Wednesday, August 18:
WHO slams wealthy nations' rush towards vaccine boosters
The World Health Organisation has condemned the rush by wealthy countries to provide vaccine booster shots, while millions around the world have yet to receive a single dose.
Speaking before US authorities announced that all vaccinated Americans would soon be eligible to receive additional doses, WHO experts insisted there was not enough scientific evidence that boosters were needed.
Providing them while so many elsewhere in the world were still waiting to be immunised was immoral, they argued.
Number of vaccines administered in Turkey tops 86M
Turkey has administered more than 86.4 million doses of vaccines since launching a mass immunisation campaign in January, according to official figures.
Nearly 45.05 million people have received a first dose, and more than 34.15 million are now fully vaccinated, says the health ministry.
The ministry also reported 19,944 new infections and 168 coronavirus-related deaths in the last 24 hours, while as many as 15,537 more patients recovered.
Azerbaijan reports record daily cases in 2021
Azerbaijan has reported 4,129 new infections, the highest in 2021 so far.
As many as 968 patients won their battle against coronavirus, while 20 patients died, according to data by the Operational Headquarters under Azerbaijani Cabinet.
The new numbers pushed the overall caseload to 377,304 infections, including 341,142 recoveries, and 5,208 related deaths.
French patients in ICUs above 2,000 for first time since mid-June
French health authorities have reported that the number of patients being treated in intensive care units (ICUs) has risen above 2,000 for the first time since June 14.
That figure has more than doubled in less than a month as the highly contagious Delta variant is putting a renewed strain on the French hospital system.
The country also reported 28,405 new cases of and 112 additional deaths in 24 hours.
Italy reports over 7,000 new cases
Italy has reported 69 deaths against 54 the day before, while the daily tally of new infections increased to 7,162 from 5,273.
Italy has registered 128,579 deaths since its outbreak emerged in February last year, the second-highest toll in Europe after Britain and the eighth-highest in the world. The country has reported 4.46 million cases to date.
Britain's cases up by 7.6 percent over past week
Britain has reported 33,904 new cases, meaning cases between August 12 and August 18 were up by 7.6 percent compared with the previous seven days.
A further 111 people were reported as having died within 28 days of a positive test, taking the seven-day increase to nearly 8 percent.
A total of 47.41 million people had received a first dose of a vaccine by the end of August 17 and 40.99 million people had received a second dose.
Facebook says it is helping reduce vaccine 'hesitancy'
Facebook has said vaccine "hesitancy" is declining in the US and other countries, and credits its efforts to filter out misinformation and promote authoritative information for helping the trend.
In releasing its quarterly transparency report, Facebook said the latest data showed vaccine hesitancy is down by 50 percent among US users of the social network, with significant declines in other countries.
Facebook said it removed some 20 million pieces of content, issuing warnings for millions more, and blocked 3,000 accounts for violating its policies on misinformation, while at the same time connecting users with reliable sources of health information.
PAHO warns of regional mental health crisis due
The Pan American Health Organisation's Director has warned of a mounting mental health crisis throughout the Americas which is being driven by the pandemic.
"Today we are facing a mental health crisis that if left unaddressed will have severe consequence" stated Dr. Carissa F. Etienne, speaking during a weekly news conference.
Dr. Etienne relayed that "15 percent of young people are experiencing depression" at a time when 90 percent of the regions mental health services have suffered disruptions, which has made getting treatment more difficult.
Kenya extends curbs as virus cases leap
Kenya will extend a night curfew and other restrictions to counter an exponential rise in cases, the government has said.
The East African country has seen a spike in cases because of unbridled mass gatherings and more people flouting health guidelines, President Uhuru Kenyatta said in a statement.
More than a third of Kenya's 47 counties had recorded a positivity rate of over 20 percent in the past week, the statement said.
US ships 1.2M vaccine doses to Ivory Coast
The US is sending 1.2 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine to Ivory Coast, which is battling a continent-wide spike in cases, a US official has said.
Shipment is being managed through Covax, the distributor backed by the World Health Organization and the Gavi vaccine alliance.
Zambia records presence of Delta variant
Zambia has reported the presence of the Delta variant, with a health official warning of an imminent sudden spike in cases.
This came after public gatherings seen nationwide during last Thursday's general election.
Drop in vaccine efficacy against Delta seen in US nursing homes
The effectiveness of vaccines for people in American nursing homes and long-term care facilities, where residents are often elderly and frail, has dropped since the Delta variant became dominant in the US, government researchers said on Wednesday.
Norway to offer 16- and 17-year-olds vaccine, government says
Norway will offer all 16- and 17-year-olds their first vaccine dose after those over 18 are fully vaccinated, the government has said.
The vaccinations for this group could start within a few weeks, Camilla Stoltenberg, the head of the Norwegian Institute Public Health, told broadcaster NRK.
Almost 88 percent of those over 18 in Norway have now received a first dose of a vaccine and 53.5 percent of those are fully vaccinated, the institute said on its website.
US reports more than 1,000 deaths in single day
The United States has reported more than 1,000 virus deaths, equating to around 42 fatalities an hour, according to a Reuters tally, as the Delta variant continues to ravage parts of the country with low vaccination rates.
Virus-related deaths have spiked in the United States over the past month and are averaging 769 per day, the highest since mid-April, according to the Reuters tally.
Australia outbreak grows, spreads to New Zealand
Australia’s most populous state has reported a record 633 new coronavirus infections as concerns grew about the delta variant's spread beyond Sydney.
The previous record in New South Wales, which includes Sydney, was 466 on Saturday. Three people died on Tuesday, bringing the death toll from the outbreak first detected in Sydney in mid-June to 60.
Israel tightens restrictions as cases leap
New restrictions aimed at curbing the spread of the virus took effect in Israel, after the largely vaccinated country saw the highest daily infection rate since January.
The measures, announced on Sunday, require vaccination certificates or negative virus tests to enter a range of public spaces, including restaurants and bars, cultural and sports venues, hotels and gyms, the health ministry said.
The same applies to worshippers wishing to enter synagogues, mosques or churches with more than 50 people in attendance.
India reports 35,178 cases
India registers 35,178 Covid-19 cases, pushing the total over 32.29M infections, as the death toll rises by 440 to hit 432,519 fatalities, health ministry reported.
Germany's cases rise by 8,324 – RKI
The number of confirmed virus cases in Germany increased by 8,324 to 3,835,375, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed.
The reported death toll rose by 22 to 91,921, the tally showed.
Russia reports 20,914 cases
Russia has reported 20,914 new virus cases, including 1,590 in Moscow, taking the official national tally since the pandemic began to 6,663,473.
The government coronavirus task force said 799 people had died of virus-linked causes in the past 24 hours, pushing the national death toll to 172,909.
The federal statistics agency has kept a separate count and has said Russia recorded around 315,000 deaths related to the virus from April 2020 to June 2021.
Japanese F1 Grand Prix cancelled for 2021
The 2021 Japanese Formula One Grand Prix has been cancelled due to the pandemic for the second successive year, race organisers said.
The cancellation of the race, scheduled for the weekend of October 8-10 at the Suzuka circuit, follows the abandonment of Singapore's October 1-3 night race.
"Following ongoing discussions with the promoter and authorities in Japan the decision has been taken by the Japanese government to cancel the race this season due to ongoing complexities of the pandemic in the country," Formula One said in a statement.
US travel mask mandate to be extended into January
President Joe Biden's administration confirmed it plans to extend requirements for travelers to wear masks on airplanes, trains and buses and at airports and train stations through January 18 to address ongoing Covid-19 risks.
A Transportation Security Administration (TSA) spokesperson confirmed the extension.
"The purpose of TSA’s mask directive is to minimise the spread of Covid-19 on public transportation," the spokesperson said
Major US airlines were informed of the planned extension on a call with TSA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), four people briefed on the matter said.
The current TSA transportation mask order runs through September 13.
The extension reflects the impact of the highly transmissible Delta variant and is an acknowledgement that transit remains potentially risky, especially for unvaccinated people
Mexico reports 14,814 new cases, 877 more deaths
Mexico registered 14,814 new Covid-19 infections and 877 more deaths, health ministry data showed, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 3,123,252 and the death toll to 249,529
Ecuador to give immune-weakened people third vaccine
Ecuador will administer a third dose of the coronavirus vaccine to people with weak immune systems and will carry out tests to determine if the rest of the inoculated population also needs a booster, Health Minister Ximena Garzon said.
The government of President Guillermo Lasso is using Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Sinovac shots as part of a broad vaccination plan that it hopes will spur an economy that has been struggling for years and was hit hard by the pandemic.
Covid risks in young adult males may be under-recognised -study
Young men could be at higher risk of contracting Covid-19 than is currently recognised, researchers have suggested, citing computer models.
The new study suggests that high reported infection rates in older adults may result partly from more frequent testing in this group due to more severe disease.
Using records of all SARS-CoV-2 PCR tests and diagnoses in Ontario, Canada, between March and December 2020, David Fisman's team developed statistical models to analyse whether differences in infection rates by age group are impacted by testing frequency.
After adjusting for testing frequency, the risk of infection was lowest in children under age 10 and in adults over age 80, compared with the overall population, the researchers said.
Rates were highest in adolescents and young adults aged 20 to 49 years, particularly in young adult males, they found.
"What we see in the pandemic is a tip of a much bigger iceberg," Fisman said. "And most of that iceberg is in younger people."
Brazil reports 37,613 Covid cases and 1,106 deaths
Brazil has had 37,613 new cases of the novel coronavirus reported in the past 24 hours, and 1,106 deaths from Covid-19, the health ministry said.
The South American country has now registered 20,416,183 cases since the pandemic began, while the official death toll has risen to 570,598, 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.
More Delta variant Covid cases confirmed in New Zealand
Four new cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed in the country including one Auckland hospital worker, New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told Radio New Zealand.
That takes the total number of confirmed cases in the country to five. Ardern said all cases are have now been confirmed as Delta variant.
France registers more than 100 deaths from Covid in a day
France registered 111 deaths from Covid-19 in hospitals, the first time since June 1 that the daily toll was more than 100, health ministry data showed.
The new figures took the cumulative death toll from Covid-19 since the start of the epidemic to 112,844.
Anti-mask mandate Texas governor tests positive for Covid
The Republican governor of Texas, who has been a forceful opponent of mask mandates, has tested positive for Covid-19, his office said, one day after attending an indoor public event.
Greg Abbott, who is fully vaccinated, "has been testing daily, and today was the first positive test result," said a statement from his spokesman Mark Miner.
"The Governor will isolate in the Governor's Mansion and continue to test daily," the statement said, adding that Abbott is receiving an antibody cocktail treatment.
Abbott is "in good health, and currently experiencing no symptoms," the statement said.
Kenyan teachers given 7 days to get vaccine or face punishment
Kenya’s state Teachers’ Service Commission (TSC) has given teachers in the East African country seven days to get vaccinated for Covid-19 or face disciplinary action.
The deadline comes as 1,488 people in Kenya tested positive for the disease from a sample size of 9,773.
The commission has reported a low vaccine uptake by teachers despite being prioritised in the ongoing vaccination exercise.
Uruguay gives Pfizer/BioNTech booster to Sinovac vaccine recipients
Uruguay started giving booster shots, using the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, to people who have generally received their first two doses with China's CoronaVac, a combination few countries have yet tried, as it seeks to ward off the Delta variant.
Half of Swiss population fully jabbed
More than half of the Swiss population has now been fully vaccinated against Covid-19, statistics show, although immunisation rates are slowing even as cases and hospitalisations rise.
Switzerland is using the two-dose Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines, administering the doses four weeks apart.
Government statistics showed that 50.1 percent of the population -- 4,311,432 people -- had received both injections.
A further 5.63 percent are partially vaccinated, having received their first dose.
