Category: Covid-19

Researchers with the University of South Florida School of Public Affairs have released results from a statewide survey that helps to better understand the factors associated with vaccine hesitancy and measures policy attitudes related to COVID-19 vaccines.

Among the key findings:

A majority of adult Floridians have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, but many remain hesitant about undergoing vaccination. Among those adults who have not yet been vaccinated, 35.3% say that they will probably not or definitely not get vaccinated. Another 24.3% are still undecided about whether to undergo vaccination.

The most significant drivers of vaccine hesitancy among Floridians include concerns over the potential side effects of a vaccine and fears that the vaccines were created too quickly. Three quarters of those who say they will probably not or definitely not get vaccinated (74.2%) indicated that they are concerned about the potential side effects of a vaccine. Nearly half (50.5%) indicated that they feel the vaccines were created too quickly. Only a fifth (20.6%) dont believe that the vaccines are effective at preventing the spread of COVID-19.

Most Floridians have not spoken with their primary care doctor about a COVID-19 vaccine. Only a third of respondents (32.3%) report having spoken with their primary care doctor about whether a COVID-19 vaccine is appropriate for them.

A majority of Floridians have encountered misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines in the past six months. Nearly three-quarters of respondents (73.2%) reported seeing or hearing at least one of eight common misinformation themes related to COVID-19 vaccines. The most frequently encountered misinformation themes included those claiming that COVID-19 vaccines contain a live strain of the virus (42.8%), COVID-19 vaccines contain 5G Microchips (38.5%), and COVID-19 vaccines modify peoples genes and alter their DNA (36.3%).

Exposure to misinformation was correlated with a decreased likelihood of undergoing vaccination. Among those who did not report encountering any of the misinformation themes, 73.8% had been vaccinated. That number fell to 62.9% among those encountering at least one source of misinformation, while only half of those (52.2%) encountering six or more false stories reported being vaccinated.

Floridians remain divided on mandatory vaccines for students. A majority of respondents agreed that Floridas PK-12 schools should require students to be vaccinated before the fall, with 61.5% agreeing and 38.5% disagreeing. A two-thirds majority also favored mandatory vaccinations for Floridas college students (68.8%).

Floridians are also divided on mandatory vaccines for theme park visitors. Just under a third of respondents (30.5%) said that Floridas theme parks should NOT be allowed to require guests to provide proof of vaccination, while a similar number (30%) felt that proof of vaccination should be required for park entry. A plurality (39.5%) felt that the decision to require vaccinations should be left to individual parks.

Mandatory vaccines for cruises. Respondents were slightly more supportive of mandatory vaccines for cruise line passengers entering the state. A plurality of 43% said that proof of vaccination should be mandatory on all cruises porting in the state of Florida, while another 33.2% felt that the decision should be left to individual cruise lines.

Partisan differences. The survey responses included several notable partisan differences. Those who identified as Democrats were significantly more likely to have been vaccinated (73.4%, compared to 58.5% of Republicans and 56.5% of Independents). Republicans and Independents were also significantly more likely to oppose mandatory vaccinations for theme park guests, cruise line guests and students.

The survey included a representative sample of 600 Floridians, fielded June 3-14, 2021. Results are reported with a confidence level of 95% and a margin of error +/-4 %.

A second round of results, which examines COVID-19 and hurricane preparedness, is set to be released within the next week.

The complete survey results can be found here.

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USF researchers release findings from statewide COVID-19 opinion survey regarding vaccine hesitancy and policy - University of South Florida

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that COVID-19 restrictions are lifted immediately as 70 percent of New Yorkers aged 18 or older have received the first dose of their COVID-19 vaccination series. The State's health guidance andNew York Forwardindustry specific guidelinesincluding social gathering limits, capacity restrictions, social distancing, cleaning and disinfection, health screening, and contact information for tracingare now optional for retail, food services, offices, gyms and fitness centers, amusement and family entertainment, hair salons, barber shops and personal care services, among other commercial settings.

Unvaccinated individuals continue to be responsible for wearing masks, in accordance with federal CDCguidance. Consistent with the State'simplementationof the recent CDC guidance, masks are still required for unvaccinated individuals. Further, the State's health guidelines continue to be in effect forlarge-scale indoor event venues, pre-K to grade 12 schools, public transit, homeless shelters, correctional facilities, nursing homes,and health care settings per CDC guidelines.

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Governor Cuomo Announces COVID-19 Restrictions Lifted as 70% of Adult New Yorkers Have Received First Dose of COVID-19 Vaccine - Governor.NY.gov

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Our COVID Q&A with Watson is an AI-powered chatbot that addresses consumers' questions and concerns about COVID-19. It's built on the IBM Watson Ads Builder platform, which utilizes Watson Natural Language Understanding, and proprietary, natural- language-generation technology. The chatbot utilizes approved content from the CDC and WHO. Incidents information is provided by USAFacts.org.

To populate our Interactive Incidents Map, Watson AI looks for the latest and most up-to- date information. To understand and extract the information necessary to feed the maps, we use Watson Natural Language Understandingfor extracting insights from natural language text and Watson Discovery for extracting insights from PDFs, HTML, tables, images and more.COVID Impact Survey, conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago for the Data Foundation

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Sialkot, Punjab, Pakistan Coronavirus Information - Safety ...

Building on efforts already underway to make vaccines easily available to all interested students, faculty and staff, Texas A&M University has committed to the White House and Department of Educations COVID-19 College Vaccine Challenge.

The challenge is part of a push to vaccinate as many Americans as possible against COVID-19. The goal is to have at least 70 percent of eligible Americans partially vaccinated by July 4 as of June 15, an estimated 52.5 percent have received at least one dose. Hundreds of colleges and universities across the United States have already signed up for the challenge.

Participating institutions will focus on three key actions: making sure all students, faculty and staff know they are eligible for a vaccine and have the resources to find one, implementing a plan to vaccinate as many members of the campus community as possible, and delivering vaccine access for all.

Texas A&M already is heavily engaged in work to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and provide vaccines to the Aggie community through a public education campaign. Even though A&Ms efforts are robust, officials with the School of Public Health said all help is needed to protect people from the virus by creating an antibody response without having to experience sickness.

Student Health Services offers vaccines to students, faculty and staff at the A.P. Beutel Health Center, which has already seen 10,772 patients as of June 14. Appointments can be scheduled through the Patient Portal on the Student Health Services website. Availability changes weekly as Student Health Services receives vaccine allotments.

The Maroon Line Clinic, located at the Health Science Center, is also offering the Pfizer vaccination series to all dependents of faculty, staff and students, as well as their dependents ages 12 and older. This weeks event will offer first and second doses by appointment on Wednesday, June 16 from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Appointments can be made online.

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Texas A&M Joins Hundreds Of Colleges In White House COVID-19 Vaccine Challenge - Texas A&M Today - Texas A&M University Today

A person receives a dose of the Oxford/AstraZeneca coronaviru vaccine at the National hospital in Abuja, Nigeria, March 5, 2021. REUTERS/Afolabi Sotunde/File Photo

ABUJA, June 15 (Reuters) - Nigeria is expecting a second shipment of nearly 4 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines by early August, and plans to resume giving out first doses, which had been halted to save its supply for second doses.

Africa's most population has so far given a first dose to only around 2 million of its 200 million people. Fewer than 700,000 having received a second dose.

Nigeria has been rationing 3.92 million doses it received through the COVAX global vaccine sharing programme in March, with its future supplies put in doubt by an export ban from India. The government told states in April to stop giving first doses once half of the supply was used, to ensure there would be enough for second doses.

But Faisal Shuaib, the director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, said that restriction was no longer necessary. Nigeria now expects a second shipment of 3.92 million doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine by the end of July or early August.

Vaccination centres will be reopened to adults over the age of 18 seeking first doses, he said.

"We have been inundated with requests by Nigerians to be vaccinated," Shuaib said at a media briefing in Abuja.

He did not specify where the new doses would come from, but pointed to a commitment last week by G7 leaders to deliver at least 1 billion coronavirus vaccine doses to the world over the next year.

Like other African countries, Nigeria is struggling with a lack of supply and inadequate healthcare infrastructure for a rapid mass rollout. Vaccine hesitancy rooted in misinformation is also a problem.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) said last week that about 90% of African countries would miss a September target to vaccinate at least 10% of their populations. read more

As of Tuesday, Nigeria had 167,078 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 2,117 deaths. Experts say those figures probably understate the extent of the outbreak, given low testing rates.

Reporting by Felix Onuah, Estelle Shirbon and Libby GeorgeEditing by Peter Graff

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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Nigeria to reopen vaccination for first COVID-19 shots - Reuters

While South Korea has suffered from several waves of the COVID-19 pandemic, its public health system has been able to combat outbreaks effectively, limiting their spread and duration. In part, this was managed through restrictions on international travel, school closures, targeted suspensions of public gatherings, and closures of public entertainment venues.

Given its geographic proximity to China, and significant trade and tourism between the two countries, South Korea was vulnerable to the early spread of the novel coronavirus. The country identified its first imported case on January 20, 2020, with cases escalating rapidly over early- to mid-February when a large cluster was identified among members of a religious group in Daegu. After identifying this cluster, health authorities were able to bring cases down rapidly, from a peak of 851 new cases on March 3. Between mid-March and mid-August, the country kept new cases below 100 per day. While a second wave did emerge in August, health authorities were able to quickly bring cases down through increased testing and contact tracing.

In December, as an exhausted public began easing physical distancing practices during winter holidays, South Korea saw a third wave emerge, with daily cases reaching numbers not seen during the first and second waves. While policy makers considered implementing stay-at-home orders during this third wave, they were able to bring cases down through testing, contact tracing and quarantine coupled with targeted closures of entertainment facilities and religious services and enforced mask mandates. Still, the third wave proved more difficult to control for South Korean authorities, and the number of new cases per day remains at nearly 600. Overall, by May 1, 2021, South Korea had confirmed 123,240 cases with 1,833 deaths. While significant, these numbers are low on an internationally comparable per capita basis.

Throughout the pandemic, the relative success of South Koreas approach to combatting the virus has depended on the availability of an effective test for the virus and the efficacy of contact tracing. Towards this end, South Korean health authorities met early with private laboratories, urging them to develop tests and offering rapid regulatory approvals. This effort resulted in the delivery of four effective tests by the end of February 2020. Setting up walk-through and drive-through clinics, authorities were then able to rapidly escalate public testing. Also, South Korea deployed advanced data analytics to support contact tracing, with authorities able to access a wide variety of personal data on infected individuals, including medical records, banking information, and mobile phone location data, as well as closed-circuit television. This allowed them to accurately and rapidly track individuals who had come into contact with infected individuals.

South Koreas approach also depended on public buy-in and trust, which authorities were able to achieve, for the most part, through transparency and openness. In this regard, authorities learned from their experience with Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in 2015. With MERS, they had withheld information to avoid creating panic among the public, but the resulting information vacuum was filled by rumor and misinformation. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, South Korean authorities have provided the public with updated data on the virus and clear guidelines on how to avoid infection. They have used a variety of media and twice-daily press briefings to ensure public awareness of the threat posed by the virus and actions being taken to mitigate this threat.

In terms of its economic response, South Koreas policy has aligned with that of most Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries, with government seeking various fiscal and macro-financial means of alleviating pressures on businesses and families. The strength of South Koreas approach has been the governments ability to target spending towards industries that were particularly hard-hit, as well as to ensure that government finances stimulated consumer spending and broader economic activity. A key example is the design of emergency cash transfer payments: rather than depending on bank transfers or checks, the government offered citizens pre-paid cards or credit card deposits that they had to spend by the end of August 2020, ensuring that citizens spent the money rather than saving it.

With a longer-term focus on rebuilding the economy, South Korea has developed a plan called the Korean New Deal. South Korean officials are seeking to use the Korean New Deal to stimulate investments in advanced technology, upskilling Korean workers, and positioning the country to emerge from the pandemic has a leading player in the data economy and the green economy, rather than using government funding strictly to rebuild the economy. While the Korean New Deal represents an important case of government seeking opportunity in the context of the crisis, evidence of the economic impact of the plan is yet to emerge.

Finally, the South Korean government has garnered criticism for its delayed rollout of COVID-19 vaccination efforts, having started vaccination of frontline health workers and long-term care residents only on February 28, 2021. In part, this delay has been the result of South Koreas laudable commitment to (and dependence on) the international COVAX effort, as well as an interest among South Korean health officials to observe how rollouts proceeded in other countries. At the same time, since summer 2020, officials have sought to negotiate local production deals between international vaccine manufacturers and South Korean pharmaceutical companies rather than reserving imported doses as other developed countries have done. Recent develops in terms of procurement deals and local manufacturing deals promise an acceleration in South Koreas efforts to reach herd immunity by the end of 2021.

This case was drafted by Paul Dyer for the Brookings Doha Center. The author appreciates William Maurer, Jr. and Cliff Tan for their perspectives in reviewing various versions of this document.

Disclaimer: As is the case with all Brookings publications, the conclusions and recommendations presented in this article are solely those of its authors and do not reflect the views of the Brookings Institution, its management, or its scholars.

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Policy and institutional responses to COVID-19: South Korea - Brookings Institution

BENGALURU, June 15 (Reuters) - Having barely got over a devastating second wave of coronavirus infections, India was gripped with alarm on Tuesday over risks of a resurgence as crowds thronged railway stations and shopping malls a day after major cities relaxed curbs on movement.

The capital New Delhi, in the north, and tech hub Bengaluru, in the south, were among the cities that have begun lifting strict lockdowns as the nationwide tally of new infections dropped to its lowest level in more than two months.

After a strict five-week lockdown, authorities in Delhi have fully re-opened shops and malls, and allowed restaurants to have 50% seating. Suburban rail networks can run at 50% capacity, and offices have been partially reopened.

"Delhi's top #mall saw a footfall of 19,000 people last weekend- as soon as it reopened. Have we gone totally mad?" Ambrish Mithal, a doctor with a Max HealthCare hospital in New Delhi said on Twitter. "Wait for #COVID19 to explode again- and blame the government, hospitals, country."

Disease experts have cautioned that a race towards resuming business as usual would compromise vaccination efforts as only about 5% of all 950 million eligible adults have been inoculated.

Doctors say Delhi's near-complete re-opening is concerning. The city's authorities have said they would reimpose strict curbs if needed.

Thousands died in the capital in May, as oxygen supplies all but vanished and families pleaded on social media over scarce hospital beds. Many died in parking lots, and morgues ran out of space.

Yet, the city government said inoculation centres for people aged between 18 and 44 would start shutting down on Tuesday, as doses were scarce.

CHALLENGE OF INOCULATIONS, TESTING

India has been administering an average of 2.4 million shots a day. Health officials say vaccinations need to be at least four times higher to avoid a third wave of infections.

At the height of the second wave in April and May as many as 170,000 people died.

The Delta variant, first identified in India, has accelerated infections. And worryingly, the virus has spread to India's vast hinterland where two-thirds of the population lives and vaccinations have been even slower.

As restrictions are lifted in big cities, migrant workers have begun returning from the countryside.

In the southern state of Karnataka's capital Bengaluru, media reported large crowds of workers at railway stations.

"Unfortunately, citizens equate the government's response to reopening, as a victory," Dr Vishal Rao, a member of the expert committee on Karnataka's COVID task force, told Reuters.

Nationwide, India reported 60,471 new COVID-19 infections over the past 24 hours, the lowest since March 31, data from the health ministry showed.

India added 2,726 deaths overnight, taking the overall tally to 377,031.

Both the death toll and the case-load of infections, at 29.57 million, were the second highest after the United States, but experts say the official numbers are a gross underestimate. Only people who have tested positive are counted, and in India testing has been woefully inadequate.

The Times of India on Tuesday reported a staggering 100,000 people were issued fake 'negative' reports for COVID-19 infections in the northern city of Haridwar when tens of thousands of Hindu devotees gathered on the banks of the Ganges river for the 'Kumbh Mela', or pitcher festival, in April.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was widely criticised for failing to call off the Kumbh - he only belatedly urged religious leaders to celebrate symbolically - and for addressing large rallies during state elections also in April.

"One in every 4 tests during Kumbh was found fake. That is from just 1 sample collection agency. 8 more to go." Rijo M John, a professor at the Rajagiri College of Social Sciences in the southern city of Kochi, said on Twitter.

Basically, just the tip of the iceberg.

Reporting by Nallur Sethuraman in Bengaluru; Editing by Himani Sarkar

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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Alarm rises in India over COVID-19 risks as crowds return to malls and rail stations - Reuters

The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) reports as of June 15, 2021, there have been 2,950,858 total confirmatory laboratory results received for COVID-19, with 163,221 total cases and 2,856 deaths.

DHHR has confirmed the deaths of an 88-year old male from Berkeley County, a 49-year old female from Raleigh County, and a 61-year old male from Logan County.

While the numbers of deaths have dropped dramatically, we are still losing loved ones, said Bill J. Crouch, DHHR Cabinet Secretary. Please take every precaution to stop the spread of this disease, including scheduling a COVID-19 vaccination for yourself and all eligible family members."

CASES PER COUNTY: Barbour (1,512), Berkeley (12,791), Boone (2,170), Braxton (1,001), Brooke (2,246), Cabell (8,856), Calhoun (381), Clay (541), Doddridge (636), Fayette (3,544), Gilmer (881), Grant (1,306), Greenbrier (2,882), Hampshire (1,917), Hancock (2,839), Hardy (1,566), Harrison (6,134), Jackson (2,224), Jefferson (4,777), Kanawha (15,452), Lewis (1,275), Lincoln (1,588), Logan (3,268), Marion (4,623), Marshall (3,533), Mason (2,047), McDowell (1,612), Mercer (5,105), Mineral (2,971), Mingo (2,722), Monongalia (9,388), Monroe (1,203), Morgan (1,223), Nicholas (1,891), Ohio (4,303), Pendleton (724), Pleasants (959), Pocahontas (680), Preston (2,954), Putnam (5,310), Raleigh (7,043), Randolph (2,840), Ritchie (755), Roane (657), Summers (857), Taylor (1,270), Tucker (545), Tyler (740), Upshur (1,956), Wayne (3,183), Webster (543), Wetzel (1,384), Wirt (456), Wood (7,922), Wyoming (2,035).

Free pop-up COVID-19 testing is available today in Barbour, Berkeley, Boone, Brooke, Clay, Grant, Jefferson, Lincoln, Logan, Marshall, Mason, Mingo, Morgan, and Wyoming counties.

Barbour County

9:00 AM 11:00 AM, Barbour County Health Department, 109 Wabash Avenue, Philippi, WV

3:00 PM 7:00 PM, Junior Volunteer Fire Department, 331 Row Avenue, Junior, WV

Berkeley County

10:00 AM 5:00 PM, 891 Auto Parts Place, Martinsburg, WV

10:00 AM 5:00 PM, Ambrose Park, 25404 Mall Drive, Martinsburg, WV

Boone County

Brooke County

Clay County

1:00 PM 3:00 PM, Clay County Health Department, 452 Main Street, Clay, WV

Grant County

Jefferson County

10:00 AM 6:00 PM, Hollywood Casino, 750 Hollywood Drive, Charles Town, WV

12:00 PM 5:00 PM, Shepherd University Wellness Center Parking Lot, 164 University Drive, Shepherdstown, WV

Lincoln County

Logan County

12:00 PM 5:00 PM, Town of Man Fire Department, Administration Building, 110 North Bridge Street, Man, WV

Marshall County

Mason County

Mingo County

10:00 AM 2:00 PM, Kermit Fire Department, 49 Main Street, Kermit, WV

Morgan County

11:00 AM 4:00 PM, Valley Health War Memorial Hospital, 1 Health Way, Berkeley Springs, WV

Wyoming County

11:00 AM 3:00 PM, Wyoming County Fire Department, 12 Park Street, Pineville, WV

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COVID-19 Daily Update 6-15-2021 - West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources

KINSHASA, June 15 (Reuters) - The Democratic Republic of Congo will limit public gatherings to 20 people and close nightclubs as the country grapples with a third wave of COVID-19, President Felix Tshisekedi said on Tuesday.

Congo has officially registered relatively few cases, but low vaccination rates have left the country vulnerable to more contagious strains, including the highly-infectious Delta variant.

"For several weeks we have seen a persistent rise in the number of people infected," Tshisekedi said in a televised address. "We need to react with speed, and above all, methodically."

Last week, Tshisekedi told reporters that hospitals in the capital Kinshasa had been "overwhelmed" by the rising infections.

Congo has registered more than 35,000 infections and 834 deaths, according to figures from the Africa Centre for Disease Control. The World Health Organization said on June 2 that COVID-19 cases in Congo were rising exponentially. read more

Reporting by Stanis Bujakera; Writing by Cooper Inveen; Editing by Nick Zieminski

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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Congo caps public gatherings as third COVID-19 wave builds - Reuters

MIAMI -- Teofimo Lopez has tested positive for COVID-19 and is symptomatic. His Saturday bout vs. George Kambosos that was scheduled to be in Miami and the whole undercard has been moved to Aug. 14, Triller announced.

"We send our best to Teofimo and his family and hope they get well soon, and look forward to seeing this epic battle on August 14, 2021," Triller Fight Club co-founder Ryan Kavanaugh said.

Kambosos called Lopez irresponsible in a statement posted to Twitter.

"Your actions and decisions have affected not only our fight but everyone involved in this fight. Pure irresponsibility on your side. Our time will come and I promise you and the world that I'm going to take you out worse than ever for everything," he wrote.

Lopez, the unified lightweight champion and No. 5 on ESPN's pound-for-pound list, was in Las Vegas at the Shakur Stevenson-Jeremiah Nakathila fight Saturday. He arrived back in Miami over the past 24 hours to begin fight week prep.

The 23-year-old Lopez (16-0, 12 KOs) is a rising star who just agreed to an amended deal with ESPN/Top Rank through 2023 that raised his minimum purses and secured his place in future ESPN PPV bouts once this fight is completed, sources told ESPN. This defused a dispute between Top Rank and Lopez that occurred after the Kambosos-Lopez bout went to purse bid and Triller bid over $6 million to secure the rights to it over ESPN/Top Rank and Matchroom.

Lopez, who holds the main WBA, WBO, IBF, WBC franchise and Ring Magazine lightweight titles, will be making his first title defense since his October 2020 upset over Vasiliy Lomachenko.

The Lopez-Kambosos bout was scheduled to be held at LoanDepot Park, where the Miami Marlins play, on Saturday, and Triller had begun heavy promotion of the bout.

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Teofimo Lopez tests positive for COVID-19, bout vs. George Kambosos moved to Aug. 14 - ESPN