Venezuela receives 2.5M vaccines through Covax – latest updates

Covid-19 has infected more than 238M people and killed over 4.8M globally. Here are the virus-related developments for October 10:

FILE PHOTO: Workers offload the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccines under the COVAX scheme against coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at the Aden Abdulle Osman Airport in Mogadishu, Somalia March 15, 2021.
Reuters

FILE PHOTO: Workers offload the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccines under the COVAX scheme against coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at the Aden Abdulle Osman Airport in Mogadishu, Somalia March 15, 2021.

Sunday, October 10, 2021

Italy reports 2,278 new cases

 Italy has reported 27 deaths , down from 46 the previous day, the health ministry said, while the daily tally of new infections fell to 2,278 from 2,748.

Italy has registered 131,301 deaths linked to the virus since the outbreak in February last year. It has the second highest toll in Europe behind Britain and the ninth highest in the world. The country has reported 4.7 million cases to date.

Patients in hospital with the virus- not including those in intensive care - stood at 2,651, down from 2,692 a day earlier.

Venezuela receives second batch of 2.5M vaccines via Covax

Venezuela has received a second batch of 2.5 million doses of  vaccines via the Covax mechanism, while the government said it hoped to reach immunity for 70% of Venezuelans by the end of the month.

Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and Unicef representatives, as well as the Venezuelan government, were present at Maiquetia international airport outside Caracas to receive the doses.

As well as the doses supplied by Covax, Health Minister Carlos Alvarado said Venezuela can also count on doses of Russian jab Sputnik V, the Chinese Sinopharm vaccine, and Cuba's Abdala vaccine to inoculate its population.

Venezuela now has more than 29 million vaccine doses, Alvarado said, adding the number would cover the vaccination of 70% of the population by the end of October.

UK records 34,574 new cases

Britain has recorded 34,574 new cases and 38 new deaths within 28 days of a positive test for the virus.

The government data compared with 34,950 new cases and 133 deaths reported.

Sunday's data did not include figures for Wales, the government said.

Covid committee to decide on T20 World Cup matches, says ICC

The fate of Twenty20 World Cup matches if players test positive will be decided by a committee and not by the member boards, the global governing body said Sunday.

T20 cricket's showpiece events begins October 17 in the United Arab Emirates and Oman with the International Cricket Council hoping for a smooth tournament amid virus concerns.

India's pull out just two hours before the toss of the fifth Manchester Test due to fears in their camp last month left the England and Wales Cricket board facing financial losses and was a reminder of the uncertain times.

ICC's acting chief executive Geoff Allardice said any such last-minute decisions will be taken by a bio-safety advisory group.

Sydney poised to ease Covid-19 curbs

Sydney was set to reopen after months in lockdown, officials said, with businesses readying themselves to welcome fully vaccinated residents from Monday.

New South Wales, Australia's most populous state, reported 477 new coronavirus cases and six deaths, in an outbreak that has kept 5 million people in state capital Sydney in a lockdown for 100 days.

But as the state has met the threshold of 70 percent of its people fully vaccinated, New South Wales was ready to ease some restrictions and reopen many businesses, said state Premier Dominic Perrottet.

Malaysia to allow fully vaccinated people to travel interstate  

Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob says government will allow fully vaccinated people to travel interstate without police permission starting October 11.

Yaakob also added that decision to lift travel restrictions was made as 90 percent of adult population fully vaccinated.

Italy fully vaccinates 80 percent of people over-12s

Italy reached the target of fully vaccinating 80 percent of the population over the age of 12 against the virus, according to official data, achieving a goal Rome had set as a safety cut-off point, government data showed.

According to a government website showed 43,229,551 people over-12, out of a total population of around 60 million, had completed their vaccination cycle as of October 10.

The 80 percent target was set by special commissioner for the Covid emergency, Army General Francesco Paolo Figliuolo, in March and was hit late on October 9.

China administers 2.22B doses as of Oct 9 - health authority

China has administered a total of 2.22 billion doses of vaccine as of October 9, data from the National Health Commission showed.

Germany logs 7,612 cases

Germany reports 7,612 new cases and 24 new deaths, according to the country's disease control centre, the Robert Koch Institute. 

Tension eases in Rome after vaccine rule protest

The heat between riot police and protesters in Rome eventually cooled down on Saturday evening after water cannon and tear gas was fired at anti 'Green Pass' demonstrators.

Earlier in the day, thousands demonstrated against a government rule requiring vaccines or recent negative tests to access workplaces starting next week.

The certification in Italy, known as a “Green Pass,” takes effect on October 15 and applies to public and private workplaces.

The protesters first held a noisy, authorised protest on Saturday in Piazza Del Popolo.

Then demonstrators left the vast square and clashed with police as they headed through nearby Villa Borghese Park and then down Via Veneto in an unauthorised march.

Police in helmets and carrying shields and batons blocked them from marching down a street that runs past Premier Mario Draghi's office.

But a group of protesters broke off and headed down another street in Rome's historic main shopping district that ends near the premier’s office.

Police formed a line, aided by police vans, and sprayed water to thwart access to the seat of the Italian government.

Many protesters raised clenched fists or waved Italian flags and shouted “Freedom!” One banner read “Get your hands off (our) work."

Rai State TV said demonstrators numbered at least 10,000, while organisers said they numbered 100,000.

Mexico reports 6,153 new cases, 348 more deaths

Mexico's health ministry on Saturday reported 6,153 new cases in the country and 348 more deaths, bringing the overall number of infections since the pandemic began to 3,720,545 and the death toll to 281,958.

It has previously said the numbers are likely significantly higher than those reported.

Brazil has 404 deaths in 24 hours - ministry

Brazil has had 16,451 new cases reported in the past 24 hours, and 404 deaths, the health ministry said on Saturday.

Brazil on Friday became the second country in the world after the United States to pass 600,000 deaths, and the official death toll has now risen to 600,829, with 21,567,181 cases registered since the pandemic began.

There are signs, however, that infections in Brazil are finally ebbing, as the country ramps up vaccinations after a slow start. More than 70% of Brazilians have received a first dose, compared to 65% in the United States.

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