Covid-19, the Pfizer vaccine has been adapted against the Delta variant
Outbreaks in Malta, 70 underage students locked in quarantine
Covid, record of infections in South Korea. Over 4 million victims in the world
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July 10, 2021 In the four corners of the planet, to counter the risk of a third or fourth wave of Covid - conveyed by the very contagious Delta variant, which occurs in shorter times than expected, despite the summer climate in many countries - limitations, controls multiply and restrictions.
Also in Europe the Delta variant is advancing much faster than expected, forcing several governments to adopt new restrictions - especially in travel - to try to stem the infections, as well as push on the accelerator with regard to the vaccination campaign.
France, fourth wave coming
Pending the speech to the nation on Monday by President Emmanuel Macron, Health Minister Olivier Veran has sounded the alarm for the rapid advance of the
Delta variant
, which over the weekend will be the dominant one at national level. In an opinion, the Scientific Council warns that "a fourth wave linked to the Delta variant could occur rapidly, with consequences for the health system, despite the high level of immunizations".
The Delta variant was found in
51.7% of the tests
selected screenings, according to Santé Publique France. Its progression was very rapid, considering that it was present in just 30% of infections at the beginning of the week. This spread raises fears of a sharp rise in infections and the occurrence of a fourth pandemic wave in the course of the summer. A new health defense council has been convened which could decree the mandatory vaccination for some professional categories or groups of the population particularly at risk, as well as a possible extension of the health pass.
Meanwhile, the French government advises its citizens not to go to Spain or Portugal for the summer holidays due to the epidemiological situation which has already deteriorated.
Germany, rules for travelers
Those who return to Germany after a trip to Spain - declared a Covid-19 risk zone - will have to present a negative swab or the certification of a complete vaccination to avoid having to go to quarantine. Stricter rules for those returning from Cyprus, also from this Sunday indicated as an area with a high incidence of contagion: in this case a five to ten day quarantine will still be mandatory.
Greece, check for travel
From 5 July, adults intending to travel to the Greek islands must present a Covid vaccination certificate or a negative rapid swab / antigen test or prove that they have recently recovered. Young people between the ages of 12 and 17 will be able to travel with any test, including those you take at home, while no test is required for children under 12. The measure does not affect the islands of Euba, Lefkada and Salamis. The government is also considering introducing controls for movements between the regions of mainland Greece.
Malta, you need a vaccine to get in
The government of Malta has announced the closure of its borders to unvaccinated travelers, in order to stem the surge in infections. The provision will come into effect from 14 July, when each traveler must show a Maltese, British or European Union vaccination certificate. It is the first EU country to adopt this restrictive measure.
Portugal, curfew in Lisbon and Porto
Stricter restrictions are in place for tourists entering Portugal: whether they are foreigners or Portuguese returning from abroad, to stay at the hotel they must present a negative test, a vaccination certificate or proof of a recent recovery. The same provision also applies to other types of accommodation, such as Airbnb. At the weekend, in 60 high-risk Covid locations, including Lisbon and Porto, a vaccination or recovery certificate will be requested at the entrance to the restaurants in order to have the meal inside. From Friday 2 July the curfew returned - in Lisbon and Porto - with a traffic ban between 11pm and 5am. The limitation of the opening hours of bars and restaurants, which already affected Lisbon, at 10.30 pm during the week and at 3 pm has also been extended to 16 other municipalities.30 on the weekend.
Spain, Catalonia closes the premises over the weekend
Spain asks for a negative Covid test or proof of vaccination from British tourists heading to the Balearic Islands (Menorca, Ibiza, Formentera). The national health situation is rapidly deteriorating, which is why France advises citizens against choosing Spain as a summer destination. Germany returns to declare all of Spain a Covid risk zone, including Mallorca and the Canary Islands. Among the areas most at risk, in addition to the Balearics, there is also
Catalonia.
Discos and other nightclubs will be closed on weekends and a vaccination certificate will be required to access any outdoor event involving more than 500 people. "The pandemic is not over and we still have significant segments of the population who have not received the vaccine," especially among young people, said Patricia Plaja, spokesperson for the Catalan regional government (Generalitat).
Holland, infections on the rise
The Delta variant is rapidly spreading in the Netherlands, which is why Prime Minister Mark Rutte has announced a series of new anti-Covid restrictions including the
closing of restaurants at midnight
and
discos
. "The rate of infections is exploding, mainly due to the Delta variant, which is very contagious," Rutte said at a press conference. "If we do nothing, the pace will increase again and, therefore, we must act now to stop a rapid spread of the virus," he added, noting that "at this moment we have a cloud in front of the sun".
Infections in the Netherlands have increased sevenfold in one week and 7,000 new cases have been registered in the past 24 hours. The new measures will also include that of respecting a distance of 1.5 meters between customers in bars and restaurants. "Two weeks ago all the numbers were excellent, but today we must act and this is because the Delta variant is spreading quickly in Europe and the Netherlands", said the Minister of Health, Hugo de Jonge.
Russia, record of deaths
In Russia in the last 24 hours,
752 deaths
caused by Covid-19
have been ascertained
, the maximum in a single day since the beginning of the epidemic: the Tass reports citing the anticoronavirus operations center. According to official data, 25,082 new cases of coronavirus were recorded in Russia over the last day, of which 5,694 in Moscow.
Israel, rules for those who arrive
For the first time in weeks, Israel has recorded two coronavirus deaths: an unvaccinated 48-year-old and a vaccinated 86-year-old. In the past three weeks there had been only one victim, on June 23, while the last time two people had died from Covid-19 within 24 hours was on May 27. At the moment, however, there are only 46 patients in serious condition, an increase compared to the previous weeks. According to the data of the Ministry of Health, although the vaccine has proved less effective in the face of the Delta variant, it would still guarantee a very high protection against severe symptoms, hospitalization and death.
New
rules for those arriving in Israel from abroad
: even if vaccinated, he must remain in isolation for 24 hours The provision, valid from July 16, was announced by the Ministry of Health. For arrivals from 16 countries most at risk, there is a 14-day quarantine. Seven other countries are blacklisted where there is a travel ban. The health authorities are asking the government to make a further effort to ensure the vaccination of the approximately 200,000 people over 50 who did not want to get immunized.
United States, vaccines are needed door to door
The situation in Florida and Kansas is worrying. The number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in Florida increased this week at a rate not recorded in the past two months with a total of 23,697 new infections between July 2 and 8 and a positivity rate that reached 7. , 8%, according to data provided by the Florida Department of Health. The state, with a population of 21 million, also records a total of 11,138,986 vaccinated, but only 207,089 people were vaccinated this week. US President
Joe Biden
said more Covid-19 vaccines are needed as the new Delta variant spreads. "We have to go community by community, neighborhood by neighborhood and many times from door to door, literally knocking on doors," he said.
Kansas and Missouri are witnessing a major new surge in cases. States have also seen vaccinations slow due to some residents' resistance to getting vaccinated.
Mexico, third wave
Mexico is entering its
third wave of the coronavirus pandemic
, with 29% more new infections than the previous week. The country's health department says most of the new cases involve young and less vulnerable people and therefore only about 22% of the country's hospital beds are occupied. The relative decline in severe cases among the elderly is a result of the country's vaccination campaign, which administered at least one dose to approximately 39 percent of all adults. According to assistant health secretary Hugo Lopez-Gatell, the increase in infections is not due to the arrival of the Delta variant, but rather to an increase in public activity.
The third wave will peak in August in the capital, which was the hardest hit by COVID-19 in the previous two waves. The overall toll of the pandemic in the country is 2,577,140 infections with 234,675 deaths, figures that the Mexican government itself considers an underestimate of the real data.
Argentina Extends Restrictions
The Argentine government has
extended health restrictions until August 6
. The decision came at a time when the country of 45 million inhabitants registered 4.6 million cases of infections, with 98 thousand deaths. "The Delta variant has been detected in 86 countries and is 50% to 70% more contagious than the Alpha variant," the government noted in its decree extending health measures. Argentina purchased 28 million doses of vaccines from various laboratories. nearly 5 million people received the two necessary doses.
Brazil, increase in the number of infected
Brazil has recorded 57,357 new cases of coronavirus in the last 24 hours, with 1,509 deaths. The ceiling of 19 million infections during the pandemic has been exceeded, according to official data released on Friday by the government. From the first infection, on February 26, 2020, and from the first death, on March 12 of last year, both in Sao Paulo, the country now has 19,020,499 confirmed cases and totals 531,688 deaths. The Ministry of Health, in its latest epidemiological bulletin, indicated that between Thursday and Friday there was an
increase in the number of infected people
(+ 7.46%) and a reduction in the number of daily deaths (+ 7.93%), compared to the previous 24 hours. The country has so far distributed 147.1 million vaccines.
Africa in difficulty
So far relatively spared from the pandemic, both due to the number of infections and victims, the African continent is in growing difficulty due to the rapid advance of variants and the worst is feared for the lack of vaccines, health facilities and medicines.
In
Tunisia
, where the situation was definitive "catastrophic", the authorities blocked movement between regions until 31 July. It was also decided to keep the measures in force, including the
curfew from 20 to 5
, the
ban on gatherings
and the provisions decided at the regional level by the various governorates. Consequently, neighboring Libya has also decided to close the borders with Tunisia to avoid the spread of Covid-19. Tunisia has recorded 481,735 infections and 16,050 deaths since the start of the pandemic. The national vaccination campaign, which began on March 13, is proceeding slowly: so far just over two million people have received a dose and 614,710 also the second, out of about 12 million inhabitants.
Asia struggling with variations
The surge in infections in Japan is part of a regional context in which many countries in Asia and the Pacific, previously considered models of coronavirus management and control, are now grappling with the new variants and with an insufficient number of vaccine doses. . The main issue concerns the vaccination rate of the populations, still too limited, to be able to keep the incidence of infections low.
On average in Japan, Australia, New Zealand and South Korea, less than a third of citizens received the first dose, according to data reported by the NYT. Meanwhile, several Southeast Asian nations are reporting some of the highest death tolls since the global health crisis began.
In
South Korea
, in Seoul, and in neighboring regions, the restrictions will reach their highest level from Monday with the closure of schools, bars, night clubs and limitation to two people for evening meetings, after 6 pm.
Australia, rigid lockdown in Sydney
At least until July 17, the inhabitants of Sydney, Australia's largest city, must observe a restrictive lockdown and remain indoors. For several days, half of Australia's population has been subject to closures, which also affect Brisbane and Perth. Furthermore, the authorities have drastically
reduced the number of people authorized to enter the country
, from 6,000 to 3,000. Authorities have acknowledged that this is the "greatest challenge" since the start of the pandemic, warning that other restrictions could be introduced and extended over time if necessary.
Fiji, mandatory vaccines
In Fiji, the prime minister, Frank Bainimarama, has made
vaccination mandatory for both public employees and private sector workers
. The penalties range from fines to dismissal, to the closure of the company.
Malaysia in lockdown
In several cities in Malaysia, a
very restrictive
l
ockdown
has been in effect since June 1, while the country has the highest incidence of cases per 100,000 inhabitants in the entire region.
Thailand, curfew in Bangkok
Faced with an unprecedented epidemic peak, Thailand reintroduced a
curfew from 9pm to 4am
in Bangkok, where a field hospital has been set up at the airport. From Monday unnecessary shops will be closed and movement controls will be tightened.
Myanmar, schools closed
The military junta in power has announced the
closure of schools
across the country for at least two weeks.