New Delhi: The Covid-19 pandemic continues to worry the world as cases remain high amid ongoing vaccination drives. The current count stands at 22,54,83,792 cases and 46,44,261 deaths.
While Italy offered aid in the form of AstraZeneca vaccine donations to pandemic-stricken Iraq, the South African president announced a vaccine passport policy and Bangladesh reopened its schools after a gap of 18 months.
Italy donates over 1 lakh AstraZeneca doses to Iraq
Iraq received 1,00,800 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine from Italy Sunday via the Covid-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) sharing programme, according to a report by UNICEF.
This batch of doses forms part of Italy’s overall pledge of 15 million vaccine doses to the COVAX programme, in addition to the country’s previous pledge of $470 million to the Gavi COVAX Advance Market Commitment, UNICEF said.
According to TV channel, France24, this is the third vaccine dose delivery Iraq has received thanks to COVAX, as the public health system of the war-torn nation struggles to contain the spread of Covid-19.
Iraq has reported 19,50,765 cases and 21,496 deaths overall.
Also read: Covid-19 pandemic — UK may stock up 210 mn surplus doses & Tunisia vaccinates 500K in a day
South Africa president announces vaccine passports
In a televised nationwide address Sunday, South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa announced his government’s plans to introduce Covid vaccine passports to be used as proof of vaccination, Africanews reports.
Ramaphosa said that ensuring the immunisation of South Africa’s eligible adult population is a necessity before it fully reopens the country, a move that could also prevent a fourth Covid wave, Africanews added.
“The Department of Health is looking at a variety of mechanisms they have in other countries to either do it electronically, through a cell phone, which can be used as evidence of vaccination for various purposes and events,” the president had stated, according to Eyewitness News, another South African news website.
South Africa has recorded 28,58,195 cases and 84,877 deaths in total.
Bangladesh reopens schools after 18 months
Students in Bangladesh attended school in person again after being away for 543 days as the government reopened schools Sunday onwards, said an Al Jazeera report.
Government sources stated that 97 per cent of school teachers and staff needed to be vaccinated in order to make a safe reopening possible, Al Jazeera added.
However, according to Bangladeshi newspaper The Daily Star, Education Minister Dipu Moni criticised parents for not adhering to health guidelines, while crediting students for doing so, and threatened to take strict action against any education institution found to be flouting the rules.
Bangladesh has recorded 15,30,413 cases and 26,931 deaths since the start of the pandemic.
What else we’re reading
Economic costs accumulate as countries worried by Delta variant extend border closures: The Wall Street Journal
Denmark lifts the last of its coronavirus restrictions: The New York Times
(Edited by Paramita Ghosh)
Also read: Why Russia, US officials are rushing to Delhi, after keeping India away from Afghan talks