Category: Covid-19

The first International traveller arrives at Sydney Airport in the wake of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) border restrictions easing, with fully vaccinated Australians being allowed into Sydney from overseas without quarantine for the first time since March 2020, in Sydney, Australia, November 1, 2021. REUTERS/Jaimi Joy

SYDNEY, Nov 2 (Reuters) - Australia's biggest city will lift more COVID-19 curbs for vaccinated residents ahead of schedule next week, while delaying freedoms it has promised for unvaccinated Sydneysiders as officials aim to boost inoculations.

Vaccinated people in the harbour city of around 5 million will be allowed unlimited numbers of guests in their homes from Nov. 8.

Pubs and clubs will also be able to accommodate more guests and reopen dance floors, in changes that were initially planned to come into force on Dec. 1.

In contrast, unvaccinated people, who are currently barred from restaurants, non-critical retail stores, bars, gyms and other recreational facilities, will remain under the tougher restrictions until Dec. 15, or when New South Wales state's double vaccination rate reaches 95%.

"We have always wanted to open up in a measured way and incentivise vaccination rates," State Premier Dominic Perrottet told reporters in Sydney.

Around 88% of the state's population aged 16 and over has been fully vaccinated, but the first dose vaccination rate has been slowing as it nears 94%.

Australia on Monday lifted a ban on its residents flying overseas after more than 18 months and allowed quarantine-free entry for fully vaccinated international travellers. read more

However, the changes initially affect only Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra, with other states and territories targeting differing timelines for reopening.

Australia had stayed largely virus-free for most of this year until a third wave in late June, spurred by the Delta variant, triggering further extended lockdowns.

The country has recorded about 173,000 cases and 1,756 deaths, with about 82% of infections attributed to the Delta wave.

New South Wales reported 173 cases on Tuesday, up from 135 a day earlier, while Victoria logged 989 cases, the lowest rise in more than a month. The Australian Capital Territory logged eight new cases. Other states and territories are COVID-free or have very few cases.

Reporting by Renju Jose; editing by Jane Wardell

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COVID-19 restrictions in Sydney to ease weeks ahead of schedule - Reuters

The Corps will kick out every Marine who refuses the COVID-19 vaccine and fails to receive an approved exemption by the Nov. 28 deadline, a new administrative message said.

Barring an approved administrative, medical or religious accommodation, or a pending appeal, Marines who fail to meet the deadline will be processed for administrative separation, the MARADMIN said. General court-martial convening authorities will retain authority to take any additional adverse administrative or disciplinary action deemed appropriate.

A Marine is considered to have refused the vaccine when they do not have approved administrative, medical or religious accommodation, or a pending appeal, and they received and willfully disobeyed a lawful order from a superior commissioned officer to be vaccinated against COVID-19; the MARADMIN said.

The Marine Corps had not approved any religious exemptions to the COVID-19 vaccine as of Thursday, said Capt. Andrew Wood, a Marine Corps spokesman.

If a Marine does eventually opt to get vaccinated but acts too late to meet the deadline, they also are considered to have refused the vaccine.

As soon as a Marine meets the definition for refusal, the administrative separation process will start and they may receive as a low a discharge as general under honorable conditions, the MARADMIN states.

Marines who refuse to be vaccinated will have their promotions put on hold, will not deploy and will not be allowed to reenlist, the Corps said.

Any Marines who refuse will be barred from holding command assignments and any Marines who refuse while in a command assignment will be relieved for cause, the MARADMIN said.

Marines refusing the vaccine who had received bonuses or special duty pay may end up owing the Marine Corps money.

Marines separated for vaccination refusal will not be eligible for involuntary separation pay and will be subject to recoupment of any unearned special or incentive pays and advance educational assistance, the MARADMIN reads. Marines who do not complete their service obligation for Transfer of Education Benefits will lose their eligibility to retain transferred Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits and may be subject to recoupment if the Veterans Affairs has already processed a payment for transferred benefits.

A total of 70 service members across the Department of Defense have died of COVID-19, according to the Department of Defense, a number that has seen a large increase in recent months.

At least 66 of those service members were completely unvaccinated when they died, while one had received the first dose of a two dose version of the vaccine, Military Times previously reported.

As of Oct 21, 93 percent of active duty Marines had been partially vaccinated, Wood said.

Those who have yet to comply with the order are quickly running out of options to get vaccinated.

Marines taking the Pfizer vaccine would have been required to have had their first dose by Oct. 24 and will need their second dose by Nov. 14.

Marines opting for the Moderna vaccine would have been required to have their first dose by Oct. 17 and will need their second dose no later than Nov. 14, according to previous Marine Corps administrative messages.

The only option remaining for fully unvaccinated Marines without exemptions is the single dose Johnson and Johnson vaccine, which Marines would need to take by Nov. 14 if they want their Marine Corps career to continue.

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The Corps' COVID-19 vaccination deadline is coming. Marines who refuse will be booted - Marine Corps Times

EASTHAMPTON, Mass. (WWLP) The Easthampton Health Department released its a weekly COVID-19 dashboardTuesday.

Easthampton is currently listed assubstantial-risk of transmitting COVID-19. The city reports 20 new cases for the week of October 20 through October 26, which brought the total number of cases in Easthampton to 1,174. The 7-day average of percent positivity for the state of Massachusetts is 1.60%,Easthampton is 1.1%.

Cases are up again in Easthampton this week. Easthampton is back in the yellow category of risk, as defined by the state, for both the 14-day average and 7-day average of cases per 100,000 population. The case rate in Hampshire and Hampden county continues to decrease, in contrast. Megan W. Harvey, PhD, MS of Easthampton Health Department

The Easthampton Board of Health is reminding residents to check their eligibility of getting a booster. Those who are 65-years or older, any one who at high risk, or exposed in their occupation are able to receive a booster dose if its been six months since receiving the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine. If you received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine two or more months ago, you are eligible for a booster dose if you are over age 18.

There are 79% of Easthampton residents that are fully or partially vaccinated. The percentage of fully or partially vaccinated are as follows:

The age group that is more likely to experience the delta variant surge are between 20 29 years old.

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COVID-19 cases rise in Easthampton - WWLP.com

In September, visitors sit amid white flags that were part of artist Suzanne Brennan Firstenberg's "In America: Remember," a temporary art installation that commemorated Americans who have died of COVID-19, on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Patrick Semansky/AP hide caption

In September, visitors sit amid white flags that were part of artist Suzanne Brennan Firstenberg's "In America: Remember," a temporary art installation that commemorated Americans who have died of COVID-19, on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

Global deaths from COVID-19 have now surpassed 5 million, according to the data released Monday from Johns Hopkins University's coronavirus tracker.

The U.S. leads the world in the number of confirmed deaths from the virus with more than 745,800 people dead from COVID-19. Brazil (with more than 607,000 deaths) and India (with more than 450,000 deaths) follow the U.S. in the number of lives lost since the start of the pandemic.

Yet another tragic milestone of the pandemic comes just as the U.S. prepares to start vaccinating children between the ages of 5 and 11.

But in other parts of the world, health officials are seeing worrying signs of a coronavirus surge just as some nations are relaxing measures to international travelers.

This official global tally only accounts for confirmed cases around the world, according to Amber D'Souza, professor of epidemiology at the university's Bloomberg School of Public Health, who spoke to National Geographic.

Prior to Johns Hopkins releasing the latest global data on Monday D'Souza told the outlet: "It's quite possible that the number of deaths is double what we see. But 5 million is such a staggering number on its own. No country has been able to escape it."

A medical worker prepares a shot of Russia's Sputnik Lite coronavirus vaccine at a vaccination center last week in Moscow's GUM department store in Red Square with the St. Basil Cathedral in the background. The global death toll from COVID-19 has topped 5 million. Pavel Golovkin/AP hide caption

A medical worker prepares a shot of Russia's Sputnik Lite coronavirus vaccine at a vaccination center last week in Moscow's GUM department store in Red Square with the St. Basil Cathedral in the background. The global death toll from COVID-19 has topped 5 million.

The World Health Organization recently reported a rise in cases in Europe during October.

As of Oct. 26, the European region experienced an 18% surge in new COVID-19 cases. Southeast Asia, a region experiencing a similar rise in new COVID cases, also reported a 13% increase in new COVID-19 deaths.

Globally, as of Oct. 26, the health organization reported more than 2.9 million cases and more than 49, 000 new deaths, a 4% and 5% increase respectively.

Last month, Russian officials registered the highest death toll in Europe: more than 235,000 deaths since the start of the pandemic. Due to skyrocketing infections from the delta strain, officials there launched a temporary lockdown in an attempt to defeat the virus.

But there is skepticism over whether the numbers being shared in Russia are actually the official count. Some believe the numbers may be higher.

On Friday, Reuters reported that Poland's total number of COVID-19 cases since the start of the pandemic passed 3 million. Daily cases are quickly gaining pace as the country is in the middle of the fourth wave of the virus.

In Singapore, where officials have decided to coexist with the coronavirus and cease lockdown measures, a jump in cases has been reported there, too.

More than 80% of Singapore's population has been immunized against COVID-19. Yet as of Oct. 30, cases jumped to well over 3,000 cases a day in about two months.

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The COVID-19 pandemic has now killed 5 million people around the world - NPR

By: KDKA-TV News Staff

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) A third Pittsburgh Police officer has passed away from complications of COVID-19.

Pittsburgh Police say Sgt. Timothy Werner, 49, died at UPMC Mercy Hospital Tuesday morning following complications from the COVID-19 virus.

Sgt. Werner was entering his 22nd year with the Pittsburgh Police Bureau.

In a statement, Police Chief Scott Schubert said, It is with deep sadness that I learned of the passing of Sergeant Tim Werner. Tim has been a friend to many and a dedicated public servant for the City of Pittsburgh for many years. Its going to be extremely difficult not seeing Tim at Police Headquarters every day. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends. He will be truly missed.

Sgt. Werner worked for many years in Zones 4 and 5. Most recently, the bureau says he worked as a supervisor in the property room at Police Headquarters.

The bureau says Sgt. Werner will be dearly missed by his brothers and sisters in the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police.

His funeral will be private.

Sgt. Richard Howe and Officer Brian Rowland both died in October from COVID-19 complications.

Stay with KDKA for the latest on this developing story.

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Third Pittsburgh Police Officer Passes Away From COVID-19 Complications - CBS Pittsburgh

DENVER (KDVR) TheCOVID-19 positivity and incidence rateshave risen over the last week in Colorado. Hospitalizations are at their highest levels this year in Colorado, with only 900 hospital beds available in the entire state as of Monday.

As of Monday, the states 7-day positivity rate is 8.69%, which is up from 8.46%. The highest positivity rate in the state over the past seven days is Custer County with 34.2% positivity.

From Oct. 25 to Nov. 1,33 counties saw an increase in COVID-19 positivity, 27 saw a decrease in COVID-19 positivity, three counties administered fewer than 10 tests in the past week, and one county saw no change.

Coloradosnew COVID-19 case rates are going upas the national rate is falling.

According to theColorado Department of Public Health and Environment, the incidence rates are on the rise over the last seven days.

Heres a look atpositivity rates for every county over the last seven days:

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COVID-19 continues to surge in Colorado; hospital beds are running out - FOX 31 Denver

WELLINGTON, Nov 2 (Reuters) - Authorities planned to seal off the northern tip of New Zealand with police cordons on Tuesday, as they enforce a lockdown in the region over fears of an undetected community transmission of COVID-19 there.

Part of the Northland region, about 270 km (168 miles) from the biggest city of Auckland, is to begin a level 3 lockdown from midnight, said Chris Hipkins, the minister coordinating the response to coronavirus.

The move follows two cases in the region that lacked a link to any known cases.

"It's unclear how they could have possibly picked up the virus," Hipkins told a news conference. "There could be undetected community transmission in Northland right now."

The cabinet will review on Monday the decision to seal off the area, where vaccination rates are among the lowest in the country, with just 64% of North Island's eligible population fully vaccinated.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, who was visiting Northland on Tuesday, had to abruptly halt a media conference after being continuously interrupted and heckled by at least two people, who appeared to be anti-vaxxers.

One could be heard singing during the event, while another asked Ardern to identify a person who died in August after receiving the Pfizer vaccine, and accused her of lying to the public.

New Zealand won global praise last year for its response that stamped out the coronavirus.

But it has been tougher to quash the current outbreak of the Delta variant around Auckland, forcing authorities to decide to live with the virus rather than an earlier strategy of elimination.

Virus curbs in Auckland were extended by a week on Monday. read more

Reporting by Praveen Menon; Editing by Clarence Fernandez

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New Zealand seals off northern region over suspected spread of COVID-19 - Reuters

A nurses fills up syringes for patients as they receive their coronavirus disease (COVID-19) booster vaccination during a Pfizer-BioNTech vaccination clinic in Southfield, Michigan, U.S., September 29, 2021. REUTERS/Emily Elconin

Nov 1 (Reuters) - The following is a summary of some recent studies on COVID-19. They include research that warrants further study to corroborate the findings and that have yet to be certified by peer review.

Heart attack patients with COVID-19 have lower survival rate

The odds of surviving a heart attack are significantly lower when a person also has COVID-19, even though such patients tend to be generally younger than typical heart patients, a new study found. The researchers reviewed data on more than 80,000 people who had heart attacks in the United States in 2019 or 2020. Most of them - about 76,000 - had heart attacks at home or at work, or in some other community setting. In this group, 15.2% of those with COVID-19 later died in the hospital, compared to 11.2% of heart attack patients without COVID-19. Among the roughly 4,000 patients who were already hospitalized when the heart attack occurred, 78.5% of those with COVID-19 died, compared to 46.1% of those without COVID-19, according to a report published on Friday in JAMA. Overall, the COVID-19 heart attack patients were more likely to have gone into cardiac arrest - when the heart stops beating - and less likely to undergo procedures to reopen clogged heart arteries, the researchers found. They said more research is needed to understand why a diagnosis of COVID-19 increases the risk for death in patients having heart attacks.

Early Israeli data support Pfizer booster

Early data on the efficacy of a booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer Inc (PFE.N) and partner BioNTech SE announced by the Israeli Health Ministry and now published in a peer-reviewed journal suggest a sharp reduction in risk of severe infections soon after administration. Pfizer has said that its vaccine's efficacy wanes over time. From late July through late September, when the Delta variant was predominant, researchers tracked more than 1.4 million people who had received two doses of the vaccine at least five months earlier, half of whom had also gotten a third dose at least a week before being enrolled in the study. As reported on Friday in The Lancet, those who received the booster had a 93% lower risk of COVID-19-related hospitalization, a 92% lower risk of severe illness, and 81% lower risk of COVID-19-related death. The average age in the study was 52. Both groups - boosted and unboosted - had similar lifestyles and health status. As it was not a randomized controlled trial, the data cannot prove cause and effect. And how long any extra protection lasts is not yet clear, given that no one was tracked for more than two months, and half were tracked for less than two weeks.

Click for a Reuters graphic on vaccines in development.

Reporting by Nancy Lapid; Editing by Bill Berkrot

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Heart attack patients with COVID-19 have lower survival rate; Israeli data supports use of Pfizer booster - Reuters

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) Republican lawmakers are close to ending a number of COVID-19 mandates after a Special Session last week.

This comes despite businesses and doctors speaking out against the proposed laws, even up to the last minute of legislative debate.

The GOP supermajority passed the bills in the dead of night October 30th. Now doctors are speaking out as some public health mitigation strategies are close to being done with here in Tennessee.

Despite the sweeping COVID bills targeting mask and vaccine mandates, State health commissioner Dr. Lisa Piercey, who could be granted broader authority, declined to answer questions about the bills.

Most government entities, including public schools, cannot require the COVID-19 vaccination or proof of it. However, entertainment venues can still require negative test.

We all want freedom from COVID, but making laws that are anti-mask, anti-vaccine, anti-science, is just, its a huge step backwards for our state, said Dr. Amy Gordon Bono, a Primary Care Internal Medicine Physician.

Dr. Bono was at the State Capitol as parts of the bills were debated. She said the legislation will make responding to COVID more difficult.

Under the bills, masks cannot be required unless 1,000 out of 100,000 residents are COVID positive.

Once your infection rate starts going forward at that high level, its really hard to stop it, Bono said. Much like this legislation was a freight train being rammed through, COVID can certainly do the same.

However, private prisons, businesses, and schools can require masks.

Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious diseases expert at Vanderbilt University Medical Center said in addition to vaccinations you can continue to stay protected amid uncertainty.

In crowds indoors or outdoors wearing the masks, good hand hygiene, staying away from people who are coughing and sneezing, those are the sorts of things that will protect you and your family, Schaffner said.

The Governors emergency powers could also be limited to 45 days.

Governor Lee you need to have every available tool in your tool belt to fight COVID, and the legislature has now taken many of those tools away from you, said Dr. Bono.

The Governor will be evaluating the bills before he signs or vetoes the legislation.

I commend members of the General Assembly for working to address the Biden Administration's overreach into our state, our workforce, & our schools. We are evaluating each piece of legislation to ensure we push back on harmful federal policies & do right by Tennesseans.

However, he could allow the bill to become law without his signature after ten days.

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Doctors react to Tennessees COVID-19 laws passed in the middle of the night - wreg.com

Vials labelled "Astra Zeneca COVID-19 Coronavirus Vaccine" and a syringe are seen in front of a displayed AstraZeneca logo, in this illustration photo taken March 14, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic

BANGKOK, Nov 2 (Reuters) - AstraZeneca Plc (AZN.L) provided Thailand 10.5 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine last month, the firm said on Tuesday, months after an official said the government was considering curbing exports from its local plant because of lower supplies.

Thailand had been pushing for 10 million doses each month to be able to fight back against coronavirus infections in the country of about 66 million people.

James Teague, managing director of AstraZeneca Thailand, said that the company had increased batchwise vaccine production by a fifth at its plant, from 580,000 doses to on average 700,000.

"This means more doses than anticipated are being produced in Thailand to help vaccinate people across the country and region," he said in a statement.

AstraZeneca is also committed to supplying shots to Indonesia, Vietnam, Philippines, Taiwan and Malaysia, some of whom have had higher caseloads than Thailand.

Teague said the firm has so far delivered 35.1 million doses to Thailand as part of its promise of 61 million doses by end-2021. The company will also import from its other supply chains to boost stocks, he said.

October was the first time AstraZeneca's supplies to Thailand topped 10 million doses, the amount Thai officials had claimed the country was owed per month.

A senior Thai official had warned in July Thailand could regulate exports if domestic supplies fell short.

Leaked letters, however, showed that AstraZeneca had told Thailand it should be able to supply around 6 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine per month.

AstraZeneca's local manufacturing partner, Siam Bioscience, is owned by the country's king.

Earlier this year, a former opposition politician was charged with the crime of defaming the Thai monarchy over his comments on the king's company.

Reporting by Patpicha Tanakasempipat; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani

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AstraZeneca increases COVID-19 vaccine supply to Thailand after row - Reuters