Category: Corona Virus

Last year, Kings Island replaced Haunt with a Tricks and Treats Fall Fest last year, which was fun for the young crowd but did not offer that much for older teens and adults who pack the parks haunted houses each fall.

The website said from late September through Halloween, it will offer scares and night rides on The Beast, Banshee, Diamondback, Mystic Timbers, and other rides.

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Halloween Haunt, Winterfest returning to Kings Island this fall after coronavirus cancellation - dayton.com

People wearing protective masks shop in a Walmart store on May 18, 2021 in Hallandale Beach, Florida.

Joe Raedle | Getty Images

As the highly transmissible delta Covid variant continues to spread rapidly across the United States and elsewhere around the world, scientists and other health experts are warning that indoor mask mandates and other public health measures will likely make a return in the U.S. this fall.

The country, which just celebrated the Fourth of July with some of its first large gatherings in more than a year, is headed toward a "dangerous" fall season when delta is expected to cause another surge in new coronavirus cases, health experts say. Already the dominant variant in the U.S., delta will hit the states with the lowest vaccination rates the hardest unless those states and businesses reintroduce mask rules, capacity limits and other public health measures that they've largely rolled back in recent months, experts say.

With new mutations discovered every few weeks, many scientists now predict that Covid will continue circulating around the world for at least the next two to three years, requiring nations to reinstitute public health measures on an ad hoc basis for the foreseeable future. Authorities in Australia, South Africa and Asia have recently reintroduced curfews or other measures to curb rising delta outbreaks. Japan just declared a coronavirus state of emergency in Tokyo and banned spectators at the Olympics. High vaccination rates in the U.S. and the warm summer months have bought the country some extra time, but outbreaks across the world are giving Americans a preview of what may come this fall.

Health workers chat near an ambulance at the parking lot of the Steve Biko Academic Hospital, amid a nationwide coronavirus disease (COVID-19) lockdown, in Pretoria, South Africa, January 11, 2021.

Siphiwe Sibeko | Reuters

"I could foresee that in certain parts of the country, there could be a reintroduction of indoor mask mandates, distancing and occupancy limits" in the coming months, said Lawrence Gostin, director of the World Health Organization's Collaborating Center on National and Global Health Law.

He said he fears there will be "major outbreaks" in the U.S. this fall, especially in states with low vaccination rates.

"We are heading for a very dangerous fall, with large swaths of the country still unvaccinated, a surging delta variant and people taking off their masks," Gostin added.

The warning from scientists and other health experts comes as many businesses and offices across the U.S. have largely done away with their mask requirements, social distancing and other pandemic-related restrictions.

Almost immediately after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said fully vaccinated people didn't need to wear masks in most indoor settings in mid-May, WalmartandCostcofollowed suit, allowing fully vaccinated customers and employees to go maskless unless required by state or local laws. Likewise, Detroit automakers and the United Auto Workers union late last month agreed to make face masks optional for employees who are fully vaccinated.

A General Motors assembly worker loads engine block castings on to the assembly line at the GM Romulus Powertrain plant in Romulus, Michigan, U.S. August 21, 2019.

Rebecca Cook | Reuters

Other businesses like Apple and Amazon are making a big push for most of their workers to return to the office in some capacity this fall as more Americans get vaccinated against the virus. Goldman Sachs workers returned to the office last month while Citigroup and JPMorgan expect their employees to come back on a rotating basis this month.

Confirmed Covid infections in the U.S. have dropped to their lowest levels since the beginning of the pandemic, averaging about 15,000 new cases a day over the last seven days from a peak of around 251,000 average new cases per day in January, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. Hospitalizations and fatalities have also fallen, with Covid deaths averaging about 225 a day down from a peak of more than 3,400 deaths a day on average in January.

If daily Covid cases should rise again in the fall, as health experts expect they will, some employers in states with low Covid vaccination rates may have to grapple with the difficult choice of reimplementing public health measures, such as wearing masks and social distancing, capacity limits, or sending office workers back home altogether.

There will be "two Americas," said Dr. Paul Offit, a pediatrician and vaccine advocate who has served on advisory panels for both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration. "There is the vaccinated America and the unvaccinated America, and I think the unvaccinated America is about to pay a price for that."

There are about 1,000 counties in the U.S. that have Covid vaccination coverage of less than 30%, mostly located in the Southeast and Midwest, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky recently said. The agency is already seeing increasing rates of infection in those areas due to the further spread of the delta variant.

That's prompted some state and local health officials to reinstitute public health measures they had previously dropped.

In Mississippi, for example, where less than a third of the state's eligible population is fully vaccinated, officials last week recommended that all residents continue to wear masks indoors as delta becomes the dominant variant in the state. About 96% of new Covid cases in Mississippi are among unvaccinated people, state health officials said on a call with reporters.

White House chief medical advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci said people may want to consider wearing masks in states like Mississippi where transmission is high and vaccinations are low, even if they are fully inoculated.

"Depending on your personal situation, you might," Fauci said in an interview scheduled to air Friday with SiriusXM's "Doctor Radio Reports" with Dr. Marc Siegel. "For example, someone who's an elderly person who may not actually have a full robust protection, even though the protection is very, very high, or someone with an underlying condition" may still want to wear a mask, he said.

Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), testifies before a Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions hearing to examine an update from Federal officials on efforts to combat COVID-19 in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on May 11, 2021 in Washington, DC.

Jim Lo Scalzo | Getty Images

Officials in Los Angeles County, California, also recommended last week that "everyone, regardless of vaccination status," wear masks indoors in public places as a precautionary measure.

Offit, who advises the FDA on Covid vaccines, said he expects several more states to reimplement indoor mask requirements this fall.

The United States is still "undervaccinated," and states with low vaccination rates are likely to get hit the worst, Offit said. Less than half of the U.S., about 158 million people, has been fully vaccinated, with more than a dozen states fully immunizing less than 40% of their populations, according to CDC data. In Texas, the second-most-populated state behind California, just 42% of its residents are fully inoculated, the data shows.

Even people who are fully protected have cause for concern when it comes to Covid variants, Offit said. While the vaccines protect well against severe disease and death, they may not protect as well against mild disease or spreading Covid to others, he said. No vaccine is 100% effective, he noted.

"It is not a bold prediction to believe that SARS-CoV-2 is going to be circulating two or three years from now. I mean there are 195 countries out there, most of which haven't been given a single dose of vaccine," Offit said. "Will it still be circulating in the United States? I think that would be very, very likely."

Dr. Christopher J.L. Murray, director of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, agreed that more states will have to reimplement mask mandates this fall. More vulnerable Americans may even need to wear masks every year during peak Covid and flu transmission season: November to April, he said. However, he noted it may be difficult to get some Americans to use face coverings now that the pandemic has waned.

"Given pandemic fatigue, it is going to be harder to get most Americans to follow guidance on mask use and social distancing. When cases and hospitalizations begin to surge again, potentially not until the fall or winter, then it may be easier to persuade some to take measures to be careful," he said.

People crowd outdoor dining at a restaurant as coronavirus disease (COVID-19) restrictions are eased in Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S., April 4, 2021.

Emily Elconin | Reuters

Dr. Vin Gupta, a Harvard-trained lung specialist and NBC contributor, said mask requirements should be reimplemented this fall but enforced at the local level and dependent on what's happening in the surrounding community with Covid vaccination rates and transmission.

"There has to be some specificity there and several local jurisdictions have to make their own decision, especially as the seasons shift and get back into cold, dry air," he said.

In the meantime, the federal government's mask mandate on public transportation, including airplanes, commuter buses and rail systems, is scheduled to expire Sept. 13 unless the CDC extends it once again.

Whether the CDC does so is an open question, scientists said. Walensky and the White House have both indicated that there is no desire to reinstitute lockdowns and will leave much of the decisions on public health measures up to the states.

"A lot of this isn't science. It's political science," said Dr. Isaac Bogoch, an infectious disease professor at the University of Toronto. "If you have high rates of community transmission of Covid-19 and you have high rates of unvaccinated individuals, it makes sense to mask indoor from a scientific perspective. Whether or not that will be converted to policy is a different question."

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Americans will need masks indoors as U.S. heads for 'dangerous fall' with surge in delta Covid cases - CNBC

Confirmed cases of COVID-19 have passed 185.5 million globally, according to Johns Hopkins University. The number of confirmed deaths stands at more than 4.01 million. More than 3.32 billion vaccination doses have been administered globally, according to Our World in Data.

US COVID-19 cases are up around 11% over the previous week, almost entirely among people who have not been vaccinated, officials said on Thursday, as the highly infectious Delta variant becomes the dominant COVID-19 strain in the country.

Viet Nam is aiming to vaccinate 50% of residents aged 18 or older by the end of this year and 70% by the end of March 2022, the health ministry said on Friday. It comes as tighter coronavirus curbs were imposed in more cities.

On Thursday, Indonesia reported a new daily record of 38,391 COVID-19 infections, plus 852 new fatalities, its second-highest daily death toll, official data showed.

Cumulative confirmed COVID-19 deaths globally and in selected countries.

Image: Our World in Data

Africa has seen its worst pandemic week ever, as it passed the second-wave peak during the seven days ending on 4 July 2021. More than 251,000 new COVID-19 cases recorded on the continent.

Sixteen African countries are now in resurgence - with Malawi and Senegal added this week. The Delta variant has been detected in 10 of these countries.

Africa has just marked the continents most dire pandemic week ever. But the worst is yet to come as the fast-moving third wave continues to gain speed and new ground, said Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Africa.

The global vaccine distribution scheme COVAX aims to deliver 520 million COVID-19 vaccine doses to Africa this year, its managing director said, with supplies ramping up from September after delays caused by Indian export restrictions.

In a news conference on Thursday organized by the World Health Organization's Africa region, Aurelia Nguyen, managing director of COVAX, said that the scheme had delivered around 25 million doses to 44 African countries so far, but she was not happy with the progress.

By the end of the first quarter of 2022, COVAX aims to supply nearly 850 million vaccine doses to the African continent, which has some of the lowest COVID-19 vaccination rates worldwide.

COVID-19 vaccine doses administered by continent

Image: Our World in Data

As part of work identifying promising technology use cases to combat COVID, The Boston Consulting Group recently used contextual AI to analyze more than 150 million English language media articles from 30 countries published between December 2019 to May 2020.

The result is a compendium of hundreds of technology use cases. It more than triples the number of solutions, providing better visibility into the diverse uses of technology for the COVID-19 response.

To see a full list of 200+ exciting technology use cases during COVID please follow this link.

The Olympics will take place without spectators in host city Tokyo, organisers said on Thursday, as a resurgent coronavirus forced Japan to declare a state of emergency in the capital that will run throughout the Games.

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said it was essential to prevent Tokyo, where the highly contagious Delta variant of COVID-19 variant was spreading, from becoming a flashpoint of new infections.

People will also be asked not to gather for events on public roads, such as the triathlon, though officials said some venues outside the greater Tokyo metropolitan area would allow small numbers of spectators.

"It is regrettable that we are delivering the Games in a very limited format, facing the spread of coronavirus infections," Tokyo 2020 President Seiko Hashimoto said, following talks between government officials, Tokyo organisers and Olympic and Paralympic representatives.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum.

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COVID-19: What you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic on 9 July - World Economic Forum

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. As the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic took Staten Island by storm, the Advance/SILive.com shared tragic stories daily of illness, suffering, isolation, pain and death.

Yet, in between, there were tales of determination, triumph, resilience and recovery.

As we get closer to putting the worst pandemic in 100 years behind us, wed now like to share the stories of Staten Islanders who battled COVID-19 and made it through.

Though many returned home from hospitals after battling the virus, lives were forever changed. Some lives are unrecognizable, some are back on track, and some through an enlightened perspective are better than they ever were before.

If you are one of the survivors, will you allow us to share your story?

Wed like to spotlight your bravery and perseverance through a historic health crisis that turned our borough and the world upside down.

Reach out to abarron@siadvance.com to let us know youre willing to be interviewed and featured in the Advance and on SILive.com.

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Coronavirus survivors: Wed like to hear your story of resilience and courage - SILive.com

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LONDON When the coronavirus pandemic first emerged in early 2020, governments quickly put out information on what symptoms to look out for, little knowing then that much of the transmission was asymptomatic.

The public was told to look out for a high temperature and a new continuous cough, with a loss of taste or smell, fatigue and a sore throat also named as possible symptoms (some added at different points of the pandemic).

Fast forward to the present day and more symptoms are being reported and recognized. The variation in symptoms has happened over time as several variants of the virus such as the alpha strain and now the highly transmissible delta variant have gone on to replace the "original" strain of Covid-19 first discovered in China in late 2019.

Read more: Covid delta variant: Symptoms, spread and what to look out for

Now, an ongoing U.K.-based study which enables the public to enter their Covid symptoms on an app which enables scientists to then analyze the data says there are new coronavirus symptoms being widely reported.

TheZoe Covid Symptom study has identified the current top five symptoms that have emerged in recent weeks which seemingly differ depending on whether you've been vaccinated, and how many doses you've had.

The symptoms highlighted below were first published in late June but still represent the top five symptoms being reported, the Zoe Covid Symptom study told CNBC Wednesday.

The symptoms rankings are based on members of the public's reports in the app alone and do not take into account which variant caused the virus or demographic information.

These are the top five symptoms being reported by people who are fully-vaccinated, have had one dose of a vaccine or are unvaccinated.

The Zoe Covid Symptom study says that, generally, it has seen similar symptoms of Covid-19 being reported overall in the app by people who had and hadn't been vaccinated.

However, fewer symptoms were reported over a shorter period of time by those who had already had the shot, suggesting that they were falling less seriously ill and getting better more quickly.

Here is the current ranking of Covid symptoms after two vaccinations:

The study noted that "traditional" Covid symptoms such asanosmia(loss of smell),fever and shortness of breathranked way down the list, at five, 12 and 29 respectively. "Apersistent coughnow ranks at number 8 if you've had two vaccine doses, so is no longer the top indicator of having Covid."

The ranking changes again after one dose of the vaccination as observed below:

With the protection from only one vaccine dose, one of the original indicators of a persistent cough has made the top five symptoms, Zoe noted.

If you've not yet been vaccinated then the symptoms are more recognizable to the traditional ranking, Zoe said, "however we can still observe some changes from when Covid-19 first appeared over a year ago."

"Loss of smell comes in at number 9 and shortness of breath comes far down the list at number 30, indicating the symptoms as recorded previously are changing with the evolving variants of the virus," the study found.

Covid cases attributed to the much more contagious delta variant are surging in parts of Europe, the U.K. and the U.S., particularly among young people and the partially vaccinated and unvaccinated.

Read more: The delta variant is spreading in Europe and can't be stopped

While two doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca or Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine provide protection against the delta variant,both were significantly less effective after only one shot.

The latest research from Israel on Monday found a decrease in the effectiveness of thePfizer-BioNTech vaccine in preventing infections and symptomatic illness, coinciding with the spread of delta, but said it remained highly effective in preventing serious illness.

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Headache? Runny nose? These are among the new top 5 Covid symptoms, study says - CNBC

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WJZ) Maryland reported 145 new COVID-19 cases and three new deaths, according to state health department data released Friday morning.

The state of emergency was lifted in Maryland, officially ending all covid-19 related restrictions.

During a press conference, Gov. Larry Hogan said unvaccinated Marylanders accounted for 100% of covid-related deaths in June, 95% of all new cases and 93% of hospitalizations.

More than 3.44 million Maryland adults are fully vaccinated. State officials also reported that the state positivity went up slightly to 0.82%.

Hospitalizations decreased by two to 113. Of those hospitalized, 79 remain in acute care and 34 remain in the ICU.

Since the pandemic began, there were 462,980 total confirmed cases and 9,544 deaths.

There are 3,446,199 Marylanders fully vaccinated. The state has administered 6,949,861 doses. Of those, 3,503,662 are first doses with 4,826 administered in the past 24 hours. They have given out 3,181,945 second doses, 7,134 in the last day.

The state began to administer the Johnson & Johnson vaccine again in April, after the CDC and FDA lifted their pause on the vaccine due to a rare blood clot found in some women.

A total of 264,254 Marylanders have received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, 453 in the last day.

The state reported 75.3% of all adults in Maryland have received at least one dose of the vaccine.

CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES:

Heres a breakdown of the numbers:

By County

By Age Range and Gender

By Race and Ethnicity

For the latest information on coronavirus go to the Maryland Health Departments website or call 211. You can find all of WJZs coverage on coronavirus in Maryland here.

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COVID-19 In Maryland: More Than 100 New Cases Reported Friday - CBS Baltimore

Residents, local businesses and employees throughout Orange County are navigating a new world of relatively no pandemic restrictions compared to last Summer as questions are being raised on how to verify if workers and customers are vaccinated.

The decision to verify peoples vaccination status is left to businesses and employers, except for large indoor venues with more than 5,000 people.

The questions also come after a series of confusing guidelines from Californias Occupational Safety and Health Standards board members a workplace safety regulatory body over the past month.

While the workplace safety board members ultimately voted to allow fully vaccinated people drop their masks at work and align with the state Department of Public Health guidelines, the safety board didnt touch on how exactly businesses could verify if their employees are vaccinated.

[Read: Fully Vaccinated Workers in OC Can Now Drop Their Masks While on the Job]

Fully vaccinated means the employer has documented that the person received, at least 14 days prior, either the second dose in a two-dose COVID-19 vaccine series or a single-dose COVID-19 vaccine, reads the guidelines.

Officials from the state Department of Industrial Relations said its largely up to employers on how theyll verify if their workers are vaccinated.

Vaccination status must be documented. The revised [guidelines do] not specify a particular method. The employer must record the vaccination status for any employee not wearing a face covering indoors and this record must be kept confidential, officials said in a June 24 email.

That means employers can check someones vaccination record or use an honor system, officials said similar to the overall guidelines from the California Department of Public Health.

The state is kind of interesting theyre giving businesses the option of self attestation, versus everyone showing proof. But to be perfectly safe, you probably have to assess that. Its very hard for the public-facing businesses, like retailers and restaurants, etc., to ask the public to show proof of vaccine before they order a hamburger, said Lucy Dunn, president and CEO of the Orange County Business Council.

But, Dunn said verifying vaccination status in workplaces like offices would be a good idea.

When youre in an office setting or places with closer quarters indoors, it does make sense just to have every tool in the toolbox just to make it easier for employers to keep workers safe and to keep customers safe, she said.

Daniel Parker, an epidemiologist and public health expert at UC Irvine, echoed that sentiment.

You cant require everyone at the grocery store to be vaccinated, that sounds like an operational nightmare to me. But where I do see it is in workplaces, especially when you have people crammed in together in a tight space, Parker said.

Given the rise of the Delta variant, Parker said making everyone wear masks in places where vaccine status cant be verified is ideal because the variant appears to transmit easier.

Of course we cant check everybodys records before they go into a grocery store, but you could still have face masks, Parker said. We could still work around these things.

He also noted theres people who cant take the vaccine that should be taken into consideration.

We all know somebody whos been through cancer, or something similar, where theyre immunocompromised and they cant take the vaccine. Theyre still working in grocery stores. I feel like were forgetting that its not as simple as if you want the vaccine, you can get it.

State officials rolled out a digital vaccine verification program last month so people can download their documents to their phone as the economy restarts and some businesses are asking their employees to verify their shot status.

Gloria Alvarado, executive director of the OC Labor Federation, said she and other local labor leaders are pleased with the states vaccine documentation system.

So this tool is very helpful. Not only for workers, butk when you travel its going to make a big difference, Alvarado said in a Wednesday phone interview, adding it would be helpful for international flights.

Its just an additional system for people who chose to be vaccinated, she said.

Alvarado also said some employers require vaccine documentation, while others use the honor system before people can drop their masks at work.

Dunn said shes seen a similar approach by local employers and added she doesnt know of any businesses verifying the vaccine status of their customers.

The digital documentation is also an issue thats received a lot of local criticism from some Orange County residents.

In May, OC Supervisors stopped the county Health Care Agency from looking into issuing people digital vaccine documents following waves of protests at board meetings.

Many residents cited privacy concerns.

Others compared the documents to the Holocaust, relating it to yellow stars Nazi Germany made Jews wear.

The comparisons drew the ire of local Jewish community leaders.

[Read: OC Supervisors Cancel Digital Coronavirus Vaccine Records, Hundreds of People Rail Against Vaccine Passports & OC Jewish Community Calls For An End On Comparing Coronavirus Vaccine to Holocaust]

Dunn and Alvarado both said they wanted county Supervisors to approve the digital documentation service.

Meanwhile, Parker said hes concerned a vaccine-resistant variant could pop up in areas of the world where the virus is spreading unimpeded.

Theres just so many cases globally the pandemic is not over. What that means is all those cases happening in places where theres no vaccine, few vaccines it brings up lots of possibilities for variants to emerge where it could be more transmissible, more deadly, evade vaccines. So we need to stay vigilant.

Spencer Custodio is a Voice of OC staff reporter. You can reach him at scustodio@voiceofoc.org. Follow him on Twitter @SpencerCustodio

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OC Residents and Businesses Grapple With Masks, Vaccine Verification Policies Amid Coronavirus Reopening - Voice of OC

A medical staffer wearing protective gear gestures after collecting a swab from a visitor to test for the coronavirus at a temporary testing station in Seoul in December 2020. South Korea on Friday announced it would raise restrictions in the capital region to the highest level as a fourth wave of infections is gaining speed. Jung Yeon-Je /AFP via Getty Images hide caption

A medical staffer wearing protective gear gestures after collecting a swab from a visitor to test for the coronavirus at a temporary testing station in Seoul in December 2020. South Korea on Friday announced it would raise restrictions in the capital region to the highest level as a fourth wave of infections is gaining speed.

SEOUL, South Korea Despite early successes last year in controlling the pandemic, South Korea on Friday announced it would raise restrictions in the capital region to the highest level as a fourth wave of infections is gaining speed.

The country recorded 1,316 cases Friday, breaking records for a second straight day. That's not high by international standards, but health authorities say the peak of this fourth wave of infections is likely yet to come, and barring effective countermeasures, could see case numbers nearly double.

Driving the surge are residents of the greater Seoul region, accounting for four-fifths of cases, and people in their 20s and 30s, who made up 43% of confirmed cases on Thursday. Many of them frequent the capital's eateries and night spots, and most are unvaccinated.

But to some extent, the young consumers were just taking their cues from the government's muddled messaging, authorities say.

The government was trying to "strike a balance between recovery of everyday life and prevention of outbreaks," Sohn Young-rae, a spokesperson for the health ministry, told reporters on Wednesday.

In a bid to give the impression of normalcy, authorities planned to relax restrictions this month and encourage people to get vaccinated by allowing inoculated citizens to go mask-free outdoors, even as case numbers remained steady or edged upward.

The government tried to remind citizens to remain vigilant toward the virus, "but faced with the current outbreak," Sohn conceded, "we do have some regrets that these messages should have been delivered more effectively."

The current restrictions send a sterner message.

For the next two weeks in the capital region, gatherings after 6 p.m. of more than two people are banned, as are protests and rallies. Bars and nightclubs are to close. Attendance at weddings and funerals is limited to family members. Even private gatherings are discouraged.

Following instructions from President Moon Jae-in, the government is adding more COVID-19 testing stations and mobilizing soldiers, police and civil servants to help out with contact tracing.

Vaccinations in South Korea still lag behind other developed economies with only about 11% of the population fully vaccinated.

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Officials Tighten Restrictions In Seoul Amid Another Wave Of COVID-19 Infections - NPR

Inbound travelers will be required to isolate until they receive the results of the PCR test they underwent upon arrival and rapid corona tests also known as antigen tests will be performed at summer camps and programs for children and at the entrance of nursing homes, the coronavirus cabinet decided on Wednesday, announcing that the most important criteria to guide the governments action will be the number of serious patients, which has remained low throughout the current outbreak.

In a press conference later in day, Coronavirus Commissioner Prof. Nachman Ash also announced that the list of countries from which vaccinated and recovered individuals will be required to quarantine is going to be expanded to include not only nations under currently under travel ban that Israelis cannot visit unless they obtain a special governmental permission - but also countries under travel warning.

At the moment, the first includes Argentina, Brazil, India, Mexico, Russia and South Africa, the second Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ethiopia, Maldives, Namibia, Nepal, Paraguay, Seychelles, Tunisia, Uganda, United Arab Emirates and Uruguay. The lists are updated every two weeks.

A cabinets spokesperson said that in order to increase the publics cooperation in observing quarantine regulations, the Health Ministry will start studying the question of whether the isolation period can be reduced. Ash said that they will consider all the data on the topic from Israel and from abroad and then they will see whether it is possible to recommend to shorten the period and of how many days.

Asked about whether vaccinated tourists will be allowed in starting from August 1 as planned, he said that the issue will be discussed in the coming days.

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The new measures approved by the cabinet are expected to come into effect in about a week, in order to give an appropriate window of time for the public to prepare, Ash said, adding that the rapid testing for children and visitors of nursing homes are expected to be funded by the state.

In light of the data we have, we are aiming for maximum protection for those who live in Israel and their health, along with a minimum of economic damage and disruption to daily life, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said while opening the meeting.

We will try as much as possible to be transparent, to explain to the public what we are doing and to give appropriate notice before steps are taken, he added.

The ministers did not approve any new drastic restriction, such as requiring parents of an infected child to quarantine even if they are vaccinated or demanding an additional test for all those entering Israel after four days.

Instead, the authorities will focus on continue to encourage people to get vaccinated and to be careful to wear masks indoors, as it is currently required, as well as to step up enforcement.

The cabinet reconvened on Wednesday after the meeting was adjourned without any decision on Tuesday night.

Some 521 new virus carriers were identified on Tuesday, with over 85,000 tests processed. Both numbers mark the highest since March.

Some 46 patients were in serious condition as of Wednesday afternoon, six more than on the previous days. At the lowest on June 20, the number stood at 21.

While the serious morbidity has registered a slight increase since the beginning of the current outbreak which has seen the number of active cases in the country surging from less than 200 to almost 3,300 - the increase has been very limited compared to what was happening in the past.

A likely explanation for this development is that more than 40% of current virus carriers are schoolchildren, and almost half are people who were fully vaccinated. Both groups are unlikely to develop serious symptoms.

About 40% of the patients in serious conditions were also fully vaccinated. Ash said that most of them belonged to groups considered at risk (over 60 or with pre-existing conditions).

Asked about the possibility of a new lockdown, the commissioner said that he very much hoped that Israel is not going to need it.

It depends on the number of patients in serious conditions, if we were in a situation where the health system is in danger and we want to stop the increase, Ash noted. We are talking about a situation where we have hundreds of serious patients hospitalized.

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Coronavirus: Inbound travelers to isolate until receiving test results - The Jerusalem Post

WELLINGTON, New Zealand New Zealand medical regulators have approved use of the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine, after earlier in the year approving the Pfizer vaccine.

But New Zealands government intends to stick with its plan of primarily using the Pfizer vaccine to inoculate the population of 5 million.

The provisional approval for the J&J vaccine by regulator Medsafe applies to adults aged 18 and over and will need to be signed-off on by the Cabinet, which will likely happen next month.

New Zealand has an agreement to buy 2 million doses of the J&J vaccine. COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins says having a second vaccine will provide increased flexibility and it could be used in emergencies or in locations that are hard to reach.

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MORE ON THE PANDEMIC:

Tokyo Olympics approach, virus worries rise in Japan

Bangladesh hits record 11,525 daily virus cases

Israel to ship 700K Pfizer doses to South Korea in swap deal

Unending grief of COVID-19 deaths causing problems for some

Follow more of APs pandemic coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic and https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-vaccine

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HERES WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING:

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SYDNEY A two-week-old pandemic lockdown in Australias biggest city is being extended for another week due to the vulnerability of a population largely unvaccinated against the coronavirus.

New South Wales state Premier Gladys Berejiklian said Wednesday that health experts recommended pushing the lockdown in Sydney on to midnight July 16.

The decision means most children in Sydney and some nearby communities will not return to school next week following their mid-year break.

Only 9% of Australian adults are fully vaccinated, heightening fears that the delta variant of the coronavirus could quickly spread beyond control.

There have been more than 300 coronavirus infections in Sydney linked to a limousine driver who tested positive June 16. He is thought to have been infected while transporting a U.S. flight crew from the airport.

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SEOUL, South Korea South Korea is reporting more than 1,200 new coronavirus cases, a level unseen since the worst of its outbreak in December as it slips into another virus surge with most of its people unvaccinated.

The 1,212 new cases reported Wednesday came close to South Koreas largest daily increase during the pandemic, on Christmas Day, when officials listed 1,240 new cases.

The government had planned to raise the cap on private social gatherings from four to six people and allow restaurants to extend indoor dining by two hours starting this month. But officials in Seoul and nearby areas have held off as infections rise.

Just 30% of South Koreas people have received the first dose of a coronavirus vaccine as of Wednesday.

Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum says officials will consider tougher social distancing rules if transmissions continue to grow over the next two or three days.

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HARARE, Zimbabwe Zimbabwe has returned to strict lockdown measures to combat a resurgence of COVID-19 amid vaccine shortages.

Infections have dramatically increased in recent weeks despite a night curfew, reduced business hours, localized lockdowns in hotspot areas, and bans on inter-city travel.

The countrys information minister announced the virus has spread to rural areas which have sparse health facilities.

Information Minister Monica Mutsvangwa announced after a Cabinet meeting that most people must stay at home, similar to restrictions on movement adopted in March last year when towns and cities became almost deserted.

People will now need letters from employers to justify why they must venture out of their neighborhood.

Zimbabwe is one of more than 14 African countries where the delta variant s quickly spreading. The delta variant was first identified in India.

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DENVER The Denver Zoo will begin vaccinating some of its animals for COVID-19 as early as next week.

Zoologists say they have been working with the veterinary vaccine company Zoetis to receive doses for the animals, and primates and carnivores will be first on the list.

KMGH-TV reports the veterinary vaccine is being developed separate from the ones for human use.

Transmission is rare between humans and other species, but there have been several documented cases of COVID-19 in large cats, monkeys and certain rodent populations.

Veterinary scientists dont think common house pets like cats or dogs are in significant danger of catching COVID-19.

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WASHINGTON President Joe Biden says the rise of a more transmissible COVID-19 variant in the U.S. should cause everybody to think twice.

Speaking Tuesday at the White House as he outlined his administrations summer plans to boost vaccinations, Biden said the delta variant first identified in India is now responsible for a majority of new virus cases in much of the country.

It seems to me it should cause everybody to think twice, and it should cause reconsideration especially among young people, he said, referencing the demographic least at risk of negative outcomes from the virus.

Biden says the surest way for Americans to protect themselves and their loved ones is to get vaccinated. He said the White House was working with state and local partners to support hyper-local vaccination drives in communities with low uptake.

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BUCHAREST, Romania Declining demand for coronavirus vaccinations in Romania has prompted authorities to close 117 vaccination centers and to reduce the schedule at 371 others, health officials said Tuesday.

In the previous week we re-evaluated the efficiency of fixed vaccination centers. About 80% of fixed vaccination centers vaccinate less than 25% of the vaccination capacity allocated to each stream, national vaccination committee chief Valeriu Gheorghita said at a press conference Tuesday.

The number of daily vaccinations in Romania has consistently dropped from a mid-May peak of around 120,000 a day to less than 20,000 a day over the last week. Just 24% of people in Romania a country of more than 19 million have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The number of daily coronavirus infections in recent weeks has dropped to record lows, but Gheorghita warned Tuesday of a possible resurgence due to the delta strain, which was first identified in India.

If a resurgence increased demand for vaccines, he said, the closed vaccine centers could quickly resume activities.

Authorities have reported more than a million infections since the pandemic began and 34,021 have died.

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NIXA, Mo. As the coronavirus surges in Missouri, a group opposed to masking and other public safety measures have gathered enough signatures to force a vote on whether to recall a mayor in a hard-hit region, even though the requirements have long since expired.

The Springfield News-Leader reports that Nixa voters will have the option to recall Mayor Brian Steele at a special election set for Nov. 2.

Nixa, which has about 21,000 residents, is located about 10 miles (16.09 kilometers) south of Springfield, where hospitals are overflowing with COVID-19 patients.

Health officials are blaming low vaccination rates and the delta variant, first identified in India, for the surge. Just 44.8% of the states residents have received at least the first dose of the vaccine, compared to 54.9% nationally.

And the rate is even lower in southwest Missouri. Christian County, where Nixa is located, has a vaccine rate of 35.2%. Some nearby counties have rates in the teens.

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PHOENIX Arizonas confirmed pandemic death toll reached 18,000 on Tuesday with 21 more deaths. There were 900 confirmed coronavirus cases after the three-day July 4 holiday weekend.

As of Sunday, Arizona ranked 12th highest among U.S. states in total COVID-19 deaths since Jan. 21, 2020. Its sixth highest in the number of deaths per 100,000 population, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

On Monday, the state reported no additional deaths after only four on Sunday. The states seven-day rolling average of daily deaths registered at 9.4, down from 10.7 on June 20, according to Johns Hopkins University.

Arizonas confirmed pandemic case total reached 897,910 on Tuesday. The seven-day rolling average of daily new cases increased in the past two weeks from 423 on June 20 to 492 on Sunday.

Nearly 50% of the population has had at least one dose of vaccine.

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MOSCOW Russian authorities allowed vaccinated Russians and those who have recovered from COVID-19 in the last six months not to get tested for the virus upon arrival from abroad.

Coronavirus deaths in Russia hit another daily record on Tuesday, with authorities reporting 737 more deaths and 23,378 confirmed cases.

Those who are not vaccinated and havent had coronavirus recently will be required to take a test within three days of arrival and self-isolate until receiving the results. The amended regulations, announced Tuesday by the countrys public health agency Rospotrebnadzor, will take effect on Wednesday. The rules in place since May 1 mandated all Russians to take two coronavirus tests within five days of arrival.

The eased regulations come amid reports of state and private testing facilities being overwhelmed with the increased demand.

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DHAKA, Bangladesh Bangladesh has reported 11,525 positive cases, the highest in a day since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

Another 163 people died in the last 24 hours, raising the total number to 15,392, according to the government. Bangladeshs cases of new infections increased last month when the delta variant first discovered in India hit the countrys border regions in the northern and southwestern Bangladesh.

Bangladesh shares a large border with India and health experts say the actual number of both infections and deaths is likely higher. The country is facing a crisis in vaccination after India stopped exports of AstraZeneca shots because of its own outbreak in April. Bangladesh has a deal to get 30 million doses from Indias Serum Institute.

Only 4 million Bangladeshis have been vaccinated in a country of 160 million people. Authorities are hoping to start a new mass vaccination campaign with Chinas Sinopharm and other vaccines.

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LONDON The British government is scrapping coronavirus rules for schools that have seen hundreds of thousands of pupils sent home to self-isolate.

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson says starting July 19, schools will no longer group children in class or year-group bubbles, with all members of the group sent home if one person tests positive for the coronavirus.

With infections climbing in the U.K., the system has led to major disruption for schools and families. On July 1, 471,000 children in England were self-isolating because of potential contact with a virus case at school.

Williamson says in mid-August, close contacts of children who test positive will no longer have to self-isolate. He said the government plans to lift social distancing rules and other educational restrictions for the start of the new school year in September. However, some protective measures -- including enhanced hygiene and ventilation -- will remain in place.

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JAKARTA, Indonesia In Myanmar, the military has declared war on health care workers.

Medics were early and fierce opponents of the militarys takeover of the nations government in February. Security forces are arresting, attacking and killing medical workers and have dubbed them enemies of the state.

Medics have been driven underground amid a global coronavirus pandemic and the countrys already fragile health care system is crumbling. Myanmar is now one of the most dangerous places on earth for health care workers, with 240 attacks this year. Thats nearly half of the 508 globally tracked by the World Health Organization and by far the highest of any country.

The military has issued arrest warrants for 400 doctors and 180 nurses, with photos of their faces plastered over state media like Wanted posters. They are charged with supporting and taking part in the civil disobedience movement.

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BEIJING A Chinese city bordering Myanmar is stepping up efforts to fight a third coronavirus outbreak after several locally transmitted cases were reported this week.

Ruili, located in the southwestern province of Yunnan, has initiated mass testing and imposed a lockdown to prevent people from entering or leaving the city unless they can prove their travel is necessary, according to the local government.

More than 230,000 test samples have been collected since Monday, and the Jiegao border community was named a medium-risk area on Tuesday, the official Xinhua News Agency reported.

The large number of exchanges along the border at Ruili and Myanmars difficulties in handling the pandemic have made it particularly difficult to control new transmissions. Strict anti-pandemic measures have largely prevented local cases in other parts of China over recent months, leaving the countrys death toll from the pandemic static at 4,636 among almost 92,000 reported cases, according to official statistics.

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