As vaccinations take hold and cities continue to open up, consumers are starting to trade in their pandemic wears for business casual — and thrift and secondhand shops are reaping the benefits, The Associated Press reported. The resale site Poshmark is seeing an uptick in orders for handbags, work dresses, blazers, suit jackets and heels compared to last year, according to the AP, and projections show the trend growing stronger. “There’s a new mindset around clothing consumption,” James Reinhart, cofounder and CEO of ThredUP told the AP. “It’s not this buy, wear, throw out. There is this consciousness that happened during the pandemic where people were much more sensitive to this notion of waste.”
Smithsonian magazine is set to host its 17th Museum Day after canceling last year’s due to COVID-19, USA Today reported. More than 1,000 museums, zoos and cultural centers across the U.S. will offer free admission on Sept. 18. “Museum Day represents a national commitment to access, equity and inclusion and after a rough year and a half, we’re excited for museums to open their doors and offer these educational and cultural experiences to the public for free this Museum Day,” Amy Wilkins, chief revenue officer at Smithsonian Media, told USA Today.
As New York City threw a ticker-tape parade on Wednesday for health care workers and others who helped get the community through the COVID-19 pandemic, Springfield, Missouri, has been reeling from a surge blamed on the delta variant and resistance against receiving the vaccine. Missouri single-handedly averages 1,000 cases per day — about the same number as the entire Northeast, including the big cities in the region, The Associated Press reported. Northeastern states have seen cases, deaths and hospitalizations plummet amid widespread acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine, according to the AP. Meanwhile, health experts have pointed to a resistance of the vaccines in places like Missouri as part of the problem in the state.
Mercy Hospital Springfield reported more than 120 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 on Tuesday, the highest total since the start of the pandemic, and of the 17 people who died over the last two-week reporting period in the county around Springfield — the most since January — none were vaccinated, according to authorities. Only 45% of the state’s population has received at least one dose of the vaccine compared with 55% of the U.S. population. A few rural counties near Springfield have vaccination rates in the teens and 20s, according to the AP. California, with a population of around 40 million people, is posting only slightly higher cases than Missouri and its population of 6 million, though the latter leads the nation in new cases relative to the population.
The delta variant of the coronavirus now makes up around 40% of new COVID-19 infections in France, according to government spokesperson Gabriel Attal, and authorities are concerned the variant could “ruin the summer” if the growing cases mount into a fourth wave of infections. “This variant is dangerous and quick and wherever it is present, it can ruin the summer,” Attal said at a news conference, Reuters reported. The share of the variant has doubled each week over the past three weeks in France, Attal added, growing from 10% of infections three weeks ago to 20% last week to 40% this week. He urged citizens who were hesitant to receive the vaccine, saying it was the best way to avoid more tough curbs in movement and socializing would be vaccines.
Many schools across the country are set to begin school before Labor Day, but with a shot series that takes weeks, time is running out for students to get vaccinated against COVID-19 before school starts, The New York Times reported. A Pfizer vaccine, which requires two shots within a five-week period, is now federally authorized for people aged 12 to 17. In many of the school districts that start before Labor Day, students will need to undergo their first shot within the next few days. The Hamilton County School District in Tennessee resumes school on Aug. 12. Students will have to get a first dose by Thursday in order to be fully protected from the virus. “We believe vaccination is a key strategy to keeping school open,” said Cody Patterson, a spokesperson for the school district.
Japan could declare a state of emergency in Tokyo due to the coronavirus pandemic, weeks before the Olympics are set to start. The Sankei daily reported that there is a “quasi-emergency” in place in three prefectures surrounding Tokyo, which are also set to host some Olympic events. Authorities have already announced that they will axe the Olympic torch relay in the capital due to health concerns, The Independent reported. Instead, a flame lighting ceremony will be streamed virtually.
Japan is also considering banning all spectators, according to Reuters. The organizers have already banned overseas spectators and capped domestic spectators at 50 percent capacity. Only a quarter of Japan’s population has been vaccinated with at least one shot.
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The streets of Pamplona, Navarre, in northern Spain, were unseasonably quiet on Wednesday. July 7 should have marked the first full day of the week-long celebration of the city’s patron saint, San Fermín, which included drinking, dancing and the running of the bulls.But the crowds of festival goers dressed in white with red bandanas and scarves were largely absent. The streets were clear, and for the second year in a row, the running of the bulls for the festival would be canceled. Veteran bull-runner, Antonio Manzanera, 55, told Reuters that it filled him with “immense sadness” that the event had been canceled. “Running is what we like the most… But we understand that due to the pandemic it has been canceled, and we came with the same hopes this year and the next we will continue,” Manzanera said.
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COVID-19 can have long-term effects on heart rates, according to a study published by medical journal JAMA Network Open. The study found that 1 in 6 people with COVID-19 experiences an irregular heartbeat for more than four months after having initial symptoms, UPI reported. An irregular heartbeat was more common among those who had cough, body aches and shortness of breath as their initial symptoms. The study also found that energy levels did not return to normal until about 30 days after the onset of COVID-19 symptoms.
The highly-transmissible delta variant, first identified in India, now accounts for 51.7% of cases in the United States, ABC News reported. The delta variant has been observed in all 50 states. Just over a month ago, the delta variant only accounted for 3% of new cases in the United States. The delta variant is more infectious, with preliminary data warning that it may increase the risk of hospitalization. "I will say, as worrisome as this delta strain is with regard to its hyper-transmissibility, our vaccines work,” CDC director Rochelle Walensky told ABC News. Walensky encouraged all Americans to get fully vaccinated to better protect themselves against the delta variant.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky. (Greg Nash/Pool via AP)
A majority of the Federal Aviation Administration’s unruly passenger reports on airplanes stem from passengers who refuse to comply with COVID-19 mask mandates, CNBC reported. About 75% of the reports since Jan. 1 began with people who didn’t want to wear masks but escalated into profanity, shouting and even physical violence. The FAA implemented a “zero-tolerance” policy this year with considerable fines designed to deter unruly behavior, but passengers haven’t stopped swearing at airline workers, disrupting fights or even knocking two teeth out of a flight attendant’s mouth, CNBC reported. “It’s out of control,” said Paul Hartshorn, spokesperson for the Association of Professional Flight Attendants, which represents American Airlines’ cabin crew members.
South Korea reported more than 1,200 cases on Wednesday, the highest number since an outbreak last winter, The Associated Press reported. South Korea has recently stepped back on social distancing measures as packed bars and restaurants become a common sight in Seoul. “This is an emergency situation where we need to invest all our abilities to respond to COVID-19,” Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum said. Most South Koreans are still unvaccinated, with just 30% having received a first dose. Roughly 10% are fully vaccinated.
The United States reported more than 23,000 cases on Tuesday and 338 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University figures. The positivity ratio climbed upwards to 2.44%. Many states did not report data over the holiday weekend, and some states have opted to stop releasing coronavirus data daily, NPR reported. According to Johns Hopkins University, new cases are rising in California, Louisiana, North Carolina, Georgia, and Nevada. Worldwide, Brazil leads the world when it comes to new cases reported, tallying more than 62,000 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday. For more data on how the virus is spreading worldwide, watch the video below.
Australia on Tuesday denied allegations that it was interfering in the rollout of a Chinese vaccine in Papua New Guinea, The Associated Press reported. In March, Australia became the first country to provide Papua New Guinea with COVID-19 vaccines as cases rose in Australia’s neighbor. Papua New Guinea accepted a delivery of 200,00 doses of the Chinese-made Sinopharm vaccine on June 23. Papua New Guinea’s government said the Sinopharm vaccine would initially be provided to Chinese citizens in the country. Chinese Communist Party newspaper Global Times accused Australia of “planting Australian consultants” in Papua New Guinea to “undermine China’s vaccine cooperation with Pacific island countries,” according to the AP. Zed Seselja, Australian Minister for International Development and the Pacific, denied the accusation. “We come to these issues in good faith and we will continue to do things that are in the interests of our region and interests of our friends and neighbors, most particularly Papua New Guinea,” Seselja told Australian Broadcasting Corp.
A temporary morgue still stands in New York City, after it was established more than a year ago at the peak of the pandemic, The Associated Press reported. The morgue was constructed in April 2020 to allow families more time to arrange funerals. Hundreds of bodies remain in the morgue, but not all of them died of the coronavirus. There is no rule for how long bodies can remain at the facility, but the city plans to close the facility by the end of the summer. For many, the morgue is a reminder of the extensive loss of life brought on by the pandemic. “There was way too much death for the system to handle,” Amy Koplow, the executive director of the Hebrew Free Burial Association, told the AP.
The lambda variant, highlighted by the World Health Organization as a ‘variant of interest,’ has spread to at least 27 countries, Euronews reported. The variant is most common across South America, accounting for nearly 82% of cases in Peru and 31% in Chile. Public Health England recently recognized the variant as having “a potential increased transmissibility or possible increased resistance to neutralizing antibodies.” Unlike the delta variant, which scientists understand to be contagious, it is unclear whether the lambda variant is more transmissible.
FILE - In this Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2021, file photo, a clinical lab scientist processes upper respiratory samples from patients suspected of having COVID-19 at a laboratory in Palo Alto, Calif. On Friday, June 18, 2021, The Associated Press reported on stories circulating online incorrectly asserting the new COVID-19 variants were named after brain wave frequencies. Both virus variants and brain wave frequencies are named using letters from the Greek alphabet. But the names have no connection. (AP Photo/Noah Berger, File)
Less than three weeks remain before the 2021 Summer Olympics kick off in Tokyo, and organizers are issuing new guidance for fans hoping to view the women’s and men’s marathon events, AFP reported. "In view of the current COVID-19 situation, it will be necessary to reduce the risk of infection by restricting the movement of members of the public," organizers announced. "It has therefore been decided to ask the public to refrain from spectating along the course." The 26.2-mile races are slated to be held during the first weekend of August. Fans will be permitted to attend some events in-person, but capacity will be limited to 5,000, AFP reported, although previously organizers said they would allow twice that.
President Joe Biden encouraged unvaccinated Americans to get the COVID-19 vaccine as the Delta variant spreads, the White House said. Biden made remarks Tuesday afternoon, according to Reuters. The country could nearly reach 160 million fully vaccinated people by the end of the week, said a White House official. "He will speak to the American people about the strong progress that the country has made in recovery because of its robust vaccination campaign, as well as the importance of every eligible American getting vaccinated, especially as the Delta variant continues to grow among unvaccinated people across the country," the official told Reuters before the speech.
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Britain reported the highest daily number of new COVID-19 cases since Jan. 29 on Tuesday, Reuters reported. The country reported 28,773 new cases and 37 deaths. Daily cases increased by 1,439. Despite the rise in cases, 86.2% of British adults have received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 64.3% have received two, according to Reuters.
Israel is set to send 700,000 coronavirus vaccines to South Korea, The Associated Press reported. In exchange, South Korea will send 700,000 doses back to Israel as early as September, a deal that helps both countries plug holes in their respective vaccination campaigns. “This is a win-win deal,” Israel Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said. While Israel has fully vaccinated more than 50% of its population, South Korea has administered first doses to only 30% of its citizens. The South Korean government expects to have its vaccine supply increase as the year continues.
Though fatalities have slowed considerably throughout the country, the death toll in the U.S. eclipsed the 605,000 mark over the holiday weekend. Overall new cases recorded on Monday totaled more than 5,500, another good sign, however the nation's seven-day positivity rate ticked back over the 2% mark in recent days, according to Johns Hopkins University researchers. Two states on Monday tallied more than 1,000 new cases, but globally, the U.S. remains far behind several other countries, which racked up tens of thousands of new cases on Monday. For a closer look at the data related to the spread of the virus in the U.S. and abroad, watch the video below.
Despite recently easing some ongoing COVID-19 restrictions, the Norwegian government has announced that the final phase of reopening will be delayed due to concern surrounding the delta variant. According to Reuters, the final phase of reopening has been pushed back to the end of July at the earliest, and would remove measures such as bars and restaurants being limited to table service only, limits on 20 people gathering in a private home and limits on recreational sports for adults. According to the nation’s health minister, the delta variant could become the dominant strain of COVID-19 in Norway at some point this month. "There is a risk that the Delta variant will cause a fourth wave of infection in the unvaccinated part of the population, among those who have only received one dose or are in vulnerable groups," Prime Minister Erna Solberg said.
Bangladesh extended its strictest lockdown of the pandemic to July 14 to combat a surge in coronavirus cases led by the highly transmissible delta variant, Reuters reported Monday. Army troops are patrolling the streets as part of the lockdown. Bangladesh reported 164 new coronavirus deaths on Monday, which is the highest daily rise since the pandemic began. The country also reported the highest-ever number of daily new cases at 9,964, according to Reuters. The coronavirus death toll in Bangladesh is more than 15,000. More than 954,000 have been infected with the virus.
Missouri's Mercy Springfield Hospital ran out of ventilators over the weekend as the medical center took in additional COVID-19 patients, according to Kansas City news outlet KSHB. Erik Frederick, Chief Administrative Officer at Mercy Springfield, tweeted thatthe hospital spent the night looking for additional ventilators. The hospital had 47 patients on ventilators -- most of which were COVID-19 patients, according to KSHB. Less than 40% of all Missourians are fully vaccinated, according to The New York Times’ coronavirus tracker.
“Today, all across this nation, we can say with confidence: America is coming back together,” President Joe Biden declared on Sunday as he hosted 1,000 guests for a Fourth of July celebration at the White House. The event hosted first responders, service members and other guests and took place on the South Lawn, The Associated Press reported. The celebratory event, where Biden said getting vaccinated against COVID-19 is “the most patriotic thing you can do,” was the largest yet of his presidency. While the White House encouraged gatherings on the holiday across the country to celebrate “independence” from COVID-19, the president’s goal of vaccinating 70% of the adult population by Independence Day fell short, only reaching 67%.
Dr. Mati Hlatshwayo Davis, an infectious disease physician at the John Cochran VA Medical Center and St. Louis Board of Health, said those who have yet to receive the vaccine should continue to be “alarmed,” but that it does not “take away” from the strides the nation has made toward returning to normalcy since the beginning of the pandemic. “Today we’re closer than ever to declaring our independence from a deadly virus," Biden said. "That’s not to say the battle against COVID-19 is over. We’ve got a lot more work to do.”
Parts of Indonesia are experiencing an oxygen shortage as the number of critically ill COVID-19 patients surges, The Associated Press reported Monday. The government is asking oxygen producers to allocate their full supply to medical needs, Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, the coordinating maritime affairs and investment minister, said at a press conference.
At least 63 COVID-19 patients have died during treatment at Dr. Sardjito General Hospital in Yogyakarta city since Saturday. More than 30 of them died during the outage of the hospital’s central liquid oxygen supply, even though the hospital switched to using oxygen cylinders at that time. “Their deteriorating condition contributed the most to their deaths,” hospital spokesperson Banu Hermawan said.
A member of Serbia’s Olympic rowing team tested positive for COVID-19 while trying to enter Japan, The Associated Press reported Sunday. The athlete, who was not named, was isolated at Tokyo’s Haneda airport. Last month, two members of the Ugandan Olympic delegation tested positive for the coronavirus. Japan and Olympic officials have faced increased scrutiny over their handling of the games, as the country struggles to tamp down COVID-19 cases, The Hill reported.
Chipotle is offering buy-one, get-one free entrées in-restaurant on Tuesday, July 6, from 3 p.m. to close at participating locations, which “will support the White House’s ongoing initiative to get more Americans vaccinated this summer,” according to the company’s website. All customers will need to do is tell the cashier “Friends BOGO” to redeem a free entrée with the purchase of another of equal or greater value. Other companies are offering incentives for receiving the vaccine, such as offering free food, the chance to enter a sweepstakes, a percentage off of a purchase, etc.
The Cannes Film Festival will reopen its doors on Tuesday for the 74th edition after being delayed from May to July. According to The Associated Press, Cannes will be the first major film festival to ditch the hybrid or virtual format in an attempt to complete a fully in-person edition this year. Attendees will be masked, but there will be no empty seats between them. They will also be required to either be fully vaccinated or get tested for COVID-19 every 48 hours. “I just can’t wait for the overload, the deluge, the exhaustion of Cannes,” Mark Cousins, a Scotland-based filmmaker, said.
The U.K. will drop all existing laws that require face masks or social distancing later this month, Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed on Monday. Johnson said instead of laws, individuals will need to make their decision on whether or not to wear a mask or socially distance based on “personal responsibility,” The Associated Press reported. Currently, the final stage of lockdown is expected to move into action on July 19, but an official decision won’t be made until July 12. Johnson said despite the end of many restrictions, the pandemic is far from over and the U.K. will have to “learn to live with the virus.” The lockdown in the U.K. was one of the longest in the world, the AP reports, and while some are relieved the end is near others worry it may be premature. “We want to see the lockdown end but we need lifesaving mitigation in place," Jonathan Ashworth, health spokesman for the opposition Labour Party, said. "We still need sick pay, local contact tracing, continued mask wearing, ventilation and support for children to prevent serious illness.”
Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks during a media briefing on coronavirus in Downing Street, London, Monday, July 5, 2021. Johnson on Monday confirmed plans to lift mask requirements and social distancing rules as planned on July 19 despite a surge in infections. (Daniel Leal-Olivas/Pool Photo via AP)
Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel was hospitalized after COVID-19 left him in “serious but stable condition,” according to the nation’s government. Bettel will remain in the hospital for up to four more days as he recovers from the virus, which he became infected with over a week ago, The Associated Press reports. Finance Minister Pierre Gramegna will take over his duties until he is able to return to work, and Bettel may do some work remotely. Bettel was only partially vaccinated at the time he tested positive, and was scheduled to receive his second dose on July 1.
New data released from the California Department of Public Health shows that the delta coronavirus variant is now the dominant strain in the state. According to the newly released data, 35.6% of analyzed COVID-19 cases in California were identified to be the delta variant, a sharp increase from May, when only 5.6% of cases in the state were of the delta variant. “The rapid increase in the delta variant suggests that this strain is more easily transmitted between people than other strains circulating in California,” the state Department of Public Health said, according to The Los Angeles Times. “Nevertheless, there is evidence that vaccines available in the U.S. are effective against the delta variant.” The variant has also shown to spread rapidly through the rest of the country as well, now making up around one quarter of all U.S. cases of COVID-19.
An ambulance worker in Bristol, England, was in a coma for more than a month due to COVID-19 and his family is scarred by what happened, the BBC reported. Paul Clements, 59, had major organ failure along with several infections. Doctors said that he was lucky to survive the 33-day coma. He spent a total of three months in the hospital, according to the BBC. Clements said that time passed “in the blink of an eye.” His wife said it was “absolute hell.”
Officials in Australia are cutting the number of international flights following several outbreaks and fears of the delta variant. Starting on July 14, only 3,000 people will be allowed to fly into the country every week, the BBC reported. This limit will likely remain in effect into 2022 after many Australians have had the opportunity to get vaccinated. Currently, only 8% of the country’s population has been vaccinated, the BBC said. This new limit will make it even more difficult for the 37,000 Australians that remain overseas due to coronavirus restrictions.
A member of Serbia’s Olympic rowing team tested positive for COVID-19 while trying to enter Japan, The Associated Press reported Sunday. The athlete, who was not named, was isolated at Tokyo’s Haneda airport. Last month, two members of the Ugandan Olympic delegation tested positive for the coronavirus. Japan and Olympic officials have faced increased scrutiny over their handling of the games, as the country struggles to tamp down COVID-19 cases, The Hill reported.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, says he would wear a mask in communities where many are unvaccinated, the New York Times reported. Fauci cited rising caseloads in areas with low levels of vaccination as part of his reasoning, saying that in these areas, he might “go the extra mile to be cautious enough to make sure that I get the extra added level of protection,” Fauci told NBC’s “Meet the Press.” Of all the coronavirus-related deaths in June, 99.2% were among the unvaccinated. “We’re going to see, and I’ve said, almost two types of Americas,” Dr. Fauci said on Sunday.
The Duchess of Cambridge is self-isolating after coming into contact with someone who has since tested positive for COVID-19, Reuters reported Monday. Kate Middleton, the wife of Queen Elizabeth’s grandson Prince William, is not experiencing any symptoms, according to a spokesperson for Kensington Palace. Middleton attended a number of events last week, including the Wimbledon tennis championships on Friday. She is following “all relevant government guidelines,” a spokesperson said.
The German government has issued a strong recommendation for mixing vaccine doses, saying a mix of vaccines is more effective, CNN reported. Germany’s Standing Committee on Vaccination recommended Thursday that those who receive a first dose of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine should get an mRNA vaccine — either a Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna jab — as their second dose. University of Oxford researchers found that "alternating doses of the AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines generate robust immune responses against COVID-19."German Chancellor Angela Merkel herself received two different vaccines, mixing and matching the AstraZeneca and Moderna vaccines for her first and second doses, respectively.
The latest winner of Washington state’s vaccination lottery almost missed out on his winnings after letting a call go to voicemail, King 5 News reported. Walla Walla resident Stephen T. chose not to pick up the unusual phone call from an unknown number, believing it to be a scam. But after playing back his voicemail, one of his colleagues encouraged him to call the number back. “One of the guys said they’re not asking for money or anything personal…. you should call them back, just in case," said Stephen in a statement Thursday. "So I did and I’m sure glad I did!” This is the last drawing for the $250,000 cash prize, but a $1 million grand prize will be awarded on July 13.
At the end of 2020 and the start of 2021, COVID-19 was the leading cause of death in the U.S., with more daily fatalities than heart disease or cancer. In recent months, however, virus-related deaths have fallen dramatically with COVID-19 now the seventh leading cause of death in the U.S., according to an analysis by Peterson Center on Healthcare and the Kaiser Family Foundation. Vaccines have been one of the biggest factors in the sharp decline, with an average of 342 fatalities per day throughout June, behind heart disease, cancer, accidents, strokes, chronic lower respiratory disease and Alzheimer’s, respectively.
After joining his mom at a book club meeting with fully vaccinated participants, a baby tested positive for the coronavirus, AzFamily.com reported. The Novak family, comprised of Will and Veronica Novak, their three-year-old daughter and baby son Walter, took COVID-19 precautions the entire year. Both parents got vaccinated as soon as they could. But, after an encounter at a book club meeting with an infected but fully vaccinated individual, Walter tested positive for the coronavirus and developed symptoms. “He’s just gotten worse and worse. He’s coughing a ton, very irritable, snotty, glassy-eyed, having a hard time sleeping,” Will said. Walter and his mother are quarantining in the family’s guest house, and Veronica has tested positive and is symptomatic too. Will says that his family’s experience shows how important it is that everyone gets vaccinated. “The more all of us adults get it, the better chance we have of reducing spreading it to our kids,” he said.
Millions of ‘digital nomads’ have taken advantage of the pandemic and worked remotely while also traveling across the country, ABC7 Denver reported. Madison Morine, a digital nomad, works from wherever he wants to be, packing up his bags and moving every month. Morine started his 'nomadic' journey in Hawaii, where he still had to work during his usual East Coast hours. “I would start work at about 3:00 a.m., but I'd be done at noon or 1:00, maybe 2:00, and then I would just go straight to the beach and surf,” Morine said.
The number of digital nomads grew 96% from 2019-2020, from 3.2 to over 6.3 million. One study found that digital nomads are happier with their jobs and salaries, meaning that some may be reluctant to return to the office. “Now, having tasted this nomadic lifestyle, freedom, however you want to describe it, I just don't see myself stopping,” Morine said.
Rising prominence of the delta variant will make it harder for the U.S. to reach herd immunity, Assistant Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine told CNN. According to Levine, the percentage of immune individuals needed for herd immunity will be higher for the delta variant than it would be for the original strain of COVID-19, because the delta variant is more transmissible. As of June 19, the variant is responsible for more than 26% of all U.S. cases, the CDC reports. Those who are vaccinated against the virus are “extremely unlikely to get sick,” from the variant, Levine says. "For people who are unvaccinated, the Delta variant poses a threat," she said. "So in areas that have low vaccination rates, those communities and counties and states are vulnerable."
FILE - In this March 27, 2021 file photo a laboratory worker simulates the workflow in a cleanroom of the BioNTech Corona vaccine production in Marburg, Germany, during a media day. Ugur Sahin, BioNTech's chief executive, which developed the first widely approved COVID-19 vaccine with U.S. partner Pfizer, said Europe can achieve 'herd immunity' against the coronavirus within the next four months. (AP Photo/Michael Probst, file)
Vaccinated people in Germany will not have to go into full lockdown and will have more freedom than their unvaccinated counterparts, the country’s health minister said Friday. As long as there are no mutations that impact the vaccine’s ability to protect against COVID-19, then being fully vaccinated should be sufficient in curbing the virus, said health minister Jens Spahn. Currently, Germany has a slim number of coronavirus cases and relaxed restrictions, but there are growing concerns about the spread of the delta variant, AFP reported. “The more people get vaccinated this summer, the better the autumn will be," Spahn said.
Filipino officials managing the evacuations from the erupting Taal volcano are also being tasked with ensuring there is not a spike in coronavirus cases, The Associated Press reported. Thousands of people were evacuated after the Taal volcano exploded Thursday. The volcano is located around 40 miles south of the capital city of Manila. Early last year, over 100,000 people were displaced after the first full-scale eruption of the volcano in more than 40 years.
Those who are currently living in evacuation camps are being asked to wear masks and socially distance. “If we stay home, the volcano can explode anytime,” Imelda Reyes, a Filipino who lives near the volcano told the AP “But here, just one sick person can infect all of us. Both are dangerous choices.” The Philippines is currently experiencing a significant surge in infections, with 5,778 cases reported today, according to Johns Hopkins University figures. Less than 3% of the country is fully vaccinated.
The Irish government announced on Friday it will be purchasing 1 million COVID-19 vaccine doses from Romania. The purchase includes the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, which the Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin said Romania will supply the vaccines “in a show of solidarity” with Ireland and the Irish people, according to BBC News. “We have been seeking additional vaccines for the last while, engaging with my counterparts across Europe, and I had a good discussion this morning with the President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, and he was very helpful,” Martin said. He added that the Romanian President was “anxious to help, given the delta variant, given the fact that we’re in close proximity to the United Kingdom, and the impact on Northern Ireland and the fact that we have such a high uptake of vaccines in Ireland that we need additional supplies,” the BBC reported.
Walgreens’ vaccination campaign helped boost business in its stores, Axios reported. The pharmacy chain says its profits soared, with the company seeing higher foot traffic and sales as well. More than 25 million COVID-19 vaccines were administered at Walgreens across the country. While COVID-19 shots are free for everyone, insurance companies still foot the bill. Walgreens, at a minimum, received $680 million in COVID-19 vaccine payments.
German chancellor Angela Merkel said that fully vaccinated individuals should be able to travel between the United Kingdom and Germany without a quarantine period soon, the BBC reported. Merkel said that Germany is “continuously reviewing” its active travel restrictions, especially considering the spread of the delta variant in both countries. “We think that in the foreseeable future those who have received double jabs will then, according to our classification - and now Britain obviously is a high incidence area - will be able to travel again without having to go into quarantine," Merkel said. Merkel expressed concerns about large crowds at sporting events in the U.K., concerns which she relayed to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Hospitalizations and deaths are surging across Africa due to a rise in cases driven by the delta variant,The Associated Press reported. Cases in South Africa are doubling every three weeks, demonstrating a significant surge in the region. “The speed and scale of Africa’s third wave is like nothing we’ve seen before,” said Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO’s regional director for Africa. The delta variant has quickly taken hold in Africa, accounting for more than half of the continent’s new cases. Across the continent, the acquisition and distribution of coronavirus vaccines has proven difficult. Less than 2% of Africa’s 1.3 billion residents are fully vaccinated.
The Boy Scouts of America and Girl Scouts of the USA were both experiencing declining membership leading up to the pandemic, but the past year has been particularly hard on the programs. Between 2019 and 2020, membership in the Boy Scout’s Cub Scouts program plunged 43%, followed by another 32% decline during the pandemic, The Associated Press reported. The Girl Scouts experienced a similar decline with membership falling 30% over the past year. Jay Yaros spoke with the AP about his 8-year-old son’s experience over the past year, saying how many in-person meetings were shut down when pandemic restrictions were implemented. However, that is only half of the story. “There are a lot of interesting things for kids to do these days, and scouting doesn’t seem to be keeping up,” Yaros said.
The Girl Scouts are optimistic about membership with pandemic restrictions across the country being lifted. “As the pandemic goes in the rear-view mirror, we’ve seen a substantial rebound,” Girl Scouts spokeswoman Kelly Parisi told the AP. “We feel really good going into the fall recruitment.”
A summer camp in central Illinois did not require masks indoors, leaving 85 people infected with the coronavirus, according to USA Today. About 70% of those infected were not vaccinated, according to a press release from the Illinois Department of Health. The state’s health department said that they were aware of only a handful of folks who received the vaccine, but everyone at the camp was eligible."The perceived risk to children may seem small, but even a mild case of COVID-19 can cause long-term health issues," IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said in the release.
Six firefighters at the search site of the Surfside condo collapse tested positive for COVID-19, CBS News reported. The task force with the positive cases has been demobilized and the firefighters have been isolated, The Miami Herald reported. Rescue efforts continued for a 10th day Saturday. Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said Friday that two additional bodies were discovered, extending the death toll to 22. There are 126 people who remain unaccounted for.
Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama withdrew from the Rocket Mortgage Classic after testing positive for COVID-19, The Associated Press reported. The PGA tour made the announcement just before Matsuyama was set to start his second round. Tour officials did not disclose whether or not Matsuyama has been vaccinated. The PGA Tour does not test fully vaccinated players, according to the AP. “I will take all the necessary precautions to ensure the health and safety of all others,” Matsuyama said in a statement. “I appreciate and thank everyone for their concern in advance. I look forward to full recovery and returning to competition as soon as possible.”
Concerns over outbreaks of the delta variant have driven up vaccination numbers in Arkansas, CBS News reported. With hospitalizations in the state climbing 54% in the last two weeks, Arkansas Gov. Hutchinson says he is seeing the number of vaccinations rise. "Well, I presume. I think it's driven by risk. They see the risk increasing, and they say, 'We better go and get vaccinated,'' Hutchinson said. Across the state, 34% of the population is fully vaccinated. In many rural countries, the number of people fully vaccinated drops to less than 25 percent.
President Joe Biden’s goal of having at least 70% of American adults vaccinated by Independence Day is set to fall short, but a few states have reached this benchmark. On Thursday, Rhode Island became the fifth state to fully vaccinate 70% of its adult population, joining Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Maine, The Associated Press reported. On the same day, state health officials reported just five new cases of COVID-19 across Rhode Island, Johns Hopkins University figures show. On a national level, 66.7% of adults have had at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, with 57.7% of adults considered fully vaccinated, according to the CDC.
The Vatican, along with medical organizations based in Germany and France, are calling for a global effort to combat disinformation about the coronavirus vaccine, UPI reported Friday. The French-based World Medical Association, German Medical Association and the Vatican’s Pontifical Academy for Life all signed a joint statement designed to ease vaccine hesitancy. "Millions around the world are still suffering the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and vaccination is widely seen as a fast and effective way to control the spread of the virus and save human lives," the statement said.
The delta COVID-19 variant is now the second-most dominant strain across New York City, according to new health data released Friday. The highly transmissible variant now represents nearly one in five samples tested in the city, up from one in 10 a week ago, NBC News New York reported. The strain also now accounts for over a quarter of COVID-19 cases in the U.S.. Existing vaccines are expected to protect against the strain and other variants of concern, but with less than 58% of U.S. adults fully immunized, according to NBC News, the heightened transmissibility and risk associated with delta has concerned experts.
Americans in most of the country should feel comfortable gathering with friends and family over Independence Day weekend, according to former FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb. Gottlieb told CNBC that due to low infection rates and high vaccination rates, residents across most of the U.S. will not have to worry about hosting or attending Fourth of July gatherings this year, but some portions of the country may not be so lucky. “There’s very low prevalence around the country. You have to judge based on where you are,” Gottlieb said. In Missouri, parts of Nevada, Arkansas and Oklahoma, Gottlieb said residents should exercise more caution due to a higher presence of COVID-19 cases. “There’s sort of isolated parts of the country where you’re seeing infection levels rise. The rest of the country looks very good,” Gottlieb said.
The Montreal Canadiens are bummed that just 3,500 fans will be allowed at Bell Centre for Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final, The Associated Press reported. Canadiens coach Dominique Ducharme summed up the team’s feelings as “disappointing — very disappointing.” There were 17,166 fans in attendance for Game 2 in Florida when the Canadiens fell to the Tampa Bay Lightning for the second time in the best-of-seven series.
The Canadiens requested a crowd of over 10,000 in Quebec but it was denied, according to the AP. “It could have been a way to reward our fans, the people who have gone through 14 or 15 months of isolation to have the chance to participate in an event like this,” Ducharme said Friday morning ahead of Game 3. “Unfortunately, we’ll have 3,500 inside and probably 25,000 outside who are going to be shoulder to shoulder. It’s hard to see the logic.”
As the coronavirus delta variant surges, some parts of Indonesia are running out of hospital beds, CNBC reported. COVID-19 infections are increasing much faster than before, said Indonesia’s health minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin. The health minister told CNBC’s Street Signs Asia that Indonesia has up to 130,000 beds dedicated to COVID-19 patients, and 72,000 people are in isolation beds as of Wednesday. Jakarta is already at 90% bed capacity, he added. “Every day we are seeing this Delta variant driving Indonesia closer to the edge of a Covid-19 catastrophe,” said Jan Gelfand of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
Bishop Elijah Hankerson, president of the St. Louis Metropolitan Clergy Coalition, watches as various pastors and church leaders drive up to pick up free face masks for their congregations Thursday, May 28, 2020, in Hanley Hills, Mo. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
Health officials in St. Louis are taking action after noticing an uptick in new COVID-19 cases due to the delta variant. In a new public health advisory, health officials have updated the mask recommendations, saying that vaccinated individuals should wear masks when around people whose vaccination status is unknown, Fox2Now reported. Unvaccinated people should still wear masks when out in public and are urged to get inoculated as the vaccine is the best defense against the virus.
Over the past 39 days, more than 100,000 virus-related deaths have been confirmed in India, sending the country’s cumulative death toll over 400,000, Reuters reported. However, the true death toll is believed to the higher. "Undercounting of deaths is something that has happened across states, mostly because of lags in the system, so that means we will never have a true idea of how many people we lost in this second wave," said Rijo M John, a professor in Kochi, India. The vaccine rollout in India has been in flux with only 6% of all adults fully vaccinated. This week, the country administered an average around 3.5 million doses per day, down by almost half from a week prior when nearly 6.6 million people were inoculated per day, Reuters reported. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is hoping to have nearly 1 billion people vaccinated by the end of 2021.
Job growth in June exceeded expectations, with 850,000 new jobs being created, CNBC reported. However, the unemployment rate unexpectedly ticked up to 5.9% even as the labor force participation rate remained unchanged. “From a market perspective, this was an all-out positive jobs report,” said Seema Shah, chief strategist at Principal Global Investors. Roughly 15.6 million jobs have been recovered since March 2020, when more than 22 million Americans were laid off due to the pandemic. The hospitality sector continues to benefit from the country’s reopening, with bars and restaurants alone hiring 194,000 more workers in June.
Nearly 14,500 new infections were reported across the U.S. on Thursday with California, Texas and Missouri all counting more than 1,000 new cases as the delta variant spreads. The number of virus-related fatalities since the start of the pandemic also eclipsed 605,000 in the U.S., according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Elsewhere in the world, Brazil reported 65,000 new cases and India counted 46,600 new infections. Watch the video below for more data on the spread of the virus around the globe.
U.K. officials said that some residents might be eligible for a coronavirus booster shot as early as September, the BBC reported. The first people that will be eligible for a booster shot are those that are 70 and older, front-line healthcare workers, anyone living in residential homes with older adults and people at least 16 years old who is either immunocompromised or extremely vulnerable to becoming seriously ill. Booster shot availability will gradually be opened up to more people, similar to how the vaccines were initially rolled out with the goal of having people receive a booster shot around six months after the second dose of the initial round of vaccines, the BBC said. "As all doctors well know, winter brings with it a surge in illnesses and infections, and we hope that by protecting our most vulnerable patients with both Covid-19 and flu vaccines, we will prevent more people becoming seriously ill and dying,” said Dr. Richard Vautrey, British Medical Association GP committee chairman.
The White House is deploying COVID-19 response teams throughout the United States in an effort to combat the coronavirus delta variant, CNBC reported. The teams, which are designed to work with communities at a higher risk of an outbreak, are made up of officials in the CDC among other federal agencies. Crews will work to increase testing, facilitate contact tracing and provide treatment to those who become infected, White House COVID czar Jeff Zients said at a news briefing.
There are 1,000 counties in the U.S. that are less than 30% vaccinated, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said at the briefing. The delta variant, which is more transmissible than other variants, is expected to become dominant in the U.S. “To be clear, the federal government stands ready to meet the moment and work with our state partners to respond to the delta variant,” Zients said.
Watch the video for more:
Italy is warning England soccer fans to stay away from the European Championship quarterfinal match in Ukraine on Saturday, The Associated Press reported Thursday. Fans shouldn’t count on getting into the stadium unless they can prove that they quarantined for five days after arriving from Britain. State police imposed a block on the sale and transfer of tickets starting Thursday, according to the AP. Italy’s ambassador to Britain said that the measures were necessary due to the spike in cases of the coronavirus delta variant in Britain. “Don’t go to Italy because you haven’t got time to quarantine. Even if you have got a ticket to go to the football match, that will not give you the right to go to the match,” Ambassador Raffaele Trombetta told the AP.
Montreal Canadiens coach Dominique Ducharme is set to return Friday after he tested positive for COVID-19 on June 18, NHL.com reported. The coach, who had quarantined for 14 days, is set to return right in time for Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final, where the Canadiens will face the Tampa Bay Lightning. "...He'll be back in the building first thing tomorrow with the team and ready to go just like he was right before he left," assistant Luke Richardson said Thursday before the Canadiens flew to Montreal. Ducharme’s return may help Montreal bounce back against Tampa Bay with the Florida-based team leading the best-of-seven series 2-0.
CureVac, a vaccine developed by a German biotech firm, found that the vaccine was less than 50% effective, CNBC reported. The published analysis found that the vaccine was just 48% effective across all age groups and 15 variants. Pierre Kemula, CFO of CureVac, said that the clinical trials were conducted while multiple strains of the virus were spreading across the globe. When asked if it was worth it to continue developing the vaccine even as more effective vaccines are being deployed in Europe, Kemula said that the company had contractual obligations. “There’s plenty of jabs to be given, there’s plenty of people under the age of 60 that haven’t had access to the vaccine to date. So if we can contribute to fight — in the short-term in the pandemic, but also in the mid-term with these other avenues of [multivalents] ... that’s something we continue to work on.”
Dr. Vivek Murthy, U.S. surgeon general, says the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine may protect against the delta variant, CNBC reported. Murthy pointed to data that indicates that the Oxford-AstraZeneca shot is highly effective against the variant, adding that the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is a “cousin” to the former since both vaccines were “built on a similar platform.” While there are still no direct studies, Murthy said that there is hope that the Johnson & Johnson vaccine will be effective in preventing hospitalizations and deaths in all of the variants that have been identified.
The number of first-time jobless claims last week was lower than expected with 364,000 new claims, CNBC reported. The Dow Jones estimated that the jobless claims during the week ending on June 26 would be approximately 390,000. This is the lowest that new jobless claims have been since the start of the pandemic in March 2020 as more people return to work as coronavirus restrictions are lifted. However, more than 11 million people are currently enrolled in pandemic-related programs to receive benefits, CNBC said.
In this May 18, 2021 file photo, fifth graders wearing face masks are seated at proper social distancing during a music class at the Milton Elementary School in Rye, N.Y. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)
If parents want their children to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 prior to the start of the school year, they need to begin the vaccination process soon. The Pfizer vaccine is the only one authorized for use in children between the ages of 12 and 17 in the U.S., and it takes five weeks to be fully vaccinated with the vaccine. That means students in states that begin school in August need to act fast to be fully vaccinated by the time classes start, CNN reported. The Atlanta, Georgia, school system begins classes on August 5, meaning students would need to get their first dose of the vaccine on July 1 to be fully vaccinated for their first day. “Get them vaccinated. Vaccine provides, without a doubt, the best protection against Covid, and we want our schools to be safe and we want our children to go back to school," Dr. William Schaffner, a longtime vaccine adviser to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said. "We have two grandchildren in that age group, and they have been vaccinated, so do not only as I say, but do as my family has done."
Some locals in Brisbane, Australia, which reentered a lockdown as the country battles outbreaks of the delta variant, are upset about the decision, AFP reported. In total, seven major Australian cities are in lockdown as the country tries to control the emergence of the delta variant. “I don’t think the leadership in this country is strong at all at the moment,” said Brisbane resident Martin Doyle, who added that leadership is poor across the country. Five percent of Australians are vaccinated, and the rollout of vaccines remains slow. “We can probably give someone a boot up the bum for that,” Doyle said. Watch the video below for more.
It has been two weeks since California lifted most of its coronavirus restrictions and cases are starting to trend upward. In the past 14 days, new infections have increased by around 17% as the delta variant starts to circulate across the state, The Associated Press reported. California is the most populated state in the U.S., and with nearly 60% of Californians are fully vaccinated, it means that millions of susceptible to being infected by the delta variant. “Because we’re starting to see these highly transmissible strains, it is only a matter of time for us to be exposed again,” said Dr. Regina Chinsio-Kwong, the deputy health officer in Orange County. This strain, which originated in India, accounts for one-fifth of new infections across the U.S., the AP said.
The more contagious delta variant of the coronavirus is leading to an uptick in cases across parts of the U.S., including Arkansas. On Wednesday, state health officials reported 686 new cases of COVID-19, the highest single-day total since Feb. 25, The Associated Press reported. “The high number of cases today makes it clear that the delta variant is increasing the spread of the virus,” Gov. Asa Hutchinson said. Only 34% of Arkansans are fully vaccinated, one of the lowest vaccinations rates in the U.S., the AP said.
The number of coronavirus-related fatalities across the United States is nearing 605,000 after 240 new deaths were reported on Wednesday, according to data gathered by Johns Hopkins University. The U.S. has reported more virus-related deaths than any other country, followed by Brazil with over 518,000 deaths and India with nearly 400,000 reported deaths Watch the video below for more details about the latest data on the coronavirus:
The WNBA announced Monday that 99% of its players have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, CBS reported. The WNBA has the highest percentage of vaccinated players among U.S. sports leagues that have announced vaccination rates. All 12 teams have met the threshold for being considered fully vaccinated as a squad, according to a statement from the league. The league said that none of its players have tested positive for the coronavirus since the regular season began.
More than 1,120 children under 10 in Brazil have died of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic, according to The Brazil Health Ministry. Researchers from Vital Strategies, a global health organization, says that its studies suggest that case numbers have been “severely underreported,” according to CNN. "What we see in Brazil is that the number of kids dying with COVID specified as the cause of death is higher than what we are seeing in other countries of the world -- it's 10 times higher," Dr. Ana Luiza Bierrenbach, an epidemiologist at Vital Strategies, told CNN.
The COVID-19 death toll in Russia hit a new record Wednesday as the country pushes to tamp down the highly transmissible delta variant, AFP reported. The delta variant has claimed nearly four million lives throughout the world, fueling fears that the pandemic could be far from over. Russia reported nearly 670 deaths in the past 24 hours -- smashing a consecutive daily pandemic record. Only 15 percent of the population have been vaccinated even though the shots have been free and available since December. “It is necessary to listen, not to people who understand little about this and spread rumors, but to specialists," President Vladimir Putin said to those skeptical of the vaccination.
A new surge in the coronavirus is reaching rural areas in Africa that had once been viewed as safe havens from the virus, according to The Associated Press. The continent has recorded over 5.3 million coronavirus cases and is experiencing a powerful wave driven by deadlier variants. The delta variant has been identified in at least 14 African countries, including South Africa, Zimbabwe, Congo, Uganda, Mozambique and Namibia. “We are starting to see an upward trend in the rural and marginalized areas,” said Edward Simiyu, Uganda country director of the charity group Mercy Corps, in a statement earlier in June.
In separate online meetings with the leaders of five Pacific island nations on Wednesday, Japan’s Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga offered the nation’s support to them in tackling COVID-19 and vowing to host a “safe and secure” Tokyo Olympics, the Japanese foreign minister said. The promise included helping the five nations — the Cook Islands, the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Niue and Tonga — to bolster their health care systems and infrastructure, Kyodo News reported. Suga called on the leaders of the nations “to help realize a free and open Indo-Pacific,” the news organization reported, as well as to support Japan’s efforts to secure the return of citizens abducted by North Korea in the 1970s and 1980s.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency adjusted its pandemic funeral assistance program to allow family members of those who died of COVID-19 to submit for reimbursement even if the death certificate doesn’t identify the disease as the cause of death, Politico reported Wednesday. Those who lost a family member between Jan. 20 and May 16, 2020, can apply for aid so long as they provide a signed letter from a coroner or medical examiner that certifies that the family member’s death was tied to COVID-19. The new policy could allow thousands who lost relatives early in the pandemic to receive aid before coronavirus testing was accessible.
When child care centers closed during the pandemic’s early months, hundreds of thousands of American mothers lost their jobs, research shows. In the first 10 months of the pandemic, more than 2.3 million women left the labor force, compared to just under 1.8 million men, HealthDay News reported. Many of the job losses were in industries dominated by women. And working mothers -- more so than fathers -- faced the challenge of having kids home from school or daycare. In states that closed due to COVID-19 in spring 2020, job losses among women were particularly acute. The study found that the employment decline among men remained about the same across other states. The gap amounted to about 611,000 lost jobs among working mothers.
As many return to restaurants as pandemic restrictions loosen, customers are confronted with wait times as high as 90 minutes, NBC News reported. The restaurant industry has been hit by the nationwide worker shortage, which has translated to slower service at some establishments. While business owners are happy to see customers flock back to their eateries, some worry that the slow service could deter customers from returning. Rhoda Atkins, who owns a franchised Skrimp Shack in Winchester, Virginia, told NBC News that the pandemic has also put a wrench in her plans to expand the eatery.
With the expansive spread of the delta variant of COVID-19, Dr. Anthony Fauci warned that the U.S. could split into “two Americas” between places with low and high vaccination rates. "When you have such a low level of vaccination superimposed upon a variant that has a high degree of efficiency of spread, what you are going to see among undervaccinated regions -- be that states, cities or counties -- you're going to see these individual types of blips," he said. "It's almost like it's going to be two Americas." Cases of the variant have been found in nearly every state and is responsible for over a quarter of cases in the nation, according to CNN. Those spikes in cases, he said, are entirely avoidable and preventable. Getting vaccinated dramatically reducing the risk of infection and illness, he said, adding that if you aren’t vaccinated, “you are at considerable risk.”
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and Diana Bianchi, director of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, speak after a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee looking into the budget estimates for National Institute of Health (NIH) and the state of medical research, Wednesday, May 26, 2021, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (Stefani Reynolds/Pool via AP)
During the pandemic, many young people across the globe endured lockdowns and missed out on a year of normal childhood. Some say they weren’t able to attend school or access online learning, according to The Associated Press. Still, many are coming away resilient and dedicated to protecting their families. One-13 year-old from Rwanda said he wanted to become a doctor when he’s older so that he can help provide treatment to those in need should there be another pandemic. One 18-year-old, who is set to begin college at New York University, said that she’s eager to take on new opportunities for “memory-making.” Watch the video below for more:
COVID-19 is leaving behind a fungus epidemic in India, the BBC reported. Mucormycosis, the deadly fungus, was rare until the second wave of the coronavirus. There are tens of thousands of cases. Doctors say that the virus, along with the steroid treatment for it, are making people vulnerable to the fungus. About 50% of people can die of it and hospital stays can last weeks, said Dr. Aniket Lathi, a professor and doctor. Hospitals in the region are setting up designated wards to treat those with the fungus. See more here:
In an interview with ABC's Good Morning America, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said that in areas with low vaccination, the delta variant is likely to take hold. In these areas, Walensky said that local governments may adopt mask-wearing policies. “Those masking policies are really intended to protect the unvaccinated,” Walensky said. “The vaccinated we believe still are safe.” Walensky explained that the World Health Organization, which, unlike the CDC, recommends mask-wearing continue for all regardless of vaccination status, makes its policy with the world in mind. “The context in which the WHO is making the recommendations is very different than here in the United States,” Walensky said. Watch the video below for more.
The delta variant of the coronavirus is a growing concern as it spread saround the world, but new data suggests that some vaccines may still be effective against the strain. On Tuesday, Moderna announced that the antibodies produced after receiving its mRNA vaccine are effective against the delta variant, Reuters reported. The vaccine is also effective against the Beta variant that is believed to have originated from South Africa. "These new data are encouraging and reinforce our belief that the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine should remain protective against newly detected variants," Chief Executive Stéphane Bancel said.
Nearly 11,600 new cases of COVID-19 and 359 deaths were tallied across the U.S. on Tuesday, according to data gathered by Johns Hopkins University. Texas reported more than two times more infections than any other state, with 2,095 new cases on Tuesday, followed by 933 new cases in Missouri. This is the first time since June 16 that Texas reported more than 2,000 new infections. Watch the video below for more information on how the virus is spreading around the globe:
Many Americans have received three stimulus checks since the start of the pandemic to aid those in need and to help the economy rebound, but the third round of checks may have been the last. Currently, the Democrats hold a slim majority in both the House and the Senate and are pushing to pass a new infrastructure bill and President Joe Biden’s American Families plan, CNN reported. Neither of these bills includes direct payments to Americans, like the bills that sent checks to Americans. CNN said no proposals in the works that would result in the fourth round of stimulus checks, and it may stay that way with the economy doing significantly better than it was during the first phase of the pandemic.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker is encouraging all residents, regardless of their vaccination status, to continue to carry a mask with them when they go out, citing concern over the spread of the delta variant. Fox News reported that Pritzker, who had been marking the opening of a business center, wore his mask indoors until speaking at the podium. “I think when we leave our home every day, I would encourage everybody whether you’re vaccinated or not to bring your mask with you,” he told reporters. “You know what the guidelines are across the state of Illinois, and use your mask accordingly.” He also added that the delta variant is expected to “dominate our cases statewide by fall,” encouraging residents to get vaccinated if they have not yet done so.
Residents across Seattle and surrounding areas will take a step toward normalcy this week after reaching a major milestone. Health officials in King County, Washington, said that over 70% of residents across the county are fully vaccinated and will be ending the mask mandate, KING5 reported. Additionally, the state is expected to lift coronavirus restrictions on Wednesday, allowing businesses to operate at full capacity heading into the Independence Day weekend. Folks who are not vaccinated are still urged to wear a mask and get vaccinated when they can.
Developers of the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine drew a standing ovation by crowds at Wimbledon before play began, ABC News reported. National Health Service workers were also applauded before the matches began.
Watch the video here:
After millions of people stayed home from places of worship during the pandemic, congregations that were already struggling have felt the full blow of their absence.Smaller organizations with older congregations that failed to adapt during the pandemic are now facing a downward spiral they may not be able to recover from, the Rev. Gloria E. White-Hammond, lecturer at the Harvard Divinity School and co-pastor of a church in Boston, told The Associated Press. Rev. Darlene Wilkins told the AP that while it was a complicated picture overall, the pandemic was “the straw that broke the camel’s back.” Even before the pandemic hit, houses of worship had found themselves facing a shrinking share of the population that identifies as religious, the AP reported. Three-quarters of Americans who attended religious services in person at least monthly before the pandemic said they were likely to return again in the next few weeks, according to a recent AP-NORC poll. While these numbers are slightly up from back in May in 2020, 7% said they definitely wouldn’t be attending.
Brisbane became the fourth major Australian city to issue a stay-at-home order on Tuesday, AFP reported. More than 10 million Australians are under lockdown as the country battles small outbreaks of the highly contagious delta variant. One Brisbane resident, Nicola Hungerford, said she expects lockdowns to continue “until the government gets their bloody act together" on distributing vaccines. “It's gobsmacking and they're just irresponsible. It shows how little respect they have for people," she told AFP. Less than five percent of Australians have been fully vaccinated.
As coronavirus restrictions loosen, some continue to find comfort in pavilions, tents and sleeping porches. During the pandemic, some turned to pitching tents in their backyard for extra space, but some are still seeking elements of outdoor living. Some are opting for sleeping porches, which used to be commonplace, especially in the South and the West, according to The New York Times. These porches are not much different than a sunroom or screened-in porch. Also, sleeping outside can help to restore one’s circadian rhythm, Dr. Richard Friedenheim of the Sleep Disorders Center for Abington Hospital — Jefferson Health in Pennsylvania, told the Times.
Barnaby Joyce, Australia’s deputy prime minister, was fined Tuesday for not wearing a mask in a service station, Reuters reported. A concerned citizen called an emergency hotline to report Joyce, who was seen paying for gas without a mask. Officers found Joyce not wearing a mask and fined him $151 for not wearing a "fitted face covering when in indoor area of retail/business premises." The fine made Joyce the most powerful person in the country to have faced repercussions for not complying with COVID-19 restrictions.
COVID-19 vaccination centers and schools in Canada closed Monday while cooling centers opened amid an unprecedented heat wave, AFP reported. Lytton, British Columbia, recorded an all-time high for the country Monday with a temperature of 118 degrees Fahrenheit. The village had set a record the day before at 116 degrees. "We are the second coldest country in the world and the snowiest," David Phillips, a senior climatologist for Environment Canada, told AFP. "We often see cold snaps and blizzards but not often do we talk about hot weather like this."
As the delta variant spreads in California, officials in Los Angeles County are recommending that residents wear masks in indoor public spaces regardless of vaccination status, the LA Times reported. “Until we better understand how and to who the Delta variant is spreading, everyone should focus on maximum protectionwith minimum interruption to routine as all businesses operate without other restrictions, like physical distancing and capacity limits,” officials wrote in a statement. Health experts fear that the delta variant, which is highly contagious, could cause a spike in cases, particularly among the those who are partially or not at all vaccinated. Of the 123 people in L.A. County who have been confirmed to be infected with the delta variant, 110 were unvaccinated and two were partially vaccinated. “This is a pandemic of unvaccinated people,” said L.A. County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer.
In this June 2, 2021, photo people look at their phones as they wait to board a flight at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Va. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)
The upcoming holiday weekend will feature travel volume not seen since before the pandemic began. AAA reports that more than 47 million Americans will travel in some form this weekend and the agency projects that this will be the second-highest Independence Day travel volume on record behind only 2019. According to ABC's Good Morning America, metro areas could see double the drive time delays, with I-95 in the Boston area possibly seeing a 330% increase in traffic starting Thursday afternoon. "Overall, just 2.5% fewer Americans are expected to travel this year compared to Independence Day in 2019," AAA said."This represents an increase of nearly 40% compared to last year, when total travel fell to 34.2 million. Watch the video below for more.
As the month of June winds down, the U.S. is a far cry from where it was last year at this time. A little more than 15,000 new cases were tallied across the nation and 150 fatalities were blamed on the virus, according to Johns Hopkins University figures. A year ago in late June, the U.S. was seeing more than 40,000 new cases a day and testing was still ramping up. However, the seven-day rolling positivity rate ticked back up to 2.32% as concerns grow about the spread of the delta variant. Overall, California was the only state on Monday that reported more than 1,000 new coronavirus cases. For a more in-depth look at the data, watch the video below.
A new study has found that the COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna produce a “persistent” immune response and give a sign of long-lasting protection, The Hill reported. Published in the journal Nature on Monday, the study adds to the discussion on whether booster shots of the vaccines will be needed and when. The study focuses on germinal centers, or “boot camps for immune cells,” as Ali Ellebedy, the study’s senior author and an associate professor at Washington State in St. Louis, described them. The study found the germinal centers were still active 15 weeks after the first dose of either vaccine. Ellebedy added in a statement that they’re still monitoring the germinal centers, and they’re not declining in some people.“Germinal centers are the key to a persistent, protective immune response,” Ellebedy said. “Germinal centers are where our immune memories are formed. And the longer we have a germinal center, the stronger and more durable our immunity will be because there’s a fierce selection process happening there, and only the best immune cells survive.” For more on the story, watch the video below.
A Ugandan Olympic team member and a coach tested positive for the delta variant of the coronavirus, ESPN reported. The coach tested positive at the airport, but the team was allowed to travel to their pre-Olympic camp in Osaka Prefecture. Days later in Osaka, the athlete tested positive, forcing multiple town officials and drivers to self-quarantine. "No matter what measures you take, infected people would come in and it is unavoidable," Japanese Olympic Committee President Yasuhiro Yamashita said at a news conference in Tokyo.
The Delta variant is now the third-most prominent coronavirus variant in the state of California, making up 14.5% of California cases in June so far, compared to just 4.7% in May. According to The Los Angeles Times, unvaccinated individuals are at a greater threat of infection if they are exposed to the Delta variant. “If you are fully vaccinated, you have a lot of protection,” L.A. County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said, adding that those who were infected despite being vaccinated, "really did not have serious illness. … This is a pandemic of unvaccinated people.”
Pockets of the U.S. with low vaccination rates and low rates of prior infection are likely to experience outbreaks of the Delta coronavirus variant, former FDA commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb said. "It's not going to be as pervasive," Gottlieb said of the variant, according to CNN. "It's going to hyper-regionalized. There's certain pockets of the country where you're going to have very dense outbreaks.” Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Wyoming currently have the lowest vaccination rates in the country, with less than 35% of their populations fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Overall, 46.1% of the U.S. population is vaccinated against the virus. Experts say the country will need to be 70 to 85% vaccinated or protected through prior infection in order to reach herd immunity, CNN reports.
The COVID-19 Delta outbreak in the U.K. could mirror what’s to come in the U.S., CNBC reported. Despite the U.K. 's advanced vaccination rate, the Delta variant became responsible for 90% of COVID-19 infections in mid-June, according to a government study. White House chief medical advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci has warned that the delta variant is “currently the greatest threat in the U.S. to our attempt to eliminate Covid-19.” In response to the new outbreaks, the U.K. has accelerated the last leg of its vaccination program. Meanwhile, the U.S. is on a similar quest, as the country is not set to meet the Biden administration’s goal of vaccinating 70% of Americans with at least one dose by July Fourth.
Companies are making adjustments to their workspaces to help employees feel safer as some return to in-person work, The Associated Press reported. Some businesses are adjusting air circulation systems or moving desks farther apart. Others are nixing desks altogether, instead opting for conference rooms to accommodate folks who are still working remotely. “This year caused you to think, maybe even more fundamentally than you ever have before, ‘Hey, why do we go to an office?’” said Natalie Engels, a San Jose, California-based design principal at Gensler, an architecture firm.
One of the greatest obstacles to mass immunity in the U.S. will be pushing young adults to get vaccinated, The New York Times reported. In recent days, federal officials expressed fear over low vaccination rates among those in their late teens and 20s. This age group has also been cited as the reason the country won’t reach the Biden administration’s goal of vaccinating 70% of adults with at least one dose by July Fourth, according to The Times. “I think that, for the younger generation, we now really have to build the case for them to be vaccinated,” said Dr. Sarah Van Orman, the chief health officer for the University of Southern California’s student health system.
FILE - In this Wednesday, May 19, 2021 file photo, a licensed practical nurse draws a Moderna COVID-19 vaccine into a syringe at a mass vaccination clinic at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. On Wednesday, June 23, 2021, federal officials said they plan to strengthen cautions about a rare side effect of some COVID-19 vaccines — chest pain and heart inflammation, mostly among teenagers and young adults. But in an unusual joint statement, top U.S. government health officials, medical organizations, laboratory and hospital associations and others stressed the overriding benefit of the vaccines. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
The South African government is reimposing restrictions as coronavirus cases in the country increase, The New York Times reported. New daily cases in the country are up 116% over the last 14 days. “A third wave is gathering in strength and force,” said Cyril Ramaphosa, the president of South Africa. Ramaphosa said the surge in cases seems to be linked to the spread of the delta variant. The newly imposed restrictions include a longer curfew, a ban on public gatherings for two weeks and a ban on alcohol sales. Just 4.49% of the country has received one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, with South Africa aiming to have 67% of the country vaccinated by Feb. 2022. South Africa imposes restrictions as third wave looms
On Sunday, officials in Massachusetts reported the lowest single-day coronavirus case count since last March, when the pandemic first began. According to The Boston Herald, the state reported just 31 new cases on Sunday, which breaks the previous low single-day case count of 33 cases — a number that was reported twice in the last two weeks. One death related to the virus was also reported on Sunday. Almost 4.2 million individuals in Massachusetts are fully vaccinated.
A new book presents a look into President Donald Trump’s battle with COVID-19, where some of his aides thought that the former president might not make it out of the hospital, The Hill reported. Hours after Trump tested positive for COVID-19, his fever spiked and his blood oxygen level fell below 94%, according to Nightmare Scenario: Inside the Trump Administration’s Response to the Pandemic That Changed History.
Authors Damian Paletta and Yasmeen Abutaleb, who are both Washington Post reporters, chronicle the way that aides rushed to find experimental treatment as Trump’s condition worsened. Two advisers said that the president was “gravely ill” and that they worried he “wouldn’t make it out of Walter Reed.”
Serena Williams will be skipping the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, The Associated Press reported. Williams did not give a reason but said she would not be playing. “There's a lot of reasons that I made my Olympic decision,” Williams said. “I don’t really want to — I don’t feel like going into them today. Maybe another day. Sorry.” Other premier tennis players, such as Rafael Nadal and Dominic Thiem, have said they too will skip the Olympic Games, which was postponed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Italians were able to go outside without masks after the country became a “low-risk” zone for the coronavirus, AFP reported. The country’s health ministry classified all 20 regions of the country as at the "white" level, which is the lowest risk level out of four categories. The eased mask guidelines are welcome news in the country, where a heat wave is on the way. "It's a kind of relief as it's very hot," local Salvatore Casuccio told AFP in central Rome. Many were still wearing masks Monday morning, AFP reported.
Young people in Greece will be getting paid to be inoculated. Greece is offering a $150 stipend to those 18-25 years old who receive at least one coronavirus vaccine dose by the end of the year, Reuters reported. The payment plan is part of an effort to boost vaccination rates in the country, with just 33% of Greece’s 11 million people fully vaccinated. "It's a debt to the youth, a gift out of gratitude," Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said. The money cannot be spent everywhere, though. The stipend can be used for travel expenses and for tickets to cultural sites,including but not limited to airplane tickets, car rentals, museums, and archeological sites, ABC News reported.
The third grand slam tournament of the tennis season is underway after a one-year absence. Due to the pandemic, Wimbledon was canceled in 2020. But, despite some early weather troubles, first-round play is currently underway at the All England Club and spectators are back as well, so long as they provide a negative COVID test, AFP reports. About 21,000 fans per day are allowed on the grounds per day since the event has been given test status by the U.K. government, AFP reported. One spectator, identified as Rosemary, said she had been attending the tournament since she was a student in the 1970s. "This has special resonance this year due to what happened in 2020," Rosemary, told AFP. Some more wet weather is in the forecast for the London area this week, according to AccuWeather forecasters. Matches held outdoors could be impacted.
The AccuWeather forecast for London from Tuesday through Thursday.
The AccuWeather forecast for London from Friday through Monday.
Close to 3,500 new coronavirus cases were reported across the U.S. on Sunday along with 75 deaths, but the seven-day positivity rate ticked up a bit to 1.97%. That figure is still under 2%, but as ABC News pointed out, there are three states in which vaccinations rates are low and cases are on the rise. Akransas, Arizona and Nevada have all seen new cases rise by almost 20 percent, according to ABC News. Meanwhile, only one state in the country has yet to report a case caused by the Delta variant: Missouri. Worldwide, the U.S. is now well behind the countries with the most new cases, after month upon month of being the world leader in that category. For more on the spread of the virus, watch the video below.
A slightly changed version of the Delta coronavirus variant, which is being called Delta Plus, is spreading across the U.S., U.K. and India, according to health officials. CNN reports that the new variant was first reported by Public Health England and has since garnered a lot of international attention. The Indian government has submitted samples of the variant to the Global Data System for genomic testing. Around 200 cases of the newly discovered variant have been reported across 11 countries so far, and one death in India has been linked to Delta Plus. "I know that globally there is currently a lot of concern about the Delta variant, and the WHO is concerned about it too," said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director general of the World Health Organization, on Friday. "Delta is the most transmissible of the variants identified so far.” According to the government in India, the Delta Pus variant may be more transmissible than the original Delta variant.
A healtcare worker prepares a dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at a vaccination site, in Arequipa, Peru, Saturday, June 26, 2021. Due to increased cases of COVID-19 and the Delta variant of the disease, the city is under a strict lockdown for 15 days beginning June 21. (AP Photo/Guadalupe Pardo)
Sydney, Australia, entered a hard two-week lockdown on Saturday night in an attempt to contain an outbreak of the Delta coronavirus variant that continues to rapidly spread. The lockdown already applied to over one million people living in the eastern suburbs and downtown areas of the city, but officials decided to expand the lockdown beyond the initial areas, CNN reported. The new lockdown also includes areas surrounding Sydney, including the regions of Blue Mountains, Central Coast and Wollongong.
A study published in the journal Science Translational Medicine reveals that the early months of the pandemic held more infections than previously thought. Though the use of a mail-in test kit to find COVID-19 antibodies, the researchers were able to analyze a wide array of individuals across the U.S. who may have been infected with the virus but gone undetected, The Los Angeles Times reported. “We had samples from Alaska, we had samples from Hawaii,” Kaitlyn Sadtler, an immunologist and bioengineer and one of the paper's senior authors, said. “If a delivery truck can make it to your house, we could get a sample from you.” The study revealed that for every confirmed infection, about five more had gone undetected. The study also found that women were more likely than men to have antibodies present, Black Americans had the highest rate of past infection out of any race and the longest adult participants had the highest prevalence of antibodies. Residents in urban areas and in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic were also more likely to have antibodies than residents living in rural areas or other regions of the U.S.
Here are the latest global coronavirus numbers provided by researchers at Johns Hopkins University:
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Confirmed cases: 180,702,985
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Deaths: 3,915,106
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Vaccine doses administered: 2,850,224,491
The coronavirus pandemic has bolstered some confidence previously lost in media across the world and has steered news companies more toward digital platforms, according to the annual Reuters Institute report published Wednesday.The report found that confidence in news reporting has risen six points, up to 44% since the start of the pandemic, according to AFP. The data was based on a series of opinion polls previously conducted by YouGov, which included more than 92,000 participants across 46 countries.Finland saw the highest rates of trust at 65% while the U.S. saw its rates fall to the lowest among the countries surveyed at 29%. The lead author Nic Newman said that the focus on the pandemic may have made the news seem more straightforward, possibly leaving out more partisan political news. “This may be a temporary effect, but in almost all countries we see audiences placing a greater premium on accurate and reliable news sources,” Newman said.
The number of babies born annually across the U.S. was already starting to decline leading up to the coronavirus pandemic, but a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that pandemic accelerated the downward trend. According to CNN, the birth rate fell by 4% in 2020. This was "the largest annual decline in the number of births since 1973," the CDC report said. The biggest declines were observed in California, New York, Hawaii, West Virginia and New Mexico. Nearly half of 2021 is over, but it is still unclear if this year will pan out the same as 2020. "Evaluation of trends in births by month will continue to determine whether these declines continued into 2021 or were unique to 2020 during the time of the initial COVID-19 pandemic,” researchers said in the report.
The first cases of COVID-19 likely emerged in China between early October and mid-November of 2019, according to an analysis published Thursday by PLOS Pathogens. The virus likely originated on November 17, 2019, which is earlier than the first officially identified case more than a month later, UPI reported. The first case in the United States likely occurred as early as mid-January 2020, according to the analysis. "Our findings provide further support for an autumn emergence of the virus [and], by mid-January, it had spread within Southeast Asia and jumped to Europe and North America," study co-author David L. Roberts told UPI in an email.
Just 28 cases of the coronavirus were discovered after nine-large scale events in the United Kingdom were studied to assess how COVID-19 was transmitted, the BBC reported. Event attendees were required to provide a negative rapid COVID-19 test before entering and also asked to take a PCR test both before and after each event. Just over 58,000 people attended the indoor and outdoor events. However, just 26-31% of attendees returned a PCR test, and the report says the conclusions should be “interpreted with extreme caution.” At the time of the study, community prevalence of the virus was low, and the Delta variant, which is now dominant in the U.K., is more contagious. The report did not come to a conclusion on reopening mass events.
State parks across New Jersey are as popular as ever this year, and the uptick in attendance directly relates to the uptick in vaccinations. In May, Gov. Phil Murphy announced that any resident who gets at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine by Independence Day could get a park pass that grants free entry into any of the state parks in New Jersey, The Associated Press reported. Typically, the state’s Department of Environmental Protection sells about 5,000 annual passes for $50 each, but more than 100,000 people have signed up for the free pass after getting vaccinated. “I think that’s so important for children to be in fresh air,” Jersey City resident Afaf Muhammad told the AP. “(City) parks aren’t really nature reserves like a state park would be.” With more people headed to the state parks, visitors are encouraged to arrive earlier in the day to beat the crowds and to be guaranteed a parking spot before parking lots reach capacity.
Regional governments across Russia are obligating some workers to get vaccinated and are requiring vaccination to enter some businesses, The Associated Press reported. Starting Monday, all Moscow restaurants, cafes and bars will only admit the vaccinated, those recovered from a COVID-19 infection within the last six months or those who can prove they tested negative for COVID-19 in the last three days. Russia is currently in the midst of a surge in coronavirus infections, with daily new case numbers rising from around 9,000 in early June to over 20,000 Friday. Russian officials have blamed infectious variants and a lax attitude towards safety precautions for the spike. Just 14% of Russia’s 146 million people have received at least one shot of a vaccine, with 11% fully vaccinated.
Washington is one of several states offering the opportunity to win cash and prizes for getting vaccinated, including one-quarter of a million dollars. On Thursday, Gov. Jay Inslee handed over a $250,000 check to this week’s winner, Marissa P., who is a pre-nursing student at Washington State University, KING5 reported. Marissa spoke at a press conference after accepting the life-changing money. “As a pre-nursing student, I am deeply concerned about the health and wellbeing of all people, and I strongly encourage everyone who hasn’t yet taken the time to get their shots to please do so,” she said. “I’m still amazed that it’s real and feel very blessed.” Over 250 other prizes were available during this week’s vaccine lottery, including travel vouchers on Alaska Airlines, video game systems and scholarships, KING5 said.
Portugal's Prime Minister Antonio Costa removes his protective face mask during a news conference at the end of an EU summit at the European Council building in Brussels, Friday, June 25, 2021. EU leaders discussed the economic challenges the bloc faces due to coronavirus restrictions and will review progress on their banking union and capital markets union. (Johanna Geron/Pool Photo via AP)
The World Health Organization is urging fully vaccinated people around the world to continue to wear masks and social distance, CNBC reported. The WHO's recommendation comes as the highly contagious delta variant continues to cause trouble in many countries. The variant stalled lockdown-easing measures in the U.K. recently and caused Sydney, Australia's largest city, to go back into a one-week lockdown. It also caused Israeli officials to reintroduce an indoor mask mandate only 10 days after lifting it.
“People cannot feel safe just because they had the two doses. They still need to protect themselves,” Dr. Mariangela Simao, WHO assistant-director general for access to medicines and health products, said according to CNBC. “Vaccine alone won’t stop community transmission,” Simao added. “People need to continue to use masks consistently, be in ventilated spaces, hand hygiene ... the physical distance, avoid crowding. This still continues to be extremely important, even if you’re vaccinated when you have a community transmission ongoing.”
A coach and an athlete on the Ugandan Olympics team have tested positive for the coronavirus after arriving in Japan for the upcoming Summer Games, Reuters reported. The coach who arrived last Saturday reportedly tested positive for the highly infectious delta variant, while additional testing is ongoing to determine if the player tested positive for the variant as well. The news of the positive cases fueled ongoing criticism about the decision to hold the games amid the pandemic. Tokyo record 570 new cases on Thursday, up from 452 one week earlier, Reuters said.
Many holiday festivities last December were postponed or canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, but six months later with cases down and vaccinations up, some are taking the time now to enjoy what they missed. Taking a few steps into The Greyhound Inn in Penkhull, Staffordshire, is like taking a step back to Christmas as the pub offers customers what they missed in December, the BBC reported. Over 200 people booked reservations to enjoy a turkey dinner with all the fixings while sitting in a Christmas-themed atmosphere. "It is a little bizarre the getting decorations out, but the pub looks very nice," Landlord Allan Webb told the BBC. "Everyone missed out in December because of Covid and the government rules so we thought that safest way to do it was to do it six months later,” he added. Not only are the customers enjoying the temporary theme, but so are the people who work at the pub. The popularity of this unique experience is giving The Greyhound Inn good business after struggling to get by during the worst of the pandemic. "Pubs have been hit so hard... we managed to survive, many haven't, but financially we've have taken a big hit,” Webb said.
The positivity rate in the United States has once again risen above 2%, according to Johns Hopkins University figures. The U.S. reported more than 12,800 coronavirus cases and 341 coronavirus deaths on Friday. New cases are rising in Texas, Missouri, California, Arizona and Colorado. Colorado and Missouri are dealing with a surge in cases related to the highly contagious Delta variant. For more data on how the virus is spreading worldwide, watch the video below.
Israel's government informed citizens on Friday that masks are now required once again in indoor settings thanks to a surge of cases linked to the Delta variant, Reuters reported. The only exception to the rule is when people are at home. The government had lifted the indoor mask requirement only 10 days ago. However, new infections surged to 138 this week even as the country continues its "rapid" vaccination pace, Reuters said. About 55% of Israel's 9.3 million residents have been fully inoculated with the Pfizer vaccine. Due to the spread and contagiousness of the Delta variant, Israel’s pandemic response coordinator, Nachman Ash, said that the country wouldn't achieve herd immunity until 80% of the population was vaccinated. Previously he had put the number at 75%.
Downtown Sydney and its eastern suburbs began a one-week lockdown Friday at midnight as authorities push to contain a spike in cases of the COVID-19 Delta variant, Reuters reported. Those who live or have worked in the four local government council areas within the past two weeks have been ordered to stay home, with the exemption of urgent matters. The Australian Medical Association maintained the move was not enough, instead calling for a lockdown of all of Sydney. “We don’t want to see this situation linger for weeks, we would like to see this situation end sooner rather than later,” state premier Gladys Berejiklian said.
Eight billion dollars in federal grants will be distributed between airports across the nation to help them recover from the pandemic, ABC News reported. A large cut of the $8 billion — about 6.5 billion — will go toward big airports with commercial airline service. Another 800 million will be directed to offer rent relief to companies that offer concessions at the airports. Airports are required to keep at least 90% of the staff they had before the pandemic to receive one of these grants. The Federal Aviation Administration said that the grants would stretch across several hundred airports, including $175.7 million for Seattle-Tacoma International, $115 million for Philadelphia International, $74.3 million for Daniel K. Inouye International in Honolulu and $50.6 million for Raleigh-Durham International in North Carolina, ABC News reported.
The Biden administration issued a 30-day extension to the temporary halt in residential evictions, the CDC announced on Thursday. Originally, the eviction moratorium, implemented due to the pandemic, was scheduled to expire on June 30, AXIOS reported. The new extension will expire on July 31. “Keeping people in their homes and out of crowded or congregate settings — like homeless shelters — by preventing evictions is a key step in helping to stop the spread of COVID-19,” the CDC said.
First-time filings for unemployed insurance remained over an elevated 40,000 last week, missing the estimated mark. While the 411,000 claims were less than the previous total of 418,000, the second week in a row to stay above 400,000, Dow Jones had previously estimated it falling to 380,000, the Labor Department reported Thursday. The current level of initial claims is about double where it had been priorate the pandemic, according to CNBC News. Pennsylvania showed the biggest increase in claims at 14,523 while Illinois and California have both seen substantial declines, according to the news outlet.
Australia’s New South Wales reported its third consecutive double-digit rise in new, local COVID-19 cases, Channel News Asia reported. The increase in cases comes as officials in the region fight to contain an outbreak of the COVID-19 Delta variant. Australia has reported about 30,400 COVID-19 cases and 910 deaths since the start of the pandemic. "...This is perhaps the scariest period that New South Wales is going through," state Premier Gladys Berejiklian told reporters in Sydney.
Japan's Emperor Naruhito said Thursday that he is "extremely worried" that the upcoming Tokyo Summer Olympics and subsequent Paralympic games could worsen the spread of the coronavirus in the country, The Associated Press reported. The emperor's concerns were relayed by Yasuhiko Nishimura, grand steward of the Imperial Household Agency, during a news conference. "His majesty is extremely worried about the current situation of the COVID-19 infections," Nishimura said. "While there are voices of unease among the public, I believe [the emperor] is concerned that holding the Olympics and Paralympics ... may lead to the expansion of the infections," The Associated Press reported. The emperor is scheduled to serve as "Honorary Patron" for the Olympics and Paralympics. The highly scrutinized Olympics will get underway on July 23 and the Paralympics will get started on Aug. 24.
More than 151 million Americans are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, but hospitals across the country still have patients suffering from the virus. A recent analysis by The Associated Press found that only 0.1% of patients hospitalized due to COVID-19 have been vaccinated. “Nearly every death, especially among adults, due to COVID-19, is, at this point, entirely preventable,” CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said. According to the CDC, nearly two out of every three people in the U.S. that is 12 or older have had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. Vermont leads with way with more people per capita inoculated than any other state.
People looking forward to getting inoculated on Thursday at a vaccine center in Tuebingen, Germany, will need to reschedule after the location was flooded amid a severe thunderstorm. The storm hit late on Wednesday and brought more than just flooding downpours. Five injuries were reported after hailstones as large as tennis balls pelted the area, The Associated Press said. Thousands were also left in the dark after winds knocked over trees that lead to property damage and widespread disruptions.
After nearly 300 days, 43 positive tests and seven trips to the hospital, Dave, a resident of Bristol, U.K., has recovered from COVID-19. Scientists are now studying the 72-year-old man after having the longest-known infection of COVID-19 in the world, the BBC reported. Dave said that he lost 140 pounds over the span of 10 months due to the infection. “At one time I coughed for five hours non-stop,” Dave told the BBC. “I was ready to give up.” Doctors eventually were able to treat him with anti-viral drugs that helped his body finally defeat the virus.
Watch the video below to hear Dave tell his story:
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that New York’s COVID-19 state of emergency will be allowed to expire Thursday, Bloomberg reported. CDC guidelines will still need to be followed, including but not limited to wearing masks on public transit, in certain healthcare settings and for unvaccinated individuals. “Emergency is over,” Cuomo said. “It’s a new chapter – doesn’t mean there won’t be challenges for the new chapter – but the emergency is over.” Watch the video below for more.
FILE - In this Feb. 8, 2021 file photo a sign is displayed at a COVID-19 vaccine site in the Bayview neighborhood of San Francisco. San Francisco city workers will be required to be vaccinated against the coronavirus when a vaccine receives full federal approval. The policy covering 35,000 municipal workers may be the first by any city or county in the U.S., the San Francisco Chronicle reported Wednesday, June 23. (AP Photo/Haven Daley,File)
The city of San Francisco will require all 35,000 of its employees to undergo COVID-19 vaccination, The New York Times reported. The city is one of the largest municipalities in the U.S. to mandate the vaccine for public workers. Those who don’t meet the mandate’s requirements risk losing their jobs. The mandate will take effect once the COVID-19 vaccine is fully authorized by the Food and Drug Administration. Currently, vaccines are being used under an emergency authorization. “We believe this step is a simple one to take. It’s safe, it’s very effective, and it’s going to guarantee the safety of all,” said Carol Isen, San Francisco’s director of human resources.
After receiving the first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine back in April, German Chancellor Angela Merkel elected to be inoculated with the Moderna vaccine for her second dose, which was administered this week, the BBC said. Coronavirus vaccines developed by Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca all require two doses for an individual to be considered fully vaccinated. Recently, some health experts have said that getting one dose of two different vaccines may be better than two doses of one vaccine. Mixing vaccines like this could lead to longer-lasting immunity, the BBC reported.
CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky told ABC’s “Good Morning America” that the benefits of vaccinating teens against COVID-19 outweigh the risk of “rare, but mild” myocarditis. Walensky said that vaccinating 1 million 12-17 year olds over the next four months could yield 30-40 cases of mild myocarditis, but it could also avert 8,000 COVID-19 cases, 200 hospitalizations, 50 ICU stays and one death. The CDC recommends that everyone 12 and older should get a COVID-19 vaccination. Walensky added that the American Heart Association cosigned the vaccination recommendation. See more below:
The U.S. tallied nearly 12,500 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday with the positivity rate staying below 2%, according to data gathered by Johns Hopkins University. The new infections were slightly higher than the seven-day average, which is nearly 11,300 cases per day, according to the CDC. Texas was the only state in the country to count more than 1,000 new cases on Wednesday, followed by California, which reported 915 new cases. Watch the video below for more information about the spread of the virus across the country and around the globe.
The record for the biggest opening weekend for a movie since the pandemic began could be broken over this weekend amid loosening coronavirus restrictions and low infection rates across the country. A Quiet Place Part II, which hit the big screen last month, currently holds the record of $48 million, but a blockbuster is on track to speed past that mark this weekend, CNBC said. The ninth film in the Fast and furious franchise, F9, is set to hit theaters this weekend, with ticket sales on pace to reach $60 million. CNBC said that this is below opening weekend benchmarks set by past films in the franchise, but it would be a pandemic best. “Any movie that opens with more than $40 million, that’s a good number,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore.
An experimental prostate cancer drug improved the survival of hospitalized COVID-19 patients in a clinical trial in Brazil, Reuters reported Wednesday. The study on proxalutamide, a drug being developed by Kintor Pharmaceuticals, has not been peer-reviewed. In the study, 645 COVID-19 patients in a Brazilian hospital were given the drug or a placebo and standard care. Recovery rates were 81.4% for those who got the drug and 35.7% for those who got the placebo and standard care. Nearly half of those in the placebo group died, while only 11% of those who took the drug died.
Researchers in the the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases will observe and evaluate the immune response to the COVID-19 vaccine in pregnant and postpartum people, according to a press release from the organization. The researchers will measure the development of antibodies against the virus in people vaccinated during pregnancy or in their first two postpartum months. Researchers will also investigate the transfer of antibodies to infants through breast milk and the placenta.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, who leads the NIAID said that the study’s results can fill gaps in knowledge and inform policy, as well as decision-making at the personal level. “Tens of thousands of pregnant and breastfeeding people in the United States have chosen to receive the COVID-19 vaccines available under emergency use authorization. However, we lack robust, prospective clinical data on vaccination in these populations,” Fauci said.
Colombia reached 100,000 confirmed coronavirus deaths this week, The Associated Press reported Wednesday. The country is the 10th in the world to mark the grim milestone. Cases in Colombia have been increasing since April and over the past seven days, the country reached the world’s third-highest per capita COVID-19 death rate, according to data published by Oxford University. President Iván Duque attributed the deaths to antigovernment protests that began at the end of April, saying that “more than 1,000 deaths could have been avoided” if there weren’t any large protests. But epidemiologists say it’s too early to measure the impact of the protests on the virus’s spread. “The protests definitely played a role” in coronavirus contagion, said Diego Rosselli, an epidemiology professor at Javeriana University in Bogota. “But at this moment putting any number on how many deaths they caused is mere speculation.”
The coronavirus pandemic and subsequent recovery efforts helped to widen the global wealth gap, helping to create 5.2 new millionaires, The Guardian reported. Lower interest rates are primarily credited for increases in wealth. The United States gained the most millionaires, with more than 1,730,000 Americans seeing their wealth cross the $1 million mark. The number of millionaires fell in some countries, including Brazil, India and Russia. More than 56.1 million people are millionaires worldwide, more than 1% of the global population. More than 41,000 people joined the exclusive club of those with assets worth more than $50 million. Millionaires hold 48% of the global wealth, while those making less than $100,000 hold 15%, despite making up 87.8% of the global population.
Japan’s daily COVID-19 vaccination rate reached a milestone of 1 million, according to government data. The figure represents a threshold set by Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga meant to ensure that the elderly population is vaccinated by the end of July, Reuters reported. The prime minister hopes to vaccinate all adults by November. The country’s vaccination campaign, which began in mid-February, includes vaccination sites at workplaces. Only 18% of the country's population have been vaccinated, according to a Reuters tracker.
Nurse Practitioner Amber Vitale inoculates Stanley Pena, 13, with the first dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at the Mount Sinai South Nassau Vaxmobile parked at the De La Salle School, Friday, May 14, 2021, in Freeport, N.Y. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)
A CDC safety group on Wednesday revealed that there's a "likely association" between a rare type of heart inflammation in young people after they've received a second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, CNBC reported. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices published slides during its meeting on Wednesday that indicated there have been more than 1,200 cases of myocarditis or pericarditis in people 30 and under who were inoculated with the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, CNBC said. The group said there have been 827 reported cases of either disease after two doses through June 11 while more than 200 occurred after the first dosage. There were another 132 cases where it's unknown how many doses were taken. Roughly 300 million shots had been administered as of that date, CNBC reported. Myocarditis is inflammation of the heart muscle, and pericarditis is inflammation of the outer lining of the heart,the CDC states. “Clinical presentation of myocarditis cases following vaccination has been distinct, occurring most often within one week after dose two, with chest pain as the most common presentation,” said Dr. Grace Lee, the chair of the safety group, according to CNBC.
Deaths among Medicare patients in nursing homes rocketed by 32% last year as COVID-19 devastated the facilities, a government watchdog reported Tuesday. The Associated Press called the report “the most comprehensive look yet at the ravages of COVID-19.” The report, produced by the inspector general of the Department of Health and Human Services, found that 4 in 10 Medicare recipients in nursing homes contracted or likely contracted the novel coronavirus. Deaths jumped by 169,291 as compared to the previous year. “We knew this was going to be bad, but I don’t think even those of us who work in this area thought it was going to be this bad,” Harvard health policy professor David Grabowski told the AP.
Spectators at the Tokyo Olympics will be barred from hugging, cheering, drinking alcohol and receiving autographs, according to rules released by event organizers. Seiko Hashimoto, the president of the Tokyo Olympics Organizing Committee, warned that festivities “will have to be suppressed," according to AFP. Hashimoto added that spectators should not expect the Olympics to embody the same festive mood as the Euro 2020, which is currently underway. "In Europe, the venues are filled with celebration," Hashimoto said. "Unfortunately, we may not be able to do the same."
Morgan Stanley will not allow unvaccinated employees and clients in the bank’s New York offices, Reuters reported Tuesday. Those who are not fully vaccinated will need to work remotely. The new policy, which also lifts face covering and social distancing restrictions, is set to go into effect on July 12. Morgan Stanley had already required vaccinations in some divisions, Reuters reported.
The United States reported more than 10,900 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday as case numbers continue to decrease, according to Johns Hopkins University figures. The percent positivity ratio remains below 1.80%. Exactly 370 deaths were reported on Tuesday. According to Johns Hopkins University figures, new cases are rising in Texas, California, Missouri, Arkansas and Arizona. Globally, cases were highest in Brazil, which reported more than 87,800 cases on Tuesday. For more data on how the virus is spreading worldwide, watch the video below.
Colorado health officials say that the highly contagious and more severe Delta variant is now making up 40% of new coronavirus cases in Colorado, 9News Denver reported. Colorado is only behind Missouri when it comes to Delta variant prevalence. Nationally, the Delta variant makes up roughly 10% of all cases. Colorado officials are continuing to urge the importance of getting vaccinated as the Delta variant spreads across the state and the United States. "Vaccines continue to be highly effective," State Epidemiologist Dr. Rachel Herlihy said. "We continue to see high levels of effectiveness for all age groups in the state."
Nearly 900 Secret Service employees tested positive for the novel coronavirus, according to government records obtained by a watchdog group. Records show that 881 people on the agency’s payroll were diagnosed with COVID-19 between March 1, 2020, and March 9, 2021, according to the documents obtained by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. More than half of those infected worked in the special agent division, which is responsible for protecting the president, vice president and their families among others, The Associated Press reported.
Studies from the CDC suggest that lower vaccination rates among young people and vaccine hesitancy among lower-income communities could be slowing America’s vaccine rollout. One study showed that 57% of adults received at least one vaccine dose, while only about 38% of those aged 18-29 had gotten a shot. Nearly 25% of young people said they “probably or definitely would not get vaccinated,” USA Today reported. This demographic was most concerned about the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine, a second study showed.
Adults aged 18-24, as well as non-Hispanic Black adults and those with lower educational attainment and lower incomes, showed some of the lowest reported vaccination coverage and intent to get vaccinated, according to a CDC study.
In a new push to vaccinate people in one of the most populated countries globally, health officials in India have ramped up the rate of inoculations. On Monday, more than 8 million people across India received a dose of a coronavirus vaccine, a new record for the country, according to the BBC. “The vaccine remains our strongest weapon to fight COVID-19,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said. “Congratulations to those who got vaccinated and kudos to all the front-line warriors working hard to ensure so many citizens got the vaccine.” Currently, only 5% of the population of India is fully vaccinated, but the uptick in inoculations will help boost this number in the coming weeks.
While 8 million doses in one day is an impressive feat, it is well short of the global record. China currently holds the single-day vaccination record after administering 20.8 million doses in one day, the BBC reported. For comparison, the U.S. had administered 318.5 million doses of coronavirus vaccines since December, with 150 million Americans considered fully vaccinated, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.
North Korea has identified dozens of flu-like cases and “severe acute respiratory infections,” according to the World Health Organization. The country has claimed that it’s “virus-free,” but it could be testing a small number of people who could be showing symptoms, according to UPI. North Korea continues to ban all foreign travelers. All visitors admitted to the country must quarantine for 30 days.
An aviation firm in India is testing drone deliveries, which could be used to transport medicine and COVID-19 vaccines to remote areas, AFP reported. The firm is one of 20 that have been granted permits from the Indian government to conduct experimental flights. Meanwhile, drones were used to deliver PPE and medical supplies in North Carolina last year, The Verge reported. Before the pandemic, researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine created a drone that transported a kidney to a woman who was on dialysis, according to The New York Times.
Watch the video here:
Italian Health Minister Roberto Speranza announced that outdoor mask wearing requirements will be lifted in almost all of Italy on June 28, AFP reported. Outdoor mask requirements will be lifted in “white zones,” where coronavirus case numbers are low and ICU admissions due to COVID-19 do not threaten to overwhelm hospitals. All regions but the Aosta Valley, a small region in the northwest of Italy, are listed as white zones. Italians will still be required to wear their masks indoors and on public transportation. Just under 30% of Italians aged 12 and older are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus.
India’s Buddhist monasteries have been hit hard by the coronavirus, with many monks testing positive, the BBC reported. More than 300 monks have tested positive in Sikkim state and many of the state’s 200 monasteries are on lockdown. Tenpai Nima, a monk at Gonjang Monastery, said his monastery decided to do mass testing after one monk died. “Sixty-four out of the 85 monks here tested positive,” Nima said. Monks study, eat, cook, and dorm together, making containing an outbreak difficult. At the Nyingma Institute, more than 128 monks, including students as young as six, tested positive for the virus. Watch the video below for more.
The Biden administration will admit that it will likely fall short of President Joe Biden’s goal of having at least 70% of American adults receive at least one vaccine dose by July 4, NBC reported. Instead, Jeffery Zients, the head of the White House COVID-19 response team, will announce that 70 percent of Americans 30 and older have received at least one dose and that 70 percent of those 27 and older will have received at least one dose by the Fourth of July. Zients is also expected to concede that it will take additional weeks to get younger American adults vaccinated. “The reality is, many younger Americans have felt like Covid-19 is not something that impacts them and have been less eager to get the shot,” Zients is expected to say, according to advance remarks obtained by NBC.
In this March 9, 2021, photo, Liana Fonseca looks away as she receives the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine in Miami. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier, File) (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier, File)
Despite missing its goal, the administration plans to take credit for returning the nation to a pre-pandemic normal. “What really matters is what the country feels like and what Americans are safely able to do,” a senior administration official said, noting that restaurants and schools have been able to reopen. Coronavirus cases in the U.S. continue to decrease, with just 12,388 cases reported yesterday, according to Johns Hopkins University.
Jason Kelk, who was believed to be the United Kingdon's longest-known coronavirus patient, died last Friday at the age of 49, The Guardian reported. Kelk contracted the disease last March and was admitted to St. James's University Hospital in Leeds. His wife, Sue Kelk, wrote in a Facebook post last Friday that Jason "passed away peacefully." Kelk had Type 2 diabetes and asthma and was transferred to intensive care last April until he was eventually moved into hospice care, The Guardian reported. Prior to his death, Kelk gave an interview to the Yorkshire Evening Post in March where he expressed a desire to return home and enjoy fish and chips with his wife while watching television. “My family is what kept me fighting. It would have been a very different year without them there,” Kelk told the Post, according to The Guardian. Watch the video below for more.
It is too early to tell whether booster shots will be needed against the coronavirus or variants of concern, Bloomberg reported. Soumya Swaminathan, the chief scientist for the World Health Organization, says studies of those who have been vaccinated and those who gained natural immunity by being infected show the immune response against COVID-19 is lasting.“There may be a subgroup of people where the immunity starts to wane,” Swaminathan said. These subgroups of concern, which include the elderly and immunocompromised, may benefit more from a booster shot. Watch the video below for more.
Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte said in a televised address Monday night that citizens who refused COVID-19 vaccinations should leave the country or face the risk of jail time, The Associated Press reported. “Don’t get me wrong. There is a crisis being faced in this country. There is a national emergency. If you don’t want to get vaccinated, I’ll have you arrested and I’ll inject the vaccine in your butt,” Duterte said.“If you will not agree to be vaccinated, leave the Philippines. Go to India if you want or somewhere, to America,” he said, according to the AP. Duterte's comments raised concerns from Edre Olalia, a human rights lawyer, who said the president could not order the arrest of an individual who had not committed a crime. Menardo Guevarra, the Philippines' justice secretary, told the AP that there is no law that criminalizes refusal to get vaccinated. “I believe that the president merely used strong words to drive home the need for us to get vaccinated and reach herd immunity as soon as possible,” Guevarra said. The country has counted more than 1.3 million cases and more than 23,000 deaths during the pandemic, according to Johns Hopkins University.
Another 42,640 coronavirus cases were recorded in India on Monday, according to Johns Hopkins University figures, pushing the country's cumulative caseload to almost 30 million. The death toll in India stood at more than 389,000 as of Tuesday morning, third-most in the world behind Brazil, which recently reached 500,000 fatalities, and the U.S. However, caseloads in the U.S. are going in the opposite direction -- a little more than 12,000 new cases were reported across the country on Monday and the seven-day positivity rate inched down to 1.78%. Another 268 fatalities pushed the U.S. death toll above the 602,000 mark. For more data on how the virus is spreading around the country and the world, watch the video below.
Prompted by COVID-19 deaths, young people in India are purchasing life insurance at higher rates than in previous months. In April and May, the number of Indians aged 25-35 buying term insurance was 30% higher than in months prior, Reuters reported. "The current pandemic has led to higher awareness around the need for financial protection and the inadequacy of the current insurance coverage," Niraj Shah, chief financial officer of HDFC Life Insurance, told Reuters.
India has reported 380,000 coronavirus deaths -- the third-highest death toll in the world after the U.S. and Brazil, Reuters reported. Experts say this metric is underestimated due to low levels of COVID-19 tests.
Research suggests that less vaccinated areas are at risk of the Delta variant, CNN reported Monday. Scientists at Helix discovered that the variant is rising in counties with fewer vaccinated residents. Models suggest that the Delta variant could peak in the fall, but the distribution across states varies, said Scott Gottlieb, former commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration. Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas and Missouri each show substantial upticks in infections, Gottlieb added.
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