Thursday, February 3, 2022
WHO: Africa's Covid jab rate must 'increase six times'
Africa must boost the vaccination rate against Covid-19 "six times" to reach the target of 70 percent vaccine coverage set for the end of the first half of 2022, the World Health Organization (WHO) said.
Africa has received "more than 587 million vaccine doses" but it "is still struggling to expand rollout, with only 11 percent of the population fully vaccinated", explained the WHO regional office for Africa.
"The world has finally heard our calls. Africa is now accessing the vaccines it has demanded for far too long. This is a dose of hope for this year," said Matsh idiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa.
US to cover cost of over-the-counter Covid tests through Medicare
People enrolled in the US government's Medicare program can get over-the-counter Covid-19 tests for free starting early spring, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services said.
The Biden administration laid out plans last month that require private insurance companies to cover the cost of eight over-the-counter at-home tests per person each month, but said nothing about such coverage for Medicare beneficiaries.
Under the new coverage plan announced on Thursday, Medicare and Medicare Advantage beneficiaries will be able to access up to eight over-the-counter Covid-19 tests per month for free.
Greece’s infections surpass 2M
With 17,662 new Covid-19 cases confirmed in the last 24 hours, Greece’s virus tally surpassed 2 million, the National Public Health Organization (EODY) said.
With 106 more related deaths, the number of people who succumbed to the virus rose to 23,833, according to EODY.
As many as 547 new coronavirus patients were hospitalised, while 568 patients got admitted to intensive care units.
Number of confirmed cases in France rises to over 20M
The cumulative number of confirmed Covid-19 cases since the start of the epidemic rose above 20 million, Health Ministry data showed.
The ministry registered 274,352 new infections, pushing the total to 20.15 million.
New Zealand to start easing tough Covid border controls
New Zealand will start easing some of the world's toughest pandemic border restrictions this month but will not fully reopen until October, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said.
Ardern announced a five-step plan to reconnect New Zealand to the rest of the world, beginning with waiving hotel quarantine requirements for its nationals stranded overseas by the pandemic.
"It's time to move again," said Ardern, who has been under pressure recently to relax border policies that have been largely unchanged since the beginning of the Covid-19 crisis almost two years ago.
German vaccine commission suggests Novavax for adults
Germany's expert panel on vaccine use (STIKO) has said that it would recommend Novavax's protein-based Covid-19 vaccine as a first shot for people older than 18 years.
It said a booster shot should be given with an mRNA vaccine, and particularly vulnerable people should also receive a second booster with an mRNA vaccine.
STIKO also updated its booster shot recommendation and now advises at-risk people and health workers to get a second booster shot against the coronavirus with an mRNA vaccine.
Meanwhile, The Robert Koch Institute (RKI), the country’s disease control agency, has confirmed 236,120 new cases and 164 coronavirus-related fatalities over the past day.
Russia posts new record of daily caseload
Russia has reported a record daily number of Covid-19 cases as the Omicron coronavirus variant spread across the country, authorities said.
New daily cases jumped to 155,768, up from 141,883 a day earlier. The government coronavirus task force also reported 667 deaths in the last 24 hours.
Sweden to lift pandemic restraints next week
Sweden will lift pandemic restrictions next week as the country, while still experiencing record levels of infections, banks on surging immunity from booster shots and past infection and manageable hospitalisation levels to keep Covid-19 at bay.
"It is becoming time to open up Sweden again," Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson told a news conference.
Sweden extended its current pandemic measures, which include bars and restaurants having to close early and a cap of 500 people inside larger indoor venues, by another two weeks in late January, but flagged they might be removed after that.
Philippine leader Duterte isolates after exposure
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is self-isolating after being exposed last weekend to a member of his household staff who had Covid-19, but Duterte has twice tested negative following the exposure, his spokesman said.
The 76-year-old leader continues to work while in quarantine and remains in communication with his Cabinet members to address urgent issues and pandemic-related concerns, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said.
Nograles confirmed social media reports that Duterte went to the Cardinal Santos Medical Center in suburban San Juan district in the capital region but said the visit was for a “routine medical check-up only.”
He did not say when Duterte went to the hospital or provide other details. Duterte has been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 and received his booster shot last month.
Poland exceeds 5M mark of infections
Poland reported 54,477 new Covid-19 infections on Thursday and the total number of cases passed the 5-million mark, the Health Ministry said.
The number of Covid-related deaths rose by 307 to a total of 106,060 in the country of 38 million people, which recently faced record daily numbers of infections as the Omicron variant spreads.
Brazil reports more than 890 Covid deaths
Brazil has reported 893 deaths due to Covid-19 and 172,903 new cases of the novel coronavirus in the past 24 hours, according to the Health Ministry.
The South American country has now registered 25,793,112 confirmed cases since the pandemic began, while the official death toll has risen to 628,960
Major airlines urge US to end international travel testing rules
Major airlines, business and travel groups have urged the White House to end Covid-19 pre-departure testing requirements for vaccinated international passengers traveling to the United States.
In a letter to White House coronavirus response coordinator Jeff Zients, Airlines for America, the US Chamber of Commerce, Aerospace Industries Association, the US Travel Association and other groups urgently sought the change, saying, "surveys of air passengers indicate that pre-departure testing is a leading factor in the decision not to travel internationally.
Mexico logs 573 more deaths
Mexico has registered 573new coronavirus deaths, according to government data, bringing the overall death toll in the country to 307,493.
US Army to discharge soldiers who refuse to get vaccinated
The US Army has announced it will begin discharging soldiers who refuse to comply with a mandatory Covid-19 vaccination rule.
As of January 26, six high-ranking officers, including two battalion commanders, had been removed from their posts for refusing to get vaccinated against Covid-19.
More than 3,000 soldiers could be discharged, according to the statement.
The army had 482,000 active-duty personnel at the end of 2021.
Czechs to drop Covid pass despite infection rise
Czechs will no longer have to submit vaccination certificates at restaurants, cultural and sports events from next week despite a spike in coronavirus infections, the prime minister has said.
Czechs would still have to wear face masks indoors and the number of participants in mass events would be limited.
The increase brought the total tally of confirmed cases since the Covid-19 outbreak in early 2020 to 3.1 million with over 37,000 deaths.
Fortress New Zealand to reopen in phases
New Zealand has announced a phased reopening of its border that has been largely closed for two years, but the travel and airline industry said much more was needed to revive the Pacific island nation's struggling tourism sector.
Vaccinated New Zealanders in Australia can travel home from February 27 without requiring to isolate at state quarantine facilities, while New Zealand citizens in the rest of the world will be able to do so two weeks later, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said.
Foreign vaccinated backpackers and some skilled workers will be allowed into the country beginning March 13, while New Zealand will allow up to 5,000 international students to enter from April 12.
