- The spread of the delta coronavirus variant has pushed the threshold for herd immunity to well over 80% and potentially almost 90%, the Infectious Diseases Society of America said.
U.S. President Joe Biden criticized the pandemic response of the governors of Florida and Texas, both Republicans. The two states account for about a third of all new U.S. cases in the past week.
Australia had record deaths and cases, while Thailand found a case in the far-north city of Cairns. Hong Kong imposed quarantine on arrivals from Taiwan and there's growing concern about the outbreak in mainland China, which has renewed many curbs and is discouraging unnecessary travel.
Global Tracker: Cases pass 199.4 million; deaths pass 4.24 millionVaccine Tracker: More than 4.21 billion doses administeredChinese current outbreak threatens to derail consumer recoveryAnguard offers $1,000 to employees to get vaccinatedHow return-to-office policies shift with U.S. virus surge?
The delta variant has pushed the threshold for herd immunity to well over 80 and potentially approaching 90%, the Infectious Diseases Society of America said in a briefing on Tuesday. That represents a'much higher' bar than the original estimate of 60% to 70%, because delta is twice as transmittedsible and significantly more dangerous than the previous virus, according to the presentation.
Herd immunity is based on the idea that when a certain percentage of the population has been vaccinated against virus or gains immunity by a previous infection, it helps protect the broader population and reduce transmission.
Nearly 60% of Americans have received at least one dose of coronavirus vaccine and about 50% have been fully vaccinated, representing nearly 165 million individuals, according to CDC data. Some 35 million people in the U.S. have tested positive for the virus over the course of the pandemic meanwhile.
A record 29 new cases have been reported at the Tokyo Olympics, with four athletes included. Three of the athletes were represented on Greece's artistic swimming team which also saw some officials who were infected or designated close contacts. The team will no longer compete in group events.
South Korea's daily virus cases surged to more than 1,700, up from 1,202 a day earlier, as more people were tested at the weekend. Since July 1, daily cases have remained above 1,000. Two more deaths were reported, bringing the death toll to 2,106. South Korea will announce on Aug. 6 whether it is going to adjust social-distancing rules. Curbs are currently at the highest level, banning private gatherings of three or more people after 6 p.m. in Greater Seoul area.
Far North finds case in Australia as Australia is showing it is far from the same state.
Australia reported 233 new cases of the delta-variant of the virus on Wednesday, as Sydney struggles to contain its outbreak despite being locked out for more than five weeks. The city had two new deaths, including a man in his 20 s who was isolating at home.
Brisbane is also on lockdown in Queensland state. On Wednesday, Queensland recorded 16 cases within its communities, including one in Cairns, more than 1,000 miles north of Brisbane. There were no new cases in Victoria state capital, Melbourne.
China Outbreak Shows No Sign of Abstaining?
China reported 86 infections on Wednesday, including 15 asymptomatic cases, as an outbreak caused by delta shows little signs of abating. The outbreak started with a cluster of infections among airport cleaning staff in the former city of Nanjing in mid-July and has spread to 15 of 32 provinces on the Chinese mainland, including the eastern epicenter Wuhan and the highly-guarded capital Beijing.
The larger spread of the delta and increased travel during the summer vacation has fueled the spread, making the surge the broadest since China control his initial outbreak last year. Authorities have cancelled events ranging from basketball games to outdoor festivities and are raising vigilance to prevent infections. What's proving a setback to the country's recovery in air travel?
From Wednesday, Macau will conduct City-wide Covid -19 testing for residents after four residents from the same family with a travel history tested positive with the delta variant. That broke a streak of more than a year without any local cases.
Hong Kong has added Macau to its list of at-risk places, meaning those who have visited the gambling hub within 14 days of arrival in Hong Kong must quarantine for two weeks. Hong Kong also found a recent positive case involving a men without any preliminary travel history, The South China Morning PostChina Morning Post reported. If confirmed, that will end a run of 57 days in the community without an infection.
Today, Thailand reported 20,200 new cases of Covid - 19 infections and 188 deaths with both exceeding the record high levels in the world. In the Philippines, 672,385 deaths and 5,503 cases have been reported in the latest health ministry data.
The cabinet approved a double of the budget to fund payments to workers and businesses to about 60 billion baht from 13 earlier in the wake of an expansion of social-distancing curbs to 29 provinces.
FDA Announces Pfizer Approval. Soon, NYT Says
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration aims to give final approval to the Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE vaccine by the start of next month, the New York Times reported, citing people involved in the effort. While the vaccine was granted final approval last year, emergency approval could increase inoculation rates, the newspaper said.
U.K. to recommend Vaccine for 16 and 17 year olds?
The U.K. is going to approve Covid shots for minors at age 16 and 17, Telegraph reports, citing a government source. The other population group will be advised to get Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, matching the guidance for younger U.K. residents.
How much children with Covid 19 recover within a week, according to a large U.K. study that could help soothe worries about whether kids who get sick will face the most protracted forms of the disease. Some 4.4% of 1,734 children with the symptomatic Covid in the study experienced symptoms for longer than four weeks, most often fatigue, headaches and loss of smell, researchers said in The Lancet Child and Adolescent Health. The research team followed 250,000 children in the U.K. between five and 17 years old, between September of last year and February 22.
Biden Says CDC to Issue New Eviction Ban for Biden; Biden says CDC is creating a false alarm of his new office in Wisconsin.
President Joe Biden said that U.S. authorities plan to introduce new measures aimed at protecting struggling renters after an eviction moratorium lapsed days ago and set off a firestorm of criticism from fellow Democrats and housing advocates.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's new moratorium would apply to counties with high rates of coronavirus infections, according to two people familiar with the matter. The move shows the extent to which the spread of the delta variants has upended the administration's agenda.
U.S. President Joe Biden singled out Florida and Texas, where cases are on the rise, criticizing the pandemic response of Republican governors in those states. The two states are responsible for about one-third of all new cases in the U.S. in the last week, Administration said Monday.
Biden does believe everyone needs leadership, he said at a briefing. 'Some governors aren't willing to do the right things to make this happen. I say to these governors: If you aren't going to help, let at least get out of the way for people who are doing the right thing.
Number of people - hospitalized with Covid in Florida climbed to a record 11,863 even as governor Ron DeSantis reaffirmed his stance against new public health mandates.
Vanguard Group Inc. is offering $1,000 to employees who get vaccinated by October, according to a person familiar with the matter.
The asset manager is offering payouts to all workers who can prove they've gotten a Covid 19 vaccination, even when they were inoculated before the firm extended the offer. A Vanguard spokesperson confirmed the company is offering a incentive to customers.
Brazilian states and cities are preparing to suspend most restrictions on businesses and gatherings as Covid cases and deaths drop in months and vaccinations pick up.
In Sao Paulo, many schools have reopened at full capacity for in-person classes this week, and the state will end curbs on opening hours and capacity for most businesses starting Aug. 17. Rio de Janeiro also has plans to ease rules such as the use of masks on 2 Sept, including on the use of water bottle caps. The reopening will include a four-day celebration, Mayor Eduardo Paes said, adding that New Year celebrations will be the largest in the city's history.
Fauci warns that he is creating a plan for future pandemics.
The U.S. government is in 'active' and'sensitive' discussions about investing in a comprehensive pandemic readiness program, said Anthony Fauci, nation's top infectious-disease expert.
Fauci told a Tuesday event at the Center for Strategic International Studies, a Washington-based think tank, saying the U.S. is continuing to plan for the future, ever-focused on how vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics might be used to combat future pandemics.
The Russian Direct Investment Fund said it reached agreement to produce 3 million doses of the second dose of its Sputnik V vaccination in Argentina this month after a presidential adviser in the Latin American country criticized delays in deliveries.
Laboratorios Richmond SA will be making Sputnik vaccines available in Argentina beginning this week with an international batch of 150,000 doses, Russia's sovereign wealth fund, who is in charge of Sputnik's initial rollout, said by email on Tuesday.
Weekly cases in the Netherlands continue to fall with 21,005 infections reported on Tuesday, down from 37,343 in the previous week. The national health service said the country appears to have reached a peak in Covid- 19 hospitals, with 541 new admissions reported in the past week, down 23.
Scottish to proceed with Lifting Restrictions on Scotland Act.
Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon confirmed the country would lift most virus restrictions on Aug. 9, in line with the government's plan and after a drop in infections.