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More than 187 million people have tested positive for the virus worldwide, according to Johns Hopkins University. More than 4 million infected people have died. About 3.4 billion vaccine doses have been administered worldwide.
The latest developments
The fact sheet for Johnson & Johnson’s Covid vaccine has been revised to warn of the risk of rare immune system disease. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday (7/13) it added the warning after 100 reports of Guillain-Barré syndrome, a rare condition in which the immune system attacks nerves in people who had received the vaccine. So far, about 12.8 million Americans have received the one-dose vaccine. The FDA said 95 of the cases required hospitalization and that one person died. While available evidence suggests a link between the vaccination and the syndrome, the agency said there was insufficient data to say definitively that the disease was caused by the vaccination. Symptoms began within 42 days of receiving the shot.
French President Emmanuel Macron announced new protective measures Monday evening. These are to be decided at a special government meeting on Tuesday (7/13). By Sept. 15, for example, all health and nursing staff must have been vaccinated against Covid. From that date on, there will be controls and sanctions. In addition, a health certificate will be mandatory for people (12 years and older) attending cultural and recreational events (cinemas, museums, etc.) with 50 or more participants (from July 21), but also in restaurants, shopping malls, hospitals or on planes and trains for longer journeys (from August). The reason for the renewed restrictions is the strong spread of the highly contagious delta variant.
In England, almost all mandatory Corona measures will be lifted on July 19 as planned. This was confirmed by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson in London on Monday (July 12). He said now was the right moment because of the warm weather, the progress of vaccination and the summer vacations – this despite a huge increase in new infections. But they are aware that there will be an increase in hospitalizations and deaths. Now, distance rules and mandatory masks are to be dropped in just one week – against the advice of scientists and despite criticism from unions, mayors and opposition politicians.
In Greece, people will in future only be allowed to stay indoors in catering and cultural establishments if they have been vaccinated against Corona. This was announced by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Monday evening (July 12). Employees in the health sector and aged care will also have to be vaccinated on a mandatory basis in the future – otherwise they may be exempted from their work. “We will not close the country again because of the attitude of some,” the prime minister said during an address on state television. Patients in intensive care units are “99 percent not vaccinated,” Mitsotakis said, justifying the measure.
Two months after the emergency approval of China’s first Corona vaccine by the World Health Organization (WHO), international distribution is now following. 110 million doses of the substances from Sinopharm and Sinovac would be delivered from now until October, the Gavi vaccination initiative, which organizes the Covax solidarity program, announced in Geneva on Monday (July 12). It said there are options to purchase an additional 440 million doses by mid-2022. Covax’s portfolio also includes vaccines from AstraZeneca, Pfizer/Biontech, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson, among others. Covax supplies all countries that have expressed interest. 92 of them are being served for free because they cannot pay for the vaccines. Two billion vaccine doses are to be delivered worldwide by early next year, 1.8 billion to the poorest countries.
The island republic of Taiwan has secured 10 million doses of Corona vaccine from Germany’s Biontech with the help of two major technology companies. Taiwan’s government said Monday (July 12) that Taiwan chipmaker TSMC and electronics manufacturer Hon Hai donated the doses. The companies’ help was necessary because the government had encountered difficulties in making the purchase. China had apparently prevented the government from making deals with Biontech.
Accompanied by complaints about vaccine shortages, a state of emergency has again come into effect in Tokyo for the duration of the Olympic Games. Restaurants have not been allowed to serve alcohol since Monday (July 12) and must close at 8 p.m., as must large department stores. A maximum of 5,000 spectators are allowed at sporting and cultural events, provided that half of the seating capacity is not exceeded. Citizens are called upon to stay at home if possible. On the eve of what is now Tokyo’s fourth state of emergency, which is in effect for now until Aug. 22, Japan’s governors complained of chaos in the country’s vaccination process amid a shortage of vaccine doses. Many Japanese fear the Games could become a super-spreader event. However, officials and the International Olympic Committee keep claiming everything is “safe.”
The U.S. recorded 33,933 new cases Saturday (10/7), the highest rate since mid-May, according to data from Johns Hopkins University and Bloomberg. The Delta variant is spreading in areas with unvaccinated Americans. Nearly 134,000 were reported for the week ending Saturday, compared with about 92,400 for the previous week. Another 319 deaths were reported Saturday. Separately, vaccinations in the U.S. have plummeted despite the spread of the delta variant. According to the Bloomberg Vaccine Tracker, 599,000 vaccinations were given in the U.S. on Saturday, the lowest level since early January. Daily vaccinations had peaked in mid-April at nearly 4 million. President Joe Biden missed his goal of giving at least one vaccine dose to 70% of U.S. adults by July 4. That number now stands at 67.5%.
—source: nzz.ch/picture: pixabay.com
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