Category: Covid-19

While immunization services have started to recover from disruptions caused by COVID-19, millions of children remain vulnerable to deadly diseases, the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance warned today during World Immunization Week, highlighting the urgent need for a renewed global commitment to improve vaccination access and uptake.

Vaccines will help us end the COVID-19 pandemic but only if we ensure fair access for all countries, and build strong systems to deliver them, said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHOs Director-General. And if were to avoid multiple outbreaks of life-threatening diseases like measles, yellow fever and diphtheria, we must ensure routine vaccination services are protected in every country in the world.

A WHO survey has found that, despite progress when compared to the situation in 2020, more than one third of respondent countries (37%) still report experiencing disruptions to their routine immunization services.

Mass immunization campaigns are also disrupted. According to new data, 60 of these lifesaving campaigns are currently postponed in 50 countries, putting around 228 million people - mostly children - at risk for diseases such as measles, yellow fever and polio. Over half of the 50 affected countries are in Africa, highlighting protracted inequities in peoples access to critical immunization services.

Campaigns to immunize against measles, which is one of the most contagious diseases and can result in large outbreaks wherever people are unvaccinated, are the most impacted. Measles campaigns account for 23 of the postponed campaigns, affecting an estimated 140 million people. Many have now been delayed for over a year.

Even before the pandemic, there were worrying signs that we were beginning to lose ground in the fight against preventable child illness, with 20 million children already missing out on critical vaccinations, said Henrietta Fore, UNICEF Executive Director. The pandemic has made a bad situation worse, causing millions more children to go unimmunized. Now that vaccines are at the forefront of everyones minds, we must sustain this energy to help every child catch up on their measles, polio and other vaccines. We have no time to waste. Lost ground means lost lives.

As a result of gaps in vaccination coverage, serious measles outbreaks have recently been reported in countries including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Pakistan and Yemen,while likely to occur elsewhere as growing numbers of children miss out on lifesaving vaccines, the agencies warn. These outbreaks are happening in places already grappling with conflict situations as well as service disruptions due to ongoing response measures to COVID-19.

The supply of vaccines and other equipment is also essential for child vaccinations. Due to disruptions at the onset of the COVID -19 pandemic, UNICEF delivered2.01 billion vaccine doses in 2020, compared to 2.29 billion in 2019.

Millions of children across the world are likely to miss out on basic vaccines as the current pandemic threatens to unravel two decades of progress in routine immunization, said Dr Berkley, CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. To support the recovery from COVID-19 and to fight future pandemics, we will need to ensure routine immunization is prioritized as we also focus on reaching children who do not receive any routine vaccines, or zero-dose children. To do this, we need to work together across development agencies, governments and civil society to ensure that no child is left behind.

New global immunization strategy aims to save over 50 million lives

To help tackle these challenges and support the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, WHO UNICEF, Gavi and other partners today launched the Immunization Agenda 2030 (IA2030), an ambitious new global strategy to maximize the lifesaving impact of vaccines through stronger immunization systems.

The Agenda focuses on vaccination throughout life, from infancy through to adolescence and older age. If fully implemented, it will avert an estimated 50 million deaths, according to WHO - 75% of them in low- and lower-middle income countries.

Targets to be achieved by 2030 include:

Urgent action needed from all immunization stakeholders

To achieve IA2030s ambitious goals, WHO, UNICEF, Gavi and partners are calling for bold action:

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Notes to editors

Photos and b-roll are available for download here.

World Immunization Week 2021 takes place in the last week of April (April 24th-30th) to celebrate the lifesaving benefits of vaccines. This years theme, Vaccines bring us closer, aims to show how vaccination connects us to the people, goals and moments that matter, helping improve the health of everyone, everywhere throughout life.

The World Health Organizationprovides global leadership in public health within the United Nations system. Founded in 1948, WHO works with194 Member States, across six regions and from more than 150 offices,to promote health, keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable. Our goal for 2019-2023 is to ensure that a billion more people have universal health coverage, to protect a billion more people from health emergencies, and provide a further billion people with better health and wellbeing.

UNICEFworks in some of the worlds toughest places, to reach the worlds most disadvantaged children. Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, to build a better world for everyone. For more information about UNICEF and its work for children, visitwww.unicef.org. For more information about COVID-19, visitwww.unicef.org/coronavirus. Follow UNICEF onTwitterandFacebook. More information on UNICEFs Immunization programme, availablehere. Visit the Vaccines for Alllanding page that brings together the latest trustworthy information on COVID-19 vaccines and routine immunization.

Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance is a public-private partnership that helps vaccinate half the worlds children against some of the worlds deadliest diseases. Since its inception in 2000, Gavi has helped to immunize a whole generation over 822 million children and prevented more than 14 million deaths, helping to halve child mortality in 73 lower-income countries. Gavi also plays a key role in improving global health security by supporting health systems as well as funding global stockpiles for Ebola, cholera, meningitis and yellow fever vaccines. Gavi is a co-convener of COVAX, the vaccines pillar of the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator, together with the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and the World Health Organization (WHO). Learn more at http://www.gavi.org and connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.

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Immunization services begin slow recovery from COVID-19 disruptions, though millions of children remain at risk from deadly diseases WHO, UNICEF,...

Authorities in Nepal were grappling to contain the rapid rise of COVID-19 cases with experts fearing that thousands of people in the Himalayan state have caught the more infectious mutant strains emerging out of India.

Nepal, which shares a long porous border with India, reported 3,032 new infections on Sunday, the highest daily surge recorded this year. It took the total caseload since the pandemic first struck Nepal to 300,119, and there have so far been 3,164 deaths, according to government data.

"We have detected the UK variant and the double mutant variant detected in India," Krishna Prasad Paudel, the director of Nepal's Epidemiology and Disease Control Department Paudel told Reuters, adding that experts were checking for other variants too.

Nepal launched its vaccination campaign in January and gave shots to 1.9 million people, all provided by India and China. But health experts feared that continuation of the vaccination drive was uncertain after officials had failed to procure more vaccine shots from India or any other source.

Over 90 developing nations, including Nepal, rely on India, home to the Serum Institute, the world's largest vaccine maker, for the doses to protect their own populations, but India has now prioritised its own needs as a second wave of the epidemic there has run out of control.

"The virus is mutating very fast...what started in India has now entered Nepal too," said Rabindra Pandey, a public health expert, adding that if the trend continued for a week then new patients will be unable to find any beds as hospitals were already stretched.

Wedged between China and India, Nepal shares a 1,751-kilometre (1,094 miles) border with its southern neighbour India. The border was closed for some time during a lockdown last year, when the first wave of the epidemic struck, but it has since been reopened.

Nepal's former king Gyanendra and his wife, who tested positive for the virus after returning from India where they attended a religious festival, were undergoing treatment at a private facility in Kathmandu.

"The situation is really frightening," said Prakash Thapa, a doctor at Bheri hospital in Nepalgunj, a city in the southwest plains bordering India.

He said the hospital was inundated with coronavirus patients requiring intensive care and ventilators.

"This time even children and young people are brought in critical condition and patients are even sleeping on the floor and corridors," he said.

Nepal's ruling Communist party has been embroiled in a power struggle for months, and Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli has been criticised for his response to the crisis.

Foreign Minister Pradeep Gyawali told reporters on Sunday that despite the surge in cases a national level lockdown was not required.

Nepal's economy contracted for the first time in four decades in the last fiscal year due to a months-long lockdown to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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COVID-19 infections surge in Nepal, fueled by mutant strains from India - Reuters

Everett is trying to pump up its economy, but it may face a hurdle as Snohomish County faces the threat of moving back to Phase 2 with COVID-19 case counts rising.

EVERETT, Wash. The city of Everett is offering a grant to help attract events in 2021 but it could hit a roadblock if COVID-19 restrictions prevent large-scale gatherings.

The idea behind it is events bring people to the city who then spend money on food, hotel rooms and shopping. That money helps boost Everetts economy.

Hopefully, we'll bring people in from out of the community, out of the county in some cases, and they'll see what we have going on in Everett," said Scott Murphy, Everett city councilmember and Lodging Tax Advisory Committee chair. "And hopefully, if something catches their eye...maybe they decide to come back again sometime. So the idea is hopefully this leverages future visits into our community as well."

The grant is paid for by a lodging tax. A portion of the tax is paid through people buying hotel rooms, which goes to the grant to help pay for events.

The grant in 2021 is far less than previous years. In 2021, the advisory committee is offering two rounds of funding totaling $200,000.

In the past we've had as much as $600,000. So, we are cutting back, just because there's less," Murphy said. "There's less lodging taxes coming in, because there's less people staying in hotels. Our nonprofits really need the help. And we're really excited to be able to help get them kickstarted with some great projects."

The grant has helped fund nonprofits like the Schack Art Center and helped bring events like the USA Gymnastics state championships to the Angel of the Winds Arena.

The future of the types of events being held in Everett is contingent on what phase of reopening Snohomish County is in. Rising COVID-19 cases number and hospitalizations threaten to send the county back to Phase 2.

"It's going to be detrimental if we have to move back," Murphy said. "But obviously, these programs are funded with a contingency that they have to be done in a safe and responsible manner based on the current COVID guidelines in effect at the time of the event."

For more information and to apply for the grant visit the city of Everetts website.

The rest is here:

Rising COVID-19 cases spell trouble as Everett aims to attract events with grant - KING5.com

The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) reports as of April 25, 2021, there have been 2,673,838 total confirmatory laboratory results received for COVID-19, with 151,382 total cases and 2,821 total deaths.DHHR has confirmed the deaths of a 63-year old male from Raleigh County, a 43-year old male from Raleigh County, a 73-year old female from Raleigh County and a 78-year old female from Kanawha County.We remember today the unique burden the pandemic has placed upon children who have suffered loss of a family member, said Bill J. Crouch, DHHR Cabinet Secretary. We must do all we can to support them and keep them safe.CASES PER COUNTY: Barbour (1,368), Berkeley (11,877), Boone (1,928), Braxton (885), Brooke (2,138), Cabell (8,677), Calhoun (276), Clay (467), Doddridge (560), Fayette (3,328), Gilmer (745), Grant (1,248), Greenbrier (2,691), Hampshire (1,742), Hancock (2,732), Hardy (1,461), Harrison (5,506), Jackson (1,951), Jefferson (4,445), Kanawha (14,390), Lewis (1,146), Lincoln (1,421), Logan (2,994), Marion (4,244), Marshall (3,322), Mason (1,946), McDowell (1,525), Mercer (4,625), Mineral (2,797), Mingo (2,457), Monongalia (9,027), Monroe (1,094), Morgan (1,105), Nicholas (1,547), Ohio (4,097), Pendleton (695), Pleasants (848), Pocahontas (657), Preston (2,832), Putnam (4,896), Raleigh (6,390), Randolph (2,508), Ritchie (673), Roane (591), Summers (774), Taylor (1,206), Tucker (524), Tyler (677), Upshur (1,833), Wayne (2,851), Webster (459), Wetzel (1,247), Wirt (384), Wood (7,626), Wyoming (1,949).

Delays may be experienced with the reporting of information from the local health department to DHHR. As case surveillance continues at the local health department level, it may reveal that those tested in a certain county may not be a resident of that county, or even the state as an individual in question may have crossed the state border to be tested.

West Virginians may pre-register for their COVID-19 vaccination at vaccinate.wv.gov. The COVID-19 dashboard located at http://www.coronavirus.wv.gov shows the total number of vaccines administered. Please see the vaccine summary tab for more detailed information.

Free pop-up COVID-19 testing is available today in Greenbrier County and on Monday, April 26 in Barbour, Berkeley, Jefferson, Lincoln, Logan, Marshall, Mineral, Monongalia, Morgan, Pendleton, Preston and Wayne counties:

Greenbrier County

10:00 AM 5:00 PM, Dorie Miller Park, 396 Feamster Road, Lewisburg, WV

April 26

Barbour County

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

1:00 PM 5:00 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

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

9:00 AM 3:00 PM, Lincoln County Health Department, 8008 Court Avenue, Hamlin, WV (pre-registration: https://wv.getmycovidresult.com/)

Logan County

9:00 AM 9:45 AM, Man City Hall, 105 Market Street, Man, WV (pre-registration: https://wv.getmycovidresult.com/)

10:00 AM 10:45 AM, Kistler Grocery, 601 Buffalo Creek Road, Kistler, WV (pre-registration: https://wv.getmycovidresult.com/)

11:00 AM 11:45 AM, Ellis Supply, 234 Spirit Lane, Accoville, WV (pre-registration: https://wv.getmycovidresult.com/)

12:00 PM 12:45 PM, Buffalo Creek Fire Department, 70 Garrison Drive, Amherstdale, WV (pre-registration: https://wv.getmycovidresult.com/)

1:00 PM 1:45 PM, Buffalo Creek Apartments at Robinette, 40 Johnson Heights Drive, Robinette, WV (pre-registration: https://wv.getmycovidresult.com/)

2:00 PM 2:45 PM, Buffalo Creek Apartments at Crites, 175 Rendezvous Road, Lundale, WV (pre-registration: https://wv.getmycovidresult.com/)

3:00 PM 3:45 PM, Lorado Post Office, 9964 Buffalo Creek Road, Lorado, WV (pre-registration: https://wv.getmycovidresult.com/)

4:00 PM 4:45 PM, Curtis Church, 16541 Buffalo Creek Road, Lorado, WV (pre-registration: https://wv.getmycovidresult.com/)

Marshall County

10:00 AM 2:00 PM, Marshall County Health Department, 513 6th Street, Moundsville, WV (pre-registration: https://wv.getmycovidresult.com/)

Mineral County

10:00 AM 6:00 PM, Mineral County Health Department, 541 Harley O. Staggers Drive, Keyser, WV (pre-registration: https://wv.getmycovidresult.com/)

Monongalia County

9:00 AM 11:00 AM, WVU Recreation Center, lower level, 2001 Rec Center Drive, Morgantown, WV

Morgan County

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

Pendleton County

11:00 AM 5:00 PM, Pendleton County Health Department, 273 Mill Road, Franklin, WV (pre-registration: https://wv.getmycovidresult.com/)

Preston County

4:00 PM 5:30 PM, Terra Alta EMS, 1124 East State Avenue, Terra Alta, WV (pre-registration: https://wv.getmycovidresult.com/)

Wayne County

10:00 AM 2:00 PM, Wayne Community Center, 11580 Rt. 152, Wayne, WV

For more free COVID-19 testing opportunities across the state, please visit https://dhhr.wv.gov/COVID-19/pages/testing.aspx.

See more here:

COVID-19 Daily Update 4-25-2021 - West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) City officials and health officials provided an update on the citys response to COVID-19 Monday morning.

Springfield has a total of 21,388 positive COVID-19 cases since the start of the pandemic. Over the last week the city saw a slight decline in cases with a total of 504. The city is still listed in the red zone as a high-risk community for the spread of the virus.

Seven towns in western massachusetts are still in the red zone including Springfield, Holyoke, Chicopee, Ludlow, Hampden, Palmer, and Southwick. As vaccinations ramp up throughout the state, health experts are encouraging residents in high-risk areas to get their shots.

I would strongly urge people who are eligible, which would be any adult, to register to get vaccinated and to continue doing the usual stuff we talk about every week, wearing masks, observing social distancing, and avoiding large gatherings particularly indoors, Baystate Health President and CEO Dr. Mark Keroack said.

Mayor Domenic Sarno joined with the following people at 10:15 a.m.:

Read more from the original source:

City of Springfield weekly COVID-19 update - WWLP.com

(KTIV) - Nebraska is reporting 601,946 people have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, an increase of 2,229 since yesterday.

According to the state's COVID-19 Vaccine Dashboard, 40.6% of Nebraska's 16 and older population is fully vaccinated.

In total, Nebraska has administered 1,369,239 vaccine doses. As of Monday morning, 215,868 Nebraskans are partially vaccinated.

The latest data from Nebraska health officials shows there have been 218,832 positive cases in the state since the pandemic began. Of those cases, 168,857 have recovered.

There are currently 124 hospitalizations in the state due to the virus.

So far, there have been 2,242 virus-related deaths in Nebraska.

See the rest here:

April 26: Nebraska reports over 600,000 residents fully vaccinated against COVID-19 - KTIV

Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and WITF Public Media. Sign up for our free newsletters.

HARRISBURG A delayed upgrade to the state Department of Corrections dashboard on covid-19 rates in prisons has revealed that only 20% of correctional staff and officers who work in prisons have reported being vaccinated.

Alternatively, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than half of all American adults have received at least one shot, which is similar to the number of incarcerated people in Pennsylvania who have gotten one.

The department relaunched its public-facing data last week with updated vaccine numbers, one month after its self-imposed deadline. Spotlight PA revealed in January that its data were unreliable, prompting the dashboard to be temporarily removed for an overhaul.

The new site shows that as of April 21, out of 15,852 correctional staffers, only 3,133 were fully or partially vaccinated. At facilities in Albion, Fayette, Pine Grove, and Smithfield, 90% of staff or more remained unvaccinated.

In contrast, as of the same date, out of 37,245 people held inside facilities, 19,490 have received a vaccine.

Corrections spokesperson Maria Bivens noted that staff vaccinations are self-reported, meaning the number could be artificially low if large numbers of staffers are not reporting getting shots.

The Corrections Officers Association, the union representing prison workers, declined to comment or answer questions on why their members werent getting vaccinated, or what theyve been doing to increase vaccinations.

Dr. Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, said the contrast puts the officers and their communities at risk, and especially people in prison who either chose not to get vaccinated or are still waiting.

People in prison are dependent on the state for their vaccinations, while all staff are eligible to pursue theirs on their own. Both were offered incentives: paid time off for workers, and $25 in commissary benefits for people living inside the prisons.

If theres a cadre of [corrections officers] in a given facility not vaccinated that workplace would still have a risk of covid, just not emanating from the prisoners themselves, Adalja said.

Prisons are covid-19 hot spots, Adalja said, with shared quarters and cells where people are confined for up to 23 hours a day during lockdown. And though its good for public health that the majority of incarcerated people are vaccinated, if staff fall ill, it could jeopardize safety by depleting staff numbers and would be disruptive to the operations of a prison, he said.

Corrections officials have already struggled with shortages because of the virus, as well as maintaining the right protocols to limit the spread.

With prisons initially lauded for keeping case numbers low, incarcerated people started becoming infected and dying at higher rates than populations on the outside during the second wave in December.

The department applied for $176,000 in emergency funds to hire temporary workers because too many staff were calling out of work. Then, Spotlight PA found that officers were still told by corrections to come back to work before doctors had cleared them.

And now, corrections staff have been diagnosed with more covid-19 cases than incarcerated people. The departments dashboard shows that as of April 21, 125 staff members are currently out for testing positive, compared with only 70 incarcerated people who are currently positive.

This struggle spans to other state facilities. A report by the Department of Health last week found only 52% of nursing home staff had received the vaccine, compared with 80% of nursing home residents. In some counties, nursing home vaccinations among staff were as low as 30%, despite a national goal to hit 75% vaccinated inside facilities by June.

Keara Klinepeter, executive deputy secretary for the Department of Health, said that the department is working with staff in areas with low vaccine uptake to address hesitations.

Corrections has also made efforts to encourage staff to get the shot and educate them about its efficacy, but that messaging was complicated in recent weeks.

On April 9, the department reported one death of a person inside SCI-Phoenix who had received a single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

The department told people living inside prisons that there had been an unexpected death of an inmate that had recently been vaccinated for covid-19, according to the memo, obtained by Spotlight PA.

Then on April 13, the department had to stop issuing J&J vaccines along with the rest of the state and then the country, as regulators established six cases of rare blood-clotting issues, including a Pennsylvania woman.

Corrections officials still have Moderna vaccines, which Bivens said they are continuing to use for staff and other people inside facilities.

Theres already been hesitancy around the vaccine by incarcerated people, with people saying its been rushed and corrections officers denying it doesnt instill much confidence for others to get it, said Poornima Rajeshwar, a policy fellow at the UCLA Law covid-19 Behind Bars Data Project. It is a concern to see how the J&J halt might affect people in the future getting it.

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Why it's dangerous that workers in Pa. prisons, covid-19 hot spots, aren't getting vaccinated - TribLIVE

The widely used rule of staying 6 feet away from others does little to affect the risk of exposure to COVID-19 in indoor spaces, according to a new study out of MIT.

According to MIT researchers, the rule is based on an outdated understanding of how the coronavirus moves in closed spaces.

They said other variables like the number of people in a space, whether they wear masks, what they are doing, and the level of ventilation were much more important.

The 6-foot rule is used in various forms around the world: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises 6 feet of separation indoors and outdoors, while in the UK the figure is 2 meters. In much of Europe, the figure is 1 meter, which is also recommended as a minimum distance by the World Health Organization.

But while such distancing rules are easy to remember, and purport to suit any situation, the new study says they may not be that useful.

The study was released online ahead of its publication in the peer-reviewed journal PNAS on Tuesday.

It says a better way of controlling indoor exposure is to do individual calculations based on variables for that space.

In some cases, the exposure level might be the same at 6 feet as at 60 feet, one of the study authors has said.

Martin Bazant and John Bush, both MIT professors in applies mathematics, developed a formula to estimate how long it would take for a person to hit dangerous levels of exposure from one infected person entering a room.

The calculation is more sophisticated version of the traffic-light system previously proposed by MIT. It takes into account the number of people in the room, the size of the space, what they are doing, whether masks are being worn, and what kind of ventilation is in place.

Using this calculation, it could be that the level of exposure is high in some spaces even if people are more than 6 feet away. It could also be lower than expected.

"The distancing isn't helping you that much, and it's also giving you a false sense of security because you're as safe at 6 feet as you are at 60 feet if you're indoors. Everyone in that space is at roughly the same risk, actually," Bazant told CNBC.

Scientific understanding of how the coronavirus moves in the air has challenged earlier assumptions about how best to adapt to minimize its spread.

At the beginning of the pandemic, it was widely believed that the virus traveled via heavier droplets ejected during exhalation, sneezing, or speaking.

But evidence has long suggested that the virus instead floats around on lighter aerosol droplets that can stay suspended in the air and travel much farther than first thought.

In their calculation, the MIT researchers took into account the effect of having people in the room, and their behavior, on how long the virus would stay suspended in the air.

In a calm environment, these particles would slowly drift to the ground, the researchers said in their study.

But in an environment in which the air is moving around the room and people are talking, eating, singing, and sneezing, the drops can be suspended in the airflow and mixed throughout the room longer.

The effect can be counteracted by ventilation or filtration to get the virus particles out of circulation in the room.

A website made available by the researchers shows how this model works in different scenarios.

For example, if an infected person walks into a classroom hosting 25 people, none wearing masks and all speaking, everyone would be at risk from the coronavirus within 36 minutes, the website says. It doesn't matter if they follow the 6-foot rule.

By contrast, if all 25 people in that room were wearing a mask, the air would be safe to breathe for 20 hours, it said.

If they were all singing without a mask, they be at risk from the virus within three minutes.

Public-health bodies have started to acknowledge that the 6-foot rule is not a catchall. In March, the CDC advised that the 6-foot rule could be brought down to 3 feet in K-12 schools.

This weekend, the CDC also updated social-distancing guidance for children in summer camps, saying they can be within 3 feet of one another except when eating or drinking.

It also suggested that disinfection of surfaces might not be necessary in public spaces, urging an end to what some have called "hygiene theater."

As for rules dictating social distancing outdoors, Bazant said they are "kind of crazy," CNBC reported. The infected air "would be swept away," Bazant said, making the rule irrelevant.

Unless the space outdoors is crowded, Bazant said, he would feel comfortable being as close as 3 feet even without masks.

Experts have told Insider that when it is possible to stay more than 6 feet away from people, wearing a mask outside is not always necessary.

Read more here:

Staying 6 feet apart indoors does almost nothing to stop the spread of COVID-19, MIT study finds - Business Insider

New York, April 26, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "North America Metal Stamping Market Forecast to 2028 - COVID-19 Impact and Regional Analysis By Process and Application" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06065017/?utm_source=GNW Canada has the second-largest count of electric vehicles (EVs) in the region, which escalates year-on-year.

The growing population in urban areas is demanding increasing public transportation with the improvement in existing transportation infrastructure.The OEMs in North America are focusing on reducing their carbon footprint, thereby promoting electric vehicles, specifically electric passenger cars.

With the growing demand for automobiles, the manufacturers of passenger cars and taxis are focusing on green technologies.Several countries in the region are focused on building green transportation.

The governments of North American countries are taking several initiatives by offering tax rebates and incentives to boost electric vehicles adoption in their public transportsuch as e-trucks and e-busesto reduce CO2 emissions. BYD K9, Mercedes Benz electric truck, and Tata Starbus Hybrid e-buses are a few of the electric vehicle models popular in the region. Moreover, the US governments Energy Improvement and Extension Act of 2008 permits tax credits for new plug-in electric drive motor vehicles. Several state governments in the US are also offering additional incentives to electric vehicle owners. Programs such as the Richmond electric vehicle program and Hawaii clean energy program are also projected to boost the countrys EV adoption rate. These factors are expected to create enormous opportunities to implement metal stamping in batteries and other parts of electric vehicles.

ACRO Building Systems (ACRO Metal Stamping); Clow Stamping Company; D&H Industries, Inc.; Goshen Stamping Company; Kenmode, Inc.; Integrity Manufacturing, Inc.; Manor Tool & Manufacturing Company; Caparo Group; Klesk Metal Stamping Co.; and Tempco Manufacturing Company, Inc. are among the key players profiled in this research study.

Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on North America Metal Stamping Market

The North America region especially the U.S. witnessed an unprecedented rise in number of confirmed cases resulting in large-scale lockdown across different regions as well as industrial activities. As a result, several small & medium enterprise owners have limited their industry personnel whereas many other have laid off non-essential employees shortly owing to restricted business operation. In addition to this, the company also minimized the allocated budget for manufacturing of metal stamping owing to economic slowdown, which affected the business activities. Moreover, the component manufacturer, supply chain and distributor lack of availability of business also has significantly influencing the production of metal stamping by the market players. Thus, the market is expected to witness a major drop in the demand from the end-users for the current year and the subsequent years to recover from the impact of COVID-19 pandemic.

The constant demand for metal stamping has witnessed a slight decrease in the production in the year 2020, owing to lockdown imposed by the government and low demand from automotive and electronics industries.This has hindered the growth of the metal stamping market last year, as is likely to continue slightly during 2021.

The COVID-19 has already impacted the sales of electronics equipment and industrial machinery in the first quarter of 2020 and is expected to have a negative impact on the market growth throughout the year, as now the companies are functional with limited workforce and trying to come up with the losses, they faced in the year 2020.The significant requirement for the industrial machinery is majorly noticed from giant manufacturing countries such as the US, which is heavily impacted by the spread of coronavirus, thereby hampering the demand for industrial machinery.

Further, most of the manufacturing plants are shut down, municipalities are functioning slowly as compared to the past, and the automotive industry is at a halt, which is negatively impacting the metal stamping market in the region. In terms of patient count and death toll, Canada and Mexico are still at a nascent stage in comparison to the US.Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06065017/?utm_source=GNW

About ReportlinkerReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.

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North America Metal Stamping Market Forecast to 2028 - COVID-19 Impact and Regional Analysis By Process and Application - GlobeNewswire

A closed bar is seen on Friday afternoon as the country struggles with a third wave of infections of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19, in Sukhumvit road, in Bangkok, Thailand April 23, 2021. REUTERS/Jorge Silva/File Photo

Thai authorities are stepping up travel restrictions and other measures to combat a rapidly spreading third wave of COVID-19 infections as the country logged 11 deaths on Sunday, a daily record.

Although Thailand had success in limiting the spread of the virus last year, a new outbreak driven by the highly transmissible B.1.1.7 variant has resulted in over 24,000 cases and 46 deaths in just 25 days.

The Southeast Asian nation will slow the issuance of travel documents for foreign nationals from India due to the outbreak of a coronavirus variant called B.1.617, said Taweesin Wisanuyothin, a spokesman for the government's COVID-19 taskforce.

"For foreigners from India entering Thailand, right now we will slow this down," he said but added that 131 Thai nationals in India already registered to travel in May will still be allowed into the country.

Quarantine for all arrivals has also been extended to 14 days from 10 days until the situation improves, a health ministry official said.

Thailand reported 2,438 new coronavirus cases and 11 new deaths on Sunday - a second straight day of record deaths.

Other measures announced this weekend include the closure of venues in Bangkok such as parks, gyms, cinemas and day-care centres from April 26 through May 9. Bangkok also introduced a fine of up to 20,000 baht ($635) for people who fail to wear face masks in public. read more

Shopping malls remain open but the Thai Retailers Association has restricted opening hours in Bangkok and 17 other provinces.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha also said on his Facebook page on Saturday that provincial governors can close public venues and impose curfews if necessary to stop the virus spreading.

The surge in cases has prompted concern over the number of hospital beds, particularly as government policy is to admit anyone testing positive for the novel coronavirus, even those without symptoms.

Health officials have said there are still over 20,000 available beds nationwide.

Thailand has had 55,460 infections and 140 fatalities to date.

($1 = 31.4000 baht)

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Thailand ramps up efforts to rein in COVID-19, deaths hit daily record of 11 - Reuters