The latest coronavirus news from Canada and around the world on Tuesday. This file will be updated throughout the day. Web links to longer stories if available.
7 am: An advisory panel of experts recommended on Tuesday that the UK government offer a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to all people over the age of 50 to guard against declining protection this winter.
The recommendation of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization came as Prime Minister Boris Johnson was preparing to announce the government’s new plan to combat the pandemic. The World Health Organization has asked wealthy nations to delay booster shots until all countries have vaccinated at least 40% of their population.
The JCVI said booster shots were needed to ensure vulnerable people are protected against COVID-19, because studies have shown that immunity conferred by vaccines weakens over time. The panel recommended that people over the age of 50 receive a booster shot six months after receiving their second dose of vaccine.
The move comes despite calls from the WHO, which has urged rich countries with large supplies of coronavirus vaccines to refrain from offering booster injections until the end of the year and to make doses available to more countries. poor.
6:06 am: Honestly, I didn’t expect it to be that sad. Discouraging, of course: a protest outside a hospital, 18 months after a pandemic, as exhausted healthcare workers stared at the people who statistically may be the most likely to end up inside a hospital with COVID-19. There were online promises to block ambulances and even isolated gun threats from some supporters of the People’s Party of Canada.
There is a virus in this country, beyond the obvious.
Read the full Bruce Arthur column from Star.
6:05 am: Toronto Public Health has quantified Toronto’s remaining vaccine challenge. Our magic number? 336,000.
That’s the approximate number of people remaining who need to get fully vaccinated to boost the city’s two-dose vaccination rate from its current level of about 78 percent of the eligible population to the 90 percent threshold that the health agency. City public has set as its new goal.
Read the full Matt Elliott column.
6:05 am: Alberta doctors called on the government to restrict unvaccinated people in indoor public spaces on Monday as intensive care admissions for COVID-19 hit an all-time high.
Figures released by the province show 198 Albertans with COVID-19 were receiving intensive care, beating the previous record of 182 admissions in May. Alberta Health Services, as of Monday morning, said the number was even higher, 202.
Alberta Health Services also said intensive care capacity was operating at 90 percent with additional spaces added. Without additional extra beds, the capacity would be 148%.
In an open letter, 65 intensive care physicians urged the United Conservative government to take urgent action to protect the healthcare system.
“In our opinion, current measures do not go far enough to interrupt transmission or reduce barriers to vaccination. We also believe that the current state of health care capacity in Alberta is so dire that waiting to see the results of the current, less stringent measures will have devastating consequences, ”the letter reads.
“To avoid broad restrictions like those required in previous waves, we call for the immediate implementation of the immunity certificates that people must provide to enter any indoor public space in order to access a non-essential service.”
During the weekend, the province registered 4,740 new cases: 1,659 infections on Friday, 1,497 on Saturday and 1,584 on Sunday. Government data showed 803 Albertans were hospitalized with the virus.
Alberta also continued to have the highest count of active infections in the country at 18,395.
6:04 am: Russian President Vladimir Putin is in self-isolation due to coronavirus cases in his inner circle, the Kremlin said on Tuesday, adding that he tested negative for COVID-19.
The announcement came at the Kremlin’s reading of Putin’s phone call with the president of Tajikistan. Putin has been fully vaccinated with the Russian Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine, and received his second injection in April.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Putin is “absolutely healthy” but will isolate himself after coming into contact with someone who contracted the virus. He did not clarify how long Putin will remain in self-isolation, but assured that the president will continue to work as usual.
When asked if Putin tested negative for the virus, Peskov said “definitely, yes.”
Peskov did not say which of Putin’s contacts were infected, only saying that there were several cases.
6:03 am: The number of coronavirus infections and people hospitalized for COVID-19 in West Virginia has set new highs as Gov. Jim Justice berates residents who continue to resist getting vaccinated.
At least 40% of people 12 and older in the state have not received all doses.
The governor said Monday that “this is an unvaccinated pandemic.” He has refused to issue a vaccination or mask mandate.
Authorities said Monday that confirmed virus cases statewide totaled around 8,860 last week, breaking the previous weekly high of around 8,200 set in early January. A record 852 people were hospitalized Monday for COVID-19, the illness that can be caused by the virus. The previous high of 818 was set on January 5.
6:02 am: Colorado Governor Jared Polis urges the Food and Drug Administration to quickly authorize booster shots for Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine, as well as allowing children ages 5 to 11 to be vaccinated.
Polis said Monday that US health authorities have dragged their feet at the cost of lives. In his words, “The FDA needs to come out of its ivory tower and realize that there is a real pandemic.”
In August, Pfizer said it had begun the process of requesting a third dose of its vaccine for all people 16 years of age and older. It states that people’s antibody levels increase five to ten times after a third dose, compared to their second dose months before.
The White House has begun planning reinforcements later this month, if both the FDA and CDC agree. Advisers to the FDA will weigh the evidence on an additional injection from Pfizer on Friday. The United States already offers an additional dose of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines to people with severely weakened immune systems.
6:02 am: Australia’s capital city Canberra will be closed for a second month after the local government reported 22 new coronavirus infections.
The Australian Capital Territory locked down on August 12 after a single case was detected related to an outbreak of the delta variant of the virus in Sydney.
Territorial Chief Minister Andrew Barr said Tuesday that Canberra’s closure will run until Oct. 15.
Canberra is surrounded by the state of New South Wales, where the Australian delta outbreak began when a limo driver tested positive on June 16. He became infected while transporting an American cargo flight crew from Sydney airport.
Sydney is the largest city in Australia and has been closed from June 26.
Before Delta arrived in Canberra last month, the city of 430,000 had not recorded a single case of community coronavirus infection since July 10, 2020.
6 am: A second city in southeast China has seen an increase in COVID-19 cases in a delta variant outbreak that began late last week.
The National Health Commission said Tuesday that 59 new cases had been identified in the last 24-hour period, more than double the total to 102. All are in Fujian province on China’s east coast.
The port city of Xiamen has confirmed 33 cases in the past two days. Another 59 cases have been found in Putian, about 150 kilometers (90 miles) north of the coast, where the outbreak was first detected.
Xiamen closed affected neighborhoods, closed entertainment and fitness venues, and canceled group activities, including those for the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival holiday. Long-distance bus service to other parts of the province was suspended.
China has largely stopped the spread of COVID, but has sporadic outbreaks. An outbreak of the delta variant in July and August spread to several provinces, raising concerns about new and more contagious variants.
6 am: Pakistan’s planning minister has warned that people who are not vaccinated will not be able to work from offices after this month.
In a televised message on Tuesday, Asad Umar said that unvaccinated people will also not be eligible to enter shopping malls, use public transportation or travel by plane after the September 30 deadline.
Umar also asked people to maintain social distancing in comments that came hours after Pakistan reported a steady decline in coronavirus cases.
Umar said that around 52% of the adult population in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad had been vaccinated and that other cities should also try to vaccinate at least 40% of their eligible population as soon as possible to avoid COVID-related lockdowns and restrictions. -19.
Pakistan has reported 1.2 million COVID-19 cases and nearly 27,000 deaths since the pandemic began last year.
Reference-www.thestar.com