct 2020 - Bloomberg
Nearly all of Spain’s regions set to close their borders ahead of long weekend
Eleven of Spain’s regions, as well as the North African cities of Ceuta and Melilla, have announced that they will be closing their borders ahead of the All Saints holiday on Monday, thus limiting the usual travel of some Spaniards across the country on such a long weekend. The move comes as the coronavirus pandemic continues to spread throughout the country, with new cases having grown 71% in 15 days, according to the latest report from the Health Ministry, with the 14-day cumulative number of coronavirus cases per 100,000 inhabitants at 453, another record high during this second wave. Asturias, Aragón, Castilla y León, Castilla-La Mancha, Cantabria, the Basque Country, Madrid, Murcia, Navarre, La Rioja and Andalucia have all confirmed that they will be implementing a perimetral confinement, something that they can do under the state of alarm that was declared on Sunday by the central government and was being debated on Thursday in the Congress of Deputies. Catalonia and the Valencia region are also considering the same restrictions.
29th Oct 2020 - EL PAÍS in English
Is Spain heading toward a repeat of March’s total lockdown?
Spain, like most of Western Europe, has been introducing increasingly tough restrictions in a bid to contain the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic. But the Spanish government has stopped short of ordering all residents to remain at home, as it did when it introduced a total lockdown during the first wave in March.
As cases continue to rise and hospitals come under growing pressure, authorities instead are considering a range of solutions – from the recently declared national curfew to weekend home confinement, which has been proposed by the Catalan government. These are intermediate measures that reduce mobility without stopping it completely, and it is not clear how effective they are nor when they will start to reduce contagions. This has prompted a debate in Europe over whether short but total lockdowns are more effective than long-term and staggered restrictions.
29th Oct 2020 - EL PAÍS in English
Spain’s Pedro Sánchez adopts more hands-off approach to second coronavirus wave
The Spanish prime minister is pushing for a six-month state of alarm to fight coronavirus, but unlike during the first wave, he wants regional leaders to make the hard choices. The number of new confirmed daily cases in Spain has shot up from around 8,000 at the beginning of September to over 18,000 and health experts warn that the targeted restrictions taken in recent weeks, including shutting down bars and restaurants in parts of the country and limiting gatherings, are having minimal impact. Political tensions are rising too. There was a furious public reaction to pictures of four ministers attending a glamorous awards ceremony in Madrid on Monday just as the country re-entered the state of alarm. Many on social media saw it as evidence of a political class out of touch with ordinary people struggling under strict anti-coronavirus measures, even though the event organizers said they had followed the rules.
29th Oct 2020 - POLITICO.eu
Spain regions seal off perimeter to avoid new lockdown
One by one, Spain's regions have announced regional border closures in the hope of avoiding a new lockdown like in France, but the move may not be enough. On Sunday, the government unveiled a state of emergency to give regional authorities the tools to impose curfews and to close their borders to anyone moving without just cause. Most of the country's 17 regions, including Madrid, Catalonia and Andalusia, have taken advantage of the measure to impose a so-called perimetral or inter-regional lockdown affecting three-quarters of Spain's 47 million citizens.
29th Oct 2020 - FRANCE 24
India coronavirus cases cross 8 million amid fears of second wave
Coronavirus cases in India have crossed the eight million mark with the world’s second-worst hit country now bracing for a possible second wave ahead of winter.
With 49,881 new reported infections on Thursday, India now has 8,040,203 COVID-19 cases and 120,527 deaths, according to the latest government figures.
29th Oct 2020 - AlJazeera
Putin says no plans for lockdown despite record cases
President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday there were no plans to introduce a nationwide lockdown in Russia as the country set a record for new coronavirus infections and fatalities.
29th Oct 2020 - The Times of India
Japan's total coronavirus cases top 100,000
Japan's cumulative total of confirmed novel coronavirus cases topped 100,000 on Thursday, according to a tally based on official data, amid a recent uptick in the number of new infections coinciding with a resumption of economic activity. The single-day number of new cases across the country reported Thursday was 809, eclipsing the 800 mark for the first time since Aug. 29, as some clusters of infections have been detected since early this month. The total figure includes about 700 cases aboard the Diamond Princess, a cruise ship that was quarantined in Yokohama in February. There have been more than 1,700 deaths in the country attributed to the virus.
29th Oct 2020 - Kyodo News Plus
Large Covid outbreak in China linked to Xinjiang forced labour
China’s largest coronavirus outbreak in months appears to have emerged in a factory in Xinjiang linked to forced labour and the government’s controversial policies towards Uighur residents. More than 180 cases of Covid-19 documented in the past week in Shufu county, in southern Xinjiang, can be traced back to a factory that was built in 2018 as part of government “poverty alleviation” efforts, a campaign that researchers and rights advocates describe as coercive. Under the initiative, Uighurs and other Muslim minorities in the far-western region are tracked and given work placements that they have little choice but to take up. An official in nearby Kashgar told Caixin that the plant, Shuchang Garment, was a “satellite factory” for producing clothing, curtains and bedding. Previous state media reports about the factory said it employed about 300 villagers, mostly women, who could earn as much as 90 yuan (about £10) a day.
29th Oct 2020 - The Guardian
Poland's PM says wants to avoid full lockdown
Poland wants to avoid a full lockdown as it fights the coronavirus pandemic, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on Thursday, as the country reported a fresh record in COVID-19 cases and deaths. The country of 38 million reported 20,156 news cases and 301 deaths related to COVID-19.
29th Oct 2020 - Reuters
Coronavirus: U.S. records more than 80,000 new daily cases
The U.S. reported 83,718 new coronavirus cases on Saturday, marking the second day in a row that the country topped 80,000 daily infections, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Why it matters: The coronavirus is surging across the U.S. and threatening to overwhelm hospitals, especially in rural areas. The government's top infectious-disease expert Anthony Fauci told MSNBC earlier this month the U.S. is "facing a whole lot of trouble" as it heads into the winter, with cold weather likely to contribute to further spread of the virus.
29th Oct 2020 - Axios
Britain says it is doing everything it can to avoid national lockdown
Britain will do everything it can to avoid ordering a second national COVID-19 lockdown because it believes it will do more harm than good to the country, a minister said on Thursday. Coronavirus cases are surging in every region of Britain, which suffered the worst death toll in Europe and the deepest contraction of any G7 leading economy after it delayed a lockdown when the first wave of the pandemic hit in March. But as France and Germany ordered new national closures, housing minister Robert Jenrick said the British government’s clear policy was to use the tough local restrictions that were recently imposed on swathes of northern England. “The judgement of the government today is that a blanket national lockdown is not appropriate, would do more harm than good,” he told Times Radio.
29th Oct 2020 - Reuters
Britain pressed to follow French and German lockdowns as COVID rates surge
Europe began counting the cost of sweeping restrictions on social life imposed to contain a surge in coronavirus infections while Britain continued to hold out against following Germany and France in ordering a second lockdown. As the pandemic raced ahead across the continent, Europe has moved back to being an epicentre of the global pandemic, facing the prospect of a prolonged economic slump alongside a public health crisis which has so far seen more than 44 million infections and 1.1 million deaths worldwide. “The total number of confirmed cases has moved from 7 to 9 million in just 14 days, and, today, Europe exceeded the 10-million-case milestone,” Hans Kluge, regional director for Europe at the World Health Organization (WHO), told an emergency meeting of European health ministers on Thursday.
29th Oct 2020 - Reuters
Coronavirus: 10,000 UK patients now in hospital with Covid-19
More than 10,000 Covid-19 patients are now being treated in UK hospitals — nearly 1,000 of them ventilators — according to latest daily figures from the government. The number has risen in recent days, but has yet to reach the 20,000 seen at the height of the first wave of the pandemic earlier this year. However figures have continued to grow beyond those seen during the first peak in isolated regions. Liverpool University Hospitals Foundation Trust had the highest number of beds occupied by coronavirus patients in England on Tuesday at 450, according to new NHS England data - followed by Pennine Acute Hospitals Trust in Greater Manchester which had 290.
28th Oct 2020 - The Independent
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 29th Oct 2020
View this newsletter in fullNortheast Drives Record U.S. Testing to Monitor Covid-19 Surge
The Northeast is running America’s biggest Covid-19 surveillance operation as a coronavirus resurgence sweeps the country, sending U.S. testing overall to a record. The seven-day average of U.S. tests rose to 1.2 million Tuesday, part of an upswing that started about a month ago and has continued unabated, according to Covid Tracking Project data. The Northeast states account for 26% of average daily tests, even though they are reporting just 10% of the country’s positives and have 17% of the country’s population. That makes it the top testing region per capita.
28th Oct 2020 - Bloomberg on MSN.com
Second lockdown now likely as minister George Eustice says current approach right 'for now'
A new Covid-19 lockdown covering much of Britain looked increasingly likely today after a Cabinet minister called the current approach right “for now”. As senior scientists warned of hospitals being overwhelmed with 25,000 coronavirus patients by the end of November, expectations were growing that Boris Johnson will reluctantly have to order a temporary major shutdown before the end of the year. Environment Secretary George Eustice kept the door open to such a move when asked about reports that the Government was being driven towards a “circuit breaker”.
28th Oct 2020 - Evening Standard
Boris Johnson Braces for England Lockdown as Coronavirus Cases Surge
Boris Johnson faces being forced into imposing a national lockdown as internal government projections put the U.K. on course for a prolonged winter peak in the pandemic -- with more deaths than last spring. The British prime minister has so far resisted a second country-wide lockdown, despite calls from the opposition Labour Party -- and his own scientific advisers last month -- to order a temporary “circuit breaker” to get the virus under control. But new modeling by the government’s emergency scientific committee SAGE suggests the second wave of the pandemic will lead to more deaths than the first because the daily death toll will stay high for longer, even though it will peak at a lower level.
28th Oct 2020 - Bloomberg
Covid-19 deaths aren't rising as fast in Europe and US, despite soaring new infections. That doesn't mean the virus is less deadly
Europe is drowning in the second wave of the coronavirus epidemic. Infection rates are skyrocketing across the continent. Governments are imposing strict lockdowns. Economies are shutting down again. But there is a glimmer of hope: The virus, while still deadly, appears to be killing fewer people on average. Recent case and fatality figures from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) show that while recorded Covid-19 cases are spiking in the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Germany and other European countries, deaths are not rising at the same rate.
28th Oct 2020 - CNN
'We're in Hell': Russia's second wave of Covid-19 is catching the regions off guard
In a video widely shared across Russian social media last week, dozens of bodies wrapped in black plastic bags line the walls of a decrepit basement in a hospital in Barnaul, the capital city of the Altai region in Siberia. “The deceased Covid-19 patients were being stored in the basement of the hospital due to a shortage of pathologists and an increase of coronavirus infections and deaths,” the region’s Health Ministry said in a statement on Thursday, confirming the authenticity of the disturbing footage. Russia’s health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor on Saturday sounded a further alarm, saying the region is approaching an “Italian Scenario,” a reference to Northern Italy, one of the world’s worst-hit areas by the coronavirus.
28th Oct 2020 - The Independent Barents Observer
France on verge of second lockdown as deaths rocket to highest level since April
The French President is thought to be on the verge of announcing another nationwide lockdown today. Emmanuel Macron is set to address the nation at 8pm this evening to set out measures on how France will tackle the second wave of coronavirus. The country is seeing a huge spike in infections, and it is feared the UK will soon see a similar pattern after its statistics mimicked France’s by a delay of two weeks during the first peak of the pandemic. France is now reporting more than 350 new cases per 100,000 people each week, and nearly 18% of its tests are now coming back positive.
28th Oct 2020 - Metro
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 28th Oct 2020
View this newsletter in fullCoronavirus: Daughter of nurse who died after contracting COVID-19 warns second wave 'is very real'
The grieving daughter of a nurse who died three weeks after being diagnosed with coronavirus is urging people to act responsibly saying "the second wave must be taken seriously". Denilee Vianzon's mother Emma was only 57 when she lost her life two weeks ago in intensive care in the Nightingale Hospital in Belfast. "I'm furious and angry that people think that this is non-existent, when it very much is," said Denilee, who is 28 and lives in London.
27th Oct 2020 - Sky News
Coronavirus: Europe's daily deaths rise by nearly 40% compared with last week - WHO
Europe's daily Covid deaths rose by nearly 40% compared with the previous week, the World Health Organization (WHO) has told the BBC. WHO spokeswoman Dr Margaret Harris said France, Spain, the UK, the Netherlands and Russia accounted for the majority of cases which increased by a third. "The concern... is that intensive care units in hospitals are now beginning to fill with very ill people," she warned. Russia reported a daily record of 320 deaths, pushing the tally to 26,589.
There has been a sharp increase in Italy too, with 221 fatalities announced in the past 24 hours. The total number of fatalities in Austria went above 1,000 on Tuesday.
27th Oct 2020 - BBC
Italy, resisting another coronavirus lockdown, shows peril of piecemeal restrictions
The team of city police officers had been assigned to look for coronavirus rule-breakers, so one evening last week, they parked their cars in the middle of one of Rome's liveliest neighborhoods and walked from one restaurant to the next. In 90 minutes on patrol, they didn’t find a single violator. What they found, instead, was nightlife that conformed to the rules but nonetheless posed risks for spreading the novel coronavirus. Italy had imposed a mandate for mask-wearing outdoors — but it didn’t apply to the people eating at packed alfresco tables. The country had banned dining in groups of seven or more, but there were plenty of tables of four, five and six under mood lighting on the cobblestone streets.
27th Oct 2020 - The Washington Post
Argentina locked down early and hard. Now cases are exploding.
When the novel coronavirus first reached Argentina, Andrés Bonicalzi steeled himself for the sacrifices to come. A lawyer in Buenos Aires, he started working from home, canceled his weekly visits with his parents and vowed to keep his son inside. The government announced one of the world’s strictest lockdowns. The next few weeks would be difficult. But those hard weeks have turned into seven months, and much of Argentina’s lockdown, believed to be the world’s longest, is still dragging on. So much sacrifice, Bonicalzi sometimes thinks, and for what? The South American country has become one of the coronavirus’s most explosive breeding grounds. In early August, fewer than 200,000 Argentines had contracted the virus. That number has since surged to 1.1 million — 1 out of every 44 people — and 28,000 are dead.
27th Oct 2020 - The Washington Post
German minister warns of 20,000 new daily virus cases within days
Chancellor Angela Merkel warned that Germany’s health system could hit breaking point if coronavirus infections continue to spiral, after bringing forward high-level talks to decide on new restrictions to break the second wave of the pandemic. Mass-selling daily Bild reported that Merkel told party colleagues that the number of new cases is doubling every seven to eight days, while the number of occupied intensive care beds is doubling every 10 days. “It just needs to double again four more times and the system will be at a breaking point,” Bild quoted Merkel as saying, adding that she wanted to reduce the number of contacts people had.
27th Oct 2020 - Reuters UK
Global survey shows widespread disapproval of Covid response
People in most of 25 countries around the world think governments and leaders failed to respond either well or fast enough to the coronavirus crisis, a new global survey shows. YouGov’s globalism survey of about 26,000 people in countries from Australia to Sweden, designed with the Guardian and carried out by the YouGov-Cambridge Globalism Project between July and August, before the second wave hit in Europe and elsewhere, showed striking variations in approval for governments’ handling of the pandemic, which has killed nearly 1.1 million people. A record four in five respondents in Denmark, which locked down very early in March as the first wave hit and has managed to limit Covid deaths to 119 per million inhabitants, thought their government had done very or fairly well.
27th Oct 2020 - The Guardian
Wave of new COVID-19 cases crashes across U.S. and Europe as winter looms
The United States, Russia, France and many other countries are setting records for coronavirus infections as a tidal wave of cases washes over parts of the Northern Hemisphere, forcing some countries to impose new curbs.
26th Oct 2020 - Reuters UK
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 27th Oct 2020
View this newsletter in fullCovid case record: The US had more daily Covid-19 cases in the past week than ever before. And no, it's not just due to more testing
This time, the seven-day average of daily new cases reached an all-time high of 68,767 on Sunday, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. The previous record of 67,293 was set July 22. "Unfortunately, I think the statement about 'new record' is going to be repeated over and over again in the days and weeks to come," said Dr. Ashish Jha, dean of the Brown University School of Public Health.
"I expect that those numbers will continue to climb. Hospitalizations are going to continue to climb." The abysmal week was marked by the two worst days of daily new cases reported since the pandemic began. More than 83,000 new cases were reported both Friday and Saturday, according to Johns Hopkins.
26th Oct 2020 - CNN on MSN.com
NHS short of over £1bn for Covid second wave and onset of winter
The NHS has been given in excess of £1bn less than it needs to tackle the second wave of Covid-19, deal with the coming winter and restart routine operations, the Guardian has learned. The disclosure raises questions about the pledge from the chancellor, Rishi Sunak, at the start of the pandemic to give the NHS “whatever resources it needs” to cope with the pandemic. Hospitals across England face holes in their budget for the rest of the year of up to £20m, which they say is hampering their efforts to prepare properly for the service’s annual winter crisis and get back to pre-pandemic levels of surgery.
26th Oct 2020 - The Guardian
Merkel, German state leaders to decide on new COVID measures: spokesman
Chancellor Angela Merkel in planning a “lockdown light” that will focus on closing bars, restaurants and public events to slow a second wave of COVID-19 infections in Germany, Bild newspaper reported on Monday. Shops will stay open, with some restrictions, under the plan and schools will keep operating, apart from in areas with particularly high numbers of cases, the mass-selling daily reported. A government spokesman neither confirmed nor denied the report and said no final decisions had been made. Infections have almost doubled in the past week in Germany and cases are also rising across Europe and large parts of the Northern Hemisphere.
26th Oct 2020 - Reuters UK
Australia's coronavirus epicenter records no new cases as the US and Western Europe struggle to contain the pandemic
Melbourne, the city at the epicenter of Australia's coronavirus epidemic, will move out of lockdown this week after the Victoria state health department on Sunday reported no new cases and no deaths due to the virus for the first time in more than four months. Announcing the relaxation of restrictions at a news conference on Monday, Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews said starting on Tuesday at 11:59 p.m., Melbourne residents will be allowed to leave their homes and most businesses in the state can reopen with restrictions on the number of people.
"With 0 cases and so much testing, we are able to say that now is the time to open up. Now is the time to congratulate every single Victorian who has stayed the course," Andrews said. The remarkable milestone of no new cases comes just months after Andrews declared a "state of disaster" to stem an outbreak that saw as many as 725 people in the state test positive for the virus in a single day.
26th Oct 2020 - CNN
The U.S. and Europe are losing the coronavirus battle
European leaders are bracing for disaster, too. After a summer of reopenings and revived travel and tourism, a second wave is ravaging countries that both evaded and suffered from the first. France reported a daily record in cases on Sunday. Cases in Poland doubled in less than three weeks (and the country’s president now has the virus). In the Czech Republic, more than 250,000 people in a country of 10.7 million are infected.
26th Oct 2020 - The Washington Post
China battles new Covid-19 cluster in Xinjiang
More than 100 asymptomatic coronavirus cases have been discovered in Xinjiang, one of China’s most heavily monitored and policed regions. It is the biggest cluster detected in the country since July. On Saturday, a 17-year-old girl tested positive for Covid-19 in Kashgar, sparking a citywide testing drive and strict restrictions on movement. A further 137 infections were discovered on Sunday, each linked to a factory in Shufu county where the teenager’s parents work, according to local health officials.
26th Oct 2020 - The Financial Times
China’s Kashgar had a covid-19 outbreak. Now all 4.5 million residents are being tested.
Just two days after announcing the discovery of a single asymptomatic case of the novel coronavirus, authorities in China's Kashgar area said they have tested 4.5 million residents, nearly the entire population. By Monday evening, 164 asymptomatic cases had been found in the area. The swift response by health authorities in Kashgar, a trade hub of 4.7 million people in China's far-western Xinjiang region, reflects the heavy pressures on local officials to quash the outbreak, the country's largest since the summer. Central government officials flew there during the weekend to monitor the testing.
26th Oct 2020 - The Washington Post
Covid-19: China tests entire city of Kashgar in Xinjiang
China is once again mass testing an entire city for the coronavirus amid a regional outbreak in Xinjiang province. Around 4.7m people in Kashgar are being tested, with 138 asymptomatic cases found so far. China has been largely successful in bringing infection rates down, but there continue to be small outbreaks. Xinjiang is home to China's mostly-Muslim Uighur minority which rights groups say is being persecuted by the government in Beijing. Schools in Kashgar have been closed and residents are not allowed to leave the city unless they have a negative test report.
26th Oct 2020 - BBC
China: new coronavirus outbreak detected in Xinjiang city of Kashgar
China has detected 137 new asymptomatic coronavirus cases in Kashgar in the north-western region of Xinjiang after one person was found to have the virus the previous day – the first new local cases for 10 days in mainland China. All the cases detected on Sunday were linked to a garment factory where the parents of a 17-year-old girl who was found on Saturday to have the virus – but showed no symptoms – worked, a Xinjiang health commission official told a press briefing. The new cases marked mainland China’s first local infections since 14 October, when one was detected in Qingdao. Xinjiang was the site of a local cluster in August, which prompted a “wartime state” of lockdown in the capital Urumqi, but no new cases had been found in the region since 15 August.
26th Oct 2020 - The Guardian
Belgium tightens COVID-19 measures, hopes to avoid lockdown
Belgium, one of the European countries worst hit by COVID-19, has tightened curbs on social contacts by banning fans from sports matches and limiting numbers in cultural spaces, while officials in Wallonia imposed a stricter night curfew on residents, write Robin Emmott, Marine Strauss and Kate Abnett. The local government in the French-speaking region, among the hardest-hit parts of the country, has told people to stay at home from 10pm to 6am and made remote working mandatory for students until Nov. 19. Belgium, which has Europe’s second highest infection rate per capita after the Czech Republic, had already closed cafes, bars and restaurants and imposed a shorter night curfew. New infections hit a peak of 10,500 on Thursday. But the government has resisted calls from medical experts to order a new lockdown to avoid causing more economic pain.
26th Oct 2020 - EU Reporter
German business sentiment falls on coronavirus angst
German business morale fell for the first time in six months in October, weighed down by companies’ concerns about rising coronavirus infection rates that are making them more sceptical about the coming months, a survey showed on Monday. The Ifo institute said its business climate index fell to 92.7 from a downwardly revised 93.2 in September. A Reuters poll had foreseen a decline to 93.0. “Companies are considerably more sceptical regarding developments over the coming months,” Ifo President Clemens Fuest said in a statement. “In view of rising infection numbers, German business is becoming increasingly worried.” The German economy contracted by 9.7% in the second quarter as household spending, company investments and trade collapsed at the height of the pandemic.
26th Oct 2020 - Reuters UK
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 26th Oct 2020
View this newsletter in fullEurope, US Watch COVID Case Totals Grow, Debate New Restrictions
Confirmed coronavirus infections continued to soar Saturday in many parts of the U.S. and Europe. In some cases, so did anger over the restrictions governments put in place to try to stem the tide. Oklahoma, Illinois, New Mexico and Michigan were among states announcing new record highs in daily confirmed cases Saturday, a day after a nationwide daily record of more than 83,000 reported infections, according to Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, Michigan's chief medical executive, said it's "now more important than ever that people take this seriously." The 3,338 new COVID-19 cases in her state topped the old record by more than 1,300. German authorities reported a record one-day total of new coronavirus cases this weekend while leaders in Spain and Italy debated how to control the resurgent virus amid public pushback to curfews despite a global death toll topping 1.1 million.
25th Oct 2020 - Voice of America
Italy sees more than 20,000 new virus cases, many in north
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis is quarantining himself after learning that Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman tested positive for the coronavirus. Coffman’s diagnosis on Sunday came over a week after he and the governor appeared with other officials at a press conference. Coffman said he worked from home starting Thursday after not feeling well and his symptoms were gone by Saturday. He says he got a rapid test Sunday in hopes of being cleared to return to his office and schedule but will now quarantine at home. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises anyone who has been in close contact with a COVID-19 patient to quarantine for two weeks. A Polis spokesperson said the governor would quarantine while waiting to hear from contact tracers.
25th Oct 2020 - The Associated Press
Germany grapples with coronavirus spike months after it was hailed for good practice
A few months can make a world of difference during a pandemic. After being lauded for its response to Covid-19 after Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government flattened the curve this spring, Germany is now grappling with more than 10,000 daily coronavirus infections, the most it has seen since the outbreak started, and admissions to hospital intensive care units have doubled in the last two weeks.
In response, the country is betting on a different, more local approach to the crisis.
25th Oct 2020 - NBC News
Italy orders bars, restaurants to close early as COVID infections surge
Italy on Sunday ordered bars and restaurants to close by 6 p.m. and shut public gyms, cinemas and swimming pools to try to halt a rapid resurgence in the coronavirus that has pushed daily infection rates to new records. Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said the measures were aimed at protecting both public health and the economy and should bring the rising curve of the epidemic under control in the next few weeks to allow a “serene” Christmas.
25th Oct 2020 - Reuters
Italy set to introduce its harshest pandemic restrictions since May
The governments of Italy and Spain, the European countries hardest hit by the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic, announced sweeping measures on Sunday to combat a surge in the number of new cases. Italy said it would introduce the harshest public health restrictions since the end of its first national lockdown in May as new coronavirus cases hit a fresh daily record. Spain announced a nationwide curfew and triggered emergency powers after the country’s infection rate jumped by almost a third over the past week.
25th Oct 2020 - Financial Times
Coronavirus: Spain imposes national night-time curfew to curb infections
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said the curfew, between the hours of 23:00 and 06:00, would come into force on Sunday. Under the emergency measures, local authorities can also ban travel between regions, Mr Sánchez said. He said he would ask parliament to extend the new rules, initially in force for 15 days, to six months.
Spain was hit hard during the first wave of the pandemic earlier this year and imposed a much more restrictive lockdown - one of the toughest in the world. Like many other European regions, however, it has been hit by a second wave of infections. In Italy, new restrictions were also announced on Sunday. The government said the steady rise in cases there was causing a huge strain on the country's health services.
25th Oct 2020 - BBC
Europe suffers record case numbers as France's Macron warns crisis may last until summer
European countries are reporting record numbers of Covid-19 cases as the continent prepares for the pandemic to intensify through winter. Those affected include Europe's political class. Polish President Andrzej Duda tested positive for Covid-19 on Friday, according to a tweet from Presidential Minister Blazej Spychalski Saturday. Duda said that he was feeling well, was asymptomatic and would continue working in isolation.
"As you can see, I am full of strength. I hope it will stay this way. However, the fact is that I must isolate. Together with my wife, we abide by the rules of isolation in an iron manner," he said in a video posted on Twitter on Saturday.
25th Oct 2020 - CNN
France passes 1 million coronavirus cases
The number of coronavirus infections in France has passed 1 million, making it the second European country after Spain to reach that figure as Europe battles a resurgence of the pandemic. The French health ministry announced on Friday that the daily tally of new infections was more than 42,000, bringing the country's cumulative total to over 1 million. The government introduced a night-time curfew in Paris and other parts of the country last week in response to the recent spike in cases. President Emmanuel Macron said the impact of the measures will begin to show next week. He said it's too early to say whether France will go into a second full lockdown.
24th Oct 2020 - NHK WORLD
U.S. sees daily record of nearly 80000 new COVID-19 cases
A record of nearly 80,000 new COVID-19 infections over the course of a day were reported in the United States on Friday, according to figures from Johns Hopkins University. Between 8:30 p.m. Thursday and the same time Friday, 79,963 infections were recorded, bringing the total number since the start of the pandemic to nearly 8.5 million in the country. The United States had already approached the bar of 80,000 daily cases in July, largely due to new infections in southern states such as Texas and Florida, where the virus was then spreading out of control. The worst current outbreaks are in the north and Midwest, and some 35 of the 50 states are seeing an increase in case numbers.
24th Oct 2020 - The Japan Times
Poland President Andrzej Duda tests positive for coronavirus
Poland’s President Andrzej Duda has tested positive for coronavirus, his spokesman said on Saturday. The spokesman, Blazej Spychalski, said on Twitter that the 48-year-old conservative leader was tested the day before and his result was positive. He said the president feels well and is in isolation. Duda’s diagnosis comes amid a huge surge in the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 and deaths in Poland, a nation that saw only very low numbers in the spring. The spiking infection rates are pushing the country’s strained health system to the breaking point. Doctors say patients are now dying not only from COVID-19, but from other illnesses that overwhelmed hospitals are not able to treat now.
24th Oct 2020 - The Japan Times
New EU Travel Restrictions, Country By Country, As Covid-19 Rates Soar
As Covid-19 rates soar across the EU, countries are mostly united in deciding they need to restrict travel but they differ in the execution of rules. The outlook is changing on a weekly basis in regards to both getting into EU countries but also in how governments are controlling the movement of people inside. This country by country guide explains who is now allowed into each EU country and what they can do when they get there—some countries are under lockdown.
24th Oct 2020 - Forbes
Spain holds off on curfews, but struggles to contain COVID-19
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez exhorted Spaniards on Friday to further limit social contact to combat Europe’s worst COVID-19 hotspot, but he stopped short of announcing new measures amid political disputes over potential curfews. Quarrelling between the Socialist-led government and mostly conservative regions - and also among regions themselves - has hampered the response to the pandemic for months, exasperating citizens and fostering uncertainty. With total cases soaring this week to over a million, the health minister said the pandemic was out of control and recommended curfews, which several European countries with fewer COVID-19 cases have already implemented in the past days.
24th Oct 2020 - Reuters UK
Dutch transfer patients to Germany again as COVID infections spike
The Netherlands began transferring COVID-19 patients to Germany again on Friday, as hospitals come under increasing strain from a second wave of infections. The Flevo hospital in the central Dutch town of Almere said it would transfer two of its intensive care patients by helicopter to a hospital in Muenster, around 65 km (40 miles) east of the Dutch-German border. The transfers were the first during the second wave that began in the Netherlands early last month. During the first wave in March and April dozens of Dutch patients were transferred to Germany, where intensive care capacity is larger.
24th Oct 2020 - Reuters UK
Britain records 23,012 new COVID cases on Saturday, up from Friday
Britain recorded 23,012 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday, up from 20,530 on Friday, government data showed. There were 174 deaths within 28 days of a positive test, down from 224 on Friday.
24th Oct 2020 - Reuters UK
Slovaks begin mass testing in virus hotspots as cases surge
Thousands of Slovaks lined up to be tested for the coronavirus in the country’s worst-affected areas on Friday, taking part in a pilot programme that will eventually go nationwide. The government hopes the antigen tests, along with a partial lockdown, can help control a sharp rise in infections. It also offered an incentive to take part, saying those who test negative will be subject to less stringent rules, meaning they can leave home to go to work, take country walks or visit post offices and banks. Those who do not take a test will face a stricter lockdown regime including a ban on commuting to work.
24th Oct 2020 - Reuters UK
AstraZeneca resumes COVID vaccine trial, J&J could restart soon
AstraZeneca Plc, the U.K. drugmaker developing a coronavirus vaccine with the University of Oxford, has been cleared by U.S. regulators to restart a trial halted in the country for more than a month on concerns about a volunteer who became ill, according to a person familiar with the decision. The person asked not to be identified because the information isn’t public.
23rd Oct 2020 - AlJazeera
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 23rd Oct 2020
View this newsletter in fullCare home staff 'worried' amid Covid-19 second wave
Care home staff are "very tired and very worried" amid the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic, a group representing care providers has said. Stormont's Health Committee has heard morale is low among workers who fear that the "system is now working against" their efforts to keep Covid out. Pauline Shepherd of the Independent Health and Care Providers outlined concerns around "no safety net" of re-testing residents on returning to care homes from hospital, staff shortages and increased visitors. She said Department of Health guidance for care partners for residents to be in place by November 5 left staff feeling very worried that the work they were doing to keep the virus out could be jeopardised by increased footfall.
22nd Oct 2020 - ITV News
Coronavirus: First Nightingale hospital in England reopens in Manchester for Covid-19 patients
Hospital was set up in Manchester's Central Conference Centre but closed in June when last Covid patient left. It will be reopened in anticipation of a surge in Covid-19 patients in the city, to open bed capacity elsewhere. Manchester faces Tier Three lockdown rules from midnight on Friday as city's outbreak rumbles on
Local rules are now springing up nationwide, with worries in Nottingham and Stoke as Slough enters Tier Two. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is still refusing a national lockdown despite calls from top scientists
22nd Oct 2020 - Daily Mail
Stretched Dutch hospitals to send COVID patients to Germany within days
The Dutch hospital system is coming under increasing strain from coronavirus admissions as daily cases hit a record high, and it expects to begin transferring some patients to Germany within two days, the hospital association said on Thursday. Almost half the country’s intensive care beds are occupied by COVID-19 patients, the LNAZ association’s head Ernst Kuipers said. “And we certainly have not seen the end of it”, he told reporters. “Hospital numbers will continue to rise at least until the end of this month.” The number of daily infections hit 9,271 on Thursday, the National Institute for Public Health (RIVM) said
22nd Oct 2020 - Reuters
Germans Are Panic Buying Toilet Paper And Disinfectants As Covid-19 Surges Again
Sales of toilet paper, disinfectants and soaps are rising once again in Germany, the country’s statistics office announced on Thursday, highlighting fears of an imminent lockdown as Europe’s largest economy sees a resurgence in Covid-19 cases. Unlike the April lockdown, where massive hoarding led to empty store shelves, German retailers claim that they are better prepared this time. “After the events we saw earlier this year, we are monitoring changes in demand more closely than ever to ensure that nothing is in short supply”, discount retailer Aldi Süd told news website Local.de last week. Another retailer Lidl also said it was “well prepared” to react quickly and provide stores with “sufficient supplies” if demand increases.
22nd Oct 2020 - Forbes
German disease control center urges vigilance as virus rises
The head of Germany’s disease control center urged people Thursday to be vigilant about following coronavirus precautions as the country posted a record number of new cases, saying a rapid increase in infections could be reversed but only if everyone works together. Robert Koch Institute President Lothar Wieler said the daily number of confirmed cases hit 11,287, the first time Germany’s 24-hour tally has been over the 10,000 mark since the beginning of the pandemic and shattering the previous daily record of 7,830 set on Saturday. The country had a nationwide infection rate of 56.2 new cases per 100,000 residents over the past seven days. Some hot spots, including several districts of the capital, had rates well over double that.
22nd Oct 2020 - The Associated Press
Switzerland promises lockdown measures unless infections subside
Switzerland's president has promised the country would adopt additional lockdown measures unless skyrocketing new coronavirus case numbers slowed. Switzerland's coronavirus case numbers are now doubling from week to week. If the situation does not stabilise within days, the government is threatening to impose new measures to control the surge in registered infections, which began around the start of the month. "If the curve does not flatten out by next Wednesday, we will really make decisions that go further," President Simonetta Sommaruga told national broadcaster RTS. The southwest of the country has been particularly affected, with clusters breaking out in retirement homes. "We were all hoping we could go into winter without this new increase in the number of cases," said Sommaruga.
22nd Oct 2020 - The Local
Rome, Milan and Naples prepare for coronavirus curfews as Italy cases soar
Italy’s three largest cities face new curfews as regional authorities try to slow the spread of COVID-19 where it first struck hard in Europe, most of whose countries are now imposing, or mulling, new restrictions to cope with rapidly rising caseloads
22nd Oct 2020 - The Independent
The number of older people getting coronavirus in Europe is rising again. That's really bad news
Europe is deep in the second wave of the coronavirus epidemic, and a particularly worrying trend is beginning to emerge: More older people are becoming infected.
Over the summer months, the continent saw infection clusters popping up mostly among younger people who were venturing out into bars, restaurants and other public spaces. While that wasn't ideal, it meant the death rate stayed relatively low, since younger people are statistically less vulnerable to the virus and most avoid getting seriously ill. However, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has warned that more older people are now becoming infected. According to the ECDC's latest situation report, at least 13 countries in Europe saw new infection rates among people aged 65 or over rise to what ECDC defines as "high" last week -- between 64 per 100,000 in Croatia and 206 per 100,000 in the Netherlands.
22nd Oct 2020 - CTV News
Spain mulls curfews to contain ‘out-of-control’ pandemic
Spain’s health minister described a second wave of the coronavirus sweeping the county as “out of control” on Thursday as the government postponed a decision on whether to follow France and other European countries in imposing curfews.
22nd Oct 2020 - Metro US
Spain surpasses one million coronavirus infections as western Europe falls back into lockdown
Spain has become the first European Union nation to record a million coronavirus infections, official data showed on Wednesday, as the government mulled fresh restrictions on public life to curb the spread of the disease. The country recorded 16,973 confirmed cases of Covid-19 over the past 24 hours, the health ministry announced, taking the total to 1,005,295 since its first case was diagnosed on January 31 on the remote island of La Gomera in the Canary Islands. Of this number, 34,366 people have died, with 156 more deaths were recorded in the previous 24 hours.
22nd Oct 2020 - SBS
Spain first in Western Europe to pass 1 mln cases
Spain is now the first Western European country to exceed 1 million reported COVID-19 infections, despite increasingly aggressive control methods. After slowing to a trickle in the wake of Spain's strict March-to-June lockdown, the infection rate accelerated to frequently exceed 10,000 cases a day from late August. It hit a new peak of more than 16,000 last week. Health Minister Salvador Illa said on Thursday (October 22) that Spain needs drastic measures to tackle Europe's second wave, which he says is out-of-control in his country. He is now considering new restrictions including curfews. However, daily deaths in the country have been hovering around 100, still a far cry from the peak of nearly 900 registered in late March.
22nd Oct 2020 - Yahoo! News
South Korea's virus battle faces new cluster challenge
A cluster of infections around the Greater Seoul area has given South Korea yet another challenge to mount in its fight against COVID-19. The country reported 121 new infections on Thursday, highest in almost a month, taking the nationwide tally up to 25,543, Yonhap News Agency reported. The death toll increased by three to reach 453, with the fatality rate remaining at 1.77%. Thursday’s figures were the highest since 109 cases were reported on Sept. 24, but infection numbers had dropped down to double digits since then. The spike in cases is due to clusters at senior care hospitals and other health facilities. Health authorities have intensified efforts to track down suspected patients, many of whom have been linked to a hospital in Gwangju, south of Seoul.
22nd Oct 2020 - Anadolu Agency
How New York's mis-steps let Covid-19 overwhelm the US
The US had seen coronavirus coming as it swept from China through Asia, Europe and Iran in early 2020. “We’re prepared and we’re doing a great job with it, and it will go away,” said Donald Trump, US president, on March 10. A week earlier, New York governor Andrew Cuomo declared: “Excuse our arrogance as New Yorkers . . . [but] we don't even think it's going to be as bad as it was in other countries.” As the National Guard responded to New Rochelle’s 108 recorded cases, Mr Cuomo observed reassuringly that New York City had just 36 and no deaths. But since then it has suffered more than 260,000 infections and buried 24,000 of its citizens, almost 10 times the number who died at the World Trade Center in 2001.
22nd Oct 2020 - Financial Times
Australia still the lucky COVID-19 country
While Canberrans were concentrating on the ACT election and the rest of the country was distracted by the Gladys Berejiklian and Daniel Andrews shows the global crisis has gone from terrible to catastrophic. New cases are being logged at the fastest rate so far, health systems in many countries are being swamped, and much of Europe is heading back under the lockdown "doona". Just when it seems Australians may be able to enjoy some sort of "COVID-19 normal" Christmas billions of people are doing it tougher than ever as second waves rage out of control.
22nd Oct 2020 - The Canberra Times
Big spike in Sweden's coronavirus cases forces rethink on lockdown amid Europe's second wave
Ballooning coronavirus cases in Sweden have forced a major rethink of the country's controverisal no-lockdown policy. The Scandanivian nation, like most of Western Europe, is experiencing a second wave of infections. Sweden's per-capita death rate as of last week was 58.6 per 100,000 people, reports Time magazine. The nation's average daily cases figure rose by 173 per cent from early September to early October.
22nd Oct 2020 - 9News
Germans start 'hamstering' toilet paper again as COVID-19 cases surge
Sales of toilet paper and disinfectants are on the rise again in Germany, the country’s statistics office said on Thursday, as Europe’s largest economy struggles with a second coronavirus wave. “Hamster purchases are starting again,” the office said on Twitter, using a German phrase for panic-buying or hoarding. Sales of toilet paper surged by 89.9% last week when compared to pre-crisis levels, while disinfectants (up 72.5%) and soap (up 62.3%) were also in high demand, it said in a separate statement.
22nd Oct 2020 - Reuters
German consumer morale darkens as coronavirus cases soar
German consumer morale fell heading into November as fears about a second coronavirus wave that is hitting Europe’s biggest economy made Germans less willing to open their wallets, a survey showed on Thursday. The GfK institute said its consumer sentiment index, based on a survey of around 2,000 Germans, fell to -3.1 heading into November from a revised -1.7 in the previous month. The reading missed a Reuters forecast for a narrower drop to -2.8. GfK consumer expert Rolf Buerkl said optimism among German consumers faded in October with coronavirus cases soaring in Germany, fuelling fears of another lockdown to contain the outbreak.
22nd Oct 2020 - Reuters
Germany can grow next year if it avoids another lockdown - minister
German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier said there was a prospect of economic growth next year if the country managed to avoid a second lockdown, adding that the economy looked better than they had expected it would six months ago. Avoiding a second lockdown would involve controlling the spread of the disease. The latest overnight increase of over 11,000 new cases was a major concern.
“That is far too much,” Altmaier said.
22nd Oct 2020 - Reuters
Blood of recovered COVID-19 patients shows little benefit as treatment
Using blood of recovered COVID-19 patients - or so-called convalescent plasma - as a potential treatment is of little benefit in helping hospitalised patients fight off the infection, according to results of a clinical trial in India. Published in the BMJ British Medical Journal on Friday, the results show that convalescent plasma, which delivers antibodies from COVID-19 survivors to infected people, failed to reduce death rates or halt progression to severe disease. The findings, from a study of more than 400 hospitalised COVID-19 patients, are a setback for a treatment that U.S. President Donald Trump touted in August as an “historic breakthrough”. The United States and India have authorised convalescent plasma for emergency use.
22nd Oct 2020 -
Jordan announces record daily new COVID-19 cases
Jordan on Wednesday reported 2,648 new COVID-19 cases, its highest daily number since the start of the pandemic as the country faces a major outbreak with a tripling of deaths in just the last two weeks. The surge in the last month has put Jordan’s infection numbers above those of most of its Middle East neighbours and reverses months of success in containing the outbreak. It also accompanies an alarming jump in daily deaths that now average around 30. Prime Minister Bisher al-Khasawneh said although the country had entered a “difficult phase” after widespread community transmission, it would not reimpose a national lockdown.
22nd Oct 2020 - Reuters UK
Italy's daily coronavirus cases soar to new daily record above 15,000
Italy has registered 15,199 new coronavirus infections over the past 24 hours, the health ministry said on Wednesday, the highest daily tally since the start of the country’s outbreak and up from a previous record of 11,705 posted on Sunday. Tuesday saw 10,874 new cases of the highly contagious virus. The ministry also reported 127 COVID-related deaths on Wednesday, up from 89 the day before but still far fewer than at the height of the pandemic in Italy in March and April, when a daily peak of more than 900 fatalities was reached. After declining over the summer, infections have steadily accelerated in the last few months.
21st Oct 2020 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 22nd Oct 2020
View this newsletter in fullUS is nearing 'rapid acceleration' of Covid-19 cases, expert warns, as daily infections hit about 60,000
With the number of people with Covid-19 being admitted to hospitals rising, several states are looking at their supply of beds. On Wednesday, an overflow medical facility set up at the Wisconsin State Fair Park in the Milwaukee suburb of West Allis received its first patient. "We are thankful to have this facility available to Wisconsinites and our hospitals, but also saddened that this is where Wisconsin is at today," Gov. Tony Evers said. "Folks, please stay home. Help us protect our communities from this highly contagious virus and avoid further strain on our hospitals." The facility will take patients who meet specific criteria, and doctors and nurses there can give remdesivir and oxygen treatment, according to the governor's statement.
22nd Oct 2020 - CNN
Why the second wave of Covid-19 appears to be less lethal
While coronavirus infections have been surging again across Europe since late summer, the chances of surviving the respiratory disease seem to have improved from the first phase of the outbreak. The number of Covid-19 patients ill enough to go to hospital has risen less steeply — and mortality more slowly still, according to an FT analysis. Health services are not overwhelmed as they would have been if severe disease had followed infection in the way it did between March and April.
“In western Europe, pretty much every country including the UK is still seeing a much smaller per capita death rate in this second wave than in the first one during the spring,” said Mark Woolhouse, professor of infectious disease epidemiology at the University of Edinburgh.
21st Oct 2020 - The Financial Times
Greece reports new peak in COVID-19 cases
Greece on Wednesday reported 865 new cases of COVID-19, a new peak since an outbreak in late February, and authorities announced a regional lockdown of a northern district. Authorities declared the northern region of Kastoria on an elevated risk,
21st Oct 2020 - Yahoo! News
COVID-19: U.S. Northeast states discourage travel; California rebuffs theme parks
New York, New Jersey and Connecticut on Tuesday urged their residents to not travel between the three states as the U.S. Northeast sees a rise in COVID-19 cases, while California said major theme parks including Disneyland would not be opening anytime soon.
21st Oct 2020 - Reuters
Coronavirus is 'back with full force' in Germany, state premier says
France will extend its curfews after the number of people in ICU rose above 2,000 for the first time since May. The Czech prime minister admitted that measures so far have 'failed' to halt the worst infection rate in Europe. In Germany, one Alpine district is already back in lockdown amid fears that virus could spread out of control
Belgium is having to ration testing to people with symptoms while Italy is urging people to stay at home
21st Oct 2020 - Daily Mail
'We'll see more local lockdowns in Germany': Experts warn of tough measures as Covid-19 cases rise
The first local lockdown in the autumn coronavirus resurgence was announced in southern Bavaria this week. Is it likely that more districts will follow? The popular alpine beauty spot of Berchtesgadener Land went into lockdown on Tuesday afternoon for two weeks after cases of coronavirus shot up. But politicians, health experts and district representatives believe that similar measures may be necessary elsewhere in Germany as Covid-19 numbers continue to go up. How tough the measures are depends on the incidence of infection and the ability of health authorities to contain it, said federal Health Minister Jens Spahn of the Christian Democrats (CDU) on broadcaster ZDF. If numbers spiral out of control, "this may indeed lead to appropriate measures in other areas at local and regional level," said Spahn.
21st Oct 2020 - The Local Germany
Italian PM Considers New Curbs After Regions Tighten Restrictions
Italy reported record new coronavirus infections on Wednesday as Rome and Milan, the country’s political and financial capitals, prepare for a night-time curfew. New cases rose by 15,199, a 40% increase compared to Tuesday and well above the previous record of 11,705. Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said he cannot rule out further regional curbs as the country faces an accelerating pandemic.
21st Oct 2020 - Bloomberg Quint
Europe Takes a Swedish Turn on Tackling Covid-19
Last spring, as the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic swept through Europe, Sweden became the continent’s controversial exception on how to tackle the virus. As other countries — from Italy to the U.K. — enforced draconian lockdowns, the Swedes went for a light touch. That sparked outrage among people concerned by a seemingly cavalier approach to the death toll and enthusiasm from those more worried about individual freedom and protecting the economy. The result was a fatality rate higher than Sweden’s Nordic neighbors, but a smaller hit on the economy than most other European countries (the likes of Denmark excepted).
21st Oct 2020 - Bloomberg
Spanish government mulling curfews to tackle Covid-19 resurgence
The Spanish government announced that was considering fresh curfews to tackle a resurgence in the number of new curfews to tackle a resurgence in the number of new cases. Addressing the media here on Tuesday, Health Minister Salvador Illa said that imposing a curfew on Madrid, and in some other parts of the country, would require invoking a State of Emergency
21st Oct 2020 - Business Insider India
Coronavirus: France considers extending COVID state of emergency until mid-February
France's government is considering extending its state of emergency until 16 February next year. Government spokesperson Gabriel Attal also said several more regions of the country will enter red-alert status, meaning they will see curfews imposed. The proposed new end date to the health state of emergency means 9pm to 6am curfews already in place in France's biggest cities could be extended.
21st Oct 2020 - Sky News
Pakistan coronavirus mortality rate increases by 140 per cent, govt warns new lockdown
Pakistan's top body, which oversees response to the coronavirus pandemic, on Wednesday warned that strict measures, including lockdown, could be initiated to contain the infection if people don't stop violating government guidelines, as the country's COVID-19 mortality rate increased by 140 per cent compared to past few weeks. "The National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC) is closely monitoring the situation. If there is no improvement in SOPs compliance observed, NCOC will have no choice but to revert to strict measures leading to re-closures of services," the body said in a statement on Wednesday. During a special session of the NCOC to monitor an increase in cases, the body led by Minister for Planning Asad Umar was informed that there is a clear resurgence of the virus while deaths are also increasing. All chief secretaries were directed to "strictly implement" standard operating procedures (SOPs), Geo TV reported, citing the statement.
21st Oct 2020 - India TV News
A Third Coronavirus Surge Has Taken Root in the U.S.
The latest wave — which is raging most acutely in the Midwest and the West, but is also spreading in various areas around the country — threatens to be the worst of the pandemic yet. Its arrival comes as cooler weather is forcing people indoors, setting up a grueling winter that will test the discipline of many Americans who have grown weary of wearing masks and turning down invitations to see family and friends. Over the last week, the country has averaged about 59,000 new cases a day, the most since the beginning of August. The daily total could soon surpass 75,687, a record previously set on July 16.
21st Oct 2020 - The New York Times
New Zealand records nearly a dozen new Covid-19 cases after eliminating virus — twice
Eleven fishermen have tested positive for coronavirus while quarantining in a New Zealand hotel, ending the country’s second extended streak of zero cases. The workers reportedly flew in from Moscow via Singapore on Friday, and are among 440 fishermen from Russia and Ukraine currently quarantining in Christchurch’s Sudima Hotel. All of the men are believed to have tested negative for the virus before leaving their countries. A further 14 cases from within the group are also now “under investigation”, the country’s Health Ministry has said. The 11 new cases were discovered during “routine” coronavirus testing and, as a result, the hotel was put into lockdown on Tuesday.
21st Oct 2020 - The Independent on MSN.com
Why is Ireland choosing a 'seesaw' approach to tackling Covid-19?
Taoiseach Micheal Martin on Monday night confirmed the entire country will move to Level 5 of Covid-19 restrictions for six weeks from Thursday onwards in a bid to tackle a spike in cases. He then stated that Ireland strategy’s will involve working to “suppress the virus when it is growing” and reopening “as much of our society and economy as possible when it is safe to do so”. “Until we have a safe vaccine, we must continue in that pattern. This is the reality in the rest of the world and it is unfortunately the reality here,” Martin said. Although not named as such by government, some people have been critical of this so-called ‘seesaw’ approach that has been signposted as Ireland’s path through the pandemic. Martin said it is “the core responsibility” of the government “to protect lives and to protect public health, while also protecting livelihoods and supporting the wider economy and society”.
21st Oct 2020 - TheJournal.ie
Poland's Covid-19 cases double in three weeks
Italy has registered 15,199 new coronavirus infections over the past 24 hours, the health ministry said, the highest daily tally since the start of the country's outbreak and up from a previous record of 11,705 posted on Sunday. Yesterday saw 10,874 new cases of Covid-19. The ministry also reported 127 virus-related deaths today, up from 89 the day before, but still far fewer than at the height of the pandemic in Italy in March and April, when a daily peak of more than 900 fatalities was reached.
After declining over the summer, infections have steadily accelerated in the last few months.
21st Oct 2020 - RTE.ie
Turkey said to consider a return to some coronavirus curbs
Turkey is considering re-imposing some measures to stem rising coronavirus cases such as stay-home orders for younger and older people or even weekend lockdowns, but will avoid hurting the economic recovery, a senior official said. The official, who requested anonymity, said the total number of COVID-19 cases is about five times that reported in the government’s daily tally - echoing concerns by Turkey’s top medical association and opposition lawmakers. Health ministry officials were not immediately available to comment. Health Minister Fahrettin Koca has warned about the uptick in numbers and urged Turks to abide by nationwide distancing and mask rules, which are subject to fines.
21st Oct 2020 - Reuters
No plans for new coronavirus lockdown measures, says Kremlin
The Kremlin said on Wednesday it was not planning any new lockdown measures to contain the novel coronavirus, even as deaths in Russia from COVID-19 hit a record daily high of 317. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia’s health system is now better equipped than earlier in the pandemic to cope with the rise in cases. Russia reported another 15,700 new coronavirus infections on Wednesday.
21st Oct 2020 - Reuters India
Coronavirus risks running out of control in Germany, warns Soeder
The leader of Bavaria’s Christian Social Union (CSU), Markus Soeder, warned on Wednesday that the coronavirus is at risk of spiraling out of control in Germany. While Germany’s infection rates are lower than in much of Europe, they have been accelerating and hit a daily record of 7,830 on Saturday, according to the Robert Koch Institute. “Corona is back with full force ... the second wave is here,” Soeder told the Bavarian state assembly, adding caution and prudence were required.
21st Oct 2020 - Reuters UK
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 21st Oct 2020
View this newsletter in fullUK Records More Than 200 Daily Covid-19 Deaths For First Time Since June
The UK has recorded 241 Covid-related deaths in a single 24-hour period – the highest number since June 5. England recorded 213 deaths, Wales 10, Scotland 15 and Northern Ireland three. The figures represent deaths within 28 days of a positive Covid-19 test that were recorded in the 24 hours up to 5pm on Monday (for England and Wales) or 9.30am on Tuesday (for Scotland and Northern Ireland). The UK last saw 200 deaths recorded in a single 24-hour period on June 5 when 258 deaths were reported, Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) figures show. The DHSC’s overall death toll, measured since the start of the pandemic, has now risen to 43,967. But due to how and when deaths are reported this doesn’t tell the full story
20th Oct 2020 - Huffington Post UK on MSN.com
Arizona reports more than 1,000 new COVID-19 cases and 7 new known deaths
Arizona reported 1,040 new COVID-19 cases and seven new known deaths on Tuesday as new cases and hospitalizations continue gradual increases, but remain far below levels from the summer peak. Identified cases rose to 232,937 and known deaths were at 5,837, according to the daily report from the Arizona Department of Health Services. The past several weeks have seen relatively higher daily case reports. The number of patients hospitalized statewide for known or suspected COVID-19 cases was at 777 on Monday, up from 721 inpatients on Sunday. Monday's 777 inpatients was the highest reported since Aug. 28. At the peak of Arizona's surge in July, the number of hospitalized patients suspected or confirmed to have the virus exceeded 3,000.
20th Oct 2020 - The Arizona Republic
Younger people lead new wave of COVID-19 infections in Greece
Greece recorded a new daily record of coronavirus cases on Tuesday, topping the 600 mark for the first time, with younger people accounting for a majority of the new infections, health authorities said. Nationwide, there were 667 new confirmed infections and eight new deaths, authorities said. "The pandemic is showing clear signs that it is steadily spreading," said epidemiologist Gikas Magiorkinis, adding that people in the age group of 18 to 39 years old made up some 60% to 70% of the new infections.
20th Oct 2020 - Reuters on MSN.com
Quebec reports 877 new COVID-19 cases, 12 additional deaths as hospitalizations rise
Quebec’s health-care system is “running on empty,” Premier Francois Legault said Tuesday as the province reported 33 new hospitalizations from COVID-19. But while Legault expressed sympathy for the exhaustion and frustration of nurses working in hospitals, he said his government could not offer them raises above the level of inflation during ongoing contract talks.
20th Oct 2020 - National Post
Covid-19 hospitalizations are on the rise in the US
Coronavirus hospitalizations are currently increasing in 39 states as the number of infections continues to trend upwards across the United States. The uptick in hospitalizations is being driven mostly by the Midwest with 16 states hitting, or nearing, their peak number of patients with Covid-19. More than 37,700 Americans were hospitalized nationwide with coronavirus on Monday, according to data from The COVID Tracking Project. It is still down from the peak 59,700 hospitalizations that were recorded in April. Hospitalizations have been on the rise since late September after there was a resurgence in infections nationwide. Despite the increase in cases and hospitalizations, there has not been an uptick in deaths like the surges seen in the spring and summer. The number of Americans dying per day has been averaging about 700 for the past month, which is well below the April peak of nearly 2,000 fatalities a day
20th Oct 2020 - Daily Mail
Rural U.S. Hospitals Are On Life Support As a Third Wave of COVID-19 Strikes
When COVID-19 hit the Southwest Georgia Regional Medical Center in Cuthbert, a small rural town in Randolph County, in late March, the facility—which includes a 25-bed hospital, an adjacent nursing home and a family-medicine clinic, was quickly overwhelmed. In just a matter of days, 45 of the 62 nursing home residents tested positive. Negative residents were isolated in the hospital while the severely ill patients from both the nursing home and the local community were transferred to other better-equipped facilities. “We were trying to get the patients out as fast as possible,” says Steve Whatley, Southwest Georgia Regional’s board chairman. “It was a daily nightmare.”
20th Oct 2020 - Yahoo! News
Staggering numbers reveal how Covid-19 infections have exploded in student hotspots
The astonishing speed in which Coronavirus infection rates exploded as students returned to the North East has been revealed. Cases mushroomed in student-heavy postcodes across the region. In Durham City Centre, it took just a fortnight for the area to suffer a 140-fold surge in the infection rate. And an investigation by Reach PLC's data team has found areas with the most students comfortably have the most cases. In Newcastle city centre, which currently has the city's highest infection rate, 40% of the population are students. Around half of those living in Shieldfield and Heaton Park, another virus hotspot, are currently studying. In comparison, areas with very few students - such as New York and Seahouses - have the lowest infection rates, although there are multiple factors behind this.
20th Oct 2020 - ChronicleLive
Coronavirus: Homes for the elderly find ways to avoid lockdown
The doors are still open at the Lore Malsch Protestant care home in Munich, albeit to the surprise of some visitors. "Now we're getting phone calls — lots of calls," says the home's manager, Jan Steinbach. People are asking whether they are still allowed to visit loved ones as the nationwide caseload in Germany ticks upwards.
Whether to limit visitors during the pandemic is a real quandary, with no correct answers for care homes. Let visitors in, and risk bringing COVID-19 into a facility full of at-risk people. Keep them out, and deny residents contact with their loved ones, potentially damaging their health through isolation itself.
20th Oct 2020 - DW (English)
Italian government enlists top influencers to promote COVID masks
Top Italian influencer Chiara Ferragni and her rapper husband Fedez have urged their fans to wear face masks, heeding a call from Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte to raise awareness about battling COVID-19. Ferragni, 33, and Fedez, 31, are especially popular amongst teenagers and interrupted their usual flow of Instagram glamour to stress the importance of masks in curbing infections.
20th Oct 2020 - Reuters UK
New virus restrictions deal fresh blow to Spain economy
Fresh virus restrictions imposed in Spain's two regional economic powerhouses, Catalonia and Madrid, have darkened the country's already bleak growth forecasts and angered business leaders. The two regions together account for around 40 percent of Spain's economic output and are home to most of the country's big firms, as well as the pillars of its economy such as tourism and the manufacturing sector. "We will die of hunger," hundreds of restaurant operators chanted during a protest Friday in Catalan capital Barcelona against a 15-day shutdown of bars and restaurants to contain a surge in cases in the northeastern region.
20th Oct 2020 - Yahoo! News
European nations mixed in their response to virus spikes
Countries across Europe are battling coronavirus infection spikes with new lockdowns, curfews, face mask orders and virus tracking smart phone apps. In a small indication of success, Spain's government said it won't extend a state of emergency in the Madrid region when it expires Saturday, but will look to more local measures. But as a resurgence of the global pandemic sweeps across the continent, local and national governments also are facing swelling opposition to the new measures. Britain's government on Tuesday said it will impose tough new measures on Greater Manchester, sparking anger from the region's mayor.
20th Oct 2020 - ABC News
France's new COVID-19 cases slow but deaths sharply up
France reported a massive increase of the number of people hospitalised with COVID-19 on Monday, while also becoming the eighth country in the world to report more than 900,000 cases since the start of the outbreak. The daily data showed the partial curfew imposed on nine major cities, including Paris, since Saturday has yet to yield some results. Experts say it takes two weeks on average for containment measures to show their effectiveness. During the country’s national lockdown put in place between March 17 and May 11, hospitalisations kept rising until April 14.
20th Oct 2020 - Reuters India
How coronavirus exposed Europe's weaknesses
For many Europeans the moment coronavirus arrived on their continent was on February 23 when Italian authorities quarantined 10 small towns south-east of Milan. They watched, agog, as the carabinieri cordoned off access, trapping residents inside their infected neighbourhoods. Few had imagined that the kind of draconian controls imposed by China in Wuhan would be necessary or indeed feasible in a European democracy. The lockdown of Lombardy’s “red zone” should have punctured any complacency. And yet it took another two to three weeks for governments across the continent to appreciate the scale of infection in their own countries and take sweeping measures to contain it. Some countries coped admirably with the first wave — or had the good fortune of minimal exposure to the virus. Others were hampered by poor preparedness, indecisive leadership and discord between central, regional and local governments. Nations squabbled and failed to learn from each other. The EU itself wobbled under the strain. These are five of the key moments that shaped Europe’s early response — and, in some cases, continue to plague its handling of the pandemic as a second wave crashes over the continent.
20th Oct 2020 - Financial Times
New COVID-19 outbreak rocks New Zealand as 11 new cases emerge - just days after Jacinda Ardern win
At least 11 new coronavirus cases were confirmed in New Zealand on Tuesday
Fishermen quarantining at the Sudima Hotel in Christchurch tested positive
Comes days after Jacinda Ardern was re-elected as New Zealand prime minister
The Sudima Hotel, housing hundreds of workers, was placed into lockdown
20th Oct 2020 - Daily Mail
Spain considers curfews to fight new coronavirus wave
The Spanish government is considering new restrictions, including possible curfews, in hard-hit regions like Madrid to tackle a new wave of coronavirus contagion, Health Minister Salvador Illa said on Tuesday. The country, which has Western Europe’s highest case load, is likely to surpass one million infections this week and several regions have toughened their coronavirus restrictions in the past few days. “We have very tough weeks ahead, winter is coming,” Illa told reporters. “The second wave is no longer a threat, it is a reality in all of Europe.”
20th Oct 2020 - Reuters UK
Is US headed toward national COVID-19 lockdown? Why Fauci, others say that’s unlikely
With more than 8.1 million coronavirus cases and nearly 220,000 deaths — numbers that grow by the hour — Americans may wonder if the U.S. is in for a national lockdown. The question is of particular importance now, as infections grow in nearly every state and as some ponder whether former Vice President Joe Biden, if elected president, is planning on shutting the country down. But the real question may be: Is it legal? Early in the pandemic, President Donald Trump used his federal powers to limit border crossings from Canada and Mexico, prevent foreign nationals from Europe from traveling into the U.S., and require foreign nationals from China to quarantine once entering the country.
19th Oct 2020 - Miami Herald
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 20th Oct 2020
View this newsletter in fullLatin America and Caribbean reports dangerous surge
Colombia - Latin America and the Caribbean surpassed 10.4 million cases and 380,000 deaths Monday from the novel coronavirus, which has infected more than 40 million people worldwide. Despite a second wave emerging in Europe, Latin America is still the hardest hit region by the pandemic. Argentina has become the fifth country in the world to exceed one million cases after infections accelerated in recent weeks. The country follows in the footsteps of the US, India, Brazil and Russia, all with far larger populations than Argentina's roughly 45 million people. After having imposed a strict quarantine since March 20, the government has eased restrictions to help revive economic growth, leading to a rise in infections. The country has 1,002,662 cases and 26,716 deaths.
20th Oct 2020 - Anadolu Agency
Coronavirus: New Covid-19 cases rising rapidly across US
New coronavirus infections are growing rapidly across the US, experts say, with new hospital admissions also increasing around the country. Nearly 70,000 new cases were recorded on Friday - the highest number of new infections seen in one day since July. Cases have been trending upward for 48 states over the past week. Only two states, Missouri and Vermont, are recording numbers that are improving.
Dealing with the pandemic has continued to be a central issue in the US election.
Despite the uptick in infections - and recovering from Covid himself earlier this month - President Donald Trump is still traveling the country for large in-person campaign rallies.
19th Oct 2020 - BBC
Covid cases rise by almost 19,000 in the UK as 80 more deaths are announced
A further 18,804 cases of coronavirus cases and 80 deaths have been announced in the UK. It brings the total number of cases in the UK to 741,212 and confirmed deaths to 43,726. Separate figures published by the UK’s statistics agencies show there have now been 58,500 deaths registered in the UK where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate. The number of cases remains high as the government pushes for more areas of England to be put under Tier 3 lockdown while Wales has announced it is entering a 'circuit break' lockdown. The two-week lockdown in Wales will see many hospitality venues closed, secondary schools will only be open to years seven and eight and, people will be told to stay at home as much as possible.
19th Oct 2020 - ITV News
Analysis: Will Scotland follow Wales into 'firebreaker' lockdown?
Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford briefed Nicola Sturgeon by phone this morning before he went public with a tranche of new restrictions. People have been ordered to stay at home, while pubs, restaurants, hotels and non-essential shops will shut down.
19th Oct 2020 - The Scotsman
Will Germany's effective Covid strategy work again as it enters a second wave?
I believe that we benefited greatly from three factors in the first wave. The first was sheer luck, which enabled people to act early. With the disturbing and tragic images of outbreaks in northern Italy and in countries that were a few weeks ahead of us, the German population was already very alarmed by the time we registered a first significant increase in cases. The mood meant that the mobility of the population had already severely decreased before we even decided on and announced the initial political measures. Evaluations of mobility using phone data clearly prove this.
19th Oct 2020 - The Guardian
Italy, Austria tighten coronavirus restrictions
Italy and Austria have introduced stricter measures to curb the rise in new coronavirus cases. Late Sunday, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced new restrictions on public life, including midnight closing times for bars and restaurants from Monday. Venues could also be forced to close at 9 p.m. in case of large crowds. Conte insisted that "the strategy is not and cannot be the same as in the spring," when Italy had one of Europe's highest death rates from COVID-19 while at the same time paying a high economic price due to the lockdown.
19th Oct 2020 - POLITICO
Italy orders bars to shut from 6pm and 'public spaces' to close after 9pm amid rising covid cases
Italy reported 11,705 cases on Sunday, eclipsing Saturday's highest ever toll
Bars and restaurants have to close at 6pm unless they can offer table service
Festivals, fairs and amateur sport have all been closed but gyms remain open
Lombardy, the former epicentre of the virus, is experiencing another surge
Across Europe, many countries are imposing harsh new measures to curb virus
19th Oct 2020 - Daily Mail
Coronavirus: Italy and Belgium toughen restrictions fearing a 'tsunami' of COVID-19 infections
Italy and Belgium have introduced new socialising rules amid fears there could be a "tsunami" in coronavirus cases. The new restrictions in Belgium came into force as a government minister admitted the country can "no longer control" the current rate of COVID-19 transmission. Bars and restaurants have been closed with only takeaways allowed up until 10pm, while groups of people are limited to four when together in public spaces. Close contact with just one person is allowed outside a household while the same four guests, changeable every two weeks, may visit a home if they follow social distancing rules. There is also a nightly curfew from midnight to 5am.
19th Oct 2020 - Sky News
Ireland Set for Tough Curbs as Europe Seeks to Control Virus
Ireland is poised to introduce some of Europe’s toughest measures to curb the coronavirus as countries across the region battle to overcome the pandemic. The Irish cabinet is due to meet on Monday to finalize the restrictions after health authorities recommended a move to the tightest lockdown tier. While the government may stop short of imposing a total shutdown, it has indicated that all non-essential stores, restaurants and bars could close. “There is a big hit to the economy, and that has to be paid for,” Europe Minister Thomas Byrne said in an interview with broadcaster RTE on Monday. “It is incumbent on the government to consider every single ramification of this.” Countries across Europe are toughening restrictions to fight the pandemic. Still, governments are grappling with the challenge of controlling the outbreak without inflicting lasting damage on their economies, prompting some to take different approaches.
19th Oct 2020 - Bloomberg Quint
Europe second wave: Belgium is facing a 'tsunami' of coronavirus infections
Belgium has shut bars and restaurants while hospitals are delaying surgeries
Country's infection rate is the second-worst in Europe after the Czech Republic
Italy is imposing new restrictions while Dutch bar owners are fighting closures
19th Oct 2020 - Daily Mail
As Covid-19 Roars Back in Europe, Governments Get Tougher on Rule Breakers
Now a second wave is surging across the Continent but civil obedience has waned. In response, governments are flexing enforcement muscles more forcefully than at any time since March. Fines for public-health violations that had declined over the summer are rising in most countries and punishments for breaking curfews, local lockdowns and quarantines are also increasing. “We won’t be issuing warnings any more,” said Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo in a television interview Sunday. “Those who don’t follow the rules get a €250 fine [$294], to be collected immediately.” In Italy, the first European country the virus battered, officials began tightening anti-Covid regulations earlier this month as the number of confirmed infections jumped. New rules make face masks obligatory outdoors in almost all cases, with fines for not wearing one ranging from €400 to €1,000. Masks have been obligatory indoors in most settings throughout the pandemic.
19th Oct 2020 - The Wall Street Journal
Spain's regions tighten COVID-19 measures as one million case milestone looms
Several Spanish regions toughened their coronavirus restrictions on Monday, seeking to curb a second wave of contagion that looks set to drive the country with Western Europe’s highest case load above one million infections this week. Authorities in the northern region of Castile and Leon announced they would seal off the city of Burgos and nearby Aranda de Duero to all but essential travel from Tuesday night after infection rates in the area surpassed 500 cases per 100,000 people. “We are in circumstances similar to those of March or April,” Burgos Mayor Daniel de la Rosa told state broadcaster TVE, recalling the beginning of the pandemic, when many Spaniards were confined to their homes to stop the spread.
19th Oct 2020 - Reuters UK
French coronavirus curfew produces eerie quiet on streets of Paris
The streets of Paris and eight other French cities were deserted on Saturday night on the first day of the government-imposed 9 p.m. curfew that is scheduled to last for at least four weeks. The measure was announced by French President Emmanuel Macron to curb the resurgent coronavirus as new infections peaked to over 30,000 a day. Macron said the curfews were needed to stop local hospitals from becoming overrun. In France, nearly 20 million people are covered by the curfew and eerily deserted scenes were observed in Marseille, Lyon, Lille and Toulouse as well. The curfew runs until 6 a.m. daily. The country is deploying 12,000 extra police officers to enforce the new rules.
19th Oct 2020 - USA TODAY
India has reached coronavirus peak, says government panel
An Indian government panel of experts says the country’s rampant coronavirus pandemic may have peaked and could be under control by February. But independent analysts are sceptical that the worst is over in a country that has reported more new coronavirus infections than any other nation since the middle of August. The virus has had a devastating effect on the Indian economy, which is forecast to contract by about 10 per cent while most schools have been shut since March. Daily new cases, however, have fallen by about 33 per cent since mid-September, tumbling from a peak of an average of 93,000 a day to last week’s average of 63,025.
19th Oct 2020 - The Financial Times
Coronavirus: Has the pandemic really peaked in India?
A group of India's top scientists believe so. Their latest mathematical model suggests India passed its peak of reported infections in September and the pandemic can be controlled by February next year. All such models assume the obvious: people will wear masks, avoid large gatherings, maintain social distancing and wash hands. India has recorded some 7.5 million Covid-19 cases and more than 114,000 deaths so far. It has a sixth of the world's population and a sixth of reported cases. However, India accounts for only 10% of the world's deaths from the virus. Its case fatality rate or CFR, which measures deaths among Covid-19 patients, is less than 2% - among the lowest in the world.
19th Oct 2020 - BBC
Global coronavirus cases hit 40 million as second wave gathers pace
The number of coronavirus cases around the world has hit 40 million on Monday, according to Johns Hopkins University data. The grim milestone reached on Monday comes as various parts of Europe and the U.S. struggle to deal with an alarming surge in cases.
19th Oct 2020 - CNBC
Covid: How other countries are tackling the second wave differently from the UK | ITV News
After entire nations were shut down during the first surge of the coronavirus earlier this year, some countries are trying more targeted measures as cases rise again, especially in Europe and the Americas. Here's a look at lockdown restrictions around the world:
19th Oct 2020 - ITV News
No lockdown needed in Bulgaria to contain new wave of pandemic - IMF
Bulgaria will not need to impose a full lockdown to contain the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic if it follows protective measures like mask-wearing and social distancing, International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said. “Bulgaria risks, like every other country, a shock from a second wave,” Bulgarian-born Georgieva told a briefing for Bulgarian media on Sunday by videoconference. “It does not mean a full lockdown when you follow protective measures, like wearing masks, social distancing and testing. This is what we should do now in the face of a second wave.”
19th Oct 2020 - Reuters
ECB's De Guindos says European countries want to avoid strict lockdowns
European Central Bank Vice-President Luis de Guindos said on Monday that Europe was being hit by second wave of coronavirus, but countries were not keen to impose strict lockdown measures as seen at the end of March.
19th Oct 2020 - Reuters UK
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 19th Oct 2020
View this newsletter in fullIreland to impose nationwide COVID-19 curbs on Monday - minister
Ireland will bring in “decisive” nationwide COVID-19 restrictions on Monday but will stop short of reintroducing the kind of lockdown imposed earlier this year, Higher Education Minister Simon Harris said on Sunday. The government rejected a recommendation by health chiefs two weeks ago to jump Level 5, the highest level of COVID-19 curbs, and instead tightened restrictions in a varied regional approach that Harris said was no longer sufficient. On Saturday, Ireland broke its record for the number of cases recorded in a single day for the fourth time in the space of a week, bringing cases per 100,000 people in the past 14 days to 232, the 12th highest rate among the 31 countries monitored by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.
18th Oct 2020 - Reuters
Fauci warns that Covid-19 infection rates are too high heading into winter
The number of coronavirus cases in the United States surpassed 8 million on Friday as health officials from coast to coast scramble to contain the rising rate of infections. The case numbers are steadily increasing daily, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. The country has averaged more than 53,000 new daily cases for the past week -- an increase of more than 55% in just over a month -- and Friday's caseload was not the exception, according to Johns Hopkins data.
18th Oct 2020 - CNN
Fauci says COVID-19 numbers would have to 'get really, really bad' before another national lockdown
Fauci made the remarks in a 60 Minutes interview, set to air in full on Sunday
The top doctor says public health measures, such as mask wearing and social distancing, should be kept up in order to avoid another lockdown. His comments come as the US records its highest number of daily infection numbers in more than two months. There are widespread fears a second national lockdown could be imminent as the weather cools and case numbers continue to rise. On Friday, America surpassed 8 million COVID-19 infections and 218,000 deaths
18th Oct 2020 - Daily Mail
As cases rise again, second thoughts on another lockdown
As COVID-19 cases have risen in Massachusetts and around the country, a public still hearing the echo of “flatten the curve” has begun bracing for — and dreading — a potential wintertime shutdown. So far, though, elected officials, including Governor Charlie Baker, have largely resisted saying if they would issue a new round of stay-at-home orders. And, increasingly, public health experts say they might not need to. “Lockdown is a blunt measure that impacts the whole population,” said Natalia Linos, executive director of the FXB Center for Health and Human Rights at Harvard University. “We know that we will have pockets of outbreaks, and if we are able to quickly identify those pockets and shut them down, then we can prevent the situation where we have widespread exposure" that leads to wider lockdowns.
18th Oct 2020 - The Boston Globe
Europe’s New Covid Wave
One of the biggest falsehoods of 2020 is the notion that everyone other than the United States has a handle on Covid-19. This distortion undergirds Democratic and media criticism of President Trump and some governors for not locking down as aggressively as the Spanish or tracing contacts as assiduously as the Germans.
If only this were true. Instead, most places that have been held forth as coulda-woulda-shoulda models for Washington are now in the grip of their second virus wave. Nor are their pandemic politics any less messy.
18th Oct 2020 - The Wall Street Journal
Europe's second wave raises threat of double-dip recession
Europe’s economy is sliding towards a double-dip recession, with economists warning that rising coronavirus infections and fresh government restrictions on people’s movement are likely to cut short the region’s recent recovery. Germany, France, the UK, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands have all announced measures in the past week to contain the second wave of Covid-19 infections, with more expected in the coming days. Belgium on Sunday announced the closure of all bars and cafés for four weeks, while Switzerland widened its mandate for wearing masks. France put into effect a night curfew in Paris and other cities from Saturday. The measures follow a sharp rise in case numbers, with a number of European countries reporting record new daily infection figures over the weekend.
18th Oct 2020 - Financial Times
Covid-19’s first wave largely missed southern Italy. The second wave is hitting it hard.
Italy is about to test the value of "flattening the curve." When northern Italy became the epicenter of the pandemic in the spring, one urgent concern was that the country’s coronavirus outbreak would quickly spread to the less-prosperous south and overwhelm under-resourced regional health systems. That fear wasn’t realized. A strict nationwide lockdown largely contained the virus in the north and brought the outbreak under control. But now the virus is raging again, through Europe and through Italy, with a spike that is again hitting the north but this time also the south. In Campania, which includes Naples, the daily number of detected new cases is five times larger than March’s peak.
18th Oct 2020 - The Washington Post
Italy to announce new COVID-19 restrictions as infections spike: PM's office
Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte will announce on Sunday another set of measures to counter the new wave of COVID-19 cases, his office said, after the country registered a new daily record in infections on Saturday. Conte’s office said the government is discussing new restrictions with local and health authorities, aiming to stem contagion while limiting the impact on individuals and businesses. Italy was the first major European country to be hit by COVID-19 and had managed to get the outbreak under control by the summer thanks to a rigid two-month lockdown on business and people’s movement. But infections have soared in recent weeks.
18th Oct 2020 - Reuters
Italy Considering Tightest Restrictions Since National Lockdown
Italy is considering the tightest restrictions on nonessential activities since its national lockdown in a bid to contain a jump in new coronavirus cases, which topped 10,000 for the first time on Friday. Health Minister Roberto Speranza met with regional leaders Saturday morning to discuss the measures that are expected to be approved by Giuseppe Conte’s government as early as Saturday evening, according to three government officials, who asked not to be named in line with their policy. Speranza said businesses that come under the ban will receive some compensation, according to one of the officials. Conte’s plan is aimed at avoiding a new lockdown and reducing the potential economic impact, the officials said.
18th Oct 2020 - Bloomberg
Spain’s Catalonia Surpasses 200 hospital Admissions and Reports over 2,846 New Infections
Catalonia, in northeastern Spain, has exceeded 200 hospital admissions into ICU and now has more than 2,846 new infections. The risk of regrowth for the autonomous community increases to 392.06 points, a rise of more than 20 points since this Friday- nine deaths have also been reported in the last 24 hours. According to the epidemiological evolution data updated this Friday by the Department of Health, the total number of confirmed cases of coronavirus since the beginning of the pandemic is 197,144, which represents 2,846 new infections since yesterday, of which 170,165 are positively confirmed by CRP tests.
18th Oct 2020 - Euro Weekly News
Breaking: UK Coronavirus Hospital Deaths Five Times Higher Than a Month Ago
The UK’s coronavirus death toll increased by 86 in England, 15 in Scotland, five in Wales and two in Northern Ireland as tougher Covid-19 lockdown restrictions came into effect across the country. The figure now matches June’s total and is five times higher than a month ago. There are 675 people in hospital confirmed to have the virus as of yesterday, which is up by 46 in 24 hours. Of these patients, 62 were in intensive care, up by four. Wales’ death toll climbed to 1,708 after five more deaths were recorded. There were 674 new confirmed cases, taking the total to 34,679.
More than half of England’s residents – 28 million people – are now living under Tier 2 and Tier 3 lockdowns after restrictions were tightened in places such as Lancashire, London, most of Essex and York.
18th Oct 2020 - Euro Weekly News
Europe braces for impact of 2nd-wave pandemic restrictions
Millions of residents across Europe are bracing for what is likely to be a difficult winter ahead. After making the necessary sacrifices to get through the first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic in the spring, Europeans enjoyed a period of relative freedom — to return to schools and bars, fly between countries and go on holiday.
But rising infections in the last month have forced governments to consider tightening restrictions again. While some countries have seen COVID-19 case numbers return to what they were before the spring, others are being hit harder than ever. For example, the Czech Republic warned earlier this week that the country's medical system could be on the brink of a breakdown. "We are in danger of collapsing here," Interior Minister Jan Hamacek warned Czech media earlier this week. If the current outbreak, which saw a record 9,721 cases confirmed within a 24-hour period on Thursday, is not contained soon, Hamacek said, there will be "corpse freezers in the streets."
18th Oct 2020 - CBC.ca
Coronavirus: Empty streets in France as curfew enforced
The streets of Paris and eight other French cities were deserted on Saturday night as a new curfew was enforced. The controversial overnight curfew is aimed at curbing the soaring Covid infection rate in France, which is one of Europe's coronavirus hotspots. There have been complaints from restaurant owners, whose businesses are already suffering after the two-month lockdown in the spring. New measures are also to be announced in Italy due to a rise in cases. Italy, which was the first European country to be hit significantly by Covid in the first wave, registered a record number of new daily cases on Saturday. Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte will announce fresh restrictions on Sunday.
18th Oct 2020 - BBC
France reports more than 25,000 new coronavirus infections in past 24 hours amid nightly curfews
The French health ministry has reported 25,086 new confirmed coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, after reporting a record 30,621 the previous day. It also reported that 122 people had died from coronavirus infection in hospitals in the past 24 hours, compared with 88 on Thursday (local time). Including deaths in retirement homes, the death toll increased by 178 on Friday. The total number of infections since the start of the year now stands at 834,770, and the cumulative number of dead at 33,303.
18th Oct 2020 - ABC News
Paris under curfew as Europe battles soaring virus caseload
Millions of Europeans on Saturday faced tough new coronavirus restrictions as governments try to combat spiralling infections. Paris and other French cities are under a nighttime curfew which will last for at least a month, while England is banning mixed household gatherings in the capital and other areas and Italy's most populous region is limiting bar openings and suspending sports events. Cases of the disease which has upended life across the globe and wreaked social and economic havoc have been soaring beyond levels seen in the first wave earlier this year, when many countries sought to stem the tide with lockdowns of varying degree. In the face of the surge, governments have been forced to embark on ever tighter measures to control the pandemic's spread, while trying to avoid full-on lockdowns.
18th Oct 2020 - Japan Today
Russia shuns tough restrictions even as infections soar
It’s Friday night in Moscow, and popular bars and restaurants in the city center are packed. No one except the staff is wearing a mask or bothers to keep their distance. There is little indication at all that Russia is being swept by a resurgence of coronavirus infections. “I believe that everyone will have the disease eventually,” says Dr. Alexandra Yerofeyeva, an internal medicine specialist at an insurance company, while sipping a cocktail at The Bix bar in Moscow. She adds cheerfully: “Nothing ventured, nothing gained.” The outbreak in Russia this month is breaking the records set in the spring, when a lockdown to slow the spread of the virus was put in place. But, as governments across Europe move to reimpose restrictions to counter rising cases, authorities in Russia are resisting shutting down businesses again. Some regions have closed nightclubs or limited the hours of bars and restaurants, but few measures have been implemented in Moscow, which is once again the epicenter of the surge.
18th Oct 2020 - The Japan Times
Hospitality industry: the case for a lockdown
From tomorrow, all bars, cafes and restaurants in Belgium are in lockdown the second enforced closure this year, introduced for one month in an attempt to slow or stop the growth of the coronavirus epidemic in the country. Bars and restaurants were closed down in March, at the start of the epidemic in Belgium, as were non-essential shops and other places where people might gather in close proximity.
18th Oct 2020 - The Brussels Times
New coronavirus restrictions come into effect across Europe as Angela Merkel warns of hard days ahead
Chancellor Angela Merkel urged Germans to come together like they did in the spring to slow the spread of the coronavirus as the country posted another daily record of new cases Saturday. "Difficult months are ahead of us," she said in her weekly video podcast. "How winter will be, how our Christmas will be, that will all be decided in these coming days and weeks, and it will be decided by our behaviour."
Meanwhile, new restrictions went into effect in several other European nations in an effort to staunch the resurgence of the pandemic.
18th Oct 2020 - 9News
Johnson eyes more local lockdown measures as COVID cases rise
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Friday he would intervene with further localised restrictions to fight a rapidly growing second wave of the coronavirus pandemic after more of northwest England was put on the highest COVID alert level. Tougher restrictions were announced for Lancashire, but Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has resisted a move to put his area in the highest tier unless the government increases its financial support through the winter. "If agreement cannot be reached, I will need to intervene in order to protect Manchester's hospitals and save the lives of Manchester's residents," Johnson said at a news conference.
18th Oct 2020 - YAHOO!
Israel to require 14-day isolation for travelers from United Kingdom
Israel will require incoming travellers from the United Kingdom to self-isolate for 14 days upon arrival under new coronavirus guidelines, information on an Israeli government website showed on Sunday. The infection rate in the UK has risen sharply in recent weeks, prompting British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to introduce tighter restrictions and local lockdowns. The UK had been one of 31 “green” countries from which travellers who meet a series of special requirements could enter Israel without a mandatory quarantine period. The UK’s status will change to “red” on Oct. 23, Israeli health ministry information showed.
18th Oct 2020 - Reuters UK
Iran imposes new restrictions as COVID-19 deaths surpass 30,000
“The second time I was dealing with the virus, one night I was in so much pain that I said my prayers before going to sleep because I felt like I might not see another morning,” says Tehran resident Sadaf Samimi. The 29-year-old journalist told Al Jazeera she first tested positive for COVID-19 in July at her workplace and has since been working from home.
17th Oct 2020 - AlJazeera
Paris Among Eight French Cities Under Curfew As Coronavirus Cases Rise In France
As coronavirus cases rise, the French government is putting Paris and seven other cities under curfew in an effort to avoid another nationwide lockdown. Paris will be under curfew tonight, along with several other cities in France, as part of the government's attempts to try to contain the rapid spread of the coronavirus there while trying to avoid another nationwide lockdown that's damaging effect on the economy. NPR's Eleanor Beardsley joins us from Paris. Eleanor, thanks for being with us.
17th Oct 2020 - NPR
Italy Imposes Curfew and Shutters High Schools After Weeks of Spiking Cases
Italy—once the European epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak and until this month an exemplar of how to contain the spread of a deadly pandemic—is heading back into a protracted state of lockdown as the government imposed a curfew to begin Saturday evening and announced the closure of all high schools until further notice.
Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has for weeks bristled at the thought of plunging the nation into a lockdown like the one it underwent in March, after cases and deaths rapidly spread through the country's north.
17th Oct 2020 - Newsweek
New virus restrictions in Europe; Merkel warns of hard days
Chancellor Angela Merkel urged Germans to come together like they did in the spring to slow the spread of the coronavirus as the country posted another daily record of new cases Saturday. “Difficult months are ahead of us,” she said in her weekly video podcast. “How winter will be, how our Christmas will be, that will all be decided in these coming days and weeks, and it will be decided by our behavior.”
Meanwhile, new restrictions went into effect in several other European nations in an effort to staunch the resurgence of the pandemic.
17th Oct 2020 - The Associated Press
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 16th Oct 2020
View this newsletter in fullCovid-19: Number of students isolating quadruples in a week
The number of students told to isolate following Covid-19 cases at Cardiff University has quadrupled in a week. On Thursday the university said 1,983 students were in isolation - up from 510 this time last week. It also said a further 73 students had tested positive on Wednesday. Last week a total of 251 of its students tested positive for the virus. Of those in isolation, 243 have reported symptoms and 1,287 are close contacts without symptoms.
15th Oct 2020 - BBC
Pennsylvania Confirms Virus Resurges; No Plans for Lockdown
Pennsylvania is “at the start of the fall resurgence” of COVID-19, the state's health secretary said Wednesday, but does not plan to reimpose a stay-at-home order or shut down businesses again in response. Wednesday marked the ninth consecutive day that Pennsylvania’s daily case count surpassed 1,000, and the average daily number of new confirmed cases is up by more than 50% over the past two weeks, according to The COVID Tracking Project. Though some of the increased caseload is due to expanded testing, the state's hospitalization and test positivity rates are also rising. That indicates increased viral spread, Dr. Rachel Levine said.
15th Oct 2020 - U.S. News & World Report
'Time is running out,' EU warns, urging measures to avoid new lockdowns
The European Commission urged member nations on Thursday to step up preparations against the new surge of coronavirus infections and recommended common measures to roll out vaccines should they become available. With new cases hitting about 100,000 daily, Europe has by a wide margin overtaken the United States, where an average of more than 51,000 COVID-19 infections is reported every day. “Time is running out,” said EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides, urging greater coordination in tracing infections. “Everyone’s first priority should be to do what it takes to avoid the devastating consequences of generalised lockdowns.”
15th Oct 2020 - Reuters
Germany announces tougher coronavirus restrictions
Germany late on Wednesday announced new restrictions on public life in an effort to combat a surge in coronavirus cases. Chancellor Angela Merkel and the premiers of the country's 16 federal states agreed on limiting private gatherings to 15 attendees and a curfew for bars and restaurants from 11 p.m. in areas with a weekly rate of more than 35 new cases per 100,000 inhabitants.
15th Oct 2020 - POLITICO
Dutch hospitals ask for German help to cope with COVID-19 surge
Hospitals in the Netherlands on Thursday said they would ask their German counterparts to take patients after the number of those hospitalised with coronavirus doubled in the past week, to 1,526. “We are about to ask for the transfer of patients to hospitals in Germany again”, the head of the Dutch hospital association LNAZ told reporters.
15th Oct 2020 - Reuters UK
Coronavirus: Germany sees record daily increase in new cases
Germany posted over 6,000 new cases. Levels like this have not been seen since the start of the pandemic. German citizens' behavior will influence how Christmas is celebrated this year, warned Health Minister Jens Spahn. Germany saw a record daily increase in new coronavirus cases on Thursday, reporting 6,638 new infections, according to data from the Robert Koch Institute, the agency responsible for disease control and prevention. Germany's previous record daily increase was 6,294 on March 28. The country also reported 33 new deaths, bringing the total number of fatalities to 9,710.
15th Oct 2020 - DW (English)
Italy Posts Record Virus Cases as Europe Struggles With Pandemic
Italy is being removed from the UK’s travel corridor in a fresh blow to holidaymakers who will have to quarantine for a fortnight on their return from the country. In a move revealed earlier by the Guardian, Italy – which this week recorded its highest ever daily tally of Covid-19 cases – is being dropped from the dwindling list of locations that UK travellers can visit without facing quarantine when they come home. Italy last week imposed new requirements meaning visitors from the UK and some other nations must provide evidence of a negative Covid test taken 72 hours before travel – although some Italian airports have been providing tests on arrival.
15th Oct 2020 - Bloomberg
Italy poised to be removed from England's travel corridor
Italy is being removed from the UK’s travel corridor in a fresh blow to holidaymakers who will have to quarantine for a fortnight on their return from the country. In a move revealed earlier by the Guardian, Italy – which this week recorded its highest ever daily tally of Covid-19 cases – is being dropped from the dwindling list of locations that UK travellers can visit without facing quarantine when they come home. Italy last week imposed new requirements meaning visitors from the UK and some other nations must provide evidence of a negative Covid test taken 72 hours before travel – although some Italian airports have been providing tests on arrival.
15th Oct 2020 - The Guardian
Spanish Health Ministry reports nearly 12,000 new coronavirus infections, adds 209 victims to the death toll
A total of 11,970 new coronavirus cases were reported by the Spanish Health Ministry on Wednesday, toward the higher scale of the numbers seen over recent weeks. On Tuesday new infections came in at 7,118, a figure that may have been artificially low due to underreporting over the long weekend (Monday was a national holiday in Spain). In total, there have been 908,056 confirmed coronavirus infections in the country since the pandemic took hold.
15th Oct 2020 - EL PAÍS in English
Belgium warned not to be 'excessive' with new measures
Following announcements of stricter measures in France and the Netherlands, Belgium needs “a resolute policy” to manage the second wave of coronavirus infections, without becoming “excessive,” according to virologist Marc Van Ranst.
After the Netherlands announced that it would go in “partial lockdown” from Wednesday evening and France declared the public health state of emergency, calls to follow the neighbouring countries’ example have been rising in Belgium.
15th Oct 2020 - The Brussels Times
India's COVID-19 infections surpass 7.3M mark
Amid the country's coronavirus count crossing 7.3 million, movie theaters along with additional activities started in several parts of the country on Thursday as part of allowing the fifth round of easing the restrictions called Unlock-5. According to an Indian Health Ministry update early Thursday, more than 67,000 cases were registered in the last 24 hours taking the total number of infections to 7,307,097, with 680 additional deaths in the country. The government last month allowed opening of cinemas, theaters, and multiplexes with up to 50% of seating capacity as well as entertainment parks, and swimming pools for training of sportspeople. The government also authorized the state governments to take a call to reopen the schools from Thursday. In the country's financial hub Mumbai, officials said the state government has allowed the metro operation and services to resume from Oct. 19.
15th Oct 2020 - Anadolu Agency
Britain's Covid-19 strategy simply adds up to many more jobless people
It’s the textbook example of being caught between a rock and a hard place. The number of people being treated for Covid-19 in hospital is rising fast and is currently higher than it was when the UK went into full national lockdown on 23 March. Worse is to come. Simultaneously, the threat of mass unemployment looms ever larger. More workers were made redundant in the three months to August than at any time since the period when the banks almost went bust a decade ago. Worse is to come here, too. Opinion is divided on what to do next. There are those who think the second wave of Covid is potentially so serious that a full national lockdown is necessary, whatever the cost. Labour’s plan for a two- or three-week circuit breaker is really a national lockdown, merely a time-limited one.
15th Oct 2020 - The Guardian
Oil dips as surging coronavirus cases threaten demand recovery
Oil prices eased on Thursday as new restrictions to stem a surge in COVID-19 infections dimmed the outlook for economic growth and fuel demand. Traders said prices pared earlier losses after the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported an increase in U.S. petroleum demand last week that helped reduce crude stockpiles, while distillate inventories dropped by the most since 2003 as Hurricane Delta cut oil production and shut Gulf Coast refineries. “The (EIA) report halted the (price) slide, which was threatening to turn into an avalanche earlier this morning,” said Robert Yawger, director of energy futures at Mizuho in New York.
15th Oct 2020 - Reuters UK
Curfews and lockdowns as shaken Europe overtakes U.S. in virus surge
France imposed curfews while other European nations are closing schools, cancelling surgeries and enlisting student medics as overwhelmed authorities face the nightmare scenario of a COVID-19 resurgence at the onset of winter. With new cases hitting about 100,000 daily, Europe has by a wide margin overtaken the United States, where more than 51,000 COVID-19 infections are reported on average every day. As cases in France climbed rapidly, President Emmanuel Macron announced night curfews for four weeks from Saturday in Paris and other major cities, affecting almost one-third of the country’s 67 million people.
15th Oct 2020 - Reuters UK
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 15th Oct 2020
View this newsletter in fullNewly reported coronavirus cases in Germany reach April's level
The number of newly reported coronavirus cases in Germany has passed 5,000 for the first time since mid-April as officials weigh the possible rollout of new measures to contain the pandemic. The country’s disease control agency, the Robert Koch Institute, said on Wednesday that a further 5,132 infections and 43 deaths from Covid-19 were recorded over the past day. The development came as German Chancellor Angela Merkel was set to meet with the governors of the country's 16 states to discuss which measures to take in response to the growing case load.
14th Oct 2020 - Evening Standard
Germany's economic recovery loses momentum as daily cases spike above 5,000
Germany’s growth prospects for 2020 are looking increasingly bleak, with the country’s leading economic research institutes downgrading GDP forecasts for 2020 and beyond. Publishing a joint economic forecast Wednesday, Germany’s leading economists warned that the coronavirus pandemic is leaving what they called “substantial marks” on the German economy. The impact of the virus “is more persistent than assumed in spring.”
14th Oct 2020 - CNBC
Portugal imposes tougher COVID-19 measures as virus spreads
Tougher measures will be imposed in Portugal from Thursday onwards to contain record levels of coronavirus cases, including stricter limits on gatherings and heavier penalties for rule-breaking establishments. Prime Minister Antonio Costa will also submit a proposal to parliament to make face masks compulsory in crowded outdoor spaces, and use of the government’s tracing app compulsory for some workforces. “I know many people are tired of the restrictions,” Costa told a news conference on Wednesday.
14th Oct 2020 - Reuters
Russia, Poland and Iran each hit new coronavirus records
European nations are closing schools, cancelling operations and enlisting legions of student medics as overwhelmed authorities face the nightmare scenario of a COVID-19 resurgence at the onset of winter. With new cases hitting about 100,000 a day, Europe has by a wide margin overtaken the United States, where more than 51,000 COVID-19 infections are reported on average every day. Most European governments eased lockdowns over the summer to start reviving economies already battered by the pandemic's first wave, but the return of normal activity – from packed restaurants to new university terms – has fuelled a sharp spike in cases all over the continent. Bars and pubs were among the first to shut or face earlier closing in the new lockdowns, but now the surging infection rates are also testing governments' resolve to keep schools and non-COVID medical care going.
14th Oct 2020 - The Sydney Morning Herald
Switzerland calls 'crisis summit' in bid to avoid second lockdown
The Swiss government will hold a ‘crisis summit’ on Thursday to discuss what steps can be taken to avoid a second lockdown. The Swiss government has called a ‘crisis meeting’ to determine how a second lockdown can be avoided. President Simonetta Sommaruga, Health Minister Alain Berset, Economics Minister Guy Parmelin, President of the Conference of the Cantonal Governments Christian Rathgeb, Lukas Engelberger and Christoph Brutschin, top health and economics directors, will attend the meeting. In calling for the 'crisis summit', Sommaruga is hoping to avoid an economically and socially destructive second lockdown, reports Swiss tabloid Blick.
14th Oct 2020 - The Local Switzerland
Covid-19: Health experts suggest Christmas lockdown as Italy reports record rise in new cases
Italy has reported over 7,000 new cases of coronavirus in a day for the first time ever, as scientific experts warned of pressure on hospitals and said a "circuit breaker" lockdown may be necessary by Christmas. Italy's health authorities on Wednesday reported 7,332 new cases within the past 24 hours, a figure that exceeds the record high of 6,557 seen on March 21st.
14th Oct 2020 - The Local Italy
As virus surges anew, Milan hospitals under pressure again
Coronavirus infections are surging again in the region of northern Italy where the pandemic first took hold in Europe, renewing pressure on hospitals and health care workers. At Milan’s San Paolo Hospital, a ward dedicated to COVID-19 patients and outfitted with breathing machines reopened over the weekend, a sign that the city and the surrounding Lombardy region is entering another emergency phase of the pandemic. The region was the hardest hit area of Italy in the spring, when Italy spent weeks with the world's highest reported virus-related death toll before being overtaken by the United States. For the medical personnel in Lombardy who fought the virus the first time around, the long-predicted rebound came too soon.
14th Oct 2020 - ABC News
More masks, less play: Europe tightens rules as virus surges
Governments across Europe are ratcheting up restrictions to try to beat back a resurgence of the coronavirus that has sent new confirmed infections on the continent to their highest weekly level since the start of the pandemic. The World Health Organization said Tuesday there were more than 700,000 new COVID-19 cases reported in Europe last week, a jump of 34% from the previous week. Britain, France, Russia and Spain accounted for more than half of the new infections. The increasing caseload is partly the result of more testing, but the U.N. health agency noted that deaths were also up 16% last week from the week before. Doctors are warning that while many of the new cases are in younger people, who tend to have milder symptoms, the virus could again start spreading widely among older people, resulting in more serious illnesses.
14th Oct 2020 - The Associated Press
Why complacency and lifting restrictions could be driving India's high COVID-19 numbers
Megha Mogare, a chauffeur in Mumbai, has been out of work since March, when the Indian government introduced one of the world's strictest lockdowns in reaction to the coronavirus pandemic. Mogare lives in the poor neighbourhood of Dharavi. Often described as one of Asia's largest slums, it is a labyrinth of small, cramped lanes and home to one million residents. Earning just 15,000 rupees ($268 Cdn) a month before the pandemic struck, it was always a struggle for the 56-year-old to make ends meet, let alone build up enough savings to see him through a crisis.
"The situation now is so bad I can't run my own house," he said. "I've had to take out loans."
14th Oct 2020 - YAHOO!
Malaysian royal palace postpones meetings due to coronavirus curbs
Malaysia’s royal palace postponed from Wednesday all meetings for two weeks because of new coronavirus curbs, a palace official said, likely putting off a decision on a bid by opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim to form a new government. Anwar had on Tuesday met King Al-Sultan Abdullah to try to prove he had a “convincing” parliamentary majority to form a government, sparking a fresh bout of political wrangling just months after Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin took office. The king was scheduled to meet leaders of main political parties to verify Anwar’s claim but a two-week partial lockdown took effect from Wednesday in the capital, Kuala Lumpur, and neighbouring state of Selangor.
14th Oct 2020 - Reuters
Netherlands PM: partial lockdown needed to slow coronavirus spread
The Dutch government announced a new round of measures to slow the spread of coronavirus on Tuesday, including limits on the size of social gatherings and a ban on the sale of alcohol in the evening. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said the measures will go into effect from Wednesday.
14th Oct 2020 - Reuters UK
Dutch to impose social restrictions to curb COVID-19 surge
The Netherlands will return to a “partial lockdown” on Wednesday, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said, closing bars and restaurants as it battles to control the coronavirus in one of Europe’s major hotspots. “Today we are announcing new and sturdy measures and in fact we are going to a partial lockdown,” Rutte said in a televised news conference. He said public gatherings of more than four people would be prohibited and alcohol sales in the evening would also be banned. Schools were to remain open and public transport would keep running, in contrast to measures imposed during a partial lockdown earlier this year.
14th Oct 2020 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 14th Oct 2020
View this newsletter in full'Hunker down': The fall Covid-19 surge is here
As predicted, the US is now grappling with a new Covid-19 surge -- one that could overwhelm hospitals, kill thousands of Americans a day by January and leave even young survivors with long-term complications. "We went down to the lowest point lately in early September, around 30,000-35,000 new cases a day. Now we're back up to (about) 50,000 new cases a day. And it's going to continue to rise," Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, said Tuesday. "This is the fall/winter surge that everyone was worried about. And now it's happening. And it's happening especially in the northern Midwest, and the Northern states are getting hit very hard -- Wisconsin, Montana, the Dakotas. But it's going to be nationally soon enough. "Across the country, more than 30 states have reported more Covid-19 cases this past week than they reported the previous week, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
14th Oct 2020 - CNN
Covid-19: Protests as Argentina's cases pass 900,000
Thousands have joined anti-government protests in Argentina as confirmed coronavirus infections continue to rise, passing 900,000 on Monday. Many Argentines are angry at the government's handling of the crisis and the economic effect of lockdowns, as well as issues such as corruption. A strict lockdown early in the pandemic meant that the number of cases grew slowly at first. But following an easing of restrictions cases have been rising steeply.
13th Oct 2020 - BBC
COVID-19: Council adopts a recommendation to coordinate measures affecting free movement
Today the Council adopted a recommendation on a coordinated approach to the restrictions of free movement in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This recommendation aims to avoid fragmentation and disruption, and to increase transparency and predictability for citizens and businesses. The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted our daily lives in many ways. Travel restrictions have made it difficult for some of our citizens to get to work, to university or to visit their loved ones. It is our common duty to ensure coordination on any measures which affect free movement and to give our citizens all the information they need when deciding on their travel.
13th Oct 2020 - EU News
EU waters down Covid-19 traffic-light travel zones concept
EU member states on Tuesday (13 October) will adopt common standards to coordinate coronavirus travel restrictions, including a 'traffic-light' system of affected areas - in a bid to prevent a recurrence of individual and unilateral measures, as seen during the first Covid-19 wave. Under the proposal of the German presidency, endorsed by EU ambassadors last Friday, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) will publish a map, updated weekly, that categories EU regions into green, orange and red zones (or grey, for insufficient data), according to Covid-19 infection rates. The map will be available in the coming days.
13th Oct 2020 - EUObserver
Germany's Merkel concerned by rising coronavirus cases across EU
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Tuesday she was concerned by rising coronavirus cases across Europe. “I am watching with great concern the renewed increase in infection numbers in almost every part of Europe. And I must say the situation continues to be serious,” Merkel said during a debate on the German presidency of the European Union at the bloc’s Committee of the Regions. “We mustn’t throw away what we achieved via restrictions over the past months. These restrictions haven’t been easy for any of us,” she added. “Many have lost their lives. And that makes it all the more important that we make sure that a further lockdown won’t be needed.”
13th Oct 2020 - Reuters UK
Italy tells citizens they must wear a mask if a friend visits your home
Italy has introduced stricter lockdown measures which will see people required to wear facemasks when other people visit them in their own homes. The country has seen a large spike in cases in recent weeks which led prime minister Giuseppe Conte to reintroduce several of the social distancing rules which were eased over the summer months. The new legislation will affect gatherings, restaurants, sports and school activities and will take effect within 24 hours, remaining valid for 30 days. Parties in restaurants, clubs or in the open air are banned and the government has strongly recommended that people do not hold parties in their homes or host more than six guests at any time.
13th Oct 2020 - YAHOO!
New measures serve to avert new lockdown - Di Maio
The government's new anti-COVID measures will serve to avert a fresh national lockdown, Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio said Tuesday. This is despite acknowledgement that virus contagion rates are rising across the country, he said "Infection rates are high, that is true," Di Maio said on Facebook. "But by bringing in all the anti-COVID norms it is possible to stop the virus. "More stringent measures have been launched in Italy, because if we intervene now we can preserve citizens' health, the health of the country, and avert a new lockdown". Di Maio also said Italy should "act like a team" to get the EU's Recovery Fund funding as soon as possible. Premier Giuseppe Conte's government passed a decree overnight imposing new restrictions aimed at combatting the spread of COVID-19.
13th Oct 2020 - Agenzia ANSA
Italy Targets Bars, Restaurants, Parties in New Virus Curbs
Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte imposed a series of new curbs on nightlife, social events and amateur sports as the coronavirus pandemic intensifies throughout the country, albeit at a slower pace than in other major European nations. Conte signed a decree that focuses especially on bars and restaurants, as the government seeks to avert a new national lockdown that the economy, ravaged by one of the strictest and longest in the continent earlier this year, could ill afford.
13th Oct 2020 - Bloomberg
Coronavirus: Czech schools and bars shut in new emergency
The Czech Republic is imposing a three-week partial lockdown shutting schools, bars and clubs, as Europe struggles to contain a sharp rise in Covid-19 cases.
The country has the region's highest new infection rate per 100,000 people. Restaurants will be closed and public consumption of alcohol is banned. In the Netherlands, a partial lockdown was announced, and masks have become compulsory in public indoor spaces. Meanwhile, hospital admissions are rising fast again in many countries.
13th Oct 2020 - BBC
Italy PM says avoiding new lockdown is main aim of new COVID curbs
Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said on Tuesday the main aim of the government’s new COVID-19 restrictions is to avoid a surge in infections which might lead to a nationwide lockdown. The government decree he signed on Tuesday imposes new curbs on public gatherings, restaurants, sports and school activities after Italy saw its daily coronavirus cases double last week, nearing 6,000 infections on Saturday. “We must avoid plunging the country into a general lockdown, the economy has started to run again,” Conte told a news conference.
13th Oct 2020 - Reuters
France considers local lockdowns as Covid-19 numbers soar
French President Emmanuel Macron met senior cabinet ministers on Tuesday to discuss possible further measures to fight the coronavirus pandemic following a surge in Covid-19 cases and hospitalisations. The French president is set to deliver a televised address Wednesday on possible means to stem a second wave in the country. The meeting came a day after coronavirus intensive care treatments exceeded a May 27 peak as France, like neighbouring Spain and Britain, grapples with how to slow the virus's spread and ease pressure on a once-again strained healthcare system while keeping its 2.3 trillion euro ($2.71 trillion) economy open and protecting jobs.
13th Oct 2020 - France24
Russia's daily coronavirus cases, deaths rise to record highs
Russia on Tuesday reported record high daily coronavirus cases and deaths, pushing total infections to 1,326,178, but authorities said they do not plan to impose lockdowns across the vast country. Anna Popova, head of the consumer safety watchdog Rospotrebnadzor, said on Tuesday Russia saw no need to impose restrictions on economic activity in response to the spike in cases. “Despite a growing number of cases, today in Russia we are not talking about blocking the economy, suspending some business activities, some sectors of the economy, because we see no reason to do this,” Popova said in comments carried by Russian news agencies.
13th Oct 2020 - Reuters UK
The French prime minister warns that local lockdowns may be imposed as cases surge.
France is weighing the possibility of local lockdowns as the country battles a second wave of the coronavirus epidemic, Prime Minister Jean Castex said Monday.
Mr. Castex told Franceinfo that France faces an unprecedented surge in cases that is putting increasing pressure on hospitals, saying that many citizens were not taking health warnings seriously. Nearly 27,000 new infections were reported by health authorities on Saturday — a record — and the rate of positive results from testing passed 11 percent. The number of deaths is increasing at a higher rate than over the summer, though much more slowly than in the spring, and hospitalizations, including in intensive care units, are rising.
12th Oct 2020 - The New York Times
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 13th Oct 2020
View this newsletter in fullNumber of COVID patients in French intensive care units highest in nearly five months
The number of people being treated in French intensive care units for COVID-19 exceeded 1,500 on Monday for the first time since May 27, authorities said, raising fears of local lockdowns being imposed across the country. The new figure of 1,539 is still almost five times lower than an April 8 high of 7,148 but also four times higher than a July 31 low of 371. And as there are normally more people hospitalised with varios illnesses in the autumn than in the spring, health experts fear the hospital system will be quickly overwhelmed if nothing is done to contain the spread of the new coronavirus.
12th Oct 2020 - Reuters UK
Covid-19 cases rise by 13,972 as 50 people die after testing positive for coronavirus
A further 13,972 cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in the UK, bringing the total number of Covid cases to 617,688. The Government also said a further 50 people had died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19 as of Monday.
The UK's official coronavirus death toll now stands at 42,875. Separate figures published by the UK’s statistics agencies show there have now been 58,000 deaths registered in the UK where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate.
12th Oct 2020 - ITV News
Current lockdown measures may not be enough to help us through the winter, says Welsh Government
Current lockdown measures in place in Wales may not be enough to get us through the winter, health minister Vaughan Gething said today. During the Welsh Government briefing on how Wales is coping with the spread of coronavirus, Mr Gething also said infections in Wales could reach the same level as they were at the spring peak in just two weeks. The briefing came after one given by England's leading medical experts who said there are more people in English hospitals with Covid-19 now than there were on the day Boris Johnson first announced lockdown on March 23.
12th Oct 2020 - Wales Online
Covid: Nightingale hospitals in northern England told to get ready
NHS Nightingale hospitals in Manchester, Sunderland and Harrogate are being asked to get ready to take patients. Government advisers say admissions are rising, with more elderly people needing urgent treatment for Covid. More people are now in hospital with Covid than before restrictions were announced in March.
It comes as a new three-tier system of lockdown rules for England has been announced.
12th Oct 2020 - BBC
Coronavirus: Germany's confusing patchwork of restrictions
Residents from Germany's increasing number of high-infection areas are banned from staying in hotels in parts of the country — but not everywhere. The patchwork of regulations is leading to more and more confusion.
12th Oct 2020 - Deutsche Welle
Restrictions tightened, but no new lockdown in Italy
Though Italy is tightening its COVID-19 restrictions by imposing the mandatory use of face masks indoors and outdoors even while walking but not running or jogging, Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio said that “Italy cannot face another lockdown. Its economic and commercial systems could not sustain it.” “In February we were all unprepared, now we can face the emergency situation. Intensive care units are ready,” said the foreign minister, adding that the first doses of a COVID-19 vaccine could be ready before the end of the year. The government is also considering a limitation on private gatherings and parties and a ban of team sports at recreational and amateur levels.
12th Oct 2020 - Euractiv.com
Italy prepares new restrictions to fight spike in coronavirus cases
Italian Health Minister Roberto Speranza said on Sunday (October 11) that Italy needed to add restrictions after having eased them for several weeks, as it aims to avoid a new national lockdown. Italy on Friday (October 9) topped 5,000 new COVID-19 cases in a single day for the first time since March. Daily infections remained over 5,000 both on Saturday and Sunday. Deaths linked to COVID-19 are far fewer, however, than at the height of the pandemic in the country in March and April. Speranza said he proposed a ban on private parties, involving both children and adults, while Rome would also target hours for bars and restaurants to reduce people's contagion risks.
12th Oct 2020 - YAHOO!
Europe Readies New Virus Curbs as Leaders Weigh Economic Hit
European nations are preparing tougher measures to contain the coronavirus as infections surge toward a “tipping point,” even as leaders express concerns that new restraints will decimate the region’s already fragile economy. The continent has again emerged as a global hotspot, with countries from Spain to Ukraine posting record increases in recent days. Authorities are struggling to devise restrictions that slow the spread while not pushing the economy over the edge and sparking public unrest.
12th Oct 2020 - Bloomberg Quint
Belgium: Second worst country in Europe for coronavirus infections
Belgium is now the second-worst country in Europe in terms of coronavirus infections per 100,000 inhabitants in the last fortnight, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). The latest update to the ECDC map on infections shows a total of 16 countries in the hardest-hit category, meaning they have had more than 120 new infections per 100,000 inhabitants in the last two weeks.
12th Oct 2020 - The Brussels Times
French PM does not rule out local lockdown due to COVID-19 spike
French Prime Minister Jean Castex said on Monday he did not rule out local lockdowns in France due to a resurgence of new coronavirus infections. “Nothing must be ruled out,” Castex told franceinfo radio after being asked about potential local lockdowns. Castex said France was facing a “strong” second wave of new infections. President Emmanuel Macron will speak about the epidemic in television interviews on Wednesday evening, franceinfo radio and BFM TV said.
12th Oct 2020 - Reuters
Health Minister warns next days are 'crucial' as national lockdown for Wales is considered
The Wales Health Minister has warned that the next days are "crucial" as they look at whether to introduce a national lockdown. Vaughan Gething said that Welsh Government might have to "make a different decision to what we are doing" as coronavirus rates continue to rise. Latest figures released on Sunday, October 11, show there were 467 confirmed cases of coronavirus reported in the last 24 hours, and two more deaths. For the third day in a row the overall infection rate in Wales is above 100 cases per 100,000 population over a rolling seven-day period.
Some areas are far higher than that, with Merthyr Tydfil having 220.5 new cases per 100,000. First Minister Mark Drakeford said on Sunday that Wales is close to a 'tipping point' with coronavirus as cases continue to rise.
12th Oct 2020 - Wales Online
Covid in Europe: second wave gathers pace across continent
France has said it may be forced to impose new lockdowns, Italy is expected to ban private parties, and the Czech Republic announced that it would close bars and shift most schools to distance learning as Europe’s second wave of Covid-19 continues to gather pace. The moves came as the World Health Organization director general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, warned that allowing coronavirus to spread in the hope of achieving so-called herd immunity would be “scientifically and ethically problematic”. Last week, an international group of scientists called on governments to allow young and healthy people to return to normal life while protecting the most vulnerable. It later emerged that several supposedly expert signatories of the “Great Barrington declaration” were fake names.
12th Oct 2020 - The Guardian
France Must Avoid General Lockdown by All Means, Castex Says
France must avoid another general lockdown by all means possible in the face of a “very strong” resurgence of Covid-19, said Prime Minister Jean Castex. Speaking Monday on France Info radio, Castex urged the public to wear face coverings as much as possible, keep contacts to a minimum and take other basic sanitary measures to avoid infection. “I’m not asking anything revolutionary,” Castex said. It’s essential for companies to keep working, and children to keep going to school, he said. France has emphasized local measures to combat a surge in coronavirus cases in recent weeks after a two-month national lockdown in the spring devastated the economy. With new infections spiking to fresh highs, there’s little evidence the piecemeal approach is working.
12th Oct 2020 - Bloomberg
As UK prepares for new lockdowns, Europe too is struggling
Just as Europe was hoping it could put Covid to rest, the virus has risen again, with renewed venom. Case numbers have been rising and in their wake, hospital admissions too. Each country is trying to find the right combination of measures - local lockdowns, test-and-trace initiatives, economic support and public communication - to drive down numbers as winter approaches. As the UK government prepares to unveil a range of new lockdown rules, BBC reporters from France, Germany and other European capitals explain how their countries are managing. At the bottom of the article, we show how two key nations in Asia have seen a different trajectory.
12th Oct 2020 - BBC
Kremlin says Russia able to be flexible in COVID-19 response despite surge
The Kremlin said on Monday that Russia could afford to be more flexible in its response to the COVID-19 pandemic than earlier this year when it imposed a lockdown. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia had more room for manoeuvre this time round because of better available treatment methods, more hospital beds, and a tried and tested system in place to tackle the virus. Russia, which has no lockdown currently, recorded a new record increase in coronavirus cases on Sunday. Earlier on Monday, new cases remained close to that level.
12th Oct 2020 - Reuters India
Coronavirus: China to test nine million people in just five days after 12 new cases in Qingdao city
An entire city of nine million people in China will be tested for COVID-19 in just five days after a small number of new cases emerged. People in Qingdao have been joining long queues for test centres following the confirmation of 12 infections, mostly linked to a hospital in the city, the state-run Global Times newspaper reported. Qingdao Chest Hospital, which treats coronavirus patients who have returned from overseas, has been locked down along with buildings where the infected individuals live.
12th Oct 2020 - Sky News
Confidential data shows many Illinois coronavirus outbreaks have been undisclosed: report | TheHill
Outbreaks of coronavirus in schools, workplaces and other facilities are driving the surge of new COVID-19 cases in Illinois, some of which have not been publicly identified, according to a new study. The study from journalists at the Brown Institute for Media Innovation and the Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting published in USA Today indicates that individual clusters of coronavirus infections are primarily responsible for the latest wave of new COVID-19 cases vexing public health officials in the state, with several outbreaks occurring at correctional facilities and a major military base. The second-largest outbreak identified by the study, which until now has not been reported to news organizations, is occurring at the Great Lakes Naval Base in Lake County, Ill., where 228 new cases of COVID-19 have been identified over the past month according to confidential data recorded by Illinois officials and obtained by the study.
12th Oct 2020 - The Hill
Italy prepares new restrictions to fight spike in coronavirus cases
Italy is preparing fresh nationwide restrictions, including on private parties, in response to a recent spike in new coronavirus cases, Health Minister Roberto Speranza said on Sunday. Speranza said Italy needed to add restrictions after having eased them for several weeks, as it aims to avoid a new national lockdown.
“Now we need a change of pace, and to intervene with measures, not comparable to those adopted in the past, which could allow us to put the contagion under control and avoid tougher measures later on,” he said in an interview with RAI state TV. Italy on Friday topped 5,000 new COVID-19 cases in a single day for the first time since March. Daily infections remained over 5,000 both on Saturday and Sunday. Deaths linked to COVID-19 are far fewer, however, than at the height of the pandemic in the country in March and April.
11th Oct 2020 - Reuters
Czechs to tighten coronavirus measures as infections soar: PM
The Czech government will tighten coronavirus measures from Wednesday to curb soaring infections and hospitalisations but will seek to avoid the kind of blanket lockdown imposed in the spring, government officials said on Sunday. The nation of 10.7 million has recorded Europe’s fastest rate of growth in new cases per capita in recent weeks after authorities eased most restrictions during the summer following a tough lockdown at the start of the pandemic. “We have to decide on further measures, that will happen on Monday at the government session, and the measures will be effective from Wednesday,” Prime Minister Andrej Babis said in a video message on YouTube.
11th Oct 2020 - Reuters
Leo Varadkar says 'short, hard lockdown' may be needed 'to knock the virus on the head again'
Leo Varadkar says a “short, hard lockdown” or circuit break is being considered by the government in an attempt “to knock the virus on the head again”. The Tánaiste made the suggestion in an article for the Sunday Independent in which the Fine Gael leader insisted any and all options would be explored before a second lockdown was implemented. Varadkar’s comments come a week on from the National Public Health Emergency Team’s (NPHET) recommendation that Ireland go into a Level 5 lockdown – the strictest level of lockdown – to help curb Covid-19 case numbers. However, the government opted to implement Level 3 restrictions, with Varadkar later telling RTÉ’s Claire Byrne Live he didn’t believe the recommendations had been “thought through”.
11th Oct 2020 - Irish Post
Czech Republic goes from model Covid-19 response to brink of second lockdown
The Czech Republic could be set for a second lockdown following a dramatic rise in Covid-19 infections that has transformed it into Europe’s fastest growing outbreak just months after being hailed as one of the continent’s success stories in managing the pandemic. A new peak of 8,618 cases was recorded on Friday in the country of 10.7 million, up more than 3,000 on the previous day and significantly more per capita than any other European state. Spain, with a population of just under 47 million and currently the second worst-affected country, documented 12,788 infections on the same day.
11th Oct 2020 - The Guardian
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 12th Oct 2020
View this newsletter in fullIndia's coronavirus infections cross 7 million ahead of festivals
India’s coronavirus caseload topped 7 million on Sunday when the health ministry reported 74,383 new infections in the previous 24 hours, with a rise in infections in southern states offsetting a drop in western regions. Deaths from COVID-19 rose by 918 in the last 24 hours to 108,334, the ministry said. India added a million cases in just 13 days, according to a Reuters tally of government data, and it has the second-highest number of infections, behind the United States which is approaching the 8 million mark.
11th Oct 2020 - Reuters
French daily COVID cases set new record at almost 27,000
The number of new coronavirus infections in France jumped over 26,000 in one day for the first time since the start of the epidemic, health ministry data showed on Saturday. The ministry reported 26,896 new infections, taking the cumulative total to 718,873 since the start of the year. The number of deaths from the virus increased by 54 to 32,684.
11th Oct 2020 - Reuters
Tens of thousands rally in Israel calling on Netanyahu to resign
For months, demonstrators have been staging protests against prime minister for alleged corruption and his government’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic. Tens of thousands of Israelis have once again demonstrated to demand Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s resignation, saying he is unfit to rule while on trial for corruption charges and accusing him of mismanaging the response to the coronavirus pandemic.
11th Oct 2020 - AlJazeera
Russia reports record single-day rise in coronavirus cases
Russia’s coronavirus cases rose by 12,846 on Saturday, a new daily record since the start of the outbreak early this year. The latest figures pushed the overall total number of infections in the country to 1,285,084. The previous record of 12,126 new cases was registered on Friday.
11th Oct 2020 - AlJazeera
Germany tightens COVID-19 restrictions as numbers surge in Europe
Authorities in Germany have rolled out new restrictions to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus in the capital, Berlin, and Frankfurt, as the number of cases surges in the country and other parts of Europe. Bars and restaurants are to close at 11:00pm local time (21:00 GMT) in Berlin until October 31 in a partial curfew, a measure already imposed – but starting an hour earlier – in Frankfurt.
11th Oct 2020 - AlJazeera
Germany warns of ‘exponential’ rise in Covid infections
Angela Merkel has raised the prospect of far-reaching restrictions on public life in some of Germany’s biggest cities, as authorities grapple with an alarming rise in coronavirus infections across the country. Ms Merkel said Germany was facing a make-or-break moment, and what happened next would reflect “whether we can keep the pandemic under control . . . or whether that control will slip away from us”.
The chancellor was speaking after a video conference with 11 German mayors where it was agreed a further round of regulations would be imposed in areas where new infections exceed a threshold of 50 cases per 100,000 population in a week.
10th Oct 2020 - Financial Times
Fauci warns the US could see 300-400K coronavirus deaths
Dr Anthony Fauci said that models suggest the US COVID-19 death toll could reach 300,000 or 400,000 during an American University webinar Tuesday. He warned that the US needs to brace for fall and winter with more mask-wearing and social distancing to slow the spread of the disease. Coronavirus has already killed more than 210,000 Americans since the pandemic began in January. He said that the White House outbreak 'could have been prevented' and is proof that coronavirus is 'not a hoax'
10th Oct 2020 - Daily Mail
Florida will be 'like a house on fire' in weeks with loose coronavirus restrictions, infectious disease expert says
As health officials in Florida reported nearly 3,000 new cases of coronavirus on Friday, the state is bracing to become "like a house on fire," an infectious disease expert says. "Florida is ripe for another large outbreak," said Mike Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota. "What they've done is opened up everything as if nothing had ever happened there and you and I could be talking probably in eight to 10 weeks, and I will likely bet that Florida will be a house on fire," Osterholm told CNN's Jake Tapper.
Health officials in Florida reported 2,908 new cases of Covid-19 and 118 deaths on Friday, according to data from the Florida Department of Health. The agency has reported at least 2,200 new cases daily for four consecutive days.
10th Oct 2020 - CNN
COVID-19 Is Now the Third Leading Cause of Death in the U.S.
“It affects virtually nobody,” President Donald Trump said of the novel coronavirus on September 21—a few hours before U.S. deaths from COVID-19 exceeded 200,000 and less than two weeks before he tested positive. Unlike the president, the numbers don’t lie. The human toll underlying that milestone figure is a number about as big as the population of Salt Lake City or Birmingham, Ala.—and greater than the deaths in any U.S. conflict except for the Civil War and World War II.
10th Oct 2020 - Scientific American
Urgent health alert as a Sydney NURSE is diagnosed with COVID-19 and authorities reveal cases visited one of Australia's biggest shopping centres
A nurse at Sydney's St Vincent's Hospital has been confirmed to have COVID-19
The nurse worked a single shift on Wednesday October 7 while infectious
Shoppers who visited Westfield Sydney have also been placed on high alert
Confirmed infected people visited the shopping mall October 6 and October 7
In the 24 hours to 8pm Friday, NSW reported three new cases of coronavirus
10th Oct 2020 - Daily Mail
WHO daily cases set new record at more than 350,000
The world has set a record for the number of new daily coronavirus cases confirmed across the globe with more than 350,000, according to the World Health Organization. In a press briefing from Geneva on Friday, WHO emergencies chief Dr. Michael Ryan acknowledged that even as COVID-19 cases increase worldwide, "there are no new answers," and he stressed that governments must ensure the most vulnerable people are protected. The tally showed that nearly a third of the new daily reported coronavirus cases were from Europe at more than 109,000.
9th Oct 2020 - VOA News
Brazil nears 5m Covid-19 cases, epidemiologist fears second wave
Brazil approached the mark of 5 million confirmed Covid-19 cases on Wednesday as it approached 150,000 deaths in the second most deathly coronavirus outbreak outside the United States. Though the number of cases has come down from a peak in July, public health experts warn that Brazil is ignoring social distancing precautions and faces the danger of a second wave by returning to normal everyday life too quickly. The Health Ministry reported on Tuesday 41,906 new cases, raising the total to 4,969,141, and 819 death, bringing the toll to 147,494 dead. The rolling daily average for last week was 658 deaths a day, down from 1,073 deaths per day in the last week of July. Average new cases were 26,140 day, almost half the rate of late July.
9th Oct 2020 - AOL.co.uk
Spain brings military discipline to COVID-19 contact tracing
Various European countries have used their armies for logistical support in tackling COVID-19, but hard-hit Spain is now bringing military discipline to a process that health experts say is key in stemming the spread of the pandemic: contact tracing. At five army bases in Madrid, 150 volunteer soldiers spend their days calling people who have been diagnosed with COVID-19, mapping recent social interactions, and asking those potentially infected to stay at home. “We try to impress upon them the idea that their help is vital to bringing an end to the chaos we are living through this year as soon as possible,” Lt. Hector Sanchez said at the Goloso military base on the outskirts of Madrid, where he is in charge of 30 tracers.
9th Oct 2020 - Reuters UK
Covid-19 infections spike in Germany, Portugal as Italy mulls more measures
Infection rates in Germany and Portugal are rising to levels not seen since the height of the first wave of the pandemic, health officials in both countries said Friday, as authorities in Italy consider applying more measures, including a curfew and closures of restaurants and cultural venues, after making masks mandatory this week. Faced with spiraling infections across the continent, the French government’s scientific advisory board has warned that the pandemic is likely to continue until next summer
9th Oct 2020 - EFE
Italy tops 4,000 daily coronavirus cases for first time since mid-April
Italy has registered 4,458 new coronavirus infections over the past 24 hours, the health ministry said on Thursday, the first time the country has exceeded 4,000 cases in a single day since mid-April. There were also 22 COVID-related deaths on Thursday against 31 the day before -- far fewer than at the height of the pandemic in Italy in March and April. They increased by around 1,000 on Wednesday, when there were more than 3,000 daily cases for the first time since April 24. Italy is still recording significantly fewer daily cases than several other large European countries, such as France, Spain and Britain. The last time Italy saw more than 4,000 cases in a day was on was April 12, with 4,092 infections reported around a month before the government allowed restaurants, bars and shops to reopen. On that same day, some 431 people died.
9th Oct 2020 - Reuters UK
Coronavirus death rate in Bali could mean no Australian tourists
The virus is spreading as Indonesians are now allowed to move between islands
In July, Bali's active cases sat at 1914 before soaring to 3671 in September
The confirmed cases are believed to be only a fraction of actual infections
9th Oct 2020 - Daily Mail
South Africa: Mkhize Concerned About Covid-19 Death Spike in SA
The Number of Covid-19 deaths continues to climb after 160 more people succumbed to COVID-19 on Thursday. Meanwhile, Health Minister, Dr Zweli Mkhize, has expressed his concern about the noticeable spike in the number of deaths in recent weeks. However, according to the Minister, the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) confirmed there have been no excess deaths for three weeks in a row. "We, therefore, consulted the provinces to ascertain the reason for the increased numbers. We have received reports that the provinces are implementing the recommendations of the SAMRC to reconcile the data with Home Affairs deaths data," the Minister explained. "Also, provinces are auditing the deaths data either by mining data from the DATCOV surveillance reports and identifying unreported deaths or auditing the facilities on the ground."
9th Oct 2020 - AllAfrica - Top Africa News
India's coronavirus infections rise by 70,496 to 6.91 million
India’s total coronavirus cases rose by 70,496 in the last 24 hours to 6.91 million on Friday morning, data from the health ministry showed. Deaths from COVID-19 infections rose by 964 to 106,490, the ministry said. India’s death toll from the novel coronavirus rose past 100,000 on Saturday, only the third country in the world to reach that bleak milestone, after the United States and Brazil, and its epidemic shows no sign of abating.
9th Oct 2020 - Reuters UK
India’s daily coronavirus cases drop a fifth in three weeks
India’s daily coronavirus infections have fallen almost 20 per cent over the past three weeks, raising hopes that the pandemic may be peaking in the cities that were among the hardest hit in the world. The seven-day rolling average of new daily cases in India peaked at 93,300 in mid September. That average has now dropped to 75,000 new cases a day. But epidemiologists are cautious, noting that the virus was spreading from big cities into smaller towns and rural areas that have weaker healthcare systems and far less testing capacity.
9th Oct 2020 - Financial Times
Coronavirus: Bars to shut in four more French cities with alert level raised
The French government has imposed tighter coronavirus restrictions in four more cities with high infection rates, as a number of European countries see a surge in cases. The cities of Lyon, Lille, Grenoble and Saint-Etienne will become zones of maximum alert from Saturday. Bars and restaurants will have to close, as they did in Paris earlier this week and Marseille last month. The measures were announced as France saw a near-record 18,129 new cases. "The situation has deteriorated in several metropolises in recent days," French Health Minister Olivier Veran said at a news conference on Thursday. "Every day, more and more people are infected."
9th Oct 2020 - BBC
German hospitals warn of staff shortages amid surging coronavirus cases
German hospitals warned of staff shortages on Friday, saying the sharp rise in new coronavirus infections also meant medics, nurses and support staff were getting sick or needing to isolate, leading to strains in providing care for patients. Germany, which has managed to keep the number of cases and deaths lower than many of its neighbours, is now seeing the biggest jumps in new infections since April, with more than 4,000 on both Thursday and Friday. At the Frankfurt university hospital, twice as many employees caught the virus in the past two weeks as in the three months before, its medical director Juergen Graf said at a news conference in Berlin. “This will be the bottleneck in the care supply,” he said.
9th Oct 2020 - Reuters UK
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 9th Oct 2020
View this newsletter in fullPubs and restaurants take blame for UK’s Covid spike
Health authorities across the UK believe the normalisation of eating out and drinking in pubs has contributed to the UK’s second wave of Covid-19, triggering howls of rage from the battered hospitality sector, which says there is little proof they are responsible for spreading the virus. However, the dispute over the evidence is unlikely to stop England’s politicians following Scotland’s lead in shutting pubs and restaurants in the north of England from next week — a move likely to coincide with the end of Britain’s post-lockdown economic recovery.
8th Oct 2020 - The Financial Times
Coronavirus: Germany’s health minister ‘very concerned’ at surge in Covid cases
Germany is seeing a sharp jump in new coronavirus infections, a development that is raising fears the pandemic is picking up pace in a country that so far has coped better than many of its European neighbors. The country's disease control agency, the Robert Koch Institute, reported 4,058 new infections and 16 deaths over the past 24 hours, taking the total number of confirmed cases to 310,144, with 9,578 deaths. That death toll is one-fourth of Britain's and one-third of the confirmed virus toll in Italy. “I'm very concerned about this,” Health Minister Jens Spahn told reporters in Berlin, which has become one of the hotspots for new cases. He urged Germans to respect social distancing and hygiene measures to avoid reaching a point “where we lose control.”
8th Oct 2020 - The Independent
Europe struggles to stem rapid resurgence of coronavirus
Several mainland European countries have recorded their highest daily number of Covid-19 infections since widespread testing began, as governments struggle to stem a rapid resurgence of the virus that risks overwhelming some healthcare systems. The figures came as the World Health Organization reported a record one-day increase in global coronavirus cases, with the total rising by 338,779 in 24 hours. The previous record for new cases was 330,340 on 2 October. As a region, Europe is now reporting more cases than India, Brazil or the United States.
8th Oct 2020 - The Guardian
Italy Makes Masks Mandatory Outside, Imposes COVID Test For UK Arrivals
Italy has imposed stricter coronavirus regulations today as cases in the country are on the rise. It is now mandatory to wear masks in outdoor spaces across the whole of Italy, and visitors arriving from countries including the UK will have to provide a negative COVID-19 test result. With 3,678 coronavirus cases confirmed in the last 24 hours, Italy’s new cases have passed the 3,000 mark for the first time since April 24. Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has brought in tougher measures in a bid to avoid another economy-crippling lockdown for Italy.
8th Oct 2020 - Forbes
France braces for wider Covid restrictions
France was preparing Thursday for tighter coronavirus restrictions in several major cities, two days after a maximum alert protocol went into force in Paris that included bar closures. "The virus has been spreading faster in recent weeks," President Emmanuel Macron said late Wednesday. "In places where it is spreading too fast, especially where it is spreading among the elderly who are most at risk, and where there are more and more intensive care beds being occupied, we must proceed to more restrictions," he said on French TV.
8th Oct 2020 - Medical Xpress
‘Rural Surge’ Propels India Toward More Covid-19 Infections Than U.S.
Defiance of the coronavirus rules is happening across rural India, and it is propelling this nation’s virus caseload toward the No. 1 spot globally. Infections are rippling into every corner of this country of 1.3 billion people. The Indian news media is calling it “The Rural Surge.” In the Indian megacities where the pandemic first hit, vigorous public awareness campaigns have left the populace mostly on guard. But when it comes to government efforts to contain the virus, rural India is resisting. In many villages, no one is wearing masks. There is no social distancing. People are refusing to get tested and they are hiding their sick.
8th Oct 2020 - New York Times
‘Catastrophically short of doctors’: Virus wallops Ukraine
Early in the pandemic, Ukraine’s ailing health care system struggled with the outbreak, and authorities introduced a tight lockdown in March to prevent hospitals from getting overwhelmed. The number of cases slowed during the summer but began to rise again quickly, prompting the government at the end of August to close Ukraine’s borders for a month. Despite that, the number of positive tests in the country reached a new peak of 4,661 a day in the first weekend of October. Overall, confirmed COVID-19 infections in the country have nearly doubled in the past month, topping 234,000, and experts say all reported numbers in all countries understate the true toll of the virus.
8th Oct 2020 - The Indian Express
Sweden tries to isolate COVID-19 cases without a lockdown as infections surge
Sweden, almost alone in Europe in rejecting a broad lockdown this northern spring, has introduced new guidelines to curb a surge in coronavirus infections but is sticking to its largely voluntary approach. The Nordic country, which only had minor restrictions throughout its epidemic, had until recently been spared by the second wave of COVID-19 cases currently sweeping Europe. Authorities’ hopes that this was the result of collective immunity built as the disease spread rapidly through communities earlier in the year were dashed in recent days when a surge in new cases put Stockholm on track to reach last northern spring’s infection record. The new measures, in force for less than a week, recommend that all members of a household should isolate for a week if one of them becomes infected. Those unable to work from home will be eligible for sick pay.
8th Oct 2020 - The Australian
Ukraine's medical system may not stand, health minister says
Ukraine’s medical system could break down because of a surge in new coronavirus cases and the number of hospitalised people, the country’s health minister warned on Thursday. Ukraine registered a record 5,397 COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, up from the previous record of 4,753 new cases reported on Wednesday. The number of deaths grew by 93 and reached 4,690, Maksym Stepanov told a televised briefing. “The medical system will simply not stand it if we all, without exception, simply do not begin to adhere to the rules,” Stepanov said.
8th Oct 2020 - Reuters
Rising COVID cases will stall UK recovery, budget watchdog warns
A sharp rise in coronavirus cases is likely to cause Britain’s economic recovery to stall until the resurgence comes under control, the country’s budget watchdog said. Britain has recorded more than 14,000 new cases on each of the past two days, the most since mass testing began in April, and has increased curbs on socialising, with Scotland announcing the closure of pubs in its two biggest cities. “There will be some kind of hiatus in the recovery,” said Charlie Bean, a former Bank of England deputy governor who now serves on the board of the Office for Budget Responsibility. “How long and how potentially deep that is, I think it’s very difficult to know at this stage until we see how effective any measures are in bringing this resurgence of cases back under control,” he told parliament’s Treasury Committee.
8th Oct 2020 - Reuters India
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 8th Oct 2020
View this newsletter in fullBoris Johnson flatly rejects letting Covid-19 sweep through UK while protecting vulnerable
Boris Johnson today flatly rejected the idea of letting Covid-19 sweep through Britain while protecting the vulnerable. Downing Street made clear that such a policy, advocated by a group of academics, scientists and medics, could lead to young people infecting older generations who are at greater risk of being killed by coronavirus. No10 said the idea, being promoted under the banner of the Great Barrington Declaration, was based on an “unproven assumption” that it was possible to stop the virus being passed between generations to more vulnerable people.
7th Oct 2020 - Evening Standard
Czech COVID-19 cases rising at fastest rate in Europe
New coronavirus infections in the Czech Republic reached a daily record of 4,457 on Tuesday, the health ministry said, as separate data showed the country now has the highest number of cases per 100,000 in Europe, surpassing Spain. Data published by the health ministry on Wednesday showed the rise in new cases during the previous 24 hours had exceeded the previous one-day record of 3,794, to bring the total number of cases in the country since March to 90,022.
7th Oct 2020 - Reuters
Britain records 59 more Covid-19 deaths in early count
Coronavirus cases are compared to two weeks ago due to a serious counting error at Public Health England. Officials failed to announce the correct number of new cases - meaning 16,000 were missed last week. Although figures are heading in the wrong direction, they are a far-cry from the height of the pandemic
7th Oct 2020 - Daily Mail
Italy expected to make mask-wearing compulsory OUTDOORS
Italy is considering making the use of masks outdoors mandatory nationwide to fight the coronavirus. Infections in Italy - the first European country to be hit by the virus - have risen steadily over the past two months. The regions of Lazio, around Rome, and Campania, around Naples, have already made mask wearing mandatory outside. And authorities are 'working on a proposal' to make it a compulsary rule nation-wide, Health Minister Roberto Speranza told the Chamber of Deputies on Tuesday.
7th Oct 2020 - Daily Mail
Europe's major economies predict more dire declines to come as coronavirus rages
Major European economies are warning of worse growth rates to come, downgrading already dire forecasts on the back of a second wave of coronavirus infections sweeping through the continent.
7th Oct 2020 - CNBC
Coronavirus: UK recording more daily cases per capita than the US
143 cases per million people on October 5 in UK, compared to US' rate of 130
First time Britain recorded more infections per capita than the US since March
US is still recording almost three times the raw number of infections as the UK
7th Oct 2020 - Daily Mail
Steady rise in Covid cases, spillover effects of lockdown to hit economic growth: Report
Resurgence in Covid-19 cases is the main headwind for the gl obal economy and in India the steady rise in coronavirus caseloads will have an adverse impact on the country's economic growth, says a report. According to Dun & Bradstreet's Country Risk and theGlobal Outlook Report, the pandemic will induce long term structural changes in the global economy
7th Oct 2020 - The Times of India
PM Muhyiddin says Covid-19 cases will rise in Malaysia but no lockdown for now
Malaysia’s Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said that he expects a rise in the number of Covid-19 cases in the country in the short term as a record 691 new cases were reported on Tuesday (Oct 6). It was the second consecutive day of a record high number, after 432 cases were confirmed on Monday. Four new deaths were reported on Tuesday, including that of a one-year-old, the country’s first child fatality.
7th Oct 2020 - The Straits Times
Poland reports new record of daily coronavirus-related deaths
Poland said it would enforce restrictions more strictly as it reported a daily record of 58 coronavirus-related deaths on Tuesday, as well as sharp increases in the number of ventilators and hospital beds being used by COVID-19 patients. The country reported 2,236 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday, close to Saturday’s record of 2,367. Poland, which has a population of 38 million, has reported 104,316 cases overall and 2,717 deaths, much lower than many other European countries.
“Only those with a medical certificate from a doctor can choose not to wear a mask where it is mandatory ... any person who doesn’t wear a mask (and doesn’t have a certificate) will face the harshest of punishments,” Health Minister Adam Niedzielski told a news conference.
7th Oct 2020 - Reuters
Party city Berlin slaps corona curfew on bars, restaurants
Germany’s capital decided on Tuesday to impose a late-night curfew on restaurants and bars to contain surging numbers of new coronavirus cases in Berlin. City mayor Michael Mueller, a Social Democrat, said experts had pointed to two problem areas that had to be addressed - large groups of people who were not sticking to social distancing rules and gatherings in closed rooms. “The advice showed we have to act quickly,” Mueller told reporters, adding action was needed to avoid a full lockdown in the German capital, famous for its club scene which has already come to a standstill due to corona restrictions.
7th Oct 2020 - Reuters UK
Coronavirus: Three universities move to online teaching amid rising cases
Three of the UK's biggest universities have moved to online teaching due to coronavirus outbreaks. More than 1,000 students have tested positive for COVID-19 at the University of Manchester (UM) since the autumn term started last month. The university has now joined with Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) and the University of Sheffield in announcing a move to online learning to protect the health of students and staff. It comes amid renewed calls for all universities to halt face-to-face teaching and for the government to "stop pretending" campuses are able to control the spread of the virus.
7th Oct 2020 - Sky News
Swiss report more than 1,000 new coronavirus cases in a day
The number of new coronavirus infections rose by 1,077 in a day, data here from Switzerland's public health agency showed on Wednesday, the first daily increase of more than 1,000 since early April. The agency reported a total of 57,709 confirmed cases, up from 56,632 on Tuesday. The death toll rose by two to 1,789.
7th Oct 2020 - Reuters
Coronavirus digest: Germany sees new spike in daily cases
Germany set a new post-peak record for new daily coronavirus cases on Wednesday, with 2,828 new cases. The number of people requiring treatment in intensive care and on ventilators also increased. In late March and early April, Germany was counting more than 6,000 new cases per day before they decreased. However, numbers began to slowly rise again since July. Lockdown rules have been gradually lifted since May, but the capital of Berlinannounced a partial curfew on Tuesday.
7th Oct 2020 - Deutsche Welle
Covid-19 community spread of ‘significant concern’ for nursing homes
The rise in coronavirus outbreaks in nursing homes is of “significant concern” and correlates with rising infection rates in the community, Nursing Homes Ireland (NHI) has warned. NHI Chief Executive Tadgh Daly said there is growing concern among nursing home operators over the recent rise in new Covid-19 outbreaks following weeks where the number was tapering off. At the end of August, there were 38 active outbreaks in nursing homes but this number fell to 26 by the end of September. By October 3, the number of active outbreaks in nursing homes had increased to 31, as highlighted by the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) when it recommended moving to Level 5 restrictions.
7th Oct 2020 - Irish Examiner
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 7th Oct 2020
View this newsletter in fullCovid-19 hospital cases jump 25% in a day
The number of people admitted to hospital with Covid-19 on one day has jumped by nearly a quarter in England. There were 478 people admitted to hospital on Sunday - the largest daily figure since early June - up from 386. More than two-thirds of those were in the North West, North East and Yorkshire. It comes as a further 14,542 cases were confirmed across the whole of the UK on Tuesday. That daily figure has trebled in a fortnight.
6th Oct 2020 - BBC
UK reports 14,542 cases of COVID-19
Britain reported 14,542 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, up from 12,594 on Monday, according to government data. There were 76 deaths within 28 days of a positive test.
6th Oct 2020 - Reuters
Matt Hancock warns cancer patients may not be treated if Covid-19 is 'out of control'
Cancer patients could face having their treatments withdrawn if the virus does not stay 'under control.' Matt Hancock's admission comes after an Excel Spreadsheet failure saw 16,000 positive cases overlooked. The oversight means thousands have been wandering the community after being exposed to the virus. Number 10 revealed this afternoon that only 63 per cent of these cases have now been contacted for tracing
6th Oct 2020 - Daily Mail
Isolating students offered food, toiletries but no financial support by UK universities
Students in lockdown must have access to food and basic toiletries, university leaders have said, as the government made deliveries of just one litre of hand sanitiser to campuses in England. Universities UK (UUK), which represents 139 higher education institutions, published a “checklist” of measures for universities supporting students who were self-isolating after Covid-19 exposure, several weeks after teaching restarted at some sites. But the checklist makes no mention of financial support or refunds for costs incurred during lockdowns ordered by university authorities. It was also criticised as too late to help thousands of students already self-isolating, including 824 confirmed Covid cases at Manchester University, more than 770 at Northumbria University, and 800 among students at Sheffield’s two universities.
6th Oct 2020 - The Guardian
Only 4 states are reporting a decline in Covid-19 cases
Almost nine months into the coronavirus pandemic, the crisis shows no signs of abating, even in states that were once not considered Covid-19 hotspots. Utah, where the vice presidential candidates will debate Wednesday, is averaging more than 1,000 new cases each day for the past week. That's the highest it's been since the first cases in the US were reported in late January.
6th Oct 2020 - CNN
Irish government rejects return to full coronavirus lockdown
The Irish government has rejected a recommendation to return the country to a full lockdown in the first clash with health chiefs since the Covid outbreak began. The surprise recommendation by the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) late on Sunday to impose the highest of five levels of restrictions possible with immediate effect had led to sharp criticism from some of the country’s most senior politicians, including the former taoiseach Leo Varadkar. While the rising spread of the virus is causing alarm and has led to partial lockdowns in several counties, most of the country is still on level 2 restrictions, involving fewer limits to social and economic activity.
6th Oct 2020 - The Guardian
UK’s Covid-19 infection rate almost doubles in a week
The rate of Covid-19 infections across the UK has almost doubled in a week. The UK-wide seven-day rate currently stands at 125.7 cases per 100,000 people, up from 63.8 per 100,000 a week ago, analysis by the PA news agency shows. When it comes to daily figures, as of 9am on Tuesday, there were 14,542 lab-confirmed cases of coronavirus in the UK. These have trebled in a fortnight – on September 22, there were 4,926 cases recorded.
6th Oct 2020 - YAHOO!
Why another 8.7 million people should now be under lockdown in the UK
On 30 July, after the weekly rate of Covid-19 cases in Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire and East Lancashire reached 66.6 per 100,000 people, local restrictions were imposed on the area with a few hours’ notice from central government. The situation was clearly seen as urgent. “We’re constantly vigilant and we’ve been looking at the data,” the Health Secretary Matt Hancock explained at the time, concluding: “We need to take action.”
6th Oct 2020 - New Statesman
Coronavirus: Arlene Foster says new lockdown 'avoidable'
Another lockdown in Northern Ireland to tackle Covid-19 is "avoidable" if people adhere to the rules, First Minister Arlene Foster has said. She said the executive did not want to have to impose further restrictions. However, Mrs Foster said if that became necessary then Westminster would have to provide extra financial support.
She and Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill spoke to Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove about that prospect on Monday afternoon. Speaking on BBC Radio Ulster's Evening Extra programme, the first minister said she did not believe another lockdown was inevitable. "The important thing to do is work with us and comply with the guidance and regulations out there," she said.
6th Oct 2020 - BBC
Covid in Scotland: Nicola Sturgeon 'not proposing return to full lockdown'
New coronavirus restrictions for Scotland will be announced on Wednesday - but it will not be another full lockdown, Nicola Sturgeon has said. Options for a so-called "circuit-breaker" to slow the spread of the virus were discussed by the Scottish cabinet on Tuesday morning. But the first minister said people would not be told to stay at home, and there would be no national travel ban. And schools will only close for the October holidays.
However, the first minister did not rule out local travel restrictions being introduced, or the possible closure of pubs and restaurants, in areas with higher rates of the virus.
Ms Sturgeon was speaking as 800 new cases of Covid-19 were confirmed in Scotland.
6th Oct 2020 - BBC
Coronavirus UK: The cities facing lockdown because of 'missed' data
Cities and areas with universities – including Nottingham, Sheffield, Leeds and Oxford – have seen figures soar after a computer technical issue. There was reportedly an error with an Excel spreadsheet which meant 15,841 cases between September 25 and October 2 were left out of the Government’s dashboard, MailOnline reports. The error saw the daily cases jump to a record high of 22,961 on Sunday.
6th Oct 2020 - Metro.co.uk
COVID-19 here to stay? Italian govt wants to extend 'state of emergency' measures till January 2022
Italy's health minister says the government is examining a proposal to make masks mandatory outdoors as the country enters a difficult phase of living alongside COVID-19, with the number of infections growing steadily for the last nine weeks.
Roberto Speranza told the lower house of parliament on Tuesday that as infections spread, it is necessary to return to restrictions that were gradually loosened over the spring and summer months after Italy's strict nearly three-month lockdown. ''We must raise our guard with the awareness that our county is better off than others,'' Speranza said.
6th Oct 2020 - The New Indian Express
Italy, Greece and Sweden could be added to UK quarantine list this week
Italy, Sweden and Greece are all above the Government's infection threshold. They are likely to be added to the growing 'red' list of high-risk countries. Quarantine could be slashed to eight days if travellers receive a negative test. New arrivals will have to go into self-isolation, but can end it with a test on day 8
6th Oct 2020 - Daily Mail
Coronavirus: Europe struggles to contain surge of cases
Bars in Paris have been ordered to close for two weeks, Madrid residents may no longer leave their city and Ireland is set to introduce tighter national restrictions as governments struggle to contain a Europe-wide surge in Covid-19 cases. As infections in the Paris area rose to 270 for every 100,000 people – and as high as 500 for every 100,000 among 20- to 30-year-olds – with 36% of intensive care beds occupied by Covid-19 patients, the city’s police chief said bars must close from Tuesday. Outlining measures he described as a “balance between assuring the health of our fellow citizens and the reality and necessity of economic and social life”, Didier Lallement said the French capital and its surrounding Île-de-France region were necessary because “the epidemic is moving too fast”.
6th Oct 2020 - The Guardian
France's daily COVID-19 cases slow, but hospitalisations spike
France reported a marked slowing in new daily COVID-19 cases on Monday but the number of people hospitalised for the disease shot up by more than 300 for the first time since Apr. 12, when the country was in the middle of a lockdown. Among the 7,294 patients hospitalised, more than 1,400 were treated in intensive care units (ICUs) - the highest number since May 28.
6th Oct 2020 - Reuters India
In Paris, we’re resigned to new Covid restrictions – and baffled by Boris Johnson's U-turns
It was all going so well – until suddenly it wasn’t. Following the super-strict lockdown in the spring, life in Paris had pretty much returned to normal. I mean, granted, face masks were now compulsory in public spaces – both indoors and out – and there was still little international tourism in the city. But, other than that, things felt reassuringly normal again. The brasseries were busy once more, the bars were positively bustling and business meetings had started to resume. People had even got used to abandoning ‘la bise’ – the famous kiss on both cheeks – for the awkward elbow shuffle. Some of us had secretly come to prefer that style of greeting. In short, there was no longer the feeling that we were living through an apocalypse.
6th Oct 2020 - iNews
Paris Bars Close, France New Covid Daily Record 17,000 Cases
After a Covid daily record of 16,972 new cases on Saturday, Paris bars were ordered to close for two weeks from Tuesday as the capital is declared a "maximum alert zone” due to the escalating pandemic. Health Minister Olivier Véran warned on Thursday, that Paris was heading that way, unless the escalating Covid-19 crisis improved. Instead the situation continued to worsen.
6th Oct 2020 - Forbes
Nepal staring at possible lockdown as cases overtake Chinas Covid tally
The coronavirus barometer of the Himalayan Nation has surged high in recent days with the number of cases reaching 86,823 on October 4. Nepal on Sunday overtook China in the number of infections which has reported 85,450 cases amid speculation that the toll could be higher. Nepal on Sunday alone logged 2,253 new cases with 1,329 cases of recoveries and seven deaths. Out of new cases, Kathmandu Valley alone contributed 1,373 new cases while Lalitpur registered 187 and Bhaktapur 39 new cases of coronavirus.
6th Oct 2020 - Business Standard
Cases rise in Australia's COVID-19 hotspot, but most linked to known outbreaks
Australia's coronavirus hotspot of Victoria state on Tuesday (Oct 6) reported a slight rise in new cases, but authorities sought to allay fears by saying they could link most of those infections to known outbreaks. Victoria, Australia's second-most populous state, reported one death from the virus in the last 24 hours and 15 cases, its biggest daily rise in infections in five days. "They are, again, predominantly related to known cases, to outbreaks, and we have to get on top of these outbreaks to really drive these numbers down," state's Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton told reporters in Melbourne. "I don't like to see a number that's in double figures and not in single figures, and no one obsesses over the daily numbers more than me or my team."
6th Oct 2020 - CNA
Matt Hancock says changes to local and national lockdown rules coming
Health Secretary Matt Hancock has confirmed that he is set to announce changes to the local and national lockdown rules in England. His confirmation comes amid speculation that current rules are to be replaced with a simpler three-tier system.
That 'traffic light' system would impose a level of rules on an area - or the whole country - based on the coronavirus risks on a three-tier scale. New lockdown measures could include everything from a ban on households mixing to a ban on visiting care homes and even pubs being closed at the most serious level.
6th Oct 2020 - Cambridge News
We need localised Covid-19 solutions – not lockdown
Between May and September 2020 we had an opportunity to prepare for the next wave of Covid-19. We have not done so. During this time, Ireland changed governments, changed ministers for health, the politicians took a six-week break, and community medical services have remained in a deep freeze, waiting for the next wave. We had an opportunity to safely open the country and to secure our borders, and develop workable “red” and “green” lists, similar to our EU neighbours and indeed those around the world. We were listening to the “experts of the day” and our politicians saying we should adopt a New Zealand model, knowing that would never work, as New Zealand does not have a border with Northern Ireland. We wasted time and our economy has suffered.
6th Oct 2020 - The Irish Times
Germany's Altmaier Vows to Avoid Another Shutdown of Industry
Germany must avoid another shutdown of industrial activity, Economy Minister Peter Altmaier said on Monday as rising COVID-19 infections cloud the growth outlook for Europe's largest economy. The German economy contracted by a record 9.7% in the second quarter as measures to contain the spread of the pandemic brought public life and business activity to a near standstill from mid-March to late April.
6th Oct 2020 - U.S. News & World Report
Moscow schools start unplanned holidays as COVID-19 cases rise
Moscow schools began unplanned holidays on Monday and businesses were required to have at least 30% of their staff working remotely, as COVID-19 cases across Russia hit their highest level since May 12. Authorities were also weighing the possibility of re-introducing tough lockdown measures last seen in the capital in late spring, the Vedomosti newspaper reported, as the daily tally of new cases reached 10,888 nationwide, including 3,537 in Moscow. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said he was unaware of plans to impose a strict lockdown however, despite new restrictions aimed at limiting social interaction taking effect in the Russian capital on Monday.
6th Oct 2020 - Reuters
Kremlin says not aware of any plans to impose new lockdown as cases climb
The Kremlin said on Monday that it was not aware of any current government plans to impose a strict lockdown in Russia to curb the sharp rise in coronavirus cases. Russia’s daily tally of new coronavirus cases rose to its highest since May 12 on Monday as authorities reported 10,888 new infections nationwide, including 3,537 in Moscow.
6th Oct 2020 - Reuters UK
Covid hospital cases jump nearly 25% in England
The number of people admitted to hospital with Covid-19 on one day has jumped by nearly a quarter in England. There were 478 people admitted to hospital on Sunday - the largest daily figure since early June - up from 386. More than two-thirds of those were in the North West, North East and Yorkshire. It comes as a further 14,542 cases were confirmed across the whole of the UK on Tuesday. That daily figure has trebled in a fortnight.
6th Oct 2020 - BBC
Ireland resists lockdown call, tighten COVID-19 curbs instead
Ireland must act now to prevent a damaging return to lockdown, Prime Minister Micheal Martin said on Monday after rejecting a surprise recommendation by his health chiefs to shut down the economy immediately and opting instead to tighten COVID-19 restrictions.
6th Oct 2020 - Reuters UK
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 6th Oct 2020
View this newsletter in fullCoronavirus: Pandemic 'will be bumpy through to Christmas and maybe beyond', Boris Johnson warns
The coronavirus pandemic "will be bumpy through to Christmas" and potentially beyond that, Boris Johnson has warned, as he said it is "too early to say" whether local lockdowns are working. The prime minister acknowledged there will be some members of the public who are "furious at me" and "furious at the government" amid the continuing COVID-19 restrictions. "I've got to tell you in all candour it's going to continue to be bumpy through to Christmas, it may even be bumpy beyond," he said in an interview with the BBC's Andrew Marr Show.
5th Oct 2020 - Sky News
Kremlin Says Not Aware of Any Plans to Impose New Lockdown as Cases Climb
The Kremlin said on Monday that it was not aware of any current government plans to impose a strict lockdown in Russia to curb the sharp rise in coronavirus cases.
Russia's daily tally of new coronavirus cases rose to its highest since May 12 on Monday as authorities reported 10,888 new infections nationwide, including 3,537 in Moscow.
5th Oct 2020 - U.S. News & World Report
Welsh Government 'actively considering' quarantine rule for people travelling from UK lockdown areas
The Welsh Government is "actively considering" imposing quarantine restrictions on people travelling into Wales from areas of the UK with high levels of coronavirus.
First Minister Mark Drakeford had previously called on Prime Minister Boris Johnson to introduce travel restrictions for people in areas of England under local lockdown. People living in parts of Wales subject to local restrictions must not enter or leave that area without a reasonable excuse - which does not include travelling for a holiday. Health minister Vaughan Gething told a press conference: "We're actively considering what we should do and I've discussed it this morning with the First Minister. "We have quarantine regulations for international travel.
5th Oct 2020 - ITV News
Covid: Welsh quarantine considered for UK coronavirus hotspots
People travelling to Wales from Covid hotspots elsewhere in the UK could face quarantine under measures being considered by the Welsh Government. Health Minister Vaughan Gething said he was looking at how powers could be used to protect areas with lower cases. It comes after the prime minister rejected calls from Welsh ministers for a travel ban. Currently people in lockdown areas in England can go on holiday in parts of Wales not subject to restrictions. It is illegal for people to leave or enter lockdown counties Wales except for a limited set of reasons, like work or education. But a similar law does not exist for areas under local restrictions in England. UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the Westminster government felt it was more "appropriate" to put "travel restrictions in guidance rather than in law"
5th Oct 2020 - BBC
Covid in Scotland: Sturgeon to meet advisers over further restrictions
Further restrictions could be introduced "in the near future" to stop the spread of Covid-19 in Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon has said. The first minister is to meet advisers and ministers on Monday and Tuesday to discuss fresh measures. She said it was "vital that we do everything we can" to slow the virus and that "not acting costs lives". Some advisers have backed the idea of a "circuit breaker" lockdown as "short, sharp shock" to the spread of Covid-19. National Clinical Director Jason Leitch told BBC Scotland that two weeks of heightened restrictions could push the course of the pandemic back by 28 days and "buy time" ahead of winter.
5th Oct 2020 - BBC
Countries across Europe set grim COVID-19 records as restrictions are reimposed
As Europe transitions from summer into autumn, countries that claimed to have the coronavirus under control are once again seeing a surge in infections. The United Kingdom, which has the biggest death toll on the continent, reported 23,000 new cases on Sunday. Officials said the figure included more than 15,000 infections which had not been counted due to a computer glitch.
5th Oct 2020 - 9News
How would a 'circuit breaker' lockdown work for Scotland?
Leaked plans of what a potential ‘circuit breaker’, or ‘fire breaker’ lockdown, could look like were first made public on 21 September as Scotland faced high numbers of new cases. Shortly afterwards, the Scottish Government imposed strict bans on the number of households people were allowed to mix between and imposed a 10pm curfew on hospitality.
5th Oct 2020 - The Scotsman
Coronavirus: Jason Leitch says ‘circuit breaker’ lockdown could ‘buy Scotland time’
Professor Jason Leitch told BBC Scotland that a two-week-long lockdown would deliver a “short, sharp shock to the R number.” He said such a move was about "buying yourself more time", but added that officials were still weighing up whether the economic cost of a “circuit breaker” was a price “worth paying”.
5th Oct 2020 - The Scotsman
Nepal overtakes China's Covid-19 tally, mulls lockdown
The coronavirus barometer of the Himalayan nation has surged high in recent days with the number of cases reaching 86,823 on October 4. Nepal on Sunday overtook China in the number of infections which has reported 85
5th Oct 2020 - Deccan Herald
Bali's exploding coronavirus death rate could make island last place Aussies return to
The coronavirus death rate is exploding in Bali, sparking fears it'll be among the last places to welcome Aussie visitors again. Business is suffering so severely even major chains are permanently closing, including McDonald's in the centre of usual-hotspot Kuta.
5th Oct 2020 - 9News
Italian government set to impose new curbs to tackle COVID-19 resurgence
The Italian government will likely impose new restrictions on the country in the coming week to try to beat back rising numbers of coronavirus cases, Health Minister Roberto Speranza said on Sunday. The cabinet is due to meet on Tuesday to decide how to respond to an increase in infections, with southern Italian regions for the first time looking vulnerable to the disease. “The battle isn’t over. We don’t have the numbers seen in other European countries ... but we are in a phase of significant growth and I hope the country finds a spirit of unity,” Speranza told state broadcaster RAI. The measures under review include making the wearing of masks obligatory outdoors across the whole country and re-introducing curbs on social gatherings.
5th Oct 2020 - Reuters
No coronavirus lockdown for top Tory constituencies
Wealthy areas, including the chancellor Rishi Sunak’s parliamentary seat, are avoiding lockdown despite having higher Covid-19 rates than poorer areas that are subject to restrictions, according to leaked emails between health officials. The government is under growing pressure to explain why it has placed large parts of the north and Midlands under local lockdowns while overlooking areas with similar infection rates. Asked why the northwest is “treated differently” from areas such as his own seat of Uxbridge and South Ruislip in west London, Boris Johnson said on Friday: “I appreciate ... people want to see an iron consistency applied across the whole country.”
4th Oct 2020 - The Times
Overtaking China in number of COVID-19 cases, carefree Nepalese now worry about possible lockdown
The coronavirus barometer of the Himalayan Nation has surged high in recent days with the number of cases reaching 86,823 on October 4. Nepal on Sunday overtook China in the number of infections which has reported 85,450 cases amid speculation that the toll could be higher. Nepal on Sunday alone logged 2,253 new cases with 1,329 cases of recoveries and seven deaths. Out of new cases, Kathmandu Valley alone contributed 1,373 new cases while Lalitpur registered 187 and Bhaktapur 39 new cases of coronavirus. Despite the increasing number of cases, the buzz in the market and roads in Kathmandu is as normal as before. Social distancing, sanitisation and other basic health protocols issued by the government are flaunted by shoppers who are all in a festive mood to celebrate the upcoming festival of Dashain
4th Oct 2020 - YAHOO!
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 5th Oct 2020
View this newsletter in full'Circuit-breaker' lockdown looms for Scotland as Covid cases rise
Four more coronavirus deaths were reported in Scotland, as the number of cases of the virus increased by 764. Figures released by the Scottish Government also show 191 people were in hospital with recently confirmed Covid-19, including 23 in intensive care. The 764 cases represent 12.4% of newly tested individuals and a fall of 11 on the previous day’s total. A warning was issued that a so-called “circuit breaker” lockdown remains a possibility for Scotland. Doctors’ leaders have said that the NHS is set to experience its most difficult winter since it was founded in 1948, due to the pressure caused by coronavirus.
4th Oct 2020 - Glasgow Times
Surge of Covid cases in London health workers sparks fear of spread on wards
Covid infection rates among doctors, nurses, and other hospital and care home staff have risen more than fivefold over the past month in London, scientists have discovered. The figures – provided by the Francis Crick Institute – have triggered considerable concern among scientists, who fear similar increases may be occurring in other regions of the UK. Increasing numbers of infected healthcare workers raise fears that the spread of Covid-19 into wards and care homes – which triggered tens of thousands of deaths last spring – could be repeated unless urgent action is taken.
4th Oct 2020 - The Guardian
After avoiding the worst in spring, Italy’s south sounds alarm over Covid
In a characteristically stern but satirical video message last week, Vincenzo De Luca, the president of Campania, warned citizens in the southern Italian region that if the coronavirus infection rate continued to rise there would be another lockdown. He struck a more serious tone on Saturday after Italy’s most densely populated region, and one of its poorest, registered the highest daily tally of new infections in the country. After showing images of a crowd without masks outside a college and revellers in a bar where there was an outbreak, he said: “We must return to the strict behaviour of February, March and April, otherwise we get sick.”
4th Oct 2020 - The Guardian
Malaysia will not re-impose coronavirus curbs for now despite spike
Malaysia will not re-impose widespread coronavirus restrictions on travel despite a recent spike in infections, which a government minister said was partly caused by migrants from neighbouring countries. Malaysia imposed a nationwide lockdown in March but has been gradually lifting the curbs, though authorities have warned that they could be reinstated if daily increases in infections reached triple-digits. The Southeast Asian country has seen a steady climb in cases in the past week and on Saturday reported 317 new infections, the highest daily rise since it began tracking the pandemic. But security minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the government did not see the need to reimpose the lockdown as the majority of cases were being reported in detention centres and isolated districts
4th Oct 2020 - Reuters UK
Myanmar volunteers under strain as coronavirus toll grows
As Myanmar’s coronavirus infections soar, the work never seems to stop for volunteers who have stepped in to help carry those suspected of symptoms to quarantine centres or hospitals. Fatalities hit a new record for one day on Sunday with 41 deaths, bringing the total to 412 from only seven a month ago. The toll is now the third highest in Southeast Asia, after Indonesia and the Philippines, and both deaths and case numbers are doubling faster than anywhere in the world according to Reuters figures.
4th Oct 2020 - Reuters UK
Northern Ireland reports double previous daily record of COVID-19 cases
Northern Ireland reported 934 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, more than double the previous record daily total registered two days ago in the British-run region. Northern Ireland’s chief medical officer had earlier described the surge in cases in the last two weeks as extremely worrying and advised the public to prepare for a potential second, shorter lockdown. “This is an extremely and deeply worrying time, we’re seeing a rapidly deteriorating situation in terms of the number of new cases, but also the number of admissions to hospital and intensive care units,” Michael McBride told BBC radio.
4th Oct 2020 - Reuters UK
Poland's total number of coronavirus cases exceeds 100,000
Poland’s total number of coronavirus cases passed the 100,000 mark on Sunday, according to the health ministry’s Twitter account, as infection rates surge in the country which has reported daily records three times in the past week. While Poland’s total number of cases remains well below that in many western European virus hotspots, reaching 100,000 illustrates how the spread of COVID-19 has accelerated in a country which avoided the worst of the first wave and where in July the prime minister played down risks ahead of an election.
4th Oct 2020 - Reuters UK
Paris at risk of total lockdown as Europe cases rise
Paris is in danger of going back into lockdown next week after the French government said the coronavirus pandemic was worsening in the capital. "Since yesterday, in the last 24 hours, Paris has passed the threshold that would put it in the maximum alert category," French minister of Health Olivier Véran said Thursday evening. France's "maximum alert" threshold is reached when the incidence rate reaches 250 per 100,000 people, at least 30% of intensive care beds are occupied by coronavirus patients, and the rate among the elderly passes 100 per 100,000.
The Paris region had already fulfilled the last two criteria.
3rd Oct 2020 - CNN
Colombia's capital will see second, smaller coronavirus outbreak, mayor says
Bogota, the Colombian capital, will see a second outbreak of coronavirus cases, possibly between November and December, which will hopefully be less severe than the first wave, Bogota’s mayor, Claudia Lopez, said on Friday. “Most probably towards the end of the year, in November or December, we could have a second wave much smaller than the first,” Lopez said in a meeting with foreign press. The Andean country began more than five months of lockdown in March. It entered a much-looser “selective” quarantine phase - allowing dining at restaurants and international flights - at the start of September. On Monday the government extended the selective quarantine until the end of October.
3rd Oct 2020 - Reuters UK
Nearly 20,000 Covid-19 cases among Amazon workers
Amazon said that more than 19,816 of its frontline workers in the US have contracted Covid-19 since March. The number equates to 1.44% of its 1.37 million workers across Amazon and its subsidiary Whole Foods. Amazon had faced criticism from employees, unions and elected officials, who have accused the company of putting employees' health at risk. But the online retailing giant said its infection rate is lower than expected. Amazon has kept its facilities open throughout the pandemic to meet a surge in demand from shoppers stuck at home.
2nd Oct 2020 - BBC
Russia Does Not Have Immediate Plans to Reimpose Nationwide COVID Lockdowns, Kremlin Says
Russia does not plan to reimpose lockdowns across the country for now despite rising coronavirus cases, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Friday. Russia reported 9,412 new coronavirus cases on Friday, its highest daily tally since May 23, pushing the national total to 1,194,643. Moscow, the epicentre of the outbreak earlier this year, registered 2,704 new cases overnight.
2nd Oct 2020 - U.S. News & World Report
Germany sees highest daily rise in coronavirus cases since April
Germany has once again reached a new record in the rise of coronavirus infections over a one-day period, as concerns grow that the country might lose its grip on the pandemic as the colder months approach. The Robert Koch Institute, the national agency for disease control, said 2,673 more cases had been confirmed on Friday, the highest daily rise seen since the second half of April. Eight more people died after catching the virus, bringing the death toll to 9,503.
2nd Oct 2020 - Daily Sabah
Another lockdown in Karnataka could be suicidal, say experts
In Karnataka, experts have frowned on medical education minister K Sudhakar’s warning that the government will have no choice but to enforce another lockdown if people fail to take precautions to check the spread of the pandemic and help curb rapidly rising Covid-19 infections in the state. Experts say a lockdown would be suicidal as the costs far outweigh limited gains since it will help reduce infections only temporarily.
2nd Oct 2020 - The Times of India
Face masks become mandatory in Rome as coronavirus cases rise
Face masks will have to be worn at all times out of doors in the Italian capital Rome and the surrounding Lazio region, local authorities ruled on Friday in an effort to counter rising coronavirus infections. Italy on Thursday registered more than 2,000 new coronavirus cases for the first time since the end of April. Lazio accounted for some 265 of those cases and has been increasingly concerned by the growing contagion. A number of other Italian regions, including Campania centred on Naples, have already made mask wearing obligatory outdoors.
2nd Oct 2020 - Reuters India
Tunisia reports daily coronavirus record of 1308 cases
Tunisia recorded 1,308 new confirmed coronavirus cases on Wednesday, the health ministry said on Friday, a record since the start of the pandemic, prompting the government to impose a night curfew in two governorates. The total number of cases has jumped to around 20,000 compared with roughly 1,000 cases before the country’s borders were opened on June 27.
2nd Oct 2020 - Reuters UK
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 2nd Oct 2020
View this newsletter in fullCoronavirus: NI Executive to consider further restrictions
Pubs, cafes, restaurants and hotels in the Derry and Strabane council area are to be placed under new restrictions to try and curb the spread of Covid-19. They will only be able to open for takeaway, delivery and outdoor dining, First Minister Arlene Foster said. It is part of a series of measures due to come into force next week, which will last for at least a fortnight. But Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill urged residents to comply immediately with the new rules. Meanwhile, Londonderry's Altnagelvin Hospital has suspended some services to manage Covid-19 patients.
1st Oct 2020 - BBC
Why a second national lockdown in France can't be ruled out
New coronavirus cases hit a record 16,000 in 24 hours, the French Prime Minister has said, so a second national lockdown in France cannot be totally ruled out. Defending stronger measures being imposed, Jean Castex said: “If we do not act, we could find ourselves in a situation like that of spring. That could mean reconfinement, and we must avoid it.” President Macron had earlier said a new confinement would not happen. Health Minister Olivier Véran, however, ruled out a suggestion by two Nobel economics prizewinners that a “preventative” lockdown is needed from December 1-20 to allow people to gather safely with families at Christmas. Esther Duflo and Abhijit Banerjee raised the idea in Le Monde, saying without it there was likely to be a spike in the winter due to a drop in temperatures and an increase in social and family events. Mr Véran said that new travel restrictions during the Toussaint holiday period may be introduced dependent on “what we do in the coming days and weeks”.
1st Oct 2020 - The Connexion
New York City Under Pressure; CDC Funds Stalled: Virus Update
New York faced pressure as middle and high schools reopened, infection rates in virus hot spots rose further and the city’s bond rating was cut by Moody’s. A $1 billion funding package to help the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention fight Covid-19 has remained mostly unspent, people familiar with the matter said. Pfizer Inc. Chief Executive Officer Albert Bourla said he’s disappointed that vaccine plans were discussed during this week’s U.S. presidential debate “in political terms rather than scientific facts.” President Donald Trump’s campaign moved a weekend re-election rally in Wisconsin after complaints by local officials.
1st Oct 2020 - Bloomberg
Jordan reports 1,767 COVID-19 cases in its highest daily tally
Jordan warned on Wednesday it could be forced to return to a full lockdown, potentially devastating its fragile economy, after recording 1,767 new cases of COVID-19, its highest daily tally since the start of the outbreak. The country’s total number of confirmed infections now stands at 11,816, with 61 deaths since the first case surfaced in early March, Health Minister Saad Jaber said in a statement. Jordan, which had some of the lowest numbers of infections in the region in the first few months of the pandemics’ spread, has seen daily numbers rise alarmingly this month, with health officials saying the country now faced a community spread.
1st Oct 2020 - Reuters India
As COVID-19 resurges, Johnson pleads with UK: obey the rules
Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged the British people on Wednesday to obey rules imposed to tackle a rapidly accelerating second wave of the coronavirus outbreak, cautioning that otherwise a tougher lockdown could follow. New cases of COVID-19 are rising by more than 7,000 per day in the United Kingdom though Johnson is facing growing opposition to lockdown measures which have wrought some of the worst economic damage in at least a century.
1st Oct 2020 - Reuters Canada
New York worries over 20 coronavirus hot spots, Wisconsin sees troubling trends
Wisconsin, where U.S. President Donald Trump will hold rallies over the weekend, registered a record increase in new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, while New York state reported a worrisome uptick of positive coronavirus tests in 20 ‘hot spots.’ The 3,000 new infections reported in Wisconsin fanned fears that the sheer number of new patients could overwhelm hospitals. Florida, which has four times as many people as Wisconsin, reported 2,628 new cases on Thursday. Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers issued an emergency order easing licensing rules in a bid to bolster the number of healthcare workers able to deal with the mounting crisis.
1st Oct 2020 - Reuters UK
French coronavirus cases near record levels again, with nearly 14,000 new infections
France on Thursday reported nearly 14,000 new confirmed coronavirus infections over the past 24 hours, close to the record levels seen last week. The number of infections rose by 13,970 to a total of 577,505 cases, the health ministry said, more than the 12,845 reported on Wednesday and below a record of 16,096 on Thursday last week. The number of deaths increased by 63 to 32,019, in line with Wednesday and the trend of the past week.
1st Oct 2020 - Reuters UK
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 1st Oct 2020
View this newsletter in fullCoronavirus: NI records another new high of cases
Northern Ireland is at a "crossroads" in dealing with the rise in Covid-19 cases and more action to curb it must be taken, Robin Swann has warned. The health minister was speaking as Northern Ireland recorded another high of new positive cases on Wednesday. A further 424 cases were announced - 139 of which were in the Derry and Strabane council area. One new Covid-19 related death was reported, bringing the Department of Health's total to 579. In the Republic of Ireland, 429 new cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed and one more person has died, bringing the overall death toll there to 1,804. Speaking at Stormont's executive press briefing on Wednesday, Mr Swann said he was "more concerned about what lies ahead" than at any stage since he became minister in January.
30th Sep 2020 - BBC
Liverpool is being 'closely monitored' amid fears it could go into lockdown
PM's spokesman said he's 'constantly reviewing' Merseyside's Covid restrictions
Comes after city's mayor Joe Anderson called for lockdown to 'restore normality'
But Metro Mayor distanced himself from the idea and said he'd not discussed it
30th Sep 2020 - Daily Mail
MPs Will Vote On Any New National Lockdown, Matt Hancock Announces
MPs will be able to vote on any national coronavirus lockdown measures before they come into force, Matt Hancock has announced in a concession to backbench Tory rebels. The health secretary said that for “significant national measures” that affect all of England or the whole UK, MPs will be able to vote on them in advance “wherever possible”.
30th Sep 2020 - Huffington Post UK
Covid: Boris Johnson defends 'strong local' measures to beat virus
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has defended the use of localised measures to combat Covid-19 across the UK. Mr Johnson told MPs "strong local action" was needed in response to "a serious and growing" virus resurgence. Labour's Sir Keir Starmer asked how people could be expected to understand and follow rules when the PM himself had failed to make them clear. Mr Johnson said he had "cleared up" a mistaken comment he made on rules for the North East "as fast as I could". It comes as the latest UK coronavirus figures show there have been a further 7,108 cases of coronavirus and another 71 deaths.
30th Sep 2020 - BBC
Merseyside leaders 'favour circuit breaker lockdown'
Merseyside leaders would favour a "circuit breaker" lockdown if companies are provided with financial support, Knowsley's council leader has said. Graham Morgan said a two-week mini lockdown "might disrupt the spread of the virus" to help regain control. Merseyside has recorded a sharp rise in Covid-19 cases, according to the latest Public Health England data. Mr Morgan said council leaders agreed in principle to the "circuit breaker" to halt the spread of the virus.
It follows a meeting with the government's chief medical officer Chris Whitty on Monday to discuss the next steps.
30th Sep 2020 - BBC
Will there be a second national lockdown in the UK?
Boris Johnson is set to deliver an update to the public today, and some are wondering if there could be another big announcement on the way. The latest press conference comes after the number of coronavirus cases yesterday reached its highest level since the start of the pandemic, with the worldwide Covid-19 death toll now surpassing 1 million. The Government has been busy implementing tighter restrictions, both locally and nationally, and at least 16.6 million people are currently in local lockdowns – about one in four Brits. But is it time to plunge the entire UK into a nationwide lockdown again? Here’s what we know.
30th Sep 2020 - Metro.co.uk
Angela Merkel limits public gatherings to 50 people in covid hotspots but says a national shutdown will be avoided 'at all costs' to preserve Germany's economy
Merkel told state leaders 'more difficult times lie ahead in autumn and winter'
Compared to other European countries Germany has a low infection rate
But the Chancellor said cases could soar to 19,200 per day if trends continue
Germany had 2,000 cases Tuesday, compared to 8,000 in France, 7,000 in UK
30th Sep 2020 - Daily Mail
In Madrid, Covid-19 Resurgence Divides Rich and Poor
Every weekday morning, Jorge Sánchez leaves home in Puente de Vallecas, one of the poorest and most densely populated areas of Madrid, and drives 10 miles to his job as a gardener tending a public park in an affluent district of the city. Puente de Vallecas was one of 45 Madrid districts locked down last week as the authorities struggle to cope with a second wave of coronavirus infections sweeping the capital region, but Mr. Sánchez is still allowed to commute to the leafy neighborhood where he works.
30th Sep 2020 - The New York Times
Germany looks to tackle coronavirus rise with 3 simple strategies
Chancellor Angela Merkel has vowed to avoid another full national lockdown.
Coronavirus infections are rising in Germany, as elsewhere in Europe. Although, so far it has not seen a surge in cases like France, Spain and the U.K.
30th Sep 2020 - CNBC
Coronavirus infection rate rising but scope for more, Indian survey shows
Coronavirus infection rates among adults in India have risen sharply, a survey showed on Tuesday, although a large percentage of the population has not yet been exposed, suggesting there is scope for cases to rise much further. In the serological survey conducted in August and September, blood samples were tested for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. If a person tests positive for the antibodies, it means they were infected with the virus at some point. Blood samples collected from more than 29,000 adults between Aug. 17 and Sept. 22 showed that the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies increased to 7.1% compared to 0.73% in a previous survey between May 11 and June 4, the director general of the Indian Council of Medical Research, Balram Bhargava, told a press briefing.
30th Sep 2020 - Reuters
No lockdown but more curbs: Kerala CM
In an all-party meeting convened by chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday in the wake of increasing numbers of Covid-19 cases in the state. It was decided that a total shutdown was not needed but more restrictions should be brought in to the state
30th Sep 2020 - The Times of India
Merkel: Germany can avoid second coronavirus lockdown
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Wednesday that she wanted to do everything in her power to avoid another national lockdown as coronavirus infection numbers rise again in Europe’s largest economy, expressing confidence the goal was achievable. “We all want to avoid a second national shutdown and we can do that,” Merkel said, adding that people knew much more about how to protect themselves and the health system than they did back in March, when a national lockdown was implemented. Merkel and the leaders of Germany’s 16 states have agreed to restrict the size of gatherings and to fine anyone who flouts tracking rules in an effort to contain the spread of the coronavirus over autumn and winter.
30th Sep 2020 - Reuters
Belgium's coronavirus death toll crosses 10,000
Belgium’s official death toll from coronavirus infections crossed the 10,000 mark on Wednesday, according to data from the Sciensano health institute. Belgium, home to the headquarters of the European Union and NATO, successfully slowed the spread of COVID-19 with a lockdown that was imposed in the spring, but it still had one of the world’s highest fatality figures per capita from the virus. Sciensano said the official number of dead stood at 10,001. The country of 11 million people recorded, on average, 1,550 new infections per day over the past week, up from about 80 a day in early July.
30th Sep 2020 - Reuters
Germany's Merkel vows to avoid full national lockdown in pandemic
Germany wants to avoid a full national lockdown at all costs by quickly tracking infection chains and shutting down local outbreaks, Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Tuesday. “We want to act regionally, specifically and purposefully, rather than shutting down the whole country again - this must be prevented at all costs,” Merkel told a news conference following a video-conference with the premiers of the federal states.
29th Sep 2020 - Reuters
UK reports record daily figure of 7,143 COVID-19 cases
Britain reported 7,143 new cases of coronavirus on Tuesday, the highest single figure to date, and 71 deaths, the biggest toll since July. Lockdown measures are being imposed across the country as the government tries to limit the spread of the virus. The 71 deaths within 28 days of a positive COVID-19 test is the highest level since 97 fatalities were recorded on July 1.
29th Sep 2020 - Reuters UK
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 30th Sep 2020
View this newsletter in full320 more Covid-19 cases in NI in the last 24 hours
There have been 320 new cases of Covid-19 confirmed in Northern Ireland in the last 24-hour reporting period, the Department of Health has said. It brings the total number of infections to 11,269, including 1,702 notified within the last seven days.
There were no further deaths recorded by the department, leaving the toll at 578.
29th Sep 2020 - ITV News
Major spike in new Covid-19 cases continues in Manchester
The number of new Covid-19 cases in Manchester is continuing to spiral in known hotspots while more cases are being reported in student areas. Hundreds of Covid-positive tests were recorded across the city in the week to September 24, with five areas reporting 50 or more. There were more than 100 cases every day between September 15 and September 25, reaching a single-day high of 205. The middle super output area (MSOA) of University North & Whitworth Street recorded 59 cases over the week - the highest across all of Manchester and second highest in all of Greater Manchester. Another 56 cases were reported in Hulme & University and another 52 in Fallowfield Central. The figures coincide with an outbreak at Manchester Metropolitan University’s (MMU) Birley campus and Cambridge halls of residence.
29th Sep 2020 - Manchester Evening News
Should We Have Corona Lockdowns Just for the Old?
The mayor of Moscow just ordered all Muscovites older than 65 to stay at home. This idea of restrictions imposed on just one category of citizens — those most at risk of dying from Covid-19, which mainly means the elderly — will come up a lot more now that the second wave is here. To put it bluntly: Should we lock down the old, or is that like locking them up, and thus unethical? This isn’t meant to be a “modest proposal” in the tradition of Swiftian satire. We need to discuss our options, because going back into general lockdowns isn’t one. Renewed shutdowns wouldn’t be accepted by the population. They’d crush our traumatized economies and cause so much second-order suffering that an honest accounting against the relative harm from Covid-19 would become elusive.
29th Sep 2020 - Bloomberg
NYC warns several neighborhoods could be put on strict lockdown TODAY amid 'troubling' COVID surge
Eight neighborhoods in Brooklyn and Queens have been identified as potential targets for new lockdowns - The average positivity rate across all eight neighborhoods - which have large Orthodox Jewish communities - is 3.3 percent higher than the city's overall rate - Officials said they could announce new restrictions for specific zip codes as of early Tuesday morning - It comes as New York state recorded a positivity rate of 1.5 percent on Sunday - the highest since mid-July - Gov Andrew Cuomo on Monday said spikes in the Big Apple are a 'big contributor' in the state's climbing rate
29th Sep 2020 - Daily Mail
Covid: Tackling coronavirus 'down to every one of us'
One of Wales's most eminent doctors has said we are in "a precarious position" with almost two million people subject to new Covid restrictions. Baroness Ilora Finlay said people needed to take personal responsibility to stop the spread of the virus. She told BBC Wales that without quick action the NHS would become "completely overwhelmed". Eleven of Wales' 22 council areas, including Cardiff and Swansea, are in local lockdown with tighter rules. "I think that the Welsh Government have got a very difficult job," said Baroness Finlay, who is a Bevan Commissioner, a member of a group of independent experts that provides advice on health and care in Wales.
29th Sep 2020 - BBC
Germany May Limit Gatherings to Fight Coronavirus Spread
Germany may join other European nations in limiting the number of people at private and public gatherings in areas with high coronavirus infection rates, as officials across the continent labor to reverse a recent uptick in cases. Chancellor Angela Merkel will recommend restricting private meetings to 25 people and public gatherings to 50 people when she holds talks with regional premiers via video conference on Tuesday, according to a draft proposal obtained by Bloomberg News. The rules would apply to areas with more than 35 infections per 100,000 inhabitants over seven days, according to the paper. While the infection rate since late July was initially fueled by returning vacationers, individuals disregarding distancing rules are now the main concern. “Given the dropping temperatures, the increased time spent indoors during the fall and winter, and the pending flu season, we must now be particularly careful,” the paper says.
29th Sep 2020 - YAHOO!
Cases are rising in Ontario. Will another lockdown follow? Stay tuned to the Doug Ford plan
Ford acknowledged on Monday that the second wave of COVID-19 is here. But he said he isn’t ready to shut anything down. Not yet, anyway
29th Sep 2020 - National Post
Rule of six and other COVID-19 measures announced for Spain’s Andalucia
Andalucia has revealed a series of measures for the towns most affected by COVID-19. Only one town, Casariche, in Sevilla, will be closed down after registering a coronavirus incidence rate of 4,582.1 over the past two weeks.
29th Sep 2020 - Olive Press
EU tries to avoid lockdowns as global death toll reaches 1m
The global death toll from the novel coronavirus, which first emerged in China late last year and has swept across the world, reached the one million mark on Monday (28 September) . The United States has the highest death toll with over 200,000 fatalities, followed by Brazil, India, Mexico and the UK - while Spain, France and Italy are also among the deadliest countries for Covid-19. However, the chief of emergencies at the World Health Organization, Michael Ryan, said last Friday that the global coronavirus death toll could hit two million - even with an effective vaccine in place. "Are we prepared collectively to do what it takes to avoid that number?" he said, calling on governments to do everything to halt the surge of Covid-19 infections worldwide. "Unless we do it all, the number [two million deaths] is not only imaginable but unfortunately and sadly, very likely," he added.
29th Sep 2020 - EUobserver
Coronavirus: New rules in Netherlands to cope with virus surge
Many residents in the Netherlands will, for the first time, be advised to wear a face mask in shops as the country introduces a range of measures to control a second coronavirus wave. Compared to its neighbours, the Netherlands had largely avoided strict restrictions until now. This week nearly 3,000 infections daily are being recorded in the nation of 17 million people. The new measures will start on Tuesday and last for at least three weeks. "We are doing our best, but the virus is doing better," Health Minister Hugo de Jong admitted on Monday.
29th Sep 2020 - BBC
Pre-Christmas lockdown not right for France
A proposed generalised lockdown in the first weeks of December to “save Christmas” from Covid-19, is not the right solution the French health minister has said.
29th Sep 2020 - The Connexion
Coronavirus second wave: Will there be another lockdown in India
Several countries have allayed fears of a second wave of coronavirus. On Saturday, Maharashtra Chief Minister, Uddhav Thackeray expressed apprehensions of a "second wave" of coronavirus transmission as more people are moving out for work, and called for stricter compliance with norms. Speaking at a virtual meeting with ministers and officials of Marathwada and Nashik divisions on the COVID-19 situation, the CM expressed concerns over asymptomatic patients, allowed to remain at home, stepping out without proper precautions and infecting others.
29th Sep 2020 - Oneindia
Australia sends troops to help contain coronavirus on cargo ship
Australian soldiers are being deployed to Port Hedland, one of the world’s largest iron ore loading ports, to help contain a coronavirus outbreak on a bulk carrier that last changed crews in the seafaring city of Manila. Seventeen of the 21-crew members on the ship have tested positive for the virus, ship owner Oldendorff Carriers said in a statement.
29th Sep 2020 - AlJazeera
Moscow extends school holiday over coronavirus
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin on Tuesday extended an upcoming school holiday by a week to limit the spread of the coronavirus, days after sources told Reuters that the capital’s hospitals had been told to free up hundreds of beds. COVID-19 infections have been rising across Europe in the weeks since the start of the new academic year and some other countries have also considered extending October school holidays to try to slow the spread. The Kremlin said last week it did not plan to impose severe lockdown restrictions despite a growing number of new cases of COVID-19, but Sobyanin advised anyone with chronic health problems or those older than 65 to stay home. On Tuesday, Sobyanin said students would be off school from Oct. 5-18, and urged parents to keep their children at home.
29th Sep 2020 - Reuters UK
France's new COVID-19 cases slow down, but hospitalisations up
France’s increase of new COVID-19 cases sharply decelerated on Monday, as is always the case on that day given there are fewer tests conducted on Sundays, but hospitalisations and deaths linked to the disease shot up again. The government has recently ramped up measures aimed at containing the resurgence of the virus and avoiding a second national lockdown, with bars ordered to close at 2000 GMT (10 p.m. local time) in Paris and several other big cities starting from this Monday.
French health authorities reported 4,070 new COVID-19 infections over the past 24 hours, sharply down from Saturday's third-highest ever tally of 14,412 and Sunday's 11,123.
29th Sep 2020 - Reuters
Dutch may restrict travel to Amsterdam, close bars early: NOS
The Dutch government on Monday announced a raft of new restrictions to slow a second wave of coronavirus infections, including earlier closing times for bars and restaurants and limited travel between major cities. The measures, which also include wider use of cloth masks for the public in Amsterdam and other big cities, came as daily new infection rates have passed their earlier peak in April. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said the steps were unavoidable due to the speed of the virus’s spread.
29th Sep 2020 - Reuters UK
UK eyes tougher COVID-19 restrictions for England as outbreak spreads
The British government is mulling tougher restrictions in England to tackle a swiftly accelerating second wave of the novel coronavirus outbreak, possibly outlawing more inter-household socialising, a junior health minister said on Monday. “We don’t want to bring on new restrictions but of course we keep a constant eye on what is going on with the COVID rate,” Junior Health Minister Helen Whately told Sky News. “We were looking at what we might be able to do.”
29th Sep 2020 - Reuters
France has no plan to order a new coronavirus lockdown: minister
France’s government has no plan to order a new nationwide lockdown to contain a resurgence in coronavirus cases in the country, Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on Monday. Le Maire was speaking at a news conference after a cabinet meeting.
29th Sep 2020 - Reuters UK
France says number of confirmed coronavirus cases up by 8051 over 24 hours
French health authorities on Tuesday reported 8,051 new COVID-19 infections over the past 24 hours, up sharply from Monday’s 4,070, while intensive care admissions were also on the rise. The number of people in France who have died from COVID-19 infections rose by 85 to 31,893, versus 81 on Monday. The cumulative number of cases now totals 550,690. As of Tuesday a total of 6,500 people were hospitalised for a COVID-19 infection in France, 85 more over 24 hours. This included 1,204 patients in intensive care units, a rise of 40 since Monday.
29th Sep 2020 - Reuters UK
Coronavirus infection rate rising in India but scope for more, survey shows
Coronavirus infection rates among adults in India have risen sharply, a survey showed on Tuesday, although a large percentage of the population has not yet been exposed, suggesting there is scope for cases to rise much further. In the serological survey conducted in August and September, blood samples were tested for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. If a person tests positive for the antibodies, it means they were infected with the virus at some point. Blood samples collected from more than 29,000 adults between Aug. 17 and Sept. 22 showed that the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies increased to 7.1% compared to 0.73% in a previous survey between May 11 and June 4, the director general of the Indian Council of Medical Research, Balram Bhargava, told a press briefing. “However, a large percentage of the population is still unexposed and the susceptibility of a considerable section of people getting infected exists,” he added.
29th Sep 2020 - Reuters UK
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 29th Sep 2020
View this newsletter in fullPositive COVID-19 test rates top 25 percent in some Midwest states
The number of tests coming back positive for COVID-19 is topping 25 percent in several states in the US Midwest as cases and hospitalizations also surge in the region, according to a Reuters analysis. North Dakota’s positive test rate has averaged 30 percent over the past seven days compared with 6 percent the prior week. The positivity rate has risen to 26 percent in South Dakota, up from 17 percent the previous week, according to the analysis using testing data from The COVID Tracking Project.
28th Sep 2020 - New York Post
Covid-19 deaths pass 1,000 in Birmingham hospitals
The UK's first hospital trust to record 1,000 Covid-19 deaths says the toll is the "terrible reality" of the virus. University Hospitals Birmingham, which has four hospitals and is the biggest trust in England, reported there had been 1,002 deaths since 14 March as of Monday. The number of coronavirus cases in Birmingham is 153.2 per 100,000 people, in the seven days to 24 September. The hospital trust confirmed the figure with "great sadness". "Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with the families and friends of those who have suffered losses," a trust spokesman said.
28th Sep 2020 - BBC
Russian businesses prepare for fresh lockdowns as Covid-19 cases soar
Russian businesses are braced for a reimposition of lockdown measures after a surge in new coronavirus cases over the past week dashed hopes that the country had successfully contained the pandemic. Russia has the world’s fourth-highest number of Covid-19 infections but government data had shown a steady decrease in new cases since they peaked in mid-May. That decline had encouraged the Kremlin to lift almost all quarantine measures imposed in March in an effort to limit the damage to the country’s already struggling economy, but a sharp increase in new infections over the past fortnight has raised fears that a new lockdown will be necessary.
28th Sep 2020 - Financial Times
Government considering near-total lockdown for parts of UK
Boris Johnson is reported to be considering a near-total lockdown on parts of the UK in a bid to bring coronavirus under control. 17.8million people are now living under some form of lockdown measures in the north of England, south Wales, the Midlands and parts of Scotland. All administrations in the four parts of the UK have brought in a ban on gatherings of more than six people while hospitality venues have to close at 10pm. The Government is now reported to be considering tougher measures which would close all pubs, restaurants and bars for at least two weeks. Any tougher measures would only apply in England unless also adopted by the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
28th Sep 2020 - Wales Online
Ministers 'preparing total social lockdown plan' for north with pubs shut
Much of the north could face a 'total social lockdown' which would see pubs and restaurants ordered to close for a fortnight. The new emergency coronavirus measures are being considered by the government following spikes in the number of cases across northern Britain, The Times reports. London could also face the same restrictions. Households would be banned indefinitely from meeting each other in any indoor location. People in Greater Manchester are already barred from visiting friends and family in their homes or gardens and are advised not to socialise with anyone from outside their household or bubble in any public place, under measures introduced in late August.
28th Sep 2020 - Manchester Evening News
Coronavirus UK: 'Total social lockdown' possible for London and North
A senior Government source told The Times the country ‘wasn’t ready’ to hear the plans last week, but they have been suggested to help stop the second wave in its tracks. Under the emergency plan, pubs, restaurants and hospitality venues would be forced to shut for at least two weeks and households would be banned from meeting each other in any indoor location. Schools, essential shops and offices where people cannot work from home would be left open.
28th Sep 2020 - Metro.co.uk
Coronavirus: Merkel worried Germany could face significant case surge
Chancellor Angela Merkel is deeply worried about sharply rising coronavirus infections in Germany, her spokesman said Monday. "The development of infection numbers is of great concern to us," Steffen Seibert said. "We should not permit the virus to spread exponentially in certain places," he added. Merkel warned top officials from her conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) during a video meeting earlier on Monday that daily new infection numbers could reach 19,200 if the trend for rising cases continues, reported news agency AFP and German daily national newspaper Bild, citing unnamed party sources. Infections have been rising across Europe for weeks, with France and Spain reporting the sharpest increases of over 10,000 a day.
28th Sep 2020 - DW (English)
London faces emergency two-week lockdown as coronavirus cases spike
Ministers are drawing up plans to enforce sweeping lockdown measures across the country including a ban on household mixing in London, as new coronavirus infections continue to rise. Pubs, restaurants and bars may be forced to shutter for two weeks in both the North of England and in London, marking a return to so-called circuit breaker plans which were abandoned last week, the Times today reported.
28th Sep 2020 - City A.M.
A 2 week emergency lockdown could be on the cards for the North and London
An emergency plan to introduce a total social lockdown across large parts of the north of England and London could be put into place at any time, according to The Times. The outlet reports that this was one of the options put forward at the strategy meetings which took place in Downing Street prior to the announcement of last week’s new restrictions, but a handful of senior figures including the Prime Minister rejected them at the time
28th Sep 2020 - The Scotsman
France’s Covid epidemic worsens as new restrictive measures take effect
Health agency figures showed France’s Covid-19 epidemic continued to accelerate as new restrictive measures were to come into effect in large cities including Paris on Monday. Government ministers said the priority was to avoid a new general lockdown. With Covid-19 cases, infection rates and hospital admissions continuing an upward trend in France on Monday, public officials expressed hope a new slate of restrictive measures would keep the epidemic from reaching first-wave levels.
“We are doing everything we can to prevent a new general confinement,” even though “with this virus, we are ruling nothing out,” Labour Minister Elisabeth Borne said Monday. Official figures posted Sunday reported 11,123 new cases within the previous 24 hours, slightly down from the previous day’s number but consistant with a trend that has seen the average number of new Covid cases per day climb from 10,000 to more than 12,000 in a week.
28th Sep 2020 - YAHOO!
‘Too early to say’ if France needs pre-Christmas lockdown
A proposed generalised lockdown in the first weeks of December to “save Christmas” from Covid-19, is not the right solution the French health minister has said.
28th Sep 2020 - The Connexion
Rapid rise in hospitalisations in France and Spain behind No10's Covid crackdown
Downing Street and its scientific advisers had only just announced national restrictions on the population last week, when rumours began swirling that yet more could be imposed in the coming days. The “rule of six” was barely a week old when the Prime Minister announced a curfew of 10pm on all pubs, bars and restaurants, and now ministers are considering a complete lockdown on socialising in a bid to curb the spread of Covid-19. Unlike in March, when Boris Johnson was chastised for failing to lockdown the country sooner, now the PM is facing severe criticism, particularly from his own party, for moving too fast with additional measures.
28th Sep 2020 - iNews
Madrid refuses to lock down despite mounting coronavirus crisis
Madrid leader Isabel Diaz Ayuso said 'the solution is not a total confinement'
Protesters have hit the streets as eight more districts go into partial lockdown
The Spanish capital is seeing ICU wards fill up with Spain's highest infection rate
28th Sep 2020 - Daily Mail
France has no plan to order a new coronavirus lockdown: minister
France’s government has no plan to order a new nationwide lockdown to contain a resurgence in coronavirus cases in the country, Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on Monday. Le Maire was speaking at a news conference after a cabinet meeting.
28th Sep 2020 - Reuters
In Brazil's Amazon a COVID-19 resurgence dashes herd immunity hopes
The largest city in Brazil’s Amazon has closed bars and river beaches to contain a fresh surge of coronavirus cases, a trend that may dash theories that Manaus was one of the world’s first places to reach collective, or herd, immunity. When a large portion of a community becomes immune to a disease, its spread becomes unlikely.
University of Sao Paulo researchers suggested that a drastic fall in COVID-19 deaths in Manaus pointed to collective immunity at work, but they also believe that antibodies to the disease after infection may not last more than a few months.
28th Sep 2020 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 28th Sep 2020
View this newsletter in fullExperts are warning of a coming surge of Covid-19 cases in US
The US could see an explosion of Covid-19 cases as fall and winter set in, one expert says, joining a chorus of health officials who have warned about the challenges of the coming months. Two things will likely help drive that expected winter surge, according to Dr. Chris Murray, director of the University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME).
26th Sep 2020 - CNN
Coronavirus: More than 1,000 New Yorkers test positive in a day for first time since June
More than 1,000 New Yorkers have tested positive for Covid-19 in a single day on Friday. It was the first time since 5 June that the state has reported a daily case number that high. Positive cases in the state have been rising steadily over the last few weeks, according to ABC7. The rise may be attributed to the reopening of businesses and schools. The state was seeing an average of approximately 660 people test positive each day. The state reported it had averaged 817 positive tests per day in the seven-day period that ended Friday
26th Sep 2020 - The Independent
Covid: Coronavirus cases in England up 60% in a week
The rate at which the Covid-19 virus is spreading appears to be speeding up. The R number, indicating how fast the coronavirus epidemic is growing, has risen from 1.1-1.4 to 1.2-1.5. An Office for National Statistics (ONS) survey estimated there were 9,600 new cases a day in England in the week to 19 September - up from 6,000 the week before and three times that being picked up by general testing. It comes as more restrictions come into effect in parts of England and Wales. On Friday, the daily number of positive cases in the UK picked up by coronavirus testing rose to a new high of 6,874, government figures show. A further 34 deaths were announced, although figures were not available for Scotland because of a power cut at the National Records of Scotland.
25th Sep 2020 - BBC
Coronavirus: London placed on Covid-19 watch-list as cases rise
London has been added to the government's Covid-19 watch-list following a rise in cases in the city, officials have said. All boroughs have been classed as areas of concern, but no additional restrictions have been announced. Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said the city was at "a worrying tipping point" with hospital admissions increasing. Councils in the city have urged residents to abide by current restrictions. The watch-list, published each week, categorises local councils seeing a higher infection rate as "areas of concern", "areas of enhanced support" or "areas of intervention". Tighter restrictions are usually introduced for areas in the third category.
25th Sep 2020 - BBC
Iceland's infection rate spikes after French tourists blamed
Iceland's infection rate per 100,000 people has risen from 7.3 to 89.7 in 10 days
French tourists have been linked to at least 100 cases at two bars in Reykjavik
Nordic country was praised for its successful testing and tracing in the first wave
Only one person is in hospital with Covid-19 and nobody has died of it since April
25th Sep 2020 - Daily Mail
UK will see 100 coronavirus deaths per day within three or four weeks claims SAGE expert
Professor Graham Medley from the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies, SAGE, said the high death toll was "inevitable" if the infection rate rises to 10,000 new infections per day. The 100 deaths per day is based upon a fatality rate from coronavirus remaining at 1 percent. This death rate is disputed as the World Health Organisation suggests fatalities from coronavirus is estimated at 0.5 percent.
25th Sep 2020 - Daily Express
Derry and Strabane COVID-19 cases double in ten days: 24 infections among people over 60 in the past week
In total 295 positive coronavirus cases have been registered in Derry and Strabane between September 19 and September 25, according to the latest Department of Health data that was released this afternoon. Since the pandemic began there have been 700 confirmed cases in Derry and Strabane. More positive COVID-19 cases were registered in the city and district in the past week than were recorded between the start of the pandemic and Sunday, September 6.
25th Sep 2020 - Derry Journal
50 patients infected with coronavirus and 14 dead: How Covid-19 ripped through one Irish hospital
More than 50 patients were infected with Covid-19 in a Dublin hospital over six weeks, and 14 of whom died, according to a pioneering genome study by Irish scientists. The patients in most cases caught the virus from healthcare workers, while an older patient who was agitated and “wandered” the corridors was identified as a potential “super spreader”. The study, conducted at the height of the pandemic, investigated the genome sequences of 52 cases of hospital-acquired Covid-19 over March and April to track its transmission routes. The research sheds new light on how the virus spread across wards and between health workers and finds that, in most cases, the virus was spread to patients by healthcare workers — not the other way around.
25th Sep 2020 - Belfast Telegraph
Coronavirus: Madrid at serious risk without tougher rules, minister warns
The Spanish government has urged authorities in Madrid to tighten coronavirus restrictions across the city, warning of a "serious risk" to residents if they do not.
Madrid extended restrictions in Covid-19 hotspots on Friday but rejected calls for a city-wide lockdown. On Saturday Spain's Health Minister Salvador Illa said current restrictions did not go far enough. He said it was "time to act with determination" to control the pandemic. "There is a serious risk for inhabitants, for the neighbouring regions," Mr Illa said, calling on the capital's regional authorities to "put the health of citizens first" and impose a partial lockdown on the entire city.
25th Sep 2020 - BBC
India’s coronavirus infections surge to 5.82 million
India’s coronavirus case tally surged to 5.82 million after it recorded 86,052 new infections in the last 24 hours, data from the health ministry showed on Friday. A total of 1,141 people died of COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, the ministry said, taking mortalities to 92,290, which is a relatively low 1.6% of all cases. Globally, India has the second-highest number of coronavirus cases, behind the United States where infections crossed 7 million on Thursday.
25th Sep 2020 - The Gulf Today
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 25th Sep 2020
View this newsletter in fullWill Europe's second wave of Covid-19 cases mean a second huge death toll?
At first glance, the outlook doesn't seem too grim. While reported coronavirus cases are reaching record highs as Europe endures a "second wave," deaths are still well below their peak in April. But experts warn the signs point to more tragedy ahead this winter. Europe's hospitals are now better equipped for treating Covid-19. Measures such as social distancing and mask-wearing have become the norm and the latest spread of infection has been primarily among younger people, who are less likely to die if they contract the virus. Yet colder weather is beginning to set in and the flu season is approaching. The infection is spreading to older populations, and there are signs that people are growing tired of adhering to the restrictions.
24th Sep 2020 - CNN
London facing lockdown as UK coronavirus cases reach 6000
New coronavirus cases rose above 6,000 yesterday, with London facing a local lockdown if social distancing measures announced this week fail to curb numbers.
Nationally, confirmed cases rose by a quarter yesterday to 6,178, the third highest daily total recorded during the pandemic. In the capital there is concern that infection rates are catching up with the northeast, where people were banned from visiting each other’s houses last week.
24th Sep 2020 - The Times
Coronavirus: London could go into lockdown as UK COVID-19 cases soar
London could be placed under lockdown if measures which Boris Johnson introduced this week do not prove effective in curbing the rapid rise of coronavirus infections in the capital. Health officials recorded 6,178 new Covid-19 cases across the UK on Wednesday, up by 1,252 on Tuesday's figures. Scientists who advise the government on their coronavirus response have warned that new measures introduced by Boris Johnson this week will not be enough to contain the virus. One London council leader present at a meeting with government health officials this week said: “Our epidemic is as developed as the north. There’s a consensus a lockdown [in London] is coming.”
24th Sep 2020 - Business Insider
Sweden shifts towards lockdown measures: Chief scientist says he is now considering short 'chain-breaking' localised restrictions, amid spike of cases in Stockholm
Anders Tegnell said he's thinking of 'fairly short restrictions' to break up spread. Architect of Sweden's 'herd immunity' strategy signalled shift in policy this week.
It comes after a spike in cases in Stockholm - but the overall rate remains low
Tegnell said that any restrictions would be 'extremely local' for a matter of weeks
24th Sep 2020 - Daily Mail
There’s a Simple Reason Spain Has Been Hit Hard by Coronavirus
Politicians here seem to be mystified as to why Spain is, once again, the European country hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic. They have blamed the recklessness of youth, our Latin inability to keep our distance, and even immigration. And yet all this time the answer has been right under their noses: Nothing has eased the spread of the virus as much as their own incompetence. Spaniards patiently accepted the toughest confinement in Europe during the first wave of the virus in March, enduring serious economic losses in exchange for protecting the lives of their elders and the most vulnerable. We have been among the most disciplined in adhering to regulations like wearing masks, which are used by more than 84 percent of the population.
24th Sep 2020 - New York Times
EU urges new measures to head off virus second wave
The European Commission has urged EU member states to better explain and enforce social distancing and hygiene rules to halt a dangerous new wave of coronavirus infections. Health commissioner Stella Kyriakides said: "In some member states, the situation is now even worse than during the peak in March. This is a real cause for concern. "All member states need to roll out measures immediately and at the right time at the very first sign of potential new outbreaks."
24th Sep 2020 - RTE.ie
Business morale brightens in Germany, France despite coronavirus resurgence
Business morale in Germany and France improved for the fifth month in a row in September, boosting hopes that the euro zone’s two biggest economies had enjoyed a solid recovery from the coronavirus shock suffered in the first half of the year. The surveys, published on Thursday by Germany’s Ifo institute and France’s statistics office, suggested that both countries are set for strong growth in the third quarter, though the outlook is clouded by rising infections and new restrictions to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
24th Sep 2020 - Reuters
Europe is facing a double-dip recession as coronavirus second wave arrives
Economists predicted a rebound in the second half of 2020 but they are now questioning those forecasts. Many governments are announcing new lockdown restrictions, or a slowing of reopenings, as they deal with a significant uptick in cases. The warnings are similar for the U.K., where the government announced Tuesday that pubs and restaurants needed to close early and workers needed to stay at home, if possible, rather than commuting to the office.
24th Sep 2020 - CNBC
As Coronavirus Cases Surge in Europe, Hospitalizations Lag
In Munich, normally brimming with boisterous crowds for Oktoberfest this month, the authorities just banned gatherings of more than five people. In Marseille, France, all bars and restaurants will be closed next Monday. And in London, where the government spent weeks urging workers to return to the city’s empty skyscrapers, it is now asking them to work from home. Summer ended in Europe this week with a heavy thud amid ominous signs that a spike in coronavirus cases may send another wave of patients into hospitals. Officials across the continent fear a repeat of the harrowing scenes from last spring, when the virus swamped intensive care units in countries like Italy and Spain. Already in Spain, some hospitals are struggling with an influx of virus patients.
24th Sep 2020 - The New York Times
Coronavirus: How are other countries dealing with Covid-19 second waves?
France - Aiming to avoid a new national lockdown, the French government moved in July to make face masks compulsory in enclosed public spaces. In Paris, anyone aged 11 and older must wear a mask in public. Other cities have followed that lead, including Lille, Nice and Toulouse. Masks must also be worn in most workplaces.
Spain - The Spanish government has also cracked down on the use of masks, with face coverings mandatory for anyone older than six on all forms of public transport and in most indoor areas. Most parts of Spain have enforced the wearing of masks outside as well. Children are also being asked to wear masks at school.
24th Sep 2020 - The Independent
Steeply rising pandemic activity led by India, surges elsewhere
The pace of global COVID-19 cases showed no letup today, with an ongoing surge in India, some Middle East countries logging record numbers, and some European hot spots reporting more worrying developments. In other developments today, global health officials warned that false information about COVID-19 is hampering the response and urged countries to do more to counter it with accurate messaging. The pandemic total today climbed to 31,728,021 cases, and 973,176 people have died from their infections, according to the Johns Hopkins online dashboard.
24th Sep 2020 - CIDRAP
Rethink short lockdowns, tracing is key: PM Modi to states
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday asked the Chief Ministers of seven states worst hit by the Covid-19 crisis to make a critical assessment of the 1-2-day lockdowns that several states have been imposing, and the adverse impact these have on economic activity. The Prime Minister stressed on the need for states to strengthen their tracing- tracking strategy to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus infection. “The lockdown brought benefits. Globally too, it has been appreciated. However, now we have to focus on micro containment zones, which will ensure that the spread is contained… States have to make an assessment on how effective are the lockdowns that are being imposed for 1-2 days. Because of this, economic activity should not face problems. My suggestion to the states is to take up this issue very seriously. We have to increase our focus on effective testing, treating and surveillance, and clear messaging,” the Prime Minister said.
24th Sep 2020 - The Indian Express
East Lancashire's winter coronavirus warning from Australia
Blackburn with Darwen public health director Dominic Harrison writes his weekly coronavirus column for the Lancashire Telegraph... The chief medical officer has warned us this week that if we continue at national level with the same Covid-19 control measures that we have had in place over the summer, we could get 50,000 new cases a day by mid-October and 200 deaths a day by mid-November. Prime Minister Boris Johnson subsequently announced a raft of new control measures - which are in effect a partial national social lockdown.
24th Sep 2020 - Lancashire Telegraph
Covid-19: Israel tightens lockdown as Poland and Indonesia report record daily increases
Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet decided on Thursday to tighten Israel’s coronavirus lockdown after he voiced alarm that a surge in infections was pushing the nation to “the edge of the abyss”, the YNet news site said. Israel went back into lockdown, its second during the pandemic, on September 18th. But over the past week, the number of daily new cases has reached nearly 7,000 among a population of 9 million, severely straining the resources of some hospitals. Revised edicts that take effect on Friday allow fewer businesses to operate and impose further curbs on travel, YNet said, after cabinet discussions that stretched from Wednesday to end early on Thursday.
24th Sep 2020 - The Irish Times
France tightens virus measures, unveils new 'danger zones' map
France’s health minister unveiled a map of coronavirus “danger zones” around the country on Wednesday and gave the hardest-hit local authorities, including that of Marseille, days to tighten restrictions or risk having a state of health emergency declared there. Olivier Veran told a news conference the country would be divided into zones by alert level with Marseille, the second-largest city, and the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe for now the only two areas put on the “maximum” alert level. Paris and its suburbs but also the northern city of Lille, the southwestern town of Toulouse and six other cities were declared “reinforced danger zones”, Veran added.
24th Sep 2020 - Reuters
French business confidence grew in September despite COVID resurgence
French business confidence rose in September to its highest level since just before the coronavirus outbreak, despite a resurgence of new cases in recent weeks, a monthly survey showed on Thursday. The official statistics agency, INSEE, said its business confidence index rose to 92 from August’s 90, reaching its highest level since February, before France went into a two- month lockdown to contain the outbreak, plunging the economy deep into recession.
24th Sep 2020 - Reuters UK
Spain tops 700,000 coronavirus cases, Madrid surge in spotlight
Spain’s cumulative tally of confirmed coronavirus infections passed 700,000 on Thursday and authorities warned of tougher times ahead in the densely-populated virus hotspot region of Madrid, which accounts for over a third of hospital admissions. The number of confirmed cases has spiked since the end of a nationwide lockdown in late June, adding 200,000 in less than a month, and now stands at 704,209, the highest in Western Europe. The total number of COVID-19 fatalities rose by 84 to 31,118, including 13 deaths registered in the past 24 hours. Daily deaths are now around their highest levels since early May, but below the late March record of nearly 900.
24th Sep 2020 - Reuters UK
Poland reports new record daily increase in coronavirus cases
Poland was hit by a record daily rise in coronavirus cases on Thursday attributable to increased direct contact between people after a lifting of restrictions, the health ministry said. It reported 1,136 new COVID-19 infections, the biggest daily number since the start of the pandemic in March. In total the nation of 38 million people has registered 82,809 infections, including 2,369 deaths. Health ministry data showed the biggest rise in new cases in the southeast, though other regions also saw notable hikes.
24th Sep 2020 - Reuters UK
France reports over 1,000 people in ICU due to coronavirus
The French health ministry reported on Thursday that number of people in intensive care due to the coronavirus jumped over 1,000 for the first time since June 8. The ministry also said that the number of people with COVID-19 in hospital was up by 136 to 5,932.
24th Sep 2020 - Reuters UK
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 24th Sep 2020
View this newsletter in fullAs U.S. surpasses 200,000 COVID-19 deaths, Wisconsin sounds alarm over surges in cases
Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers on Tuesday declared a new public health emergency and extended a face mask mandate into November to fight a coronavirus flareup in his state, as the number of people who have died across the United States since the pandemic began passed 200,000. In-person social gatherings have led to cases in Wisconsin skyrocketing among people aged 18 to 24, Evers said, as he pleaded with students who returned to colleges for the fall semester to stay out of bars and wear masks. “We are seeing an alarming increase in cases across our state, especially on campus,” the governor said in a statement announcing his decision.
23rd Sep 2020 - Reuters
Covid: US death toll passes 200,000
The US coronavirus death toll has passed 200,000, according to data from Johns Hopkins University (JHU). More than 6.8 million people are known to have been infected in the US, more than in any other country. The milestone comes amid an increase in cases in a number of states, including North Dakota and Utah. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday the new death toll was a "horrible thing" and claimed China "should have stopped" the virus. He also defended his record, claiming that had the US not taken action, "you could have two million, 2.5 or three million" dead. JHU reported the new death toll of 200,005 on Tuesday. The university has been collecting US and global coronavirus data since the outbreak began late last year in China. The first case in the US was confirmed in January.
23rd Sep 2020 - BBC
Covid-19: Health workers 'sick' with fear at thought of second wave
"The levels of anxiety amongst our staff that we may go back to what we saw in April is beyond anything I have ever experienced in over 30 years in the health service." Dr David Rosser, chief executive of the University Hospitals Birmingham Foundation Trust, was talking to a weekly coronavirus briefing when he described seeing unprecedented levels of concern among his colleagues. And, although hospitals have outlined a number of measures put in place to support staff, some of those who worked through the first few months of the pandemic have told the BBC they felt worried, panicked and overwhelmed at the thought of facing a second wave.
23rd Sep 2020 - BBC
Aid agencies warn of Covid-19 crisis in refugee camps as winter approaches
Throughout the coronavirus pandemic an abiding fear had stalked the world’s most vulnerable populations. Millions of people displaced by conflict in the Middle East watched with alarm as Europe and the west withered under a caseload that stretched first-world healthcare systems to their limits. They saw field hospitals being set up in capitals. Governments buckling under the strain. The developing world offering aid to the developed. It seemed inevitable that the contagion would reach those less able to absorb its impact. And now, as second and third waves of Covid-19 surge around the globe, worst fears are being realised. Several months into the crisis, the virus has crept into the populations of refugees and internally displaced people, where stopping its advance will be close to impossible. Up to 15 million people across the region, many of whom were already at risk of disease, now face a rampant spread through their communities.
23rd Sep 2020 - The Guardian
Covid-19: Daily reported UK cases rise by a quarter
The number of daily reported Covid-19 cases has risen by a quarter, according to the latest UK government figures. There have been 6,178 coronavirus cases in the UK in the last 24 hours, up 1,252 since Tuesday, and 37 deaths. Yvonne Doyle, Public Health England's medical director, said it was "essential" the public followed the new measures brought in to curb the spread. Tighter restrictions were announced across the UK on Tuesday, including a 22:00 closing time for pubs in England. People are being told to work from home if they can, rules on face coverings have been expanded and the number of people allowed at weddings in England has been halved.
23rd Sep 2020 - BBC
Covid: Scotland records highest number of new virus cases
Scotland recorded 486 new positive coronavirus tests which represented the biggest single day's number since mass testing began. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the figures were concerning, and underlined why new restrictions had been imposed. But she acknowledged many more people were being tested now than at the peak of the outbreak in mid-April. Ms Sturgeon said 224 of the new cases were in Greater Glasgow and Clyde, with 107 in Lanarkshire and 57 in Lothian. The number of positive tests was 103 higher than the figure recorded on Tuesday, bringing the total number of cases in Scotland to 25,495.
23rd Sep 2020 - BBC
As Covid-19 Fatigue Fuels Infections in Europe, Italy Resists Second Wave
Months after Italy’s lockdown against the coronavirus ended, Enrica Grazioli still sanitizes everything that comes into her Milan apartment, wears face masks diligently and limits interactions between her sons and their grandparents. Ms. Grazioli, a self-proclaimed social butterfly who loves to cook for guests, still hasn’t had friends over for dinner since the virus struck. “Am I overdoing it?” says Ms. Grazioli. “Maybe, but we had a national tragedy of epic proportions and you don’t quickly forget something like that.” Italy, the first nation outside Asia to suffer a major coronavirus outbreak, had one of the world’s worst death tolls this spring. Overflowing hospitals in parts of northern Italy had to choose which patients got the last intensive-care beds. The Italian army drove truckloads of victims out of the city of Bergamo, which couldn’t cope with the dead.
23rd Sep 2020 - The Wall Street Journal
Why is Germany doing better than the UK at fighting a resurgence of Covid-19?
Boris Johnson's comments about why "freedom-loving" UK has higher coronavirus cases than Germany and Italy have sparked a heated debate and given us a reason to look at why Germany is coping better than the UK in the fight against a second wave. On Tuesday UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson was asked by opposition Labour MP Ben Bradshaw if "the reason Germany and Italy have far lower Covid rates than us" is because their contact tracing and testing programmes work. Johnson rejected the argument, adding: "Actually there is an important difference between our country and many other countries around the world, that is that our country is a freedom-loving country.
23rd Sep 2020 - The Local Germany
As Covid cases rise again, how are countries in Europe reacting?
Tighter measures are being imposed, but they vary across the continent.....
23rd Sep 2020 - The Guardian
Madrid pleads for more doctors, police as coronavirus cases surge
Spain’s Madrid region on Wednesday requested urgent help to hire hundreds of foreign doctors and reinforce police as they registered 1,290 new coronavirus infections and considered extending a partial lockdown to more areas. Representing over a quarter of Spain’s 4,143 new cases in the past 24 hours, the capital region has been hardest hit by a second wave of COVID-19, with the number of daily deaths and infections soaring to levels not seen since May. Madrid has already restricted movement between and within some districts where about 850,000 people live since midnight on Monday.
23rd Sep 2020 - Reuters
French business activity slows unexpectedly as COVID-19 cases spike -PMI
French business activity slowed to a four-month low in September, with services weaker than expected as France struggles to contain a surge in new COVID-19 cases, a monthly survey showed on Wednesday. Data compiler IHS Markit said its preliminary Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) fell to 48.5 in September from 51.6 in August, falling short of expectations for 51.9 in a Reuters poll of economists. That brought the index below the 50-point threshold demarcating growth in activity from a contraction and was the lowest since May, when France emerged from a two-month coronavirus lockdown that plunged the economy into recession.
23rd Sep 2020 - Reuters UK
Italy's harsh lessons help keep second wave at bay
When Covid-19 struck Europe, Lombardy’s flooded hospitals and spiralling death toll provided a grim template for Italy’s neighbours. In the past weeks, however, it is offering a more upbeat, alternative path: while Spain, France and the UK are experiencing a second surge in infections after loosening lockdown restrictions, Italy has kept the disease under control. New daily cases are on the rise to 1,535 from the low hundreds in June, when restrictions started easing. But this compares with more than 10,000 new cases in Spain and France. Life feels normal in most of Italy: restaurants and bars are open, people enjoy late-summer trips to the beach and children have returned to school.
23rd Sep 2020 - Financial Times
Second lockdown could be needed if new restrictions don't work - Raab
A second national lockdown could be needed if the latest coronavirus restrictions do not work, the foreign secretary has told Sky News. Speaking to Kay Burley, Dominic Raab said "we can't rule it out", but stressed the government will "take every effort to avoid that". The foreign secretary was speaking after Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced new restrictions to try and combat the rise in COVID-19 cases in England.
23rd Sep 2020 - MSN UK
Europe surges past five million Covid-19 cases
Europe surged past five million cases of the new coronavirus as France and Spain prepared tighter restrictions in an attempt to curb rising levels of infections in their capital cities. Worldwide nearly 32 million people have been infected and more than 971,000 have died since the virus emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019 and spread across the globe. After appearing to bring cases mostly under control with economically devastating lockdowns, Europe now faces a resurgence, forcing governments to consider reintroducing tough measures.
23rd Sep 2020 - RTE.ie
Ukraine expects COVID-19 to peak in winter with up to 5000 new daily cases
Ukraine can expect its domestic COVID-19 epidemic to peak in winter with up to 5,000 new COVID-19 cases registered daily, Oleh Ruban, the head of State Consumer Protection Service, said in an interview with the RBK-Ukraine news site.
One of the roles of the State Consumer Protection Service is to enforce sanitary rules.
23rd Sep 2020 - Kyiv Post
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 23rd Sep 2020
View this newsletter in fullUK recession expected to continue until spring amid Covid-19 surge
Britain’s economy is heading for a prolonged recession lasting until next spring as the number of coronavirus infections climbs and tougher restrictions are introduced to contain the virus. As a Covid-19 second wave spreads and the government launches fresh measures to restrict business and social life, City economists warned that the fightback from the deepest recession in history begun this summer was running out of steam. Dashing hopes that the Covid recession could be among the shortest downturns in history, analysts from Bank of America said growth in gross domestic product (GDP) would probably stall in the fourth quarter and the first three months of 2021.
22nd Sep 2020 - The Guardian
‘More masks, less alcohol’: German state that led first lockdown to re-impose rules as cases surge
The southern German state of Bavaria was the first one to announce a complete shutdown of public life in March, after people failed to heed warnings to stay home and practice social distancing. On Tuesday, Bavarian state premier Markus Söder and his cabinet approved a number of new restrictions aimed at curbing a recent surge in coronavirus infections. Söder said in a press conference that returning holiday makers are a key reason for the spike in the numbers, as well as general carelessness, especially among young people. The tighter regulations, which Söder described as the basic principle of “more masks, less alcohol” will come into force later this week for areas, municipalities and communities with a high instance of new infections — areas reporting more than 50 new infections per 100,000 inhabitants per week.
22nd Sep 2020 - Yahoo Finance UK
As Covid Fatigue Fuels Infections in Europe, Italy Resists the Second Wave
Months after Italy’s lockdown against the coronavirus ended, Enrica Grazioli still sanitizes everything that comes into her Milan apartment, wears face masks diligently and limits interactions between her sons and their grandparents.
The 16 health areas with an incidence rate above 1,000 cases but that are not under the new restrictions are: Lavapiés, Canillejas, García Noblejas, San Isidro, Rafael Alberti, Orcasitas, Vicálvaro-Artilleros, Campo de la Paloma, Villaamil (all located in the city of Madrid); Doctor Trueta and Miguel Servet (both in Alcorcón); Las Fronteras (Torrejón de Ardoz); Panaderas (Fuenlabrada); Villa del Prado (in the municipality of the same name); Alcalde Bartolomé González (Móstoles); and Sierra de Guadarrama (Collado Villalba).
22nd Sep 2020 - The Wall Street Journal
Covid-19 incidence exceeds 1,000 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in 16 areas of Madrid with no new restrictions
The coronavirus pandemic continues to rapidly expand across Madrid. According to data published on Tuesday by the regional government, 16 health areas in the region have a Covid-19 incidence rate above 1,000 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. Despite this, these hotspots are not subject to the new restrictions on mobility that came into effect in 37 basic health areas on Monday. A basic health area is much smaller than a city district and can include several primary healthcare centers. There are around 286 basic health areas in the Madrid region, according to the regional health department.
22nd Sep 2020 - EL PAÍS in English
France's weak spot: Virus infections rise at nursing homes
Confirmed coronavirus cases and deaths are rising again in France’s nursing homes for the first time in months. French President Emmanuel Macron, who visited a nursing home in the town of Bracieux in central France on Tuesday, tweeted shortly after his arrival that “our elders, more fragile, are more exposed to the virus. We must collectively redouble our attention.” Families fear that French authorities have not absorbed the lessons from earlier in the pandemic, when nursing homes across the country shuttered elderly residents inside and were short of protective equipment for employees.
22nd Sep 2020 - The Associated Press
From curfews to calling in the army, here's what Europe is doing to tackle its coronavirus surge
Europe is facing the much-feared “second wave” of coronavirus cases, after a lull in new infections in summer. There is a reluctance to return to full lockdowns, so other measures are being implemented first. To date, there have been almost 2.9 million confirmed cases of the virus in Europe and over 186,000 people have died, data from the European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention shows.
22nd Sep 2020 - CNBC
Spike in Covid-19 cases in Spain and France
Protesters have taken place in Spain's capital Madrid demonstrate against strict new lockdown measures.
22nd Sep 2020 - Sky News
Let's Not Sleepwalk Into New European Lockdowns
This brainteaser is how Martin Hirsch, head of the Paris region’s hospital network, describes the brutal first wave of Covid-19 that triggered lockdowns across Europe in March and April. The answer is 28, because once the pond is half-covered it only takes one extra day for the lily pads’ spread to double in size. “One day’s delay means double the cases, double the seriously ill, and double the deaths,” he writes in a new book about hospitals battling the virus. “Every day counts.”
22nd Sep 2020 - Bloomberg
Johnson starts to shut down Britain again as COVID-19 spreads
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will tell people on Tuesday to work from home and will impose new curbs on pubs, bars and restaurants in a bid to tackle the swiftly accelerating second wave of the coronavirus outbreak. In an address to Parliament and then to the nation, Johnson will stop some way short of a full national lockdown of the sort he imposed in March. “We know this won’t be easy, but we must take further action to control the resurgence in cases of the virus and protect the NHS,” Johnson will say, according to excerpts of his remarks distributed by his Downing Street office. The measures come after senior medics warned on Monday that Britain faced an exponentially growing death rate within weeks unless urgent action was taken.
22nd Sep 2020 - The Japan Times
New lockdowns in Europe could lead to an economic crisis, according to leading macroeconomic influencers
Daniel Lacalle, chief economist at Tressis SV, shared his article on the possibility of imposing new lockdowns in Europe. Countries such as France and Spain are witnessing a rise in Covid-19 infection cases, which may call for new lockdown measures to control the outbreak. Lacalle notes the lockdowns will have devastating impact on the economy through jobs losses and business insolvencies. Countries such as South Korea, Taiwan, Sweden, and Austria have implemented effective measures to control the pandemic instead of implementing a total lockdown, the article noted. Lacalle added that economies in Europe will not be able to survive a new series of lockdowns as it may lead to an economic crisis characterised by massive job losses, highly indebted corporations, and record high government debt.
22nd Sep 2020 - Pharmaceutical Technology
In Tel Aviv COVID-19 ward, warnings of dwindling hospital capacity
Inside the fast-filling coronavirus ward of a major Tel Aviv hospital, doctors rush to treat critical patients amid a surge in cases that has forced Israel into a second lockdown. Health officials fear that even the three-week closure imposed nationwide on Friday may not be long enough or restrictive enough to slow the daily case toll.
On the front lines of Israel’s second wave are doctors and nurses working around the clock on the COVID-19 wards of Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center - widely known as Ichilov Hospital - to which a Reuters photographer was granted access on Monday. “Coronavirus Isolation Zone, Entry Forbidden” and “Corona Commando” read the signs on the ward door, inside which nurses wearing head-to-toe protective gear and working two-hour shifts wove through the crowded ward to check on patients separated from one another by glass and metal partitions.
22nd Sep 2020 - Reuters UK
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 22nd Sep 2020
View this newsletter in fullCovid-19: Public gives mixed reactions to increase in Covid cases
Following warnings from the government's chief scientific adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance, the public express concern about a potential further lockdown. In an announcement on Monday he said the UK could see 50,000 new coronavirus cases a day by mid-October without further action. It comes as the PM prepares to chair a Cobra emergency committee meeting on Tuesday morning, then make a statement in the House of Commons.
21st Sep 2020 - BBC
Covid-19: UK could face 50,000 cases a day by October without action - Vallance
The UK could see 50,000 new coronavirus cases a day by mid-October without further action, the government's chief scientific adviser has warned. Sir Patrick Vallance said that would be expected to lead to about "200-plus deaths per day" a month after that. It comes as the PM prepares to chair a Cobra emergency committee meeting on Tuesday morning, then make a statement in the House of Commons. On Monday, a further 4,368 daily cases were reported in the UK, up from 3,899. A further 11 people have also died within 28 days of a positive test, although these figures tend to be lower over the weekend and on Mondays due to reporting delays. Speaking at Downing Street alongside chief medical adviser, Prof Chris Whitty, Sir Patrick stressed the figures given were not a prediction, but added: "At the moment we think the epidemic is doubling roughly every seven days.
21st Sep 2020 - BBC
The UK's doubling coronavirus cases mean Boris Johnson can't wake up from his Covid-19 nightmare
The number of coronavirus cases in the UK is doubling roughly every seven days, according to the country's chief scientific advisor, Patrick Vallance. If that rate continues to grow unabated, "by mid-October you would end up with something like 50,000 per day," which "could lead to 200 deaths a day" by November, Vallance warned at a Monday press briefing. "If we don't act, the virus will take off," Vallance's colleague Chris Whitty, the UK's chief medical officer, told the same briefing in Downing Street. "That is the path we are on and if we do not change course, we will find ourselves in a difficult problem." The advisors' comments have fueled speculation that the government is preparing the ground for a second national lockdown, or other hard measures, in order to get cases back to a sustainable level. "In ... the next six months, I think we have to realize that we have to take this collectively very seriously," Whitty said, adding that the country had turned a corner "in a bad sense."
21st Sep 2020 - CNN
UK ponders second COVID-19 lockdown as outbreak accelerates
Britain will face an exponentially growing death rate from COVID-19 within weeks unless urgent action is taken to halt a rapidly spreading second wave of the outbreak, the country’s senior medics said on Monday. The United Kingdom already has the biggest official COVID-19 death toll in Europe - and the fifth largest in the world - while it is borrowing record amounts in an attempt to pump emergency money through the damaged economy. But new COVID-19 cases are rising by at least 6,000 per day in Britain, according to week-old data, hospital admissions are doubling every eight days, and the testing system is buckling.
21st Sep 2020 - Reuters
UK in 'last chance saloon' to avoid second lockdown amid warning coronavirus restrictions 'may last up to six months'
The UK is said to be in the "last chance saloon" to avoid new coronavirus lockdown restrictions amid warnings the measures could last up to six months. Boris Johnson is expected to give the UK one final chance to prove it can follow the existing rules and avoid a second lockdown, the Telegraph reports. The Prime Minister is expected to set out new measures in a press conference as early as Tuesday after a sharp rise in Covid-19 cases across the UK.
21st Sep 2020 - Evening Standard
Tourists in Croatia Help Feed Covid-19 Surge Across Europe
Croatia was a rare European country to bring daily new Covid-19 cases to zero back in May. Now it has become an example of how summer tourism triggered a second wave of infections sweeping much of the continent. The fall from poster boy to hot spot came after the government, motivated by economic concerns, decided to open the coastal nation’s borders early this summer and woo the foreign tourists who have been a pillar of its economy. After becoming infected, the tourists returned home, taking the virus with them. Croatia has now become a case study in how international travel is acting as an accelerant in the pandemic. Like in Croatia, travel to and within other traditional tourist destinations has pushed the number of infections up across Europe, according to health-care officials. In France, domestic vacationers were linked to a surge in cases in the country’s south and along its Atlantic coast. Spain is experiencing record new infections concentrated in Madrid and tourism hot spots after a large influx of domestic and foreign visitors.
21st Sep 2020 - The Wall Street Journal
Madrid asks for Spanish army's help in battling coronavirus surge
Madrid’s regional government chief requested the army’s help on Monday in fighting the coronavirus surge in the Spanish capital where local authorities ordered a partial lockdown of some poorer districts, prompting protests. At the height of the first wave of the pandemic in March-April, Spain deployed thousands of troops to help civilian authorities contain the outbreak. A recent spike in infections, peaking at over 10,000 per day, took cumulative cases above 670,000 as of Monday, the highest in Western Europe, while the number of deaths from the COVID-19 respiratory disease in Spain stood at 30,663. “We need help from the army for disinfection...and to strengthen local police and law enforcement,” Isabel Diaz Ayuso told a news briefing after meeting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez in an attempt to reduce contagion in Spain’s worst-hit region.
21st Sep 2020 - Reuters UK
Hospitals in France and Spain are just three weeks from 'saturation'
French hospital cases have risen by 28 per cent in a month while Spain admitted more patients in the last four weeks than in the previous three months combined
Hospitals in some areas such as Madrid and Marseille are reaching crisis levels
Madrid called in the army as some parts of the city went into lockdown today
But both countries have far greater hospital and ICU capacity than in the spring
21st Sep 2020 - Daily Mail
Covid-19: Why Switzerland doesn't envisage another 'disastrous' lockdown
As some regions of France and Spain impose new coronavirus restrictions, Swiss authorities say that such drastic measures are not planned for the time being. Even though the number of cases has been rising in certain cantons, “at the moment, it is calm in Switzerland, in terms of hospitalisations and deaths", national councilor Jörg Mäder said in an interview. According to Mäder, the country will be able to react better than it did in March, “thanks to new knowledge about the virus”. “Some early measures were excessive because we didn’t know where the virus was transmitted. Hospitals are also better prepared today. So we are not inevitably heading towards a second confinement," he said.
21st Sep 2020 - The Local Switzerland
Scotland lockdown: Nicola Sturgeon to introduce 'package' of new restrictions in next 48 hours
Nicola Sturgeon has announced in her daily coronavirus briefing that the Scottish Government is preparing to introduce a 'package' of new lockdown restrictions in the coming days. The First Minister stated that coronavirus “is spreading again in Scotland” and said that “doing nothing is not an option”. She stated that she hopes to announce these measures either tomorrow or Wednesday at a Scottish Parliament address, with final details still being worked out between Holyrood ministers and health experts.
21st Sep 2020 - Edinburgh Live
UK Considers Another Lockdown As Cases Projected To Hit 50,000 Per Day
England’s chief medical official warned the country is currently on track to hit 50,000 Covid-19 cases per day by mid-October if the spread of coronavirus continues at its current pace, as countries across Europe reckon with an alarming surge in coronavirus cases and move toward imposing new restrictions to stave off a likely second wave.
21st Sep 2020 - Forbes
More restrictions expected in Europe as coronavirus spreads rapidly and rattles markets
European countries are likely to impose more restrictions on public life in the coming days, analysts said. France reported 10,569 new cases Sunday while the U.K., reported almost 4,000 new cases. Italy saw close to 1,000 new infections and Germany reported 1,345 new cases Sunday, and a further 922 cases Monday.
21st Sep 2020 - CNBC
Is the UK going into a second lockdown?
On Thursday the country’s Covid-19 alert level was increased from level 3 to level 4, meaning transmission of the virus is "high or rising exponentially". Health secretary Matt Hancock said this reflected “the significant shift in the current threat posed by coronavirus and warned the UK ”now faces a tipping point in its response". Sir Patrick Vallance, the government’s chief scientific adviser, told a televised Downing Street briefing the epidemic was “doubling roughly every seven days” and that there was "no doubt" numbers were increasing among all age groups. Appearing alongside England's chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty, Sir Patrick warned of a “very serious” threat from Covid-19 over the next six months.
21st Sep 2020 - The Independent
Ministers worried Chris Whitty ‘will resign if his lockdown plan is ignored’
Ministers are reportedly concerned that Chris Witty could quit and speak out if his advice on a second lockdown is ignored. The Government is facing crisis talks over how to control a surge in cases, while minimising the wider effect on the economy. But some ministers have been accused of being ‘in the grip’ of the Chief Medical Officer. One source told the Daily Mail: ‘[Whitty] only has a medical brief so he doesn’t really consider economic factors. He is very well regarded and there is a fear that if the Government defied his instructions or advice, he would make that known.’
21st Sep 2020 - Metro
Is London going into lockdown again? Why Sadiq Khan has warned of new Covid rules after coronavirus cases increase
London Mayor Sadiq Khan has said the capital is “catching up” with the coronavirus hotspots in the north of England. Cases are on the rise throughout the country, with daily numbers now at their highest since May. So far the majority of local restrictions have been imposed in the North, with Bolton and Preston among the worst affected areas.
21st Sep 2020 - iNews
Sterling edges lower amid second national lockdown threat
Sterling touched a one-week low on Monday as headwinds in the banking sector dented investors’ risk appetite, while rising COVID-19 cases prompted Britain to consider a second national lockdown.
21st Sep 2020 - Reuters UK
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 21st Sep 2020
View this newsletter in fullWhy UK is hurtling toward 'circuit break' second coronavirus lockdown
Britain is hurtling towards a second all-out lockdown as figures show the coronavirus epidemic now DOUBLING in size week on week. The Government’s scientific advisers claim the national R rate could now be 1.4 – meaning on average every 10 people infected are infecting 14 others. Nationally, there were a further 4,422 confirmed UK cases of coronavirus recorded on Saturday and 27 deaths – up from 4,322 confirmed cases on Friday, the first time the daily total of positive tests had exceeded 4,000 since May 8. The Government’s original lockdown architect, Professor Neil Ferguson of Imperial College London, warned tougher restrictions were needed “sooner rather than later”. The epidemiologist – who resigned from government scientific advisory group Sage in May for flouting his own lockdown rules – said: “Right now we’re at about the levels of infections we were seeing in late February. If we leave it at another two to four weeks we will be back at levels we were seeing more like mid-March.
19th Sep 2020 - Mirror Online
GMB's Dr Hilary would 'have unlicensed coronavirus vaccine in a shot' amid public concern
Dr Hilary Jones has addressed reports that the government are considering using emergency powers, to allow the rolling out of an unlicensed coronavirus vaccine in the UK. The possible move has worried many over fears the vaccine may not be safe. Speaking on Good Morning Britain, host Kate Garraway shared her own concerns before asking Hilary for his take. She recalled Dr Sarah Jarvis recently being on the show, and discussing reports that Russia had approved a Covid-19 vaccine that hadn't been through all the testing processs. Kate feared this was what was happening in the UK too, but Dr Hilary was quick suggest that the situations were in no way similar.
19th Sep 2020 - Mirror Online
Coronavirus: 'Increasingly likely' London will face tougher lockdown restrictions
It is "increasingly likely" further lockdown restrictions will be required in London, the city's mayor has warned - and says he does not want to wait. Sadiq Khan said: "The prime minister has said that we are now seeing the start of a second wave of COVID-19 across the UK. "Londoners should also know that I am extremely concerned by the latest evidence I've seen today from public health experts about the accelerating speed at which COVID-19 is now spreading here in London.
19th Sep 2020 - Sky News
Brazil reports 33,057 new coronavirus cases, 739 deaths
Brazil recorded 33,057 additional confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in the past 24 hours, and 739 deaths from the disease, the Health Ministry said on Saturday. South America's largest country has registered more than 4.5 million cases of the virus since the pandemic began, according to ministry data, ranking it as the third worst outbreak in the world after the United States and India. More than 136,000 people have died of the disease in Brazil, which ranks second after the United States in coronavirus deaths.
19th Sep 2020 - Yahoo News
Johnson warns UK faces second wave of coronavirus
Boris Johnson on Friday warned that the UK was heading into a second wave of coronavirus, as he put the country on notice that major new restrictions may be necessary to tackle the rising number of infections. The prime minister and chancellor Rishi Sunak have agreed that a second national lockdown would be a disaster for the economy, and are determined to keep businesses and schools open. But ministers are considering so-called circuit-breaker measures across England — involving restrictions on the hospitality industry — if the latest rule banning gatherings of more than six people fails to control the virus.
18th Sep 2020 - Financial Times
Coronavirus Scotland: Outbreak at major Scottish hospital as ward forced into lockdown
An outbreak of coronavirus cases has been confirmed at a major Scottish hospital.
A ward at Forth Valley Royal Hospital has been forced into lockdown after positive cases of Covid-19 were identified. No new patients will be admitted to the affected ward and visiting has been suspended whilst investigations are underway.
18th Sep 2020 - HeraldScotland
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 18th Sep 2020
View this newsletter in full149 new Covid-19 cases in NI in 24 hours
A total of 149 people have tested positive for Covid-19 in Northern Ireland in the last 24-hour reporting period, according to the Department of Health. There have been no related deaths during that time, leaving the official death toll at 573 – however, that figure is expected to rise significantly when deaths in all community settings are accounted for.
17th Sep 2020 - ITV News
Coronavirus: Madrid hospitals have Covid-19 patients in four out of ten beds
The health minister is under growing pressure amid criticism that test and trace policies are in chaos. Olivier Véran is said to have been rebuked by President Macron over the programme. More than a million tests a week are being conducted in France but people are having to wait up to 12 days between requesting a test and getting the results. “One million tests a week is all very well but if the results arrive too late, it’s pointless,” Mr Macron told his minister, according to briefings by presidential aides. Meanwhile, the French association of Covid-19 victims filed a legal complaint against Jean Castex, the prime minister, for allegedly mishandling the pandemic.
17th Sep 2020 - The Times
290 new Covid-19 cases in Scotland in past 24 hours – including 13 in north-east
The latest update from the Scottish Government shows there have been a further 290 Covid-19 cases recorded since Wednesday – this is 4% of newly-tested individuals. A total of 52 people are in hospital with a recently confirmed case of the virus. Five of those in hospital are receiving treatment in intensive care. No Covid-19 related deaths were reported in the past 24 hours.
17th Sep 2020 - Aberdeen Evening Express
Could UK go back into lockdown as coronavirus cases soar?
Medical experts are reportedly pushing for a two-week national lockdown as coronavirus cases across the UK are starting to soar. Anthony Costello, who sits on the independent SAGE panel, claimed yesterday evening that chief medical officer Chris Whitty is pushing for the strict national measures as there are fears infection numbers could be as high as 38,000 per day. The former World Health Organisation director tweeted: ‘I’m hearing from a well-connected person that Government now thinks, in absence of testing, there are 38,000 infections per day. ‘Chris Whitty is advising PM for a two-week national lockdown.’
17th Sep 2020 - Metro
Dr Hilary Jones warns another national lockdown might be needed in UK
Cases of the virus are beginning to increase again, with many areas in the North East now going into regional lockdown and reports claiming curfews may be put in place elsewhere. Appearing on Good Morning Britain on Thursday, Dr Hilary stressed that another national lockdown is ‘not wanted by anyone’, but may be necessary if the new ‘rule of six’ – restricting social gatherings to just six people both indoors and outdoors – isn’t effective in controlling the spread of Covid-19. ‘Nobody wants [another national lockdown], but we’re seeing 4000 cases [of coronavirus] in the last 24 hours, numbers are increasing quite rapidly,’ Dr Hilary said.
17th Sep 2020 - Metro.co.uk
Coronavirus: Speak to those breaking rule of six first before calling police - PM
In an interview with the Sun, Boris Johnson said he had "never much been in favour of sneak culture, myself". It comes after policing minister Kit Malthouse, called on people to report neighbours breaking the coronavirus rules. The new measures came into force in England, Scotland and Wales this week. Speaking to the Sun, Mr Johnson said: "What people should do in the first instance is obviously if they are concerned is raise it with their friends and neighbours. "But I think what is reasonable for anyone to do is if they think there is a serious threat to public health as a result of their neighbour's activities - if there is some huge kind of Animal House party taking place, as I am sure, hot tubs and so forth - and there is a serious threat to public health then it's reasonable for the authorities to know."
17th Sep 2020 - BBC
Spain’s Andalucia records deadliest COVID-19 figures since end of lockdown
Andalucia has recorded its blackest COVID-19 figures since the end of lockdown with 25 deaths and 1,389 detected cases in the past 24 hours. The figures, released by the Junta, represent the deadliest day since the beginning of summer and the highest ever daily increase in cases.
17th Sep 2020 - Olive Press
Spain sees deadliest COVID-19 day since end of lockdown
Spain has seen its deadliest day in terms of Covid-19 since the end of the nationwide lockdown. According to the Ministry of Health there have been 239 deaths caused by the disease in the past 24 hours. It is the highest daily count since the country entered the new normal in June.
17th Sep 2020 - Olive Press
Coronavirus outbreaks hit French universities
At least 12 coronavirus clusters have been detected in French universities this month, prompting concern that students, including those in medical faculties, are failing to respect social distancing. The clusters have emerged since the start of the academic year and have forced the temporary closure of some of the country’s leading institutes. Students have been accused of behaving irresponsibly, notably at parties, but they blame overcrowded lecture theatres. A Twitter hashtag, #Balancetafac, which translates roughly as Denounce Your Uni, has been set up for students to post images and comments illustrating widespread sanitary failings in higher education. Concern is particularly acute since about half of French students live at home.
17th Sep 2020 - The Times
Young people blamed for spike in coronavirus cases in UK and France
Tom Clark thinks it is a bit of Aussie pragmaticism that is helping him break through the COVID-19 slump in France. The 36-year-old takes the pandemic seriously, but in his stride. He moved to Paris more than a decade ago, quickly making his mark selling specialty coffee. Now he runs eight cafes, three of which he has opened since the start of the pandemic. "I don't look at the case load and panic," he told 7.30 of the spike in coronavirus cases across France.
17th Sep 2020 - ABC News
Health minister Edward Argar dismisses two-week national lockdown as Chris Whitty claims withdrawn
Health Minister Edward Argar has rejected reports that the Government is considering a two-week national lockdown. Former World Health Organisation director Anthony Costello, who sits on the independent SAGE panel, sparked concern by suggesting that Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty was advising Boris Johnson on blanket restrictions. The Prime Minister has insisted he is doing "everything in my power" to prevent a second national lockdown, but has acknowledged that he could not dismiss the possibility. Cases have been rising over the last month with the UK recording nearly 4,000 Covid-19 cases in a day for the first time since the start of May.
17th Sep 2020 - Evening Standard on MSN.com
'It's like March in slow motion': Doctors in Madrid face coronavirus resurgence
"In a way, it’s like the situation in March but in slow motion," said Dr. Carlos Velayos, who works as an intensive care unit physician at the public hospital in suburban Fuenlabrada. The hospital is expanding its ICU capacity from 12 to 24 beds by the end of September, as all of them are currently filling up with coronavirus patients.
With 1,273 patients in ICUs, Spain has as many beds devoted to treat grave patients of COVID-19 as France, the United Kingdom, Germany and Italy together. And 359 of them are in the Madrid region, which for the past week has accounted for roughly one-third of a national average of 8,200 new infections per day. Spain has a virus caseload above 600,000, one of the world's highest, and more than 30,000 confirmed deaths for the new virus
17th Sep 2020 - The Japan Times
Madrid backtracks on plan for targeted COVID-19 lockdowns
The local government of Madrid, the region of Spain hit hardest by the pandemic, on Thursday (Sep 17) backtracked on its plans to introduce targeted lockdowns in areas with high numbers of coronavirus cases. The region's deputy health chief, Antonio Zapatero, announced on Wednesday that the local health department was planning to confine people in areas with the highest incidence of the virus, without naming which neighbourhoods would be affected. The announcement caused concern among residents of densely populated, low-income neighbourhoods in the south of Madrid which have a high rate of infections.
17th Sep 2020 - CNA
'Very serious situation' unfolding in Europe, WHO warns, as cases rise dramatically
There are growing concerns in Europe at what is being seen as an alarming rise in coronavirus cases. The number of new daily infections has reached record highs in some countries. Targeted lockdowns and restrictions are returning across the continent.
17th Sep 2020 - CNBC
Stick to rules to avoid further lockdowns says UK minister
Britain can avoid further local restrictions and another national lockdown by sticking to the rules such as not meeting in groups of more than six people, junior health minister Edward Argar said on Thursday. “The message is very clear if we stick to that (the rule of six), if stick to the hands, face and space guidance we can avoid further local restrictions, we can avoid further national restrictions,” he told the BBC.
17th Sep 2020 - Reuters UK
Indonesia capital eyes doubling of virus testing as cases soar
Jakarta alone has seen more than 1,000 new daily cases on average this month, more than double the average in the first half of August, with the tide of infections piling pressure on its under-resourced health sector. Governor Anies Baswedan said in an interview that the city of 10 million was conducting about 50,000 daily coronavirus tests and hopes to "at least reach double from where we are today".
17th Sep 2020 - Devdiscourse
Coronavirus: Second national lockdown would be 'disastrous', PM says
A second national lockdown would be likely to have "disastrous" financial consequences for the UK, the prime minister has said. Appearing at a committee of MPs, Boris Johnson said the government was doing "everything in our power" to prevent another nationwide lockdown. This was why new restrictions - such as the "rule of six" - were necessary to "defeat" the disease, he said. The PM also admitted there was not enough testing capacity. Earlier, he blamed a "colossal spike" in demand for ongoing problems in accessing tests and results being delayed. On Wednesday, coronavirus cases in the UK increased by 3,991, taking the total to 378,219, according to figures from the government.
16th Sep 2020 - BBC
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 17th Sep 2020
View this newsletter in full'It's getting worse by the day': India's Covid battle rages on
The first official cases of coronavirus arrived at Niramaya hospital in Mumbai in early May, but they did not come as much of a surprise to Dr Amit Thadhani. Thadhani, the hospital director, had suspected for weeks that the virus was being virulently transmitted in India’s financial capital, home to 20 million people, after seeing a steady stream of patients with unseasonable viral symptoms. But strict testing restrictions – and a vehement government denial of community transmission – meant he had no way to prove or prevent it. “Our limitations in availability in testing back then is partially responsible for the infections we have now, as we could have picked up a lot more early cases,” he said. Five months on, Mumbai has 1.8 million coronavirus cases and on Thursday, India crossed the dubious threshold of reporting more than5 million cases nationwide. With the fastest rate of infection in the world, and no signs of the country hitting its peak any time soon, many predict India will eventually overtake the US – currently on 6.6 million – to report the most cases worldwide.
17th Sep 2020 - The Guardian
First European 'travel bubble' ends as coronavirus cases rise in Estonia
The first European pandemic "travel bubble", created in May by Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, burst on Friday, as Latvia said it was mandating a 14-day quarantine on everyone arriving from Estonia. Estonia has had 21 novel coronavirus infections per 100,000 population over the previous two weeks, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, passing the 16 threshold set by Latvia for mandatory quarantine. Latvia, which has one of the lowest levels of infection in the European Union, has rejected the European Commission's recommendation to raise threshold for quarantine to 25 new cases per 100,000 population over two weeks.
16th Sep 2020 - YAHOO!
India hits FIVE MILLION coronavirus cases: Country sees an extra million in just 11 days - the fastest any country has seen
India recorded 90,123 new coronavirus cases and 1,290 fatalities on Wednesday
Takes the total to five million, with 997,180 of those infections in the last 11 days
Despite the large numbers, India's authorities have ruled out a second lockdown
The fatality rate is 1.6%, similar to the 1.5% in the UK and far lower than 3% in US
16th Sep 2020 - Daily Mail
WHO warns of coronavirus momentum as winter looms in north
The World Health Organization warned on Wednesday that COVID-19, the illness caused by the novel coronavirus, is spreading at a worrying pace in some parts of the northern hemisphere, a few months away from the winter influenza season. “We are starting to see worrying trends in some countries,” Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO technical lead for COVID-19, said during a social media webcast. “We are seeing increases in hospitalisations, in intensive care units, particularly in Spain, France, Montenegro, Ukraine and some states of the United States. That is worrying because we have not seen the flu season yet.”
16th Sep 2020 - Reuters
Manchester NHS hospital accounted for a THIRD of coronavirus deaths in English hospitals last week with 18 fatalities as health bosses fight 'internal outbreak'
Tameside General Hospital saw a surge of Covid-19 deaths last week. The 18 Covid-19 deaths accounted for a third of those across England. Some of the victims are thought to have caught Covid-19 in hospital. They all had underlying health issues or were elderly, the hospital said
16th Sep 2020 - Daily Mail
Coronavirus: UK records 20 deaths of people with COVID-19 and 3,991 new daily cases
The UK recorded 20 deaths of people with confirmed cases of COVID-19 today, according to government figures. There were 3,991 new daily confirmed cases of coronavirus, compared with 3,105 yesterday, the figures show. That is the highest daily figure for new cases since 8 May, when there were 4,649 reported, according to Reuters.
16th Sep 2020 - Sky News
Britain records nearly 4,000 new Covid-19 cases in highest daily total since MAY
The seven-day average is now 3,286 compared with 2,358 last Wednesday - a 40 per cent rise. Infections have soared in the past fortnight after schools and workplaces began to return to normality. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has defended the failing coronavirus testing system today. He said it is trying to meet a 'colossal spike' in demand as official draw up testing priority plans. It comes as official data shows cases among people in their 40s and 50s have risen by 90% since August. Public Health England data reveals 23.4 cases are now diagnosed for every 100,000 people aged 40 to 49. In comparison, the Covid-19 infection rate for the same age group in England was 12.4 at the end of August. Fears of a second wave are growing as number of daily cases has topped 3,000 for the first time since May
16th Sep 2020 - Daily Mail
Liverpool infection rate tips over 100 as city prepares for lockdown measures
Liverpool's soaring Covid-19 infection rate has now tipped over the worrying threshold of 100 cases per 100,000 people and the city is now awaiting inevitable lockdown measures. Latest figures show that the rate per 100,000 is 106.4 - and in just one week (7-13 September) there were 530 positive cases. Mayor Joe Anderson said he now fully expects new lockdown restrictions to be imposed on the city later this week. He said he would not be surprised if the government brought in measures for Liverpool, the whole of Merseyside and perhaps the entire North West region.
16th Sep 2020 - Liverpool Echo
Warning of 'lockdown by default' as Hancock faces fury over testing shambles
Boris Johnson has defended the creaking testing system saying there has been 'huge, huge demand.' Health Secretary Matt Hancock has admitted that Covid tests will have to be rationed amid shambles. He is drawing up a priority list while conceding that the current shortages is set to drag on for weeks. Schools have warned that it might be 'unsustainable' to stay open as so many are off with symptoms. Experts warn that 500,000 people a day display Covid-style symptoms even in year where no pandemic
16th Sep 2020 - Daily Mail
Towns in France impose restrictions to contain COVID-19, Bordeaux is running out of ICU beds
Stricter sanitary measures have been announced in France's southwestern region Nouvelle-Aquitaine on Monday for public events and nursing homes to contain a spike in coronavirus cases. With the country facing a resurgence in coronavirus cases and reaching record-levels of 10,000 new cases over the last weekend, the government has promised to speed up tests and toughen measures in high-infection zones.
16th Sep 2020 - The Week
ICUs are nearing capacity in this French city. And it's only September
Dealing with the first wave was like a sprint, the second will be more like a marathon. That's how Dr. Olivier Joannes-Boyau, head of the intensive care unit at University Hospital in the southwestern city of Bordeaux, describes the resurgence of Covid-19 in France. After young French people took advantage of the lifting of lockdown and summer months to socialize freely, Covid-19 hospitalizations have risen in large cities like Paris, Bordeaux and Marseille on the Mediterranean coast. French hospitals are now preparing for the long slog. The last time University Hospital dealt with a rise in Covid-19 cases, it put aside all other emergency procedures to deal the crisis. This time, it is trying to keep the rest of its services going too. Just like the wider country, it is adapting to a virus that looks like it is here to stay. Hospital staff are more experienced than they were when the coronavirus first swept through France, and Bordeaux University Hospital is now armed with steroids to reduce Covid-19 symptoms and improved ventilators, both of which can reduce intubation rates.
16th Sep 2020 - CNN
As Coronavirus Rebounds, Europe Rejects New Lockdowns
As a second wave of coronavirus infections gathers momentum across Europe, the Continent’s governments are determined to avoid large-scale lockdowns and instead seek less disruptive ways to live with the new disease. France and Spain are on the leading edge of a resurgence in Covid-19 cases across Europe in the wake of the summer travel season, in some cases reaching levels of incidence on par with those in the U.S.
16th Sep 2020 - The Wall Street Journal
Coronavirus: India passes 5 million infections
India's confirmed coronavirus infections passed 5 million on Wednesday, still soaring and testing the feeble health care system in tens of thousands of impoverished towns and villages. The world's second-most populous country has added more than 1 million cases this month alone and is expected to become the pandemic's worst-hit country within weeks, surpassing the United States, where more than 6.6 million people have been infected. India's Health Ministry reported 90,123 new cases in the past 24 hours, raising the total to 5,020,359, about 0.35 per cent of the nation's nearly 1.4 billion people. Its record daily high of 97,570 cases was reported on 11 September.
16th Sep 2020 - The Independent
India coronavirus infections top five million mark
India's confirmed Covid-19 cases has surpassed five million as the soaring numbers continue to test the country's health care system. Officials reported 90,123 new cases in the past 24 hours, raising the nation's confirmed total to 5,020,359, about 0.35 per cent of its nearly 1.4 billion population. They said 1,290 more people died in the past day, for a total of 82,066. The country’s total coronavirus caseload is closing in on the United States' highest tally of more than 6.6 million cases, and expected to surpass it within weeks.
16th Sep 2020 - Evening Standard
India’s surging COVID-19 infections is testing the health infra once again — beds added during lockdown aren’t
Earlier this month, a 42-year old journalist Pandurang Raikar succumbed to Covid-19 in pune after the hospital delayed admission over advanced payment. There have been many cases where even affluent patients have failed to find space in hospitals. The benefits of the lockdown, ie adding beds before infections spike, have fallen short of the requirement
16th Sep 2020 - Business Insider India
Britons 'face EVEN TOUGHER lockdown in TWO WEEKS' unless Rule of Six works
Boris Johnson has imposed 'Rule of Six' in bid to curb rise in coronavirus cases and avoid new lockdown. Ministers warning they are ready to take even tougher action if it doesn't work or is ignored by the public. Government determined schools won't close over effect on children's prospects if they have to stay at home
16th Sep 2020 - Daily Mail
Israel curbs contagion zones, health chiefs self-isolate
Israel on Tuesday began a week-long campaign of night curfews and school closures in dozens of towns and neighbourhoods with high coronavirus counts, hoping to stem a spike in cases as its public-health chiefs were quarantined for exposure. Most of the 40 zones subject to the partial lockdowns are identified with Israeli Arabs or ultra-Orthodox Jews, minorities where crowding has helped spread the pandemic. Israel, with a population of 9 million, has recorded 135,288 cases of the novel coronavirus and 1,031 deaths. The discovery that a worker at a Health Ministry project for combating the virus had contracted it prompted senior staff who had been exposed to him to self-isolate as a precaution.
16th Sep 2020 - Reuters
Myanmar races to build field hospital as coronavirus surge stretches health system
Myanmar authorities are racing to build a field hospital in the commercial capital of Yangon to cope with a surge of coronavirus infections that doctors fear threatens to overwhelm the country’s fragile health system. The Southeast Asian nation reported 307 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, its highest daily toll since the start of the pandemic in March, and another 134 on Wednesday morning, taking the total to 3,636 cases and 39 deaths. Myanmar had gone weeks without a case of local transmission before an outbreak in mid-August in the western region of Rakhine that has spread across the country.
16th Sep 2020 - Reuters UK
Canada not ruling out lockdown amid COVID-19 surge but eyes 'surgical approach'
Canada’s health minister on Tuesday said she could not rule out another full lockdown if needed amid a surge in new COVID-19 cases, but added Ottawa was significantly more prepared to manage the virus than during the first wave. Patty Hajdu’s comments followed a pledge she made late Monday to take a “surgical approach” to tackling outbreaks. Canada reported 1,351 new cases on Sept. 14, the highest single daily addition since May 1, amid school reopenings and flare-ups tied to group gatherings. “We see those numbers rising, but a full economic shutdown would be very difficult for this country. Not to rule it out, because ... listen we will protect the health of Canadians and we will do what it takes,” Hajdu told reporters on Tuesday.
16th Sep 2020 - Reuters
Coronavirus cases in England doubling every eight days, study shows
Cases of coronavirus in England are doubling every seven to eight days, research has revealed in the latest figures to show a resurgence of Covid-19. The study, known as React-1, is a population surveillance study that began in May and uses swabs from about 120,000 to 160,000 randomly selected people in England across 315 local authority areas each month to track the spread of coronavirus using PCR analysis – the “have you got it now” test. “The prevalence of the virus in the population is increasing. We found evidence that it has been accelerating at the end of August and beginning of September,” said Steven Riley, professor of infectious disease dynamics at Imperial College London and a co-author of the work.
11th Sep 2020 - The Guardian
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 16th Sep 2020
View this newsletter in fullRise in COVID-19 cases 'very well might be' start of second wave, doctor says
Rising numbers of COVID-19 cases in multiple provinces are stoking fears of a potential second wave, and one infectious disease expert says this surge in infections might 'very well' be the start of that next phase in the pandemic. Infectious disease specialist Dr. Isaac Bogoch says that current upward trends in B.C., Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec may be fuelling Canada’s second wave of coronavirus infections. "It might be, it very well might be. We're certainly seeing these cases rumble up in the wrong direction, and quite frankly what happens over the next few weeks and then over the next month or two ahead really depends on us. If we let our guard down as citizens, if we let our guard down for example as businesses and organizations, then we'll see a spike in cases," Bogoch told CTV's Your Morning on Tuesday.
15th Sep 2020 - CTV News
Coronavirus: Mini lockdowns called for as Covid-19 cases mount
Wales should use micro-quarantines to avoid a second national lockdown in the winter, Plaid Cymru has said. It came before the Welsh Government outlined how it will tackle coronavirus in the NHS during the winter months. Plaid said small areas could be locked down around clusters where there has been a higher rate of infection, rather than entire council area. Caerphilly county became the first place in Wales to go into local lockdown last week.
15th Sep 2020 - BBC
WHO reports highest one-day increase in global coronavirus cases since pandemic began
The World Health Organization on Sunday reported the highest one-day increase in coronavirus infections since the pandemic began: more than 308,000 new cases. India, the United States and Brazil logged the largest numbers of new infections on Sunday. The WHO also warned that Europe will see a surge in coronavirus-linked deaths in the fall as new infections have been soaring over the past weeks to levels not seen since the spring.
15th Sep 2020 - The Washington Post
9pm curfew and 4.5million in lockdown - what could happen next
Tough new measures could be brought in to stop the rise of coronavirus, if the current legislation fails, according to reports. On Monday the Government introduced the rule of six - meaning no more than six people can meet either in private or in public. At the end of this week hospitality and leisure businesses will be forced to take contact details of all their customers - something that has been voluntary until now. And it is feared that Italy and Greece could this week be added to the growing list of places people in the UK cannot travel to. The measures come as just 17 places in England show a falling rate of coronavirus and almost 50 are on the watchlist meaning they are of concern.
15th Sep 2020 - Birmingham Mail
A second COVID-19 wave in Spain holds a warning for U.S.
Forget Spain’s stringent and painful three-month lockdown that started in March, crushing the economy, killing tourism and frustrating residents. Never mind the praise the country received as a model for dealing with the coronavirus, which through the spring had raged out of control, overwhelming hospitals and killing at least 28,000. All it took was a short summer — of jovial parties, barhopping and vacation jaunts to coastal towns and neighboring countries — to return to something approaching the depths of the pandemic.
15th Sep 2020 - YAHOO!
Increase Of 26560 In Spanish Covid Case Total Across The Weekend
As there are no totals published over the weekend the rise is usually quite pronounced. On Friday the Spanish Ministry of Health reported 566,326 cases of Covid-19.
15th Sep 2020 - Murcia Today
France and Spain Fail the Coronavirus Test
If Europe has a strategy to stop the spread of Covid-19, it’s keeping it well hidden.
France’s President Emmanuel Macron has vowed not to go back to the dark days of national lockdown, preferring instead to “live” with the coronavirus disease, but his government is struggling to halt a jump in cases. France reported more than 10,000 new cases in 24 hours over the weekend, a grim postscript to its decision to cut the required quarantine for positive cases in half to seven days. It’s a similar story in Spain, the country with the most cases in Europe and the first to cross the barrier of more than half a million in total. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has also ruled out national lockdowns, but messy public-health disagreements between Madrid and regions such as Catalonia — and an initially lax approach to nightlife — have worsened a post-lockdown surge in cases. Taking population into account, the seven-day average rate of new cases in France and Spain is above the U.S.’s.
15th Sep 2020 - The Washington Post
Coronavirus in France: Bordeaux and Marseille announce tougher constraints
Two of France’s biggest cities with COVID-19 infection rates gathering speed even faster than the national surge in new cases are tightening limits on public activities as the French government seeks to ward off a new nationwide lockdown. The stricter restrictions announced Monday in Marseille and Bordeaux were responses to a demand from France’s prime minister that both cities take additional steps to stem their growing numbers of infections, which were putting pressure on regional health services. In Bordeaux, the top government official for the region announced a ban on gatherings of more than 10 people in public parks, along the city’s picturesque river and on beaches.
15th Sep 2020 - Euronews
Testing positive: half of Argentina's coronavirus checks yield infection
Argentina’s coronavirus “positive rate,” the number of daily infections to the number of tests carried out, has topped 50%, underscoring how much work the South American country has to do to bring the virus under control. Health ministry data on Monday showed the country carried out 17,955 tests the day before, when it recorded 9,056 confirmed COVID-19 cases. That indicates a positive rate of 50.4%, one of the highest in the world.
15th Sep 2020 - Reuters UK
Jordan closes schools in new curbs after spike in COVID-19
Jordan will suspend schools for two weeks from Thursday and close places of worship, restaurants and public markets as part of renewed restrictions after a record spike in coronavirus cases in the last few days. The decision taken after a cabinet meeting came as the kingdom struggles to prevent the uncontrolled spread of the pandemic, government spokesman Amjad Adailah said. “We are living through exceptional circumstances,” Adailah said. Health Minister Saad Jaber said the government was seeking to avoid the kind of tight nationwide lockdown imposed in the spring that brought the virus under control with low daily case numbers among a population of 10 million.
15th Sep 2020 - Reuters UK
If Manchester's farcical lockdown is any clue, the second wave will hit us all hard
The rule of six will just add more confusion. It’s starting to feel like March all over again, except solidarity has given way to resentment
13th Sep 2020 - The Guardian
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 15th Sep 2020
View this newsletter in fullCoronavirus: Marseille's Covid-19 hospital beds 'close to saturation'
The use of hospital beds by Covid-19 patients in the French city of Marseille is "close to saturation" amid a sharp spike in infections. Surgeries are being reduced to cope with an incidence rate that has risen to 312 per 100,000 since September.
New limits on gatherings are being introduced around Marseille and in the south-western city of Bordeaux. The two cities are the main new hotspots in a country that on Saturday recorded a big surge in cases. The 10,561 new infections over 24 hours represented the biggest rise since large-scale testing began.
14th Sep 2020 - BBC
Coronavirus: Another 2,621 COVID-19 cases confirmed in UK as 'rule of six' kicks in
Another 2,621 cases of coronavirus have been reported in the UK in the latest daily government figures, taking the total to 371,125. The number of deaths increased by nine, bringing the overall count to 41,637. Monday's cases figure compares with 3,330 confirmed on Sunday - which marked the first time since May that cases had been above 3,000 on three consecutive days. The latest number - reported by Public Health England - is still far less than during the peak of the pandemic, when it's estimated to have been well into the tens of thousands each day.
14th Sep 2020 - Sky News
Seven councils in North East write to government asking for greater lockdown restrictions
Council leaders in the North East are writing to the Government calling for greater lockdown restrictions to help reduce the spread of coronavirus, says Newcastle City Council leader Nick Forbes.
Six parts of the North East are on the Government's official watchlist due to a rise in Covid cases.
Speaking to ITV News Tyne Tees on the day the "rule of six" became law, Nick Forbes says representatives from Durham, Tyne and Wear and Northumberland made the "unanimous" decision to request measures, that are currently in place in other parts of England, brought to the region.
14th Sep 2020 - ITV News
UK 'must act fast to stop Covid-19 cases growing exponentially' with country facing 'hard lockdown'
The UK needs to act fast to stop coronavirus cases growing out of control, with a delay of even a few days potentially “dangerous”, an academic who advises the Government has said. Peter Openshaw, professor of experimental medicine, Imperial College London, said a “trickle” of cases can turn into a “cascade”, adding that if people do not abide by the “rule of six” now then the country faces going back into “hard lockdown”. His comments come as concerns grow over an increase in Covid-19 cases in care homes, prompting the Government to send an alert to care providers to highlight the rising rates and to call for action.
14th Sep 2020 - Evening Standard
Coronavirus: UK faces second hard national lockdown if we don't follow COVID-19 rules, adviser warns
The UK faces another national lockdown "in short order" unless people abide by new COVID-19 restrictions, a government adviser has told Sky News. Peter Openshaw, a professor of experimental medicine at Imperial College London, told Sophy Ridge On Sunday the public "must act fast" to stop the spread of coronavirus. He said: "I think everyone is in agreement that we really need to act very quickly now in order to prevent this from growing exponentially and that's the main point, is that we must act fast because it is so much harder to get this sort of thing under control if you delay even a few days.
14th Sep 2020 - Sky News
Welsh minister warns of possible national lockdown as Covid cases rise
A new national lockdown could be imposed in Wales within weeks unless people follow the updated rules on social gatherings, the country’s health minister has said. Vaughan Gething also revealed that the Labour-controlled government was investigating a range of measures for Wales including imposing curfews to try to control the spread of the virus. He said the same pattern seen in early February as Covid-19 spread across the UK was being observed again. The health minister pointed out that seven weeks later, in the third week of March, Wales, along with the rest of the UK, was in lockdown. Gething told a press conference in Cardiff that there were hotspots of Covid-19 across four areas of south Wales and if people did not change their behaviour there could be a second national lockdown within seven weeks or even sooner.
14th Sep 2020 - The Guardian
‘We’ve learned how we need to act’: Spain braces for second wave of Covid
An hour or so before lunch on Thursday, Ángela Falcón stepped out of the church of Our Lady of the Assumption and on to the hot and busy streets of Parla. “I’m scared and I very seldom come out but when I do, I stop by the church to pray,” said the 71-year-old. Like many in Parla, a satellite city of 130,000 people a half hour’s drive southwest of Madrid, Falcón is taking no chances with the coronavirus and its second wave.
14th Sep 2020 - The Guardian
France's Bordeaux imposes stricter measures to curb coronavirus spread
Marseille and Bordeaux, two of France’s biggest cities, faced stricter rules on Monday for beach gatherings, visiting the elderly in care homes and attendance at outdoor public events as part of efforts to contain a surge in COVID-19 cases. In the past few weeks, France has seen one of the sharpest accelerations in the number of new cases in western Europe. Daily confirmed cases hit record levels last week. “We will reach the point where cases are doubling every eight days,” Philippe de Mester, president of the regional health authority covering the southern city of Marseille, told a news conference. At the peak of the first wave in the spring, new cases doubled every 3.5 days. Even so, doctors say intensive care wards in Marseille are close to full capacity.
14th Sep 2020 - Reuters
Covid cases in France top 10,000-a-day for the first time but Prime Minister rules out new lockdown
France reported 10,561 new infections on Saturday - it's highest daily figure.
Spain announced a whopping 12,183 cases on Friday bringing total to 566,300
Prime Minister Jean Castex is determined not to return to 'generalised lockdown'
Country recently announced it will pay parents to stay home if schools lockdown
14th Sep 2020 - Daily Mail
Covid-19: French regions to announce new restrictions
Authorities in Bordeaux and Marseille have announced strict new measures to limit public gatherings in an effort to rein in a rapid surge in Covid-19 cases that risks overwhelming the two French cities’ hospitals. “The virus has accelerated despite the obligation to wear a mask introduced earlier this summer,” Christophe Mirmand, the government’s top official in greater Marseille area, said on Monday. “We need to take action to ensure health services can cope.” Admissions to the city’s intensive care units were following an “exponential curve” and had doubled in the past week, the head of the city’s hospital service said. Even with extra beds added over the weekend, the system was “close to saturation point”.
14th Sep 2020 - The Guardian
SW China city vows border crackdown after imported COVID-19 cases from Myanmar
Authorities in the city of Ruili, which borders Myanmar in Southwest China's Yunnan Province, Monday called on border places in the city to enter wartime status requiring them to enhance border management and crack down on illegal border crossings after the city reported two imported COVID-19 cases on Sunday. Eight border prefectures and 25 border counties in the province should enter wartime status immediately, enhancing anti-epidemic measures and border management to prevent imported cases, local officials said at a video conference Monday, local media reported. The authorities also said they would launch citywide coronavirus testing to reduce risk of an outbreak. The city government will spare no effort in strengthening border controls, with a 24-hour closed-cycle management that will be applied to all counties and communities near the border, to ensure there are no illegal crossings from neighboring countries, the People's Daily reported Monday, citing another video conference by the Ruili government on Sunday.
14th Sep 2020 - Global Times
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 14th Sep 2020
View this newsletter in fullAustria experiencing second virus wave, says chancellor
Austria is experiencing the start of a second wave of coronavirus infections, its chancellor said, as cases spike upwards in line with other EU countries. From Friday to Saturday, the Alpine nation of nearly nine million people reported 869 new cases - more than half of those in the capital Vienna. "What we are experiencing is the beginning of the second wave," Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said in a statement, appealing to the population to stick to anti-virus measures and reduce social contacts. He warned that the mark of 1,000 cases per day would be reached soon.
13th Sep 2020 - RTE.ie
Covid-19 infections and hospital cases surge in France
Mr Castex said Marseille, Bordeaux and the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe had been particularly badly hit. “What’s especially worrying is that we are noticing a perceptible rise in the number of people being hospitalised,” he said in Paris after an inner cabinet meeting on the crisis. The change in quarantine tactics, which had been predicted by health minister Olivier Véran, reflects an acknowledgment by the government that the 14-day isolation period was longer than necessary and that many people were flouting the rules. “It’s essential that everyone respects strictly this period of isolation, which will be monitored,” Mr Castex said.
12th Sep 2020 - The Financial Times
Countries brace for coronavirus resurgence
Amid fears of a second wave, countries around the world are implementing new restrictions aimed at curtailing a global resurgence of COVID-19 cases. This has caused concern for many as schools and businesses beginning to open their doors again for the first time in months, as previous restrictions began to ease. But experts warn that even with new restrictions, the novel coronavirus is here to stay.
“Even countries throughout Europe that have done a really great job of reducing spread haven't eliminated the virus entirely,” Christine Blackburn, Deputy Director, Pandemic & Biosecurity Policy Program at Scowcroft Institute of International Affairs at Texas A&M University, told Al Arabiya English.
12th Sep 2020 - alarabiya.net
Indonesia Adds 3800 Covid-19 Cases as Sumatra Provinces See Resurgence
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Indonesia reached the second-highest rise on Saturday with more provinces on Sumatra Island reporting a three-digit daily total and new transmissions in Jakarta spiraling beyond control. Indonesia has recorded 3,806 new cases of the virus in the last 24 hours to take the country’s total to 214,746. The highest one-day rise was 3,861 cases only two days ago. It also reported 106 more deaths from the disease, bringing the total death toll to 8,650 or 4 percent of total cases.
12th Sep 2020 - Jakarta Globe
Marseille's hospitals back on crisis footing as coronavirus spreads again in France
Each day this week, Professor Dominique Rossi has convened a coronavirus crisis group as intensive care wards in hospitals in Marseille fill up after a summer lull, deciding on how best to distribute beds and find extra staff. With 95% of the southern Bouche du Rhone region’s 80 intensive care beds set aside for COVID-19 patients now occupied, Rossi has dusted off his peak-pandemic playbook to deal with a jump in patients at the epicentre of the coronavirus’ resurgence in France.
“We’re back to the working routine we adopted in April,” Rossi, a urologist who heads the Marseille Hospitals’ Medical Commission, told Reuters.
12th Sep 2020 - Reuters
Coronavirus: Fears of second wave mount as R rate rises above one
Fears of a deadly second wave of coronavirus infections mounted today after official data showed the rate of transmission has risen above the critical level. The reproduction rate — known as R — is now between 1.0 and 1.2, according to the Government Office for Science. It marks an increase on last week, when the R rate was between 0.9 and 1.1. The daily growth rate for the UK as a whole is between -1 per cent and 3 per cent, up from between -1 per cent and 2 per cent. The R rate represents the average number of people that one infected person will pass the virus on to. Scientists have warned that 1.0 is the crucial cut-off rate, with any figure above this level potentially leading to rapid exponential growth. However, the figures are driven largely by local outbreaks and experts have said that estimates are less reliable when overall incidence of the virus is low. It came as new figures showed Covid-19 infections in England have jumped 60 per cent to 3,200 new cases each day.
12th Sep 2020 - City A.M.
Lockdown Restrictions Have Been Increased In Birmingham As Coronavirus Infections Soar Across The UK
Birmingham is the latest city to face tough new lockdown measures following a resurgence in cases across the whole of the UK. A ban on households mixing in Birmingham, Sandwell and Solihull has been announced after new figures found the city had the second highest rate of Covid-19 infections in England, behind Bolton. West Midlands mayor Andy Street said the new restrictions would come into force on Tuesday after socialising between households was identified as "one of the drivers of transmission".
12th Sep 2020 - PoliticsHome.com
French PM: no new lockdown over COVID-19 resurgence
French Prime Minister Jean Castex said on Friday his government was not planning a new, nationwide lockdown to contain a resurgence in COVID-19 cases, but would instead implement a raft of less radical measures. France has the world’s seventh highest COVID death toll, and President Emmanuel Macron’s government is trying to curb the virus while ensuring that economic and social activities, such as schoolchildren’s education, can continue as much as possible. Castex said new measures would include fast-tracked testing for priority cases to reduce time spent waiting for results, and targeted restrictions in areas hit especially hard. “The virus is with us for several more months and we must manage to live with it without letting ourselves get drawn once again into a narrative of nationwide lockdown,” Castex said in a televised address.
12th Sep 2020 - Reuters UK
Coronavirus: Merthyr Tydfil braced for lockdown
It seemed like business as usual in Merthyr Tydfil's busy High Street on a sunny Wednesday afternoon. Shoppers navigated yellow arrows and 2m spacing signs on the pavement - some wearing face masks, others stopping to chat with friends. But as coronavirus cases rise across Valleys towns, Merthyr is braced to follow Caerphilly into local lockdown. Businesses in the town - already suffering huge financial losses - are warning they will struggle to survive.
12th Sep 2020 - BBC
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 11th Sep 2020
View this newsletter in fullIowa reports another 20 COVID-19 deaths and 819 new cases in past 24 hours
The state has been changing how it reports testing data, which has caused spikes in the rate of positive data. Before the changes, the state was consistently reporting a positivity rate, that is, the percentage of tests that were positive, below 10%. Iowa also is now counting the results of antigen tests, a relatively rapid type of coronavirus tests, that will increase the reported rates of infection in some counties.
On Thursday, the state was reporting 10.5% positive since the pandemic started. Of the tests the state has reported since 10 a.m. Wednesday, 12.4% were positive, according to a Des Moines Register analysis. Iowa's 14-day average was 9.7% positive, according to the state
10th Sep 2020 - Des Moines Register
English tracing scheme shows weekly jump in number of COVID-19 cases
The weekly number of positive COVID-19 cases in England jumped 43% at the end of August compared to the previous week, the latest data from the test and trace scheme showed on Thursday. MHS Test and Trace said on Thursday that 9,864 new people rested positive for Covid-19 in England in the week from Aug to Sept 2, the highest number of weekly positive cases since the scheme launched at the end of May.
10th Sep 2020 - Reuters
COVID-19: 170 new cases in Ontario; Quebec to fine people not wearing masks indoors
Premier Doug Ford says it’s too early to say whether Halloween trick-or-treating will be permitted. “It just makes me nervous, kids going door to door. I’d prefer not to. It’d be a shame, but we’ll check that out.” Province announces $14.75 million investment to improve access to mental health and addictions services. Ontario reports 170 new cases, including 55 in Toronto, 28 in York and 22 in Peel. Another person has died, bringing the COVID-19 death toll to 2,814. 54 people are hospitalized, with the disease, including 14 in ICU and nine on ventilators
Ottawa Public Health reports 12 new cases as of Thursday, down from 17 cases Wednesday and 37 on Tuesday. That brings the total number of cases in the capital region to 3,163. There are 226 active cases
10th Sep 2020 - Ottawa Citizen
161 new Covid-19 cases across Scotland - including first positive case on Shetland for a month
The last new case for the region was on August 11, and now their total sits at 57 positive cases. The latest figures from the Scottish Government show an increase of 161 new confirmed positive cases across the country and there have been no registered deaths in the last 24 hours.
Of these, five cases were recorded in the Grampian area and three in the Highlands. The region’s total number of positive cases now sits at 1,996 and 473 people respectively.
The other islands’ total positive cases since the pandemic began remain at 17 on Orkney and nine in the Western Isles.
10th Sep 2020 - Press and Journal
Nicola Sturgeon announces new lockdown restrictions on numbers of people allowed to meet socially
Nicola Sturgeon has announced new lockdown restrictions across Scotland as the number of people testing positive for coronavirus continues to rise. The First Minister told MSPs the country must remain in phase 3 of lockdown for now and would likely remain so "for some time to come". The SNP leader also revealed a range of new restrictions on social gatherings aimed at curbing the spread of the virus. From Monday, there will be a new limit of six people from two households allowed to meet socially - a rule that covers meetings in homes as well as in pubs and restaurants.
10th Sep 2020 - Daily Record
Coronavirus UK: Birmingham days from lockdown as infection rates double
Local leaders have warned Birmingham could be the next city put into a local lockdown after coronavirus infection rates have soared. West Midlands mayor Andy Street said increased restrictions in the city are ‘looking very likely’ as Birmingham’s case rate has increased to 69 per 100,000, up from 30 a week ago. It comes after 712 people caught coronavirus in the city in the seven days up to Saturday, MailOnline reports. Boris Johnson announced at a press conference yesterday that gatherings of more than six people will be illegal in England from Monday in a bid to control the spread of the virus.
10th Sep 2020 - Metro.co.uk
Coronavirus: Maximum size of gatherings in Scotland cut to six
The number of people allowed to meet up in Scotland has been cut to six amid concerns about the coronavirus pandemic "accelerating". It came as First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced a "tightening and extension" of lockdown rules. Changes planned for next week have been put back until at least 5 October. It means that theatres, live music venues, indoor soft play facilities and indoor contact sports will not now open next Monday. Until now, eight people from three households had been allowed to meet indoors in Scotland, and up to 15 from five households outdoors. This will change to six people from two household, and will apply both indoors and outdoors - including in homes, gardens, pubs and restaurants. Children under the age of 12 will not count towards the total, however.
10th Sep 2020 - BBC
Coronavirus: 'We must act' to prevent second lockdown, says PM
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said "we must act" to avoid another lockdown as virus cases rise in England. He set out a new "rule of six", restricting gatherings to a maximum of six people, enforced by police able to issue fines or make arrests. Mr Johnson also outlined a "moonshot" plan to control the virus with mass testing, possibly by next spring. It comes as the UK reported another 2,659 coronavirus cases, the fourth day running of over 2,000 reported cases. "I want to be absolutely clear, these measures are not another national lockdown. The whole point of them is to avoid a second national lockdown," Mr Johnson said in the first Downing Street coronavirus briefing since July. He added "it breaks my heart to have to insist on these restrictions".
10th Sep 2020 - BBC
Madrid brings in fresh virus restrictions as Spain hits 500,000 cases
Madrid has brought in new restrictions on social gatherings, restaurants and bars as Spain tries to curb a spike in coronavirus cases while millions of pupils return to school this week. A ban on outdoor meetings of more than 10 people was extended indoors because most recent outbreaks of Covid-19 were linked to family meetings or mass drinking sessions organised by young people called botellones.
10th Sep 2020 - Evening Standard
Spain passes half a million coronavirus cases
The continued surge in coronavirus cases is set to continue as schools reopening are seeing millions of childen and teachers returning after having been out of the educational environment for over six months. Since July, Spain has become the country with the fastest rising coronavirus cases with the UK and France following closely behind.
10th Sep 2020 - Euro Weekly News
Coronavirus: Victoria records 51 new cases as state's deaths top 700
Victoria has recorded 51 new cases of coronavirus in the past 24 hours, with seven more lives lost. The new deaths have brought the state's total number of COVID-19 fatalities to 701. Victoria now accounts for nearly 90 per cent of Australia's coronavirus deaths. The latest fatalities included four men in their 70s, two women in their 80s and one man in his 80s.
10th Sep 2020 - 9News
Austria reports 664 new coronavirus cases in a day, highest since March
Austria eported 664 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, the biggest daily increase since late March, when an initial spike in infections was rapidly fading due to a struct lockdown. Of those new cases, 387 were in Vienna, the Interior Ministry said in a statement on Thursday.
10th Sep 2020 - Reuters
France cannot rule out local lockdowns - advisor
The French government will discuss on Friday whether to impose new, local lockdowns to try and tackle rising Covid-19 cases, while keeping economic activities going. Government spokesperson Gabriel Attal said on Thursday that nothing will be ruled out at Friday's cabinet meeting, with President Macron saying he hoped any new measures would bot be too restrictive.
10th Sep 2020 - Reuters UK
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 10th Sep 2020
View this newsletter in fullNorth of England has had highest proportion of Covid-19 deaths since national lockdown eased
A greater proportion of people have died from coronavirus in the North of England after the national lockdown began to be eased than in other parts of England and Wales. Analysis of official figures by ITV News shows nearly a quarter of deaths in the North involving Covid-19 have been registered after 15 May, compared to less than 10% in London.
9th Sep 2020 - ITV News
Iowa refuses to close bars and require masks as Covid-19 cases surge in cities
Amid warnings that the failure to enforce masks and social distancing was likely to cost hundreds of additional lives in the coming months, the White House taskforce said in a report on 31 August that bars “must be closed” in 61 of Iowa’s 99 counties and seating in restaurants should be limited. It also recommended restrictions on the size of gatherings in the worst hit counties along with the closure of gyms. “Community transmission continues to be high in rural and urban counties across Iowa, with increasing transmission in the major university towns,” the report warned. “Mask mandates across the state must be in place to decrease transmission.”
9th Sep 2020 - The Guardian
UK reports 2,659 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday
The United Kingdom reported 2,659 confirmed new cases of COVID-19, according to government data published on Wednesday, compared with 2,460 a day earlier. Eight new deaths were recorded compared with 32 deaths a day eaelier. Case numbers have started to increase in recent days.
9th Sep 2020 - Reuters
Increase in number of Covid-19 cases but no new deaths
There have been no new Covid-19-related deaths at the NHS trust serving south Cumbria, according to NHS statistics. Hospital trusts in the North West reported three fresh deaths on Monday and three others at the weekend. All newly-reported were recorded in or around 'hotspot' areas for Covid-19 infections across the region -specifically, around Greater Manchester and Yorkshire. Cumbria has experienced a slight rise in its number of Covid-19 cases this week, as five BAE workers went into isolation after testing positive for the virus.
9th Sep 2020 - NW Evening Mail
Six more North-East schools, pubs and restaurants confirm Covid-19 cases
Four more North-East schools and two pubs have confirmed positive Covid-19 tests since the beginning of the week. The affected schools, in County Durham and Teesside, have told affected children to self-isolate for 14 days. Today, Outwood Academy Normanby told parents it was sending all Year 8 pupils home after positive Covid-19 test. In a statement, the school said parents should remain in the visitors' car park while pupils make their way out of the school.
9th Sep 2020 - The Northern Echo
Frontline doctors warn coronavirus 'war' not over ahead of UK lockdown changes
Frontline doctors have warned the Covid-19 "war" is not over ahead of stricter UK lockdown rules banning social gatherings of more than six people. Medics working in some of the hardest-hit regions across the country are reporting coronavirus wards are still slammed with cases amid soaring infection rates.
9th Sep 2020 - Daily Mirror
Coronavirus: New virus measures 'not a second lockdown'
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said "we must act" to avoid another lockdown as virus cases rise in England. He set out a new "rule of six", restricting gatherings to a maximum of six people, enforced by police able to issue fines or make arrests. Mr Johnson also outlined a "moonshot" plan to control the virus with mass testing, possibly by next spring. It comes as the UK reported another 2,659 coronavirus cases, the fourth day running of over 2,000 reported cases. "I want to be absolutely clear, these measures are not another national lockdown. The whole point of them is to avoid a second national lockdown," Mr Johnson said in the first Downing Street coronavirus briefing since July. He added "it breaks my heart to have to insist on these restrictions".
9th Sep 2020 - BBC
Birmingham faces looming lockdown, West Midlands mayor admits
West Midlands mayor Andy Street said tougher restrictions were now 'looking likely' in Birmingham. Birmingham's case rate has jumped to 69 per 100,000, up from 30 a week ago, after 700 new cases. Local leaders in Birmingham are meeting with national health chiefs today to thrash out future plans
9th Sep 2020 - Daily Mail
Nicola Sturgeon likely to consider similar measures to England in Thursday lockdown review
Scotland is to review lockdown measures tomorrow, but with the current coronavirus cases continuing to spike once again, the First Minister has warned not to expect any major relaxations. Nicola Sturgeon said that Scotland is likely to take a 'cautious' approach and 'won't 'rule out the need to make changes to the number of people allowed to gather together' as we have 'seen in England.' Scotland now looks likely to follow in Boris Johnson's footsteps, who has made gatherings of more than six people illegal in England from 14 September.
9th Sep 2020 - Edinburgh Live
UK announces 2,659 more coronavirus cases and eight deaths
The rise of 2,659 cases means almost 13,000 case have been diagnosed in the past four days alone. At a press briefing this afternoon, the chief medical officer for England said cases were not rising due to increased testing, and were a 'real phenomenon'. He reassured decisive action could bring cases down. It comes as the government bars people meeting in groups above six, set to come into force next Monday. Boris Johnson said the measures are essential to 'keep our economy going and schools open'
9th Sep 2020 - Daily Mail
Covid Cases In Spain Increase By 8964 In The Last 24 Hours
Daily Covid figures published by the Ministry of Health have increased by 8,964 cases in the last 24 hours, of which 3,168 have been diagnosed in the last 24 hours, compared to 2,440 on Monday. In total, 554,513 people have been diagnosed with Covid-1 in Spain since the pandemic began.
9th Sep 2020 - Murcia Today
Scotland 'at a very dangerous point' in battle with Covid-19 amid stark second lockdown warning
Scotland is at a “very dangerous place” said Nicola Sturgeon amid warnings of a potential second lockdown as cases continue to rise across the country. The First Minister, speaking at her daily coronavirus briefing,
9th Sep 2020 - The Scotsman
Radical new lockdown measures possible in more town and cities - with pubs shutting at 10pm
More towns or cities in England could face "curfews" with pubs forced to shut at 10pm with the government considering drastic measures if Covid-19 begins to run out of control. Bolton has become the first town in England to be handed a curfew after new cases surged over the weekend to 120 per 100,000 people. All hospitality venues, including pubs, bars, restaurants and cafes, have been told to shut, with immediate effect, to people eating and drinking on site, reports MirrorOnline. They are able to stay open as takeaways - but only until 10pm. Between 10pm and 5am, all hospitality venues must shut entirely. And it is reported that ministers will consider extending the policy to other areas if there are flare-ups.
9th Sep 2020 - Get Surrey
Coronavirus UK: Meetings of more than six BANNED from Monday
The PM is announcing a change in the law after the number of daily Covid cases rose to almost 3,000. The ban will only apply to social gatherings, with those coming together for work or education still allowed. Gatherings of more than six people also allowed where household or support bubbles larger than half a dozen
Professor Chris Whitty, Sir Patrick Vallance and the Government all agreed that urgent action was needed. Failure to comply could result in a £100 fine, which will then double on each repeat offence up to £3,200
9th Sep 2020 - Daily Mail
Japan's households, firms keep hoarding cash at record pace as COVID-19 strains broaden
Japan's currency in circulation and bank deposits rose at a record annual pace in August as companies and households continued to pile up cash to guard against the coronavirus- driven income slump, central bank data showed on Wednesday.
9th Sep 2020 - Reuters
Six new cases of Covid-19 in community linked to church, bus driver tests positive
Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield says they are all linked to the Mt Roskill Evangelical Fellowship Church group. He says all members of the church group are being asked to be re-tested, even if they have no symptoms. Four of the new cases are part of the group of 14 that are associated with a new event, a series of bereavement activities, that are linked to the Mt Roskill cluster, Dr Bloomfield says. He said all close contacts of the group are in self-isolation.
9th Sep 2020 - RNZ
Coronavirus lockdown rules: Social gatherings of more than six people indoors and outdoors to be banned from next week
Social gatherings of more than six people both indoors and outdoors will be banned from next week amid growing concerns at the heart of Government over the rise in Covid-19 infections. Boris Johnson will announce the tougher restrictions on Wednesday in a press conference, which will come into effect from Monday. The move applies to all age groups and will see the number of people allowed to meet legally dramatically reduced from 30 down to six as the Government attempts to regain control over the renewed spread of the virus.
9th Sep 2020 - iNews
Czech coronavirus cases top 1,000 in a day for first time
Czech authorities ordered people to wear face masks inside buildings from Thursday as the daily count of new coronavirus cases topped 1,000 for the first time.
9th Sep 2020 - Reuters India
Israel imposes week-long restrictions on coronavirus contagion zones
Israel on Tuesday began a week long campaign of night curfews and school closures in dozens of towns and neighbourhoods with high coronavirus counts, hoping it will help stem a spike in cases.
9th Sep 2020 - Reuters India
England to set tough new socialising rules after virus spike
PM Boris Johnson announced new restrictions on social gatherings in Egland on Wednesday, saying there was a clear need to act after a spike in Covid-19 infections. Speaking at a televised news conference, flanked by his top medical advisers, Johnson said groups of more than six people would be banned from meeting, in what he called a "rule of six" that was easier to understand than previous guidance.
9th Sep 2020 - Reuters UK
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 9th Sep 2020
View this newsletter in full'Not a game': Europe pleads with young people to halt Covid-19 spread
As the number of Covid-19 cases rises sharply in parts of Europe, health authorities from the UK to Spain are calling on young people to do more to halt the spread of the virus. This is how the situation looks in a number of major European countries and how it is being tackled.
8th Sep 2020 - The Guardian
Latest Covid-19 figures show Rugby has the highest number of cases in the county
Here are the rolling seven-day rate of new cases of Covid-19 for Warwickshire. Rugby now has the highest number of new cases (19) in the county but the borough is still well below the national average. The figures, for the seven days to September 4, are based on tests carried out in laboratories (pillar one of the Government's testing programme) and in the wider community (pillar two).
8th Sep 2020 - Rugby Advertiser
Britain reports 30 more deaths from Covid-19 in biggest spike for six weeks
Latest official statistics revealed UK death toll now stands at 41,584 after 30 more deaths were announced. Government said as of 9am on Tuesday, there had been a further 2,420 lab-confirmed cases of coronavirus. Increasing case numbers have been blamed on young people failing to adhere to social distancing rules. Ministers have warned young people to modify their behaviour immediately or face fresh lockdown misery. There is growing speculation Boris Johnson could soon impose much stricter rules on indoor gatherings
8th Sep 2020 - Daily Mail
Coronavirus: Hancock concern over 'sharp rise' in cases
A "sharp rise" in coronavirus cases in recent days in the UK is "concerning", Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said. He told MPs that the increase had been across the whole country rather than in localised "hotspots", but there was "no inevitability" of a second spike. The government's scientific advisers have given stark warnings, after 2,948 new UK cases were recorded on Monday. Downing Street said it would not rule out reducing the number of people who could meet in groups in England.
Asked whether the government was considering a change in guidance, the prime minister's official spokesman said the regulations were being kept under review. The guidance in England currently says two households can meet indoors. Outdoors up to six people from different households can meet - or up to 30 people from two households.
8th Sep 2020 - BBC
Lockdown rules in England to be changed with new limits on who you meet
The Government is about to change the lockdown rules across England, limiting the number of people who can gather - according to reports. Sky News says the maximum number of people who can gather will be cut in a bid to stop the rise of coronavirus. It would put a temporary end to parties, wedding receptions and large family get-togethers. More than 160 places have seen an increase in infection over seven days with some places trebling the number of cases.
8th Sep 2020 - Wales Online
Spain becomes first country in western Europe to hit 500,000 coronavirus cases
Half a million people in Spain have now tested positive for coronavirus – making it the first country in Western Europe to hit the grim milestone. It comes after a second surge of cases in the Mediterranean nation coincided with schools reopening.
8th Sep 2020 - Metro
Is the UK heading towards a second nationwide lockdown?
As coronavirus infection rates continue to rise across the UK, health experts have warned a second lockdown may be imminent. Though death tolls have remained low, the weekly rate of new cases in the UK has now risen above 20 per 100,000 people. Sunday saw the largest rise in cases since May 22 with almost 3,000 positive cases reported. In an interview with Sky News about his concerns around a second wave, World Health Organisation’s Dr David Navarro said: ‘I’m afraid it’s coming. I don’t like calling it a second wave but I believe there are going to be more spikes and indeed some surges in cases, because the virus hasn’t changed.
8th Sep 2020 - Metro
Nicola Sturgeon issues second lockdown warning after surge in cases
Nicola Sturgeon today warned Scotland must 'step up' its efforts to stop the spread of coronavirus if it is to avoid another nationwide economic shutdown. The First Minister said Scotland was at a 'key moment' in the battle against the disease after a recent surge in case numbers. She said 'as we have released ourselves from lockdown we have also released the virus from lockdown' and that could force her to 'put the brakes on' plans to further ease restrictions.
8th Sep 2020 - MSN UK
India May Soon Overtake U.S. To Have Most Coronavirus Cases in World
The Asian country, home to 1.35 billion people, overtook Brazil as the most affected country in terms of case numbers on Monday. World Health Organization figures show it has now had 4.28 million cases, compared with 4.14 million cases in Brazil. The U.S. still has most cases by far, with 6.22 million cases, but that lead may now start to shrink, as cases in America plateau and rise in India. In an update on its website on Tuesday, India's Ministry of Health said there had been 73,521 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. On Sunday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported just over 34,000 new cases, with charts showing it is now on a downwards trend after peaking in July.
8th Sep 2020 - Newsweek
Coronavirus surges in India as infections spread from cities
India has overtaken Brazil to become the country with the second-highest number of coronavirus infections, spurred by a surge of cases in small towns, more rural and poorer areas. The densely populated country of 1.4bn is adding roughly 90,000 new cases every day as it eases out of one of the world’s most draconian lockdowns in an attempt to revive its battered economy. In poorer regions such as Bihar, fragile health infrastructure is ill-prepared to cope with the onslaught.
8th Sep 2020 - The Financial Times
Skyrocketing Indian Virus Cases Could Eclipse U.S. Outbreak
Six months after the start of the pandemic—as the developed world tries to restore some semblance of normalcy—the virus is arriving with a vengeance in India’s vast hinterland, where 70% of its more than 1.3 billion citizens live. The country is now adding more than 80,000 confirmed infections per day, with about 71,000 deaths so far, numbers experts say are likely being under-counted. On Monday it galloped past Brazil to become the world’s second-biggest outbreak, a sobering preview of what could happen once the coronavirus spreads in earnest across other poor, densely populated places from Nigeria to Myanmar. With such a vast reservoir of potential hosts and minimal ability to contain infections, it seems inevitable that India will at some point overtake the U.S. to have the most cases
8th Sep 2020 - Bloomberg Quint
No lockdown to be imposed, says mayor
Mayor Murlidhar Mohol on Monday quashed all rumours about another round of lockdown. Mohol, via a video address, assured Puneities that no lockdown was to be imposed in the city. Rumours have been rife, especially on social media platforms, about another lockdown.
8th Sep 2020 - The Times of India
Korea: Riding the crest of wave #2
Relatively speaking, Korea has not had a bad pandemic, but the recent resurgence in cases in Seoul shows that until a vaccine becomes widespread, the threat from Covid-19 will remain an impediment to business as usual, and with Korea’s internationally facing industries, global weakness will remain a drag on growth
8th Sep 2020 - ING Think
Spain passes 500,000 coronavirus cases in Western European first
Spain became the first country in western Europe to register 500,000 infections on Monday, after a second surge in cases that coincided with schools reopening. Health Ministry data showed a total of 525,549 cases, up from 498,989 on Friday and a further 2,440 infections registered in the last 24 hours.
8th Sep 2020 - Reuters
'Don't kill your gran': Britain sounds COVID alarm
British ministers and medics are urging the public to get serious again about the coronavirus after fears the outbreak was slipping out of control in some areas. Close to 3,000 new cases were recorded on Sunday and again on Monday - a sudden jump from numbers much closer to 1,000 for most of August and the highest since May
8th Sep 2020 - Reuters UK
Australia's Victoria state reports 55 new coronavirus cases, 8 deaths
The Australian state at the centre of the country's second wave coronavirus outbreak is deepening its contact tracing programme to try to maintain a steady decline in daily new cases, amid criticism of its handling of the crisis.
7th Sep 2020 - Reuters UK
Following warning from NHS, what could a Lanarkshire lockdown look like?
But what might that look like? Here, we take a look at what could happen in the region if the Scottish Government do decide to bring in additional restrictions. What’s the current situation? In July, just 60 positive coronavirus tests were confirmed in Lanarkshire by the Scottish Government. That stayed fairly consistent until the end of August when the same number of cases was recorded in the final three days of the month. Since then, at least 15 new cases have been recorded daily including 30 yesterday - the most for a single day since May 16. In total, 134 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Lanarkshire in September.
7th Sep 2020 - Daily Record
India becomes country with second highest number of Covid cases
India has surpassed Brazil to become the country with the second highest number of coronavirus cases, as the virus continues to spread through the country of 1.3 billion at the fastest rate of anywhere in the world. India recorded more than 90,000 cases overnight, bringing the number of infections in the country past 4.2 million and overtaking Brazil, which with 4.1 million cases had been the second worst-affected country for several months.
7th Sep 2020 - The Guardian
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 8th Sep 2020
View this newsletter in fullMalaysia reports sharpest spike in new coronavirus cases in three months
Malaysia's health authorities reported 62 new coronavirus cases on Monday, the sharpest spike since early June, just as the government began barring long-term immigration pass holders from countries with high infection numbers. From Monday, Southeast Asia's third-largest economy imposed a ban on pass holders from 23 countries that have reported more than 150,000 COVID-19 cases, in a bid to clamp down on imported cases. Countries on the ban list include the United States, Britain and France.
7th Sep 2020 - Reuters on MSN.com
French COVID cases and death toll creeps up
The number of new, confirmed cases of Covid-19 in France has risen by 4,203 compared with the previous day to stand at a total of 328,980, the French health ministry said on Monday. France has the seventh highest Covid-19 death toll in the world.
7th Sep 2020 - Reuters
Exhausted Indian doctors battle surging COVID-19 cases
Doctors at one of the largest private COVID-19 facilities in the Indian capital say they are exhausted and facing staff shortages after nearly six months of relentless work. India's total cases of the novel coronavirus crossed 4.2 million on Monday, overtaking Brazil as the second worst-hit country after the United States.
7th Sep 2020 - Reuters
'Movement restriction' warning for Leeds if Covid-19 spread worsens
One of Leeds’s most senior civil servants has claimed the city may have to face “movement restrictions” if the district’s spread of Covid-19 continues to worsen. A meeting of councillors and council officers heard how, while clusters of infections in Kirkstall and Harehills were now under control, there was still a problem of younger people mixing together and spreading the virus. Mariana Pexton, the council’s chief corporate support officer, claimed that measures might have to be introduced to restrict individuals’ movements if infection rates continued to worsen. But she added such measures might have to be different to those from recent local lockdowns in areas such as Bradford and Kirklees.
7th Sep 2020 - Leeds Live
Latest Covid-19 trend suggests younger people could avoid future lockdowns while elderly shield themselves
Older people appear to be voluntarily shielding from the spread of Covid-19 with figures showing new infections are mainly confined to younger adults. Experts are now suggesting more mature citizens should be covered by any future restrictions while younger people continue to work - avoiding the threat of strict new lockdown rules. There has been a steady rise in coronavirus infections but no significant rise in the number of patients hospitalised, the Express reports. New data suggests the peak age range for new coronavirus cases covers people under 40.
7th Sep 2020 - Wales Online
Coronavirus: Caerphilly lockdown could be implemented 'if necessary'
A local lockdown could be put in place in Caerphilly county if "necessary", the leader of the council has warned. Philippa Marsden told BBC Radio Wales any decision would be made after advice was taken from Public Health Wales. She was speaking after a class of 21 pupils was told to self-isolate for two weeks after a member of staff tested positive for Covid-19. There were 31 new cases in Caerphilly on Monday, with a total of 98 reported in the last seven days. Its seven-day figure for cases per 100,000 people now stands at 54.1, and total cases since reporting started stands at 905. One class at St Gwladys Primary School in Bargoed must stay at home, although the school remains open.
7th Sep 2020 - BBC
Nicola Sturgeon issues second lockdown warning after surge in cases
Nicola Sturgeon said Scotland may have to 'put the brakes on' lockdown easing. Ms Sturgeon raised the prospect of having to 'close parts of our economy again.' First Minister said releasing lockdown meant Scotland had 'released the virus'
7th Sep 2020 - Daily Mail
UK coronavirus death toll rises by four as Birmingham lockdown fears intensify
The UK coronavirus death toll has risen once again on Monday - with England the only country recording new deaths. A further four people who tested positive for coronavirus have died in hospital in England, bringing the total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals to 29,611, NHS England said on Monday.
The patients were aged between 76 and 95 and all had known underlying health conditions. The dates of the deaths were all on September 5. No deaths were reported with no positive Covid-19 test result. It comes as fears of a lockdown in Birmingham intensified, with the rate of cases now lying around 50 per 100,000.
7th Sep 2020 - Birmingham Mail
France expects more severe COVID cases in next 15 days
France must stay vigilant as more people will be hospitalised in intensive care units in the next two weeks, reflecting a flare-up in COVID-19 infections in recent days, Health Minister Olivier Veran said on Saturday.
7th Sep 2020 - Reuters
Coronavirus spikes in Spain, France and U.K. raise specter of second wave
Cases of the coronavirus are spiking in France, Spain and the United Kingdom even as social distancing restrictions ease, stoking concerns among doctors and policymakers about a “second wave” in countries still reeling from the pandemic’s first wave. France set a record Friday after health authorities reported 8,975 new cases, far higher than the previous record of 7,578, which the was set March 31 at the height of the pandemic. In the U.K., new infections soared to nearly 3,000 in one day — the country’s biggest jump since May. And Spain had nearly 9,000 new cases Thursday.
7th Sep 2020 - NBC News
Rise in cases may 'put brakes' on Scots lockdown easing
A rise in coronavirus cases could see the Scottish government "put the brakes" on further changes to lockdown restrictions, Nicola Sturgeon has said. A total of 146 new cases of the virus were reported on Monday. The first minister said the continued rise must be taken "really seriously". The restrictions will be reviewed on Thursday, but Ms Sturgeon said it was unlikely Scotland would move to the next phase in her government's route map out of lockdown. And she said a "resurgence" of cases could see restrictions being re-imposed. An average of 152 positive tests have been recorded each day over the past week - compared to 14 per day six weeks ago.
7th Sep 2020 - BBC
Russia reports 5,185 new coronavirus cases, 51 deaths
Russia reported 5,185 new coronavirus cases on Monday, pushing its national tally to 1,030, 690, the fourth largest in the world. Authorities confirmed 51 deaths in the last 24 hours, bringing the official death toll to 17,871.
7th Sep 2020 - Reuters
As other cities go into lockdown, why isn’t London having a second wave?
It is a question that puzzles both those on the front line fighting Covid 19 and the experts developing strategies to combat its next move: why has London not seen a second flare-up when other parts of the UK are now having to introduce new lockdown restrictions? “It’s a bit of an enigma, given that London very definitely led during the initial peak,” said Professor David Alexander, who is based at the Institute for Risk and Disaster Reduction at University College London. Six months ago, the capital was hit hard and hit first by the pandemic. Wards were converted to treat Covid-19 patients and a temporary hospital was opened in London’s Docklands amid concerns that the capital’s health system would collapse.
6th Sep 2020 - The Guardian
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 7th Sep 2020
View this newsletter in fullCOVID-19: 'India Witnessing Second Wave in Some Regions', Claims AIIMS Chief; Says Pandemic Will Not End Any Time Soon
As India’s tally of coronavirus cases crossed 4 million, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Director Dr Randeep Guleria asserted that the daily cases will continue to rise for some more months since the country is witnessing a second wave of Covid-19 in some of the regions.
5th Sep 2020 - India.com
Coronavirus India highlights: Centre to deploy medical teams in DR Congo, South Sudan to help combat Covid-19
With over 80,000 cases and more than 1,000 deaths for yet another day, the Covid-19 tally in India on Friday rose to 3,936,747 with 68.472 fatalities, latest data by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare showed.
5th Sep 2020 - The Indian Express
Coronavirus Shatters India's Economy
The hit that India’s dreams have taken from the coronavirus pandemic can be found in the hushed streets of Surat’s industrial zone. You can see it in textile mills that took generations to build but are now sputtering, eking out about a tenth of the fabric they used to make. You can see it in the lean faces of the families who used to sew the finishing touches on saris but, with so little business, are now cutting back on vegetables and milk. You can see it in the empty barbershops and mobile phone stores, which shoppers have deserted as their meager savings dwindle to nothing.
5th Sep 2020 - The New York Times
Indonesia reports higher COVID-19 death rate among children than United States
The percentage of child deaths per total COVID-19 deaths is also high in Indonesia. Children accounted for 1.9 percent of all COVID-19 deaths in which victims’ age were provided. Given the high share of children among COVID-19 fatalities in the country, concerns have been raised over the government’s plan to allow more schools in low-risk areas to reopen
5th Sep 2020 - The Jakarta Post
Will Labor Day weekend in US mean another coronavirus spike?
As people across the United States head into the Labor Day long weekend on Friday, public health officials are warning not to make the same mistakes they did on previous holidays. The fear is that backyard parties, crowded bars and other gatherings could lead to a surge in coronavirus cases across the country, which has reported almost 6.2 million cases of the virus and about 187,000 related deaths since the pandemic began. "I look upon the Labor Day weekend really as a critical point," said Dr Anthony Fauci, the US government’s top infectious disease expert.
5th Sep 2020 - AlJazeera
The US coronavirus death toll is projected to reach 410,000 in the next 4 months if mask use wanes
More than 410,000 people in the US could die from the coronavirus by January 1, more than doubling the current death toll, a new model often cited by top health officials predicted Friday. That would mean 224,000 more lives lost in the US over the next four months.
5th Sep 2020 - CNN
UK concern at rising Covid-19 hospital cases in France
The British government is “worried” about a rise in Covid-19 hospital admissions in France and Spain, concerned that young people could be infecting the more vulnerable. However, health secretary Matt Hancock argued that the implementation of a “package” of protective measures such as social distancing could prevent a similar surge in cases from occurring in the UK.
5th Sep 2020 - The Financial Times
France sees rise in Covid-19 deaths and hospital admission numbers
The number of Covid-19 patients being admitted to hospital intensive care units and dying are on the rise in France after another 7,157 new cases were reported in the last 24 hours. The number of new cases of the virus reported in France has been rising 'exponentially' for several weeks now, from around 500 cases per day in mid July to 7,000 a day in recent days. However until last week although case numbers were rising sharply, the number of people getting seriously ill or dying with the virus stayed stable, prompting some to hope that the virus had weakened and become milder. But over the last week France has reported a small but steady growth in two key areas; the number of Covid-19 patients in intensive care and the number of people dying with the virus.
5th Sep 2020 - The Local France
Coronavirus: France closes schools due to COVID-19 as country records Europe's highest daily infection rate
Twenty-two schools have been shut down in France and the French Indian Ocean island of La Reunion due to coronavirus as cases soar in the country. More than 12 million pupils returned to classrooms in France on Tuesday but some parents and teachers' unions have expressed concern over the reopening of schools as the spread of COVID-19 accelerates.
5th Sep 2020 - Sky News
France sets daily record of 9,000 new coronavirus cases
France recorded almost 9,000 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, setting a record since the beginning of the pandemic, while more people were also hospitalised as a result of the disease. Health authorities said in a statement that there had been 8,975 new confirmed cases, almost 1,500 higher than the previous March 31 daily peak of 7,578, when France was in one of Europe’s strictest coronavirus lockdowns. The surge in parts of France, which is partially due to increased testing, has meant a dozen schools have been forced to close just days into the new academic year.
5th Sep 2020 - Evening Standard
Iraqis protest as hospitals overwhelmed by COVID-19 patients
Medical school graduates and health workers have protested in Iraq's capital over a shortage of equipment to tackle COVID-19 - and also a lack of jobs. Coronavirus cases have risen with a record 5,000 new infections on Friday. The health ministry says hospitals are overwhelmed with rising numbers.
5th Sep 2020 - AlJazeera
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 4th Sep 2020
View this newsletter in fullPublic health officials warn of increase in Covid-19 cases in Cumbria next week
An increase in the number of COVID-19 infections in Cumbria is expected next week. Public health officials believe there could be outbreaks associated with people returning from holidays abroad in recent days. Officials are also monitoring the situation in the areas surrounding the county which are seeing new cases increasing at a faster rate and which could have implications for Cumbria. Last week there were 33 new cases reported - that's up 5 on the week before - with the majority of new cases continuing to be in the 15-29 year old age group. Carlisle had the highest number of new cases, with 13 people testing positive, followed by Allerdale, with 10. Colin Cox, Cumbria’s Director Public Health, said: “New cases remain low, but we have seen several groups returning from holiday who were infected abroad and we expect to see them in next week’s figures. Unfortunately, needing to behave in a COVID-safe way doesn’t stop just because you are on holiday. “These new cases highlight the fact that in many parts of Europe we are seeing really significant increases in the infection rate. We know from hard experience that we are not immune to what is happening elsewhere in Europe, and alongside a slow but steady increase in the UK infection rate we really must be on our guard.
3rd Sep 2020 - ITV News
CDC warns daily COVID-19 cases are rising in some states
The United States, which has now surpassed 6.1 million infections, has been averaging about 41,000 new COVID-19 cases per day for the past week. Cases are now plateauing following an initial sharp decline in late July after surges in Sunbelt states saw average daily rates of 66,000. Deaths have slowly been declining and are currently averaging at about 860 fatalities per day - the lowest since late July. More than 185,000 Americans have now died from COVID-19
Despite cases continuing to decline across the country, the CDC warned on Tuesday that daily infections were starting to rise in some states, particularly in the Midwest and South. States where COVID-19 cases are currently rising include Iowa, South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana, Nebraska and Minnesota
3rd Sep 2020 - Daily Mail
India logs record 83,883 Covid-19 cases in day
India reported a record daily rise of 83,883 coronavirus infections on Thursday, taking its total to 3.85 million cases, just as the country pushed ahead with attempting a return to normality and kickstarting its economy. India now has the fastest growing Covid-19 infection rate in the world, and is only 100,000 cases behind Brazil, the second worst-affected country in the world. Experts are predicting that the south Asian nation will soon overtake Brazil (4 million) and then the US (6.1 million) to hold the dubious title of having the highest number of cases globally.
Shahid Jameel, a virologist and CEO of the Wellcome Trust/DBT India Alliance, said that the situation in India did “not look pretty”, adding: “Of the three top countries only India is showing a rising curve. This is a matter of grave concern and there is an urgent need to reverse the trend.”
3rd Sep 2020 - The Guardian
UK records highest weekly number of new coronavirus cases in three months
The Health Secretary has claimed the Government’s coronavirus testing system is working ‘well’, as the UK recorded its highest number of new cases since the week to June 3. Matt Hancock’s hopes that the country could be able to hug by Christmas comes despite reports that people are being directed to centres more than 100 miles away. A total of 6,732 new people tested positive for Covid-19 in England in the week to August 26 – a 6% rise on the previous week.
3rd Sep 2020 - Metro
France Nears All-Time High for New Coronavirus Cases As Spain Sees Faster Spread Than U.S.
New coronavirus cases in France have reached a near all-time high, with over 7,000 cases reported on Wednesday. This follows news that cases had surged by almost 50 percent in August compared to July, with over 281,000 cases recorded compared with almost 188,000 a month earlier. The French Ministry of Health said 7,017 cases were recorded Wednesday. This is just under 500 cases fewer than the country's biggest daily record on March 31 when 7,578 cases were reported.
Despite most of the new cases being found in young people who have not been severely affected by the disease, hospitalizations are now starting to rise. According to Reuters, the number of people needing hospital treatment increased for the fifth day in a row on Wednesday—an increase not seen since April.
3rd Sep 2020 - Newsweek
UK concern at rising Covid-19 hospital cases in France
The British government is “worried” about a rise in Covid-19 hospital admissions in France and Spain, concerned that young people could be infecting the more vulnerable. However, health secretary Matt Hancock argued that the implementation of a “package” of protective measures such as social distancing could prevent a similar surge in cases from occurring in the UK. “We are very worried about it,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Thursday. “But what I am also saying to you is that we have the lines of defence in this country. Everyone has a part to play: the first line of defence, social distancing, the next line of defence test and trace and then if we have to, going into local lockdowns. And we have the quarantine which is working.”
3rd Sep 2020 - Financial Times
India set to take second place in known Covid cases
India's novel coronavirus infections rose to almost 3.8 million on Wednesday, as states continued to relax rules on movement despite the surge in cases. The country reported 78,357 new cases in the past 24 hours, according to federal health data, taking total infections to 3,769,523. Some 66,333 people have died.
India's total cases lag only the United States and Brazil, which it will overtake in days based on current trends. Prime Minister Narendra Modi ordered a nationwide lockdown in March when the country was reporting fewer than 100 daily cases, winning praise from some experts for early action but warnings from others the restrictions had been imposed too soon
3rd Sep 2020 - AOL.co.uk
COVID-19 cases spike in India as economy falters
India currently posting over 70,000 new COVID-19 cases daily. Already India has third highest caseload after the US and Brazil. GDP growth shrank by 24 per cent during lockdown period.
3rd Sep 2020 - SciDev
A second coronavirus lockdown in Canada? Experts discuss the likelihood
Like many things coronavirus-related, the chance Canada will need to tighten restrictions again is hard to predict, according to disease experts. Ontario, B.C. and Alberta are all seeing cases climb, although the numbers are a far cry from the daily counts in March and April. Experts aren’t convinced we’re on track for a second lockdown. In fact, some are cautiously optimistic.
3rd Sep 2020 - Global News
Russia registers nearly 5,000 new coronavirus cases
Russia reported 4,995 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, bringing its national tally to 1,009,995, the fourth largest in the world. Russia's coronavirus taskforce said 114 people had died over the last 24 hours pushing the official death toll to 17,528
3rd Sep 2020 - Reuters UK
Australia's COVID-19 cases hit eight-day high, restrictions may linger
Australia on Thursday reported the biggest one-day rise in Covid-19 cases in more than a week, denting optimism that a stringent lockdown of its second-largest city will soon be lifted.
3rd Sep 2020 - Reuters UK
Spain counts more than 100,000 virus cases in 2 weeks
More than 100,000 people in Spain have tested positive for the novel coronavirus over the past two weeks, the Ministry of Health confirmed on Thursday. Nearly 9,000 new coronavirus infections over the past 24 hours were added to the tally that has surged to 488,513 confirmed cases. The UK, which has the second-highest case number in Europe, has reported just over 340,000 infections. As a consequence of the snowballing caseload in Spain, hospitalizations and deaths are accelerating. In the past 24 hours, over 1,000 new COVID-19 patients were admitted to hospitals for the second day in a row. On Thursday, another 40 people were confirmed to have perished from the infectious disease. Madrid has been home to nearly one-third of the country's 100,155 infections over the past two weeks, reporting the worst outbreak both in terms of real numbers and per capita cases.
3rd Sep 2020 - Anadolu Agency
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 3rd Sep 2020
View this newsletter in fullGreater Manchester lockdown easing U-turn after cases rise
Parts of Greater Manchester will not have lockdown restrictions eased as planned following a government U-turn. Measures in Bolton and Trafford were due to be eased overnight after a fall in cases earlier in August. But they will "now remain under existing restrictions" following "a significant change in the level of infection rates over the last few days", the government announced. The region's mayor Andy Burnham said the U-turn had been "complete chaos". The boroughs had been due to allow people from different households to meet indoors and businesses to offer close contact services such as facials, but that has now been halted
2nd Sep 2020 - BBC
Coronavirus: Visiting restrictions reintroduced in Glasgow area
Restrictions on visiting other households have been reintroduced in Glasgow and two neighbouring areas after a rise in coronavirus cases. The new rules affect more than 800,000 people in Glasgow city, West Dunbartonshire and East Renfrewshire. They are being told not to host people from other households in their own homes or visit another person's home. The restrictions came into effect from midnight. They will last for two weeks, but will be reviewed after a week. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said on Tuesday that 135 of the 314 new cases in Scotland over the past two days had been in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde area.
She said Covid-19 continued to be a dangerous and potentially deadly virus.
2nd Sep 2020 - BBC
Covid-19 outbreaks dampen Spanish tourist sector’s hopes for the summer season
According to Social Security Minister José Luis Escrivá, 132,000 new jobs were created in the first three weeks of the month. But the upward trend was reversed by fresh coronavirus outbreaks and travel advisories introduced by many countries that recommended not going to Spain. The slowdown began in late July, when the United Kingdom introduced a quarantine for travelers arriving from the country. This has impacted the tourism industry, which is usually a leading source of Spanish job creation at this time of the year and contributes more than 12% of Spain’s gross domestic product (GDP). And hotels have already announced plans to close in late August due to a lack of demand, in a move that could have an adverse effect on September, traditionally still a strong month for tourism.
2nd Sep 2020 - EL PAÍS in English
Spain's unemployment rises amid new COVID outbreaks, tourist restrictions
The number of registered unemployed people in Spain rose in August as new outbreaks of the coronavirus and travel restrictions imposed by other countries began taking a toll after months of timid recovery from an initial lockdown. The number of jobless people rose by 0.79% in August, pushing up the national total to 3.80 million and ending a positive trend that began in May when Spain began emerging from one of Europe’s strictest coronavirus lockdowns. The heavily tourism-dependent Balearic Islands were the hardest hit region, registering a 3% rise in unemployment. The pace of job creation in Spain stagnated in August, with only 6,822 more people with a formal working contract and contributing to social security in that month, compared to an increase of 161,000 in July, the social security minister said on Wednesday.
2nd Sep 2020 - Reuters
Russia reports nearly 5,000 new coronavirus cases
Russia reported 4,952 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, pushing its national tally to 1,005,000, the fourth largest in the world. Authorities said 115 people had died in the last 24 hours, bringing the official death toll to 17,414.
2nd Sep 2020 - Reuters
57 countries see surge in new coronavirus cases
More than 50 countries around the world are experiencing a rise in new coronavirus cases, figures show. Europe, north Africa and south Asia have the highest concentration of countries that are experiencing an upswing in coronavirus cases, as the worldwide total passed 25 million. The UK is among the worst hit. Infections have spiked in two northern areas of England due to be released from lockdown against the advice of local officials.
2nd Sep 2020 - The Independent
South Korea sees rise in critical Covid-19 cases
More than 40% of new coronavirus cases in South Korea are being found in people over the age of 60, contributing in part to a surge in the number of Covid-19 patients who are severely or critically ill, health authorities said. South Korea is battling a second wave of infection, centred in the capital Seoul and surrounding areas which are home to 25 million people. The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 267 new cases as of midnight last night, a slight increase over the day before. Overall, South Korea has reported 20,449 cases and 326 deaths. The number of severely or critically ill patients stood at 124, Vice Health Minister Kim Gang-lip told a briefing, from just nine reported on 18 August.
2nd Sep 2020 - RTE.ie
German minister rules out new nationwide coronavirus lockdown
Germany will not need another national lockdown over the winter to keep the coronavirus under control despite rising infections, Health Minister Jens Spahn said on Wednesday. After initially keeping infections and deaths relatively low compared to its European neighbours, the number of new cases has accelerated in recent weeks, raising fears of a second wave.
2nd Sep 2020 - Reuters
Turkey seeing second peak of COVID-19 outbreak, health minister says
Turkey is seeing the second peak of the coronavirus outbreak due to “carelessness” at weddings and other social gatherings, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said on Wednesday, amid a rapid rise in the number of daily cases and deaths. Speaking after a meeting of his coronavirus science team, Koca said the capital Ankara had seen the most rapid rise in the number of cases lately. He added that 29,865 healthcare workers had contracted the virus so far, with 52 of them dying. “The outbreak is increasingly continuing. The virus is spreading to more people each day. Our test numbers are rising every day, our new patient numbers are not falling.,” Koca said.
2nd Sep 2020 - Reuters UK
German health institute designates Canary Islands as coronavirus-risk region
Germany’s national institute for infectious diseases on Wednesday added the Canary Islands to its list of risk regions, citing a high rate of new coronavirus infections in the Spanish autonomous region. The Robert Koch Institute said the whole of Spain, mainland and islands, was a risk region. The institute’s update is usually followed by a travel warning to the designated regions by the Foreign Ministry.
2nd Sep 2020 - Reuters UK
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 2nd Sep 2020
View this newsletter in fullUAE reports over 500 new COVID-19 cases for second consecutive day
The United Arab Emirates recorded over 500 new COVID-19 infections for the second successive day on Tuesday after a rise in cases in the Middle East financial hub. The government’s communications office said on Twitter there had been 574 new infections but no deaths in the previous 24 hours, following 541 new infections and two deaths reported a day earlier. Schools in the UAE reopened this week, though some will continue with only remote learning after suspected cases among employees, state news agency WAM reported, citing the education ministry. The report did not identify the schools. Daily infections are at their highest since 683 cases were recorded on July 5. There have been periodic spikes in cases since daily infections peaked in May.
2nd Sep 2020 - Reuters UK
GMB's Dr Hilary warns COVID-19 hospitalisations are set to rapidly rise again
Good Morning Britain 's Dr Hilary Jones has warned the UK is likely about to see a rapid rise in COVID-19 cases and hospitalisations. He revealed we generally follow France's trend with the virus, and have been two weeks behind them since the pandemic began. This means that in just under a fortnight, the UK can expect a rapid increase in cases. Hosts Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid quizzed Hilary on the topic after Piers, who travelled to France on holiday this year, was concerned about the rising figures in the country.
1st Sep 2020 - Daily Mirror
Coronavirus: Small Covid-19 cluster confirmed in Highlands
A cluster of five cases of Covid-19 has been identified in the Grantown on Spey area. NHS Highland said contact tracing was being carried out. Close contacts who have been identified by the health board's health protection team have been advised to self-isolate. NHS Highland has urged people in the area and the wider Highlands region to adhere to national guidance on how to prevent the spread of the infection.
1st Sep 2020 - BBC
Germany 'can and will' avoid second coronavirus lockdown as economy rebounds
Germany is in a V-shaped economic recovery as it bounces back more strongly than expected from the effects of the first phase of the coronavirus pandemic, the economy minister said Tuesday. German GDP is expected to fall 5.8 percent in 2020, a narrower recession than the 6.3 percent drop projected earlier, Peter Altmaier said, signalling that the country is emerging from the worst of the crisis.
Altmaier said Germany "can and will" avoid lockdowns like Germans lived
through in March and April. "Rising infection rates will be countered by targeted and regionally limited measures, so that the economic recovery can continue to develop gradually in the coming months," he said
1st Sep 2020 - The Local Germany
Bolton asks government to keep borough in local lockdown after 'spike linked to pub crawl after trip to Spain'
Local lockdown restrictions in Bolton could remain after a huge spike in coronavirus cases. Council bosses held an emergency meeting this morning (September 1) after a 'sudden, concerning and unpredicted' spike resulting in a 200pc increase in positive Covid-19 tests. Greater Manchester and Bolton Council are both now calling for the town to remain in local lockdown restrictions as the borough tips towards the government’s ‘red’ threshold for cases. The MEN understands Greater Manchester leaders met this morning to discuss a major spike in cases in the borough since the Government announced it was to be taken out of lockdown measures from midnight tonight.
1st Sep 2020 - Lancs Live
Coronavirus: Spain PM rules out lockdown as infections rise
Spain will not return to a state of emergency that puts the country in lockdown again Pedro Sánchez, the prime minister, said as his government struggles to contain Europe’s highest number of coronavirus infections. As experts increasingly speak of Spain facing a possible second wave of the pandemic Mr Sánchez said in a radio interview that there was “no justification for a state of emergency with equally harsh measures for the whole territory”.
1st Sep 2020 - The Times
France Tightens Mask Protocols After Surge in Virus Infections
From Tuesday, masks will be mandatory for companies with groups working in enclosed spaces, Labor Minister Elisabeth Borne said Sunday on BFM TV. While opera singers are among those who can be granted exemptions, mask-wearing is becoming entrenched in daily life. Cities from Paris to Marseille are making masks compulsory, even outside, while students over 11 years old will have to cover their faces when returning to school next month. President Emmanuel Macron is trying to avoid another nationwide lockdown, but cautioned he couldn’t entirely rule it out. That comes as the government plans to unveil another recovery package next Thursday, after the economy shrank by 14% during the second quarter.
1st Sep 2020 - bnnbloomberg
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 1st Sep 2020
View this newsletter in fullCoronavirus in Scotland: Nicola Sturgeon 'concerned' over 160 new cases
Nicola Sturgeon has voiced concerns after 160 more people tested positive for coronavirus in Scotland. The latest increase in new cases follows 123 reported on Sunday, with a number of "clusters" across Scotland. The first minister said the rise in cases was "partly the result of a greater number of people being tested". But she said it was "undoubtedly a concern" and that any connection between cases was being "carefully considered" by health protection teams. A total of 69 of the new cases were reported in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde area, with Ms Sturgeon saying "particularly close attention" was being paid to this. However, she stressed that the positive results "still represent less than 1% of people newly tested yesterday". The number of people in hospital with the virus has increased to 258, five of whom are in intensive care.
31st Aug 2020 - BBC
36 states report a total of 8,700 Covid-19 cases at colleges and universities; country nears 6 million
Since classes started on August 19, 1,200 students at the University of Alabama have tested positive for the virus, the university system's website showed Saturday. Classes at the University of Dayton will continue online for at least two weeks after the school reported 116 case on Thursday and then another 148 on Friday, according to the university's website. Outbreaks have been identified at four different sororities at Kansas State University, according to news releases from the college and the Riley County Health Department. Providence College in Rhode Island has implemented policies to prevent the virus' spread, but 17 students have been placed on "interim suspension" for violating those measures, meaning they will not be allowed on campus or in classes until they attend a hearing, college spokesperson Steven Maurano told CNN Saturday.
31st Aug 2020 - CNN
Covid 19 coronavirus: Sydney put on alert after worrying virus warnings
After a weekend of sunny weather in Sydney, the city has now been put on alert with a series of worrying virus warnings. Yesterday, new cases were confirmed at a childcare centre and shopping mall on Sydney's north shore and an urgent warning was issued for bus commuters to isolate immediately amid a growing cluster in the city's eastern suburbs. There are now warnings in place across the city after recorded cases visited shopping centres, pubs and gyms. A school and an early learning centre have also closed.
31st Aug 2020 - New Zealand Herald
Pedro Sánchez throws Covid gauntlet down to Spain's regions
Mr Sánchez argues it is up to individual regions to ask the central government to grant them emergency powers if needed for specific areas. Regional politicians — reluctant to acknowledge particular problems on their watch — say a national response is required. “The central government cannot be absent,” said Isabel Díaz Ayuso, the centre-right leader of the government of Madrid. “Abandoning its functions will expand the pandemic.” As the handling of the crisis threatens to become a game of “chicken” between the centre and regions, with each calling on the other to act, one big question is whether Spain’s decentralised model puts the country at a disadvantage.
30th Aug 2020 - Financial Times
UK records 1,715 Covid cases in largest weekend figure since mid-May
More than 1,700 people in the UK have been reported to have tested positive for coronavirus, the largest weekend number since the middle of May. The government figures, published on Sunday, which showed 1,715 further positive tests, continue a worrying trend of a growing number of cases since the beginning of July, amid persistent concerns over a second spike in the autumn. The cases bring the total number to 334,467. There was just one new death, bringing the total to 41,499.
30th Aug 2020 - The Guardian
Brazil reports 566 coronavirus deaths on Sunday
Brazil registered 566 additional coronavirus deaths over the past 24 hours and 16,158 new cases, the Health Ministry said on Sunday evening. The nation has now registered 120,828 deaths attributed to the novel coronavirus and 3,862,311 confirmed cases. Sundays tend to have relatively low coronavirus numbers in Brazil because of delays in testing by the nation’s state government
30th Aug 2020 - Reuters UK
India Sets World Record for Coronavirus Infections in 24 Hours
India reported 78,761 new coronavirus infections in 24 hours on Sunday, the highest single day rise in the world since the pandemic began, while the county is continuing to open its economy. It was the fourth consecutive day that India has registered more than 75,000 infections. With a population of 1.4 billion people, India is the third most infected nation in the world, behind the United States and Brazil, with 3.5 million cases and more than 63,000 deaths, according to official statistics provided by the country’s health ministry.
30th Aug 2020 - Voice of America
Coronavirus: India surpasses US for highest single-day rise in Covid-19 cases
India has set a record for the world's highest single-day increase in coronavirus cases. The nation, the world's third-most infected, on Sunday reported 78,761 new cases in 24 hours, passing the number posted in the US on 17 July. The rise comes as the government continues to lift restrictions to try to boost an economy that lost millions of jobs when the virus hit in March. An upsurge of Covid-19 in many rural areas continues to be a major concern. On Sunday, global infections passed the 25 million mark, with 843,000 deaths. The US remains the most affected nation, closing in on six million infections, according to Johns Hopkins University research.
30th Aug 2020 - BBC
U.S. coronavirus cases top six million as Midwest, schools face outbreaks
U.S. cases of the novel coronavirus surpassed 6 million on Sunday as many states in the Midwest reported increasing infections, according to a Reuters tally. Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota have recently reported record one-day increases in new cases while Montana and Idaho are seeing record numbers of currently hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Nationally, metrics on new cases, deaths, hospitalizations and the positivity rates of tests are all declining, but there are emerging hotspots in the Midwest. Many of the new cases in Iowa are in the counties that are home to the University of Iowa and Iowa State University, which are holding some in-person classes. Colleges and universities around the country have seen outbreaks after students returned to campus, forcing some to switch to online-only learning.
30th Aug 2020 - Reuters UK
France shows steady growth in new coronavirus cases
France reported 5,413 new confirmed coronavirus cases on Sunday, slightly down from the 5,453 seen on Saturday. The health ministry said the cumulative number of COVID-19 deaths rose to 30,606 from 30,602 reported on Saturday.
The number of people in hospital with the disease was 4,535 versus 4,530 the day before and the number in intensive care rose to 402 from 400.
“In mainland France, the progression of the COVID-19 epidemic is exponential. The strong growth dynamics of transmission is very worrying.” the ministry said in a statement.
28th Aug 2020 - Reuters UK
Spanish health authorities support reopening of schools despite surge in coronavirus cases
The Spanish Health Ministry reported on Thursday that 9,658 new coronavirus cases had been detected by the regions. This is the largest spike in infections that Spain has seen since it entered a second wave of the virus, and confirms the upward trend of Covid-19 transmission, which has been rising since the beginning of August. The news came on the same day that Spain’s 17 regions and the Health and Education ministries met to establish protocols for how to safely reopen schools in September. According to Fernando Simón, the director of the Health Ministry’s Coordination Center for Health Alerts, students will be able to return to class even if there is “community transmission” of the virus in Spain.
28th Aug 2020 - EL PAÍS in English
Florida shows 947.9% increase in COVID-19 cases since governor reopened state
In the roughly three months since Gov. Ron DeSantis greenlighted Phase Two of his plan to reopen Florida, the Sunshine State has seen a whopping 947.9 percent increase in the number of COVID-19 cases. As of Friday morning, 615,806 cases had been identified across the state. On June 3 when the governor made the announcement that bars and pubs could reopen at 50 percent capacity inside and full capacity outside, the state was reporting 58,764 COVID-19 cases – a difference of 557,042. Under Phase Two, bowling alleys, movie theaters, arcades and auditoriums also were allowed to reopen at 50 percent capacity. But a portion of that plan was short-lived, as DeSantis reversed his decision on bars and ordered them closed again on June 26 when the state was reporting 122,960 cases. The number of deaths and people hospitalized also are quite different today than when DeSantis decided to reopen the state. On June 3, the state was reporting 2,566 deaths and 10,525 people hospitalized. On Friday, those numbers had jumped to 11,099 deaths and 38,029 people being treated in area hospitals.
28th Aug 2020 - Ocala News
France coronavirus rates quadruple as authorities urged: 'Act quickly'
France’s coronavirus cases are surging, with the government declaring that the country’s rate of infection has quadrupled in a month. On Wednesday, France recorded 5,429 new cases of coronavirus, the country’s highest daily total since March and third-largest since the pandemic began. The nation’s R rate has also risen to 1.4, which is higher than the rate of 1 required to keep the curve of infection constant. Prime Minister Jean Castex has now changed Paris’ guidance on face coverings, with masks to become mandatory in the city from Friday morning. He warned that regional lockdowns could be on the horizon if the infection rates continue to climb.
27th Aug 2020 - Metro.co.uk
Pressure on Madrid hospitals rising as Covid-19 cases surge in Spain once more
Of Spain’s regions, Madrid is currently under the most pressure when it comes to the number of coronavirus cases in its hospitals. That’s according to the latest data from the Spanish Health Ministry about the progress of the epidemic, and which was released on Wednesday evening. The regional healthcare centers are currently treating 1,800 patients, 175 of whom are in intensive care units (ICUs) – 13.6% of the hospital beds in the entire region. Until Tuesday, Aragón was the region that topped this list. As well as the rise in patients in Madrid, the figures released on Wednesday confirmed what is now a trend of rapidly rising cases throughout Spain. In fact, the country is already considered to be immersed in a second wave of the epidemic. For a week now, the Health Ministry has been reporting around 7,000 new cases every day, and there are no signs of this trend changing.
27th Aug 2020 - EL PAÍS in English
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 28th Aug 2020
View this newsletter in fullItaly rules out a new nationwide lockdown as cases rise
Italy has ruled out imposing a new nationwide lockdown despite an upsurge in coronavirus cases, as the country struggles to emerge from the worst recession in living memory. The increase in contagion has been limited, with very low impact on health services, Health Minister Roberto Speranza said in an interview with Bloomberg News. "I exclude the hypothesis of a lockdown for our country now," Mr Speranza (41) said at his Rome office yesterday. "We have few cases and the situation is under control, with pressure on hospitals that is very low, minimal."
27th Aug 2020 - Irish Independent
Europe's second wave takes hold as cases rise in France, Italy and Spain
France logged 5,429 coronavirus cases Wednesday, its highest total since April
Prime Minister warned R figure is now 1.4, with young people fuelling outbreak
Italy also saw its highest daily case total since May, with 1,367 new cases
Infections also rising in Spain, which now has more cases per million than the US
27th Aug 2020 - Daily Mail
Coronavirus: South Korea reports highest single-day of new virus cases in months
South Korea reported 441 new cases of the coronavirus, its highest single-day total in months, making lockdown-like restrictions look inevitable as transmissions slip out of control. The country has added nearly 4,000 infections to its caseload while reporting triple-digit daily jumps in each of the past 14 days, prompting health experts to warn about hospitals possibly running out of capacity. The 441 cases reported on Thursday was the biggest daily increase since the 483 reported on 7 March. South Korea’s Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said 315 of the new cases were from the Seoul metropolitan area, home to half of the country’s 51 million people, where health workers have struggled to track infections linked to various sources, including churches, restaurants, schools and workers. The National Assembly in Seoul was shut down and more than a dozen ruling party lawmakers were forced to isolate on Thursday following a positive test of a journalist who covered a ruling party leaders’ meeting.
27th Aug 2020 - The Independent
South Korea considers lockdown as virus cases surge again
South Korea has reported 441 new cases of coronavirus – its highest single-day total in months. The country has added nearly 4,000 infections while reporting triple-digit daily jumps on each of the past 14 days, prompting health experts to warn hospitals may soon reach capacity. Lockdown-like restrictions now look inevitable as transmissions slip out of control.
27th Aug 2020 - Belfast Telegraph
'Lockdown plans are ready' - French Prime Minister lays out strategy to curb Covid-19 spread
France's Prime Minister Jean Castex said "this was the moment to intervene" to curb the rising spread of coronavirus across the French territory to avoid new rounds of lockdown. “We want to do everything to avoid a new lockdown, but the lockdown plans, those detailing the strictest measures, lie ready in the health ministry," the Prime Minister said during a press conference on Thursday morning.
"We are in a period of epidemic growth," Castex said. France recorded 5,429 new cases 24 hours on Wednesday, a tally unseen since the peak of the first wave of infections in mid April. The marked a continuation of the rapid spread of the virus, with the daily recordings of cases having risen from around 500 per day to over 5,000 per day in weeks.
27th Aug 2020 - The Local France
South Korea sees its highest number of coronavirus infections for months as transmissions get out of control and country looks set for a lockdown
The 441 cases recorded on Thursday was the highest daily increase since the 483 reported on March 7. More than 300 of the cases were reported in Seoul, home to more than half of the 51m population.
27th Aug 2020 - Daily Mail
Virus surge makes S. Korean lockdown more likely
South Korea reported 441 new cases of the coronavirus on Thursday, its highest single-day total in months, making lockdown-like restrictions look inevitable as transmissions slip out of control. The country has reported triple-digit daily jumps on each of the past 14 days, prompting health experts to warn that hospitals could run out of capacity. Thursday's increase was the biggest since 483 cases were reported on March 7. South Korea’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said 315 of the new cases were from the Seoul area, home to half of the country’s 51 million people, where health workers have struggled to track infections linked to churches, restaurants, schools and workers.
27th Aug 2020 - ABC News
Australia COVID-19 hotspot reports lowest rise in cases in nearly two months
Australia’s Victoria state - epicentre of the nation’s second wave of COVID-19 infections - reported its lowest one-day rise in new cases in nearly two months, buoying hopes a lockdown of nearly 5 million people has contained spread of the virus. Victoria said it detected 113 new cases in the past 24 hours, the lowest one-day rise since July 5. The state reported 149 infections on Wednesday. Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews said the results mean officials are now plotting how to ease restrictions when the stringent lockdown of Australia’s second-most populous city Melbourne is scheduled to end in September. “Hopefully soon we’ll see those numbers in double digits and we can have ... a really clear discussion about what the back end of September looks like,” Andrews told reporters.
27th Aug 2020 - Reuters UK
France makes masks mandatory everywhere in Paris from Friday
Face masks must be worn everywhere in the French capital Paris from Friday morning in order to curb a surge in coronavirus infections, police said on Thursday. The measure applies to all pedestrians as well as cyclists in Paris and its suburbs in an area that includes three neighbouring departments that form the Petite Couronn inner ring around Paris, a densely populated area with a total population of nearly seven million people. Motorists will not have to wear a mask inside their car. “The deterioration of the health situation...has led the prefect to take this strong measure in the interest of the population,” the Paris police prefecture said in a statement. Earlier on Thursday, Prime Minister Jean Castex said the government would order the mandatory wearing of masks across Paris but he did not give a deadline or specify the area.
27th Aug 2020 - Reuters UK
French government says needs to intervene to contain COVID-19 spread
Face masks must be worn everywhere in the French capital Paris from Friday morning in order to curb a surge in coronavirus infections, police said on Thursday. The measure applies to all pedestrians as well as cyclists in Paris and its suburbs in an area that includes three neighbouring departments that form the Petite Couronn inner ring around Paris, a densely populated area with a total population of nearly seven million people. Motorists will not have to wear a mask inside their car.
27th Aug 2020 - Reuters
Ukraine temporarily bars most foreigners amid pandemic after Israel pilgrimage plea
Ukraine on Wednesday imposed a temporary ban on most foreigners from entering the country until Sept. 28 and extended lockdown measures until the end of October to contain a recent spike in coronavirus cases. Speaking at a televised cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Denys Shmygal also said the government would need to take a decision on Thursday on whether to ban major public events in September. “The rise in coronavirus infections we have seen in recent weeks is forcing us to act more decisively,” Shmygal said.
27th Aug 2020 - Reuters UK
France reports 6,111 new COVID-19 infections, second-highest level ever
France on Thursday recorded 6,111 new confirmed coronavirus infections over the past 24 hours, the highest level since lockdown ended and the second-highest ever, since the 7,578 high set on March 30 during lockdown and at the height of the epidemic. The French health ministry said the total number of confirmed infections now stood at 259,698. On Wednesday, the country recorded 5,429 new infections, which was a new post-lockdown record.
27th Aug 2020 - Reuters
Rwanda tightens COVID-19 measures as cases surge
Rwanda has extended its evening curfew and implemented a cessation of movement in and out of the western area of Rusizi after a recent surge in cases of COVID-19. The country was the first to impose strict lockdown measures in the African continent on March 22, with only 19 cases and partially lifted the measures on May 1 when it had officially recorded 225 cases and zero deaths. However, Rwanda hit a record of 217 cases in one day on Tuesday and has recorded a third of its 3,625 cases in the past 10 days with authorities blaming the spike on complacency and fatigue with social distancing measures.
27th Aug 2020 - cgtn.com
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 27th Aug 2020
View this newsletter in fullOntario sees 88 new COVID-19 cases, mostly in Toronto, Peel and Ottawa
Ontario has revealed its plan to manage potential COVID-19 outbreaks in schools, which describes scenarios in which select students will be sent home and entire schools shut down as a result of positive cases. The strategy calls for all members of a class cohort to be sent home to self-isolate in the result of a single positive case among the group. An entire school may also be shut down if the local public health unit finds evidence of "potential widespread transmission," such as a number of positive cases with no known source outside the school. That determination will be at the discretion of local authorities, and not dependent on a particular case count or statistical threshold. At the province's daily news conference on Wednesday, Education Minister Stephen Lecce acknowledged a difficult few months for children and offered reassurances to parents. "Know if your child returns to school, they will be safe," said Lecce.
26th Aug 2020 - CBC.ca
Another 72 people diagnosed with Covid-19 in Northern Ireland
Another 72 people have been diagnosed with Covid-19 in Northern Ireland. Health minister Robin Swann has expressed concern about the rising number of infections over recent weeks in areas like Belfast. The Stormont executive has relaxed a number of coronavirus restrictions but moved to cut the numbers allowed to congregate indoors and outdoors earlier this month in response to the virus’ resurgence. A total of 384 have tested positive over the last seven days, the Department of Health said.
26th Aug 2020 - Belfast Telegraph
Italy Rules Out a New Lockdown Despite Surge in Virus Cases
Italy has ruled out imposing a new nationwide lockdown despite an upsurge in coronavirus cases, as the country struggles to emerge from the worst recession in living memory. The increase in contagion has been limited, with very low impact on health services, Health Minister Roberto Speranza said in an interview with Bloomberg News. “I exclude the hypothesis of a lockdown for our country now,” Speranza, 41, said at his Rome office Wednesday. “We have few cases and the situation is under control, with pressure on hospitals that is very low, minimal.” The minister noted that during the peak of the virus crisis Italy had 4,068 patients in intensive care, compared with just 66 as of Tuesday.
26th Aug 2020 - Bloomberg Quint
Spain divided on pandemic response as coronavirus spreads
Spain is fighting back a second wave of the coronavirus — with no consensus on the way forward. The spread of the virus has accelerated in Spain this summer, with 2,415 new cases diagnosed just on Tuesday. The country now has Europe’s highest incidence of COVID-19, with 173 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in the last two weeks. Regions such as Catalonia have reported more than 1,000 cases per day for four days in a row, while the number is surging in Madrid and the Basque Country.
26th Aug 2020 - POLITICO
Sanchez Rejects New Spanish Lockdown
Spain is reemerging as the epicenter of Europe’s coronavirus outbreak, but the Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez has rejected calls for another national lockdown. In Germany, Chancellor Angela Merkel is extending the country’s job support program until the end of next year. Bloomberg’s Maria Tadeo reports on “Bloomberg Markets: European Open.”
26th Aug 2020 - Bloomberg
Italy rules out a new lockdown despite surge in virus cases
Italy has ruled out imposing a new nationwide lockdown despite an upsurge in coronavirus cases, as the country struggles to emerge from the worst recession in living memory. The increase in contagion has been limited, with very low impact on health services, Health Minister Roberto Speranza said in an interview with Bloomberg News. “I exclude the hypothesis of a lockdown for our country now,” Speranza, 41, said at his Rome office Wednesday. “We have few cases and the situation is under control, with pressure on hospitals that is very low, minimal.” The minister noted that during the peak of the virus crisis Italy had 4,068 patients in intensive care, compared with just 66 as of Tuesday. “A generalized lockdown is not a prospect for us, also because we have reinforced the health service, we are faster at doing tests,” said Speranza, a lawmaker from junior coalition party Article One. “We’re also doing tests at airports for people who come from at-risk countries.” The average age of people who’ve tested positive in the last week is 30, and most have mild symptoms or none at all, he said.
26th Aug 2020 - BNNBloomberg
Second wave of coronavirus could hit France in November: government advisor
A second wave of the coronavirus pandemic could hit France in November, a government advisor told local media on Wednesday, as the city of Marseille tightened restrictions to fight the outbreak. Authorities in Marseille said late on Tuesday that bars and restaurants would have shorter opening times, and they also broadened mandatory mask-wearing in the southern port city between Aug. 26 and Sept. 30. “There are fears of a second wave in November,” Professor Jean-François Delfraissy, who heads the scientific council that advises the government on the pandemic, told France 2 television on Wednesday. France has the seventh-highest COVID-19 death toll in the world, and the government is monitoring the figures closely to see if fresh restrictions or lockdown are needed.
26th Aug 2020 - Reuters
French PM urges population to 'take responsibility' for controlling coronavirus
France's prime minister urged the population to take "responsibility" for limiting the Covid-19 outbreak by wearing masks to protect one another, saying a lockdown cannot be ruled out. In an interview with France Inter, Jean Castex said people who resisted mask-wearing, now compulsory in the workplace, enclosed public spaces and on public transport, should "think of others".
26th Aug 2020 - The Local France
20 French cities urged to prepare local plans for lockdown
Government advisory body the Conseil Scientifique said the 20 largest cities in France must devise local lockdown plans in case of a second wave of the virus – and possible future pandemics. Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer said health and safety measures in schools could be ramped up in line with local virus rates, possibly resulting in a return to distance learning. A spokeswoman for Toulouse told Connexion plans they had been told to draw up concerned authorities would deliver services if another lockdown became necessary. “The plan we have been asked to prepare is not concerned with the rules of a lockdown, only with how we can deliver services like looking after old people in their homes, cleaning schools, collecting rubbish and so on,” she said. “The Prime Minister’s office will lay down the law on how a lockdown would work.”
26th Aug 2020 - The Connexion
South Korean Stocks, Won Spooked by Fears of Potential Lockdown
South Korean stocks and the currency could come under pressure as policy makers consider stricter social-distancing measures and a lockdown amid a flareup in Covid-19 cases. Such concerns saw the benchmark Kospi index and the won slip early on Wednesday, although losses were pared after a senior health ministry official denied market rumors that authorities will raise social-distancing rules to the highest level.
26th Aug 2020 - Bloomberg
Australian coronavirus antibody therapy aims for trial in early 2021
Australian researchers hope to start human trials of a coronavirus antibody therapy in early 2021, while a large-scale trial of a vaccine could begin by the end of this year, scientists said on Wednesday.
26th Aug 2020 - Reuters
France wants to avoid nationwide lockdown due to epidemic - PM
The French government wants to avoid a new nationwide lockdown due to the new coronavirus epidemic, Prime Minister Jean Castex said on Wednesday. Speaking at the Medef employers’ federation’s annual end-of-summer conference, Castex also said that a normal restart to the school year was a precondition for restarting the economy.
26th Aug 2020 - Reuters
How India's Silicon Valley saw its COVID-19 success come undone
On June 9, an Indian health education minister posted an infographic on Twitter showing COVID-19 infections and deaths in the city of Bengaluru were running about half the rate in New Zealand, a country acclaimed globally for reining in the disease. The city — which has more than double the population of New Zealand — “stumps the Kiwis,” said the caption to the image posted by Sudhakar K., who is responsible for medical education in the southern state of Karnataka. Bengaluru, known to many as Bangalore, is the capital of the state. His tweet was liked and retweeted by thousands. But the celebration was short-lived. At the time, only about 450 cases of the novel coronavirus had been recorded among Bangalore’s population of more than 12.5 million, compared with more than 260,000 cases across India and about 1,150 in New Zealand.
26th Aug 2020 - Reuters UK
France reports 5,429 new coronavirus infections, new post-lockdown high
The French health ministry said it had registered 5,429 new coronavirus infections over the past 24 hours, a new post-lockdown high and a level of new infections not seen since the height of the epidemic in early April. The total number of people infected with the virus in France now stands at 253,587. The health ministry said figures for the cumulative death toll and for COVID-19 hospitalisations for Wednesday were not available yet due to a technical glitch. On Tuesday, the ministry reported the cumulative number of deaths had risen by 16 to 30,544 and it said 4,600 people were in hospital with COVID-19, including 410 in intensive care.
26th Aug 2020 - Reuters UK
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 26th Aug 2020
View this newsletter in fullCovid-19: South Korea closes Seoul schools amid rise in cases
South Korea has ordered the closure of all schools and kindergartens in the greater Seoul area following a rise in coronavirus cases there. Nearly 200 staff and students have been infected in the greater Seoul area over the past two weeks. Remote learning will continue until 11 September, the Ministry of Education said. Health authorities have warned that the country is on the brink of a nationwide outbreak. All students in the greater Seoul area, home to over 25 million people, will now take classes online with the exception of those in their final year of high school who are due to take university entrance examinations in December. Schools with fewer than 60 students and special education schools are allowed to choose whether to follow the ministry's guidelines, the Korea Times said.
25th Aug 2020 - BBC
Report shows Covid-19 cases popping up on Florida campuses
More than 700 coronavirus cases have been linked to K-12 schools and higher-education institutions over the course of two weeks.
25th Aug 2020 - The Business Journals
Young Italians blamed for rise in coronavirus cases
Cases of the coronavirus have surged in Italy, topping 1,000 on both days of the weekend and raising fears that the country may be facing a devastating second wave. The new clusters are scattered around the country and are being blamed on young holidaymakers who ignore government guidelines as they drink and socialise. Yesterday there were 953 new cases and four deaths. Several German states said that they were preparing to restrict gatherings to try to control a rise in infections there. Italy was the first European country to be engulfed by the pandemic and one of the first to emerge after a strict 70-day national lockdown.
25th Aug 2020 - The Times
These Holidays Are Sick: Italy Worried About Travelers’ Role In Contagion Surge
As the summer season comes toward an end, Italy becomes increasingly worried about people getting ill with coronavirus while on vacation. With a struggling tourism and an economy on the verge of recession, since the beginning of the season the country has lifted most of its restrictions and opened its borders, trying to support travel and commerce. But much like its neighboring countries struggling with increasing contagion rates, over the summer Italy has witnessed a surge in coronavirus cases: currently there are 19,195 positives, about 1,000 more every day. While experts assure that the situation is not comparable to what it was like during the spring, the government decided to take action: mandatory testing in airports for people coming from Spain, Greece, Croatia and Malta, shutdown of dancing clubs and obligation to wear a mask outdoors, starting from 6 p.m., in all places where gatherings may take place, such as bars and beach promenades.
25th Aug 2020 - Forbes
Spain ready to send in troops to tackle coronavirus resurgence
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Tuesday that troops would be made available to help regions overcome a resurgence of the coronavirus, following Spain’s worst week for infections since the epidemic’s peak in late March. He also said regional administrations could make decisions themselves on how to handle the fight against the epidemic rather than have the central government take charge. The government would support requests by regional leaders to declare localized states of emergency, Sanchez said. “The pandemic data curve is worrying and has to be contained. We have to be calm and vigilant,” Sanchez said after the first cabinet meeting following the summer recess.
25th Aug 2020 - Reuters
Pedro Sanchez rejects any new national lockdown as COVID-19 cases continue to rise in Spain
Spain's Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, has today (August 25) dismissed any notion of a national return to lockdown restrictions implemented under the State of Alarm during the spring. He said that he would bring back any emergency measures from the regional governments and announced that 2,000 soldiers will be made available to them to improve coronavirus contract tracking.
25th Aug 2020 - Olive Press
Spanish PM Rejects New Lockdown Amid Surge in Virus Cases
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez rejected a new national lockdown, putting pressure instead on regional authorities to come up with a response to the nation’s resurgent coronavirus outbreak. In his first public comments in three weeks, Sanchez said Tuesday that the central government will provide whatever support required by the regions -- which oversee health policy -- and that they will be authorized to declare a local state of emergency if necessary.
25th Aug 2020 - Bloomberg
Spain warned of dire impact of second coronavirus lockdown
As officials across Spain wrestle with a surge in the number of coronavirus cases, a chorus of voices is warning that another lockdown could have dire consequences for a country that just months ago emerged from one of Europe’s strictest confinements. While cases of the virus have climbed across Europe, Spain has led the pack in recent days. More than 78,000 cases have been detected in the past two weeks, pushing the 14-day infection rate to 166 per 100,000, compared with 67 in France and 22 in the UK. The steady rise has raised the spectre of fresh lockdowns in the coming weeks, particularly in Madrid where unions have warned that the primary care system is “on the edge of collapse”, due to a lack of staff and testing resources. “If things continue as they are going, we’ll probably have to return to some sort of confinement, at least partially,” José Felix Hoyo Jiménez of the Spanish non-profit Médicos del Mundo told the broadcaster TeleMadrid on Monday. While the recent rise had been steady, it was likely to be less pronounced than what the country experienced in March and April, he added.
25th Aug 2020 - The Guardian
Madrid lockdown looms after 15,000 coronavirus infections
Madrid could be put back under lockdown, the official in charge of Spain’s health emergencies said last night. “If the numbers continue to rise, drastic measures will have to be taken,” Fernando Simón said. The region of Madrid, which includes the capital, registered more than 15,000 new cases last week. Mr Simón said that apart from “a type of lockdown”, without specifying details, other strategies to combat the contagion could be considered. One small town in the Madrid region, Tielmes, is already under partial lockdown, with all restaurants and bars closed.
25th Aug 2020 - The Times
S. Korea faces hard choices on near-lockdown as coronavirus resurges
South Korea now stands at a coronavirus crossroads. It must quickly decide whether reintroducing intense physical distancing is necessary, as infection numbers rise again to initial levels seen nearly half a year ago. With public health authorities anticipating a worse trajectory this time, talks of mitigation actions akin to a lockdown are being floated. The anti-virus scheme of an unprecedented intensity will come at heavy economic costs, according to some forecasts. The Bank of Korea’s Aug. 18 report said “a job crisis of a significant magnitude” may be on the horizon if the country were to withstand a lockdown. The report said about 35 percent of all jobs are “nonessential, low-skilled positions” or in a sector that cannot telecommute. For most, the economic wounds from March and April when the country went into “intensive” physical distancing are still fresh.
25th Aug 2020 - The Korea Herald
South Korea Closes Schools, Imposes Mask Mandate Amid ‘Severe Emergency’
South Korea, a country hailed throughout the pandemic for its response to Covid-19, imposed new social distancing measures Monday and warned a stricter lockdown could be coming, as a new outbreak tied to a far-right church has spurred what President Moon Jae-in called Monday a “severe emergency.” “We are facing a new crisis. It's a much more severe emergency than the Shincheonji situation in the early days of the Covid-19 crisis,” Moon said Monday, referring to a previous church-linked outbreak that infected more than 5,000 people. “Seoul and the metropolitan area have become the centers of spread, and nowhere else in the country is safe.”
25th Aug 2020 - Forbes
Australia's COVID-19 daily cases creep higher but below record levels
Australia surpassed 25,000 COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, tipped over the milestone by the recent outbreak in Victoria state and prompting a warning from authorities about declining test numbers. Australia recorded 151 new infections over the past 24 hours, up from 121 a day earlier, with Victoria responsible for the bulk of the cases and New South Wales accounting for the remainder. The daily numbers were well down from a peak during Australia's second wave of more than 700 in a single day earlier this month, but officials expressed concern about a drop-off in the number of people presenting themselves for COVID-19 tests. "We are seeing some decrease in the amount of testing ... please, if you have symptoms, do go and get tested," national Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer Alison McMillan said during a televised media conference in Canberra.
25th Aug 2020 - YAHOO!
Australia reaches 25,000 coronavirus cases, officials urge more testing
Australia surpassed 25,000 COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, tipped over the milestone by the recent outbreak in Victoria state and prompting a warning from authorities about declining test numbers. Australia recorded 151 new infections over the past 24 hours, up from 121 a day earlier, with Victoria responsible for the bulk of the cases and New South Wales accounting for the remainder. The daily numbers were well down from a peak during Australia’s second wave of more than 700 in a single day earlier this month, but officials expressed concern about a drop-off in the number of people presenting themselves for COVID-19 tests. “We are seeing some decrease in the amount of testing ... please, if you have symptoms, do go and get tested,” national Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer Alison McMillan said during a televised media conference in Canberra.
25th Aug 2020 - Reuters UK
Spain's coronavirus cases top 400,000 after new surge last week
Spain’s cumulative tally of coronavirus cases hit 405,436 on Monday after a surge in infections last week, making it the worst week for infections since late March. The country’s health ministry added nearly 20,000 infections for last week after revising upwards the number of cases for at least four of the days in that week. Infections have risen sharply since Spain lifted a three-month lockdown in late June, but deaths have been much lower than during the epidemic’s late-March peak. Three people died in the past 24 hours, with the total death toll at 28,872. In the past 24 hours, 2,060 cases have been diagnosed, the ministry said, a lower level than seen last week. “Right now there is a certain level of community transmission across Spain,” health emergency chief Fernando Simon told a news conference.
25th Aug 2020 - Reuters UK
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 25th Aug 2020
View this newsletter in fullFurther Covid-19 curbs possible for Spanish tourist resorts as infections start to climb again
New lockdown restrictions could soon be imposed in some Spanish tourist resorts with coronavirus infections continuing to rise in many areas of the country. The government has so far ruled out a return to a nationwide lockdown and has left decisions to regional authorities which recently unanimously agreed measures such as the closure of all nightclubs and a ban on smoking in the street unless social distancing can be guaranteed.
24th Aug 2020 - Wales Online
Coronavirus: Cardiff socialising 'behind Covid-19 case rise'
More people out socialising in Cardiff is believed to be behind a rise in coronavirus cases in the capital. There have been 47 positive tests in the last week - which is 37% of all cases in Wales. Public health officials said many of the new cases were among people between the ages of 20 and 30. But the infection rate is still well below some areas in northern England and the Midlands, which have seen local measures introduced. Fiona Kinghorn, director of public health at Cardiff and Vale health board, said they did not have a particular source in mind for the new cases, but they were believed to be more to do with people moving around between workplaces and social establishments. "We've experienced a small number of clusters - that's led to a rise in the number of cases in Cardiff," she said.
24th Aug 2020 - BBC
'No more lockdowns!' Italy to stay open despite rise in cases
A better-prepared health service means that even as the number of new coronavirus cases continues to soar, Italy will not bring back the lockdown measures it imposed this spring, its health minister said on Sunday, “We will not have a new lockdown,” Health Minister Roberto Speranza told the La Stampa newspaper in an interview published on Sunday, arguing that the situation Italy faces today is different from that it faced in February and March, when the disease was spreading out of control. "I am optimistic, although prudent. Our national health service has become much stronger." He said that Italy has doubled the number of beds in intensive care since March. The message was reinforced by Sandra Zampa, undersecretary of the Ministry of Health, who explaimed "No more lockdowns!", in an interview with Corriere della Sera.
24th Aug 2020 - The Local Italy
Why is Spain being hit again by the coronavirus pandemic?
The coronavirus pandemic caught Spain unawares back in March, with insufficient personal protective equipment in hospitals and a lack of resources in senior residences. But now, five months later, the country is the European Union state with the worst figures in what already can be classed as a second wave. According to the European Center for Disease Protection and Control, the cumulative incidence of the virus over the last 14 days is now at 152 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, ahead of Malta (119), Romania (88) and France (54). A month ago, the positive cases being detected in Spain were mostly among young people, and they were asymptomatic. But the spread of the virus has seen a recent rise in hospitalizations and deaths. The concern among health chiefs has risen greatly. “Fernando Simón [the director of the Health Ministry’s Coordination Center for Health Alerts] made it clear,” explained an attendee at a meeting of regional health chiefs last week. “The ministry did not think that we would see these rates of infection until the fall.”
24th Aug 2020 - EL PAÍS in English
Stoke-on-Trent at risk of becoming next local lockdown city as cases double
Authorities fear Stoke-on-Trent could could be the latest city to be forced into local lockdown after coronavirus cases nearly doubled in a week. Public Health England figures show the city suffered 79 new cases in the week to last Thursday. The infection rate rose from 15.6 to 30.8 cases per 100,000 thousand of the population, the data said. It comes after city council leader Abi Brown warned lockdown was on the cards if the trend continued.
24th Aug 2020 - Metro
Moon calls for cooperation in anti-virus fight to avoid de-facto lockdown
President Moon Jae-in on Monday called for cooperation in the government’s anti-coronavirus efforts to avoid going into a de-facto lockdown as South Korea faces a second wave of COVID-19 infections. The country reported 266 new COVID-19 cases in 24 hours ending midnight Sunday. “We are facing the greatest crisis since COVID-19 outbreak began,” Moon said at a weekly meeting with his chief secretaries Monday. “We are in much more serious emergency situation than during the early outbreak linked to Shincheonji (Church of Jesus).” It would be inevitable to raise the level of social distancing campaign to the highest level unless the virus is contained at this stage, which Moon said would amount to everyday lives coming to a halt, jobs lost and economy seriously damaged.
24th Aug 2020 - The Korea Herald
S. Korea faces hard choices of near-lockdown as coronavirus resurges
South Korea now stands at a coronavirus crossroads. It must quickly decide whether reintroducing intense physical distancing is necessary, as infection numbers rise again to initial levels seen nearly half a year ago. With public health authorities anticipating a worse trajectory this time, talks of mitigation actions akin to a lockdown are being floated. The anti-virus scheme of an unprecedented intensity will come at heavy economic costs, according to some forecasts. The Bank of Korea’s Aug. 18 report said “a job crisis of a significant magnitude” may be on the horizon if the country were to withstand a lockdown. The report said about 35 percent of all jobs are “nonessential, low-skilled positions” or in a sector that cannot telecommute.
24th Aug 2020 - The Korea Herald
French Covid cases hit new post-lockdown high, but hospitalisations remain stable
France’s public health service has reported 4,867 new Covid-19 cases in an increasing daily trend that has officials concerned. However, so far the rising number of infections has not translated into a rise in hospitalisations. The 4,897 new cases reported on Sunday marked France’s largest single-day tally of new Covid-19 cases since the height of the epidemic in April, and continues a trend seen in recent weeks. While day-to-day fluctuations vary, the weekly average number of new cases has climbed from less than a thousand in late July to 3,480 as of Sunday.
24th Aug 2020 - RFI English
Local virus outbreak in Myanmar sparks fears for Rohingya camps
Rohingya in Myanmar's conflict-wracked Rakhine state expressed fears Sunday of a coronavirus outbreak reaching their overcrowded camps, after a spate of infections sent the state capital into lockdown. Nearly 130,000 Rohingya Muslims live in what Amnesty International describes as "apartheid" conditions in camps around Sittwe. The city has recorded 48 cases in the past week, making up more than 10 percent of the about 400 cases so far registered in Myanmar. "We are extremely worried about the virus because we are living in limbo and it won't be easy to control," said Rohingya Kyaw Kyaw. Authorities visited the Thae Chaung camp this week to talk about social distancing — an impossibility as 10 families typically squeeze into a single house — and gave out hand sanitizer and face masks.
24th Aug 2020 - The Japan Times
France reports new post-lockdown coronavirus case record
France has reported its highest daily number of COVID-19 cases since the nation’s two-month lockdown in May. Just more than 4,800 new cases were recorded in the past 24 hours. The infection rate soared in the past week but authorities said hospitalisation rates have remained stable. Just one fatality was recorded overnight, taking the country's total number of deaths to 30,513.
24th Aug 2020 - Sky News Australia
Russia's coronavirus tally passes 960,000
Russia reported 4,744 new coronavirus cases on Monday, pushing its confirmed infection tally to 961,493, the fourth largest in the world. Authorities said 65 people had died over the past 24 hours, pushing the official death toll to 16,448.
24th Aug 2020 - Reuters UK
Italy rules out new lockdown as coronavirus cases rise
The Italian government is not considering new lockdown to curb coronavirus infections, Health Minister Roberto Speranza said in a newspaper interview on Sunday, despite a steady rise in new cases over the past month. Italy, one of Europe’s worst-hit countries with more than 35,000 deaths, on Saturday reported 1,071 new coronavirus infections, exceeding 1,000 cases in a day for the first time since the government eased its rigid lockdown measures in May. “We will not have a new lockdown,” Speranza told daily newspaper La Stampa, saying the current situation cannot be compared to February and March, when the disease was spreading out of control and it was difficult to track and isolate infected people. “I am optimistic, although prudent. Our national health service has become much stronger.”
24th Aug 2020 - Reuters UK
France reports post-lockdown daily record of 4,897 new COVID-19 cases
France reported 4,897 new coronavirus infections over the past 24 hours on Sunday, the highest daily level since the end of a two-month lockdown in May. Health Minister Olivier Veran warned earlier that the situation was risky, and said infections were essentially happening among 20 to 40 year-olds at parties. Cases among older people were starting to rise too, Veran said, but he ruled out another total lockdown in France. Sunday’s health ministry figures showed the number of people in hospital edged down by two to 4,709 from the previous day, however. Three more people were registered in intensive care, taking that total to 383.
24th Aug 2020 - Reuters UK
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 24th Aug 2020
View this newsletter in fullMexico reports ‘catastrophic’ 60,000 Covid-19 deaths
Mexico has surpassed its “catastrophic” worst-case scenario of 60,000 Covid-19 deaths and is shaping up as one of the worst health and economic casualties of the global pandemic. Latin America’s second-biggest economy, which has the world’s third highest overall coronavirus death toll, hit the grim milestone on Saturday, when the health ministry reported 60,254 and 556,216 confirmed cases. But officials have long acknowledged that the government’s data is an underrepresentation and the health ministry and private studies say the real death tally could be some three times higher.
23rd Aug 2020 - Financial Times
Italy Lockdown Success Challenged by New Europe Virus Surge
After suffering one of Europe’s earliest and fiercest outbreaks, Italy emerged as an unlikely role model for its handling of the pandemic. The country managed to reduce infections dramatically in June and July after two months of strict lockdown, while its fatality rate, once one of the world’s highest, fell to a handful per day. The White House’s coronavirus response coordinator Deborah Birx and top infectious-disease expert Anthony Fauci both praised the country’s response in recent days.
23rd Aug 2020 - Bloomberg
France reports post-lockdown daily record of 4,897 new COVID-19 cases
France reported 4,897 new coronavirus infections over the past 24 hours on Sunday, the highest daily level since the end of a two-month lockdown in May. Health Minister Olivier Veran warned earlier that the situation was risky, and said infections were essentially happening among 20 to 40 year-olds at parties. Cases among older people were starting to rise too, Veran said, but he ruled out another total lockdown in France. Sunday’s health ministry figures showed the number of people in hospital edged down by two to 4,709 from the previous day, however. Three more people were registered in intensive care, taking that total to 383.
23rd Aug 2020 - Reuters
Alarm across Europe over surge in coronavirus cases
A sharp rise in the number of coronavirus infections over the past two weeks has put European governments on high alert as holidaymakers return home to big cities and teachers and pupils prepare for the start of the school year after months of disruption. But leaders are eager to avoid reimposing drastic controls on freedom of movement because they want to allow economies to recover from the deepest recession since the second world war. France has opted to control the spread of the virus rather than attempt to eliminate it completely, and French president Emmanuel Macron has said there is no such thing as a “zero risk” society.
23rd Aug 2020 - Financial Times
Spain Caught Off Guard by Resurgent Coronavirus
When José Ignacio Barrasa saw the number of Covid-19 patients in his hospital rise to levels last seen in the spring, he resorted to a tactic European countries thought they had put behind them: He asked the Spanish military to build an emergency field hospital. “The outbreak was a complete surprise. We didn’t expect it so soon,” says Dr. Barrasa, the director of the University Clinic Hospital in Zaragoza. Coronavirus infections are climbing across Europe, and Spain is at the forefront of the rebound, accounting for around one-third of the Continent’s new daily Covid-19 cases.
23rd Aug 2020 - The Wall Street Journal
Coronavirus: Spain witnesses fresh outbreaks and a rise in infections one week before the end of the holidays
New cases of COVID-19 in Spain have skyrocketed in practically the entire country one week before the end of the summer holidays. Some communities are doubling and even tripling the levels at which they had reached at the end of the confinement by the state of alarm. The number of cases of coronavirus cases in Spain now amount to 386,054 and deaths to 28,838. More than a third of the new infections have been detected in Madrid, so the regional government has recommended not to go out in the areas with the most positives. In addition, there are now 1,126 active outbreaks, with more than 12,400 infected, especially worrying are those located in the Segovian municipalities of Cantalejo and Carrascal del Río, where 3,400 residents have been confined for two weeks.
23rd Aug 2020 - Euro Weekly News
Spain reports 3,349 new coronavirus infections in past day
Spain diagnosed 3,349 new coronavirus infections in the past 24 hours, health ministry data showed on Thursday, down from 3,715 reported the previous day and bringing the cumulative total to 370,867. The ministry said 122 people had died from the coronavirus over the past seven days. The seven-day death toll reported on Wednesday was 131. The number of recorded fatalities has significantly increased since the country exited from a three-month lockdown in late June, but is far below the levels seen during the epidemic’s late-March peak when the daily toll approached 1,000.
23rd Aug 2020 - Reuters UK
Vietnam Covid-19 death toll rises to 27
A 73-year-old woman in Da Nang with previous comorbidities has become Vietnam's 27th Covid-fatality. "Patient 577" is a resident of Lien Chieu District in the central city of Da Nang. She died of septic shock and multi-organ failure due to pneumonia caused by Covid-19, and she had a history of final-stage kidney failure, high blood pressure, heart failure, and thigh bone fracture, the Health Ministry said Sunday afternoon. The patient had suffered chronic kidney disease for eight years and had undergone dialysis twice a week for the past four years. She was treated at the Department of Renal Medicine at the Da Nang Hospital from July 21 to 24. She also broke her leg during this period.
23rd Aug 2020 - VnExpress International
Covid 19 coronavirus: Aucklanders flout level 3 restrictions in the sun
Playgrounds, skate parks and public courts are all shut in Auckland at level 3 - but you wouldn't know it from packed scenes across the city on Sunday. The City of Sails remains at alert level 3, with playgrounds and public facilities all shut. People must stay off outdoor exercise equipment, away from basketball hoops and off park benches and Government guidance urges people to stay local for exercise and recreation. But some chose to flout the rules in the sunshine on Sunday, ripping the caution tape and closed signs off local playgrounds and skate parks.
23rd Aug 2020 - New Zealand Herald
Covid 19 coronavirus: New Auckland cases, Countdown supermarkets closed, bus passengers sought
Two West Auckland supermarkets closed, a hunt began for several bus passengers and six new cases of Covid-19 were announced in Auckland - the source of two last night still under investigation - in the latest developments yesterday. It comes as Aucklanders wait anxiously for Cabinet's big decision tomorrow and whether they will be released from alert level-3 lockdown from 11.59pm this Wednesday. Nine of those infected in a growing community cluster first identified on August 11, and leading to a level 3 lockdown in Auckland and level 2 across the rest of New Zealand, are in hospital, including three in intensive care. There are 111 active cases of Covid-19 in New Zealand, 16 of which are imported. Countdown Te Atatū South and Countdown LynnMall supermarkets closed yesterday afternoon for cleaning after it was revealed a person later found to have Covid-19 visited both.
23rd Aug 2020 - New Zealand Herald
Coronavirus: New Zealand got caught out by the 'euphoria' of beating Covid-19
After being described by the New York Times and Daily Mail as being the “envy of the world”, New Zealand well and truly fell off its pedestal with the alert levels changing after the discovery of community transmission. Gorman said New Zealand was not prepared for such a fall, as queues once again formed at supermarkets, panic buying resumed, health centre phone lines and inboxes were clogged with Covid-19 test requests, and medical staff were hassled and abused for their sudden sluggishness which did not exist the day before. The air fell heavy again as New Zealand, like the rest of the world, continued with the battle. “Our tendency to keep telling ourselves how well we had done left us poorly placed the second time around,” Gorman said.
23rd Aug 2020 - Stuff.co.nz
Mexico nears somber coronavirus milestone even as signs of hope emerge
Standing in a graveyard on the outskirts of Mexico City decked out in a cowboy hat to cover his rugged features from the sun, guitar player Eberardo Vargas this week had fewer funerals to play at than he has for most of the coronavirus pandemic. Even as Mexico passes a grim new milestone in its battle with the pandemic - 60,000 fatalities - signs of relief are beginning to emerge in the country that has registered more dead than any other bar the United States and Brazil. Vargas, 49, said May, June and July were the busiest months he could recall as a musician as mourners in the municipality of Ecatepec northeast of Mexico City paid him and his band to hear favorite songs of lost loved-ones during their last goodbyes.
22nd Aug 2020 - Reuters UK
Think national, act local: localities gear up for Covid-19 fight
With Vietnam looking to avoid repeating an economically bruising nationwide social distancing period to curb Covid-19, localities have stepped up to the plate.
After going over three months without a single community transmission of the novel coronavirus, Vietnam has found itself grappling with a second wave of infections since July 25, when one case was detected in the central city of Da Nang. What began as a single, isolated case exploded into outbreaks in 14 other cities and provinces. In less than a month, over 500 new local transmissions were recorded, all associated with Da Nang, which has become the epicenter of Vietnam's second wave of Covid-19 infections.
22nd Aug 2020 - VnExpress International
Over 40 Berlin schools report Covid-19 cases a fortnight after reopening
Coronavirus cases have been reported by at least 41 schools in Berlin, barely two weeks after the German capital’s 825 schools reopened. Cases are rising across Europe, including in Spain, which registered 66,905 in the past two weeks, resulting in the continent’s highest 14-day infection rate and warnings over the risk of a new wave of deaths. The Berlin experience echoes that in some states in the US, including Georgia, and in Israel, which have recorded clusters tied to schools. According to reports in Berlin, all age groups have been affected, including in elementary schools, high schools and trade schools. Berlin was one of the first places in Germany to reopen its schools after the summer holidays.
22nd Aug 2020 - The Irish Times
France Reports 3,602 New Coronavirus Cases in Past 24 Hours
France reported 3,602 new Covid-19 cases over the past 24 hours as infections climb across Europe. While Saturday’s figure was lower than the 4,586 new cases the government’s health office reported on Friday and the four-month record the previous day, the number is still above levels since May. Despite the rising case numbers, fatalities remain well below those earlier this year. Deaths increased by nine to 30,512 in the past 24 hours. France and its neighbors are grappling with a pickup in infections as people travel for vacations and attend summer gatherings. Officials are tightening measures to curb the spread but are reluctant to resort to the sweeping closures imposed during the initial peak of the pandemic in March and April.
22nd Aug 2020 - BNNBloomberg
Italy Back to Lockdown Figures as COVID-19 Cases Top 1,000 in 24 hours
Italy’s cases spike as infections exceed 1,000 for the first time since lockdown eased. The rise has been blamed on large gatherings caused by holidays and nightlife after a number of infections were found in returning travellers.
22nd Aug 2020 - Euro Weekly News
Bus trips taken by infectious Covid-19 cases in Auckland identified
A number of further bus journeys taken by two infectious Covid-19 cases in Auckland have been identified. The case linked to the Auckland cluster took the 670 bus on 10 August along a route through Mt Roskill to Otahuhu and then later between Otahuhu and Avondale. The St Lukes worker also took buses on three days after alert level 3 on 14, 15 and 17 August, travelling the same bus 22 route between Symonds St and St Lukes. Both cases also took the 22-N on 12 August.
22nd Aug 2020 - RNZ
Brazil registers 50,032 new cases of coronavirus, 892 deaths in 24 hours
Brazil reported 50,032 new cases of the novel coronavirus and 892 deaths from the disease caused by the virus in the past 24 hours, the health ministry said on Saturday. Brazil has registered 3,582,362 cases of the virus since the pandemic began, while the official death toll from COVID-19 has risen to 114,250, according to ministry data from the world’s worst coronavirus outbreak outside the United States.
22nd Aug 2020 - Reuters UK
Vietnam's coronavirus infections pass 1,000 mark
Vietnam’s tally of coronavirus infections since January passed the 1,000 mark on Thursday, after 14 new cases were reported. More than half of the total confirmed cases are linked to a new outbreak that began late last month in the central coastal city of Danang, the health ministry said. Vietnam’s tally now stands at 1,007 infections and 25 deaths, among the lowest in the region, having successfully contained earlier outbreaks. The ministry said 86,644 people are currently undergoing quarantine, most in their homes.
22nd Aug 2020 - Reuters UK
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 21st Aug 2020
View this newsletter in fullCoronavirus: Nearly 600 suspected Scotland workplace cases
Nearly 600 people in Scotland are thought to have caught coronavirus at their place of work, new figures show. The data includes eight people who died from the virus since April. Care home workers account for nearly two thirds of the suspected occupational exposures, according to Health and Safety Executive (HSE) data. But hairdressers, funeral directors, beauty therapists and NHS workers are among those who are also thought to have been exposed to the virus at work. Gary Smith, secretary of the GMB Scotland union, said there is likely to be significant under-reporting of the suspected workplace coronavirus cases. He said: "The events of the last six months simply do not give any confidence in these figure. "In sectors which predominately employ women, such as social care and food manufacturing, we are talking about industries notorious for the under-reporting of workplace incident and injury pre-Covid.
20th Aug 2020 - BBC
Swindon coronavirus lockdown fears are allayed by top public health official
Swindonians are doing all they can to prevent a local Covid-19 lockdown, says the town's most senior public health official. A spike in coronavirus cases saw the borough placed on the government's watchlist this month and sparked fears that local restrictions – such as those seen in Leicester and Blackburn – might be put in place. Reports in the national media fanned the flames yesterday but director of public health Steve Maddern insists there is no reason to be alarmed – as long as the people of the town keep the outbreak under control.
20th Aug 2020 - Swindon Advertiser
UK coronavirus death toll rises by 5 - but no new deaths in Birmingham with city in race to avoid lockdown
The UK’s coronavirus hospital death count has increased by five, with Scotland recording a spike in cases. England has recorded five new fatalities, although there have not been any in Northern Ireland, Wales or Scotland over the past day. It is the lowest Thursday rise in hospital deaths since lockdown was announced in March. There were no further deaths in Birmingham despite the city being poised to join a "national watchlist" in a bid to avoid a local lockdown. Another 51 people in Northern Ireland have tested positive for coronavirus, according to the Department of Health. Some 298 people have tested positive for the virus in the last seven days, bringing the total in the region to 6,556. No further deaths with Covid-19 have been reported leaving the tally in the region, according to the department, at 559.
20th Aug 2020 - Birmingham Post
Is Germany on the verge of a second wave - and what could the UK learn from its response?
The German government has ruled out the further easing of coronavirus lockdown measures after recording 1,707 new cases on Wednesday, the highest number of new daily infections since 18 April. The sudden spike in cases takes the total number of infections in the country to 228,621, according to data from public health agency the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), which said the situation is “very concerning”. However, with a death toll of just 9,253, Germany has been praised for its overall response to the pandemic, and has fared better than many European neighbours in suppressing the virus so far.
20th Aug 2020 - The Week (UK)
Spain reports 3,715 new coronavirus cases in post-lockdown record
Spain reported 3,715 new coronavirus infections in the past 24 hours, the health ministry said on Wednesday, marking a new daily record since the country came out of a strict lockdown in late June. Madrid bore the brunt of the increase, logging 1,535 new cases, followed by the Basque Country and Aragon regions with around 470 new infections each. Fourteen people died across Spain in the same period, down from 21 the previous day. In the past seven days, 131 people have died from the virus, the ministry said. Cumulative cases, which include antibody tests on patients who may have already recovered, rose to 370,867. Despite mandatory use of masks across the country, EU data show Spain has the highest total tally of cases in western Europe as well as the highest incidence of cases per 100,000 people in the past 14 days.
20th Aug 2020 - YAHOO!
Merkel, Macron Convene With Europe’s Virus Battle Unraveling
French President Emmanuel Macron will discuss the escalating coronavirus crisis with German Chancellor Angela Merkel at a medieval island fortress Thursday as Europe struggles with a resurgence of the disease that threatens its recovery. With Spain’s government appearing rudderless during the latest uptick in infections, Merkel and Macron will face pressure to craft a convincing response to the public-health crisis, while not delivering another blow to economies decimated by lockdown measures. France on Wednesday reported 3,776 new infections, the largest daily increase in three months, while Spain -- which has re-emerged as an epicenter of the pandemic on the continent -- recorded 3,715 new cases, the most since April 23. German infections increased by more than 1,000 for a third straight day on Thursday
20th Aug 2020 - Bloomberg
Macron says France 'cannot be put on hold' despite rapidly rising number of Covid-19 cases
In an interview that seems to signal that France will not be returning to lockdown, president Emmanuel Macron says that the country 'cannot be put on hold' by coronavirus. While at the presidential holiday home in Brégançon on the French Riviera, Macron gave an interview to magazine Paris Match - complete with traditional 'at home' style photos of himself and his wife Brigitte in their holiday attire. Macron said he understands the "legitimate anxiety, linked to the virus" but said he believed that the public health policy of "testing, tracing, isolating, organising our emergencies, preventing, generalising the wearing of masks when necessary" should make it possible to contain the epidemic.
20th Aug 2020 - The Local France
Coronavirus bounces back to threaten South Korea's health system
Just five days after South Korean President Moon Jae-in declared that the nation had "surmounted" the coronavirus crisis, new cases of the illness are once again spiking to five-month highs. Epidemiologists have warned that the nation's healthcare system — particularly in Seoul and the surrounding region — is in danger of collapsing. Addressing the nation on Saturday, the 75th anniversary of Korea's liberation at the end of World War II, Moon said, "We have also overcome the COVID-19 crisis through the government, individuals, medical professionals and business leaders trusting and relying on each other." He added that Korea's response to the crisis had been "lauded by the entire world."
20th Aug 2020 - Deutsche Welle
Global report: South Korea fears fresh nationwide outbreak
South Korea has recorded seven straight days of new cases in triple figures, as authorities warn of a grave situation, with infections seeding across the country. It comes as Australia’s Qantas airline reported a 91% drop in profit and says travel to the US was unlikely to happen before there’s a vaccine. On Thursday, South Korea recorded 288 new cases, taking the total over the past week to 1,500. Many cases are linked to the cluster at the Sarang Jeil church in northern Seoul, which has grown to 623, according to the Yonhap news agency. The church is run by a radical conservative preacher whose followers have also attended anti-government protests in central Seoul in recent weeks, seeding infections there too, it’s believed.
“The reason we take the recent situation seriously is because this transmission, which began to spread around a specific religious facility, is appearing nationwide through certain rallies,” vice health minister, Kim Gang-lip, told a briefing.
20th Aug 2020 - The Guardian
Spain coronavirus cases at new high since end of lockdown
Spain recorded its highest single daily increase in the number of new post-lockdown Covid-19 cases yesterday, with 3,715 confirmed positives in the past 24 hours. The country’s total of Covid-19 cases is the highest in Europe, with an average of 130.8 per 100,000 for the past fortnight, more than six times that of the UK. In an attempt to reduce the number of cases, Spain’s health minister has announced the closure of all nightclubs and discos. Restaurants will not be able to admit customers after midnight and there will be a nationwide de facto ban on smoking in public. On a local level, Madrid — together with the Basque country and Aragon — is one of the hardest hit regions, recording 1,535 cases.
20th Aug 2020 - The Times
France's COVID-19 infections again hit fresh post-lockdown peak
France registered 3,776 new COVID-19 infections on Wednesday, marking another post-lockdown peak and bringing the total to 225,043, but President Emmanuel Macron again ruled out imposing another national lockdown. “All the indicators keep going up and the transmission of the virus is getting stronger among all ages groups affected, young adults in particular”, the health ministry said in a statement.
It said the virus was especially active in and around Paris and Marseille, France’s two biggest cities. Some medical experts are worried about the impact of Paris St Germain fans’ wild, mask-less celebrations on the Champs Elysees avenue in central Paris after their soccer club reached the Champions League final on Tuesday.
20th Aug 2020 - Reuters UK
Spain reports 3,715 new coronavirus cases in post-lockdown record
Spain reported 3,715 new coronavirus infections in the past 24 hours, the health ministry said on Wednesday, marking a new daily record since the country came out of a strict lockdown in late June. Madrid bore the brunt of the increase, logging 1,535 new cases, followed by the Basque Country and Aragon regions with around 470 new infections each. Fourteen people died across Spain in the same period, down from 21 the previous day. In the past seven days, 131 people have died from the virus, the ministry said. Cumulative cases, which include antibody tests on patients who may have already recovered, rose to 370,867. Despite mandatory use of masks across the country, EU data show Spain has the highest total tally of cases in western Europe as well as the highest incidence of cases per 100,000 people in the past 14 days.
20th Aug 2020 - Reuters UK
Coronavirus: NI health minister warns of new restrictions
Northern Ireland's health minister has said he will be recommending Covid-19 restrictions to the executive to curb the increasing spread of the disease. Robin Swann said "we have to step in now" to deal with a rise in new cases. On Wednesday, 34 new Covid-19 cases were confirmed by the Department of Health. No deaths were announced so its death toll remains at 559. Mr Swann said he will make recommendations to help "arrest" the spread when ministers meet on Thursday. He suggested these may include reducing the number of people who can meet in a household.
19th Aug 2020 - BBC
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 20th Aug 2020
View this newsletter in fullFrance reports over 2,000 new coronavirus infections
The French health ministry reported 2,238 confirmed new coronavirus infections on Tuesday, less than recent daily highs but still at levels last seen during the March-May lockdown imposed to stem the spread of the disease. On Monday, when the number of reported cases typically falls sharply due to a lag in weekend test results, the ministry had reported just 493 new cases, after over 3,000 each on Sunday and Saturday and over 2,500 per day last Wednesday through Friday. The seven-day moving average of the case count, which smooths out daily reporting irregularities, has now been above 2,000 for five consecutive days, a level that was last seen around the middle of April.
20th Aug 2020 - Reuters
Global daily Covid-19 deaths are nearing levels last seen during first wave of crisis in April amid spiralling outbreaks in the Americas, data shows
Global daily Covid-19 deaths are nearing levels last seen during first wave of crisis in April amid spiralling outbreaks in the Americas, data shows. A total of 6,600 patients worldwide were dying to the disease every day in April. Outbreak in Europe squashed and deaths driven down over summer months. Pandemic has accelerated in Americas and average daily deaths now at 6,348
19th Aug 2020 - Daily Mail
Covid-19 Appeared to Be Under Control in Europe. Now It’s Surging Again.
Coronavirus infections are surging again across much of Europe and governments are racing to prevent a full-fledged second wave of the pandemic —without resorting to the kind of broad lockdowns that devastated their economies in the spring. The seven-day moving average of reported new daily cases has more than doubled since the end of July in the five largest European countries, nearing 11,000. That is the biggest sustained rise on the continent since it beat back the virus’s initial spike in March and April. Outbreaks are multiplying around vacation hot spots, shopping centers, parties and some workplaces. Authorities are also reporting that many cases have no known origin, undermining efforts to use contact tracing to contain the virus and indicating relatively wide community spread.
19th Aug 2020 - The Wall Street Journal
Alarming surge in Covid-19 sparks fears of second wave - this is where infections are rising
Worrying new data shows 15 hotspots with soaring Covid-19 infection rates where the killer virus is on the rise - including parts of locked-down Greater Manchester.
Manchester and Salford, alongside Blackburn with Darwen, which has seemed to be on the right track, while Birmingham has also seen a steep hike in cases, Public Health England figures show. Kirklees has also seen an alarming surge, while Northampton has England's highest rate - thanks to an outbreak at the Greencore sandwich factory, reports MirrorOnline. There are 80 areas in England with a rate of more than 10 cases per 100,000 of the population. Of these, 53 have seen increases in the past seven days, with parts of the Midlands and London reporting a concerning increase.
19th Aug 2020 - Wales Online
Nicola Sturgeon announces 50 new Covid-19 cases as no deaths recorded
There were 50 new cases of coronavirus in the last 24 hours in Scotland, the First Minister has announced today. But there have now been no new deaths related to the killer virus since July. The total number of confirmed Covid-19 cases across the country now stands at 19,457. Patients currently being treated in hospital with the deadly virus stands at 248, down six, with two currently in intensive care.
19th Aug 2020 - Daily Record
South Korea tightens Covid-19 curbs amid warning of new 'crisis'
Museums, nightclubs and karaoke bars have closed in and around South Korea's capital, Seoul, as Covid-19 cases reach a five-month high. The country reported another 297 new cases on Wednesday - the highest daily figure since March. South Korea is viewed as one of the world's coronavirus success stories for its management of the disease. But a spike in new cases linked mostly to a church has sparked concerns of a wider outbreak. Wednesday saw a three-digit increase in cases for a sixth day after weeks with numbers generally around the 40s. Of the 297 infections reported, 252 were in the greater Seoul area. Many of the new cases have been linked to the Sarang Jeil Church, whose pastor has been a vocal critic of President Moon Jae-in.
19th Aug 2020 - BBC
Coronavirus: Oldham facing full-scale lockdown if cases don't fall as it becomes UK hotspot
Oldham is facing the "very real threat" of a full-scale lockdown if its coronavirus cases don't fall, its council leader has confirmed. Comments from Labour councillor Sean Fielding that the town is "resisting" a lockdown follow those of Health Secretary Matt Hancock, who earlier warned Oldham is posing the "biggest challenge" among Greater Manchester areas. The north-west town is the UK's new coronavirus hotspot, according to the latest data from the NHS, and last week it narrowly avoided following Leicester in being placed under strict lockdown. Speaking to ITV News, Health Secretary Hancock refused to rule out a full lockdown for the town, which would include a closure of some non-essential businesses.
19th Aug 2020 - ITV News
Oldham feared to be on brink of 'catastrophic' coronavirus lockdown
Oldham in Greater Manchester is 48 hours away from potentially being ordered into a “catastrophic” and “premature” local lockdown, its council leader has warned.
Ministers are expected to decide on Thursday whether to order the closure of the town’s bars, restaurants and gyms in the first local lockdown in England since hospitality businesses reopened last month. The town has the highest coronavirus infection rate in England despite restrictions on social visits imposed three weeks ago. However, figures due to be released on Wednesday show the number of new cases is declining. Sean Fielding, the council leader, said that being “pushed” into a full Leicester-style lockdown would be disastrous for Oldham’s already struggling economy and would not be “based on evidence”.
19th Aug 2020 - The Guardian
Coronavirus digest: Germany cases at highest level in months
Sweden saw its highest death tally for 150 years in the first six months of 2020, the country's statistics office has announced. Coronavirus had claimed around 4,500 lives in Sweden by the end of June, representing a much higher proportion of the population than in neighboring Nordic countries. Overall, 51,405 people died between in the January to June period, the highest number since an 1869 famine. The death count is around 10% higher than the average over the last five years. This is still less of an increase than those seen by the UK and Spain. The country has been widely criticized for the limited restrictions put in place during the worst period of the pandemic. The death tally has since risen to over 5,800.
19th Aug 2020 - Deutsche Welle
Coronavirus lockdowns loom from Germany to South Korea with uptick in new cases
The number of coronavirus cases is shooting up around the globe, including in countries lauded for containing the spread, threatening another round of lockdowns. More than 22.1 million people have been infected and 781,366 killed worldwide, according to Johns Hopkins University. Germany saw its highest jump in new cases since May 1 on Tuesday with 1,510 confirmed infections, according to the country's disease control center, the Robert Koch Institute. One of the factors contributing to the uptick is an "increasing number of cases among travel returnees,” the institute said.
19th Aug 2020 - NBC News
Italy at a crossroads as fears grow of Covid-19 second wave
It took a weekend to take Italy back three months in its struggle against the pandemic. Last week’s rapid increase in coronavirus infections risks erasing the progress made by the first European country to be engulfed by Covid-19 and extending the closure of schools in September. The alarm was sounded last Saturday, when Italy registered 629 new cases in 24 hours, up from 500 on the previous two days. Such numbers recorded in a row had not been seen since May, when Italy cautiously emerged from one of the longest lockdowns in the world after more than 30,000 Covid-related deaths. On Wednesday another 642 people tested positive for the coronavirus. On Sunday the government ordered the closure of discotheques and made masks compulsory outdoors in specific areas at night – the first real restrictions since the lockdown eased. “We cannot nullify the sacrifices made in past months,” said the health minister, Roberto Speranza, as the spectre of a second wave began to spread across the country.
19th Aug 2020 - The Guardian
Russia reports 4,828 new coronavirus cases
Russia reported 4,828 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, pushing its nationwide tally to 937,321, the fourth largest in the world. Russia’s coronavirus taskforce said 117 people had died over the last 24 hours, bringing its official death toll to 15,989.
19th Aug 2020 - Reuters UK
Polish hospital says it'll soon run out of beds
The director of a major Polish hospital has warned that his facility is at risk of running out of beds for coronavirus patients. The country of 38 million has so far registered some 58,000 cases and 1,900 deaths, numbers which are far lower than many countries in western Europe. However, infections have been rising for weeks, with around 700 new cases per day -- up from 200-300 earlier in the summer. Marcin Jedrychowski, director of the University Hospital in Krakow, the largest and most modern facility in Poland, told the news portal Onet that his hospital has already been forced to select patients and admit only the most severe cases.
19th Aug 2020 - The Mainichi
Philippines reports 4,650 new coronavirus cases, 111 additional deaths
The Philippine health ministry on Wednesday confirmed 4,650 new coronavirus infections and 111 additional deaths. In a bulletin, the ministry said total confirmed cases have risen to 173,774, the highest in Southeast Asia, while deaths have increased to 2,795. The government on Wednesday relaxed a strict lockdown in the capital and nearby provinces, allowing more business establishments to resume operations.
19th Aug 2020 - Reuters UK
UAE sees 'alarming' increase in coronavirus cases
An increase in the number of coronavirus cases over the past two weeks is “alarming” and may herald further increases in the near future, the United Arab Emirates’ health minister said on Tuesday. The UAE registered 365 new cases and two deaths over the last 24 hours, the government said, bringing the total number of COVID-19 infections in the Gulf state since the start of the pandemic to 64,906 with 366 deaths. New daily coronavirus cases in the UAE peaked in mid-May but the country has seen periodic spikes since then, despite a generally falling trend.
19th Aug 2020 - Reuters UK
Coronavirus: Ireland at 'tipping point' as Covid-19 cases rise
The Republic of Ireland's cabinet has reversed some of its lockdown relaxation measures as it attempts to deal with rising Covid-19 case numbers. Irish Health Minister Stephen Donnelly said: "We are at a tipping point." He added that a few weeks ago there were just 61 new reported cases for a seven day period but last week there were 533 cases. The tightening of restrictions comes ahead of the reopening of schools over the next two weeks. Taoiseach (Irish PM) Mícheál Martin said that if the current rates of Covid-19 continue to rise "it will be impossible to stop the spread of the virus to our most vulnerable and our most compromised". On Tuesday, a further coronavirus-related death was reported, bringing the Republic of Ireland's total to 1,775. There were 190 more confirmed cases of Covid-19.
18th Aug 2020 - BBC
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 19th Aug 2020
View this newsletter in fullCoronavirus: 72 workers test positive for COVID-19 at dessert factory in Nottinghamshire
Seventy-two people have tested positive for coronavirus at a dessert factory in Nottinghamshire. The outbreak was reported at Bakkavor in Newark, which describes itself as "the leading provider of fresh prepared food in the UK". The positive cases came after 701 workers were tested for the virus. All 1,600 employees will now receive coronavirus tests at a facility set up on site by the NHS.
Some 33 of those who have tested positive have since returned to work "fully fit" following a period of isolation.
18th Aug 2020 - Sky News
Coronavirus Northern Ireland: Robin Swann says fresh Covid-19 lockdown cannot be ruled out
Robin Swann has warned a return to lockdown cannot be ruled out in Northern Ireland. The health minister said stepped-up testing and contact tracing was identifying more Covid-19 cases.
18th Aug 2020 - Belfast Live
Covid-19 outbreak in Telford leads to local lockdown warning
Telford & Wrekin Council said at least 24 cases had been reported in the seven days up to Sunday. Twelve people tested positive last Wednesday alone, the latest Government figures show, however this remains lower than the 20 positive tests recorded on one day during the peak of the crisis. When the seven days to Friday are looked at, 26 cases were recorded in the borough giving a rate of infection nearly seven times higher than the previous week. Figures show the rate for the seven days to August 14 followed by the equivalent figure for the previous seven days to August 7. The number of brackets is the number of new cases confirmed in each area. Data for the most recent three days (August 15-17) has been excluded as it is incomplete and likely to be revised.
18th Aug 2020 - Shropshire Star
Coronavirus: Pupils test positive in Perthshire and Paisley
Four more pupils at separate schools have tested positive for Covid-19. Two of the cases are in Perth and Kinross, one in Renfrewshire and one in North Lanarkshire.
One pupil from Newhill Primary in Blairgowrie and another from Oakbank Primary in Perth are now self-isolating at home. The third attends Todholm Primary in Paisley.
A fourth pupil, who attends St Ambrose High School in Coatbridge, has also tested positive. Three other pupils from St Ambrose High had already tested positive, along with one from St Andrew's High in Coatbridge and one from Caldervale High in Airdrie. There are a further three linked cases, who are not staff or pupils, and 14 cases in north-east Glasgow. On Monday, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and NHS Lanarkshire confirmed that the cases in their areas were linked to house parties.
18th Aug 2020 - BBC
Worker at New Zealand quarantine hotel tests positive for Covid-19
A new case of Covid-19 separate from the main cluster has been confirmed in New Zealand, with the infected person identified as a maintenance worker in a quarantine hotel in Auckland. On Tuesday, 13 new cases were confirmed, with 12 relating to the Auckland cluster, which now numbers 69 in total. One new case not related to the Auckland cluster has been discovered, with a hotel worker at the Rydges hotel testing positive on 16 August. The hotel worker attended two church services before he was diagnosed and his contacts are being traced, authorities said.
18th Aug 2020 - The Guardian
Coronavirus UK updates as Birmingham faces local lockdown and 72 cases confirmed at factory
A further 1,089 people have tested positive for coronavirus in the past 24 hours.
The Department of Health confirmed the figures on Tuesday evening, when it also said there had been a further 12 deaths in care homes, hospitals and the wider community. It brings the number of people in the UK who have died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19 to 41,381. Five deaths were recorded in English hospitals, bringing the hospital death toll in the country to 29,465. Locally, no deaths were confirmed on Tuesday by NHS England - the body which updates the figures each day. Elsewhere, no deaths occurred in the rest of Yorkshire, as well as the Midlands, North East or South West regions.
18th Aug 2020 - Hull Daily Mail
Germany's confirmed coronavirus cases rise by 1,390 to 225,404: RKI
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 1,390 to 225,404, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Tuesday. The reported death toll rose by four to 9,236, the tally showed.
18th Aug 2020 - Reuters
Spain's daily virus cases at 1,833, below last week's record highs
Daily infection statistics tend to dip on Mondays due to fewer diagnoses taking place on Sunday. Cumulative cases, which include results from antibody tests on patients who may have already recovered, rose to 359,082, with 32,389 detected in the past seven days, the ministry said. Since lifting its strict lockdown at the end of June, Spain has struggled to contain a spiralling infection rate, despite mandatory mask-wearing enforced across the country and other restrictions.
18th Aug 2020 - Reuters
Beaten Back, the Coronavirus Regains Strength in France
As the two women sat in deck chairs enjoying the last rays of sunshine near the Canal de l’Ourcq in Paris on Sunday evening, nearby loudspeakers jolted them with a reminder that they were in a new mask-mandatory zone. “You’ve got your mask?” Safiya Zenag, unmasked, asked her friend, who replied: “No, I didn’t bring it. I hate wearing it.” Faced with a recent resurgence of coronavirus cases, officials have made mask wearing mandatory in widening areas of Paris and other cities across the country, pleading with the French not to let down their guard and jeopardize the hard-won gains made against the virus during a two-month lockdown this spring.
18th Aug 2020 - The New York Times
South Korea traces church members, confines troops to base as virus spreads
South Korea tightened social distancing rules on Tuesday as it reported a three-digit increase in novel coronavirus cases for a fifth day and authorities scrambled to trace hundreds of members of a church congregation. The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) reported 246 new cases as of midnight on Monday, bringing its total infections to 15,761, with 306 deaths. South Korea has been one of the world’s coronavirus mitigation success stories but it has suffered repeated spikes in cases. Two days after re-imposing stricter social distancing in Seoul, the government expanded the curbs to include the port city of Incheon, while ordering the closure of nightclubs, karaoke bars, buffets and cyber cafes.
18th Aug 2020 - Reuters
Church Flareups in South Korea Raise Fears of Old Virus Threat
South Korea tightened social distancing rules on Tuesday as it reported a three-digit increase in novel coronavirus cases for a fifth day and authorities scrambled to trace hundreds of members of a church congregation. The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) reported 246 new cases as of midnight on Monday, bringing its total infections to 15,761, with 306 deaths. South Korea has been one of the world’s coronavirus mitigation success stories but it has suffered repeated spikes in cases. Two days after re-imposing stricter social distancing in Seoul, the government expanded the curbs to include the port city of Incheon, while ordering the closure of nightclubs, karaoke bars, buffets and cyber cafes. It also banned all in-person church services and indoor gatherings of 50 people or more and outdoor ones of 100 or more.
18th Aug 2020 - bnnbloomberg
Coronavirus: Victoria records fewest new infections in a month
The Australian state of Victoria has recorded its lowest rise in Covid-19 infections for a month, raising hopes it is gaining control of an outbreak. The state capital, Melbourne, has been in lockdown for over a month, but even stricter measures including a night-time curfew were imposed on 3 August. The state still has 7,274 active cases and remains Australia's worst concern. But despite reporting its deadliest day on Monday, Victoria has seen new infections decline in recent days.
Tuesday's increase of 222 was the lowest daily total since 18 July. There were 17 more deaths, taking Australia's tally to 438 since the pandemic began. "I would hope that we're in the hundreds [of new cases] - not in the 200s - next week," said Victoria's Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton.
18th Aug 2020 - BBC
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 18th Aug 2020
View this newsletter in fullIt's 'highly likely' fresh lockdown retrictions will be imposed in Milton Keynes if Covid-19 cases continue to rise, says council leader
Councillor Pete Marland said on Friday that 29 people had officially tested positive in the city over the previous two weeks. But the true figure of untested cases in the community will be higher, he said. Over the weekend seven more cases were confirmed. Pete said: "Most recent cases have been in young adults, particularly people in their 20s and 30s. And they've been spread across several areas of Milton Keynes, not just on one place. I must therefore say this: If people continue not to follow the guidance and if cases continue to rise, if it highly likely that restrictions will be reimposed here."
17th Aug 2020 - Milton Keynes Citizen
Concern over rise in Covid-19 cases in Northern Ireland after nearly 300 are diagnosed within a week
Almost 300 people have been diagnosed with Covid-19 in Northern Ireland over the last week, official figures have revealed. The Department of Health said yesterday that 27 cases had been confirmed over the previous 24 hours, bringing to 288 the number of people diagnosed over the last seven days. According to the official statistics, there were seven people with Covid-19 in hospital and one person with the virus fighting for their life in intensive care yesterday. It follows on from the diagnosis of a further 65 cases of Covid-19 on Saturday and 74 cases on Friday, and the news that the R number is likely to be 1.6. The majority of positive cases over the past week have been in Mid and East Antrim, with 74 people diagnosed, followed by Belfast where 60 people have tested positive, and a further 48 cases in Antrim and Newtownabbey.
17th Aug 2020 - Belfast Telegraph
Second wave Covid-19 spike in Oldham bigger than height of the pandemic
Oldham’s second covid-19 spike is bigger than it was during the height of the pandemic. For the week ending August 11 there were 266 cases of coronavirus confirmed in the borough, according to government figures. This is an increase of 18 from the previous highest week’s total of 248 which was recorded in the week to April 12. The borough is currently on the verge of a local lockdown being introduced to try and halt the numbers of new cases of the virus. But the town’s MP Jim McMahon has confirmed that he would not back a borough-wide lockdown if the government decided more stringent lockdown measures were required. Cases of Covid-19 have been cropping up across many areas of the borough in recent weeks, but the biggest spikes have been seen in the Alexandra Park and Werneth areas around the town.
17th Aug 2020 - Oldham Evening Chronicle
Urgent warning as Birmingham 'on road to lockdown' if Covid cases keep rising
Birmingham's infection rate has more than doubled in a week - with more than 300 new cases. Director of public health Dr Justin Varney said it was likely the city would feature in the national "watch list" of places most at risk of intervention within days, with no sign of the current rise in cases easing off. There have been 321 new cases in the past week. "We could very easily be in a situation like we have seen in Leicester and Greater Manchester," he said this morning. Both areas have had lockdown restrictions imposed by health secretary Matt Hancock after seeing sustained spikes in infection. His concern has been triggered by a rapidly rising rate of infections across the city.
17th Aug 2020 - Birmingham Post
Germany warns local coronavirus outbreaks are 'mostly connected with celebrations'
Health Minister Jens Spahn has warned stricter event bans could be put in place in Germany amid a rise in coronavirus outbreaks. Spahn attributed rising cases in Germany to holidaymakers returning to the country. But he said celebrations among people, such as weddings, were also causing problems. He urged people to only celebrate within a close family circle. "There are more infections in the country due to returning travellers, but there are also local outbreaks, which are mostly connected with celebrations, said Spahn to German broadcaster ZDF on Sunday night. "This is what we have to keep in mind beyond travel," the politician, who's a member of Angela Merkel's centre Christian Democrats (CDU), said. When asked about a possible new lockdown or stricter measures to contain the pandemic, Spahn said that in his view there was no point in closing retail stores or outlets like hairdressers again. With mandatory face masks and distance rules (1.5 metre from others not in your household) the situation could be managed, he said.
17th Aug 2020 - The Local Germany
Coronavirus: Italy closes nightclubs as authorities blame holidaymakers for new outbreaks
Unlike the first coronavirus outbreak, which saw affected mostly Lombardy and other northern areas, the second wave struck much more uniformly across the country - with hundreds of local outbreaks.
17th Aug 2020 - Euronews
Coronavirus: Italy toughens mask rules and closes nightclubs after scientists warn cases are climbing
Wearing a face covering is to become mandatory in public places in Italy overnight and nightclubs have been ordered to close due to a spike in coronavirus cases, according to reports. Masks will need to be worn where social distancing is not possible between 6pm and 6am, while the closure of nightclubs and dance halls also applies to outdoor venues where people dance, such as beaches and common areas in hotels. Economic support will be provided to all venues that have to close, Italy's government said.
17th Aug 2020 - Sky News
Italy shutters nightclubs, mandates masks as coronavirus case numbers rise again
With daily coronavirus case numbers rising, Italy on Monday imposed its first new restrictions on daily life since coming out of lockdown nearly four months ago, ordering the closure of nightclubs and mandating mask-wearing, even outdoors, in areas with nightlife. The new measures come as Italy faces its most precarious moment of the summer. School is due to start in less than a month, Italians are moving en masse for their August holidays, and tourists are coming in from other European countries that have seen even greater increases.
17th Aug 2020 - The Washington Post
More cases among young people and a lower death rate: How the coronavirus epidemic has changed in Spain
If an expert was presented with data from the coronavirus epidemic in Spain in two blocks – from the start until June 21, when the lockdown ended, and from that date up until now – they would struggle to determine that they represented the same pathogen. The age of those being infected, the areas worst affected and the death rates are completely different between the two data sets. The change in behavior of Covid-19 has been achieved thanks to isolating those infected, and monitoring suspected cases – although the recent rise in new cases could reverse this trend. Here is an analysis of the radical changes in the most frequently used indicators.
17th Aug 2020 - EL PAÍS in English
France reports post-lockdown peak with 3,310 new Covid-19 cases in 24 hours
The French Health Ministry on Saturday reported 3,310 new coronavirus infections over the past 24 hours, setting a new post-lockdown high for the fourth day in a row and taking the country's cumulative cases to 215,521. A total of 252 clusters are being investigated, up 17 compared with 24 hours earlier, the ministry said in a website update. In all, 4,857 people were in French hospitals on Saturday night for Covid-19, including 376 in intensive care. The total death toll had increased by four over the past 24 hours, with the new total at 30,409.
17th Aug 2020 - YAHOO!
South Korea struggles to contain surging COVID-19 cases tied to churches
South Korea continues to face its most serious COVID-19 outbreak since March as health officials reported 197 new infections, with a large number of cases tied to a conservative Christian church in Seoul whose pastor is an outspoken anti-government figure. Monday's total marked the fourth day in a row of triple-digit cases, numbers South Korea hasn't seen in over five months. Most of the infections are concentrated in the capital city, Seoul, and neighboring Gyeonggi Province, home to roughly half of the country's 51 million people. On Sunday, the country recorded 279 new infections.
17th Aug 2020 - UPI.com
Australia Has Deadliest Day With 25 Covid-19 Deaths in Victoria
Australia had its deadliest day in the coronavirus pandemic, with 25 fatalities in the state of Victoria. The nation’s second-most populous state, which has imposed a lockdown and nighttime curfew in its capital Melbourne, on Monday also reported 282 new cases in the past 24 hours, down from daily tallies in the 700s in late July. Victoria is isolated from the rest of the nation as other states have closed their borders -- threatening to deepen and prolong the economic recession. On Sunday, Victoria’s government announced it will extend a state of emergency until mid-September.
17th Aug 2020 - Bloomberg
New Zealand: Jacinda Ardern delays general election by a month due to Coronavirus outbreak
New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has postponed the country’s general election after a spike in coronavirus cases has left parts of the country in lockdown.
Ms Ardern announced the election would be pushed back to 17 October after parties complained they could not campaign properly with nearly a third of New Zealand’s five million people under lockdown in the city of Auckland. She said the delay would “provide sufficient time for parties to plan around the range of circumstances we will be campaigning under”.
17th Aug 2020 - iNews
Why New Zealand's coronavirus outbreak should concern Australia
New Zealand's Covid-19 outbreak has some in Australia - especially in tourism - arguing their tough travel restrictions need to be lifted. Ever since Covid-19 shut Australia's internal and external borders, travellers trying to move around the country have faced some form of lockout. No industry has been harder hit than tourism. Still reeling from the summer bushfires, coronavirus has decimated Australia's economy and nowhere has the impact been as instant or more devastating than in tourism. This week, Australians learnt the full extent of what just two months without domestic tourism has done to the economy.
17th Aug 2020 - New Zealand Herald
Covid 19 coronavirus: Victoria has deadliest day since pandemic began
Victoria has recorded its worst daily death toll since the pandemic began after another 25 people died due to the virus. Victoria has now lost 334 people to coronavirus. There were always fears Victoria could lose more people to coronavirus after health authorities confirmed yesterday there were 664 people in hospital with 40 in the ICU and 29 on a ventilator. The state also recorded another 282 new coronavirus cases, a slight increase from yesterday's 279 cases. Victoria extended its state of emergency for another four weeks yesterday. Announcing the extension on Sunday, Premier Dan Andrews said it was unlikely Victoria would be virus-free for a long time. "Even when this second wave is over, we will see cases, we will see outbreaks, that's just a function of this thing," Andrews told reporters.
17th Aug 2020 - New Zealand Herald
Russia reports nearly 5,000 new coronavirus cases
Russia reported 4,892 new cases of the novel coronavirus on Monday, pushing its tally so far to 927,745, the fourth largest in the world. Authorities said 55 people had died across the country in the last 24 hours, increasing Russia’s official coronavirus death toll to 15,740.
17th Aug 2020 - Reuters UK
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 17th Aug 2020
View this newsletter in fullParts of England to remain in tighter coronavirus lockdown
Millions of people in northern England and Leicester will remain under tighter lockdown for a third week as coronavirus infection rates continue to climb sharply in some districts, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has announced.
The decision was taken by Matt Hancock, the health secretary, alongside regional leaders after cases continued to rise in most affected areas despite a fortnight of enhanced restrictions. Across England as a whole, infection rates appear to have levelled off, with an estimated 3,800 new cases a day – broadly similar to the week before, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). One scientist described the situation across the country as “broadly reassuring”. Prof Tim Spector, of King’s College London, who is leading the work with the Covid-19 symptom study app, said of those findings: “The lowest rate we saw was in late June and rates increased slowly in July but now we have returned to those lower levels.”
16th Aug 2020 - The Guardian
Asia Today: S. Korea reports 279 cases, highest in 5 months
South Korea has reported 279 new coronavirus cases in the highest daily jump since early March, as fears grow about a massive outbreak in the greater capital region. The figures released by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Sunday brought the national caseload to 15,318, including 305 deaths.
The number of new cases is the highest since 367 on March 8, when the country was concentrating public health tools and personnel nationwide to bring an outbreak in the less populated southern region under control. The KCDC said 253 of the new cases came from the Seoul metropolitan area, home to 26 million people, where health authorities have been struggling to stem transmissions linked to churches, nursing homes, schools, restaurants and door-to-door salespeople.
Infections were also reported in other major cities such as Busan and Daegu, which was the epicenter of the previous crisis in late February and March when hundreds of new cases were reported each day.
16th Aug 2020 - YAHOO!
Barcelona facing new lockdown as Tokyo raises alert level
Part of the northern Spanish region of Catalonia has gone back into lockdown, with Barcelona suggesting it might also follow suit with restrictions in some districts, as authorities sought to control a resurgence of coronavirus cases emerging just weeks after a nationwide lockdown was lifted. As a judge overturned a previous court decision to approve the stay-at-home order for the Lleida area, west of Barcelona, friction was emerging over how to handle an increase in cases in a suburb of the Catalan capital.
16th Aug 2020 - The Guardian on MSN.com
Coronavirus latest: South Korea tightens restrictions in Seoul; Japan records 1,200 new cases
South Korea has announced a series of new lockdown measures in Seoul, including a ban on indoor gatherings of at least 50 people and closures of entertainment venues, after reporting 166 new coronavirus cases on Saturday, its highest daily total since March 11. Of the new cases, 155 were locally transmitted – a significant increase from 85 on Friday. “The spread of Covid-19 in the Seoul metropolitan area is very serious,” Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said. “We are now at a critical juncture where we may enter a second wave of infections, as is the case in the rest of the world, if we fail to overcome this crisis.”
16th Aug 2020 - South China Morning Post
Coronavirus: South Africa eases lockdown as 'outbreak reaches peak'
President Cyril Ramaphosa said nearly all restrictions on the country's economy will be eased from Monday. A controversial ban on the sale of alcohol and tobacco will be lifted. Domestic travel, small family gatherings and the reopening of businesses will all be allowed. In a TV address on Saturday, Mr Ramaphosa said the easing of restrictions will help to revive the country's flagging economy after a period of great hardship for the country. However, he called on South Africans not to let their guard down against Covid-19 despite "signs of hope", warning of difficult times ahead.
15th Aug 2020 - BBC
Spain's tough lockdown rules you'll have to follow if you go on holiday
Holidays abroad are a bit of a gamble at the moment with the possibility of last-minute quarantine changes. This was the case for Spain at the end of July when travellers had just hours notice that a 14-day self-isolation rule would be imposed on entering the UK. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is still advising against all non-essential travel to Spain, including the Balearic and Canary Islands, due to a rise in coronavirus cases. However, people are still desperate to head off on an annual summer holiday, particularly after months of lockdown. If you are one of those people who is planning to go to Spain, there will be tough rules to follow.
15th Aug 2020 - Manchester Evening News
German Cases Climb; TUI Cancels Tours to Spain: Virus Update
German virus cases rose to their highest since the end of April on Saturday. TUI AG canceled all tours to Spain after the German government advised against non-essential travel to the country because of a resurgence of outbreaks. Spain’s Basque region declared an emergency, according to El Confidencial.
15th Aug 2020 - Bloomberg
France reports post-lockdown peak with 3,310 new COVID-19 cases in 24 hours
The French Health Ministry on Saturday reported 3,310 new coronavirus infections over the past 24 hours, setting a new post-lockdown high for the fourth day in a row and taking the country's cumulative cases to 215,521. A total of 252 clusters are being investigated, up 17 compared with 24 hours earlier, the ministry said in a website update. In all, 4,857 people were in French hospitals on Saturday night for Covid-19, including 376 in intensive care.
15th Aug 2020 - FRANCE 24 English
France reports another post-lockdown peak in daily COVID-19 cases
France is to propose that masks be worn in shared workspaces as the country grapples with a rebound in coronavirus cases that rose again in the past 24 hours to over 3,000. The health ministry reported 3,310 new coronavirus infections, marking a post-lockdown high for the fourth day in a row. The number of clusters being investigated increased by 17 to 252, it said in a website update. The resurgence prompted Britain to impose a 14-day quarantine for people arriving from France, and led the authorities in Paris to expand zones in the capital where wearing a mask is mandatory outdoors.
15th Aug 2020 - Reuters UK
Spain’s Business Leaders Fear Second Lockdown as Virus Surges
The number of Covid-19 infections in Spain continued to rise, prompting warnings from business leaders about the cost to the economy if new lockdown measures have to be imposed. New cases jumped by 2,987 on Friday compared with 2,935 in the previous 24-hour period, the health ministry said late Thursday. It was the highest tally since at least May 25 when the government changed its methodology for reporting data. CEOE, Spain’s main business lobby, on Thursday warned that any second lockdown would have catastrophic consequences and urged the government to promote the use of a new app developed by the Economy Ministry to trace cases of Covid-19. On Friday, the government announced a series of measures including curbs on smoking, bars and closing nightclubs to contain the spread of the virus.
14th Aug 2020 - Bloomberg
Shenzhen mall in lockdown after coronavirus case
The IBC Mall in Shenzhen’s Luohu district was sealed off and under police supervision on Friday evening, with around 200 people queuing outside waiting for COVID-19 tests from medical personnel in protective suits. An official Guangdong Health Commission WeChat account channel said the alert was prompted by a COVID-19 case at the mall. The confirmed case was a 41-year-old woman who had been working inside the Alibaba-owned supermarket Freshippo as a temporary brand promotor until Aug. 2, according to a source familiar with the matter. The worker was diagnosed in her home city of Lufeng, in Guangdong, the commission said. Three of her family members also tested positive.
14th Aug 2020 - Reuters
We Will Pay for Our Summer Vacations With Winter Lockdowns
This spring, when Western Europe became an epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic, countries imposed strict lockdowns: In France, a person needed a permit to go shopping; Spain required children to stay indoors the entire day; in Scotland and Wales, people could go outside for a walk only once a day and had to stay within a five-mile radius. Thanks to this, European countries were able to not only flatten the Covid-19 curve but to also keep levels of infection very low. But as the weeks went by, the pressure to reopen society grew. People wanted their prepandemic lives back. They wanted dynamic economies to protect their jobs; they wanted their children educated in schools; they wanted nights out at the pub and visits to their friends. And they really wanted summer vacations.
14th Aug 2020 - The New York Times
Northampton faces lockdown after nearly 300 workers at a sandwich factory that supplies M&S test positive for coronavirus as symptom-tracking app names six new hotspots across UK.
Local health chief said residents have been asked to 'act now' to avert lockdown like that in nearby Leicester. The Greencore food facility has been testing its own staff and found 213 cases along with 79 in official tests. Northampton is not in lockdown but is one of 29 places on Public Health England's watchlist
13th Aug 2020 - Daily Mail
Vietnam PM says next 10 days 'critical' in virus fight
Vietnam's Prime Minister said on Wednesday that the next 10 days would be critical in the Southeast Asian country's fight against a new coronavirus outbreak, which resurfaced late last month after three months of no domestic cases. Vietnam was lauded for suppressing an earlier contagion through aggressive testing, contact-tracing and quarantining, but it is now racing to control infections in multiple locations linked to the popular holiday city of Danang, where a new outbreak was detected on July 25. "Note that the period from this week to the middle of next week is critical," Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said on Wednesday, according to a government statement.
12th Aug 2020 - The Jakarta Post
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 14th Aug 2020
View this newsletter in fullCovid-19 clusters are inevitable and no cause for undue alarm – Sturgeon
The First Minister said clusters have emerged in Glasgow and Orkney in addition to the one in Aberdeen which led to a local lockdown. A household cluster in Peterhead is also being investigated and has led to the closure of a primary school. Ms Sturgeon told the Scottish Government’s regular coronavirus briefing that provisional figures indicate the upper estimate for the R number – the average number of people infected by each person with Covid-19 – last week could have been as high as 1.3. She added: “When the prevalence across the country is low the R number will be disproportionately affected by outbreaks on the scale of the one in Aberdeen.”
13th Aug 2020 - Aberdeen Evening Express
Bolivia’s solution to surging Covid-19 deaths: a mobile crematorium
As surging Covid-19 cases across Latin America leave cemeteries and funeral homes struggling to keep pace, engineers in Bolivia have come up with a solution as pragmatic as it is macabre: a mobile crematorium. The five-metre by two-and-half-metre oven is small enough to fit on to a trailer, and is powered by locally produced liquefied petroleum gas – making it a cheap option for families who cannot afford a funeral service. Three canisters of LPG can cremate a body in 30 to 40 minutes, said the mobile crematory’s inventor, Carlos Ayo, an environmental engineer who says he designed the device to help his country in a time of crisis.
“We wanted to help in this pandemic, and one possibility was showing others how to make a crematory oven,” said Ayo in a telephone interview. “Then we asked ourselves wouldn’t it be better if it could be mobile, to move it from one place to another?” Ayo said he had received orders from several local councils in Bolivia, where authorities are struggling to deal with the rising death toll. Crematoriums are only found in the country’s main cities, and even then, many Bolivians cannot afford the fees.
13th Aug 2020 - The Guardian
Rising Coronavirus Infections Trigger Renewed Travel Restrictions Across Europe
Italy on Thursday became the latest country to introduce mandatory coronavirus testing on travelers from European countries with rising infections. Most European countries now advise their citizens against going to Spain, or to avoid coronavirus hot spots within the country, in response to a marked increase in infections there. Governments across the continent are again requiring visitors from a growing list of countries to self-quarantine. Seamless travel within the continent is one of the cornerstones of the European Union, and restoring it while preventing a second wave of infections has been a priority for governments. International travel within the continent has gradually resumed after lockdowns were lifted in June, with virus infections at a low point.
13th Aug 2020 - The Wall Street Journal
Quarantine fears as coronavirus cases surge in France
The government is expected to delay a decision over whether to introduce quarantine measures for people returning from France despite a surge in the number of infections. France has recorded 2,524 new coronavirus cases, the highest number since it went into lockdown and a big increase on the 1,397 announced on Tuesday. Jean Castex, the French prime minister, has said that coronavirus in France is “going the wrong way”.
13th Aug 2020 - The Times
Young people are driving a second, less-deadly surge of Covid-19 cases in Europe
Europe is giving the world a glimpse at what happens when the coronavirus epidemic is brought under control and the economy reopens: the virus bounces back. Spain, France, Greece and Germany are among the countries that have seen worrying spikes in new Covid-19 cases in recent weeks, a consequence of going back to -- sort of -- normal after months of lockdowns. While the continent's first outbreak in the spring hit the elderly, spreading in care homes and hospitals, these new infection clusters seem to be tied to younger people, who are venturing out into bars, restaurants and other public places. "There is a true resurgence in cases in several countries as a result of physical distancing measures being relaxed," the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said in a statement on Monday.
13th Aug 2020 - CNN
Two months after taming infections with lockdown, Spain faces new Covid-19 surge
Spain’s hospitals are beginning to see another surge in patients, with the health ministry reporting this week that 805 people had been hospitalised over the past seven days as experts search for reasons why Spain is struggling more than its European neighbors. Not two months after battling back the coronavirus, Spain’s hospitals are beginning to see patients struggling to breathe returning to their wards. The coronavirus devastated the country in March and April, with the daily death toll reaching more than 900 fatalities a few months ago. While an enhanced testing effort is revealing that a majority of the infected are asymptomatic and younger – making them less likely to need medical treatment – concern is increasing as hospitals begin to see more patients.
13th Aug 2020 - FRANCE 24 English
Coronavirus in Europe: Infections surge in France, Germany and Spain
Germany has recorded its biggest daily increase in coronavirus cases in more than three months as European countries struggle to curb a surge in infections. More than 1,200 cases were reported in Germany in the past 24 hours. Officials said the rise was due, in part, to people returning from holidays. It came as Germany warned against non-essential trips to parts of Spain. Meanwhile, France had 2,524 new cases in 24 hours, the highest daily rise since its lockdown was lifted in May. The German foreign ministry said it had added a partial travel warning to the Spanish capital Madrid and the Basque region on Tuesday amid rising infections there. Warnings were already in place for the regions of Aragon, Catalonia and Navarra.
13th Aug 2020 - BBC
Coronavirus: Victoria lockdown fails to stop Australia’s deadliest day so far
Australia was set to record its lowest single-day rise in infections in more than three weeks today, raising hopes that a second wave of cases in the state of Victoria is finally being brought under control. Victoria reported 278 new infections in the past 24 hours, down from 410 a day earlier. New South Wales, Australia’s most populous state, also reported 12 new cases, while Queensland announced that it had found no new cases.
13th Aug 2020 - The Times
New Zealand reports 13 new community virus cases amid outbreak
New Zealand recorded 13 new local cases of the coronavirus on Thursday and said it will transfer anyone infected into quarantine facilities, as the government attempts to stamp out the nation’s first outbreak in more than three months. The cluster of infections in the largest city of Auckland now stands at 17 people and the government will decide tomorrow whether to extend a three-day lockdown there. Health Director-General Ashley Bloomfield told reporters in Wellington that he expects the number of infections to grow, and the mandatory quarantine would help stop the spread of the virus through households. After eradicating community transmission, New Zealand’s 102-day COVID-free run ended this week when four new cases were detected in an Auckland household, from a yet-to-be determined source. Officials are heeding lessons from countries such as Japan and Australia, where a reliance on self-isolation at home has failed to prevent a rapid spread of the infection. Nations such as South Korea have had better success by isolating cases outside of their homes. New Zealand now has 36 active cases, which includes 19 people who tested positive during the 14-day quarantine that’s mandatory for anyone returning to the country from overseas.
13th Aug 2020 - BNNBloomberg
New Zealand scrambles to trace cluster, reporting 14 new virus cases
New Zealand was scrambling to trace the source of its first coronavirus outbreak in more than three months, reporting 13 new community infections on Thursday, after Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern had sought to eradicate the virus with a hard lockdown. The resurgence of COVID-19 comes just weeks before a scheduled general election, increasing pressure on Ardern to get the outbreak under control amid growing criticism. Ardern swiftly reimposed tight movement restrictions in Auckland and social distancing measures across the rest of the country after the discovery this week of four infected family members in the city. “Once again we are reminded of how tricky this virus is and how easily it can spread,” she said during a televised news conference on Thursday. “Going hard and early is still the best course of action.”
13th Aug 2020 - Reuters
New Zealand's deputy PM reveals the source of country's shock coronavirus outbreak - a 'breach inside our quarantine system'
New Zealand's deputy prime minister has theory about coronavirus outbreak. He believes the virus was a 'breach inside our quarantine system.' Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's office said no connection has been made yet
13th Aug 2020 - Daily Mail
Coronavirus: New Zealand outbreak jumps again with 14 new cases
New Zealand has reported 14 new cases of Covid-19, two days after the country's first four domestic cases in more than three months. All but one of the new cases were found in Auckland, one day after New Zealand's largest city was placed under a three-day lockdown. The 13 Auckland cases are all linked to the four family members who were the country's first domestic cases in 102 days, the Ministry of Health said. Health officials are working to determine how the four family members were infected. Particular attention has been paid to the workplace of one member employed by international cold-storage and transportation firm Americold, which operates two facilities in Auckland where officials suspect the virus may have spread from imported freight.
13th Aug 2020 - The Independent
Coronavirus: Rapid 'cluster busting' to find Covid-19 outbreak source could nip other clusters in the bud
Tracing cases “upstream” might be the key to limiting the Covid-19 lockdown and containing other outbreaks before they spread, one expert says. An additional 13 cases have been linked to Auckland’s “index case” identified on Tuesday. The outbreak has been officially classified as a cluster, and mass testing is underway across Auckland and the country to contain further spread. However, cluster busting might be easier than trying to find new cases and clusters through mass testing, which usually relies on contacts developing symptoms and proactively seeking tests. Professor Shaun Hendy, the director of Te Pūnaha Matatini, told Stuff cluster busting is an effective approach that’s arguably more important than downstream tracing – or finding other cases in the cluster.
13th Aug 2020 - Stuff.co.nz
New Zealand coronavirus: 14 new Covid-19 cases reported
New Zealand has reported 14 new Covid-19 cases a day after its biggest city, Auckland, went back into lockdown. The detection of four new infected family members earlier this week shocked a country that had recorded no locally transmitted cases for more than three months. Of the new cases, 13 have been linked back to this family, while one is an overseas arrival who was in quarantine. A three-day lockdown was imposed in Auckland on Wednesday. "We can see the seriousness of the situation we are in," Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said in a news conference. "It’s being dealt with in an urgent but calm and methodical way."
13th Aug 2020 - BBC
Coronavirus, nine cases at the Reggio Calabria hospital. Community spread.
The nine new cases were detected in the hours following the daily public health bulletin to the Calabria Region and its subsequent publication through official channels. "Faced with this increase, which also involves affected health workers among others - the press release continues - it was decided to ramp up and intensify the Covid-19 safety measures the hospital has already adopted".
13th Aug 2020 - La Repubblica
Philippines reports 4,002 more coronavirus infections, 23 deaths
The Philippines’ health ministry on Thursday reported 4,002 more novel coronavirus infections and 23 additional deaths in the country. In a bulletin, the ministry said total number of confirmed cases in the Philippines had risen to 147,526, the highest in Southeast Asia, while confirmed deaths had reached 2,426.
The Philippines plans to launch clinical trials for a Russian coronavirus vaccine in October after Russia became the first country to grant regulatory approval for a COVID-19 vaccine, drawing safety concerns over the frantic pace of its development.
13th Aug 2020 - Reuters UK
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 13th Aug 2020
View this newsletter in fullGermany records biggest jump in new coronavirus cases since early May
Germany recorded the biggest daily increase in new coronavirus cases in more than three months, data showed on Wednesday, with the health minister warning of outbreaks in nearly all parts of the country due to holiday returnees and party-goers. The number of confirmed coronavirus cases rose by 1,226 to 218,519, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) showed. That was the biggest daily increase since May 9. The number of coronavirus deaths remained relatively low, edging up by six to a total of 9,207. “This is, no doubt, very worrying,” Health Minister Jens Spahn told Deutschlandfunk radio, adding that citizens had to remain cautious to prevent the virus from spreading further. “Because we now have a lot of outbreaks all over the country,” Spahn said.
12th Aug 2020 - Reuters
Parties lead Germany to biggest spike in coronavirus cases in three months
Germany today reported its largest daily spike in new cases of coronavirus in more than three months, as authorities blamed people returning from holiday and boozy parties across the country. The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany rose by 1,226 to 218,519 today, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) showed — marking the biggest daily increase since 9 May. However the number of German coronavirus deaths edged up by six, remaining low at a total of 9,207.
12th Aug 2020 - City A.M.
Spain's total coronavirus cases rise to 326,612
Spain’s health ministry reported 1,418 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday, below last week’s peaks. Cumulative cases, which also include results from antibody tests on people who may have recovered, increased further to reach a total of 326,612.
The disease claimed 64 lives over the past seven days, the statistics showed. In total, more than 28,500 people have died from the disease in Spain, one of Europe’s hardest-hit countries by COVID-19. Since lifting a nationwide lockdown, Spain has struggled to contain a rise in new infections, with heavy concentrations in the populous regions of Madrid and Catalonia. New infections recorded on Monday and Tuesday were however below last week’s peak of 1,895, reported on Friday.
12th Aug 2020 - Reuters UK
Overnight curfew for restaurants and bars on some Greek islands after surge in Covid-19 cases
Greece will bring in an overnight curfew for restaurants and bars in some of its most popular tourist destinations after a new uptick in coronavirus infections. From 11 August, restaurants and bars are closed from midnight until 7am in Mykonos, Santorini, Corfu, Rhodes and Crete, Aristotelia Peloni, a government spokeswoman, said in a televised address. Athens also announced new restrictions starting from 17 August on holidaymakers arriving from Belgium, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Sweden and Spain. They now must provide proof they have tested negative for Covid-19.
12th Aug 2020 - iNews
New wave of Covid-19 continues to grow in French Polynesia
Authorities in French Polynesia now say 71 people have contracted Covid-19 over the past four days. The tally increased by 21 over the past 24 hours. Despite the surge in the number of cases, both the French Polynesian president Edouard Fritch and the French High Commissioner Dominique Sorain ruled out a new lockdown. Schools are reopening this week despite concern by some unions. However discos and nightclubs will now have to be shut and meetings of more than 50 people will need to get official approval. Masks are also to be worn in shops. Mr Fritch said the spread of the virus was due to poor discipline and irresponsible behaviour.
12th Aug 2020 - RNZ
Coronavirus: Cases surge as France goes 'wrong way'
New coronavirus infections have nearly doubled in France in recent weeks as Prime Minister Jean Castex warned that the country had been going "the wrong way" for two weeks. The health ministry reported 1,397 new infections of Covid-19 since Monday. Fourteen people have died. A ban on meetings of more than 5,000 people has been extended to 30 October. Mr Castex also asked local authorities to further extend the requirement to wear face masks in public. "The epidemiological situation, which we are following very closely, is deteriorating: 2,000 new cases per day compared to 1,000 three weeks ago," Mr Castex said at a press conference in Montpellier.
12th Aug 2020 - BBC
How one hotel outbreak of Covid-19 put an Australian state back in lockdown
Melbourne bureau chief, Melissa Davey, discusses life under a second lockdown after a hotel security breach in Victoria caused a resurgence of coronavirus cases
12th Aug 2020 - The Guardian
Australia’s Victoria State Has Deadliest Virus Day
Australia's Victora State has recorded a new daily record in coronavirus deaths, with 21 fatalities in 24 hours. The nation's second-most populous state, which is in the midst of a six-week lockdown that's one of the strictest in the western world, had 410 new cases in that period, according to a health department statement on Wednesday.
12th Aug 2020 - Bloomberg
New Zealand considers freight as possible source of new coronavirus cluster
The discovery of four infected family members in Auckland led Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to swiftly reimpose tight restrictions in the city and social distancing measures across the entire country. The source of the outbreak has baffled health officials, who said they were confident there was no local transmission of the virus in New Zealand for 102 days. "We are working hard to put together pieces of the puzzle on how this family got infected," said Director General of Health Ashley Bloomfield. Investigations were zeroing in on the potential the virus was imported by freight. Bloomfield said surface testing was underway at an Auckland cool store where a man from the infected family worked. "We know the virus can survive within refrigerated environments for quite some time," Bloomfield said during a televised media conference. The New Zealand unit of Atlanta, U.S.-based, Americold Realty Trust, a refrigerated storage specialist with operations in the United States, Canada, Argentina and Australia as well as New Zealand, identified itself as the owner of the cool store.
12th Aug 2020 - YAHOO!
New Zealand scrambles to find source of new coronavirus infection
Health authorities in New Zealand were scrambling today to trace the source of a new outbreak of the coronavirus as the nation's largest city went back into lockdown. Authorities had confirmed four cases of the virus in one Auckland household from an unknown source and were awaiting the test results of four more people they suspect have infections - two work colleagues and two relatives of those in the house. The cases this week were the first known local transmission of the virus in New Zealand in 102 days. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said more than 200 people with connections to those in the house were contacted today.
12th Aug 2020 - Irish Independent
Covid 19 coronavirus lockdown: Jacinda Ardern says Auckland in level 3 at midday; NZ in level 2
Auckland is back in level 3 lockdown, with region-wide police checkpoints planned and a stronger presence at supermarkets. Super City residents were scrambling earlier today to prepare for the midday restrictions, with lengthy queues forming outside supermarkets and Covid-19 testing centres.
12th Aug 2020 - New Zealand Herald
'A real shockwave': New Zealand's coronavirus bubble pops
"For the last hundred-odd days, we've been getting on with life as normal, while the world was capitulating around us. "It's kind of sent a real shockwave among everyone." News that New Zealand had detected at least four new cases also made headlines around the world overnight, after it appeared the small Pacific nation had eradicated the virus and was lauded for its success. A mass national testing effort is now underway, which will dictate what happens next. The New Zealand general election is scheduled for September 19.
12th Aug 2020 - 9News
Pendle and Oldham residents warned of stricter lockdown within days
Two north west areas could be facing stricter lockdown measures as concern grows over an increase in coronavirus cases. Residents in Pendle, Lancashire, and Oldham, Greater Manchester, are already living under stricter rules than other parts of the country, after additional measures were brought in stopping them from meeting others at home from the end of July. Despite this, officials said Covid-19 rates have continued to increase and both areas were placed on the government’s watch list of 29 local authorities. Pendle is now recording the highest coronavirus rates in the country, with Oldham following closely behind, and Blackburn with Darwen in third place.
12th Aug 2020 - Metro
French PM: Coronavirus spread may get harder to control
The renewed spread of coronavirus in France could become harder to control without a collective effort to stop a rise in the infection rate, its prime minister said on Tuesday. The public was becoming careless, Jean Castex warned, speaking shortly before health authorities said new daily infections were up by 1,397 over 24 hours, almost twice as much as Monday, to reach 204,172. “If we don’t act collectively, we expose ourselves to the heightened risk that the rebound in the epidemic becomes hard to control,” Castex said during a visit to a hospital intensive care ward in southern France. A health ministry statement also reported 15 new deaths in hospital due the disease, compared to an increase of 16 over a three-day period between Monday and Saturday, with the total death toll standing at 30,354.
12th Aug 2020 - Reuters UK
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 12th Aug 2020
View this newsletter in fullWhy a second wave of coronavirus cases in Greece has prompted new restrictions
Greece has formally entered a second wave, following a sharp rise in coronavirus cases. The country had become a top destination for British holidaymakers following the changes to quarantine guidelines for people visiting Spain, who now have to isolate for two weeks on their return to the UK. But the Greek government has now imposed new restrictions and curfews on bars and restaurants coming into effect on Tuesday across major tourist areas, including the islands, while holidaymakers from certain countries will now need proof of a negative Covid-19 test before entering.
11th Aug 2020 - iNews
Spain fears strict new coronavirus restrictions as infections rise
There are fears that tough coronavirus restrictions will be reimposed in Spain following a surge in positive cases. Latest official figures released by Spanish health officials reveal the country has overtaken the UK to record the highest number of cases in Europe. Nervous tourist bosses are concerned that any tightening of rules to prevent an escalation of the virus could effectively end any hopes of kickstarting the season during what remains of summer. This applies especially in resorts already hard-hit by a lack of British tourists following UK government guidelines against all-but-essential travel to the country.
11th Aug 2020 - Wales Online
Coronavirus infections stabilise in Australia's virus epicentre
Australia’s second-most populous state reported only a small rise in new COVID-19 infections on Tuesday, boosting hopes that case numbers are stabilising after a second wave forced authorities to put the city of Melbourne back into lockdown. Victoria state, which currently accounts for nearly all of Australia’s new cases, detected 331 COVID-19 infections and 19 deaths in the past 24 hours, up from 322 infections and the same number of fatalities a day earlier, health officials said. Daily infections in Victoria peaked at 725 on Aug. 5 and have been trending lower in recent days, following the imposition of a hard lockdown in Melbourne on July 19.
11th Aug 2020 - Reuters
Sweden's daily coronavirus case increases are lower than Victoria where there's a Stage 4 lockdown
Sweden's daily increase in COVID-19 has been lower than Victoria in lockdown.
Scandinavian nation number lower in four out of five days since start of August.
In one example, Sweden had 169 new cases compare with 725 in Victoria
11th Aug 2020 - Daily Mail
Coronavirus is leaving Australians feeling angry over COVID-19 restriction breaches, worried for loved ones
From the stress not being able to hold the hand of an elderly loved one, to rage at attempts to force a state to open its borders — Australians are experiencing an array of emotions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Here is a sample of how hundreds of readers from across the country feel:
11th Aug 2020 - ABC News
Coronavirus infections stabilise in Australia's virus epicentre
Australia’s second-most populous state reported only a small rise in new COVID-19 infections on Tuesday, boosting hopes that case numbers are stabilising after a second wave forced authorities to put the city of Melbourne back into lockdown. Victoria state, which currently accounts for nearly all of Australia’s new cases, detected 331 COVID-19 infections and 19 deaths in the past 24 hours, up from 322 infections and the same number of fatalities a day earlier, health officials said.
Daily infections in Victoria peaked at 725 on Aug. 5 and have been trending lower in recent days, following the imposition of a hard lockdown in Melbourne on July 19.
While the lockdown has caused significant economic harm, authorities said the restrictions that will run until September are bearing fruit. “We continue to see numbers coming down. Exactly how long that takes and to what the lowest number is we can get to, only time will tell,” Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews told reporters in Melbourne.
11th Aug 2020 - Reuters UK
French hospitals see first rise in COVID-19 patients since end of lockdown
The French health ministry on Monday reported the first significant rise in the number of people in hospital due to the new coronavirus since the end of the country’s lockdown, reversing a trend seen since mid-April. The ministry said the number of people in hospital with COVID-19 had increased by 34 to 5,045 compared with Friday. It was the first significant increase since the number began falling steadily from a high of 32,292 on April 14. The number of people in intensive care also increased again, rising by 13 from Friday to 396.
11th Aug 2020 - Reuters UK
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 11th Aug 2020
View this newsletter in fullVirus cases in Ireland per 100,000 now higher than UK
Ireland's incidence of Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people over the past 14 days is now higher than in the UK, according to figures released by the European Centre for Disease Control (ECDC). Ireland's rate stands at 16.9 cases while the UK's rate stands at 16.5. The increase reflects the spike in cases over the past week. Ireland used the ECDC figures as a basis for its selection of which countries went on its travel Green List. At the time, Ireland's cases per 100,000 people was around 5. Germany also has a lower incidence of Covid-19 than Ireland according to the figures. Its 14-day cumulative number is 12.9.
11th Aug 2020 - RTE.ie
COVID-19 update to reveal whether B.C.'s case count remains on upward trajectory
B.C. has announced 131 new cases of COVID-19 since Friday, with health officials warning that the province must urgently work to re-flatten its upwardly trending curve. The province has now seen six straight days of more than 35 new cases for the first time in the outbreak. Active cases are at 445, the highest number since May 11 and triple what they were July 1. "We need to do better collectively to stop these exposures from happening," said Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry as she delivered the new case numbers. But she declined to endorse further measures to enforce regulations, saying "we always start with the carrot and not the stick." B.C. was previously lauded for its early efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19, but has slipped in recent weeks, with several outbreaks linked to large private gatherings. Henry said there were 50 new cases recorded from Friday to Saturday, 37 between Saturday and Sunday, and 44 between Sunday and Monday.
10th Aug 2020 - CBC.ca
Which places in England have the highest rates of coronavirus and risk going into lockdown?
A total of 29 local authorities are now on the government’s coronavirus watchlist, after seeing a rise in reported cases. According to the data compiled by Public Health England, Blackburn sits at the top of the list, where 80.6 people per 100,000 have displayed symptoms of the virus between July 27 and August 2. The report, which was published on August 7 also shows high infection rates in Bradford, Calderdale, Pendle, Trafford, and Manchester. So, which other towns and cities are on the list – and what is their infection rate?
10th Aug 2020 - Metro.co.uk
Italy sounds alarm over spike in imported virus cases
Italy sounded the alarm over the rise in coronavirus cases in fellow European countries after a spike in the number of infections discovered among returning Italian holidaymakers. "Not to worry (about new cases from abroad) would be unconscionable," Health Minister Roberto Speranza told the Corriere della Sera daily, which noted: "France, Spain and the Balkans... Italy is surrounded by contagions". Fear over new outbreaks imported by returning holidaymakers has been fuelled by the much-publicised case of 30 young Italians from the Veneto region who visited in Croatia and returned with coronavirus at the start of August.
10th Aug 2020 - RTE.ie
Spain will NOT see a second coronavirus lockdown, believes WHO expert
Director of WHO's Public Health and Environment department Maria Neira told Efe yesterday that a new confinement of the population would have to be justified by a 'very alarming' epidemiological scenario/ And while there has been an increase in cases, Neira said the circumstances for another lockdown simply do not exist
10th Aug 2020 - Olive Press
Spain will NOT see a second coronavirus lockdown, believes WHO expert
Director of WHO's Public Health and Environment department Maria Neira told Efe yesterday that a new confinement of the population would have to be justified by a 'very alarming' epidemiological scenario/ And while there has been an increase in cases, Neira said the circumstances for another lockdown simply do not exist
10th Aug 2020 - Olive Press
Europe’s ‘Second Wave’ Coronavirus Spike Saps Optimism
Fresh fears over coronavirus spikes in Spain are sapping sentiment in Europe, and could be a harbinger of things to come in the U.S. this fall as the northeast becomes a hub to returning students from around the country. No one wants to see second waves. People are done with this virus. But the virus is not done with us.
“The upsurge of infections in some euro area countries severely clouds confidence and the outlook, as restrictions are progressively being re-introduced,” says Ludovico Sapio, a Barclays economist in London.
10th Aug 2020 - Forbes
Indian temple reports huge COVID-19 outbreak as cases surge
A well-known Hindu temple in India has seen more than 700 cases of COVID-19 among its staff in the past two months, a temple official said on Monday (Aug 10), as cases in the country surged past 2.2 million. India reported a near-record 62,064 new cases of the virus in the past 24 hours, according to federal health data released on Monday, taking its total number of cases to more than 2.2 million.
India has fewer cases than only the United States and Brazil, though it has reported a relatively low number of deaths, at fewer than 45,000, although epidemiologists say the peak of its outbreak could be months away. Cases in India have been spreading from urban areas to smaller towns and the countryside, where health infrastructure is already over-burdened.
10th Aug 2020 - Channel NewsAsia Singapore
Japan coronavirus infections top 50,000
Japan's total coronavirus cases topped 50,000 Monday with 836 new cases reported, increasing by 10,000 in just one week, as urban centers including Tokyo and Osaka continue to see high levels of infections since the central government fully lifted the nationwide state of emergency in late May. The pace of the virus spread has picked up since the figure reached 20,000 in early July, eclipsing the 30,000 mark in late July and 40,000 on Aug. 3. The nationwide tally includes about 700 from the Diamond Princess cruise ship that was quarantined in Yokohama in February. The Tokyo metropolitan government reported 197 new cases of the novel coronavirus, down from the 331 infections the previous day, while Osaka Prefecture confirmed 123 cases compared to 195 Sunday.
10th Aug 2020 - Kyodo News Plus
India Reports Record Coronavirus Deaths
India on Monday reported more than 1,000 new coronavirus deaths, the most the country has recorded in a single day since the pandemic began. The new toll put India’s total at 44,386 deaths, trailing only the United States, Brazil, Mexico and Britain. The country has also reported more confirmed new cases than any other in the world for six consecutive days, including 62,000 on Monday. Australia reported its own deadliest day with 19 new deaths, while the center of the country’s outbreak, the state of Victoria, saw some decline in its number of new cases.
10th Aug 2020 - Voice of America
Coronavirus: Australia records deadliest day but fewer new infections
Australia has recorded its deadliest day of the coronavirus pandemic amid a second wave of infections in Melbourne. Victoria state - of which Melbourne is the capital - reported 19 deaths on Monday. Victoria has now seen about two-thirds of Australia's total 314 deaths and approximately 21,400 cases. But the number of daily infections - though still in the hundreds - has dropped in recent days, prompting hope that a strict lockdown is working. Melbourne's second lockdown began over a month ago, but residents have been subject to a night-time curfew and stricter requirements since 3 August.
10th Aug 2020 - BBC
Indian temple reports huge coronavirus outbreak as cases surge
A well-known Hindu temple in India has seen more than 700 cases of the novel coronavirus among its staff in the past two months, a temple official said on Monday, as cases in the country surged past 2.2 million. India reported a near-record 62,064 new cases of the virus in the past 24 hours, according to federal health data released on Monday, taking its total number of cases to more than 2.2 million. India has fewer cases than only the United States and Brazil, though it has reported a relatively low number of deaths, at fewer than 45,000, although epidemiologists say the peak of its outbreak could be months away. Cases in India have been spreading from urban areas to smaller towns and the countryside, where health infrastructure is already over-burdened.
10th Aug 2020 - Reuters
Australia's Victoria reports deadliest day of COVID-19 pandemic
Australia’s second-most populous state, Victoria, reported its deadliest day of the COVID-19 outbreak on Sunday, with 17 people dying, as police thwarted a planned anti-mask rally in the capital of Melbourne. Victoria, at the centre of a second wave of infections in Australia, reported 394 cases of the novel coronavirus in the past 24 hours, compared with a daily average of 400-500 over the past week. The new deaths bring the state’s total to 210. The southeastern state, with infections concentrated in Melbourne, accounts for a lion’s share of the national tally of more than 21,000 and 295 deaths. In an effort to slow the spread of coronavirus, Victoria has imposed a night curfew, tightened restrictions on people’s daily movements and ordered large parts of the economy to close.
10th Aug 2020 - Reuters
New national lockdown ruled out in Poland despite rising COVID-19 cases
Poland reported 809 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, the sixth record daily rise in two weeks, but Deputy Prime Minister Jacek Sasin ruled out a new nationwide lockdown. According to the Health Ministry’s Twitter account, most of the cases were in and around big cities including the capital Warsaw, Katowice and Krakow. It said 259 of the new infections were in the Silesia coal mining region, where the main city is Katowice. As of Friday 1,279 coal miners were now infected, mostly in state-run coal producer PGG, data cited by state news agency PAP showed. The increase in new infections was faster and higher than predicted by Health Minister Lukasz Szumowski on Thursday, when he saw the daily tally rising to up to 700 during and after the weekend.
10th Aug 2020 - Reuters UK
Australia says COVID-19 outbreak shows signs of peaking
Australia recorded its biggest one-day rise in COVID-19 deaths on Monday although a slowdown in new cases gave hope that a second wave of new infections in the state of Victoria may have peaked. Nineteen people had died from the virus, all in Victoria, in the past 24 hours, a national daily record. However only 337 people had been diagnosed with COVID-19 across the country, the lowest one-day rise since July 29, officials said. “This is an agonising day for the members for the 19 families who have lost a loved one to COVID-19 today,” Michael Kidd, Australia’s deputy chief medical officer, told reporters. “We are now seeing the first promising signs of a significant decline in the number of cases.”
10th Aug 2020 - Reuters UK
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 10th Aug 2020
View this newsletter in fullHawaii reinstates coronavirus restrictions: 'There's no question that the virus is surging'
Hawaii Gov. David Ige will reinstate restrictions to curb the spread of the coronvirus as cases in the state continue to grow. Ige said he will reinstate inter-island travel restrictions beginning on Tuesday, ordering travelers arriving in Kauai, Hawaii, Maui and Kalawao counties to quarantine for 14 days. Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell said the almost 300 city and county parks on the island of Oahu will close beginning Friday through Sept. 5, including the beaches.
8th Aug 2020 - CNBC
The Philippines government could use COVID-19 outbreak to crack down on dissent, critics warn
The Philippines became the Southeast Asian country with the highest number of coronavirus cases on Thursday, the same week it reimposed strict lockdown measures to try to curb its surging outbreak. The measures came after the government passed sweeping new anti-terror legislation that rights groups say is so vague it could be used to silence critics of its pandemic response. The Philippines now has at least 122,754 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 2,168 deaths, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. On Saturday, 80 medical associations called for another lockdown, saying health care workers needed a "time out" as hospitals struggled to handle a five-fold increase in infections. "If you want to resign or if you're too lazy, government personnel will help you and they will work," President Rodrigo Duterte said, lashing out at medical personnel. "I can ask my soldiers and police officers to work 28 hours a day," he said.
8th Aug 2020 - CBS News
Coronavirus Vietnam: The mysterious resurgence of Covid-19
Hawaii Gov. David Ige will reinstate restrictions to curb the spread of the coronavirus as cases in the state continue to climb and state health officials predict more deaths and hospitalizations in the weeks to come. “There is no question that the virus is surging in our state, and I know that many are worried about their health,” Ige said at a press briefing Thursday. “As we reopened our community, people let their guard down. It’s been very disappointing.”
8th Aug 2020 - BBC
Austria the latest country to issue a travel alert for Spain amid Covid-19 resurgence
The Austrian government has advised against all non-essential travel to Spain over coronavirus fears. The travel alert will come into effect Monday and will be applied to continental Spain
7th Aug 2020 - The Olive Press
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 7th Aug 2020
View this newsletter in fullIn the latest sign of Covid-19-related racism, Muslims are being blamed for England's coronavirus outbreaks
Coronavirus conspiracy theorists have spread baseless rumors online -- frequently targeting minorities -- since the beginning of the pandemic. In England the latest wave of vitriol criticizes Muslims, blaming them for spreading Covid-19. Muslims were caught off guard last week, when the UK government suddenly announced local lockdowns in a slew of areas in northern England where cases have spiked. The announcement came just hours before Eid al-Adha, one of the holiest festivals in Islam. The affected areas included Greater Manchester, Burnley, Blackburn with Darwen, Bradford and Leicester -- all places with a significant Islamic population according to the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB).
6th Aug 2020 - CNN
Aberdeen bars angered by lack of contact from authorities over Covid-19 cluster
The Scottish Government yesterday took the decision to shut down all bars and restaurants in the Granite City following reports of a coronavirus outbreak at the Hawthorn Bar last week. But many of the bars now on a list of venues where Covid-19-positive customers have wined and dined in Aberdeen have received no contact from either Environmental Health or NHS Grampian. Nearly 30 pubs, bars and restaurants were named on a list circulated by NHS Grampian yesterday. Mandy Davidson, owner of The Cock and Bull, said: The only reason we knew a customer that dined with us had since tested positive was a call from the guest in question.
6th Aug 2020 - Press and Journal
Fresh concern over potential local lockdown as Covid-19 cases are still on the rise in Northampton
Covid-19 cases are rising faster than at any time in the last month in Northampton despite health chiefs' bid to ward off the danger of a local lockdown. Wednesday's government bulletin revealed 25 more positive tests across the county — 14 of them in Northampton, seven in nearby Wellingborough and three in Corby. Public Health England is due to publish its latest weekly surveillance report later today (Thursday) with Northampton likely to be on a par with some areas of Greater Manchester where extra measures were imposed last week in a bid to slow down the transmission of the virus.
6th Aug 2020 - Northampton Chronicle and Echo
France fears second wave as country records highest increase in daily coronavirus cases since May 30
France has recorded its highest number of daily coronavirus infections in more than two months amid growing concerns of a second wave of the virus in Europe.
Figures showed 1,695 new cases within 24 hours —the highest daily increase since May 30, when they were up by 1,828. French authorities have strengthened public hygiene rules, with cities such as Lille, Nice and Toulouse ordering the public to wear masks in busy streets.
6th Aug 2020 - Evening Standard
France, Spain and Greece see surge in coronavirus cases
France, Spain, Greece and Germany have all been reporting new spikes in infections, prompting fears of a second surge in cases. The three countries recorded marked increases in new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, fuelling fears of a second spike in infections during the holiday season.
6th Aug 2020 - Wales Online
Coronavirus: France records two-month high in cases
France has recorded its highest number of daily coronavirus infections in more than two months. Figures released on Wednesday showed 1,695 new cases within 24 hours. With more than 30,000 deaths, France has the third-highest death toll in Europe, behind the UK and Italy. The city of Toulouse has introduced new rules requiring face masks in its busiest streets, with Paris and a number of other cities expected to follow suit. France is not the only European nation to witness a resurgence in cases since lockdown measures were eased.
6th Aug 2020 - BBC
Telangana Lockdown: Traders Begin Voluntary 10-day Lockdown as Cases Rise
The surge in COVID-19 cases continued in Telangana, with 2,092 new cases being reported, the highest single-day spike so far, while the death toll mounted to 589 after 13 more people succumbed to the virus.
6th Aug 2020 - India.com
Asia Today: Central Japan region put under virus emergency
A governor in central Japan announced a state of emergency Thursday because of rising virus cases and asked businesses and people to curb activities, especially during an upcoming holiday. Aichi prefecture has been seeing more than 100 new infections a day since mid-July after an extended period with zero new cases. The prefecture includes Nagoya and the headquarters of Toyota Motor Corp., Japan’s top automaker. Gov. Hideaki Ohmura said businesses are being asked to close altogether or close early, and people are requested to stay home at night to prevent infections from spreading.
6th Aug 2020 - ABC News
Second wave strikes Europe? Spain reintroduces lockdown, Greece sees a worrying rise in cases and virus is 'more active' in Germany amid warnings France 'could lose control at ...
The head of Germany's doctors' union has said that the country is already in the midst of its second wave because people have flouted social distancing rules
France says it stands on precipice and 'could at any moment tip' out of control
Two towns north of Madrid, Spain, have been put under strict lockdown
Greece recorded 121 new cases Tuesday - the highest daily tally since April 22
Italy has quarantined two infected cruise ships at Civitavecchia port in Rome
6th Aug 2020 - Daily Mail
Philippines reports 3,561 new coronavirus cases, 28 more deaths
The Philippines on Thursday recorded another jump in coronavirus cases to overtake neighbouring Indonesia as the country with the highest number of confirmed COVID-19 infections in East Asia. A recent surge in cases of the virus in and around the capital Manila has pushed authorities to reimpose a lockdown affecting around a quarter of the country’s 107 million people. The Philippines recorded 3,561 new infections on Thursday, taking its total confirmed cases to 119,460. That is higher than Indonesia’s 118,753 infection cases. The death toll rose by 28 to 2,150, which is less than half of Indonesia’s 5,521 fatalities, but is expected to grow after the recent spike in cases.
6th Aug 2020 - Reuters UK
Uptick in German coronavirus cases raises fresh lockdown fears
Germany announced mandatory tests for travellers returning from high-risk regions after new coronavirus cases breached the 1,000-a-day threshold for the first time since May, fuelling fears of a return to an economically disruptive lockdown.
6th Aug 2020 - Reuters UK
Coronavirus in Scotland: Another 67 people test positive for Covid-19
Another 67 people have tested positive for Covid-19 in Scotland, the First Minister has confirmed. No deaths were recorded in today’s figures. It is not yet clear how many of the new cases are connected to an outbreak in Aberdeen. Based on “provisional information”, 39 of them are in the NHS Grampian area. A further 17 are in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde area. Speaking at the Scottish Government’s coronavirus briefing, Nicola Sturgeon said the latter cases were being monitored closely for signs of a pattern or cluster.
6th Aug 2020 - The National
Vietnam turns Danang stadium into field hospital amid virus outbreak
Vietnam is close to completing the conversion of a sports stadium into a 1,000-bed field hospital in its new coronavirus epicentre Danang, the health ministry said on Thursday, as it battles an outbreak that has spread to at least 11 locations. Aggressive contact-tracing, targeted testing and strict quarantining had helped Vietnam halt an earlier contagion, but it is now racing to control infections in the central city and beyond after a new outbreak ended a run of more than three months without domestic transmission.
6th Aug 2020 - Reuters
Dutch PM urges tourists to avoid busy parts of Amsterdam
The Netherlands’ Prime Minister on Thursday called on tourists to avoid busy parts of Amsterdam, following a sharp acceleration in the number of coronavirus cases in the Netherlands. Prime Minister Mark Rutte cut short his summer vacation after the National Institute for Health (RIVM) reported 601 new cases on Thursday, from 426 a day earlier, following weeks of gradual increases. “Very specifically for the city of Amsterdam, I say to tourists foreign and domestic, and partly on behalf of the mayor: avoid the busy parts of the city,” Rutte told reporters in The Hague. Amsterdam’s mayor Femke Halsema on Wednesday began mandating masks in areas including the central Red Light prostitution district, which is a magnet for foreign tourists.
6th Aug 2020 - Reuters
Ireland says rise in COVID-19 reproduction rate 'a serious concern'
A rise in the COVID-19 infection rate in Ireland is a “serious concern” but the country has not yet seen a significant resurgence in infections outside of identified clusters, a leading health official said on Thursday. Ireland, which for several weeks had one of the lowest infection rates in Europe, has seen a spike since last Thursday and has identified a number of clusters of infections in meat plants and accommodation for asylum seekers. The reproduction rate, or the number of people who become infected from each positive case, has increased to 1.8 from 1.3 a week ago, Professor Philip Nolan, the chairman of the country’s Epidemiological Modelling Advisory Group, told a news briefing. “A reproduction number of almost 2 is a serious concern, and although we have not yet seen a significant increase in community transmission, there is a significant risk this could develop over the coming days and weeks,” Nolan said.
6th Aug 2020 - Reuters
Denmark Drops Plan to Lift Curbs on Public Gatherings as Infections Spike
Denmark will not raise a limit on public gatherings, originally planned for this month, after seeing a spike in COVID-19 infections, the Danish health ministry said late on Thursday. As part of the Denmark's gradual reopening following a lockdown to curb the spread of the coronavirus, the government had planned to raise the limit on public gatherings to 200 people on August 8, up from the current limit of 100 people. "It is crucial that we maintain the good position Denmark is in, where we have the epidemic under control," health minister Magnus Heunicke said.
6th Aug 2020 - The New York Times
COVID-19 outbreak shutters huge Papua New Guinea mine
A coronavirus outbreak has forced the closure of a major Papua New Guinea mine, its operator said on Thursday (Aug 6), as the virus spreads to a remote corner of one of the Pacific's poorest nations. Ok Tedi Mining said it had decided "to immediately suspend operations for at least 14 days" after seven cases were detected at the facility near the Indonesian border. The copper and gold mine sits in the remote Papua New Guinea highlands, employs thousands of people and accounts for around seven per cent of the country's GDP, according to company figures. It is believed the virus was brought to the area by a mine worker arriving from the now locked-down capital Port Moresby more than 800km away, where authorities are struggling to contain several rapidly growing clusters
6th Aug 2020 - Channel NewsAsia Singapore
56 NFL players have tested positive for COVID-19 since reporting to camp
The NFL Players Association says that 56 players have tested positive for COVID-19 since players began reporting to training camps last week. That represents approximately 2 percent of the players currently on NFL rosters. The league would obviously love to see zero players testing positive, something the NBA and NHL have both managed by putting all their players into bubbles. But the NFL is not going to use a bubble, and so a 0 percent rate of infection is all but impossible.
6th Aug 2020 - NBC Sports - NFL
Luton placed on Covid symptom app local lockdown 'watch list' and could 'pose a threat’ to London, expert warns
Luton has been identified as a potential hotspot of coronavirus infections that experts fear could "pose a threat" to London. Data collected by Kings's College Covid-19 Symptom tracker app suggests the Bedfordshire town has seen an "increased prevalence" of the virus since last week. According to the researchers' "watch list", over seven days 0.2 per cent Luton's population were suffering from coronavirus symptoms — compared to 0.33 per cent in Blackburn with Darwen, which is subject to local lockdown measures.
6th Aug 2020 - Evening Standard
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 6th Aug 2020
View this newsletter in fullCoronavirus: what France's 'second wave' could look like
A second wave is “highly likely”, the French Scientific Committee has said, but what will that mean for people in France France could see a resumption “at any moment” of the Covid-19 pandemic, warned the Conseil Scientifique in a document published on Tuesday (August 4). It added that a “second wave” could be expected in Autumn or Winter this year. The four scenarios: Scenario 1: Epidemic under control - Scenario 2: One or more critical clusters showing signs of a local resumption of the epidemic - Scenario 3: A diffuse and low-key resurgence of the epidemic - Scenario 4: The epidemic reaches a critical stage - The report said that localised lockdowns should be considered early on if “critical clusters” emerged, with indications of this including a rate of more than 50 cases per 100,000 population. This was reached in Mayenne in mid-July but there has been no local lockdown so far.
5th Aug 2020 - The Connexion
Australia suffers record coronavirus deaths, triggering tighter curbs
Australia reported a record 15 deaths from COVID-19 on Wednesday, all in Victoria state, which was preparing to close much of its economy to control a second wave of infection that threatens to spread across the country. The second-most populous state in Australia reported a record rise of 725 new COVID-19 cases despite having reimposed a lockdown on Melbourne, the state capital with a population of 5 million people, four weeks ago. New South Wales and Queensland states introduced new measures to limit the spread of the new coronavirus, which has claimed 247 lives across the country.
5th Aug 2020 - Reuters UK
Coronavirus: New virus measures in Preston 'expected in next few days'
Lockdown measures could return to Preston in the next few days after a rise in Covid-19 cases, Lancashire's director of public health said. Dr Sakthi Karunanithi expects stricter rules to be imposed in the city as they have been in east Lancashire, Greater Manchester and parts of West Yorkshire. The council has already asked residents to follow a number of extra measures in a bid to halt the spread of the virus. Data from Public Health England shows a rise in new Covid-19 cases in the city. Preston recorded 49 new cases of coronavirus in the week to 31 July, more than double the week before when there were 22 - this meant almost 35 cases per 100,000 population.
5th Aug 2020 - BBC
Coronavirus UK: Preston set to be next city in local lockdown
The infection rate in the Lancashire city has more than doubled in seven days. More than 34 people per 100,000 were diagnosed with Covid-19 last week
Lancashire director of public health said matter of days before lockdown comes
5th Aug 2020 - Daily Mail
Victoria-NSW border communities brace for 'enormous heartache' as lockdown measures loom
Communities straddling Victoria and New South Wales are bracing for “enormous heartache” and even more disruption to business, with the looming lockdown measures adding to the pain caused by last month’s border closure, a federal MP says. The independent MP for the north-east Victorian seat of Indi, Helen Haines, said many business owners were “desperate” and “exhausted” after experiencing four weeks of impacts from the NSW border restrictions – and now faced another hit from the reintroduction of stage three lockdown measures in regional Victoria this week. Haines is calling for “some very targeted federal government business support to the border communities, which recognises that they have now experienced a month of disruption to their business as a result of the border closing”. The Albury-Wodonga region, for example, has faced a range of impacts.
4th Aug 2020 - The Guardian
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 5th Aug 2020
View this newsletter in fullVictorian nurses ask for urgent PPE as more than 730 health workers sick with Covid-19
The letter to the premier, seen by Guardian Australia, states “the situation is still inadequate months after the outbreak started”. It was written by a member of the College of Mental Health Nurses, Claire Hudson-McAuley, who detailed stories shared by nurses, including a nurse working in a surgeon’s rooms who said only surgeons were provided with protective N95 masks.
4th Aug 2020 - The Guardian on MSN.com
80% of new Covid-19 cases in part of Greater Manchester are among white people
Eleanor Roaf, the director of public health in Trafford, made the claims. But she warned most cases in Trafford were in the 'nice leafy suburbs. 'She suspects young people are catching the virus after going out to pubs. They are then spreading the coronavirus to their parents in small households
4th Aug 2020 - Daily Mail
Spain's new wave of infections hits the young, middle-aged
Like most Spaniards, Emma Gaya thought the worst of the pandemic was behind her. Spain’s government had ended a three-month lockdown after an COVID-19 onslaught that claimed at least 28,400 lives in the European Union nation. To kickstart its stalled economy, Spaniards were encouraged to cautiously resume their lives under a “new normality” based on wearing face masks, washing hands and social distancing. The respite didn’t last long. Outbreaks among farm workers and young people desperate to resume socializing after being cooped up have spread across northern Spain, spawning what some health officials fear could be the start of a dreaded “second wave” of infections.
4th Aug 2020 - The Associated Press
Return to full lockdown remains on the table in Israel - Health Ministry
Returning to a full lockdown remains an ‘option’, Israel’s most senior public health official warned on Tuesday as the country grapples with how to respond with its second wave of coronavirus cases. Health Ministry director-general Chezy Levy said in an interview with Army Radio that: “A partial or complete lockdown are still options. “Lockdown is a tool that can reduce morbidity; on the other hand, the price we’ll pay for a complete lockdown is clear to all of us,” he added. Mr Levy also noted that Israeli decision-makers were considering ordering localised lockdowns of cities with high infection rates, similar to steps taken in the UK and Spain.
4th Aug 2020 - The Jewish Chronicle
Expats on Spain’s Costa del Sol Fear Another Lockdown as Pandemic Accelerates
Expats on Spain’s Costa del Sol now fear another lockdown could be on the cards as the pandemic seems to be accelerating. According to the Ministry of Health, over the last two weeks, there have been 29,598 new cases of the coronavirus. This apparent acceleration is more notable in regions such as Madrid, Catalonia, Aragon and Navarra, but it does not mean that the situation could not get out of hand on the Costa del Sol. All it takes for this virus to spread like wildfire is one social and Covid-positive individual who goes around town for a few days without knowing they are infected.
4th Aug 2020 - Euro Weekly News
Coronavirus Australia: Cases that could flag NSW lockdown
NSW has recorded a spate of mystery cases in the past week, with a top doctor warning a rise in this number could spark harsher restrictions for the state. Deputy chief medical officer, Dr Nick Coatsworth, said if there is an increase in cases without links to known outbreaks then that will be a major cause for concern. “The concern becomes when there is unlinked people, people who don’t have an obvious link to someone else who had COVID-19,’ he told Nine’s Today. “And by and large that’s being kept around about one per day in NSW. Which of course is a phenomenal effort for the public health service. If that starts to increase that’s a concern.”
4th Aug 2020 - NEWS.com.au
Vietnam says it has no plans for widespread lockdown
Vietnam has no plans for a widespread lockdown and will only put areas considered epicentres under strict quarantine, the government’s spokesperson said on Monday. “We will only implement social distancing in areas considered virus epicentres, and will not pursue a widespread lockdown,” Mai Tien Dung, the government’s spokesman, told a monthly press conference on Monday. Dung said selective lockdown measures would allow the government to achieve the dual goals of containing the virus and boosting the economy at the same time. “If there’s an infection in a hamlet, we will lock down that hamlet only, not the whole district or the whole province,” he said.
4th Aug 2020 - Reuters UK
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 4th Aug 2020
View this newsletter in fullTop US official urges 'really hard' lockdown as coronavirus outbreak enters 'new phase'
The US economy could benefit if the nation were to "lock down really hard" for four to six weeks, a top Federal Reserve official has said, as a senior White House official warned America was entering a new phase in which the coronavirus was "extraordinarily widespread" in rural areas as well as cities. The US economy, which in the second quarter suffered its biggest blow since the Great Depression, would be able to mount a robust recovery, but only if the virus were brought under control, Neel Kashkari, president of the Minneapolis Federal Reserve Bank, told CBS' Face the Nation.
3rd Aug 2020 - The Sydney Morning Herald
Spain's new wave of infections hits the young, middle-aged
Like most Spaniards, Emma Gaya thought the worst of the pandemic was behind her. Spain’s government had ended a three-month lockdown after an COVID-19 onslaught that claimed at least 28,400 lives in the European Union nation. To kickstart its stalled economy, Spaniards were encouraged to cautiously resume their lives under a “new normality” based on wearing face masks, washing hands and social distancing.
3rd Aug 2020 - KEYE TV CBS Austin
Coronavirus Australia: Call for stage 3 lockdown in Sydney
An epidemiologist has suggested Sydney may need to go into stage three lockdown in order to stay on top of the growing COVID-19 clusters. Professor Tony Blakely aired his “unpopular” opinion while speaking with Sunrise on Monday morning. “I’m going to be unpopular in saying this but I certainly think Sydney should be sitting a stage three lockdown because you don’t want to let the virus get ahead of you,” he told the program. “New South Wales is on the edge at the moment.” A stage three lockdown would see Sydney residents only allowed to leave their homes to shop for essentials, exercise, to go to work or school or for care or caregiving.
3rd Aug 2020 - News.com.au
Vietnam says early August 'decisive' in containing coronavirus
Vietnam is in the midst of a “decisive” fight against the novel coronavirus, its premier said on Monday, focusing on the city of Danang where infections have appeared in four factories with a combined workforce of 3,700. Vietnam, widely praised for its mitigation efforts since the coronavirus appeared in late January, is battling several new clusters of infection linked to Danang after going more than three months without detecting any domestic transmission. “We have to deploy full force to curb all known epicentres, especially those in Danang,” official broadcaster Vietnam Television quoted Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc telling government officials. “Early August will be the decisive time within which to stop the virus from spreading on a large scale.”
3rd Aug 2020 - Reuters
Vietnam says it has no plans for widespread lockdown
Vietnam has no plans for a widespread lockdown and will only put areas considered epicentres under strict quarantine, the government’s spokesperson said on Monday. “We will only implement social distancing in areas considered virus epicentres, and will not pursue a widespread lockdown,” Mai Tien Dung, the government’s spokesman, told a monthly press conference on Monday. Dung said selective lockdown measures would allow the government to achieve the dual goals of containing the virus and boosting the economy at the same time. “If there’s an infection in a hamlet, we will lock down that hamlet only, not the whole district or the whole province,” he said.
3rd Aug 2020 - Reuters
Philippine economy fears as coronavirus curbs reintroduced
Tens of millions of people in and around the Philippine capital will go back to a strict lockdown from Tuesday, threatening incomes and hopes for reviving a once dynamic economy as authorities take drastic measures to halt surging virus cases. Before the coronavirus pandemic, the Philippines was one of Asia’s fastest growing economies, but tough restrictions from mid-March to May pushed it to the brink of recession, and hopes for a swifter recovery are looking bleak with the return of measures set to squeeze commerce. The lockdown in Manila and nearby provinces is being reinstated for an initial two weeks after a prominent medical group warned the healthcare system could collapse from soaring COVID-19 cases that scaled new records on four straight days until Monday.
3rd Aug 2020 - Reuters UK
Philippines to reimpose stricter coronavirus lockdown in capital as cases spike
The Philippines will reimpose a stricter coronavirus lockdown in and around the capital for two weeks from Tuesday, authorities said on Sunday, as the country struggles to contain infections that have jumped to more than 100,000 cases. President Rodrigo Duterte has approved placing Metro Manila and nearby provinces such as Laguna, Cavite, Rizal and Bulacan under so-called “Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine” (MECQ) until Aug. 18, his spokesman Harry Roque told reporters. Some businesses and public transport are expected to be closed in the capital, which is currently under the less restrictive General Community Quarantine classification.
3rd Aug 2020 - Reuters UK
Testing 'may not prevent new coronavirus wave' when schools reopen
Current testing and contact tracing is inadequate to prevent a second wave of coronavirus after schools in the UK reopen, scientists have warned. Increased transmission would also result from parents not having to stay at home with their children, they say. Researchers said getting pupils back to school was important - but more work was needed to keep the virus in check. The government said plans were in place to ensure schools can fully reopen at the start of the new school year.
"Local health officials, using the latest data, will be able to determine the best action to take to help curb the spread of the virus should there be a rise in cases," a statement said. Schools have been shut around the world as countries used lockdowns to control the spread of Covid-19. It is estimated 1.6 billion children have been kept out of the classroom.
3rd Aug 2020 - BBC
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 3rd Aug 2020
View this newsletter in fullCoronavirus: 'Rapid increases' in South Africa cases as more than 500,000 test positive
South Africa has confirmed more than 500,000 coronavirus cases, as the number of infections in the African continent climbs towards one million. The country reported a daily rise of 10,107 new COVID-19 infections. This brings the total to 503,290 - the fifth-highest worldwide, behind the US, Brazil, India and Russia, according to Johns Hopkins University in the US.
2nd Aug 2020 - Sky News
Switzerland should tighten coronavirus restrictions again, government advisor says
Switzerland should tighten restrictions to curb the coronavirus again following a recent spike in cases, in order to prevent the need for much harsher lockdown measures in future, the new head of the country’s coronavirus taskforce said. Switzerland has seen the number of new cases of COVID-19 surge to more than 200 a day recently after an average of 35 per day in June. Martin Ackermann, who heads the body that provides scientific advice to the Swiss government, said the country was on the brink of a big increase in infections and had little room to manoeuvre.
2nd Aug 2020 - Reuters
Spain diagnoses 1,525 new coronavirus in new post-lockdown record
Spain’s health ministry on Friday reported 1,525 new coronavirus cases, marking the biggest jump since a national lockdown was lifted in June and beating the previous day’s record rise. It is third day in a row Spain has diagnosed more than 1,000 infections. Cumulative cases, which also include results from antibody tests on people who may have recovered increased to 288,522 from 285,430, the ministry said.
1st Aug 2020 - Reuters UK
Namibia to close schools, limit public gatherings as COVID-19 cases surge
Namibian schools will be suspended for the second time in four months next week, while limits on public gatherings will be tightened further to 100 from 250 amid surging cases, President Hage Geingob said. In a televised speech on Friday, Geingob said the decision to suspend schools from Aug. 4 for 28 days came after considering the risks associated with the spread of the virus. The measure affects early childhood development, pre-primary, primary and the first two grades of high school. Namibia has 2,129 confirmed cases and 10 deaths with the country’s rate of daily new cases now the fourth highest on the continent following South Africa, Eswatini and Gabon, according to Geingob. People will also not be allowed to consume alcohol at bars and taverns. They will only be permitted to drink it at home.
1st Aug 2020 - Reuters
After 'warning light', Johnson halts COVID lockdown unwind
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Friday postponed a planned easing of the coronavirus lockdown in England after a rise in infections amplified fears of a second deadly surge in COVID-19 cases.
1st Aug 2020 - Reuters UK
Mainland China reports 45 new coronavirus cases for July 31
China reported 45 cases of the new coronavirus in the mainland for July 31, down sharply from 127 cases a day earlier, the health commission said on Saturday. Of the new infections, 31 were in the far western region of Xinjiang, according to a statement by the National HealthCommission. Eight were in the northeastern province of Liaoning, and the remaining six were imported cases. China reported 23 new asymptomatic cases, up from 11 a day earlier. As of the end of Friday, mainland China had 84,337 confirmed coronavirus cases, the health authority said. The COVID-19 death toll remained at 4,634.
1st Aug 2020 - Reuters
Japan Acted Like the Virus Had Gone. Now It’s Spread Everywhere.
The country garnered global attention after containing the first wave of Covid-19 with what it referred to as the “Japan Model” -- limited testing and no lockdown, nor any legal means to force businesses to close. The country’s finance minister even suggested a higher “cultural standard” helped contain the disease. But now the island nation is facing a formidable resurgence, with Covid-19 cases hitting records nationwide day after day. Infections first concentrated in the capital have spread to other urban areas, while regions without cases for months have become new hotspots. And the patient demographic -- originally younger people less likely to fall seriously ill -- is expanding to the elderly, a concern given that Japan is home to the world’s oldest population.
1st Aug 2020 - Bloomberg
COVID Infections on the Rise in England, Survey Shows
People in England will be required to wear face masks or other face coverings in cinemas, places of worship, museums and art galleries from Aug. 8, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Friday. "We will also extend the requirement to wear a face covering to other indoor settings where you're likely to come into contact with people you do not normally meet, such as museums, galleries, cinemas and places of worship," Johnson said. Face coverings are already required on public transport and, more recently, in shops.
31st Jul 2020 - New York Times
Coronavirus: Scots warned to avoid Covid hotspots in England
The Scottish government has warned people not to visit areas of England affected by new local lockdown rules. It said travel between Scotland and Greater Manchester, East Lancashire and parts of West Yorkshire should only be undertaken if "absolutely essential". First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said those already in the affected areas do not need to return to Scotland early. But she said they should be "more careful than normal" after their return home. They are being advised to minimise contact with other households for 14 days, avoid indoor hospitality and be vigilant in monitoring for symptoms. The advice was issued as 30 new cases of coronavirus were confirmed in Scotland.
31st Jul 2020 - BBC
Philippines records 4063 new coronavirus cases, Southeast Asia's highest jump for second day
The Philippine health ministry on Friday (Jul 31) confirmed 4,063 novel coronavirus infections, reporting the highest daily case increase in Southeast Asia for a second straight day. In a bulletin, the ministry said total confirmed infections have risen to 93,354, while deaths increased by 40 to 2,023. Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday maintained coronavirus restrictions in the capital and some provinces for another two weeks to try to control the spread of the virus. The capital region, provinces south of it, and cities in central Philippines were placed under general community quarantine, limiting movement of elderly and children, and the capacity of business establishments. "My plea is to endure some more. Many have been infected," Duterte had said in a televised address.
31st Jul 2020 - CNA
Indonesia reports 2,040 new coronavirus cases, 73 deaths
Indonesia reported on Friday 2,040 new coronavirus infections and 73 additional deaths, according to data published on the country's COVID-19 task force website.
This brought Indonesia's total number of confirmed infections to 108,376 and deaths to 5,131.
31st Jul 2020 - Thomson Reuters Foundation News
The Coronavirus Infected Hundreds at a Georgia Summer Camp
The staff and counselors gathered at the overnight camp in late June. Within a week of the camp orientation, a teenage counselor developed chills and went home. The camp, which the C.D.C. did not name, started sending campers home the next day, and shut down a few days later. By then, 76 percent of the 344 campers and staffers whose test results were available to C.D.C. researchers had been infected with the virus — nearly half the camp. The study is notable because few outbreaks in schools or child care settings have been described to date, said Caitlin Rivers, an epidemiologist at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. “The study affirms that group settings can lead to large outbreaks, even when they are primarily attended by children,” she said. “The fact that so many children at this camp were infected after just a few days together underscores the importance of mitigation measures in schools that do reopen for in person learning,” Dr. Rivers added.
31st Jul 2020 - The New York Times
Florida, Mississippi report record increases in COVID-19 deaths
California and Florida, two of the most populous U.S. states, reported record increases in COVID-19 deaths on Friday, according to a Reuters tally. Florida reported 257 deaths and California 208 fatalities. In numerical terms, the loss of life in each state is roughly equivalent to the number of passengers on a single-aisle airplane. California became the first U.S. state to have over half a million cases on Friday. Florida is in second place with over 470,000 infections. California’s death toll rose to over 9,200, the third highest in the country behind New York and New Jersey. Florida ranks eighth with nearly 7,000 deaths. California and Florida are among 19 states that saw cases more than double in July.
31st Jul 2020 - Reuters UK
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 31st Jul 2020
View this newsletter in fullAfter Ecuador eased its lockdown, the virus surged in Quito
Struggling to breathe, Luis Gualotuña arrived before dawn Wednesday at a coronavirus testing site in the Ecuadorian capital of Quito, which has experienced an alarming surge in COVID-19 cases since the government started to reopen the economy last month. Hours later, Gualotuña was still in a long line, waiting. “My throat hurts, my body hurts. I have general discomfort and I came here to find out if I have COVID. There is nothing left to do but wait,” said Gualotuña, a 34-year-old unemployed carpenter.
30th Jul 2020 - WTOP
Tokyo Won’t Rule Out State of Emergency If Virus Spread Worsens
Tokyo will ask bars, restaurants and karaoke stores to shorten their business hours as officials race to stop a resurgent spread of the coronavirus in the Japanese capital, with Governor Yuriko Koike threatening to declare a state of emergency if the situation doesn’t improve. Shops will be asked to shut at 10 p.m. from August 3 until the end of the month, restrictions since the capital lifted all limits in June. Tokyo reported 367 cases on Thursday, one higher than the previous record.
30th Jul 2020 - Bloomberg Quint
Australian state makes masks compulsory as COVID-19 spreads
Australia’s coronavirus hot spot, Victoria state, will make wearing masks compulsory after reporting a record 723 new cases on Thursday, mostly among the vulnerable residents of aged care homes. Masks have been compulsory for the past week in the state capital, Melbourne, Australia’s second-largest city with 5 million people, and a neighboring semi-rural district. Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews said masks or similar face coverings will become compulsory across the state starting late Sunday. Residents around the city of Geelong will not be allowed to have visitors in their homes from late Thursday in a second measure aimed at slowing the spread of the virus from the city.
30th Jul 2020 - YAHOO!
Coronavirus: Australia's Victoria records huge case jump
Australia's virus-hit state of Victoria has reported its worst death toll and case rise, prompting fears that a six-week lockdown of state capital Melbourne is not working.
The state confirmed 13 new deaths and 723 new cases on Thursday - a 36% jump on the case record set on Monday. There are fears now that Melbourne's lockdown, which began on 7 July, will need to be extended. The spike meant Australia overall had its deadliest day in the pandemic. A 14th person died late on Thursday but his death will be included in Friday's figures as it was announced after the government's briefing. Officials in Victoria renewed appeals for people with symptoms to get tested quickly.
30th Jul 2020 - BBC
Australia Sets Virus Record as Melbourne Lockdown Struggles
Australia has suffered its worst day of coronavirus infections with Victoria state recording 723 new cases, dashing hopes that a lockdown in the city of Melbourne was bringing the outbreak under control. Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews told reporters that 13 more people had died, bringing the state’s death toll to 105. Infections had gradually decreased earlier this week, with the state recording 295 new cases on Wednesday, raising hopes the six-week lockdown of the city of 5 million people was working.
30th Jul 2020 - Bloomberg
Australia sets Covid-19 record as Melbourne lockdown struggles
PM said mask-wearing would be mandatory across the state, extending the order from just Melbourne. Residents in several regional centers, including Geelong, would not be allowed to have visitors in their homes from midnight. Australia has suffered its worst day of coronavirus infections with Victoria state recording 723 new cases, dashing hopes that a lockdown in the city of Melbourne was bringing the outbreak under control.
30th Jul 2020 - Hindustan Times
UK worried about second wave in Europe, more quarantine measures possible
Britain reported its highest number of new COVID-19 infections in more than a month on Thursday, as ministers fretted about a second wave of cases in Europe and warned more quarantine restrictions were possible. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said COVID-19 was under some measure of control in Britain, but a resurgence in some European countries showed the pandemic was not over. “It is absolutely vital as a country that we continue to keep our focus and our discipline, and that we don’t delude ourselves that somehow we are out of the woods or that that is all over, because it isn’t all over,” he said.
30th Jul 2020 - Reuters UK
Explainer: COVID-19 strikes back in virus-free Vietnam
Vietnam has had one of the world’s best records in containing the coronavirus despite bordering China, its biggest trading partner, where the virus was first reported. But after more than three months with no reports of local transmission, new cases have now been reported in six cities and provinces in the past week and authorities in the communist-ruled country are scrambling to contain the new outbreak. Vietnam, with more than 95 million people, is the most populous country in the world to record no coronavirus deaths so far. It has had a total of only 459 cases, far fewer than most other large countries in Southeast Asia and reported no local transmissions of the virus for 100 days until July 25.
30th Jul 2020 - Reuters UK
Poland may reimpose some curbs as daily COVID-19 cases jump
Poland may have to reimpose quarantine for travellers from countries such as Spain to contain the coronavirus, its prime minister said on Thursday after the country reported its highest daily number of infections so far. Poland has reported fewer cases of COVID-19 than some other European countries, but in recent days the number of new infections has climbed, with the health ministry blaming outbreaks in coal mines and social gatherings.
30th Jul 2020 - Reuters
France sees highest daily increase in cases for over a month
The number of new coronavirus infections in France rose by 1,392 on Wednesday, the highest daily tally in a month and a figure likely to fuel fears of a second wave of the disease despite officials downplaying such a scenario. The increase took France’s total number of confirmed cases to 185,196. In a statement, health authorities said that, leaving aside the continuous decline of people in ICU units, all COVID-19 indicators showed “an increase of the viral circulation”. The reproduction rate, on an upward trend since the beginning of the month, is now “higher than 1.3”, which marks a rise over 24 hours, they said. The figure for new cases, the highest since the June 26 total of 1,588, is above the past week’s daily average of 980 and almost double the 715 average seen in May, when France started to lift is lockdown.
29th Jul 2020 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 30th Jul 2020
View this newsletter in full'I cannot save everybody': Houston doctor fights newest COVID-19 surge
Dr. Joseph Varon, the chief medical officer of United Memorial Medical Center (UMMC), said he is afraid he will soon face a dilemma many doctors elsewhere said they confronted earlier in the pandemic: deciding who to save. “I’m afraid that at some point in time I’m going to have to make some very serious decisions,” he told Reuters in an interview. “I’m starting to get the idea that I cannot save everybody.”
Varon, 58, is overseeing the hospital’s unit dedicated to COVID-19 patients, where he said he tends to an average of 40 people a day. He said he signed more death certificates in the last week than at any point in his career.
29th Jul 2020 - Reuters
Coronavirus: Vietnam battles COVID-19 strain not seen in country before
Every province and city in Vietnam is at risk of a new wave of COVID-19, its prime minister has warned, as territories across Asia suffer a spike in new infections.
Vietnam had been coronavirus-free for months before the recent outbreak in Da Nang, a city in the centre of the country. Cases have now also been reported in other cities, including Ho Chi Minh city and the capital Hanoi. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said that this coronavirus strain had not been seen in the country before, and some local media reported that the new strain was more contagious than previous ones.
29th Jul 2020 - Sky News
Study: COVID-19 outbreaks worse at nursing homes with more complaints
Nursing homes reporting cases of COVID-19 had nearly 1.5-times as many substantiated complaints about the care services they provide than those without confirmed infections, according to an analysis in JAMA Network Open.
29th Jul 2020 - UPI.com
Florida reports record increase in COVID-19 deaths for second day in a row
Florida and Texas reported a record increase in COVID-19 deaths for a second day in a row on Wednesday, as total deaths surpassed 150,000, according to a Reuters tally. Florida had 217 fatalities in the last 24 hours and Texas had at least 302 with some counties yet to report. Only two other states, New York and New Jersey, have ever reported more than 300 deaths in a single day. Florida also reported 9,446 new cases, bringing its total infections to over 451,000, the second highest in the country behind California. Florida’s total death toll rose to 6,457, eighth highest in the nation, according to a Reuters tally.
29th Jul 2020 - Reuters
The graph that shows a worrying and steep rise in Oldham's Covid-19 cases
This graph charts the steep rise in Covid-19 cases in Oldham over the last week.
In the week leading up to July 25, confirmed incidences of the virus increased 'dramatically' with 119 new positive cases being recorded across the borough.
29th Jul 2020 - Manchester Evening News
Oldham overtakes lockdown-Leicester to have the highest second coronavirus infection rate in England
Oldham has overtaken Leicester to have the second highest Covid-19 infection rate in England, official figures revealed today. NHS statistics today showed Oldham recorded 54.3 coronavirus cases for every 100,000 people between July 20 and 26. The weekly infection rate for the Greater Manchester town has risen by 191 per cent. In comparison, Leicester's outbreak has dropped slightly to 53.2.
29th Jul 2020 - Daily Mail
Europe battles to contain surge in Covid-19 cases
Public health officials are sounding the alarm over a resurgence of coronavirus cases in Europe as countries ease lockdowns and international travel ramps up with some experts warning citizens have become too complacent. The increase is marked in countries such as Spain, while eastern Europe and the Balkans, which were largely spared the worst of the early pandemic, are seeing a steep increase in recorded cases. Boris Johnson, Britain’s prime minister, warned of a looming “second wave” of Covid-19 across Europe on Tuesday, while the head of Germany’s public health authority said: “We’ve let our guard down”. Some governments are already taking measures to slow the spread. The UK has imposed quarantine on people returning from Spain, while Germany and France have ordered mandatory testing for travellers from high-risk areas.
29th Jul 2020 - Financial Times
Is Europe seeing a second wave? What WHO says about spike in Covid-19 cases in Spain and other countries - and where cases are rising fastest
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has expressed concerns that Europe is showing signs of a “second wave” of coronavirus, following a recent spike in cases in Spain. Mr Johnson defended the government’s decision to impose a 14-day quarantine restriction on travellers who return from Spain, including the Balearics and Canary Islands, and warned the UK must be “vigilant” over the threat of a second wave here.
29th Jul 2020 - The Scotsman
French health minister says observing social distancing 'vital' to avoid new lockdown
France reported 14 new deaths from the novel coronavirus on Tuesday, a figure twice as high as the daily average increase of seven seen over the previous week. A total of 30,223 people have now died of COVID-19 in France, health authorities said. "We are not facing a second wave, the epidemic is continuing... Some people do not respect the rules. We must not let down our guard," Health Minister Olivier Véran told LCI television.
29th Jul 2020 - FRANCE 24 English
Vietnam's PM calls for urgent action on virus
Vietnam's prime minister has ordered officials across the country to ramp up efforts to curb coronavirus infections. State-run media say Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc made the remarks at a meeting on Wednesday. His intervention comes as the central city of Da Nang has been hit by a surge in infections. He said, "I repeat, all provinces are facing high risks, all provinces should raise their alert level. The top officials in each province should take action, as well as those at every level of government. The public should be careful and alert, and follow the instructions given to them." The prime minister also said authorities have not yet identified the source of infection in Da Nang, saying route of transmission is complicated.
29th Jul 2020 - NHK WORLD
Hong Kong faces worst wave of virus, but tiny apartments mean it can't just lock down
Once a coronavirus success story, Hong Kong is facing its worst outbreak yet, and policymakers are realizing how little they can do without making a bad situation worse. New infections have broken records on nine of the last 20 days. But unlike other global cities, Hong Kong has been reluctant to impose stay-at-home restrictions or close nonessential businesses. Instead, the rules have gotten incrementally tighter, changing by the week. Public gatherings were limited to four people, then two. Dining-in was banned for dinner, then lunch. Masks were required on public transport, then all indoor public spaces, now everywhere outdoors as well.
29th Jul 2020 - The Japan Times
The World’s Covid Resurgence
Well, flare-ups are now occurring in several countries that recently eased their lockdowns and travel restrictions. Victory declarations anywhere are premature.
New cases doubled in Spain over the weekend and are up six-fold in a month. Government officials have tied cases to migrant farm workers, tourists, family gatherings and young people partying. Catalonia, a tourist region known for vineyards and beaches, this weekend ordered the closure of night clubs and late-night bars. “Certain generations haven’t remained vigilant,” Spain Ministry of Health emergency director Fernando Simón said. Governors Doug Ducey of Arizona and Greg Abbott of Texas can sympathize.
29th Jul 2020 - The Wall Street Journal
What Spain is telling us about the coronavirus' second wave
Last week’s €750 billion ($877 billion) COVID-19 rescue fund marked a high point in the European Union’s plan to tackle the economic fallout of the virus. But a new flare-up in infections on the continent is a grim reminder of the more immediate epidemiological threat. While it’s not a second wave yet, it’s a serious test of government strategies intended to avoid one. Cases are rising across the region at the highest pace since tough lockdown measures were lifted, although overall infections remain much lower than the outbreak’s April peak. In Spain, new daily cases hit almost 1,000 last week, driven by local spikes in areas such as Aragon and Catalonia, where nightclubs are now being closed and curfews applied on bars. In Belgium, an increase in infections has forced the government to roll out tougher social-distancing measures, such as limiting face-to-face interactions.
29th Jul 2020 - The Japan Times
China records biggest one-day rise in coronavirus cases since March
A record number of coronavirus infections in Xinjiang, the Chinese region where authorities have been accused of widespread human rights abuses, has prompted concerns the country faces another wave of the pandemic. China’s National Health Commission on Tuesday announced 64 locally transmitted Covid-19 cases, marking the country’s biggest one-day rise since March. Of those, 57 were found in Urumqi, Xinjiang’s capital. In the past two weeks, 280 cases have been confirmed nationwide. The latest outbreak in China — where Covid-19 was first reported earlier this year — comes as countries across the region suffer resurgences in infections.
29th Jul 2020 - The Financial Times
Coronavirus Australia: Sydney’s ‘best chance to avoid lockdown’
The Committee for Sydney has called on the NSW government to introduce mandatory mask wearing in the metropolitan area. The group said following Victoria’s lead and making masks mandatory in Sydney was our “best chance to avoid a second lockdown”. “People in Sydney are still not wearing masks,” the committee wrote in a statement. “Even as COVID-19 cases in Melbourne remain intractably high, and even as we see the increase in community transmission in Sydney that may foretell a true ‘second wave’, a deeply ingrained cultural resistance to mask-wearing has not budged.” The recent advice from NSW health authorities is to wear a mask if you are in a situation where you can’t practice social distancing, like on busy public transport.
29th Jul 2020 - NEWS.com.au
Papua New Guinea outbreak spreads beyond capital
Papua New Guinea ramped up coronavirus testing and rushed to build field hospitals on Wednesday after an outbreak was found to have spread beyond its locked-down capital. More than 70 people have been isolated and contact tracing was underway at four hotels in the second city of Lae, after a health conference attendee tested positive for COVID-19, the provincial health authority said. It was the first infection detected in the city.
29th Jul 2020 - The Jakarta Post
Coronavirus: Two infected Brisbane women didn't self isolate after returning from Melbourne
Queensland Health has confirmed a third positive case of COVID-19 has been recorded in the state's south-east. This morning health authorities revealed two 19-year-old women who returned to Queensland from Melbourne via Sydney and failed to self-isolate tested positive to COVID-19. Health Minister Steven Miles said the women's close contacts were now being thoroughly traced and the women would be facing a criminal investigation.
29th Jul 2020 - 9News
French Health Minister - We want to avoid another coronavirus lockdown
France’s health minister urged the country on Wednesday not to drop its guard against COVID-19, saying it faced a long battle and that observing social distancing rules was vital to avoiding a new national lockdown. France reported 14 new deaths from the novel coronavirus on Tuesday, a figure twice as high as the daily average increase of seven seen over the previous week. A total of 30,223 have now died of COVID-19 in France, health authorities said. “We are not facing a second wave, the epidemic is continuing... Some people do not respect the rules. We must not let down our guard,” Health Minister Olivier Veran told LCI television.
29th Jul 2020 - Reuters UK
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 29th Jul 2020
View this newsletter in fullOldham takes measures to avoid full coronavirus lockdown
People in Oldham have been told to stop visiting friends and family to avoid a full local lockdown after the number of coronavirus cases more than quadrupled in a week. Health officials in the Greater Manchester town imposed new restrictions on Tuesday after the confirmed number of Covid-19 cases rose from 26 to 119 in the week to 25 July. Oldham council urged residents not to have social visitors beyond those in their support bubble and said clinically vulnerable people would now have to shield for a further two weeks, until 14 August. Care homes in the town will no longer relax visiting restrictions.
28th Jul 2020 - The Guardian
German And U.K. Officials Warn Of A Possible New COVID-19 Wave In Europe
The European Union successfully flattened the curve of COVID-19 cases in the spring – but a second wave could be building in parts of the EU, according to both British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the head of Germany's disease agency.
"I'm afraid you are starting to see, in some places, the signs of a second wave of the pandemic" in Europe, Johnson said Tuesday. "We don't know yet if this is the beginning of a second wave, but of course it could be," said Lothar Wieler, head of Germany's infectious disease agency, the Robert Koch Institute. His remarks were reported by Deutsche Welle.
28th Jul 2020 - NPR
Coronavirus: German officials 'very concerned' by rising cases
The head of Germany's public health agency has said he is "very concerned" by rising infections in the country. "We are in the middle of a rapidly developing pandemic," Lothar Wieler, head of the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), told reporters.
Mr Wieler said Germans had become "negligent" and urged people to wear masks and respect social distancing and hygiene rules. In the past week the country has recorded 3,611 new infections.
28th Jul 2020 - BBC
The conditions for a coronavirus spike in Spain were clear. Yet no one saw it coming
Spaniards were prepared to pardon. But, just as Americans cannot forgive Trump for leading the United States into a double-bump pandemic, so a sense of anger is building as Spain’s triumphant “defeat” of coronavirus threatens to become merely a brief holiday. New daily cases here have jumped to three times the level in Britain and show a steep progression. In the worst-hit areas, partial lockdowns are being reinstated, with the Catalan regional premier, Quim Torra, talking of a “critical situation” and threatening the harshest lockdown measures available to him within days. “I don’t want another 7,000 deaths,” he said. Community contagion – when nobody knows who is infecting who – is reportedly back in some parts.
28th Jul 2020 - The Guardian
What Spain Is Telling Us About Second Wave of Coronavirus
A new flare-up in infections on the continent is a grim reminder of the more immediate epidemiological threat. While it’s not a second wave yet, it’s a serious test of government strategies intended to avoid one. Cases are rising across the region at the fastest pace since tough lockdown measures were lifted, although overall infections remain much lower than the outbreak’s April peak. In Spain, new daily cases hit almost 1,000 last week, driven by local spikes in areas such as Aragon and Catalonia, where nightclubs are now being closed and curfews applied on bars. In Belgium, an increase in infections has forced the government to roll out tougher social-distancing measures, such as limiting face-to-face interactions.
28th Jul 2020 - Bloomberg
Belgium tightens Covid-19 restrictions to avoid another lockdown amid rise in cases
Belgium's prime minister on Monday put the brakes on the country's coronavirus exit plan, unveiling a set of drastic social distancing measures aimed at avoiding a new general lockdown amid a surge of COVID-19 infections. Speaking after an urgent meeting of the national security council, Prime Minister Sophie Wilmes said that from next Wednesday contacts outside every household will be limited to the same five people over the next four weeks, as the so-called “social bubble” now applies to a house and its occupants and not to individuals. Belgian residents are currently allowed to meet with 15 different people per week. The measures don’t apply to children under the age of 12.
28th Jul 2020 - FRANCE 24 English
Malaysia township under lockdown as Sarawak state to reimpose restrictions after spike in coronavirus cases
Malaysia's state of Sarawak has put a township on lockdown as it considers reimposing further travel restrictions and shorter business hours following a surge of Covid-19 cases. The state disaster management committee declared Kota Sentosa and its vicinities in the state capital Kuching an "active case detection area", it said in a statement after a meeting chaired by state Chief Minister Abang Johari Tun Openg on Sunday (July 26). Under the lockdown, nobody would be allowed to leave or enter Kota Sentosa, The Malaysian Insight reported.
28th Jul 2020 - The Straits Times
Coronavirus Is Back With a Vengeance in Places Where It Had All but Vanished
Australia reported only a handful of new coronavirus cases in early June, while Hong Kong went three weeks without a single locally transmitted infection that month. Japan had already lifted a state of emergency in May after the number of new cases dropped to a few dozen nationwide. All three reported new high-water marks in daily infection numbers in the past week, showing how difficult it can be to keep the virus at bay, even in places lauded for taking early and decisive action.
The number of infections in all three places are still small in comparison to the world’s hardest hit countries, but the fresh waves demonstrate the tricky balancing act authorities face as they attempt to reopen their economies. One misstep can quickly undo the gains from weeks of closures, and public-health experts say some complacency and fatigue with social-distancing restrictions is inevitable in a long pandemic
28th Jul 2020 - The Wall Street Journal
Australia’s hardest-hit state Victoria posts new daily record of coronavirus cases amid spikes in Hong Kong and China
Australia's hard-hit Victoria state on Monday posted a new daily record of 532 new Covid-19 cases as infections also spiked in China and Hong Kong. Victoria's state capital Melbourne is almost half way through a six-week lockdown aimed at curbing community spread of coronavirus. Mask-wearing in Australia's second-largest city became compulsory last week. The new cases and six deaths reported on Monday surpass a previous record of 484 new infections reported last Wednesday.
28th Jul 2020 - London Evening Standard
China records biggest one-day rise in coronavirus cases since March
A record number of coronavirus infections in Xinjiang, the Chinese region where authorities have been accused of widespread human rights abuses, has prompted concerns the country faces another wave of the pandemic. China’s National Health Commission on Tuesday announced 64 locally transmitted Covid-19 cases, marking the country’s biggest one-day rise since March. Of those, 57 were found in Urumqi, Xinjiang’s capital. In the past two weeks, 280 cases have been confirmed nationwide. The latest outbreak in China — where Covid-19 was first reported earlier this year — comes as countries across the region suffer resurgences in infections.
28th Jul 2020 - Financial Times
Belgium curbs social contact after COVID-19 cases surge
Belgium announced sharp curbs on social contact on Monday after a surge of coronavirus infections in the past three weeks. Prime Minister Sophie Wilmes told a news conference that from Wednesday, a Belgian family or those living together would only be able to meet five other people over the next four weeks, sharply down from 15 now. The numbers allowed to attend public events will be halved to 100 for inside and 200 for outside. Consumers will have to shop on their own and Wilmes also said people should work from home as much as possible. “We are acting again today to keep the situation under control and to prevent a general lockdown,” Wilmes said, adding those infected appeared to be more contagious than when the country went into lockdown in mid-March.
28th Jul 2020 - Reuters UK
Lebanon reimposes COVID-19 restrictions as infections spike
Lebanon reimposed severe COVID-19 restrictions on Monday for the next two weeks, shutting places of worship, cinemas, bars, nightclubs, sports events and popular markets, after a sharp rise in infections. Shops, private companies, banks and educational institutions would be permitted to open, but only on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, with a near total lockdown in place Thursday through Monday until Aug 10. This week’s lockdown coincides with the Eid al-Adha holiday when Muslims normally hold large gatherings. Officials said they were alarmed by a spike in cases in recent days, with at least 132 new infections and eight deaths confirmed in the last 24 hours. Lebanon has recorded just 51 deaths from the coronavirus since February. ”We have to go back a step back and work with determination as though the pandemic has now begun,” Minister of Health Hamad Hassan was quoted in state media as saying. “We have to work more seriously to avoid a medical humanitarian catastrophe.”
28th Jul 2020 - Reuters
Vietnam suspends flights to and from Danang due to virus outbreak
Vietnam has suspended all flights to and from Danang for 15 days after at least 22 cases of the novel coronavirus had been detected in or around the city, the government said on Tuesday. The Southeast Asian country is back on high alert after authorities on Saturday confirmed the first community infections since April, and another three cases on Sunday, all in or around Danang. A further 11 cases linked to a Danang hospital were reported late on Monday, and seven in Danang and nearby Quang Nam province on Tuesday. All bus and train services to and from Danang have also been suspended from Tuesday, a government statement said.
28th Jul 2020 - Reuters
Second COVID-19 wave forces new travel curbs around the globe
Nations in Asia imposed new restrictions on Monday, while an abrupt British quarantine on travellers from Spain threw Europe’s summer reopening into disarray, as the world confronted the prospect of a second wave of COVID-19 infections. In the United States, still dealing with its first wave as infection rates have climbed since June, President Donald Trump’s national security adviser, Robert O’Brien, became the most senior official to test positive. The White House said Trump had not interacted with him in days and was not at risk. Surges were reported in several countries that previously appeared to have the virus under control.
28th Jul 2020 - Reuters
Germany's new virus cases fell to below 500 a day for weeks. Now they've topped 800
Germany is a perfect example; its center for disease control, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), on Monday said that a recent spike in cases was "very disturbing."
The country was held up as a poster-child for how to handle the pandemic, with its rapid response, mass testing capacity, and Chancellor Angela Merkel's calm and clear communication all winning praise. While more than 4% of patients with coronavirus died worldwide in March, Germany's Covid-19 mortality rate was just 0.4% -- despite a high number of reported cases.
28th Jul 2020 - CNN
Coronavirus: Hong Kong bans gatherings of more than two people after spike in cases
Hong Kong has banned gatherings of more than two people as countries across the world try to control new coronavirus outbreaks. The Chinese territory has also banned restaurant dining and introduced rules making it mandatory to wear masks in public places after a spike in locally-transmitted coronavirus cases over the past three weeks. Authorities reported 145 cases on Monday, a new daily record, of which 142 were locally-transmitted cases.
27th Jul 2020 - Sky News
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 28th Jul 2020
View this newsletter in fullSpain’s Murcia region gets lockdown warning if COVID-19 cases carry on rising
A lockdown return could happen across more towns in the Murcia region if COVID-19 case numbers continue to rise. It rolled back Totana into Phase One restrictions after a spike in cases, with entry in and out of the municipality heavily restricted.
27th Jul 2020 - Olive Press
Coronavirus: Spain races to save tourism as cases surge
Spain is fighting to save its embattled tourism industry after the UK government imposed a 14-day quarantine on all arrivals from the country. Spanish officials insist the virus is under control and want certain areas exempt, including the Balearic Islands. The UK said it had no plans to change its decision, and extended its travel advice, telling nationals to avoid non-essential journeys to all of Spain. About 18 million Britons travelled to Spain in 2019.
27th Jul 2020 - BBC
Spain Second Virus Wave Swells, Fuels Concern Across Europe
Spain is scrambling to stay ahead of new outbreaks of the coronavirus that prompted the U.K. to impose a quarantine on travelers returning from the country, dealing a new blow to its tourism-dependent economy. Only weeks after the U.K. included Spain on a list of countries safe for summer holidays, the government reversed course and announced late Saturday it would impose a 14-day quarantine on anyone arriving from Spain. The move came after cases in the country jumped, particularly in the Catalonia region, where authorities are racing to stamp out new outbreaks.
27th Jul 2020 - Bloomberg
Asia battles second wave of coronavirus with fresh lockdowns
Nations in Asia imposed new restrictions on Monday, while an abrupt British quarantine on travellers from Spain threw Europe’s summer reopening into disarray, as the world confronted the prospect of a second wave of COVID-19 infections.
27th Jul 2020 - Reuters UK
Australian state records daily virus record; warns of lockdown extension
Australia's Victoria state on Monday reported the country's highest daily increase in coronavirus infections, prompting the authorities to warn a six-week lockdown may last longer if people continue to go to work while feeling unwell. The second-most populous state reported 532 new cases of the virus which causes COVID-19, the most new cases in a day since the pandemic arrived in Australia, and six more deaths, taking the state toll to 77, almost half the national death toll. Five of the latest deaths were people in aged care facilities, the authorities said. Until recently Australia had avoided the high COVID-19 casualty rates of other countries, but a wave of community transmission in Victoria has prompted a lockdown in Melbourne, the only Australian city to make it mandatory to wear a face mask in public.
27th Jul 2020 - Japan Today
Hong Kong imposes restrictions as Covid-19 cases rise across Asia
China, Australia and Hong Kong have all reported rising coronavirus figures and Vietnam has detected its first locally transmitted cases since April, as countries across Asia try to fend off an apparent second wave of infections. Hong Kong banned dining out and capped group gatherings at two on Monday after recording more than 100 new cases for five days running. Authorities in the densely populated city have also closed pools and sports venues and made mask-wearing mandatory in public, urging people to stay home as much as possible in the middle of a sweltering summer. “The next two to three weeks will be critical. We need to prevent the further spread of the disease in the community,” said Hong Kong’s chief secretary, Matthew Cheung Kin-chung. “There is a high risk of a major outbreak in the community.”
27th Jul 2020 - The Guardian
China reports virus spike as global cases pass 16 mn
China on Monday reported its highest number of coronavirus cases in three months, part of a worrying swell of second and third-wave infections that are hitting Asia and Europe. Australia has been rocked by its deadliest surge since the start of the pandemic, Hong Kong is experiencing record daily numbers and Spain's caseload has tripled in the last fortnight. Meanwhile, other regions are still battling their first waves after never getting the virus under control: the US alone has recorded almost 4.23 million cases of COVID-19, while infections in Latin America and the Caribbean surged on Sunday to briefly overtake North America's total for the first time.
27th Jul 2020 - Medical Xpress
Coronavirus Australia: Victoria reports record 532 new cases and six deaths as NSW reports 17 cases
Victoria has recorded the highest number of Covid-19 identified in a 24-hour period in Australia to date with 532 new cases announced by the premier Daniel Andrews on Monday, along with six more deaths of people aged in their 50s to 90s. “We are seeing too many people for whatever reason attending work with symptoms,” Andrews said. “That just cannot continue. Otherwise, these restrictions will be in place for longer than they should be and I’m sorry to say – we’ll see more people die, particularly in aged care. Get tested and get tested quickly and then stay home until you get you get your result.”
27th Jul 2020 - The Guardian
Australian state records daily virus record, warns of lockdown extension
Australia’s Victoria state on Monday reported the country’s highest daily increase in coronavirus infections, prompting the authorities to warn a six-week lockdown may last longer if people continue to go to work while feeling unwell.
27th Jul 2020 - Reuters
Australia's Victoria to take longer than current lockdown period to slow virus
Australia’s Victoria state on Monday reported the country’s highest daily increase in coronavirus infections, prompting the authorities to warn a six-week lockdown may last longer if people continue to go to work while feeling unwell. The second-most populous state reported 532 new cases of the virus which causes COVID-19, taking the national total to 549, the most new cases in a day since the pandemic arrived.
Victoria currently has more than 4,500 active cases after weeks of triple digits daily rises.
27th Jul 2020 - Reuters
Morocco shuts down major cities after spike in coronavirus cases
Morocco will stop people entering and leaving some of its biggest cities from midnight to contain a surge in COVID-19 cases, the interior and health Ministries said on Sunday. The cities to be locked down include the economic powerhouse of Casablanca as well as Tangier, Marrakech, Fez and Meknes. The country eased a nationwide lockdown a month ago, though international flights are still suspended except special flights by national airlines carrying Moroccans or foreign residents.
26th Jul 2020 - Reuters
France, Spain, Germany Suddenly Facing New Coronavirus Surge
Countries across the world are mulling second lockdowns as they see local resurgences of the coronavirus after easing out from social distancing restrictions, disappointing news for the residents of those countries and for the national economies.
25th Jul 2020 - Forbes
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 27th Jul 2020
View this newsletter in fullPerson who travelled from NZ to South Korea tests positive for Covid-19
The Ministry of Health is seeking more information after a person who had travelled from New Zealand tested positive for Covid-19 in South Korea. The Korean Centres of Disease Control and Prevention says it is presumed the person caught the virus while in New Zealand, but under what circumstances is not known at this point.
It is also unknown how long the person had been in South Korea before being tested. The person was one of 13 new imported cases in South Korea on Friday, of which three were tested on arrival, and the others while in mandatory self-isolation.
A ministry spokesperson said they had been advised of the case by South Korean health authorities, and are following up.
27th Jul 2020 - RNZ
Victoria records 459 new coronavirus cases and 10 deaths in Australia’s deadliest day in pandemic
“That is a significant challenge, given, whilst we have overall capacity and we’ve worked very hard all throughout the year to grow the number of people that can be available for our fight against this virus in a clinical sense, whenever we have clinical staff and other critical health workers away, furloughed because they are a close contact or in fact as an active case, that does put some additional pressure on our system,” he said. Retired health staff and paramedics were among those now being called on to address the health worker gap. More than 4,000 current and retired nurses and midwives and 800 other skilled healthcare workers who may have left the workforce to undertake research or for a break are being trained to again be deployed across the health system, Andrews said.
26th Jul 2020 - The Guardian
Mexico reports 6,751 new coronavirus cases, 729 new deaths
Mexico’s Health Ministry on Saturday reported 6,751 new confirmed cases of coronavirus infection and 729 additional fatalities, bringing the total in the country to 385,036 cases and 43,374 total deaths. The government has said the real number of infected people is likely significantly higher than the confirmed cases.
26th Jul 2020 - Reuters
Mainland China reports 46 new coronavirus cases, including 22 in Xinjiang
China reported 46 cases of the new coronavirus in the mainland for July 25, up from 34 cases a day earlier, the health commission said on Sunday. Of the new infections, 22 were in the far western region of Xinjiang, according to a statement by the National HealthCommission. Thirteen were in the northeastern province of Liaoning, while the remaining 11 were imported cases. China reported two new asymptomatic cases, down from 74 a day earlier. As of Saturday, mainland China had 83,830 confirmed coronavirus cases, the health authority said. The COVID-19 death toll remained at 4,634.
26th Jul 2020 - Reuters UK
Costa Rica Registers Record 931 New Coronavirus Cases and 11 Deaths
Costa Rica's Health Ministry reported a record 931 new coronavirus cases and 11 deaths on Saturday, both single-day highs for the small Central American nation where 72% of all its confirmed cases have been registered since the beginning of this month. In total, Costa Rican authorities have reported 14,600 cases and 98 deaths in the country of 5 million people. Despite the increase in cases, hotels are operational and the government has announced European, British, and Canadian tourists will be allowed to enter the country beginning Aug. 1.
26th Jul 2020 - The New York Times
Germany's confirmed coronavirus cases rise by 305 to 205,269 - RKI
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 305 to 205,269, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Sunday. The reported death toll was unchanged with 9,118, the tally showed.
26th Jul 2020 - Reuters UK
Florida passes New York for number of coronavirus cases
Florida reported more than 9,000 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, a day after overtaking New York as the state with the second-highest number of confirmed infections, behind only California. The surge in cases across some of the most populous US states has also led to a sustained climb in fatalities. On Saturday, the number of deaths across the US increased by more than 1,000 for the fifth day in a row. The 1,037 fatalities registered on Saturday, down from 1,178 a day earlier, marked the first time since May 23 that the death toll has risen by more than 1,000 for five consecutive days. It has been underpinned by the most populous states — California, Texas and Florida — which all reported record daily jumps in deaths this week
26th Jul 2020 - Financial Times
Ukraine reports its highest daily COVID-19 case count in a month
Ukraine reported 1,106 new cases of the coronavirus within a 24-hour period, the highest daily toll since a record on June 26, when it reached 1,109, Health Minister Maksym Stepanov said on Saturday. The number of new daily infections has increased sharply in the past two months following the gradual lifting of restrictions that began in late-May.
25th Jul 2020 - AlArabiya
Nearly fifty quarantined after domestic Covid-19 transmission
Authorities have yet to fully determine how two people were able to contract the SARS-CoV-2 virus in Iceland. As Iceland Monitor reported the two cases were confirmed last Thursday with contact tracing leading to dozens of people being required to self-quarantine. One of the infected persons is a male in his twenties who participated in a sporting event in Hafnarfjörður last weekend. Close to forty people have been required to self-quarantine after having been in close proximity with the athlete. As the transmission route of the virus to the athlete is still unknown, at this stage, it is impossible to tell if he contracted the virus before, after or during the sporting event. The other infected individual is in his thirties and contact tracing has led to less than ten people self-quarantining due to that particular case. Authorities suspect that the person caught the virus from people who had travelled to Iceland from abroad.
25th Jul 2020 - Iceland Monitor
Australia state reports 10 new deaths, 459 cases
Australia’s Victoria state has recorded 10 deaths overnight from COVID-19, its highest daily toll amid a continuing surge in coronavirus cases. State Premier Daniel Andrews said the deaths included seven men and three women. A man in his 40s became one of the youngest COVID-19 fatalities in Australia. There are 459 new infections, the 21st straight day of triple-figure increases. The fatalities bring Victoria's toll to 71 and Australia’s national tally to 155. A total of 228 people are hospitalized in Victoria, 42 in intensive care. Victoria processed 42,973 tests on Saturday, Andrews said, “far and away the biggest testing result that we’ve seen on a single day.” He said he is not currently planning to extend the lockdown in Melbourne, Australia’s second-largest city.
25th Jul 2020 - Rock Hill Herald
Pittsburgh's virus success fizzles in crowded bars, eateries
Pittsburgh’s story may be inevitable for every part of the United States. It may be a victim of other places that were complacent about containing the virus. In a sharp critique last week, Wolf attacked “a lack of national coordination” that resulted in other states eschewing tough containment measures and spreading the virus back to Pennsylvania: “We don’t want to become Florida. We don’t want to become Texas. We don’t want to become Arizona.”
25th Jul 2020 - Associated Press
Why Texas is losing its fight against Coronavirus
Memorial Day weekend didn’t bode any better: Bars in Austin blew past their 25 percent capacity limits; mask-less patrons stood shoulder to shoulder. Partygoers crammed into a swimming pool at one club in Houston. City authorities there received more than 200 complaints about social distancing violations in matter of days. The weekend crowds left public health officials uneasy. They urged Texans to remain vigilant about practicing social distancing and wearing masks for their benefit and that of their neighbors. But the fatigue of shutdown combined with inconsistent public health messaging at a federal, state, and local level had made people complacent, Umair Shah, executive director of the Harris County health department, said.
25th Jul 2020 - Vox.com
South Africa Schools to Close for 4 Weeks to Curb Coronavirus
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said schools were closing for four weeks to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus, which he described as a storm hitting the country. The school closing order comes a week after teachers unions urged authorities to close schools through August, citing the increase in coronavirus cases. South Africa currently has the fifth-highest total of COVID-19 infections in the world, with more than 400,000. Ramaphosa said the school closures begin Monday and classes will resume on August 24 for most students. However, Ramaphosa said Grade 12 teachers and students will take only a one-week break, while students in Grade 7 will resume classes after two weeks.
24th Jul 2020 - Voice of America
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 24th Jul 2020
View this newsletter in fullChinese city of 6million imposes emergency quarantine measures after recording three COVID-19 cases
Dalian in north-eastern China recorded three new COVID-19 cases in two days
Officials urged its 6million residents to not leave the city unless for emergency
Authorities also ordered 190,000 people to receive testing for coronavirus
Comes as China is grappled with local outbreaks in Xinjiang and Hong Kong
23rd Jul 2020 - Daily Mail
Victoria's aged care system on verge of collapse amid Covid-19 surge, doctors warn
Doctors are warning the aged care system in Victoria is on the verge of collapse – a situation that will be worsened by the federal government’s impending announcement that the state’s part-time and casual aged care workers will be banned from working across multiple facilities to help contain the spread of Covid-19 through the sector. The president of the Victorian branch of the Australian Medical Association, Dr Julian Rait, said he had received numerous messages from health workers in aged care warning that with so many aged care workers furloughed due to virus exposure and with cooks, cleaners, health and administration staff fearful of going to work, there would soon not be enough staff to care for residents.
23rd Jul 2020 - The Guardian
France’s neighbour, Belgium, tightens COVID-19 measures as infections spike
Belgium is to tighten measures to contain the spread of Covid-19 after a spike in infections, introducing compulsory face masks in crowded outdoor public spaces.
Brussels imposed a lockdown on 18 March in an attempt to contain the coronavirus epidemic, which has claimed 9,808 lives to date. With a population of just 11.5 million, Belgium is one of the nations per capita that has been hardest hit by the virus, although it has said that was partly due to its transparency . The government eased the lockdown in early May, and it had planned to loosen restrictions further on Thursday. But a series of localised outbreaks and a 91 percent spike in nationwide infections last week forced the government to think again. “The latest figures should not throw us into panic but have to be taken seriously,” Prime Minister Sophie Wilmes told a news conference on Thursday
23rd Jul 2020 - YAHOO!
Coronavirus UK: Areas in England where infections are rising
Areas in the north and midlands have seen the biggest weekly jump in the number of coronavirus cases, according to fresh data which shows where the infection rate is rising and falling. The figures, for the seven days to July 19, are based on tests carried out in laboratories (pillar one of the government’s testing programme) and in the wider community (pillar two). The rate is expressed as the number of new cases per 100,000 people. Wednesday’s update showed that in Blackburn with Darwen, in Lancashire, the rate has jumped from 48.3 cases per 100,000 people to 79.9, with 119 new cases recorded.
23rd Jul 2020 - Metro.co.uk
Rome could face 2nd lockdown after COVID-19 cases spike
Authorities in the Lazio warned on Wednesday that restrictions to curb the spread of the virus may be reintroduced if cases continued to increase in the region, reports the Metro newspaper.
23rd Jul 2020 - Telangana Today
British tourists in Spain dismiss coronavirus second wave fears despite surge in infections
British holidaymakers basking in the Spanish sun appeared to brush off fears of a second coronavirus wave in the country, with one declaring: "We work in ASDA — we are used to Covid". Spain has seen a rapid rise in coronavirus infections in recent weeks, leading to some lockdown restrictions being reimposed in parts of he country. New cases jumped by nearly 4,600 on Monday. The spike has prompted fears that Spain could soon be taken off the list of places Britons can visit without needing to quarantine for 14 days on their return.
23rd Jul 2020 - London Evening Standard
Tourist town in Spain is first to be closed in country due to coronavirus outbreak
Spain has closed off a town banning anybody from leaving or entering due to a coronavirus outbreak. The town of Totana in Murcia, southeastern Spain has been shut after 55 people tested positive. All 32,000 residents have been ordered not to leave the town and people are not allowed to enter. Care homes and health centres will be closed. This is while authorities test all 300 people that were at a bar at the time of the outbreak.
23rd Jul 2020 - Mirror Online
Victoria Adds 403 Cases as Australian State Fights Second Wave
Australia’s Victoria state recorded 403 new coronavirus cases as it struggles to stem a second wave that has put the city of Melbourne into lockdown. The daily tally announced Thursday followed a record 484 new cases announced the previous day in Victoria. There were five additional fatalities, State Premier Daniel Andrews said at a press conference. The spike in Victoria has forced around 5 million people in Melbourne back into a six-week lockdown. The shutdown of the nation’s second-biggest city, which contributes about one-quarter of gross domestic product, could prolong the nation’s first recession in almost three decades. Andrews on Thursday announced plans for a A$300 ($214) payment to encourage those feeling unwell to get tested and self-isolate.
23rd Jul 2020 - Bloomberg
Australia sees record number of new coronavirus cases with 501
Most new cases were reported in Victoria despite the lockdown in Melbourne
New South Wales is also on 'high alert' because of community spread of the virus
Infections previously peaked in March before lockdown restrictions were eased
23rd Jul 2020 - Daily Mail
Covid 19 coronavirus: Victoria border could be closed for two years if cases continue to rise
An epidemiologist has warned Victoria could be facing up to two years in isolation from the rest of Australia if it doesn't control the outbreak soon. Victoria could face up to two years in isolation from the rest of the country if it doesn't bring its Covid-19 outbreak under control, one epidemiologist has warned. Speaking to the ABC on Wednesday, Professor Tony Blakely said Australia is facing a "real dilemma" with the current coronavirus situation.
23rd Jul 2020 - New Zealand Herald
Australia's Victoria records third-highest daily rise in COVID-19 cases
Australia’s second most populous state of Victoria reported on Thursday five deaths from the coronavirus in the last 24 hours and logged the third-highest daily rise in coronavirus cases. Victoria recorded 403 new cases overnight, Premier Daniel Andrews told a media briefing in Melbourne, a day after posting its biggest one-day spike of 484 cases. Melbourne, the state’s largest city, has seen a flare-up in infections in recent weeks, prompting the government to enforce a six-week partial lockdown and make face masks mandatory for its residents or risk a A$200 ($142.74) fine.
23rd Jul 2020 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 23rd Jul 2020
View this newsletter in fullWhy Melbourne isn't moving to stage four restrictions, despite coronavirus case spike
Victorian health authorities say they won't advise moving to a stricter lockdown despite another daily spike in cases - because it might not make any difference.
A stage four lockdown, like seen in New Zealand and Italy earlier in the pandemic, would limit people's movements even more. But Victoria's Chief Health officer Professor Brett Sutton, said there could be little benefit in Melbourne, because most cases appear to be coming from people spreading the illness before they get tested or while waiting for results.
22nd Jul 2020 - 9News
Spain's coronavirus rate triples in three weeks after lockdown easing
The prevalence of the novel coronavirus in Spain has risen three-fold over the last three weeks as authorities struggle to contain a rash of fresh clusters, mainly in the Catalonia and Aragon regions, Health Ministry data showed on Monday. After registering thousands of cases and hundreds of deaths per day during an early April peak, Spain succeeded in slowing the number of new infections to a trickle. But since restrictions on movement were lifted and Spaniards relaxed back into daily life, some 201 new clusters have appeared, with heavy concentrations in and around the Catalan cities of Barcelona and Lleida. The occurrence of the novel coronavirus has jumped from eight cases per 100,000 inhabitants at the end of June, when the country's state of emergency ended, to 27 per 100,000, deputy health emergency chief Maria Sierra told a news conference on Monday. Over the weekend 4,581 new cases were recorded, bringing the total to 264,836, she added. More than 28,000 people have died. "Where measures have been relaxed is where these clusters appear," Health Minister Salvador Illa said. "We're talking about gatherings of extended family and spaces associated with nightlife."
22nd Jul 2020 - YAHOO!
Spain hopes no need to close French border over coronavirus
Spanish Tourism Minister Reyes Maroto said on Wednesday a resurgence in coronavirus cases in Catalonia was coming under control and she hoped there would be no need for France to close the border. With the pandemic wreaking havoc on Spain’s tourism industry, which accounts for about 12% of economic output, Madrid has voiced concern after French Prime Minister Jean Castex on Sunday did not rule out closing the border. But Maroto told an event organised by Europa Press news agency she was optimstic after data showed infections in Catalonia had fallen over the past three days. “Let’s hope that with this better data we don’t have to close a border that for us is very important for mobility with our European partners.”
22nd Jul 2020 - Reuters
French health ministry says Covid-19 spread is 'increasing' as people head on holidays
The French health ministry said Tuesday that coronavirus transmission is increasing during the summer holiday season, with the total number of Covid-19 deaths now standing at 30,165. The ministry's DGS (Direction générale de la santé) health directorate said it had registered "an increase in the number of emergency doctor calls, emergency room visits, the number of virus clusters and new hospitalisations" for suspected cases across the country. The directorate said a total of 547 virus clusters had emerged since May 9, just before France began lifting the strict stay-at-home orders and business closures imposed in March to limit the virus's spread.
22nd Jul 2020 - RF International
Today: After touting virus drop, S. Korea sees rise
Just days after South Korean officials hopefully declared the country’s COVID-19 epidemic was coming under control, health authorities reported 63 new cases following a dual rise in local transmissions and imported infections. South Korea’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday said at least 36 of the new cases came from the densely populated Seoul metropolitan area, where about half of the country’s 51 million people live. The KCDC didn’t immediately confirm whether the numbers included a new cluster of infections discovered at a front-line army unit in Pocheon, north of Seoul, where at least 13 troops have reportedly tested positive. The KCDC said 29 of the new cases were local transmissions and tied the other 34 to international arrivals as the virus continues to spread in Asia, the United States and beyond. The government also plans to send to send two military planes to Iraq on Wednesday to evacuate around 300 South Korean construction workers amid the spread of the virus there.
22nd Jul 2020 - Asahi Shimbun
Coronavirus clusters: why meatworks are at the frontline of Australia's 'second wave'
Around the world, certain environments have repeatedly proved to be hotbeds for Covid-19 infection. Chief among these are aged care homes, cruise ships, prisons and abattoirs. As Victoria enters a “second wave” of Covid-19 infections, Australian meat processors have found themselves at the frontline of exposure and infection, with multiple outbreaks in abattoirs across the state. In the US more than 16,000 meat workers contracted the virus during April and May, with up to 9% of the workforce infected in some states, according to the Centers for Disease Control. While conditions in Australia are different in many respects, the situation in Victoria still points to the potential for rapid spread.
22nd Jul 2020 - The Guardian
Australia sees record number of new coronavirus cases - 501 - four months after pandemic initially peaked as country struggles to cope with outbreak in Melbourne
Most new cases were reported in Victoria despite the lockdown in Melbourne
New South Wales is also on 'high alert' because of community spread of the virus
Infections previously peaked in March before lockdown restrictions were eased
22nd Jul 2020 - Daily Mail
Covid 19 coronavirus: Australian PM issues stark warning as cases climb again
As lockdown looms over New South Wales and Victoria struggles to contain new outbreaks, the Prime Minister of Australia warned nothing will change anytime soon.
Speaking to the ABC on Tuesday night, Scott Morrison said Australians should get used to life as it is right now – restrictions included. He said the future under efforts to suppress the coronavirus means "keeping the discipline". "It means keeping health system support in place … maintaining the testing regime. It will mean … the wearing of masks. It means it hasn't gone anywhere and we can't live like it has."
22nd Jul 2020 - New Zealand Herald
Victoria considering tough New Zealand-style STAGE FOUR lockdown
Victoria reportedly recorded 484 new cases of coronavirus, biggest total yet
That number would eclipse the state's previous record of 428 on Friday
Melbourne has been on lockdown since 8 July with residents told to stay at home
New South Wales recorded 16 new cases on Wednesday as outbreak grew
22nd Jul 2020 - Daily Mail
India cancels historic Hindu pilgrimage as coronavirus cases mount
India has cancelled a historic Hindu pilgrimage to a holy cave high in the snow-capped mountains of contested Kashmir for the first time, as cases of the novel coronavirus continued to rise on Wednesday. There were 37,724 new cases reported in the past 24 hours, according to federal health data released on Wednesday. India has reported almost 1.2 million cases overall, behind only the United States and Brazil. Organisers of the Amarnath Yatra, where saffron-clad Hindu ascetics walk 46 km (28 miles) to the cave across glaciers and waterlogged trails, said a “very sharp” spike in coronavirus cases had forced the cancellation.
22nd Jul 2020 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 22nd Jul 2020
View this newsletter in fullSix Victorian prisons in Covid-19 lockdown as lawyers call for low-risk inmates to be released
Six Victorian prisons have been placed in lockdown after an officer working at a men’s jail in Melbourne tested positive for Covid-19, prompting calls from legal groups to release low-risk prisoners during the pandemic. The officer, who the Guardian understands is male, is employed by GEO, the private correctional services provider which operates the Ravenhall Correctional Centre in Melbourne’s west. While he had been in self-isolation since 16 July after learning he was a close contact of a confirmed Covid-19 case, five further facilities - Hopkins Correctional Centre, Langi Kal Kal Prison, Barwon Prison, Fulham and Loddon - have been placed in lockdown while Corrections Victoria investigates which other staff and prisoners he may have had contact with.
21st Jul 2020 - The Guardian
Coronavirus NSW: Three steps to avoid second lockdown
While the coronavirus pandemic continues to hold a firm grip on the state of Victoria, people in NSW are nervously waiting to see if they too are staring down the barrel of another lockdown. On Tuesday Victoria reported another 374 cases compared to NSW’s 13, as it heads into its third week of a six-week lockdown. Victorians are also preparing for a face mask mandate which will come into effect in the Metro Melbourne area and Mitchell shire at 11.59pm Wednesday. As coronavirus cases continue to spread in southwest Sydney, residents are concerned cases could be on the brink of exploding once again. However epidemiologist at UNSW and Advisor to the World Health Organisation Infection Control and Prevention Guidance Development Group for COVID-19, Professor Mary-Louise McLaws, suggests there are three things NSW could do to prevent another lockdown like Victoria...
21st Jul 2020 - Yahoo! News
Hong Kong lockdown warning as Covid-19 cases spike, with 73 new infections
Hong Kong will have to impose a lockdown if the resurging number of coronavirus infections keeps rising, health authorities have warned, after 73 cases emerged on Monday following a record high at the weekend. In a sign of the toll the escalating health crisis is taking on medical workers, authorities admitted overworked staff at a laboratory had wrongly entered data that resulted in a woman mistakenly testing positive for the virus and sent to an isolation ward in hospital, while another patient with Covid-19 tested negative, although she was already being treated in seclusion.
The government is ramping up its strategy to contain the spread of the disease, including requiring people to wear masks indoors at public venues and ordering civil servants to work from home. With isolation beds at public hospitals now approaching capacity, authorities are prepared to impose a lockdown.
21st Jul 2020 - South China Morning Post
Australia extends support amid COVID-19 outbreak
Australia will spend nearly $12 billion U.S. dollars to extend support for jobs by another six months helping to prop up businesses hit by the global health crisis. In an annoucement on Tuesday (July 21), leader Scott Morrison warned the support payments would continue, but be scaled down: "So our plan for those who aren't in a job is to help them get into a job or train them for a job. Our plan for those who are on JobKeeper in a business that is still eligible for that, is to maintain that support." The reduced payments for fulltime workers will be just over $1,000 dollars, a fortnight.
21st Jul 2020 - Yahoo! News
Countries look to lockdown again after easing of restrictions sees coronavirus cases soar
The coronavirus pandemic has surged again in some parts of the world, with many countries that seemed to have their outbreaks under control struggling to contain a rise in new infections. Worldwide confirmed deaths have now passed 600,000 and the World Health Organization said that 259,848 new infections were reported on Saturday, the highest one-day tally yet.
21st Jul 2020 - ABC News
Regional Victoria's coronavirus cluster grows, but country lockdowns unlikely
There were 103 active COVID-19 cases in regional Victoria outside the lockdown zone on Tuesday — last week there were 32. Twenty-seven cases sit within the Colac Otway Shire area following an outbreak at the Australian Lamb Colac abattoir in the state's south-west. Colac Otway Shire Mayor Jason Schram wants the Government to lock down the region so extensive contact tracing can take place to help contain the spread of the virus. Premier Daniel Andrews said a lockdown was not off the table, but was not yet necessary.
21st Jul 2020 - ABC News
Australia warns coronairus outbreak will take weeks to tame
A surge in COVID-19 cases in Australia's second-biggest city could take weeks to subside despite a lockdown and orders to wear masks, Australia's acting chief medical officer said on Monday as the country braces for a second wave of infection. The respiratory disease caused by the novel coronairus flared up in Victoria state in July, mainly in Melbourne, with a daily record of 438 new cases detected on Friday. Victoria's government has ordered about five million people into a partial lockdown for six weeks and told residents around Melbourne to cover their faces if they have to leave their homes.
21st Jul 2020 - The Hindu
Oman to impose curfew, travel bans for Eid holiday due to coronavirus
Oman will ban travel between all its governorates from July 25 to Aug. 8, a period that includes a Muslim holiday, to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus, state news agency ONA said on Tuesday. A statement from the Health Ministry described the measure as a “total lockdown” of all governorates. The Gulf state will also implement a daily curfew from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. during the period, which includes the Muslim Eid al-Adha holiday period. Shops and public spaces will be closed during the hours of curfew. Oman, a country of 4.7 million people, recorded 1,458 new case of infection on Tuesday and 11 deaths, taking the total tally to 69,887 cases and 337 deaths.
21st Jul 2020 - Reuters
Austria reintroducing face mask requirement in supermarkets, banks
Austria is reintroducing a requirement that face masks be worn in supermarkets, banks and post offices because of an increase in coronavirus infections in recent weeks, Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said on Tuesday. Austria went into lockdown early in its outbreak in mid-March and began loosening its restrictions a month later, even scrapping the requirement to wear face masks in shops and schools on June 15. Face masks are still required on public transport, in hospitals and pharmacies and at hairdressers. While the number of daily infections here was regularly well under 50 in May and June, it has increased in the past three weeks it was over 100 almost every other day this month. “There are areas of daily life where one cannot choose whether one goes or not - the supermarket, the bank, the post office,” Kurz told a news conference. “We have therefore decided that we will make face masks compulsory again in supermarkets, in banks, in post offices.”
21st Jul 2020 - Reuters
Philippines to ramp up coronavirus testing as Duterte warns of arrests
The Philippines said on Tuesday it would ramp up testing for the novel coronavirus amid a sharp rise in infections and deaths since a lockdown was eased in June, while President Rodrigo Duterte threatened to arrest anyone not wearing a mask. The government aimed to test 32,000 to 40,000 people a day compared with the current 20,000 to 23,000, Health Secretary Francisco Duque said in a televised meeeting with Duterte. The Philippines has tested nearly 1.1 million people so far, but Duque said the aim was for 10 million people - or nearly a tenth of the population - to be tested by the second quarter of next year. “We cannot test every citizen as no country has done it even the richest, the United States,” Duque said.
21st Jul 2020 - Reuters UK
Pakistan records lowest single-day COVID-19 cases
Pakistan on Tuesday reported slightly over 1,000 new cases of the novel coronavirus -- the lowest daily figure in the last three months, official statistics showed. With 1,013 new cases reported over the past 24 hours, the total number of infections reached 266,096, with 1,481 of them in critical condition, according to the Health Ministry data. This is the lowest daily figure of confirmed cases since May 14 when the country reported only 490 cases. Following a gradual decline in the number of fatalities, some 40 patients died due to the disease across the country, raising the death toll to 5,639. Nearly 70% of patients, or 208,030, have recovered so far. Health experts, however, cautioned that a sharp fall in the number of COVID-19 cases could be the result of fewer tests.
21st Jul 2020 - Anadolu Agency
Coronavirus: 200 outbreaks hit Spain as more tourists go on holiday
Spain has been hit with at least 200 coronavirus outbreaks since it lifted its lockdown a month ago. The spike in cases since measures were eased on June 21 has fuelled fears there may be a second wave of the disease, MailOnline reports. And it comes as more tourists – including from the UK – are starting to fly out to its beaches for a holiday. Prime minister Pedro Sanchez has warned repeatedly of the dangers of a second wave, saying last month that ‘we must avoid it at all costs’.
20th Jul 2020 - Metro.co.uk
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 21st Jul 2020
View this newsletter in fullSpain's coronavirus rate triples in three weeks after lockdown easing
The prevalence of the novel coronavirus in Spain has risen three-fold over the last three weeks as authorities struggle to contain a rash of fresh clusters, mainly in the Catalonia and Aragon regions, Health Ministry data showed on Monday. After registering thousands of cases and hundreds of deaths per day during an early April peak, Spain succeeded in slowing the number of new infections to a trickle.
But since restrictions on movement were lifted and Spaniards relaxed back into daily life, some 201 new clusters have appeared, with heavy concentrations in and around the Catalan cities of Barcelona and Lleida. The occurrence of the novel coronavirus has jumped from eight cases per 100,000 inhabitants at the end of June, when the country’s state of emergency ended, to 27 per 100,000, deputy health emergency chief Maria Sierra told a news conference on Monday.
20th Jul 2020 - Reuters
Coronavirus: Scotland sees second daily jump in Covid-19 cases
More than 20 new cases of Covid-19 have been detected in Scotland for the second day in a row. Saturday saw the biggest rise in nearly a month with 21 new cases - the largest daily increase since 21 June. A further 23 confirmed cases were reported on Sunday. However, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said it was still a low number of cases and fluctuation was "to be expected". The proportion of positive tests remains well below 1%. No new deaths were registered in Scotland following a positive test for the virus, meaning that only one death in the last 11 days has been recorded using this measure.
20th Jul 2020 - BBC
Hong Kong ponders lockdown amid latest coronavirus outbreak
Once named in the same breath as Taiwan and Singapore as an early example of successful virus control, Hong Kong is now in the midst of a worsening outbreak of the coronavirus, with no sign of it slowing down. Hong Kong residents had been living with reduced pandemic-related restrictions in recent months. But in the past two weeks the region has recorded more than 500 new cases, over 400 of them local. About 40% have an unknown source and the majority are not imported – a stark inverse in the proportions seen the last time Hong Kong experienced a sudden rise in cases. On Monday, more than a third of the 73 new cases reported came from an unknown source. It followed a record 108 new cases – 83 local transmissions – reported by the centre for health protection on Saturday.
20th Jul 2020 - The Guardian
Is Britain's Covid-19 outbreak GROWING? Average daily cases rise for FOURTH day in a row for first time since April as UK records just 11 more deaths with none in Scotland ...
Department of Health posted 580 more cases — taking the rolling seven-day mean of infections to 628. The last time the average rose for at least four days in a row was on April 11, according to government data. And hospital admissions — another indicator tracking the crisis — have yet to spike despite fears of a surge. Number 10's scientific advisory panel last week admitted the outbreak is shrinking at a slightly slower speed. Despite the concerning data released today, just 11 laboratory-confirmed coronavirus deaths were recorded. No new victims were recorded in several parts of England or the whole of Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland
20th Jul 2020 - Daily Mail
Coronavirus: Local lockdown in Blackburn 'a last resort'
A local lockdown in Blackburn with Darwen is "the very last resort" in tackling the area's rise in coronavirus cases, its public health boss has said. The Lancashire borough is overtaking Leicester as England's coronavirus hotspot, according to official figures. It recorded the highest infection rate, with 82.6 cases per 100,000 people, in the week to 17 July, Public Health England data showed. Prof Dominic Harrison said he would be "reluctant" to impose a local lockdown. The number of cases in the borough nearly doubled to 123 in the past week, compared with 63 the week before. The latest figures are subject to daily revision, but they reflect the position reported on Monday afternoon.
20th Jul 2020 - BBC
Will there be a second wave of coronavirus? If cases of Covid-19 could surge again in UK as Leicester lockdown extended
As lockdown restrictions ease across the UK, concerns amongst experts are growing in regards to the possibility of a second wave of coronavirus cases if social distancing guidelines are not adhered to
20th Jul 2020 - The Scotsman
Italy’s capital Rome facing possibility of return to lockdown as COVID cases rise
The Italian region of Lazio, which includes the capital Rome, has warned residents that local lockdowns may have to be reimposed if there continue to be new clusters of coronavirus cases. Lazio’s Health Commissioner Alessio D’Amato reported 17 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday, 10 of which were foreign residents who had returned to Italy from abroad. Rome has recently seen clusters of coronavirus infections among its Bangladeshi residents who have been returning from working in Bangladesh. Italy has banned arrivals from 13 at-risk countries, including Bangladesh, after the rise in cases.
20th Jul 2020 - Euro Weekly News
Fearing mandatory lockdown, Barcelona residents head for Costa Brava
Tourists from the Catalan capital filled the coastal town of Platja d'Aro over the weekend, despite recommendations to avoid travel due to the rising number of coronavirus cases
20th Jul 2020 - EL PAÍS in English
Spanish tourist hotspot shuts down its nightclubs after coronavirus cases spike
A Spanish tourist hotspot has shut down its nightclubs after a surge in coronavirus cases. The city of Gandia, near Valencia on the Costa Blanca, has closed its clubs following an outbreak, El Pais reported. The number of COVID-19 cases in the coastal city increased to 70 on Saturday, a rise of 21 from Friday. Regional health chief Ana Barcelo said most of the 20 outbreaks in the region are linked to nightclubs, bars, parties and young people. She said: “We are enormously worried that more cases could continue appearing due to night-life activities.” Nightclubs in Gandia must remain closed until at least August, authorities said, while bars must shut at 10pm. Separately, an end-of-school event on 10 July at a nightclub in Cordoba, in the southern region of Andalusia, has been blamed for a rise in infections.
20th Jul 2020 - Yahoo News UK
France makes plans to reconfine at local level if required
Plans for possible future localised "re-confinements" are being developed, as Prime Minister Jean Castex says the current rate of Covid-19 circulation in France is not “serious” but does require “more vigilance”. The Prime Minister was speaking on TV channel France 2 on Friday evening (July 17). Mr Castex was also questioned on how numbers in France compare to those in Barcelona, Spain - which has recently gone back into lockdown after Covid-19 cases almost tripled in a week.He said the situation in the Spanish city was “much further deteriorated” than in France, but also acknowledged that “we don’t know where we will be in three weeks”.
20th Jul 2020 - The Connexion
As Cases Rise, France Contemplates Second Wave of COVID-19
The southern French cities of Nice and Marseille have higher rates of COVID-19 spread than other parts of the country. The spread of infection is measured by the scientific R0, pronounced “R not.” R0 measures, on average, how many new people one person carrying the virus will infect. “We must remain vigilant,” Veran said. On Monday, France also made masks mandatory in all public spaces, including restaurants, shops, and other businesses. Previously, business owners could decide whether their patrons were required to wear face coverings.
20th Jul 2020 - The Globe Post
New South Wales records 20 new cases of coronavirus, sparking fears of another lockdown
New South Wales recorded 20 new coronavirus cases after a spike on Sunday
Experts have warned harsher restrictions including lockdown may be needed
Premier Gladys Berejiklian previously said she would avoid a second lockdown
20th Jul 2020 - Daily Mail
Coronavirus: Hong Kong reports biggest one-day rise in cases
Hong Kong has recorded its highest one-day increase in cases since the pandemic began, the territory's Chief Executive Carrie Lam has said. At a Sunday press conference, Ms Lam said there had been more than 100 new infections, and announced new restrictions to contain the spread. She described the situation as "really critical" and said there was "no sign" it was coming under control. Non-essential civil servants must work from home and testing will increase. The chief executive promised that authorities would carry out 10,000 tests a day, and also made wearing face masks compulsory in indoor public spaces. Face coverings were already mandatory on public transport. There were 108 new cases, 83 of them local and 25 imported, the health authorities said.
20th Jul 2020 - BBC
New South Wales is bracing for lockdown
NSW on Sunday recorded 18 new cases of coronavirus, most since April 29. Doherty Institute estimates the disease's reproduction number in NSW is 1.28. Experts have warned harsher restrictions including lockdown may be needed
20th Jul 2020 - Daily Mail
'Victim of our success': Australia's unique second COVID-19 wave
On Monday, NSW recorded 20 new cases, while Victoria registered 275. There were 296 new cases nationwide. "We're not alone and it's definitely a sign in some countries that they shouldn't have taken their foot off the brake, if you look at Israel you can readily identify an easing of restrictions before the decks were cleared," emeritus professor of public health at the University of Sydney Stephen Leeder said.
20th Jul 2020 - The Sydney Morning Herald
Australia warns coronavirus outbreak will take weeks to tame
A surge in COVID-19 cases in Australia’s second-biggest city could take weeks to subside despite a lockdown and orders to wear masks, Australia’s acting chief medical officer said on Monday as the country braces for a second wave of infection. Authorities in the state of Victoria, whose capital Melbourne is in partial lockdown amid a new outbreak, reported 275 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, down from a daily record of 438 three days earlier. Australia’s Acting Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly said it would take “weeks” to slow the outbreak to levels seen as recently as June, when Victoria and the rest of Australia reported single or double-digit daily infections.
20th Jul 2020 - Reuters UK
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 20th Jul 2020
View this newsletter in fullFlorida reports over 10,000 new COVID cases for fifth day in a row
Florida reported over 12,000 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday, the fifth day in a row the state has announced over 10,000 new infections. The virus has claimed over 140,000 lives total since the pandemic started, and Florida, California, Texas and other southern and western states shatter records every day. Florida reported 89 new deaths on Sunday. Deaths in the state have risen by over 500, or 78%, during the last two weeks compared with the prior two weeks, according to a Reuters analysis. Hospitalizations of currently ill COVID-19 patients in Florida reached a record high of 9,229, up about 2,000 patients in the last week, according to a state agency. At least 14 states have reported record levels of coronavirus hospitalizations so far in July, including Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, Nevada and Arizona. Testing shortages and delays are once again hampering U.S. efforts to curb infections, a situation that frustrated health and state officials at the beginning of the outbreak in March and April.
20th Jul 2020 - Thomson Reuters Foundation News
Florida Virus ‘Out of Control,’ Los Angeles Is on the Brink
Florida’s Covid-19 outbreak is “totally out of control,” according to a Democratic representative, and the mayor of Los Angeles said his city is “on the brink” of new restrictions, comments that suggest the country’s months of trade-offs between the health of the community and the economy are far from over. Speaking Sunday on ABC’s “This Week,” Donna Shalala called for a lockdown of the third most-populous state and dismissed talk about reopening schools as “ridiculous.” “It’s terrible,” said Shalala, whose South Florida district sits within Miami-Dade County, one of the hardest-hit parts of the state. On the Pacific coast, Mayor Eric Garcetti said he’s considering another stay-at-home order for Los Angeles but emphasized that the city still had room in its hospitals and had been testing aggressively. Schools won’t hold in-person classes until the city records at least 14 consecutive days of case decline and is removed from the state’s watch list, Garcetti told CNN’s “State of the Union.”
20th Jul 2020 - Bloomberg
Police close down packed Barcelona beach amid virus spike
Police in Barcelona closed down access to a large area of the city's beaches on Saturday after too many sunbathers ignored authorities' request to stay at home amid a new wave of surging coronavirus infections. Police blocked more people from entering the beach and used loudspeakers to recommend that the crowds already on the sand disperse because they were too closely packed and could increase the contagion risk.
19th Jul 2020 - Chicago Daily Herald
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 17th Jul 2020
View this newsletter in fullSpain campsite in lockdown with 250 tourists trapped inside after coronavirus outbreak
A Spanish campsite popular with Brit holidaymakers has gone into lockdown after two tourists tested positive for coronavirus. Around 250 tourists are said to be trapped inside the site in the seaside resort of Zarautz, which was immediately closed down. Police have now been called in to prevent anyone from entering or leaving without permission. Health officials closed the Talai Mendi campsite in Basque Country after detecting two positive guests. Now all 250 tourists will be tested for coronavirus. The site had only just reopened following the lifting of the coronavirus lockdown. Medical personnel started the tests yesterday and it is hoped the first results will come through today. Tourists will then be given the choice of either going home or staying inside the closed campsite for a quarantine period of between seven and 14 days.
16th Jul 2020 - Mirror Online
Are stage 4 coronavirus lockdown restrictions coming to Victoria?
As Victoria grapples with more than 200 new Covid-19 cases each day, questions are being asked of the premier, Daniel Andrews, and the chief health officer, Prof Brett Sutton, about whether tougher restrictions – or “stage 4” lockdown measures – are on the cards. There is no definition of what stage four may involve given no one can predict what case numbers may look like in a month, let alone a week’s time, and therefore what responses may be necessary. This lack of clarity has prompted plenty of speculation about what might lie ahead. Scam text messages with false information have fuelled fears about what a stage four lockdown could entail.
16th Jul 2020 - The Guardian
How New Zealand could keep eliminating coronavirus at its border for months to come, even as the global pandemic worsens
Stringent border controls and mandatory quarantine give New Zealand a good chance to remain free of COVID-19 for months to come, according to our latest modelling. It’s been 76 days since New Zealand’s last reported case of community transmission, and our model shows the risk of an infectious person slipping through the border undetected remains very low. Provided the rules are followed, we would expect this to happen only once over the next 18 months — and even then, this person may not infect anyone else. New Zealand’s borders remain closed to everyone except residents, citizens and a small number of foreigners with special exemptions.
16th Jul 2020 - The Conversation AU
China reports 10 new coronavirus cases in mainland, nearly all imported
China reported 10 new confirmed COVID-19 cases for the mainland as of the end of July 16, up from one a day earlier, the country’s national health authority said on Friday. Nine of the new infections were imported cases, involving travellers from overseas. Beijing reported no new cases for an 11th consecutive day. The total number of confirmed COVID-19 infections in mainland China to date is 83,622. The death toll remains unchanged at 4,634.
16th Jul 2020 - Reuters
Brazil coronavirus cases reach 2 million, doubling in less than a month
Brazil on Thursday passed the 2 million confirmed coronavirus cases mark, with little sign that the rate of increase is slowing as anger grows over President Jair Bolsonaro's handling of the outbreak. Just 27 days have passed since Brazil, which has the world's second-largest outbreak after the United States, reached one million cases. In recent weeks, there have been nearly 40,000 confirmed new cases per day, according to government figures. By contrast, 43 days passed between 1 million and 2 million confirmed cases in the United States, where the spread of COVID-19 eased briefly in May before accelerating again in June, according to a Reuters tally. On Thursday, confirmed cases in Brazil totalled 2,012,151, while deaths numbered 76,688.
16th Jul 2020 - Yahoo!
More than 71,000 new cases of coronavirus were reported in the US on Thursday, the most ever
For the first time, the numbers of coronavirus cases reported in the United States passed 70,000, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. There were 71,135 new cases reported Thursday, topping the previous high of 67,791 new coronavirus cases reported across the country two days ago. Florida reported 13,965 of Thursday's cases, the second most reported in a day in the state.
As much of the country sees a sharp rise in coronavirus cases, the test results data that many cities and states depend on to make important decisions about resources and reopenings is lagging. Right now, tests are being done in much larger numbers -- a positive development -- but this increase is also slowing down results.
16th Jul 2020 - CNN
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 16th Jul 2020
View this newsletter in fullAre stage 4 Covid-19 lockdown restrictions coming to Victoria?
Sutton and Andrews have made it clear their goal is to maintain stage three restrictions, under which Victorians can only leave their homes to shop for food and essential items, provide care, do outdoor exercise and work or study. They are in place for a period of six weeks. However, Andrews said whether tougher measures could be brought in before then depends on the behaviour of individuals over the coming days and weeks.
16th Jul 2020 - The Guardian
Blackburn facing 'rising tide' of coronavirus cases
Blackburn with Darwen is facing a "rising tide" of coronavirus cases centred on terraced houses with high numbers of occupants, the area's public health director has said. The Lancashire town brought in extra restrictions on Tuesday following a spike in infections. Prof Dominic Harrison said the majority of new cases were in the south Asian community. He said a phased lockdown could happen if the rise was not halted by 27 July. For the next month, the 148,000 people who live within the Lancashire authority have been told to observe the new rules in a bid to avoid a Leicester-style local lockdown.
15th Jul 2020 - BBC
Global surge in coronavirus cases is being fed by the developing world — and the U.S.
The novel coronavirus — once concentrated in specific cities or countries — has now crept into virtually every corner of the globe and is wreaking havoc in multiple major regions at once. But the impact is not being felt evenly. Poorer nations throughout Latin America, the Middle East, South Asia and Africa are bearing a growing share of the caseload, even as wealthier countries in Western Europe and East Asia enjoy a relative respite after having beaten back the worst effects through rigorously enforced lockdowns.
15th Jul 2020 - The Washington Post
Catalonia adopts more restrictions as Covid-19 cases surge
The Catalan regional government has introduced new lockdown measures in a bid to control the rising number of coronavirus cases in the northeastern Spanish region. The number of weekly infections in the territory jumped to 2,489 between July 6 and 12 – double the figure recorded in the previous week. The new restrictions will affect the comarca of Segrià – a traditional administrative division that comprises 38 municipalities – and another six municipalities in the province of Lleida, and the municipality of L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, located southwest of Barcelona.
15th Jul 2020 - EL PAÍS in English
France reports new coronavirus clusters amid concerns over laxity
France has identified 372 coronavirus clusters since May officials have said, with the number of hospital admissions notably in Paris on the increase. More than half of the new infections were detected through mass testing efforts to identify early outbreaks of the illness. "The virus continues to spread in the territory, as shown by the number of new clusters," France's public health agency warned Monday, saying that it had identified 372 coronavirus cases since 9 May. A third of these clusters remain active, and are situated in zones such as the Ile de France region and Nouvelle Aquitaine, which regroups 12 departments.
15th Jul 2020 - Yahoo! News
Australia weighs further coronavirus curbs as outbreak grows
Australia's most populous states will impose harsher restrictions on movement if a COVID-19 outbreak is not quickly bought under control, state premiers said on Wednesday. Australia has been heralded as a global leader in containing COVID-19, its total death toll lower than what Florida reported on Tuesday alone. Even so, it has seen a surge in new cases, culminating with 10 days of triple-digit gains as of Wednesday. Victoria state reported another 238 cases in the past 24 hours, even after reimposing a lockdown last week on about five million people in Melbourne, Australia's second-biggest city. Victoria state Premier Daniel Andrews singled out a minority of people for defying lockdown orders - which require people to stay home except for a small number of permissible activities - warning restrictions could be extended. "If, however, people do not do the right thing, then we will have to move to additional restrictions being put in place and potentially prolong ... these restrictions," Andrews told reporters in Melbourne
15th Jul 2020 - Japan Today
The new lockdown restrictions set to be imposed on Victoria as state battles second wave
Victoria saw an alarming outbreak in coronavirus cases, forcing tougher rules. Melbourne and Mitchell Shire were forced back into lockdown last week. COVID-19 cases continued to soar with more than 1,800 active cases on Tuesday
Premier Daniel Andrews warned further restrictions could soon be imposed
15th Jul 2020 - Daily Mail
Coronavirus: The countries re-entering lockdowns amid wave of new Covid-19 cases
Life in New Zealand is relatively back to normal at Covid-19 Alert Level 1. But overseas, the coronavirus pandemic is wreaking havoc. Many countries are having to re-introduce local or state-wide lockdowns as Covid-19 case numbers drastically rise. On Wednesday, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern outlined how local lockdowns would work here if we were to have community transmission in the future. Here's a look at which countries are being hit the hardest by Covid-19, and what officials are doing to get their outbreaks under control.
15th Jul 2020 - Stuff.co.nz
Australia weighs further coronavirus curbs as outbreak grows
Australia’s most populous states will impose harsher restrictions on movement if a COVID-19 outbreak is not quickly bought under control, state premiers said on Wednesday. Victoria state Premier Daniel Andrews singled out a minority of people for defying lockdown orders - which require people to stay home except for a small number of permissible activities - warning restrictions could be extended. “If, however, people do not do the right thing then we will have to move to additional restrictions being put in place and potentially prolong ... these restrictions,” Andrews told reporters in Melbourne.
15th Jul 2020 - Reuters India
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 15th Jul 2020
View this newsletter in fullIran's COVID-19 cases surpass 260,000, as Iraq's tally crosses 80,000 amid pandemic resurgence
Iran's total COVID-19 cases on Tuesday crossed a new threshold to hit 262,173, after 2,521 new cases were added. Meanwhile, the pandemic's resurgence also continued in Iraq, where the tally of coronavirus infections surpassed 80,000.
The death toll from the infectious respiratory disease rose to 13,211 in Iran, the hardest-hit country in the Middle East, after 179 more fatalities were recorded. So far, a total of 225,270 recoveries from the virus have been reported in Iran, while 3,389 others remain in critical condition.
15th Jul 2020 - XinhuaNet.com
Coronavirus cases in Leicester 'still well above' rest of UK ahead of local lockdown review
The number of coronavirus cases in Leicester is "still well above" the rest of the UK ahead of this week's review of the city's local lockdown, Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said. The Midlands city has been subject to the UK's first full local lockdown as part of the government's "whack-a-mole" strategy to deal with local flare-ups in COVID-19 infections. Shops and schools were forced to close again, while the reopening of pubs and restaurants did not take place in Leicester in line with the rest of England earlier this month.
14th Jul 2020 - Sky News
As U.S. Surge in Coronavirus Cases Continues, Some States Tighten Rules
Coronavirus cases in the U.S. continued to grow in dozens of states, as some officials instituted fresh containment measures and others examined how reopening plans failed to anticipate surges in new infections and related hospitalizations. More than 136,200 people have died of the disease across the nation, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University, and more than 3.4 million have been infected. More than 575,000 have died world-wide and more than 13.2 million have been infected, according to Johns Hopkins data.
14th Jul 2020 - The Wall Street Journal
More deaths in Victoria, as NSW COVID cluster triggers reactions in Queensland and South Australia
Victorian authorities on Tuesday reported 270 new cases, and two deaths. The man and woman who died were both in their 80s. There were 26 people in intensive care in Victoria, of whom 21 were on ventilators. The national death toll stood at 110 as of late Tuesday. By late Tuesday the cluster linked to the Crossroads Hotel in Casula, in Sydney’s south west, had increased to 30. The NSW government is on tenterhooks, as it waits to see the extent of the outbreak and the spread of those affected. Premier Gladys Berejiklian has been under strong pressure to keep to a minimum further restrictions. Queensland on Tuesday closed its border to people who have been in the NSW Liverpool and Campbelltown local government areas.
14th Jul 2020 - The Conversation
Australia tightens restrictions as COVID-19 cases top 10,000
Australian states on Tuesday tightened restrictions on movement as authorities struggle to contain a fresh outbreak of COVID-19 in the country’s southeast that has pushed the national tally of cases beyond 10,000. With growing fears of a second coronavirus wave nationally, two states extended border restrictions and Australia’s most populous state imposed limits on the number of people allowed in large pubs. The changes come as scores of new cases were uncovered in Victoria, the country’s COVID-19 hotspot, despite a return to lockdown last week for nearly 5 million people in state capital Melbourne.
14th Jul 2020 - Reuters Australia
Asia ramps up coronavirus curbs as new clusters erupt
Australian states tightened borders and restricted pub visits on Tuesday, while Disney prepared to close its Hong Kong theme park and Japan stepped up tracing as a jump in novel coronavirus cases across Asia fanned fears of a second wave of infections. Many parts of Asia, the region first hit by the coronavirus that emerged in central China late last year, are finding cause to pause the reopening of their economies, some after winning praise for their initial responses to the outbreak. Australia largely avoided the high numbers of cases and casualties seen in other countries with swift and strict measures, but a spike in community-transmitted cases in Victoria state and a rise in new cases in New South Wales has worried authorities.
14th Jul 2020 - Reuters UK
COVID-19: S.African teachers call for school closures
South Africa's largest teachers union has called on authorities to close schools until the number of COVID-19 cases drop in the country, which has the most infections on the continent. "The community infections have been rising since the reopening of schools and [it is] inevitably affecting the schools," Mugwena Maluleke, the general secretary of the South African Democratic Teachers Union, said in a virtual media briefing. "In the country, the virus is reaching its peak and at the same time, we are in winter season known as the influenza season," he said, adding that if schools remain open, learners, teachers, and academic staff would be at high risk of contracting the virus as South Africa approaches its peak of infections.
14th Jul 2020 - Anadolu Agency
'Great concern' as new Ebola outbreak grows in western DR Congo
WHO says nearly 50 people infected in new Ebola outbreak as DR Congo grapples with COVID-19 and measles epidemics.
14th Jul 2020 - AlJazeera
Hong Kong adopts toughest-ever coronavirus curbs after case surge
New measures to come into force at midnight as authorities warn of 'extremely high' risk of large-scale outbreak.
14th Jul 2020 - AlJazeera
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 14th Jul 2020
View this newsletter in fullGreece is considering a second lockdown after tourists caused coronavirus cases there to spike
The Greek authorities have said they could reimpose stricter public and travel restrictions, due to government safety advice being frequently ignored. The government there has not yet confirmed the exact lockdown measures they would bring back. These could possibly include stricter border checks, potential travel restrictions from high risk countries and tougher, more frequent bar and restaurant inspections. Serbian tourists are currently banned from entering Greece for all but essential travel, after health officials confirmed a spike in cases in the Balkan country. Additional testing is already occurring at the Greek-Bulgarian border and, as of 14 July, Bulgarians crossing the border into Greece must provide proof that they have tested negative for coronavirus within the last 72 hours, after the country registered a daily record of 330 new infections in one day last week.
13th Jul 2020 - Lancashire Evening Post
Tokyo reports 119 coronavirus cases, 1st time below 200 in 5 days
Tokyo confirmed on Monday 119 new coronavirus cases, falling below 200 for the first time in five days, but the central government warned the capital still needs to be on alert as it plans a new initiative to spur domestic tourism. Gov. Yuriko Koike dismissed the view of Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga the same day that Tokyo is to blame for the increase in infections, saying they largely reflect the greater number of tests. The latest figure comes a day after Tokyo confirmed 206 coronavirus cases, breaching 200 for a record fourth straight day, including the largest single-day tally of 243 on Friday, amid increasing concerns among the public about a resurgence of the pandemic.
13th Jul 2020 - Kyodo News Plus
S.African president warns of coronavirus 'storm'
Ramaphosa said the surge in infections had arrived as predicted by medical experts, and warned that it could peak between late July and late September. The president revealed that South Africa had carried out 2 million virus tests, but expressed concern about medical services, pointing out that health facilities are under strain and people are being turned away. South Africa has been relaxing its lockdown measures to ease the burden on the poor, but this has led to the sharp rise in coronavirus infections.
13th Jul 2020 - NHK WORLD
Victoria records 273 new Covid-19 cases and flags return to remote schooling in lockdown areas
The Victorian premier, Daniel Andrews has warned residents to prepare for an extraordinary six winter weeks after the state announced another 273 coronavirus cases on Sunday. Andrews said schools in lockdown areas would remain closed to most students after revealing the latest case numbers, which represent another single-day high for the state. One man in his 70s has died from the virus in Victoria. Meanwhile, eight healthcare workers at Melbourne’s Alfred Hospital have tested positive to Covid-19. Infections diseases expert Peter Collingnon said on Twitter the renewed outbreak of coronavirus in Victoria represented a second wave.
13th Jul 2020 - The Guardian
Catalan leader calls on citizens to stay home despite judge's ruling
Spain’s Catalonia approved on Monday a decree giving it legal backing to place restrictions on the city of Lleida and its surroundings to stem a surge in coronavirus infections, defying a judge’s earlier ruling that such an order was unlawful.
13th Jul 2020 - Reuters UK
Australian pub cluster adds to second-wave coronavirus fears
Australia’s most populous state reported 14 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday, with a growing cluster at a pub used by freight drivers travelling the country adding to fears of a second wave of the virus. “The concern is that this hotel is used by freight drivers who are transporting essential supplies across the country,” Australia’s Deputy Chief Medical Officer Michael Kidd told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. “They are not being tested.”
13th Jul 2020 - Reuters
Houston leaders call for city lockdown amid virus case surge
Top officials in Houston are calling for the city to lock back down as area hospitals strain to accommodate the onslaught of patients sick with the new coronavirus. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner and Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, both Democrats, said this weekend that a stay-at-home order is needed for America's fourth largest city to cope with the surge of COVID-19 cases. “Not only do we need a stay home order now, but we need to stick with it this time until the hospitalization curve comes down, not just flattens,” Hidalgo said on Twitter Sunday. "Many communities that persevered in that way are reopening for the long haul. Let’s learn from that & not make the same mistake twice."
12th Jul 2020 - The Baytown Sun
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 13th Jul 2020
View this newsletter in fullLebanon records new coronavirus infection high with more than 100 cases
A Lebanese waste management company is quarantining 133 Syrian workers who tested positive for the coronavirus, the company manager said on Sunday, as the country recorded a new daily high for infections. The health ministry said a total of 166 new cases had been confirmed in the last 24 hours. Lebanon has recorded more than 2,000 infections and 36 deaths from the coronavirus since February.
“The number will remain high this week,” Health Minister Hamad Hassan said. “To reassure people, the source is known,” he added in comments to broadcaster LBC.
Most of the new cases were at what he described as “a big cleaning company”, an apparent reference to waste management firm RAMCO, which collects garbage across Lebanon.
12th Jul 2020 - Reuters UK
Hungary imposes border checks, quarantine to prevent spread of virus
Hungary has imposed new restrictions on cross-border travel as of next Wednesday in order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus after a surge in new cases in several countries, Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s chief of staff said on Sunday. Hungary lifted most of its lockdown restrictions in May and opened its borders to travellers from European Union states and neighbouring non-EU members. On Sunday, Gergely Gulyas told an online news conference that new restrictions were needed to keep the coronavirus “outside the borders” in order to avoid the re-introduction of domestic lockdown measures. “These restrictions serve to protect our freedom,” Gulyas said.
12th Jul 2020 - Reuters UK
Okinawa governor wants tougher action as 61 Marines infected
The governor of Japan’s Okinawa island demanded a top U.S. military commander take tougher prevention measures and more transparency hours after officials were told that more than 60 Marines at two bases have been infected with the coronavirus over the past few days. Okinawan officials on Sunday reported a total of 61 cases — 38 of them at Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, which is at the center of a relocation dispute, and another 23 at Camp Hansen — since July 7. They said that U.S. military officials told them the two bases have since been put in lockdown. The disclosure of the exact figures came only after Okinawa’s repeated requests to the U.S. military.
12th Jul 2020 - The Washington Post
Palestinian Authority orders nightly, weekend coronavirus curfew
The Palestinian Authority on Sunday imposed a night-time and weekend curfew on the occupied West Bank for the coming 14 days to try and rein in rising coronavirus numbers. "Travel will be prohibited daily from 8:00 pm (1700 GMT) to 6:00 am in all governorates," as well as from Thursday evening to Sunday morning, Palestinian government spokesman Ibrahim Melhem told a news conference. In the addition to the general dawn-to-dusk curfew, major cities Ramallah, Hebron, Nablus and Bethlehem, will be under total lockdown until Thursday evening, he said, while travel between districts will be banned for two weeks.
12th Jul 2020 - FRANCE 24
WHO urges aggressive virus measures as flare-ups spark new closures
The World Health Organization has urged countries grappling with coronavirus to step up control measures, saying it is still possible to rein it in, as some nations clamp fresh restrictions on citizens. With case numbers worldwide more than doubling in the past six weeks, Uzbekistan on Friday returned to lockdown and Hong Kong said schools would close from Monday after the city recorded "exponential growth" in locally transmitted infections.
11th Jul 2020 - Medical Xpress
COVID-19 continues to spread in Eurasia
Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Moldova, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan report new cases, deaths related to virus
11th Jul 2020 - Anadolu Agency
After months of decline, America’s coronavirus death rate begins to rise
Texas, Arizona and South Carolina have all seen their death tolls rise by more than 100 percent in the past four weeks, according to an analysis of state and county health data by The Washington Post. Four more states — Mississippi, Tennessee, California and Louisiana — have seen at least a 10 percent jump in that time span.
“They’re starting to tick up,” said Jennifer Nuzzo, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. “Deaths are a lagging indicator, so we always expected that if they were going to go up, it would take some time.”
11th Jul 2020 - The Washington Post
Authorities in Hong Kong warn of potential 'exponential growth' in coronavirus cases just weeks after loosening restrictions
Authorities in Hong Kong, a city lauded for its quick and effective response to the coronavirus pandemic, are now warning of potential “exponential growth” in new cases of Covid-19 after a surge in local transmissions. Health officials reported 42 new coronavirus cases Thursday, including 34 locally transmitted infections, as concerns grow over what has been dubbed a “third wave” of the pandemic in the global financial center. Of the locally transmitted cases, most were linked to elderly care homes, some were linked to previous cases and a small number were linked to taxi drivers, according to Dr. Chuang Shuk-kwan of the Centre for Health Protection (CHP).
10th Jul 2020 - CNN
Colombia's healthcare saturates: lawmakers urge emergency basic income as 2nd lockdown looms
Lawmakers urged Colombia’s government to decree an emergency basic income on Thursday as the coronavirus pandemic is saturating hospitals and causing hunger. The National Health Institute reported a record number of 5,336 newly confirmed COVID-19 infections and 187 deaths. According to newspaper El Tiempo, the test results on average take 10 days to return, leaving a high number of suspected cases. Healthcare facilities in the central Santander province allegedly refuse to do testing unless someone has private insurance.
10th Jul 2020 - Colombia Reports
Miami-Dade County mayor defends closing indoor dining after week of push back
Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez faced a week of criticism and push back after announcing additional restrictions as the county deals with the latest surge in COVID-19 spikes and the most coronavirus cases in the state. The county’s city mayors, all 25 of the Miami-Dade County League of Cities Mayors Coalition, were vocal and stated publicly Thursday, and in a letter that they disapproved of Gimenez’s issuing of an executive order prohibiting indoor dining at restaurants, and for a few reasons.
10th Jul 2020 - WPLG Local 10
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 10th Jul 2020
View this newsletter in fullAustralia considers slowing return of citizens amid virus spike
Australia’s national cabinet met on Friday to discuss slowing the number of citizens allowed to return to the country from overseas, as authorities grapple with a COVID-19 outbreak in the country’s second most populous state.
10th Jul 2020 - Reuters Australia
China's new strategy to tame second-wave virus outbreaks
A recent coronavirus outbreak in Beijing sowed fears of a second wave of infections in China, but officials appear to have beat back the disease with a new targeted strategy. Authorities did not repeat the drastic nationwide shutdown seen when the virus first spread from Wuhan earlier this year. Instead, they sealed off a limited number of residences and focused on mass testing, eventually screening more than half of the capital's 21 million people
9th Jul 2020 - The Jakarta Post
Covid 19 coronavirus: What New Zealand can learn from Melbourne's outbreak
An epidemiologist based in Melbourne, which has just gone into a six-week lockdown, says we need to learn from their mistakes and protect our borders. This morning Melbourne residents woke up to their first day in strict lockdown.
Panicked shoppers have once again stripped shelves of toilet paper as another 134 cases were confirmed in the state of Victoria yesterday and 165 today. The state's total stands at 3098 after nine previous cases were reclassified.
9th Jul 2020 - New Zealand Herald
As parts of Australia go back into lockdown, what hope is there for the rest of the world?
This week, Australia's second largest city, Melbourne, went back into lockdown, as the country closed the boundary between the states of Victoria and New South Wales for the first time in 100 years. Meanwhile, in Hong Kong, health officials are racing to contain a third wave of cases, after weeks of no local infections.
While the number of cases in both places pales in comparison to the daily figures reported across the United States or in parts of Western Europe, it raises even more questions about when the areas worst hit by the virus will ever be able to return to normality, such is the difficulty of keeping the pandemic contained even under the best of circumstances.
9th Jul 2020 - CNN
New Zealand police to patrol quarantine hotels after breakouts
Police officers will patrol New Zealand’s quarantine hotels around-the-clock after a number of people – including a man who tested positive for coronavirus – escaped the managed isolation facilities. In two separate incidents in Auckland hotels guests in isolation left their quarantine hotels, with one woman escaping over a hedge, and another man over a small fence. The 32-year-old man – who was away for 70 minutes and visited a busy inner-city supermarket – tested positive for Covid-19. He has since been charged under new public health legislation. He faces a large fine or six months in prison.
9th Jul 2020 - The Guardian
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 9th Jul 2020
View this newsletter in fullCoronavirus: Is India the next global hotspot?
The coronavirus took hold slowly in India, but six months after its first confirmed infection it has overtaken Russia to record the world's third largest caseload. With the world's second-largest population, much of which lives packed into cities, the country was perhaps always destined to become a global hotspot. But the data behind its case numbers is questionable, because India is not testing enough, and an unusually low death rate has baffled scientists. Here's five things we know about the spread of coronavirus in India.
9th Jul 2020 - BBC
Coronavirus: Texas is 'ten days away from total crisis'
Hospitals in the state capital of Texas are within a fortnight of being overwhelmed, officials said yesterday, as coronavirus cases continued to soar across the United States. Steve Adler, the Democratic mayor of Austin, said that his city was near to crisis point. “If we don’t change the trajectory, then I am within two weeks of having our hospitals overrun,” he told CNN. “And in intensive care, I could be ten days away from that.”
8th Jul 2020 - The Times
Germany's confirmed coronavirus cases rise by 397 to 197,341 - RKI
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 397 to 197,341, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Wednesday. The reported death toll rose by 12 to 9,036, the tally showed.
8th Jul 2020 - Reuters
German slaughterhouse contending with COVID-19 to remain closed pending hygiene plan
According to reporting in Reuters, the chief executive of the Guetersloh district made the announcement on 7 July. Nearly 600,000 people in Guetersloh, a city in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia, were forced back into lockdown on 23 June after more than 1,500 workers at the Toennies abattoir and packing plant tested positive for the novel coronavirus. Sven-Georg Adenauer said in a news conference broadcast online that the plant could only be reopened if there is "no threat to the people who work in this company and also not to the people in the Guetersloh region".
8th Jul 2020 - The Pig Site
Hundreds of Cases, But No Lockdown: What’s Changed in Japan?
As of Monday, the ratio of cases in Tokyo whose infection path can’t be identified stood at 39%, compared with more than 70% at the height of the pandemic. That’s significant because contact tracing and cluster-busting has been the core of Japan’s response to the virus -- identifying and shutting down locations where multiple people were infected, and aggressively testing those linked to these clusters.
8th Jul 2020 - Bloomberg
Australia battles to contain Melbourne coronavirus outbreak
State police were patrolling the city and setting up checkpoints on major roads to stop people heading out to regional areas and spreading the virus from what is now Australia’s pandemic epicentre, with 860 active cases. “The window for police discretion is very small and is closing as the threat to public health and safety created by those breaching the Chief Health Officer’s directions is too great,” Victoria police said in a statement. Cafes, bars, restaurants and gyms which only recently reopened had to shut again. Police had no comment on whether anyone has been stopped or fined since midnight. The renewed lockdown follows the closure of Australia’s busiest state border, between Victoria and the most populous state New South Wales, on Tuesday night.
8th Jul 2020 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 8th Jul 2020
View this newsletter in fullA snapshot of new coronavirus outbreaks in Spain: Two ‘comarcas’ confined and two buildings in quarantine
Several areas in Spain have been forced to reintroduce lockdown measures due to new coronavirus outbreaks. In the two weeks since the state of alarm came to an end, nearly 300,000 residents in Lleida province in Catalonia and Lugo province in Galicia have been confined to their comarcas following a spike in infections; another 80,000 people in the northwestern region of Aragón have been moved back to Phase 2 of the government’s coronavirus deescalation plan; two buildings – one in Santander and another in Albacete – have been placed under quarantine; and around 50 coronavirus outbreaks are being monitored across the country. Of Spain’s 17 regions, only Asturias and La Rioja have not reported a coronavirus outbreak.
7th Jul 2020 - EL PAÍS in English
Beijing proves a 2nd coronavirus wave doesn’t have to mean a 2nd lockdown
Beijing reported zero new coronavirus cases for the first time in 26 days, a sign the resurgence that ignited fears of a second wave in China looks to have been brought under control for now. The city of more than 20 million people appears to have quelled a flare-up that infected 335 people, with infections down from 36 a day at their peak in mid-June. Authorities took a different approach to the virus when it reappeared in China’s political and economic hub after nearly two months of no locally transmitted cases than they did in Wuhan, the central city where the pathogen first emerged.
7th Jul 2020 - Fortune
As Melbourne goes into coronavirus lockdown, it's a sign it could happen anywhere in Australia
For many Victorians, this will feel frustratingly like a reset; back to square one.
For the rest of Australia, it's disquieting news — a reminder this situation could occur at any time in any other state or territory. None of us can be complacent. It's hard, but this is just how vigilant we have to be until a vaccine is found. We're all keen to go back to "life as normal" but the reality is, life as normal doesn't exist for 2020.
7th Jul 2020 - Australian Broadcasting Corporation
California coronavirus cases surge more than 10,000 in single day
California reported more than 10,000 coronavirus cases on Tuesday, a record rise for a single day that also surpassed the number of contact tracers recently trained by the state to detect and prevent potential outbreaks. California is one of several U.S. states that have reported surging numbers of new COVID-19 infections over the past week, raising questions about how U.S. President Donald Trump has handled the crisis and impeding state plans to lift lockdowns. The 10,201 new cases reported on Tuesday took the total number of cases in California since the start of the pandemic to nearly 284,00. In June, California infections more than doubled with over 117,000 new cases.
7th Jul 2020 - MSN Money
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 7th Jul 2020
View this newsletter in fullCoronavirus: Australia to close Victoria-New South Wales border
The border between Australia's two most populous states, Victoria and New South Wales (NSW), is to close after a spike in Covid-19 cases in Melbourne. The outbreak in Victoria's capital has seen hundreds of cases in the past two weeks - more than 95% of new Australian infections. Until now, the two states had maintained open borders even when others had shut them. The closure, beginning on Wednesday, will restrict travel to permit holders. Victoria's Premier Daniel Andrews said it was a joint decision with Prime Minister Scott Morrison and NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian. "This is one of those precautionary measures - it is one of those things that I think will help us in broader terms contain the spread of the virus," Mr Andrews told reporters on Monday.
6th Jul 2020 - BBC
Australia closes state border for first time in 100 years after COVID-19 spike
The border between Australia’s two most populous states will close from Tuesday for an indefinite period as authorities scramble to contain an outbreak of the coronavirus in the city of Melbourne. The decision announced on Monday marks the first time the border between Victoria and New South Wales has been shut in 100 years. Officials last blocked movement between the two states in 1919 during the Spanish flu pandemic. “It is the smart call, the right call at this time, given the significant challenges we face in containing this virus,” Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews told reporters in Melbourne. The move will, however, likely be a blow to Australia’s economic recovery as it heads into its first recession in nearly three decades.
6th Jul 2020 - Reuters
Coronavirus: Tenth Melbourne public housing tower exposed to virus
A tenth Melbourne public housing tower has been exposed to COVID-19, linked to an outbreak that caused the lockdown of multiple buildings put in places two days ago. 9News understands an infected resident, who lives in a locked-down North Melbourne tower, also worked in the apartment building in Richmond as a subcontractor for the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services.
6th Jul 2020 - 9News
Covid 19 coronavirus: Victoria's virus cases skyrocket
"This is serious, this is real, and no Victorian has any excuse but to take this seriously. Otherwise, we will finish up in a situation where all post codes are locked down. No one wants that and no one through their actions and the choices they make should make that more likely." He went on: "I need each of you to do the right thing. Otherwise, everyone is going to be back in their home in a lockdown. That's what's going to happen.
6th Jul 2020 - New Zealand Herald
Hospitals approaching capacity as Miami closes restaurants
Hospitals rapidly approached capacity across the Sunbelt, and the Miami area closed restaurants and gyms again because of the surging coronavirus Monday, as the U.S. emerged from a Fourth of July weekend of picnics, pool parties and beach outings that health officials fear could fuel the rapidly worsening outbreak.
6th Jul 2020 - Miami Herald
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 6th Jul 2020
View this newsletter in fullEl Salvador delays next steps in reopening economy as COVID-19 cases rise
El Salvador’s presidential office on Sunday postponed the second phase of the economy’s reopening by two weeks, citing a still-rising number of coronavirus infections. President Nayib Bukele has imposed some of the toughest measures in the Americas against the pandemic, which has caused 217 deaths and 7,777 infections in the Central American country. His government on June 16 began a gradual process to bring back the economy, outlining a second phase that would allow public transportation, business services, manufacturers and the shoe, bag, box and paper industries to reopen. That phase was due to begin on July 7 but has now been delayed until July 21, after the government said infections rose by 50% and deaths increased by 80%.
5th Jul 2020 - Reuters UK
Coronavirus cases in Czech mining area are under control, minister says
A rise in new coronavirus infections in a Czech coal mining region that has driven a recent jump in overall cases is under control and should ease soon, the health minister said on Sunday amid criticism. State hard coal miner OKD last week closed its mines in the Karvina area in the country’s east, along the Polish border, after a jump in cases among miners and their close contacts. The rise has caused overall case numbers to accelerate, prompting some other European Union members like Slovenia to bump the Czech Republic from their list of safe countries, complicating travel at the start of the summer holiday season.
5th Jul 2020 - Reuters
Philippines records highest single-day jump in COVID-19 cases at 2,434; total exceeds 44,000
The Philippines recorded an all-time high single-day increase in COVID-19 cases on Sunday, with the Department of Health reporting 2,434 new infections. This broke the previous record high of 1,531 posted just two days ago. The total case count soared to 44,254, with 1,147 of the new cases classified as "fresh" or were detected in the last three days. The other 1,287 are “late” cases or were part of the validation backlog, according to the DOH. “As the country continues to ease community quarantine measures, the rise in the number of cases may be attributed to the increased contact among the population,” the agency said.
5th Jul 2020 - CNN Philippines
Morocco reports record number of novel coronavirus cases
Morocco reported Sunday 698 additional novel coronavirus infections, the highest one-day increase since the outbreak began in early March, with numerous cases discovered in a port city factory. The new figures bring the official total in the North African kingdom to 14,132 infections and 234 deaths, according to the health ministry. The majority of the new infections were detected in a fish canning factory in the southern port city of Safi. The city was quarantined overnight Saturday to Sunday and its around 300,000 inhabitants placed under a total lockdown, media reports Sunday quoted local authorities as saying.
5th Jul 2020 - Arab News
Coronavirus Cases Rising In Saudi Arabia, UAE After Curfews Lifted
Restrictions had been in place in both countries since mid-March and their gradual lifting has allowed commercial businesses and public venues to reopen. Saudi Arabia, which has the highest count among the six Gulf states, reported more than 4,100 cases on Friday and on Saturday to take its total to 205,929, with 1,858 deaths. The daily tally first rose above 4,000 in mid-June, but had dipped. The United Arab Emirates, where daily infection rates recently dropped to between 300 and 400 from a peak of some 900 in late May, registered more than 600 cases on Friday and over 700 on Saturday, taking its toll to 50,857, with 321 deaths. Dubai, the region's business and tourism hub is due to reopen to foreign visitors on July 7, although this has not been implemented at a federal level in the UAE, which does not provide a breakdown of cases for each of its seven emirates.
5th Jul 2020 - NDTV
Global report: WHO reports record 200,000 cases in one day, amid surging outbreaks
The World Health Organization has reported a record increase in global coronavirus cases with 212,326 being recorded in just 24 hours, amid a surge in the United States, Brazil and India.
5th Jul 2020 - The Guardian
S. Korea reports 61 new coronavirus infections
South Korea's daily new virus cases stayed above 60 for the third consecutive day Sunday as infections outside the Seoul metropolitan area continued to swell, putting further strain on the country's virus fight. The country added 61 cases, including 43 local infections, raising the total caseload to 13,091, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC). South Korea added 63 new cases on both Friday and Saturday. Of the locally transmitted infections, 15 cases were newly identified in Gwangju, 330 kilometers southwest of Seoul.
5th Jul 2020 - The Korea Times
Mainland China reports eight new coronavirus cases, two in Beijing
China recorded eight new coronavirus cases for July 4, up from with three a day earlier, the national health authority said on Sunday, while city officials in Beijing said nearly all the cases in a recent outbreak in the capital were mild. Of the new cases, six were imported and two were in Beijing, which has been scrambling to quash an outbreak traced to a massive wholesale market in the city early last month. In Beijing, 47% of the 334 confirmed cases since June 11 were staff at the Xinfadi market, Pang Xinghuo, a senior Beijing disease control official, told a media briefing on Sunday. Of all the cases in the city since then, 98% were “mild and normal,” she said.
5th Jul 2020 - Reuters UK
Iran imposes new curbs as coronavirus toll rises
Iranians who do not wear masks will be denied state services and workplaces that fail to comply with health protocols will be shut for a week, President Hassan Rouhani said on Saturday as he launched new measures to try to curb the coronavirus. Iran has been battling the spread of the coronavirus, with the total number of cases hitting 237,878 on Saturday and a further 148 deaths bringing the country's toll to 11,408, Health Ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari said on state television. Wearing masks becomes mandatory from Sunday in covered public places, Rouhani said on state television after tougher curbs were imposed in cities and towns in five provinces where the outbreak is rising after an easing of lockdowns from mid-April.
4th Jul 2020 - Yahoo News
Spain locks down an area with 400,000 people after spike in coronavirus cases
Spain's Catalonia region has locked down an area of more than 400,000 residents from midday today. Comes as Britons prepare to make the most of 'air bridges' to visit Spain without having to quarantine. The regional president Quim Torra said this morning that no one could leave the area from 12pm. Western Catalan city of Lleida and the rest of Segrià county has been locked down after rise in cases
4th Jul 2020 - Daily Mail
COVID-19: Serbia Declares State Of Emergency In Belgrade After Rise In Infections
Serbia has declared a state of emergency in the capital, Belgrade, and is reimposing a series of restrictions to slow the spread of the coronavirus after a spike in infections. The government on July 3 said it was making the wearing of masks compulsory in indoor public spaces or on public transport, and shortened the opening hours of clubs and cafes -- which will now be closed between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. -- while limiting gatherings to 100 people indoors or 500 outdoors. Those not wearing masks in closed spaces face hefty fines.
4th Jul 2020 - Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
82-year-old Singaporean woman among eight new unlinked community Covid-19 cases
An 82-year-old Singaporean woman is among eight new unlinked community cases that were announced on Saturday (July 4). She was confirmed to have the virus on Saturday after showing symptoms on July 1. The Ministry of Health (MOH) confirmed 185 new coronavirus cases in Singapore on Saturday, bringing the total to 44,664.
4th Jul 2020 - The Straits Times
Dozens of U.S. Diplomats to Leave Saudi Arabia as Coronavirus Outbreak Worsens
Dozens of U.S. diplomats and their families are leaving Saudi Arabia this weekend amid a surge in new coronavirus cases, drawing into focus the kingdom’s struggle in containing the outbreak as it reopens its economy. The diplomats will take a repatriation flight Saturday after the State Department last week approved the voluntary departure of nonemergency personnel, U.S. officials familiar with the plan said. More diplomats are expected to follow in the coming weeks, they added.
3rd Jul 2020 - The Wall Street Journal
Seven U.S. states post record COVID cases, curfew ordered in Miami
Alabama and six other U.S. states reported record increases in coronavirus cases on Friday as Florida’s most populous county imposed a curfew ahead of the Independence Day weekend and Arkansas joined a push toward mandating mask-wearing in public. North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Alaska, Missouri, Idaho and Alabama all registered new daily highs in cases of COVID-19, the illness caused by the novel coronavirus. Texas hit a new peak for hospitalizations, with one doctor calling for a “complete lockdown” in the state to get the virus under control.
3rd Jul 2020 - Reuters
No new state of emergency as nightlife drives Tokyo's coronavirus spread
Japan will not reintroduce a state of emergency to tackle the novel coronavirus, a government spokesman said on Friday, as cases in Tokyo rose to a two-month high driven by the spread of the virus in the capital's night spots. Tokyo reported 124 new cases on Friday, up from 107 the day before, partly due to increased testing among nightlife workers in the Shinjuku and Ikebukuro districts. Of all new infections confirmed in Tokyo in the week through Wednesday, 44% were traced to establishments where "food and drinks are provided along with company", chief cabinet secretary Yoshihide Suga said -- an oblique reference to spots such as "host bars" where male hosts are paid to flirt with female patrons over drinks. But despite the spike, the number of serious cases is declining and there was no need to reinstate the state of emergency that was lifted on May 25, Suga said.
3rd Jul 2020 - Yahoo News UK
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 3rd Jul 2020
View this newsletter in fullJapan's capital sees biggest rise in coronavirus cases in two months
Tokyo confirmed 107 new coronavirus infections on Thursday, its highest daily tally in two months, but Japan’s chief cabinet secretary said there was no need to reintroduce a state of emergency. Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike said about 70% of cases on Thursday were among people in their 20s and 30s. “It’s really unpleasant that it is increasing somewhat. I’d like to ask all Tokyo residents and everyone at businesses for their cooperation to prevent that,” she said. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told reporters he didn’t think there was a need for a fresh state of emergency. “We’ll continue to pay attention to the infection situation in the area with a sense of urgency, and work to both prevent spreading of infection and support economic activity,” he said. Officials have also said the medical system can handle existing infections and that increased testing partly explains the rise in confirmed cases.
3rd Jul 2020 - Reuters
The Latest: South Korea worries as virus resurgence spreads
South Korea says it has confirmed 54 more COVID-19 cases as the coronavirus continues to spread beyond the capital region and reach cities like Gwangju, which has shut schools and tightened social restrictions after dozens fell sick this week
2nd Jul 2020 - ABC News
The Latest: South Korea worries as virus resurgence spreads
South Korea says it has confirmed 54 more COVID-19 cases as the coronavirus continues to spread beyond the capital region and reach cities like Gwangju, which has shut schools and tightened social restrictions after dozens fell sick this week.
The figures reported Thursday brought the national case total to 12,904, including 282 deaths. Twenty-two of the new cases are in Gwangju, a southwestern city where infections were tied to various places, including office buildings, public libraries, welfare centres and a Buddhist temple. Twenty-three of the new cases came from the densely popular Seoul metropolitan area, which has been at the centre of a virus resurgence since late May amid increased economic activity and eased attitudes on social distancing.
2nd Jul 2020 - Yahoo Canada Finance
Australia Thought the Virus Was Under Control. It Found a Vulnerable Spot.
Ring Mayar spends all day knocking on doors in the western suburbs of Melbourne, asking residents if they have a cough, a fever or chills. Even if they do not, he encourages them to get tested for the coronavirus, as the authorities race to catch up with a string of outbreaks that is threatening to recast Australia’s success story in controlling the spread. “It’s quite daunting,” said Mr. Mayar, the president of the South Sudanese Community Association in the state of Victoria, who has been volunteering in one of the largely immigrant communities where cases are surging.
The rise in infections — Victoria reported 77 new cases Thursday, the most since March — has driven home the outsized impact of the coronavirus on communities in which working-class immigrants and essential workers are particularly vulnerable to the disease. In these places, people often must venture out for jobs that put them at risk of contracting the virus, and communication by the authorities in residents’ native languages can be patchy.
2nd Jul 2020 - The New York Times
Kazakhstan to implement softer second lockdown over COVID-19
Kazakhstan will close some non-essential businesses, limit travel between provinces, cut public transit hours of operation and ban public gatherings for two weeks starting from July 5, the government said on Thursday. The measures aimed at curbing the spread of the coronavirus in the Central Asian country may be tightened or extended later, the cabinet said in a statement
2nd Jul 2020 - Reuters
Tokyo confirms 107 new cases of coronavirus
NHK has learned that more than 100 new cases of the coronavirus have been confirmed in Tokyo on Thursday. Tokyo Metropolitan Government officials say the number of new cases has reached 107. This is the first time since May 2 that the daily total has topped 100. It is also the highest daily figure since the state of emergency was lifted on May 25.
2nd Jul 2020 - NHK WORLD
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 2nd Jul 2020
View this newsletter in fullEurope’s New Virus Clusters Expose Old Inequalities
This pattern raises the question of whether governments are doing enough to ensure all citizens understand the basic precautions to take to protect themselves, and have the means to do so. It also underlines the failings of several European states to ensure that even the poorest parts of society have access to decent housing and benefit from job safety. The situation could risk fanning social and racial tensions if immigrant communities get blamed for being carriers of the virus.
Five different outbreaks across Europe tell a very similar story. In Germany, the authorities locked down the municipality of Guetersloh, in North-Rhine Westphalia, after hundreds of workers in one of Europe’s biggest meat-processing plants tested positive for the virus. The group was largely made up of poorly paid Eastern European immigrants, who lived together in accommodation for the plant’s workers. Germany’s meat industry has been able to circumvent strict rules on working conditions by using subcontractors, something new legislation is meant to change.
1st Jul 2020 - Bloomberg
Melbourne Faces New COVID-19 Lockdown As Infections Surge In Australia’s Second Biggest City
Parts of Australia's second biggest city, Melbourne, are to go back into COVID-19 lockdown Wednesday following a surge in cases. Authorities have said 36 suburbs have had an "unacceptably high" number of new infections detected in the past few days. Australia has had 7,834 confirmed coronavirus cases. 104 people have died. With 73 infections, Victoria has accounted for almost all of the national tally of new COVID-19 cases in the past 24-hours. Failures in the hotel quarantine program are being blamed. Travelers returning to Australia from overseas face a mandatory 14-days in isolation.The state government has said that breaches in security have been linked to the spread of the disease in parts of Melbourne. Health officials have said the surge in infections was ‘heart breaking.’
1st Jul 2020 - VOA Asia
COVID-19: Air New Zealand suspending services to Melbourne
Air New Zealand is stopping flights between Aotearoa and Melbourne for two weeks as the city suffers a second wave of COVID-19. The suspension went into effect immediately on Wednesday, meaning multiple flights scheduled for the day were either cancelled or will operate as cargo flights only. "Due to Australian Government restrictions Air NZ will not operate passenger services from Auckland to Melbourne from July 1 to July 14," the airline said in a statement. "The airline was due to operate two return services to Melbourne today. NZ123 from Auckland to Melbourne is operating as a cargo only flight, with NZ124 operating with inbound passengers to Auckland. "NZ127 and NZ128 today will be cancelled."
1st Jul 2020 - Newshub
Jacinda Ardern says Victoria, Australia's COVID-19 spike a reminder New Zealand 'not immune' to second wave of coronavirus
A resurgence of COVID-19 in Australia is a sombre reminder of the ongoing threat coronavirus poses to New Zealand, the Prime Minister says. After seemingly getting its COVID-19 outbreak under control, Australia's daily cases have been building over the last week - and on Monday it recorded 81 new cases, less than three weeks after recording just two earlier in the month. The majority of these cases are in the southern state of Victoria, which has now entered its second period of lockdown and closed its borders in response to the spike.
1st Jul 2020 - Newshub
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 1st Jul 2020
View this newsletter in fullDerbyshire among areas in England at risk of 'local lockdown' as coronavirus cases spike
Derbyshire is one of 36 areas in the England experiencing spikes in coronavirus cases as ‘local lockdowns’ are discussed in parliament to target locations where the disease appears to be most prevalent.
30th Jun 2020 - Derbyshire Times
Lockdown easing: why the UK is better prepared for a second wave
This Saturday, lockdown measures in England will ease further, with people able to get a pint in a pub, have a haircut and see another household indoors. The Guardian’s heath editor, Sarah Boseley, looks at whether another lifting of restrictions might result in a second wave, and if it does, why we are better prepared this time round
30th Jun 2020 - The Guardian
Will there be a second wave of coronavirus? If cases of Covid-19 could surge again as Leicester extends lockdown
Lockdown restrictions around the world have begun to lift and the UK hospitality industry is set to restart on 4th July, but could a second wave of the virus hit the UK? This is everything you need to know about a potential second wave of coronavirus infections as lockdown restrictions begin to lift around the world.
30th Jun 2020 - The Scotsman
China puts 500,000 in Wuhan-style lockdown after spike in coronavirus cases
China has once again implemented tough restrictions to stop the spread of Covid-19 after cases suddenly rose. The nation, where the virus originated, had largely brought the pandemic under control but hundreds have now been infected in Beijing and cases have emerged in neighbouring Hebei province in recent weeks. Health officials said Sunday Anxin county – about 90 miles from Beijing – will be ‘fully enclosed and controlled’, the same strict measures imposed at the height of the pandemic in the city of Wuhan earlier this year. Only one person from each family will be allowed to go out once a day to purchase necessities such as food and medicine, the county’s epidemic prevention task force said in a statement.
30th Jun 2020 - Metro
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 30th Jun 2020
View this newsletter in fullWill there be a second wave of coronavirus? Could cases of Covid-19 in UK rise again after Germany sees infection rate jump
As lockdown restrictions ease across the UK, concerns amongst experts are growing in regards to the possibility of a second wave of coronavirus cases if social distancing guidelines are not adhered to
29th Jun 2020 - The Scotsman
Is Victoria’s dire COVID-19 situation going to be Australia’s second wave of coronavirus?
The declaration by New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian that Victorians shouldn’t cross the border, and that her citizens should avoid travel south, highlights the seriousness of the resurgence. Authorities say the situation is likely to get much worse, given the benefits of renewed restrictions and a rapid testing blitz across 10 suburbs won’t be felt for weeks. Professor James McCaw from the Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics at The University of Melbourne initially wondered whether the uptick was just a blip that could be managed. “The pendulum is starting to swing towards this being more than a statistical blip,” Prof McCaw said. “While there is no apparent uptick in hospitalisation yet, it is too early to tell why. It may be that cases are in younger people picked up by the targeted testing system who are less likely to become severely ill. “Or it may be that in a few weeks time we will see increasing hospitalisations as the infection spreads further.”
29th Jun 2020 - News.com.au
Vic records highest peak since lockdown
Victorians have been warned they might be legally forced to minimise their movements to help contain the spread of coronavirus after the state recorded 75 new cases. Victorian Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said the increase in cases on Monday was concerning but big numbers could be turned around if people "do the right thing".
29th Jun 2020 - The Newcastle Herald
Coronavirus US: Over 1,000 San Quentin Prison inmates infected
As of Monday, 1,015 inmates in the prison had tested positive for COVID-19. The number has grown by 973 in just two weeks. The spike is thought to have been caused by an influx of inmates from California Institute for Men. Sixteen inmates there died from the virus; 121 were transferred to San Quentin on May 31. Gov. Gavin Newsom said on Monday some inmates would be removed to be cared for in medical facilities. It comes as the number of cases across the US continues to rise
29th Jun 2020 - Daily Mail
CDC report reveals coronavirus spread to 72% of inmates exposed in Louisiana
In the weeks following a prison staff member's positive coronavirus test, 35 inmates in five buildings tested positive. Less than two months later, despite quarantines, 71 out of 98 remaining inmates in those buildings were infected. Sixteen people tested negative once before testing positive and two had two negative COVID-19 tests before the tested positive. Weeks may have elapsed between when they were infected and when they tested positive, a CDC report reveals
29th Jun 2020 - Daily Mail
With coronavirus surge, L.A. County may run out of ICU beds
Los Angeles County health officials issued a dire warning Monday that conditions amid the COVID-19 pandemic are deteriorating rapidly and the highly contagious virus is spreading swiftly in the nation’s most populous county. They said they are now faced with one of their biggest fears: that the reopening of L.A. County would coincide with sudden jumps in disease transmission that have the potential to overwhelm public and private hospitals. L.A. County has long been the epicenter of the coronavirus in California — with nearly 98,000 confirmed cases and more than 3,300 deaths — but officials said Monday that the outbreak is worsening. Barbara Ferrer, the director of public health for L.A. County, said that new data show “alarming increases in cases, positivity rates and hospitalization.”
29th Jun 2020 - Los Angeles Times
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 29th Jun 2020
View this newsletter in fullUK considers locking down Leicester after COVID-19 spike - Sunday Times
The British government is considering imposing a lockdown in the city of Leicester after a surge of coronavirus cases there, the Sunday Times newspaper reported, citing senior government sources. Health Secretary Matt Hancock is examining a legislation required for the shutdown after it was disclosed that Leicester, a city of around 350,000 people in the East Midlands, has had over 650 COVID-19 cases in the fortnight to June 16, the newspaper reported. Hancock is considering "all options", including imposing a localised lockdown, according to the report
28th Jun 2020 - Reuters UK
Czech Republic's daily number of new coronavirus highest since April 8
The daily number of new coronavirus cases in the Czech Republic jumped to 260, the highest since April 8, Health Ministry data showed on Sunday. That is nearly triple that of the 93 recorded on Thursday. In total, the country of 10.7 million has confirmed 11,298 cases of the COVID-19 illness, with 347 deaths as of the end of Saturday. Chief public health officer, Jarmila Razova, told public Czech Radio on Saturday that the rise could be linked to intensive testing in local hotbeds of the infection.
28th Jun 2020 - Reuters UK
China sees uptick in new COVID-19 cases, including 17 in Beijing
Mainland China reported on Saturday the highest number of new coronavirus cases in four days, driven by a COVID-19 resurgence in the Chinese capital of Beijing. The National Health Commission reported 21 new confirmed infections in mainland China on Friday, up from 13 a day earlier and the highest since Monday.
In Beijing, 17 new confirmed cases were reported, up from 11 a day earlier and the most since June 20. Since June 11 when Beijing reported its first case in the current outbreak, stemming from a sprawling wholesale food centre in the southwest of the capital, 297 people in the city of more than 20 million have contracted the virus.
Mainland China reported four new so-called imported cases on Friday, infections linked to travellers arriving from abroad. That compares with two cases a day earlier.
27th Jun 2020 - Reuters
U.S. sets another single-day record for new coronavirus cases, surpassing 40,000 for first time
The United States set a record for new covid-19 cases for the third time in three days, passing the 40,000 mark for the first time, according to tracking by The Washington Post. Thirteen states set their own records for the average number of new cases reported over the past seven days: Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Idaho, Washington and Utah.
Six states set new single-day highs, led by Florida with 8,942 cases, more than 60 percent higher than its previous high set on Wednesday. Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Idaho and Utah also set new single-day records.
Florida announced Friday morning that bars must close immediately, a move echoed by Texas, a state also dealing with a surge in cases and nearing its capacity to care for those suffering. Both states are backtracking amid a crisis of rising hospitalizations and skyrocketing infection rates.
26th Jun 2020 - The Washington Post
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 26th Jun 2020
View this newsletter in fullGermany slaughterhouse outbreak brings police, mass testing
German police have deployed hundreds of officers across two western regions that have been placed under renewed one-week lockdown in an attempt to contain a coronavirus outbreak linked to a slaughterhouse
25th Jun 2020 - ABC News
Revealed: data shows 10 countries risking coronavirus second wave as lockdown relaxed
Ten countries currently facing serious increases in coronavirus infections are among those nations with less stringent approaches to managing their outbreaks.
Guardian analysis of coronavirus data, in combination with the University of Oxford’s coronavirus government response tracker, has identified that 10 of the 45 most badly-affected countries are also among those rated as having a “relaxed response” to the pandemic, underlining the mitigating impact of effective government public health policies. The countries include the US - which is experiencing its largest increase in coronavirus cases since April; Iran, Germany and Switzerland - two European countries where the R rate has risen above one this week.
25th Jun 2020 - The Guardian
Could Canada avoid a second wave of COVID-19?
The first wave of COVID-19 is subsiding in Canada, with daily case numbers and hospitalizations falling to rates not seen since the beginning of the pandemic. Predictions on when a second wave of COVID-19 could hit have ranged from the fall and winter months of this year, when flu season traditionally starts, to early next year, similar to the way the pandemic began. But experts say the likelihood of a second wave isn't set in stone, and Canada could instead see several smaller waves in the coming months or avoid a second wave altogether — especially if we keep our guard up. "There's actually nothing preordained about a second wave," said Steven Hoffman, director of the Global Strategy Lab and a global health law professor at York University in Toronto who studies pandemics.
25th Jun 2020 - CBC.ca
Countries are 'highly unlikely' to impose full lockdowns again if there's a second wave, analysts say
The U.S. saw its highest number of cases in a single day on Wednesday, and reported 45,557 new cases at the end of the day, according to NBC News count. In Asia, South Korea said that it’s battling a “second wave” of coronavirus infections around Seoul. “This second wave of virus is a concern for investors ... but I think the key difference is that unlike last time in March, this time it’s highly unlikely that we would see a shutdown of the global economy,” said Suresh Tantia, senior investment strategist at Credit Suisse’s APAC CIO office.
25th Jun 2020 - CNBC
Will there be a second wave of coronavirus? UK cases of Covid-19 could rise again as Germany sees infection rate jump
As lockdown restrictions begin to ease across the UK, concerns are growing amongst experts about the possibility of a second wave of coronavirus cases if social distancing guidelines are not adhered to
25th Jun 2020 - The Scotsman
Australian troops sent to Melbourne as cases surge
With the start this week of the first human vaccine trials in South Africa, Africa has now officially joined the race to find a Covid-19 vaccine. The large-scale trial of the vaccine developed by Oxford University is being conducted in South Africa, the UK and Brazil. Experts say a vaccine is the one thing that will help bring life back to normal, but trials have to take place in many different settings before there is one which is safe to use. Scientists say that it is vital that Africans take part in these trials, arguing that not doing so could jeopardise efforts to find a vaccine that works worldwide - and not just for richer nations. But critics cite a history of Western exploitation of Africa and unethical drug trials in the past as a reason not to participate. BBC Africa's Joice Etutu reports on why vaccine trials in Africa are such a sensitive topic and whether things have changed.
25th Jun 2020 - BBC
Australia scrambles to prevent second COVID-19 wave after first death in a month
Fears of a second wave stem from an upswing in new cases in Victoria, Australia's second-most populous state, where authorities are trying to contain outbreaks in half a dozen Melbourne suburbs. State Premier Daniel Andrews has asked for military personnel to help operate pop-up test centres and enforce a 14-day quarantine requirement for anyone coming from overseas, a spokeswoman said.
After enforcing lockdown restrictions earlier in its coronavirus outbreak compared to most other countries, Australia began to ease those curbs last month to revive its economy as infection rates has slowed significantly. The lockdown in Victoria was being lifted more slowly, but authorities there believe the increase in new cases stemmed from family get-togethers attended by people with mild symptoms.
25th Jun 2020 - YAHOO!
Australia calls in the army as second wave of coronavirus hits Melbourne
The Australian government has called in soldiers amid a feared second wave of coronavirus in Melbourne as officials in the city step up testing and enforce measures to prevent a new round of panic-buying. The country’s confidence has been shaken over the past week as scores of fresh cases of Covid-19 emerged in the outer suburbs of the country’s second biggest city, prompting fears of the virus spreading through the community and beyond to other centres as Australia comes out of lockdown. Cases have been running at about 20 a day for a week, a significant increase on previous weeks. Melbourne recorded Australia’s first death from coronavirus for a month, a man in his 80s, on Tuesday.
25th Jun 2020 - The Times
Coronavirus second wave hits countries as lockdown ends
As some countries reopened their economy amid a sharp fall of coronavirus infections, some countries saw return of the virus. While some of them are experiencing a second wave of the virus, not every rise in infection can be termed as second wave. In order to label it as second wave, the virus should have been brought under control and cases fallen substantially. Here are few countries who are facing a second wave, and others that fear a second wave.
25th Jun 2020 - WION
Portugal brings back some coronavirus lockdown measures in Lisbon
People in several parts of Greater Lisbon will have to go back to staying at home from next week as Portuguese authorities deal with a worrying wave of coronavirus on the city’s outskirts, the government announced on Thursday. Those living in the affected areas of the capital - a total of 19 civil parishes that do not include downtown Lisbon - will be allowed to leave home only to buy essential goods such as food or medication, and to travel to and from work. “The only effective way to control the pandemic is to stay home whenever possible, keep physical distance at all times and always maintain protection and hygiene standards,” Prime Minister Antonio Costa told a news conference. The measure will be in place from June 29 until July 12 and it will then be reviewed, according to a government document.
25th Jun 2020 - Reuters
Texas keeps lights on in bars, bowling alleys despite virus surge
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has said he is temporarily halting the state's phased economic reopening in response to a jump in COVID-19 infections and hospitalisations. "This temporary pause will help our state corral the spread until we can safely enter the next phase of opening our state for business," Abbott said in a statement.
25th Jun 2020 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 25th Jun 2020
View this newsletter in fullGermany reckons with second wave risk
The working conditions of slaughterhouses are coming under scrutiny as they emerge as hotbeds for infections. A regional lockdown announced Tuesday affecting more than 500,000 locals near Germany’s industrial heartland offers a laboratory for how Europe can manage new outbreaks of COVID-19. That includes thorny questions of how to administer those measures in local communities and whom to blame for contagion. "At the moment it's a local outbreak," said Ralf Reintjes, professor of epidemiology and surveillance at the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences. But if the approach fails in Gütersloh and in other towns such as Göttingen, where a tower block is in quarantine, he warned, Germany will "probably have a second wave."
24th Jun 2020 - POLITICO
Coronavirus outbreak forces new area in Spain to reintroduce restrictions
A coronavirus outbreak in Spain’s northeastern region of Aragón has forced regional authorities to take a new step back in the deescalation process. A day after moving three comarcas – administrative divisions smaller than a province – back to Phase 2 of the national deescalation plan, the regional government announced on Tuesday that the comarca of Bajo Aragón-Caspe would also return to an earlier stage. The move, aimed at curbing coronavirus contagions, comes in response to an outbreak detected among fruit pickers in Huesca province.
24th Jun 2020 - EL PAÍS in English
France: Two Paris schools close as precaution after coronavirus cases
French authorities have closed two schools in Paris as a precautionary measure after the discovery of coronavirus cases but they have not been classed as potentially dangerous clusters, authorities said Wednesday. France, unlike some other European countries which have taken a much more cautious approach, on Monday resumed obligatory schooling for all pupils after the coronavirus shutdown.
Some schools had already been open at least partially for several weeks after the initial easing of the lockdown. But a school in the 12th district of Paris with 180 pupils has been closed until the end of the week after three cases were discovered, the local health authority told AFP.
24th Jun 2020 - RTL Today
South Korea says it has a second wave of coronavirus infections — but what does that really mean?
A case in point: despite Seoul saying it believed it was going through a second wave, a World Health Organization (WHO) representative declined to repeat that suggestion when discussing the situation in South Korea on Tuesday. So what actually constitutes a second wave of coronavirus infections? And if South Korea's experiencing one now, which countries are likely to to be next?
24th Jun 2020 - Australian Broadcasting Corporation
South Korea reports 46 new virus cases as it tackles 'second wave'
South Korea reported 46 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday after health authorities declared the country was battling a second wave of infections that had been circulating for weeks. The South endured one of the worst early outbreaks of the disease outside China but appears to have brought it broadly under control thanks to an extensive "trace, test and treat" programme while never imposing a compulsory lockdown. Social distancing rules were relaxed after a public holiday in early May and the country has since been returning largely to normal. But in the last month the South has seen around 35 to 50 cases a day, mostly in the Seoul metropolitan area where half of the population lives. "We believe the second wave has been running since it was triggered by the May holiday," said Jung Eun-kyeong, director of Korea's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
24th Jun 2020 - Yahoo! News
Australia reports first COVID-19 death in more than a month, second wave worry stirs
Australia reported its first COVID-19 death in more than a month on Wednesday, as concerns about a second wave of infections saw thousands of people queue, sometimes for hours, to be tested for the virus. A man in his eighties died in Victoria state, where 20 new cases were reported overnight, Victoria Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton told reporters in Melbourne. Australia has so far escaped a high number of casualties from the new coronavirus, with just over 7,500 infections and 103 deaths, aided by strict lockdown measures and social distancing rules. Fears of a second wave stem from an upswing in new cases in Victoria, Australia’s second-most populous state, where authorities are trying to contain outbreaks in half a dozen Melbourne suburbs. State Premier Daniel Andrews has asked for military personnel to help operate pop-up test centres and enforce a 14-day quarantine requirement for anyone coming from overseas, a spokeswoman said.
24th Jun 2020 - Reuters
Israel, Palestinians tighten restrictions as coronavirus reemerges
Israeli and Palestinian authorities have brought back some coronavirus restrictions after the number of new cases jumped in what officials fear could herald a “second wave” of infections. Israel’s cabinet on Wednesday approved legislation to resume the use of Shin Bet counter-terrorism surveillance technology to track infections, a practice that had been halted on June 9 amid objections by privacy watchdogs, officials said. A partial lockdown went into effect in a town in central Israel and several neighborhoods in the city of Tiberias where infection rates were particularly high. The Palestinian Authority put the West Bank city of Hebron and announced that this Friday’s public prayers would be suspended, though mosques would otherwise remain open in line with health precautions.
24th Jun 2020 - Reuters UK
Virus Surges Across U.S., Throwing Reopenings Into Disarray
Newly diagnosed cases of Covid-19 and other indicators of the pandemic’s spread soared in hot spots across the U.S., driving city and state officials to consider slowing or reversing reopening plans. Cases are surging in Texas, Florida, Arizona and in California, which on Tuesday broke its record for new cases for the fourth day in the past week. Even in New Jersey, where numbers have been falling, Governor Phil Murphy warned that the transmission rate is “beginning to creep up.”
23rd Jun 2020 - Bloomberg
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 24th Jun 2020
View this newsletter in fullSpain has no plans for new lockdown despite fresh Covid-19 outbreaks
Spain’s Deputy Prime Minister Carmen Calvo said on Tuesday that the government could reimpose emergency measures in all or parts of the country if there are any coronavirus outbreaks that spiral out of control. “If there is ever a time when we have a serious situation, the government could easily decree a state of alarm in part of the territory, if not in all of it,” she said in an interview on Spanish television channel Antena 3. “Hopefully we won’t have to do that. But we are categorical about protecting health. If the moment comes, the government will show responsibility.” But soon after, government spokesperson María Jesús Montero insisted that there are “no short-term or mid-term plans” to reintroduce a state of alarm in Spain again.
23rd Jun 2020 - EL PAÍS in English
South Korea confirms second coronavirus wave linked to nightclubs and offices
Officials in South Korea have confirmed the country is suffering a second wave of Covid-19, following a surge in confirmed cases since May. Despite the country being one of the first in the world to get the virus under control and avoided a lockdown, experts said a holiday weekend in early May sparked a fresh wave of infections in the capital Seoul. Numerous outbreaks have recently been confirmed at nightclubs in the city, which had previously not experienced many cases. Officials said on Monday that 17 new cases had been recorded over the last 24 hours, including clusters in warehouses and large offices.
23rd Jun 2020 - Metro
South Korea reports 46 new virus cases as it tackles 'second wave'
South Korea reported 46 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday after health authorities declared the country was battling a second wave of infections that had been circulating for weeks. The South endured one of the worst early outbreaks of the disease outside China but appears to have brought it broadly under control thanks to an extensive "trace, test and treat" programme while never imposing a compulsory lockdown. Social distancing rules were relaxed after a public holiday in early May and the country has since been returning largely to normal. But in the last month the South has seen around 35 to 50 cases a day, mostly in the Seoul metropolitan area where half of the population lives. "We believe the second wave has been running since it was triggered by the May holiday," said Jung Eun-kyeong, director of Korea's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Officials reimposed some social distancing measures in late May following fresh clusters in and near Seoul, and most cases reported in the past week have been domestic infections.
23rd Jun 2020 - IBTimes UK
South Korea sees uptick in coronavirus cases as second wave arrives early
The South endured one of the worst early outbreaks of the disease outside China but appears to have brought it broadly under control thanks to an extensive “trace, test and treat” programme while never imposing a compulsory lockdown. Social distancing rules were relaxed after a public holiday in early May and the country has since been returning largely to normal. But in the last month the South has seen around 35 to 50 cases a day, mostly in the Seoul metropolitan area where half of the population lives.
23rd Jun 2020 - South China Morning Post
218 new Covid-19 cases in Singapore, including one in community
There are 218 new coronavirus cases confirmed as of Monday noon (June 22), taking Singapore's total to 42,313. They include a community case who is a work pass holder, said the Ministry of Health (MOH) on Monday. Migrant workers living in dormitories make up the vast majority of the other cases.
23rd Jun 2020 - The Straits Times
7 more Pakistan cricketers test positive for coronavirus, PCB says England tour 'on track'
Seven more Pakistan players due to tour England in August have tested positive for the coronavirus, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said on Tuesday, taking the total to 10 since the first results were announced this week.
23rd Jun 2020 - Dawn
The way Beijing tracked its second wave is a lesson for us all
This second outbreak has prompted a flurry of activity as officials mobilise to stop further transmission taking place. In communities deemed high risk, people’s health codes have turned yellow, which means they must quarantine at home. Those who want to leave Beijing must show a negative test taken within the last seven days. State-owned telecoms companies are handing over data to help with tracking. The net is spread wide and the tracing operation immense. Even residents who have travelled on highways a few kilometres away from Xinfadi, or taken a subway line that runs near it, have received phone calls inquiring whether they have visited. State media reported almost 200,000 people had been contacted as part of the contact tracing drive, and 356,000 subsequently tested.
19th Jun 2020 - Wired
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 23rd Jun 2020
View this newsletter in fullCoronavirus outbreak: Why Germany’s R rate spiked to 2.8 over the weekend
Germany’s coronavirus R rate spiked to 2.8 over the weekend, sparking concerns a second wave would hit the country. The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) said on Saturday the R number jumped to 1.79 on Saturday and 2.88 on Sunday, spiking 60 per cent in a 48-hour period. The upswing in infection risk made headlines across Germany and beyond, prompting concern from those who thought the outbreak was firmly under control.
22nd Jun 2020 - iNews
Will there be a second wave of coronavirus? If UK cases of Covid-19 could rise again as Germany sees infection rate jump
As lockdown restrictions begin to ease across the UK, concerns are growing amongst experts about the possibility of a second wave of coronavirus cases if social distancing guidelines are not adhered to
22nd Jun 2020 - The Scotsman
Lockdown restrictions will be brought back if coronavirus R-rate rises like in Germany, minister warns
Boris Johnson will not hesitate to reimpose lockdown measures if infections surge again, a minister said today following signs of a fresh outbreak in Germany. Home Office minister James Brokenshire said it was “concerning” to see the rate of transmission rise in Germany after restrictions were eased. The Prime Minister has begun the formal process for the biggest relaxation of the UK’s economic straitjacket yet, including the switch from the two-metre rule of social distancing to a “one metre-plus” rule
22nd Jun 2020 - Evening Standard
Meat plant must be held to account for Covid-19 outbreak, says German minister
Hubertus Heil said an entire region had been “taken hostage” by the factory’s failure to protect its employees, most of whom come from Romania and Bulgaria.
Germany’s coronavirus reproduction or R rate leapt to 2.88 over the weekend largely as a result of the outbreak at the plant at Gütersloh in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW). About 7,000 people have been sent into quarantine as a result of the outbreak, and schools and kindergartens in the region that had been gradually reopened have been forced to close until at least after the summer holidays. Health authorities have accused Tönnies, the family-run business that owns the plant, of breaking regulations around physical distancing that were introduced to dampen the spread of coronavirus. Authorities say Tönnies has also been reluctant to give them access to workers’ contact details, allegedly hampering the tracking and tracing of the workers and their contacts. Tönnies said delays in handing over personnel data had been due to Germany’s strict data protection laws.
22nd Jun 2020 - The Guardian
South Korea becomes first country to announce second wave of coronavirus
South Korea is in the midst of a “second wave” of coronavirus infections, health officials claimed on Monday. Until now the country had been hailed a success story for its handling of the worldwide virus pandemic. However, the Korea Centers for Disease Control (KCDC) said on Monday that a rise in new cases signalled a second wave in the capital of Seoul. Health minister Park Neung-hoo said 90 imported cases had been identified over the past week, a sharp rise from the previous week's 48. He said: “The government faces a grave situation as health officials need not only to contain locally transmitted infections, but also manage imported cases.”
22nd Jun 2020 - YAHOO!
South Korea confirms second coronavirus wave linked to nightclubs and offices
Officials in South Korea have confirmed the country is suffering a second wave of Covid-19, following a surge in confirmed cases since May. Despite the country being one of the first in the world to get the virus under control and avoided a lockdown, experts said a holiday weekend in early May sparked a fresh wave of infections in the capital Seoul. Numerous outbreaks have recently been confirmed at nightclubs in the city, which had previously not experienced many cases. Officials said on Monday that 17 new cases had been recorded over the last 24 hours, including clusters in warehouses and large offices.
22nd Jun 2020 - Metro.co.uk
'Very different than in March': Sebastian Kurz, Morrison's unlikely new ally, looks to second wave
One of the world leaders working closely with Prime Minister Scott Morrison on containing the coronavirus pandemic has cast doubt on using nationwide lockdowns and mass border closures to combat a second wave of the deadly disease, amid early signs from Victoria and China of a resurgence in cases. In an interview with The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz — a rising star of conservative politics whose response to the outbreak has been credited with avoiding thousands of deaths — said draconian measures used to stamp out the virus might only be a one-off move because leaders were now better prepared to react and the public more alert to the health risk. "If there is a second wave, our situation would be very different than in February and March," said the 33-year-old Kurz.
22nd Jun 2020 - The Sydney Morning Herald
In Beijing it looked like coronavirus was gone. Now we're living with a second wave
For just one day, Beijing was a Covid-free city. On Tuesday 9 June, local authorities reported that the last active Covid-19 case had been discharged from a local hospital. City health officials appeared without face masks at the daily press conference, to announce that there were “no new cases and no suspected infections”. Beijing, finally, seemed to breathe a little easier. The now-ubiquitous temperature checks, at the entrance to every office building, restaurant and hutong (alleyway), were dismantled. The Lama Temple and Beijing aquarium were open to the public for the first time since January and were immediately packed to capacity. It was a beautiful summer’s day – bright blue skies and the sharp Beijing light that glints golden on the city’s tower blocks.
22nd Jun 2020 - The Guardian
New Zealand tightens border restrictions, as two new COVID-19 cases reported
After having successfully controlled the spread of coronavirus cases in the country, New Zealand is now reporting new cases as it eased its border restrictions. Among its recently reported two cases is an Indian man taking the total number of active COVID-19 cases in the country to nine after having none at all earlier this month, health officials said on Monday. The man in his 30s travelled from India along with his wife. He had been staying at a hotel in Auckland. He came to New Zealand in an Air India flight, director general of health Dr Ashley Bloomfield was quoted as saying by the New Zealand Herald. The second case involves a teenage girl who arrived from Islamabad via Melbourne on June 13.
22nd Jun 2020 - The Statesman on MSN.com
South Korea is battling a 'second wave'
Health authorities in South Korea said for the first time on Monday it is in the midst of a "second wave" of novel coronavirus infections around Seoul, driven by small but persistent outbreaks stemming from a holiday in May. The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) had previously said South Korea's first wave had never really ended. But on Monday, KCDC director Jeong Eun-kyeong said it had become clear that a holiday weekend in early May marked the beginning of a new wave of infections focused in the densely populated greater Seoul area, which had previously seen few cases. "In the metropolitan area, we believe that the first wave was from March to April as well as February to March," Jeong said at a regular briefing. "Then we see that the second wave which was triggered by the May holiday has been going on."
22nd Jun 2020 - CBC.ca
German coronavirus outbreak at abattoir infects more than 1,000
More than 1,000 employees at German meat processing firm Toennies have tested positive for coronavirus, prompting local health authorities to order all 6,500 employees and their families to go into quarantine. The localised lockdown is a setback for Germany’s reopening strategy. Chancellor Angela Merkel had favoured maintaining lockdown discipline for longer, but eased restrictions following pressure from regional premiers. Even though its management of the coronavirus crisis has been among the most successful in Europe, Germany has seen repeated outbreaks in slaughterhouses, whose employees are often migrants living in crowded company-provided accommodation.
22nd Jun 2020 - Reuters
Germany's coronavirus reproduction rate jumps, indicating rising contagion
Germany’s coronavirus reproduction rate jumped to 2.88 on Sunday, up from 1.79 a day earlier, health authorities said, a rate showing infections are rising above the level needed to contain the disease over the longer term. The rise brings with it the possibility of renewed restrictions on activity in Europe’s largest economy - a blow to a country that so far had widely been seen as successful in curbing the coronavirus spread and keeping the death toll relatively low. To keep the pandemic under control, Germany needs the reproduction rate to drop below one. The rate of 2.88, published by the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for public health, means that out of 100 people who contract the virus, a further 288 people will get infected.
22nd Jun 2020 - Reuters UK
Three members of Pakistan tour party to England test positive for Covid-19
Pakistan’s tour of England appears to be in the balance, with three of their players having tested positive for Covid-19 and a further batch of results set to be published in the next 24 hours. A 28-man squad to cover three Tests in August and the Twenty20 series that follows is due to depart from Lahore on Sunday and all players and members of the support staff were tested regionally over the weekend.
The results from Rawalpindi, where five individuals were tested, came in early and showed Haider Ali, Haris Rauf and Shadab Khan have the virus but are asymptomatic. Imad Wasim and Usman Shinwari were shown to be clear.
22nd Jun 2020 - The Guardian
Brazilians flock to beach as WHO says country undercounting coronavirus surge
Brazil reached more than a million confirmed coronavirus cases and 50,000 deaths over the weekend as throngs of people swarmed Rio de Janeiro beaches, but the World Health Organization said on Monday that even more cases were likely going uncounted.
22nd Jun 2020 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 22nd Jun 2020
View this newsletter in fullMainland China reports 26 new COVID-19 cases including 22 in Beijing
Mainland China reported on Sunday 26 new confirmed coronavirus cases for June 20, down from 27 a day earlier, driven largely by the latest outbreak of COVID-19 in the Chinese capital. Of the new infections, 22 were in Beijing, the National Health Commission said in a statement, the same as a day earlier. The city of more than 20 million people reported its first case in the latest wave on June 11. The resurgence has been linked to a wholesale food center in the southwest of Beijing. So far, 227 people in the city have been infected in the latest outbreak. Mainland China reported six new asymptomatic cases, those who are infected with the coronavirus but show no symptoms, down from seven a day earlier. Beijing accounted for three of the new cases.
21st Jun 2020 - Reuters
Coronavirus: Palestinian Authority closes two West Bank cities after virus spike
The Palestinian Authority on Saturday said it was temporarily closing the cities of Hebron and Nablus in the occupied West Bank to contain the spread of coronavirus after a sharp rise in infections. "The government decided to close the governorate of Hebron to prevent anyone from entering or exiting, with the exception of the transport of merchandise," Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh said. He told a news conference that Hebron would be closed for five days and Nablus for 48 hours, AFP reported.
20th Jun 2020 - Middle East Eye
Korea on cusp of erasing gains in virus fight, new cases still on higher plateau
South Korea's virus fight is dragging on, with a steady rise in new virus cases and untraceable infections, along with a spike in imported cases. Health authorities warned of another possible wave of infections. The country added 49 new cases on Friday, including 32 local infections, raising the total caseload to 12,306, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC). The number of new daily COVID-19 cases marks a slight slowdown from a three-week high of 59 a day earlier. Of the locally transmitted cases, 26 were reported in the densely populated Seoul and nearby metropolitan areas, around half of the country's 50-million population lives. The Seoul metropolitan area accounted for most of the newly added virus cases this month.
The country has also seen an uptick in the number of infections outside of the capital region as well as in imported cases.
19th Jun 2020 - The Korea Times
Apple to shut some U.S. stores again due to rising COVID-19 cases
Apple Inc said on Friday it is temporarily shutting some stores again in Florida, Arizona, South Carolina, and North Carolina in the United States, as novel coronavirus cases continue to rise in the country. Shares of the company, which said the closure would affect 11 stores in these states, were down 0.5%.
19th Jun 2020 - Reuters
Coronavirus: India's Chennai back in lockdown as cases spike
Indian officials have re-imposed a lockdown in the southern city of Chennai (formerly Madras) and three neighbouring districts. Only essential services and neighbourhood grocery shops will be permitted to function under the 12-day lockdown, set to end on 30 June. Chennai is India's sixth-largest city and the capital of Tamil Nadu state. It has more than 37,000 of Tamil Nadu's confirmed 50,000 infections, making it one of India's largest hotspots. With just over 600 deaths in total, the state has a relatively low mortality rate - but its death toll is currently being reviewed after reports suggested that at least 200 deaths in Chennai were not included in the official tally.
19th Jun 2020 - BBC
Costa Rica halts reopening as coronavirus infections rise
Costa Rica’s government will halt reopening the country’s economy due to an increase in the number of coronavirus cases over recent days, a senior official said on Friday, in a blow to the Central American nation which has already lost 100,000 jobs. “These are not numbers to think that nothing is wrong and that we can continue with the reopening,” Health Minister Daniel Salas said during a news conference. Over the last 24 hours, Costa Rica has registered a record 119 new coronavirus infections, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 2,058. Twelve people have died from the highly contagious respiratory disease caused by the virus.
19th Jun 2020 - Reuters UK
Global report: Germany orders local Covid-19 lockdowns as Spain boosts tourism sector
More than 8,000 people have been quarantined in fresh outbreaks of Covid-19 in three areas of Germany, while the most comprehensive study yet on immunity in Sweden showed very few people had developed antibodies. As governments across Europe continue to ease their restrictions, authorities in North Rhein Westphalia, the southern Berlin district of Neukölln and the central city of Göttingen imposed local lockdowns in an effort to halt the spread of the virus. About 7,000 people were self-isolating and schools and kindergartens were closed in the western state of North Rhein Westphalia after 657 confirmed cases were discovered at Tönnies, a meat processing plant in Rheda-Wiedenbrück.
18th Jun 2020 - The Guardian
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 19th Jun 2020
View this newsletter in fullGermany Sees Largest Local Covid-19 Outbreak Since Lifting Lockdown
Germany has recorded its largest local Covid-19 outbreak since it started reopening its economy in early May, with more than 600 employees of a slaughterhouse testing positive for coronavirus this week, authorities said on Wednesday. The announcement highlighted the risk of a new spike in infections even as the pace of the coronavirus pandemic is slowing across Europe.
18th Jun 2020 - The Wall Street Journal
First local lockdowns in Europe due to new COVID-19 cases
In Germany, a spokesperson for the district of Gütersloh in North Rhine-Westphalia announced on Wednesday (17 June) that the district will be closing its schools and daycare centres to slow the spread of coronavirus following a local outbreak, which began in a meat-packing plant. Schools will remain closed until the start of the state’s summer holidays on 29 June. In northern Greece, all residents of the community of Echinos in Xanthi have been put in strict quarantine for seven days in order to avoid the spread of Covid-19. 73 new cases and 4 deaths have been reported in the region in recent days. The case has raised eyebrows in the government and could be seen as a test ahead of the tourism season. In Slovenia, the head of the team advising the health ministry on coronavirus has called for reimposing stringent measures on the borders immediately, after an increase in new infections were registered abroad. Meanwhile, Bulgaria reported a record high of new COVID-19 cases. The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases reached 3,453 on Wednesday (17 June) after 112 new infections were confirmed in the last 24 hours. At least 35 people in the Shumen district were found to have the coronavirus due to a negligent paramedic.
18th Jun 2020 - Euractiv.com
Coronavirus: China fears new COVID-19 ripple will lead to second wave
Today the authorities confirmed another 21 locally transmitted cases of COVID-19 in the capital, bringing the total in the latest cluster to 158. And they are not confined just to Beijing - cases have been recorded in provinces across China. The first question is how this happened. Life in China had been getting back to normal, with people going back to work and restaurants reopening. But the country still had some of the strictest COVID-19 measures in place. Foreigners are still banned from entering the country, with some very limited exceptions.
18th Jun 2020 - Sky News
Coronavirus outbreak in Beijing ‘under control’, epidemiologist says
Deputy police chief denies city is back under lockdown but says strict measures have been imposed to stop people leaving. Neighbouring Tianjin reports first local case in months, a hotel kitchen worker who had recently handled frozen seafood
18th Jun 2020 - South China Morning Post
Beijing's coronavirus outbreak poses test for Xi, China's chairman of everything
As Chinese officials in Wuhan struggled to contain a deadly coronavirus outbreak in January, it was Xi Jinping who stepped in and took control. Now, the president who declared himself personally responsible for every aspect of China’s response to the pandemic, faces a fresh test: a rapidly growing outbreak in Beijing. The cluster of more than 130 cases in the city that is the seat of Communist Party power risks undermining the government’s narrative it handled the epidemic better than many Western nations. It could upend its nascent economic recovery if it turns into a second wave. The stakes are even higher for Xi, who has staked his credibility on China’s response and sought to frame himself as a global leader in the crisis — to the chagrin of nations from the U.S. to Australia.
18th Jun 2020 - The Japan Times
New Zealand officials admit two women with Covid-19 met friends
Health officials in New Zealand have made an embarrassing U-turn in the case of two women recently arrived from Britain who were infected with Covid-19 and allowed to leave quarantine without being tested – admitting the pair met up with friends when they should not have done. The initial blunder by officials who failed to test the women for the virus before they were released early from quarantine on compassionate grounds was labelled an “unacceptable failure” by the prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, on Wednesday. She added that New Zealand’s defence force would now oversee the quarantine of new arrivals and audit the quarantine process. “It should never have happened and it cannot be repeated,” Ardern said.
18th Jun 2020 - The Guardian
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 18th Jun 2020
View this newsletter in fullChina's capital city has raised its alert level amid fears of a second wave
Millions of people in Beijing are now living under restrictions once again thanks to a spike in new coronavirus infections. The first new cases of coronavirus were reported in the capital on Saturday, June 13, after two men who had visited the city's large Xinfadi wholesale market reported having symptoms of the virus. It's believed that the cases are linked to the market, with the virus found in several places, including on chopping boards used to cut imported salmon.
17th Jun 2020 - The Scotsman
China curtails movement, closes schools, cancels flights to contain resurgent Covid-19
Beijing has cancelled more than a thousand flights and shut its schools again after the city reported 31 new cases of coronavirus. France described the upsurge as ‘worrying’. Health officials in Beijing reported 31 new cases on Wednesday, bringing the total number of new infections over the last six days to 137, the worst resurgence of the disease in the capital since early February. There were six new asymptomatic cases and three suspected cases, according to the city's health commission. An additional two domestic cases, one in neighbouring Hebei province and another in Zhejiang, were reported by national authorities on Wednesday, while there were 11 imported cases.
17th Jun 2020 - YAHOO!
China tightens restrictions as Beijing outbreak widens
China has tightened coronavirus restrictions in Beijing, cancelling flights and closing schools in a bid to stem the outbreak in the capital. Officials said on Wednesday that 31 new cases were discovered on Tuesday, bringing the total number of infections detected in the city over the past six days to 137. The increase in the number of cases has slowed over the past four days and areas outside of the city have not yet seen a sharp uptick of infections. The Beijing outbreak has been linked to the sprawling Xinfadi market in the west of the city, which supplies most of the city’s fresh produce. The market has been shut down and several residential compounds in the same district put under lockdown.
17th Jun 2020 - The Financial Times
Spotlight: COVID-19 cases surge in South Asia as countries gradually exit lockdown to reopen economies
South Asia has recently become a new hotspot of the COVID-19 pandemic with a sharp surge in confirmed cases after a number of countries started to ease restrictions this month for reopening the economy. In Bangladesh, amid a rapid increase of infections, the government was forced to reimpose a zone-based lockdown earlier this month, a few days after businesses were allowed to resume. The South Asian country initially imposed a nationwide lockdown on March 26 to curb the spread of the virus, and later extended it for several times until May 30. The government then decided to relax the restrictions starting May 31, citing the lockdown's impact on the economy and people's lives. However, as it slowly hit the economic restart button, a spurt of cases was seen with the daily caseload hovering around 3,000 and total cases almost doubling since June 1. On Tuesday, total cases in the country exceeded 94,000 after a record 3,862 new cases were detected in the last 24 hours.
17th Jun 2020 - China.org.cn
Coronavirus cases in Victoria rise by 21, including 15 returned travellers
Victoria has seen its largest single-day increase in coronavirus cases in over a month, with 21 new infections recorded in the state overnight. Fifteen of the new cases were returned travellers in mandatory hotel quarantine across Melbourne, health authorities said. Of the other six cases, one was a resident at the Rosstown nursing home in Carnegie, in Melbourne's south-east, and another was a contractor working at the Stamford Plaza Hotel. One case has been linked to a staff member at an animal hospital in Sunbury, north-west of Melbourne.
17th Jun 2020 - ABC News
New Zealand puts Covid-19 quarantine in hands of military after border fiasco
Health officials in New Zealand have made an embarrassing U-turn in the case of two women recently arrived from Britain who were infected with Covid-19 and allowed to leave quarantine without being tested – admitting the pair met up with friends when they should not have done. The initial blunder by officials who failed to test the women for the virus before they were released early from quarantine on compassionate grounds was labelled an “unacceptable failure” by the prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, on Wednesday. She added that New Zealand’s defence force would now oversee the quarantine of new arrivals and audit the quarantine process. “It should never have happened and it cannot be repeated,” Ardern said.
17th Jun 2020 - The Guardian
Post-lockdown jump in coronavirus cases rattles Turkish officials
Turkey may have to adopt a harder line on social interactions following a worrying jump in coronavirus infections but it has no plans to reverse an easing of lockdown restrictions aimed at reviving the economy, officials say. This month restaurants and cafes reopened, intercity flights and car travel resumed and weekend stay-home orders were lifted. However, new COVID-19 cases have roughly doubled to 1,600 per day since June 1, official data shows. As Turks have poured into the streets, malls and parks or taken vacations - often without face masks - authorities have urged caution and said new cases are emerging in more rural central and southeastern provinces. One senior government official called the new infections a “a serious problem” and said steps may be taken after President Tayyip Erdogan chairs a cabinet meeting this week.
17th Jun 2020 - Reuters UK
Months Into Virus, Biggest One-Day Case Spike Worries Iran
Months into Iran's fight against the coronavirus, doctors and nurses at Tehran's Shohadaye Tajrish Hospital still don a mask, a disposable hazmat suit and a double layer of latex gloves every day to attempt to contain a pandemic that shows no signs of slowing. The hiss of high-flow oxygen to wheezing patients, the beeps of equipment monitoring vital signs and the crinkling rustle of passing medics have become a daily symphony here and in other hospitals across the Islamic Republic.
Iran reported its first coronavirus cases and deaths on the same day in February — the Middle East's first and biggest outbreak of the virus — yet it only recently saw its highest single-day spike in reported cases, followed soon by the highest daily death toll in months.
17th Jun 2020 - VOA News
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 17th Jun 2020
View this newsletter in fullBrazil ignored the warnings. Now, while other countries fret over a second coronavirus wave, it can’t get past its first.
Weeks ago, when this seaside metropolis had recorded fewer than 10,000 cases of the novel coronavirus and there still appeared to be time, some of Brazil's most respected scientists made their last-ditch appeal. The country had reached a pivotal juncture. Cases were skyrocketing. The hospital system was teetering at capacity. Thousands had already died. So Carlos Machado, a senior scientist with Brazil’s Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, wanted the language to be strong. At the request of Rio officials, his team was assembling a list of recommendations. He needed to make clear what would happen if they didn’t immediately impose a complete lockdown. “It would result,” the team warned in the early-May report, “in a human catastrophe of unimaginable proportions.”
16th Jun 2020 - The Washington Post
Officials fear that China may be heading towards a second wave of coronavirus infections
Lockdown measures have been re-implemented in parts of Beijing, which has seen a spike in coronavirus cases for the first time in over two month Where have the new cases come from, and how many are there?
16th Jun 2020 - The Scotsman
New Coronavirus Outbreak, Second Wave Fear In China Prompt Travel Warnings But No Lockdown
Beijing is fighting a coronavirus outbreak that has raised concerns over whether the virus will return alongside lockdowns and travel bans. The Chinese capital has a growing cluster of new coronavirus cases after going 56 consecutive days without a single local infection. The spike in cases has come in summer, earlier than the winter timeframe many expected for a so-called second wave. Travelers from Beijing now face 14-day home quarantines upon arriving in Shanghai and some, but not all, provinces in rules imposed Tuesday after three provinces reported cases linked to the Beijing cluster.
16th Jun 2020 - Forbes
New Zealand's first Covid cases in 24 days came from UK
New Zealand no longer virus-free after two new coronavirus cases brought in from UKExpress.co.ukNew Zealand confirms two NEW cases of coronaviru days after it 'eliminated' COVID-19Daily MailUK travellers bring coronavirus to New Zealand after it was eradicatedBusiness InsiderCoronavirus: Travellers from the UK take COVID-19 back into New Zealand after three weeks of no infectionsSky NewsView Full coverage on Google News
16th Jun 2020 - BBC
China, New Zealand see new cases of COVID-19 after lockdown measures lifted
Chinese authorities locked down a third neighbourhood in Beijing on Tuesday as they rushed to prevent the spread of a new coronavirus outbreak that has infected more than 100 people in a country that appeared to have largely contained the virus. The resurgence in China highlighted public health expert calls for vigilance as many nations move forward with easing virus restrictions to revive their economies. New Zealand, which hadn't seen a new case in three weeks, said it is investigating a case in which two women who flew in from London to see a dying parent were allowed to leave quarantine and drive halfway across the country before they were tested and found to be positive. And the Philippines reimposed a strict lockdown on the city of Cebu after a rise in case
16th Jun 2020 - CTV News
Beijing and provinces impose travel curbs as coronavirus cases mount
China sharply ramped up restrictions on people leaving the capital on Tuesday in an effort to stop the most serious coronavirus flare-up since February from spreading to other cities and provinces. The decision to impose fresh curbs and raise the city’s emergency response level back to II from III came as Beijing’s current outbreak rose to 106 infections since Thursday. The outbreak has been traced to the sprawling Xinfadi wholesale food centre in the southwest of Beijing where thousands of tonnes of vegetables, fruit and meat change hands each day.
The coronavirus was first identified in December at a seafood market in Wuhan, capital of the central Chinese province of Hubei, and has since spread around the world, infecting more than 8 million people.
16th Jun 2020 - Reuters UK
Coronavirus: Travellers from the UK take COVID-19 back into New Zealand after three weeks of no infections
Two new cases of coronavirus have been recorded in New Zealand - both related to recent travel from the UK - after the country went more than three weeks with no confirmed new infections. Both women, from the same family, one in her 30s and the other in her 40s, arrived in the country on 7 June via Australia and stayed in a hotel in Auckland under managed isolation.
16th Jun 2020 - Sky News
Denmark sees first coronavirus outbreak since lockdown lifted
Denmark has had its first outbreak of coronavirus since lifting the lockdown in May, with 34 people testing positive in Hjørring in the far northwest coast of Jutland. With 53 infections per 100,000 people, the municipality now has the highest infection rate in Denmark, more even than Herlev, a suburb of Copenhagen which has 47 infections per 100,000 people. The municipality has reacted rapidly, stopping all non-essential visits to all of its elderly care homes after 12 residents and 13 employees tested positive at the Vendelbocenter elderly care home. It has sent home all pupils and three teachers connected with a class at Højene Skole, and all the teachers and pupils from a kindergarten class and third grade class at the Bagterp school, after pupils tested positive in all three classes. Magnus Heunicke, Denmark's health minister, said that outbreak should be a warning.
15th Jun 2020 - The Local Denmark
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 16th Jun 2020
View this newsletter in fullChina's new virus outbreak underscores continued threat
European countries reopened borders Monday after a three-month coronavirus shutdown, although international visitors are still being kept away and there was uncertainty over whether many Europeans will quickly embrace travel outside their home countries. Reopening continued in Mexico and Brazil despite cases climbing in the two largest nations in Latin America, where authorities struggled to handle the pandemic's effect on already-weak medical systems. In the U.S., Vice President Mike Pence encouraged governors to highlight the “good news" around efforts to fight the virus despite several states reporting a rise in infections, which could intensify as people return to work and venture out during the summer. The need for constant vigilance came into sharp focus as China, where COVID-19 first emerged in December, rushed to contain an outbreak in the capital of Beijing.
15th Jun 2020 - YAHOO!
Pakistan’s Lockdown Ended a Month Ago. Now Hospital Signs Read ‘Full.’
Medical workers are falling ill in Pakistan at alarming rates as the country registers at least 100,000 new coronavirus cases since the lockdown was lifted.
15th Jun 2020 - The New York Times
China braced for coronavirus resurgence
Beijing has suspended the restart of some classes and reversed the relaxation of some social isolation measures. Neighbourhoods close to the market have been put on lockdown and more than 76,000 people tested. China's authoritarian communist political system and tight social controls enable tracking of residents' movements through the use of social media. Entry to office buildings and grocery stores requires proof on a smartphone that the person has not travelled to areas where the virus is still active.
15th Jun 2020 - Irish Independent
Beijing battles ‘explosive Covid-19 outbreak’ as market cases mount
Scientists struggle to track source of cluster linked to massive food wholesale centre Mass testing and strict lockdowns imposed in some parts of the capital while other cities order isolation for travellers from Beijing
15th Jun 2020 - South China Morning Post
Italy: New Coronavirus Lockdown in Rome Sparks Fears of Second Wave
An entire apartment block in Rome has been placed under total lockdown over fears there is a deadly second wave of infections on its way. The apartment block, located on Piazza Pecile in the Garbatella district of Rome has now had at least 17 residents test positive for the virus. News of the new infections emerged as the country lost 78 more of its people to the virus on Saturday.
14th Jun 2020 - Euro Weekly News
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 15th Jun 2020
View this newsletter in fullArkansas' COVID Problem Is Just Getting Started: 'All of a Sudden It Blows Up'
Arizona, North Carolina, California, Florida, and Texas hit record daily highs of COVID-19 infections this week, as state public health leaders pleaded with their communities to take the ongoing crisis seriously. But there are few states whose experience of the coronavirus pandemic has shifted more radically in recent weeks than Arkansas. On Friday, the state reported that there were 731 new cases, a record increase. Those numbers brought the cumulative total there to 11,547, of which 3,764 were active. At last count, 176 people had died from the virus. Even if Arkansas saw its first COVID-19 case in March—and has had its share of “super-spreader” events—experts painted a picture of communities there facing the pandemic’s full fury for the first time.
14th Jun 2020 - Daily Beast
China reports 57 new confirmed, 9 asymptomatic COVID-19 cases for June 13
After weeks with almost no new coronavirus infections, Beijing has recorded dozens of new cases in recent days, all linked to a major wholesale food market, raising concerns about a resurgence of the disease. The capital is taking steps to try to halt the outbreak including ramping up testing. On Sunday night Beijing ordered all companies to supervise 14-day home quarantine for employees who have visited the Xinfadi market or been in contact with anyone who has done so. A restaurant chain selling traditional Beijing noodles shut down a few outlets after two employees tested positive. There had been almost no new coronavirus cases in the city for almost two months until an infection was reported on June 12, and since then the total number has climbed to 51, including eight reported in the first seven hours of Sunday.
14th Jun 2020 - Reuters
Brazil President Embraces Unproven ‘Cure’ as Pandemic Surges
President Jair Bolsonaro hailed hydroxychloroquine as a godsend while he railed against quarantine measures and other best practices, undermining the country’s coronavirus response.
13th Jun 2020 - The New York Times
Virus mine closures stir unease in Poland's rust belt
A spike in reported coronavirus cases in Poland's coal mines has put the country on edge but residents worried about jobs are playing down the health crisis. The issue is particularly sensitive ahead of a hard-fought presidential election on June 28 in Poland, where miners are still a powerful voting bloc. Dominik Kolorz, head of the Solidarity trade union for the Silesian coal basin, told AFP he was concerned the increase in virus cases could serve as a pretext for the definitive closure of some mines.
13th Jun 2020 - FRANCE 24
Coronavirus, new cases in China: Beijing's largest market in lockdown
New cases of coronavirus have triggered the lockdown in several neighborhoods today. The Xinfadi market and shops have been closed. There is general alarm after seven new cases have tested positive
13th Jun 2020 - Corriere della Sera
Botswana Reinstates Strict Coronavirus Lockdown in Capital City
Botswana brought back a strict coronavirus lockdown in its capital city, Gaborone, and surrounding areas after the southern African country recorded 12 new cases of the virus, a senior health official said late on Friday. Diamond-rich Botswana ended a 48-day national coronavirus lockdown late last month, allowing businesses and schools to reopen under controls, but its borders are still closed apart from for returning citizens and imports of essential goods. But Malaki Tshipayagae, the country's director of health services, said in a televised announcement that officials had recorded four new imported cases at its borders and eight at a private hospital in Gaborone, bringing cumulative cases to 60.
12th Jun 2020 - The New York Times
Health Minister Stepanov: Ukraine may backtrack as COVID-19 cases grow in number
Health Minister Maksym Stepanov predicts Ukraine may return to previous stages of the coronavirus-related quarantine as the country has lately seen a surge in COVID-19 cases per day, which means the return of the respective restrictions. "Main criteria include an incidence and the growth that we see along with the number of confirmed cases with symptoms, as well as hospital bed occupancy, adequate systemic response, and medical assistance," he told the TV news service TSN. "I will give you an example: bed occupancy in Kyiv's hospitals designated for COVID-19 treatment was 35% as of June 1, but it's 46% today. Eleven percentage points in 11 days is a lot."
12th Jun 2020 - UNIAN
Spain: Coronavirus Outbreak in Girona being Investigated by Catalan Authorities
According to the Catalan Public Health Agency, there is a suspected outbreak of coronavirus in the La Garrotxa region in Girona. Reports suggest that as many 31 people in the area have been infected. 20 of those suspected of having the virus work together in a company local to the area. The remaining 11 are their further contacts. It is believed that the outbreak has been caught early and those affected are observing self-isolation in their respective homes.
12th Jun 2020 - Euro Weekly News
Outbreaks halt economic reactivation in parts of Costa Rica
Costa Rica’s efforts to revitalize its economy through domestic tourism have been hampered as the National Emergency Commission (CNE) declares orange alerts for parts of the country. The alert was issued last week for the cantons of Pococí and Upala, and the districts of Peñas Blancas, Cañas, Bebedero, Las Juntas, Los Chiles and La Fortuna. Wednesday, the district of Paquera was added to the ever-growing list. Even as the Costa Rica Tourism Board (ICT) begins to promote domestic vacations, the orange alerts have effectively shut down that sector in several tourism-heavy towns. Commercial businesses can’t open on weekends, evening driving is banned, and — in perhaps the most impactful change affecting domestic tourism — hotels largely cannot operate in locations under orange alerts.
“We are in a phase in which, if we stray, we could have widespread community transmission, but we can still have control of the situation,” Claudia Rosales, a regional director of the Health Ministry, explained to San Carlos Digital.
12th Jun 2020 - The Tico Times
Egypt registers highest daily rise in coronavirus cases in ...
Egypt on Friday confirmed 1,577 new coronavirus cases, the health ministry said, the highest daily increase in almost two weeks. In total, the Arab world's most populous country has registered 41,303 cases including 1,422 deaths, the ministry said in a statement.
12th Jun 2020 - Thomson Reuters Foundation News
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 12th Jun 2020
View this newsletter in fullResurgence of virus threatens South Korea's success story
Just weeks ago, South Korea was celebrating its hard-won gains against the coronavirus, easing social distancing, reopening schools and promoting a tech-driven anti-virus campaign President Moon Jae-in has called “K-quarantine.” But a resurgence of infections in the Seoul region where half of South Korea’s 51 million people live is threatening the country’s success story and prompting health authorities to warn that action must be taken now to stop a second wave. South Korea’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday reported 45 new cases, a daily rise that has been fairly consistent since late May. Most have been in the Seoul metropolitan area, where health authorities have struggled to trace transmissions.
11th Jun 2020 - The Associated Press
Alarming rise in US virus cases seen as states roll back lockdowns
There is no single reason for the surges. In some cases, more testing has revealed more cases. In others, local outbreaks are big enough to push statewide tallies higher. But experts think at least some are due to lifting stay-at-home orders, school and business closures, and other restrictions put in place during the spring to stem the virus’s spread. The virus is also gradually fanning out. “It is a disaster that spreads,” said Dr. Jay Butler, who oversees coronavirus response work at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “It’s not like there’s an entire continental seismic shift and everyone feels the shaking all at once.” That is also happening globally. Places that suffered early on such as China, Italy and Spain have calmed down but Brazil, India and other countries that were spared initially are seeing large increases. The world is seeing more than 100,000 newly-confirmed cases every day, according to data from Johns Hopkins University,
11th Jun 2020 - Charleston Post Courier
PM’s aide downplays dire WHO warning
Referring to the WHO letter, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Health Dr Zafar Mirza said Pakistan had been making appropriate policy choices from the beginning keeping in view its national context. “We started early and took preventive measures with regard to entry of virus from outside through stringent screening at our airports. Our first case was confirmed on Feb 26 while the epidemic was in full swing among our two immediate neighbours many weeks before i.e. China and Iran. While we had 26 cases our prime minister called a meeting of National Security Committee and announced major lockdowns many of which are still enforced e.g. ban on mass gatherings, closure of educational institutions, marriage halls, sports events, etc,” he said in a statement issued here on Wednesday.
11th Jun 2020 - Dawn
Nashville mayor delays next stage of reopening after coronavirus cases rise
Nashville Mayor John Cooper said he intends to curb the city’s next reopening phase after reporting a “slightly elevated” average in Covid-19 cases over the last two weeks. Phase three reopening would allow for restaurants and retail stores to operate at full capacity and bars, clubs, karaoke bars, tours, live entertainment and “transportainment” businesses to operate at 50% capacity. Nashville’s local health department reported 6,627 total confirmed Covid-19 cases on Thursday, an increase of 56 cases since Wednesday.
11th Jun 2020 - CNBC
Kazakhstan locks down several towns after spike in COVID-19 cases
Kazakhstan has locked down several towns and villages and tightened restrictions in one of its provinces following a spike in fresh COVID-19 cases, authorities said on Thursday, a month after ending a nationwide state of emergency. In the central Karaganda region, retailers and public transit will work shorter hours and private cars will be banned from moving at night from June 13, the government said in a statement. Several towns and villages will be locked down again and 70% of public sector employees in the province will work from home, it said, adding that many local residents and businesses were disregarding social distancing rules.
11th Jun 2020 - Reuters
Malaysia bars its citizens from Hajj over coronavirus fears
Malaysia follows Indonesia in not allowing its citizens to visit Mecca and Medina for the annual pilgrimage.
11th Jun 2020 - AlJazeera
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 11th Jun 2020
View this newsletter in fullBrazil's biggest cities start reopening as COVID-19 surges
Brazil’s most populous state Sao Paulo reported a record number of COVID-19 deaths for the second day running on Wednesday even as its homonymous metropolis allowed shops to resume business and prepared to reopen its malls.
The state, the epicenter of the pandemic in Brazil, recorded 340 new deaths in the last 24 hours, raising its confirmed death toll to 9,862, a fourth of the country’s total fatalities, the governor’s office said. That did not stop shoppers flocking to the 25 de Março shopping district in Sao Paulo city, where around half of the businesses were open on Wednesday. Although stores considered essential, such as supermarkets and pharmacies, have remained open, most shops in Sao Paulo have been shut since March. Shoppers packed the streets. Stores allowed in only people wearing masks and provided alcohol gel. Some took the temperature of shoppers at the entrance.
10th Jun 2020 - Reuters UK
Coronavirus in Germany: People in Göttingen feeling like prisoners
The Iduna housing complex, a forbidding concrete block located just outside Göttingen's city center, is where most of the newly infected people live. At the beginning of June, the city of 120,000 in the region of Lower Saxony reported hundreds of new infections. The outbreak was traced back to a hookah bar, which should not have been open. Many of the infected are among the 700 inhabitants of the Iduna complex, where a mobile testing center was quickly set up in the building's underground parking area. Doctors and medical students conducted tests at the rate of one every three minutes.
10th Jun 2020 - DW (English)
Hospitalizations in at least nine states are on the rise; U.S. nears 2 million cases
As the number of new coronavirus cases continues to increase worldwide, and more than a dozen states and Puerto Rico are recording their highest seven-day average of new cases since the pandemic began, hospitalizations in at least nine states have been on the rise since Memorial Day. In Texas, North and South Carolina, California, Oregon, Arkansas, Mississippi, Utah and Arizona, there are an increasing number of patients under supervised care since the holiday weekend because of covid-19 infections. The spikes generally began in the past couple weeks and in most states, are trending higher. There have been more than 7.1 million cases of covid-19 officially reported worldwide, including more than 405,000 fatalities, though the totals are likely higher. Nearly 2 million cases have been reported in the United States, with more than 109,000 of those fatal.
10th Jun 2020 - The Washington Post
Arizona's COVID-19 spread is 'alarming' and action is needed, experts warn
Experts around the country and in Arizona are raising alarms about the state's COVID-19 situation because cases and hospitalizations have increased for the past two weeks. The increase in cases can't solely be attributed to increased testing in Arizona, experts say. Instead, it looks like the state is trending upward in a way that is concerning and could need another stay-at-home order to curb the spread. "I would go so far as to say alarming," said Dr. William Hanage, an epidemiology professor at Harvard University's T.H. Chan School of Public Health. "The only sort of crumb of comfort that I can find is that I think, in general, it's sort of easier to social distance in Arizona than it is in some places."
10th Jun 2020 - USA Today
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 10th Jun 2020
View this newsletter in fullCovid-19 increase detected in some US states as restrictions wind down
According to data tracked by the Washington Post, since the start of June, 14 states and Puerto Rico have experienced their highest seven-day average of new coronavirus cases since the pandemic began. The states are Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Kentucky, New Mexico, North Carolina, Mississippi, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Utah. The surge in cases, which public health experts have described as worrying, and had warned about repeatedly, shows that while Covid-19 is now in retreat in New York City and other major urban centres, it is sweeping across rural areas, infecting smaller towns. Figures from the Texas department of state health services showed that 1,935 people were hospitalized for coronavirus-related reasons on Monday, up from a previous record of 1,888 on 5 May. Officials in Dallas said the city hit its highest ever one-day total for new infections on Thursday, at 285, while Houston has also recorded climbing numbers.
9th Jun 2020 - The Guardian
14 states and Puerto Rico hit highest seven-day average of new coronavirus infections
As rates of coronavirus infections ease in places such as New York and Illinois and onetime hot spots move into new phases of reopening, parts of the country that had previously avoided being hit hard by the outbreak are now tallying record-high new infections. Since the start of June, 14 states and Puerto Rico have recorded their highest-ever seven-day average of new coronavirus cases since the pandemic began, according to data tracked by The Washington Post: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Kentucky, New Mexico, North Carolina, Mississippi, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Utah.
9th Jun 2020 - The Washington Post
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 9th Jun 2020
View this newsletter in fullPoland to suspend operations at 12 coal mines on COVID-19 outbreak
Poland will close 12 coal mines on June 9 for three weeks due to an outbreak of coronavirus infections at coking coal miner JSW's Zofiowka site over the weekend, state assets minister Jacek Sasin said June 8. "There will be a temporary shutdown of production in all coal mines in which coronavirus is noted today and whose crews have not been fully tested for the presence of coronavirus. This means we will stop production from tomorrow in two JSW mines and in 10 PGG coal mines," Sasin told a news conference. All miners would remain on full pay during the stoppage and deliveries to customers would not be threatened, Sasin said.
8th Jun 2020 - S&P Global
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 8th Jun 2020
View this newsletter in fullThe Latest: 2nd day of 50-plus cases in S Korea virus spike
China has reported its first non-imported case of the new coronavirus in two weeks, an infected person on the island of Hainan off the southern coast. The National Health Commission said Sunday that there were also five imported cases in the previous 24-hour period, bringing the nation’s total case count to 83,036.
China says it has largely stopped the spread of the virus at home, though it continues to have occasional localized outbreaks. It is on guard against imported cases as it begins to ease restrictions on flights and people arriving from abroad.
7th Jun 2020 - WFMJ
The Latest: China has 1st non-imported infection in 2 weeks
China has reported its first non-imported case of the new coronavirus in two weeks, an infected person on the island of Hainan off the southern coast.
The National Health Commission said Sunday that there were also five imported cases in the previous 24-hour period, bringing the nation’s total case count to 83,036.
China says it has largely stopped the spread of the virus at home, though it continues to have occasional localized outbreaks. It is on guard against imported cases as it begins to ease restrictions on flights and people arriving from abroad.
7th Jun 2020 - ABC News
The first wave of Covid-19 is not over – but how might a second look?
Restaurants are opening, parks are full and people are getting back to work: parts of Europe, Asia and much of the Middle East are enjoying the benefits of flattened coronavirus curves. Meanwhile, parts of the US, India and Latin America are still recording thousands of new cases every day. The first wave of the coronavirus is not over. The future shape of the pandemic will be decided both by human action, in the form of social distancing, testing and other traditional methods of disease control, but also several unanswered questions about the nature of the virus itself.
Experts say there are several possibilities.
5th Jun 2020 - The Guardian
Iran marks new daily record in coronavirus cases: Live updates
Iran marked its highest daily jump since the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak with 3,574 coronavirus cases. The figures marked the third consecutive day that the country recorded more than 3,000 daily new infections. After two months of restrictions, mosques, churches, ports, business activities, restaurants and cafes will be allowed to re-open from Sunday.
4th Jun 2020 - AlJazeera
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 5th Jun 2020
View this newsletter in fullSouth Korea confirms 39 more coronavirus cases
South Korea has confirmed 39 additional cases of the coronavirus, all but three of them reported in the densely populated Seoul metropolitan area as authorities are struggling to contain a resurgence of the COVID-19. The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the newly reported cases raised the country’s total to 11,629 with 273 deaths. The agency says 10,499 of them have recovered while 857 remains in treatment for the virus. South Korea faces a spike in new infections in recent weeks, mostly in the Seoul metropolitan area where about half of the country’s 51 million people reside. Those cases have been linked to nightlife establishments, church gatherings and a large-scale e-commerce warehouse.
4th Jun 2020 - Yahoo Canada Finance
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 4th Jun 2020
View this newsletter in fullAs Iran Lifts Its Lockdown, Coronavirus Cases Return to Peak Level
This past weekend, the government gave permission for all state employees to return to work and allowed gyms to reopen, removing most of the restrictions on businesses. Mosques across the country, some of which had been allowed to perform Friday prayers, are now permitted to hold daily congregations. Such moves have been met with warnings from Iranian health officials. “Not only is corona not finished, but we might also get a dangerous peak at any moment,” Health Minister Saeed Namaki said Monday, according to the semi-official ILNA news agency.
3rd Jun 2020 - The Wall Street Journal
New Zealand is on the verge of eradicating the virus from its shores after it notched a 13th straight day with no reported new infections.
New Zealand is on the verge of eradicating the virus from its shores after it notched a 13th straight day with no reported new infections. Only a single person in the nation of 5 million people is known to still have the virus, and that person is not hospitalized. However, it remains likely that the country will import new cases once it reopens its borders, and officials say their aim remains to stamp out new infections as they arise. The country has already lifted many of its virus restrictions and could remove most of those that remain, including limiting crowd sizes, next week. Just over 1,500 people have contracted the virus during the outbreak, including 22 who died.
3rd Jun 2020 - WNYT
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 3rd Jun 2020
View this newsletter in fullWill there be a second wave of coronavirus in the UK? If cases of the virus could increase again - and what happened in Asia
As lockdown restrictions begin to ease across the UK, experts are growing concerned about the possibility of a second wave of coronavirus cases if people fail to stick to social distancing guidelines
2nd Jun 2020 - The Scotsman
Germany's Covid-19 spikes present fresh challenges as lockdown lifts
Sixty-eight people of 166 tested had been found to have the virus by Monday, following the parties that took place on 23-24 May. Fifty-nine were from the city and nine from the wider area. One of the people infected has been hospitalised. The results of further tests are outstanding. While the number may appear relatively low, the ramifications are considerable. Three hundred contact people have so far been identified – that is, those who were in close proximity to those who have been tested positive – and have been ordered to quarantine for 14 days. “They may not leave their flats, not even to go shopping,” Cordula Dankert, a spokeswoman for the city, said.
2nd Jun 2020 - The Guardian
QR codes to trace cases after South Korea nightclub outbreak
South Korea is trialing a new QR code system to better track and trace visitors to high-risk locations including nightclubs, restaurants and churches. The decision to use the system follows authorities concern after struggling to trace a number of people who had visited nightclubs and bars at the center of a virus outbreak in the capital Seoul last month. The outbreak centered on a number of LGBTQ venues and, as homosexuality is still taboo in the east Asian nation, entries to the handwritten visitor logs were often found to be false or incomplete. Starting June 10, visitors to these high-risk locations will be required to use their phone to generate a one-time, personalized QR code that is scanned at the door. The information will be logged in a database for four weeks before being automatically deleted, according to South Korea's Ministry of Health.
2nd Jun 2020 - NBC News
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 2nd Jun 2020
View this newsletter in fullCoronavirus: South Korea spike continues as US disorder raises fear of new Covid-19 surge
Protests around the US against police brutality have sparked fears of a further spread of Covid-19, while South Korea is reporting a steady rise in cases around the capital after appearing to bring the outbreak under control. The often-violent protests over the death of George Floyd, a black man who was pinned at the neck by a white Minneapolis police officer, are raising fears of new virus outbreaks in a country that has more confirmed infections and deaths than any other. The protests come as more beaches, churches, mosques, schools and businesses reopen worldwide, increasing the risk of cross-infections.
1st Jun 2020 - HeraldScotland.com
George Floyd protests spark COVID-19 fears in U.S., South Korea sees rise in cases
Protests around the U.S. against police brutality have sparked fears of a further spread of the coronavirus, while South Korea is reporting a steady rise in cases around the capital after appearing to bring the outbreak under control. The often-violent protests over the death of George Floyd, a Black man who was pinned at the neck by a white Minneapolis police officer, are raising fears of new virus outbreaks in a country that has more confirmed infections and deaths than any other. The protests come as more beaches, churches, mosques, schools and businesses reopen worldwide, increasing the risk of cross-infections.
1st Jun 2020 - Global News
Global report: Wuhan reports no asymptomatic cases for first time
The Chinese city of Wuhan, where the Covid-19 pandemic began, reported no new asymptomatic cases for the first time on Sunday, according to Chinese health officials. Mainland China reported 16 new cases overall on Sunday, the highest daily number in three weeks. All were reported as imported cases – 11 in Sichuan province, three in Inner Mongolia, and two in Guangdong.
1st Jun 2020 - The Guardian
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 1st Jun 2020
View this newsletter in fullSpanish tourism minister says UK must 'improve' its Covid record before Brits will be allowed in
Spain's tourism minister Maria Reyes Maroto said UK must improve Covid-19 rate. The prospect of Brits returning to Spanish beaches in next two weeks dashed
German and Nordic countries most likely to be involved in tourism 'test-run'. Tourists arriving at Balearic Islands to be tested and isolate at airport for 6 hours.
Comes after pressure on British government to scrap new quarantine rules
31st May 2020 - Daily Mail
South Korea reimposes some social distancing after COVID cases spike
South Korea reported 79 cases Thursday, its largest single-day rise in weeks.
Majority of infections are linked to an outbreak at a warehouse near Seoul. Health minister has said the country will now reimpose social distancing rules. South Korea has been widely-praised for one of the world's best virus responses
29th May 2020 - Daily Mail
Coronavirus: South Korea shuts hundreds of schools amid spike in cases
South Korea has shut hundreds of schools and re-imposed strict lockdown measures following a spike in Covid-19 cases, sparking fears of a new wave of infections. Health officials recorded 79 coronavirus cases on Friday – the biggest daily increase since 5 April, when 81 infections were logged. The rise in cases led authorities to close more than 200 schools just days after they had reopened, with students returning to online lessons.
29th May 2020 - The Independent
Hundreds of South Korea schools close again after reopening
More than 500 schools closed again Friday to students after briefly reopening, as South Korea moves to stamp out a resurgence of the coronavirus in the capital, Seoul, and its surrounding metropolitan area. Parks, art galleries, museums and theaters operated by the government in the Seoul metropolitan area -- home to about half the country's population of nearly 52 million -- have also been closed to the public for the next two weeks. Government hosted events in the metropolitan area will be canceled or postponed as well, Health Minister Park Neung-hoo said Thursday. The authorities have recommended that private academies and internet cafes there close too until June 14
29th May 2020 - CNN
Asia Today: Virus cases jump again in South Korea, India
South Korea on Thursday reported its biggest jump in coronavirus cases in more than 50 days, a resurgence that health officials warn is getting harder to track and risks erasing some of the nation’s hard-won gains. The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said 67 of the 79 new cases reported were from the Seoul metropolitan area, where about half of South Korea’s 51 million people live. Following an emergency meeting, the government decided to shut public facilities such as parks, museums and state-run theaters in the metropolitan area over the next two weeks to slow the spread of the virus.
29th May 2020 - Associated Press
Coronavirus Spread Speeds Up, Even as Nations Reopen
The coronavirus pandemic’s pace is quickening worldwide, with nearly 700,000 new known infections reported in the last week after the pathogen found greater footholds in Latin America and the Gulf States. The virus has infected more than 5.7 million people around the world and killed at least 357,000, according to data compiled by The New York Times. It was only last Thursday that the world crossed the dispiriting threshold of 5 million cases, after it took nearly two weeks for a million more infections to become known.
29th May 2020 - The New York Times
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 29th May 2020
View this newsletter in fullSouth Korea reports its largest single-day rise in coronavirus cases since April
South Korea reported 79 cases Thursday, its largest single-day rise in weeks
Majority of infections are linked to an outbreak at a warehouse near Seoul
Health minister has said the country will now reimpose social distancing rules
South Korea has been widely-praised for one of the world's best virus responses
28th May 2020 - Daily Mail
South Korea coronavirus spike stirs second wave concern, social distancing crackdown
South Korea reported 79 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, the most in nearly eight weeks, triggering the return of tougher social distancing curbs amid the spectre of a second wave of disease in a country praised for containing the first outbreak. At least 82 cases this week have been linked to a cluster of infections at a logistics facility run by Coupang Corp, one of the country's largest online shopping firms, in Bucheon, west of Seoul, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said. About 4,100 workers, including 603 delivery people, at the warehouse were believed to have not properly followed social distancing and protective measures, such as mask wearing, KCDC deputy director Kwon Jun-wook told a briefing.
28th May 2020 - YAHOO!
South Korea coronavirus cases jump to highest since early April
South Korea reported 79 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, the most since April 5 and the third straight day of rising infections, raising the specter of a second wave of the disease in a country widely praised for containing the initial outbreak.
28th May 2020 - The Japan Times
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 28th May 2020
View this newsletter in fullSouth Korea reports biggest jump in virus cases in almost two months
South Korea, which won praise for containing the coronavirus without mass lockdowns, reported its biggest daily surge in infections in seven weeks, underscoring the challenge in permanently taming the illness in the absence of a viable vaccine. The Asian nation reported 40 new cases for Tuesday, the biggest one-day increase since April 8, according to data from Korea Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, or KCDC, with most of the cases connected to a distribution center of an e-commerce firm. This takes the total tally to 11,265 cases while the virus-linked deaths were unchanged at 269.
27th May 2020 - Houston Chronicle
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 27th May 2020
View this newsletter in fullSouth Korea reports 19 new coronavirus cases as children return to school
South Korea has reported 19 new coronavirus cases on the eve of the return to school for more than two million children. The majority of the new cases were in the Seoul metropolitan area, where officials have been actively tracing transmissions linked to nightclubs and other entertainment venues. South Korea’s Centres for Disease Control and Prevention also reported two more deaths, bringing the country’s total to 269 fatalities from 11,225 cases. Wednesday will see around 2.4 million pupils return to school, and health minister Park Neung-hoo urged school officials to double-check their preventive measures.
26th May 2020 - Yahoo Sport UK
The Latest: South Korea reports 19 new virus cases, China 7
South Korea has reported 19 new cases of the coronavirus, most from the Seoul metropolitan area, where officials have been actively tracing transmissions linked to nightclubs and other entertainment venues
26th May 2020 - ABC News
The way South Korea crushed its second wave is a warning to us all
There are signs that the rigorously efficient contact tracing regime deployed by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) is bringing this new outbreak under control. As of May 20, there have been 336 new cases of Covid-19 since the beginning of the month, a far cry from February when there were more than 3,000 in just two weeks. However, the incident still serves to illustrate the challenge that South Korea and other countries face in avoiding a second wave of the virus in the months and years to come.
26th May 2020 - Wired.co.uk
China's Latest Regional Flare-Up Highlights Challenge of Emerging From Lockdown
Though the country first hit by the coronavirus pandemic has largely brought it under control, regional flare-ups continue to menace China and highlight the difficulty of reopening and restarting an economy. In this case Shulan in Northeast China's Jilin province. Where the city rolled out a series of new restrictions on Sunday, effectively putting residents back into lockdown, after a cluster of a dozen cases appeared in recent days
26th May 2020 - Caixin Global
Coronavirus cases at Melbourne aged care home increase as two workers test positive
The two diagnoses take the total number of cases at Lynden Aged Care in Camberwell to three. The facility went into lockdown on May 19 after a resident was diagnosed with the virus. The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) said the source of the latest infections was under investigation. But the new cases were not identified as close contacts of the first case so the two staff members continued to work at the facility. Staff members identified as close contacts of the two new cases have been placed into quarantine.
26th May 2020 - ABC News
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 26th May 2020
View this newsletter in fullOne German church service resulted in more than 100 coronavirus infections
A single church service in Frankfurt, Germany, held in early May appears to have led to at least 107 reported cases of coronavirus in the area, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal. The outbreak highlights the risks that accompany easing lockdowns even in countries that have managed to control the spread of the virus relatively well. And it also serves as a reminder of the acute threat posed by “superspreader” events involving crowds, a pressing concern in the US as President Donald Trump encourages churches nationwide to reopen their doors to worshippers.
25th May 2020 - Vox.com
Concern grows after coronavirus outbreak at western German restaurant
More than 100 people are currently in quarantine in the Leer region in northwestern Germany after a coronavirus outbreak at a restaurant. Several people have tested positive for the virus, with others showing symptoms. The outbreak has led to questions about whether the lockdown was relaxed too soon - and whether the correct protocols were being followed in the restaurant.
Eleven people have tested positive for the virus after visiting a restaurant in Moormerland, Lower Saxony, while 106 are now in quarantine.
25th May 2020 - The Local Germany
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 25th May 2020
View this newsletter in fullA hairstylist worked while symptomatic and exposed 91 people to coronavirus
A hairstylist with coronavirus worked for eight days this month while symptomatic, exposing as many as 91 customers and coworkers in Missouri, health officials said.
The case highlights the threats of community spread in the United States as businesses reopen after weeks of restrictions to combat the spread of coronavirus.
23rd May 2020 - CNN
Second Infected Missouri Hairstylist May Have Exposed 56 Clients to Coronavirus: Officials
A second Missouri hairstylist who showed up for work at a salon earlier this month while exhibiting coronavirus symptoms may have exposed as many as 56 clients, health officials said. On Saturday, officials said that another symptomatic hairstylist at the Great Clips salon in Springfield may have exposed up to 84 customers and seven coworkers while working for eight days between May 12 and May 20. The Springfield-Greene County Health Department said that both hairstylists and their clients were wearing face coverings. “It is the hope of the department that because face coverings were worn throughout this exposure timeline, no additional cases will result,” the department said. Officials said they are tracking down everyone who was potentially exposed and advising them to watch for symptoms.
24th May 2020 - Daily Beast
More patients than beds in Mumbai as India faces surge in virus cases
India on Sunday reported 6,767 new coronavirus infections, the country’s biggest one-day increase. Government data shows the number of coronavirus cases in the world’s second-most populous country are doubling every 13 days or so, even as the government begins easing lockdown restrictions. India has reported more than 131,000 infections, including 3,867 deaths. “The increasing trend has not gone down,” said Bhramar Mukherjee, a professor of biostatistics and epidemiology at the University of Michigan, referring to India’s cases. “We’ve not seen a flattening of the curve.”
25th May 2020 - Reuters
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 22nd May 2020
View this newsletter in fullAustralia records six new coronavirus cases almost a week after lockdown measures were eased
Two new cases in NSW and four new cases in Victoria recorded on Wednesday. Northern Territory became the second jurisdiction to become coronavirus-free. Several premiers announced or hinted at easing restrictions in coming weeks
21st May 2020 - Daily Mail
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 21st May 2020
View this newsletter in fullChina's new outbreak shows signs that coronavirus could be changing
Chinese doctors are seeing the coronavirus manifest differently among patients in its new cluster of cases in the northeast region compared to the original outbreak in Wuhan, suggesting that the pathogen may be changing in unknown ways and complicating efforts to stamp it out. Patients found in the northern provinces of Jilin and Heilongjiang appear to carry the virus for a longer period of time and take longer to test negative, Qiu Haibo, one of China’s top critical care doctors, told state television on Tuesday. Patients in the northeast also appear to be taking longer than the one to two weeks observed in Wuhan to develop symptoms after infection, and this delayed onset is making it harder for authorities to catch cases before they spread, said Qiu, who is now in the northern region treating patients.
20th May 2020 - The Japan Times
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 20th May 2020
View this newsletter in fullFrance reports 70 coronavirus cases after schools reopened
Around 70 cases of Covid-19 have been linked to schools in France just one week after they reopened. A third of French children have gone back to school in an easing of the coronavirus lockdown. Some schools were opened last week and a further 150,000 junior high students went back to the classroom on Monday. The move initially led to relief: The end of homeschooling for hundreds of thousands of exhausted French parents, many of whom were also working from home.
19th May 2020 - Metro
Chinese Lockdown Redux
Remember those graphs showing that Beijing’s draconian lockdown of Wuhan and other parts of China had beaten the coronavirus more effectively than any other public-health measures anywhere? Well, the virus didn’t stay beaten, to judge by new cases emerging in Jilin province that have prompted another lockdown. Jilin, in the country’s northeast, had reported around 120 new Covid-19 cases by this weekend. It’s not clear how this cluster started—officials initially suggested the disease re-entered China from nearby Russia—but local transmission also has occurred. Cue another general shutdown, as the govern
19th May 2020 - The Wall Street Journal
Positive coronavirus tests in aged care residents close two more nursing homes in Melbourne
Deputy Chief Health Officer Annaliese van Diemen said seven new cases of the virus had been recorded in the state since Monday, including two in separate aged care homes. Dr van Diemen said one of the aged care cases was a resident at Lynden Aged Care in Camberwell in Melbourne's east. "The resident is being treated in isolation in a metropolitan hospital," Dr van Diemen said. "Residents and families have been informed by the facility." She said cleaning and contact tracing was already underway.
19th May 2020 - ABC News
Coronavirus Spike in Russia, Brazil, India and Others Show Pandemic is Far From Over
Coronavirus cases are spiking from India to South Africa and Mexico in a clear indication the pandemic is far from over, while Russia and Brazil now sit behind only the United States in the number of reported infections. The surges come as much of Asia, Europe and scores of U.S. states have been easing lockdowns to restart their economies as new infections wane. U.S. autoworkers, French teachers and Thai mall workers are among hundreds of thousands of employees back at work with new safety precautions.
19th May 2020 - Time
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 19th May 2020
View this newsletter in full108 Million People in China Put Into Lockdown After 34 New Coronavirus Cases Detected
The Chinese province of Jilin has placed about 108 million people into lockdown on Monday after roughly 34 new cases of coronavirus and one death were identified in the region over the past few weeks, according to a new report from Bloomberg News. The new lockdown demonstrates widespread fear in China of witnessing another uncontrollable outbreak like the one in Wuhan that set off the global covid-19 pandemic in December 2019.
18th May 2020 - Gizmodo UK
Chaos as eight schools in French city forced to close after child catches coronavirus
The schools in Roubaix, northern France, closed on Monday after a child caught Covid-19, just one week after schools reopened across the country, with 70 cases confirmed at other schools
18th May 2020 - Mirror Online
Covid 19 coronavirus: Australia closes 12 McDonald's restaurants
Twelve Australian McDonald's restaurants have been closed for deep cleaning after a delivery truck driver contracted coronavirus. It comes after seven new cases of the virus were recorded in Victoria on Sunday and one new case in NSW.
18th May 2020 - New Zealand Herald
Alarm as Germany uncovers another abattoir cluster after easing coronavirus lockdown
Germany has uncovered another cluster of coronavirus infections at a slaughterhouse, fuelling alarm about working conditions in the country's meat packing plants. A total of 92 employees at the Westfleisch slaughterhouse in Lower Saxony state have tested positive, local authorities in Osnabrueck district announced late Sunday (May 17). The plant has been closed until further notice and staff have been placed in quarantine, joining a string of German slaughterhouses that have suffered similar outbreaks.
18th May 2020 - The Straits Times
Coronavirus flare-ups force France to re-close some schools
Just one week after a third of French schoolchildren went back to school in an easing ofthe coronavirus lockdown, there's been a worrying flareup of about 70 COVID-19 cases linked to schools. Some schools were opened last week and a further 150,000 junior high students went back to the classroom Monday as further restrictions were loosened by the government. The move initially spelled relief: the end of homeschooling for many hundreds of thousands of exhausted French parents, many whom were also working from home.
18th May 2020 - CBS News
Coronavirus: France reports 70 new COVID-19 cases linked to schools one week after reopening
There have been 70 new cases of COVID-19 linked to schools in France just one week after they reopened. The spike in coronavirus cases came just days after a third of French children returned to school as the country eased its coronavirus lockdown. Boris Johnson has outlined plans for schools in England to reopen from 1 June, with Downing Street saying on Monday a decision on whether to go ahead will be taken this week. The government claims four-year-olds are capable of social distancing, but it is fighting a war of words with teachers, parents and doctors who say it is “too risky” to let children return to schools.
18th May 2020 - YAHOO!
China tightens lockdown measures on north-eastern cities after discovering new coronavirus clusters as officials arrange mass-testing to prevent a second wave
Chinese officials enforced more restrictions on Shulan, a city of 600,000 people. Shulan has been under lockdown since May 9 after reporting an infection cluster. The city of Jilin with 4.5 million residents sealed off one of its districts yesterday. The cities of Jilin and Shulan are located in the same northwestern province Jilin.
Over 40,000 local citizens were screened for COVID-19 to avoid a second wave
18th May 2020 - Mail Online
Coronavirus: Fresh outbreak continues to spread despite hundreds of Chinese villages being placed under lockdown
A fresh outbreak of coronavirus in northeastern China is continuing to spread despite lockdowns being imposed on hundreds of villages and multiple cities. A trickle of new cases in Jilin province had initially been attributed to Chinese nationals returning from across the Russian border, largely centred in Shulan city, where a partial lockdown was swiftly imposed on 600,000 residents last weekend.
But by Saturday, the province had reported a total of 125 locally transmitted cases, including two deaths, state media reported. Some 28 patients are still in hospital, 95 have been discharged and nearly 1,000 close contacts are under observation.
18th May 2020 - Independent
Coronavirus Victoria: Villa Maria aged care in lockdown over inconclusive diagnosis
A Melbourne aged care facility has gone into lockdown after a resident returned an inconclusive test result for coronavirus. The Villa Maria Catholic Homes (VMCH) Bundoora resident was taken to hospital with a body temperature of 39 degrees at the weekend. "As this is a symptom of COVID-19, the resident was tested, with the initial test results being inconclusive (neither negative nor positive)," a VMCH spokeswoman said in a statement.
18th May 2020 - 9News
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 15th May 2020
View this newsletter in fullChina's Wuhan kicks off mass testing campaign for new coronavirus
Authorities in the Chinese city where the novel coronavirus emerged launched an ambitious campaign on Wednesday to test all of its 11 million residents, after a cluster of new cases raised fears of a second wave of infections. At least two of the city's main districts have delivered notices of the campaign door-to-door and sent out online questionnaires through community workers seeking information about tests people have had, and if they belong to what are deemed high-risk groups, residents said. "To better make use of nucleic acid tests as a monitoring tool and in accordance of the state cabinet's requirements to expand testing, we've decided after consideration to conduct testing for all residents," according to a questionnaire sent to residents of the city's Wuchang district, which has a population of about 1.2 million.
14th May 2020 - The Morung Express
Coronavirus: We are right to fear a 'second wave' right now - seven weeks into lockdown Wuhan's R number was already less than 0.2
Anyone who has ever seen a graph of the Spanish flu pandemic knows it came in three waves – and the second was the deadliest. The virus which first emerged around March 1918 seemed much like a seasonal flu, albeit a highly contagious and virulent strain. But when the second wave hit in autumn of that year, it was capable of killing previously health young men and women within 24 hours of the first signs of infection: the virus had mutated. That goes a long way to explaining why the second wave was worse than the first, but a failure to impose civilian lockdowns in Britain amid a war effort that encouraged citizens to “carry on” and prioritised keeping workers in weapons factories helped to accelerate its spread.
14th May 2020 - Herald Scotland.com
Exclusive: Second more deadly wave of coronavirus 'to hit Europe this winter'
Europe's top WHO official warns that second spike could coincide with outbreaks of other infectious diseases
14th May 2020 - The Telegraph
New coronavirus clusters in France test government's strategy to exit lockdown
As France takes the first steps on the slow return to normal, reports of new coronavirus clusters around the country have sparked concern. “We need to remember that the virus is here, circulating, ready for an ambush,” virologist Anne-Claude Crémieux told France Info. The new clusters were discovered just before May 11th, the day France began to ease its strict, nationwide lockdown. Eliminating these clusters has proved an important first test of France's main strategy - testing, tracing and isolating - to safely reopen society. Local authorities in the cluster areas have had their hands full to successfully track and test those at risk of having been contaminated. All the clusters were found in so-called green zones.
13th May 2020 - The Local France
Coronavirus cases surge in Brazil, Mexico
Record rises in daily coronavirus cases have been recorded in Brazil and Mexico, where leaders are intensifying attempts to reopen their economies.
14th May 2020 - SBS.com.au
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 14th May 2020
View this newsletter in fullSpain's New Virus Cases, Deaths Edge Higher as Lockdown Eases
PM Pedro Sanchez is also facing growing pressure from industry groups, particularly in the tourism and restaurant sectors hammered by the fallout from the virus. The government issued a decree Tuesday mandating a 14-day confinement for people arriving from outside Spain, a potential blow to travel companies desperate for a return to normality.
13th May 2020 - Bloomberg
Wuhan to use massive testing against COVID-19 resurgence; Russia cases soar
Two countries—China and Singapore—are taking massive testing steps to tamp down COVID-19 resurgences, as cases continued to soar in Russia, now the country with the third-highest number of cases. The global total today climbed to 4,239,872 cases, and 290,390 people have died from COVID-19, according to the Johns Hopkins online dashboard.
13th May 2020 - CIDRAP
South Korea To Refrain From Reimposing Lockdown Despite Surge In COVID-19 Cases
Authorities in South Korea,May 13 said that there were no immediate plans on reinstating stringent social distancing rules despite fresh surge in COVID-19 cases
13th May 2020 - RepublicWorld
Coronavirus flare-ups in China and South Korea prompt new fears of a 2nd wave
China plans to test all 11 million people in epicenter city Wuhan after finding new cases, while South Korea races to contain a new cluster in Seoul.
13th May 2020 - CBS News
China ‘to test all 11m Wuhan residents’ amid fears of coronavirus comeback
Authorities in the Chinese city where the coronavirus pandemic first broke out are planning to test all 11 million residents in the next 10 days, local media have reported. No official announcement has been made,
13th May 2020 - ITV News
South Korea And China See COVID-19 Resurgence After Easing Restrictions
South Korea is now grappling with some of its largest infection clusters yet after authorities began to loosen some social distancing restrictions this month. Scores of new cases have been reported in the past two weeks, many of which are linked to a young man who stopped in at several clubs and bars in Seoul the night of May 1. Officials do not know how he contracted the virus in the first place. It's a demoralizing development for officials there, who postponed their plans to reopen on-site classes in schools for the first time in more than two months. But South Korea is not the only apparent success story to report a regression recently.
13th May 2020 - NPR
Chinese city in partial lockdown, 'major risk' of virus spreading
A city in northeastern China has partially shut its borders and cut off transport links after the emergence of a local coronavirus cluster that has fuelled growing fears of a second wave of infections. Jilin, with a population of more than four million, suspended bus services Wednesday and said it will only allow residents to leave the city if they have tested negative for COVID-19 in the past 48 hours and complete an unspecified period of "strict self-isolation". All cinemas, indoor gyms, internet cafes and other enclosed entertainment venues must shut immediately, and pharmacies must report all sales of fever and antiviral medicines, the local government said in a statement.
13th May 2020 - Bangkok Post
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 13th May 2020
View this newsletter in fullCoronavirus: Rush to contain second wave in South Korea as 101 cases linked to clubs
South Korean officials are scrambling to contain a new outbreak of coronavirus after a cluster of more than 100 cases was linked one man who visited several nightclubs in Seoul. Bars and discos across South Korea's capital have now been closed, after the sudden outbreak raised fears of a second wave of COVID-19 in a city that has been seen as a model for how to contain the disease.
12th May 2020 - Sky News
New nightlife cluster causes spike in South Korea virus cases
South Korea announced its biggest spike in coronavirus infections in more than a month Monday, driven by a cluster at Seoul nightclubs and forcing authorities to delay this week's planned re-opening of schools. The country has been held up as a global model in how to curb the virus, but over the weekend its capital -- as well as neighbouring Gyeonggi province and the nearby city of Incheon -- ordered the closure of all clubs and bars after a burst of new cases sparked fears of a second wave.
12th May 2020 - YAHOO!
Coronavirus: South Korea sees ‘superspreader’ event after lockdown relaxed
it took just one unwitting party animal to wreck it all. The virus behind the global pandemic is highly contagious. A dramatic “superspreader” event in Seoul has reminded us of that. And it’s a warning of what lies ahead as Australia begins to relax its lockdown. Just days after reopening its 2100 nightclubs and bars, the capital of South Korea has ordered them to close once again. Almost 6000 venues in the surrounding province also are shuttered. At the weekend, the country’s health system reported the sudden appearance of more than 40 new coronavirus cases. It was the first time in a month the figure had spiked so high. Contact tracers immediately went to work. What had caused this disturbing turnaround? Turns out, it was mostly due to just one 29-year-old man. He was desperate to let his hair down after long weeks confined to his home. He went on an epic pub crawl to make up for the lost time. In the process, he infected at least a dozen fellow partygoers. Some 30 infections are linked to the five nightclubs he visited. A further 7200 people may have been exposed.
12th May 2020 - NEWS.com.au
WHO warns that coronavirus cases have jumped in countries that eased lockdowns
Several countries that have lifted coronavirus restrictions and reopened businesses have seen jumps in coronavirus cases, underscoring the “challenges that may lie ahead,” the World Health Organization warned Monday. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged caution as more countries seek to ease such restrictions and jump-start the economy. Before any country begins to lift restrictions, it should have necessary testing, tracing and isolating infrastructure in place, Tedros said.
12th May 2020 - CNBC
China’s Wuhan sees first new virus cases since lockdown lifted
Wuhan, where the global coronavirus epidemic first started, reported its first new infections since the Chinese city ended its 76-day lockdown on April 8. The six locally transmitted cases, reported on May 10 and 11, were found in people already under quarantine who were asymptomatic before testing positive, according to the local government. All six cases emerged from a single residential compound. Although the new cases are few and appear under control, they serve as a reminder of the risks China faces as it tries to reopen an economy that has seen its worst contraction since 1992. “Seven provinces reported new infections over the past 14 days, and clustered cases were continuing to increase,” Mi Feng, spokesman for the National Health Commission, said on Monday. China reported only one confirmed case on Tuesday, with no new infections in Wuhan.
12th May 2020 - Hindustan Times
China's Wuhan to test entire population for coronavirus after new cases emerge
Wuhan plans to conduct coronavirus tests on the Chinese city's entire population after new cases emerged for the first time in weeks in the cradle of the global pandemic, state media reported today. Officials had been ordered to submit by noon on Tuesday plans to administer nucleic acid tests on all residents in the city of 11 million people, according to an official notice carried by news outlets. "Each district should make plans and arrangements to conduct nucleic acid tests on the entire population in its jurisdiction within a 10-day time limit," the notice said, although it was unclear when testing would begin.
12th May 2020 - Mint
China is playing lockdown whack-a-mole in its battle against a second wave of Covid-19 cases
Shulan, a small city in Jilin province, which neighbors North Korea and Russia, has been put under a partial lockdown since Saturday, with all non-essential transportation banned for its over 630,000 citizens. The city has reported 13 locally transmitted cases as of today, ending Jilin’s more than two-month streak of reporting no new cases, according to Shulan’s mayor (link in Chinese), who said the city is in “wartime” mode. The source of the infections are still under investigation, according to the Shulan government.
11th May 2020 - Yahoo News
France and Germany see infection uptick as lockdown eased
Coronavirus infection rates are rising in Germany and France as lockdown rules are relaxed, new data revealed on Monday. Germany is being closely watched worldwide as the most successful large European country in curbing the spread of the virus, partly thanks to a massive programme of testing, which has prompted a partial reopening of the economy. Merkel has frequently said the reproduction rate of the new coronavirus must be held below one to prevent the health system from being overwhelmed.
11th May 2020 - AlJazeera
China's Wuhan reports first coronavirus cluster since lockdown lifted
Wuhan reported its first cluster of coronavirus infections since a lockdown on the city, the epicentre of the outbreak in China, was lifted a month ago, stoking concerns of a wider resurgence. The five new confirmed cases, all from the same residential compound, come amid efforts to ease restrictions across China as businesses restart and individuals get back to work. "We must resolutely contain the risk of a rebound," the health authority in Wuhan, a city with a population of about 11 million, said in a statement on Monday.
New confirmed cases reported in China since April have been low compared with the thousands every day in February, thanks to a nationwide regime of screening, testing and quarantine
11th May 2020 - YAHOO!
As countries consider lifting lockdowns, some in Asia are experiencing a resurgence in coronavirus cases
Public health experts — including those at the World Health Organization — have warned countries against lifting containment measures too early, which could cause a rebound in new coronavirus cases. In Asia, where the coronavirus first hit, several countries including China and South Korea have experienced an uptick in cases after restrictions were eased. In some instances, authorities have had to reimpose measures that restrict interactions between people to once again fight the virus spread. Meanwhile, investors and analysts said another round of lockdowns would exacerbate the damage already inflicted on the global economy.
11th May 2020 - CNBC
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 12th May 2020
View this newsletter in fullCoronavirus: Wuhan in first virus cluster since end of lockdown
New coronavirus clusters have been reported in Wuhan city - where the virus first emerged - and the north-eastern province of Jilin in China. Wuhan reported five new cases on Monday, after confirming its first case since 3 April on Sunday. Authorities said the small cluster of cases were all from the same residential compound. China has been easing restrictions in recent weeks and cases had been declining. Health authorities and experts have warned that as countries emerge from strict lockdowns and people move around more freely, a rise in infections is likely.
11th May 2020 - BBC
Germany eases lockdown, but renewed virus spread leaves government concern
Germany is moving ahead to ease restrictions on its lockdown, though fears remain for a second wave. Correspondent Nick Spicer reports that while the country has recorded the smallest number of new Covid-19 infections in six days, its leading tracking agency reported over the weekend an increase in the virus reproduction rate to above 1.
11th May 2020 - FRANCE 24
France urges vigilance in easing lockdown after clusters detected in low-infection 'green' areas
France has called for “vigilance” after uncovering two coronavirus "clusters" in supposedly low-infection "green" areas a day before easing lockdown nationwide.
The first cluster in was detected in Dordogne, southwestern France, after throngs attended a funeral, and another in the Vienne, western France, among school staff who had met to prepare re-opening a lower secondary school. After two months of draconian confinement, France is on Monday due to begin easing confinement restrictions, with 400,000 businesses re-opening along with most shops and nursery and primary schools. The maximum distance people can move from home will rise to 100km up from one.
11th May 2020 - The Telegraph
Germany's infection rate rises above one after they ease lockdown
Fears that Germany might have begun to open up its economy too soon as reproduction rate rises quickly in just three days
10th May 2020 - The Telegraph
Germany’s coronavirus infections rise again just days after lockdown eased
Coronavirus infections are on the rise in Germany again days after lockdown restrictions were eased, official data suggests. The virus’ spread cannot be accurately tracked in real-time, so available data is used to estimate the number of people each confirmed patient infects, known as the reproduction rate. A new report indicated the rate in Germany is now above 1, meaning the number of infections could be growing once more. The news will fuel fears that the pandemic could slip out of control again just days after Germany began lifting restrictions.
10th May 2020 - Metro
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 11th May 2020
View this newsletter in fullGermany: Coronavirus transmission rate rises above 1
Germany's coronavirus infection quota has jumped beyond one, just days after federal and regional authorities eased restraints. Keeping the patient 'reproduction rate' down is decisive, say epidemiologists.
10th May 2020 - DW (English)
South Korea braces for second wave of COVID-19 pandemic
South Korean president Moon Jae-in urged citizens not to lower their guard against the coronavirus in order to avert a second wave of infections. South Korea reported 34 new cases of COVID-19 in 24 hours, just days after easing restrictions.
10th May 2020 - Deutsche Welle
Coronavirus: Germany infection rate rises as lockdown eases
Coronavirus infections are rising in Germany, official data shows, just days after the country eased its lockdown restrictions. According to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), the reproduction rate - the estimated number of people a confirmed patient infects - is now above 1. This means the number of infections is now rising in the country. The report came as thousands of Germans gathered on Saturday calling for a total end to the lockdown.
10th May 2020 - BBC South East Wales
German towns bring back lockdown after coronavirus spike
Local authorities postponed lifting lockdown measure after a spike in virus cases
States will reimpose lockdown if new cases his 50 per 100,000 over seven days.
Three different regions in Germany have seen new cases surpass that threshold.
Towns have postponed reopening restaurants, tourist spots and fitness studios
8th May 2020 - Daily Mail
Coronavirus Resurgence - COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis - 8th May 2020
View this newsletter in fullJapan extends state of emergency amid fears over second wave
Japan’s prime minister, Shinzo Abe, has extended the country’s state emergency until the end of the month, amid warnings that relaxing physical distancing advice too soon could flood already crowded hospitals with coronavirus patients. Abe declared a month-long state of emergency in Tokyo and six other prefectures on 7 April, enabling local governors to request that people avoid unnecessary trips outside and that non-essential businesses close. The measures have since been expanded nationwide, but they are far less restrictive than those introduced in the US and parts of Europe, with no fines or other penalties for those who do not comply.
4th May 2020 - The Guardian