New Delhi: The coronavirus pandemic continues to ravage countries across the globe. According to Worldometer, the current count stands at 19,34,25,474 cases and 41,51,725 deaths.
The Delta variant is pushing up the number of cases in several countries. Australia has few takers for the AstraZeneca vaccine and a huge demand for Pfizer, which is in short supply. Myanmar is depending on China for 2 million doses of its vaccine as its border areas see a rise in infections. Israel goes back to restrictions despite a strong vaccination drive as cases rise.
Australians unwilling to take AstraZeneca vaccine
Owing to the Delta variant, coronavirus cases in parts of Australia are on the rise. The president of the Australian Medical Association, Dr Omar Khorshid, has urged the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation to recommend the AstraZeneca vaccine for more age groups, underlining that lockdown measures are no longer enough to contain the spread.
Currently, Pfizer is being administered to those between the age of 16 and 60 given the cases of severe clotting linked to AstraZeneca. “In my view, we need to revisit the recommendation for AstraZeneca around young Australians because, at the moment, that is the vaccine that is most available. But we can’t get that into arms more quickly if people are not willing to have it,” Dr Khorshid said, as reported by The Guardian.
Pfizer is in short supply but high demand, while AstraZeneca has been receiving negative publicity owing to cases of clotting.
“[Health minister] Brad Hazzard said it clearly yesterday; just 50 people had turned up to one mass vaccination centre in one day for AstraZeneca, while 9,000 got Pfizer. So the demand for AstraZeneca isn’t there,” Dr Khorshid said.
There are currently 32,588 cases in Australia and 10,730 deaths. The country has fully vaccinated 11.8 per cent of the population.
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Latin America deals with ‘pandemic of unvaccinated’
Vaccination figures remain abysmally low in Latin America and the Caribbean, with just 15 per cent of the population being fully vaccinated. However, some good news comes from Uruguay, Chile and Argentina who have reported a steady decline in cases, having made considerable headway in their inoculation drive.
“We face a pandemic of the unvaccinated and the only way to stop it is to expand vaccination. Vaccines are critical, even if no vaccine is 100 per cent effective,” Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) director Carissa Etienne said during a weekly briefing, the Al Jazeera reported.
The situation is considerably worse in Honduras and Haiti where vaccination figures have not even reached 1 per cent of the population. While the Americas are expected to receive 3.7 million doses under the COVAX mechanism — a worldwide initiative aimed at equitable access to Covid-19 vaccines — PAHO is working closely with the United States to ensure timely and smooth delivery.
As of now, there are 379,911 cases in Uruguay, 16,04,713 in Chile, 48,12,351 in Argentina, 2,85,375 in Honduras and 19,762 in Haiti.
China to send 2 million doses to virus-struck Myanmar
To tackle a growing number of cases in its border areas, Myanmar is relying on 2 million doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, Sinopharm, from China. The country has been witnessing a surge in cases, beginning in June. Currently, 2,53,364 cases and over 6,000 deaths have been recorded.
“Medics and funeral services say the real toll is far higher, and the outbreak has also been linked to scores of new cases in China’s Yunnan province that borders Myanmar,” a Reuters report notes.
China’s ambassador in Myanmar Chen Hai took to his Facebook page to underline the spike in cases around the China-Myanmar border and hoped for effective cooperation between the two countries to help curb the spread.
The United Nations has also taken cognisance of the rise in cases and has ensured to step up efforts to arrest the dangerous spike. It assured Myanmar that it would receive enough vaccines to inoculate 20 per cent of its population this year via the COVAX facility.
Israel planning Green Pass for entry into public places
Despite a rapid vaccination drive that brought down infection rates significantly, Israel has begun placing restrictions to tackle a rapid increase in Covid-19 cases. It is allowing only those immune to Covid-19 or with a negative report into public places such as restaurants, gyms and synagogues.
“The easing of restrictions included dropping a ‘Green Pass’ programme that had allowed only people who had been vaccinated or recovered from COVID-19 to enter some public spaces,” according to an Al Jazeera report.
The Delta variant has forced authorities to become more vigilant as they put in place older measures of masks being mandatory indoors and a stricter entry requirement for incoming travellers. Those coming from the UK, Georgia, Cyprus, Turkey, South Africa, India and Mexico will not be allowed to enter the country without special authorisation.
“The (Green Pass) will apply to cultural and sporting events, gyms, restaurants and dining halls, conferences, tourist attractions and houses of worship,” the Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s office said in a statement after a meeting of his ‘coronavirus cabinet’. The Pass will be mandatory for entry into public places and will come into effect after 29 July pending government approval.
Israel has recorded 856,986 cases and 6,457 deaths till now.
What else we are reading:
Singapore’s return to tighter rules raises the question: what does living with Covid-19 really mean?: South China Morning Post
‘Not Out of the Woods’: C.D.C. Issues Warning to the Unvaccinated: New York Times
(Edited by Paramita Ghosh)
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