As of October 26, the number of total coronavirus cases reported in Louisiana increased by 460 and there have been 16 new deaths, according to the Louisiana Department of Health.
The total number of cases reported to the state as of Tuesday is 756,969. The current total death count is 14,496.
LDH reports that not fully vaccinated Louisiana residents accounted for 83 percent of cases and 76 percent of deaths from October 7 to October 13, 2021. Those not fully vaccinated also accounted for 85 percent of current COVID hospitalizations.
LDH is reporting an additional 15,455 COVID-19 vaccinations administered since the last update. The state has now administered 4,482,319 doses, including 2,189,636 completed two-dose series. The data will be updated every Monday and Thursday. In LDH Region 4, which includes Acadiana, 285,269 vaccine series have been initiated and 259,272 (42.78%% of the population) have been completed.
On Monday, March 29, all Louisiana residents 16 and older became eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine.
Residents wanting to receive a vaccine can find more information, here.
323 individuals are hospitalized with COVID across the state (down 9 from Monday) 54 of those patients were on ventilators (up 4 from Monday)
Across Acadiana, there were 127 new cases and 0 new deaths reported since Monday.
Parishes in Acadiana (probable and confirmed cases and deaths)
See the full breakdown from the Louisiana Department of Health, here.
-FROM MONDAY:
As of October 25, the number of total coronavirus cases reported in Louisiana increased by 878 and there have been 18 new deaths, according to the Louisiana Department of Health.
The total number of cases reported to the state as of Monday is 756,509. The current total death count is 14,480.
LDH reports that not fully vaccinated Louisiana residents accounted for 83 percent of cases and 76 percent of deaths from October 7 to October 13, 2021. Those not fully vaccinated also accounted for 85 percent of current COVID hospitalizations.
LDH is reporting an additional 15,455 COVID-19 vaccinations administered since the last update. The state has now administered 4,482,319 doses, including 2,189,636 completed two-dose series. The data will be updated every Monday and Thursday. In LDH Region 4, which includes Acadiana, 285,269 vaccine series have been initiated and 259,272 (42.78%% of the population) have been completed.
On Monday, March 29, all Louisiana residents 16 and older became eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine.
Residents wanting to receive a vaccine can find more information, here.
332 individuals are hospitalized with COVID across the state (down 10 from Friday) 50 of those patients were on ventilators (up 2 from Friday)
Across Acadiana, there were 186 new cases and 0 new deaths reported since Friday.
Parishes in Acadiana (probable and confirmed cases and deaths)
-FROM FRIDAY:
As of October 22, the number of total coronavirus cases reported in Louisiana increased by 681 and there have been 16 new deaths, according to the Louisiana Department of Health.
The total number of cases reported to the state as of Friday is 755,631. The current total death count is 14,462.
LDH reports that not fully vaccinated Louisiana residents accounted for 83 percent of cases and 76 percent of deaths from October 7 to October 13, 2021. Those not fully vaccinated also accounted for 89 percent of current COVID hospitalizations.
LDH is reporting an additional 15,387 COVID-19 vaccinations administered since the last update. The state has now administered 4,466,864 doses, including 2,181,459 completed two-dose series. The data will be updated every Monday and Thursday. In LDH Region 4, which includes Acadiana, 284,575 vaccine series have been initiated and 258,393 (42.64%% of the population) have been completed.
On Monday, March 29, all Louisiana residents 16 and older became eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine.
Residents wanting to receive a vaccine can find more information, here.
342 individuals are hospitalized with COVID across the state (down 12 from Thursday) 48 of those patients were on ventilators (down 4 from Thursday)
Across Acadiana, there were 176 new cases and 2 new deaths reported since Thursday.
Parishes in Acadiana (probable and confirmed cases and deaths)
FROM THURSDAY:
As of October 21, the number of total coronavirus cases reported in Louisiana increased by 923 and there have been 22 new deaths, according to the Louisiana Department of Health.
The total number of cases reported to the state as of Thursday is 754,950. The current total death count is 14,446.
LDH reports that not fully vaccinated Louisiana residents accounted for 83 percent of cases and 76 percent of deaths from October 7 to October 13, 2021. Those not fully vaccinated also accounted for 86 percent of current COVID hospitalizations.
LDH is reporting an additional 15,387 COVID-19 vaccinations administered since the last update. The state has now administered 4,466,864 doses, including 2,181,459 completed two-dose series. The data will be updated every Monday and Thursday. In LDH Region 4, which includes Acadiana, 284,575 vaccine series have been initiated and 258,393 (42.64%% of the population) have been completed.
On Monday, March 29, all Louisiana residents 16 and older became eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine.
Residents wanting to receive a vaccine can find more information, here.
354 individuals are hospitalized with COVID across the state (down 26 from Wednesday) 52 of those patients were on ventilators (down 3 from Wednesday)
Across Acadiana, there were 275 new cases and 4 new deaths reported since Wednesday.
Parishes in Acadiana (probable and confirmed cases and deaths)
-FROM WEDNESDAY:
As of October 20, the number of total coronavirus cases reported in Louisiana increased by 502 and there have been 36 new deaths, according to the Louisiana Department of Health.
The total number of cases reported to the state as of Wednesday is 754,027. The current total death count is 14,424.
LDH reports that not fully vaccinated Louisiana residents accounted for 83 percent of cases and 76 percent of deaths from October 7 to October 13, 2021. Those not fully vaccinated also accounted for 83 percent of current COVID hospitalizations.
LDH is reporting an additional 18,926 COVID-19 vaccinations administered since the last update. The state has now administered 4,451,477 doses, including 2,173,032 completed two-dose series. The data will be updated every Monday and Thursday. In LDH Region 4, which includes Acadiana, 283,698 vaccine series have been initiated and 257,340 (42.46%% of the population) have been completed.
On Monday, March 29, all Louisiana residents 16 and older became eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine.
Residents wanting to receive a vaccine can find more information, here.
380 individuals are hospitalized with COVID across the state (down 19 from Tuesday) 55 of those patients were on ventilators (down 6 from Tuesday)
Across Acadiana, there were 87 new cases and 5 new deaths reported since Tuesday.
Parishes in Acadiana (probable and confirmed cases and deaths)
-FROM TUESDAY
As of October 19. the number of total coronavirus cases reported in Louisiana increased by 581 and there have been 38 new deaths, according to the Louisiana Department of Health.
The total number of cases reported to the state as of Tuesday is 752,951. The current total death count is 14,350.
LDH reports that not fully vaccinated Louisiana residents accounted for 84 percent of cases and 80 percent of deaths from September 30 to October 6, 2021. Those not fully vaccinated also accounted for 83 percent of current COVID hospitalizations.
LDH is reporting an additional 18,926 COVID-19 vaccinations administered since the last update. The state has now administered 4,451,477 doses, including 2,173,032 completed two-dose series. The data will be updated every Monday and Thursday. In LDH Region 4, which includes Acadiana, 283,698 vaccine series have been initiated and 257,340 (42.46%% of the population) have been completed.
On Monday, March 29, all Louisiana residents 16 and older became eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine.
Residents wanting to receive a vaccine can find more information, here.
399 individuals are hospitalized with COVID across the state (down 22 from Monday) 61 of those patients were on ventilators.
Parishes in Acadiana (probable and confirmed cases and deaths)
------------------------------------------------------------Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere.
To reach the newsroom or report a typo/correction, click HERE.
Download our free app for Apple, Android, Roku and Amazon devices.
Sign up for newsletters emailed to your inbox. Select from these options: Breaking News, Evening News Headlines, Latest COVID-19 Headlines, Morning News Headlines, Special Offers
Alexa's Daily Flash Briefing
Follow us on Twitter
Like us on Facebook
Follow us on Instagram
Subscribe to our Youtube channel
Many Americans now have the green light to get a COVID-19 vaccine booster and the flexibility to receive a different brand than the original vaccine they received.
On the heels of the Food and Drug Administrations Sept. 22, 2021, emergency use authorization of a third dose or booster shot of the Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine for certain Americans, on Oct. 20, the agency also gave emergency authorization to a third Moderna shot and a second dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
READ MORE: Is it time to get a COVID-19 booster? Which one?
On Oct. 21, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also recommended these vaccinations in light of the FDAs authorization. The CDCs signoff will make the Moderna booster shot available to people 65 and older, younger adults at higher risk of severe COVID-19 due to medical conditions and those who are at increased risk due to their workplace environment. People are now eligible for the Moderna booster six months after completion of their original series as is already the case for the third Pfizer shot. The authorization made all Johnson & Johnson vaccine recipients eligible for a second shot two months after the initial dose.
Notably, the FDA and CDC also authorized a mix-and-match strategy, enabling eligible Americans to get a booster shot from a brand different from their original vaccine.
As an infectious disease expert, I have closely followed the development of the COVID-19 vaccines and the research on how immunity and vaccine efficacy shift over time.
With the swirling mass of news around how effective the COVID-19 vaccines are and who needs booster shots and when, it can be challenging and confusing to make sense of it all. But understanding how the immune system works can help bring clarity to the reasons some people could benefit from the authorized shots.
The discussion and perceived urgency around booster shots has partially been driven by the occurrence of breakthrough COVID-19 infections in fully vaccinated people. The term breakthrough misleadingly implies that the vaccines failed, but this is not the case. The intention of the vaccine is to reduce hospitalizations and deaths, a goal that the COVID-19 vaccines continue to meet.
While the Pfizer mRNA vaccine shows decreasing efficacy against asymptomatic and mild infections over the first six months after vaccination, studies show that it continues to be highly effective at preventing hospitalizations and deaths, including against the delta variant, in the first six months.
A clinical study of the Moderna vaccine showed that antibody levels remain strong after six months as well. But studies after the six-month mark have been mixed, with reports of waning antibody levels leaving some researchers concerned that a booster shot strategy is essential. However, the limited data left too many questions for the FDA and CDC to approve a booster shot for all Americans, at least at this time.
Still, the overwhelming majority of intensive care admissions and deaths from COVID-19 continue to be in unvaccinated people. The rare deaths from COVID-19 in vaccinated people are mostly in people with immune systems weakened either by age or underlying conditions, which is why booster shots have been authorized for these groups. While boosters clearly help the individual, it is just as important for everyone to get fully vaccinated to protect vulnerable people by reducing the overall number of cases in the community.
All three of the authorized vaccines in the U.S. work by giving the body instructions for making the spike protein from the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19. The spike protein, which resembles a stem with three buds on the end, is what enables the actual virus to invade cells and cause infection. The mRNA vaccines by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna provide the blueprint for the spike protein in the form of mRNA in a drug-delivery system called a lipid nanoparticle. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine gives DNA instructions inside the coat of a different virus, called a viral vector.
WATCH: CDC says the definition of fully vaccinated may change as more people get boosters
The immune system quickly recognizes that these foreign proteins do not belong, and it generates an immune response to fight them off. These newfound defenses gear the body up to protect against the real virus. During this primary immune response, immune cells encounter spike proteins and, as a defense, they produce antibodies, memory cells and T-cells that can kill infected cells to prevent the virus from multiplying. Some of these antibodies and T-cells from the primary immune response persist over time, though they decrease during the first month after vaccination, while memory cells last much longer.
Then, when someone gets an additional dose of vaccine, the immune system goes through a secondary immune response. Thanks to the memory cells, the secondary immune response activates more rapidly, triggering lots of antibody production and T-cell activation. More mature antibodies are produced as well, and they are even better at trapping the spike proteins. And T-cells proliferate, helping to stop the intruder in its tracks. This type of secondary immune response can be activated again and again when repeat exposures to a vaccine or booster doses occur. Each time, the immune response mounts a stronger and more effective defense.
Multiple studies, including preliminary research from the National Institutes of Health that is not yet peer-reviewed, have shown that the mix-and-match strategy is safe and effective at providing a significant immune boost.
Additionally, mixing vaccine types may be most beneficial in those who initially received a non-mRNA vaccine. The NIH data suggests that people who got the single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine had a bigger increase and achieved a higher antibody concentration after receiving an mRNA booster than if they received the Johnson & Johnson booster. For people who first received one of the mRNA vaccines, Pfizer or Moderna, followed by a third shot with Johnson & Johnson, the antibody response was similar to that seen in those who got a third, or homologous, mRNA dose.
Studies exploring why the mix-and-match strategy is more effective with some initial vaccines and not others are underway. Understanding this and the effectiveness of different vaccine combinations, including using vaccines that are authorized in other countries, will help improve vaccination strategies all over the world.
Interchanging vaccine types may have greater advantages in some people than in others, which will become clearer as more data is gathered. But the good news is that the immune response seems to get a solid boost from booster shots, regardless of which vaccine combination is used.
Editors note: Johnson & Johnson is a funder for the PBS NewsHour.
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
United Nations-backed Medicines Patent Pool reached an agreement with Merck and its partner Ridgeback Biotherapeutics allowing MPP to license the manufacture of molnupiravir to pharmaceutical companies across the globe. Christopher Occhicone/Bloomberg via Getty Images hide caption
United Nations-backed Medicines Patent Pool reached an agreement with Merck and its partner Ridgeback Biotherapeutics allowing MPP to license the manufacture of molnupiravir to pharmaceutical companies across the globe.
U.S.-based pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co. said it will license drugmakers worldwide to produce its potentially lifesaving antiviral pill for treatment of COVID-19 in adults.
The drug, known as molnupiravir, has shown promise in treating the disease, and the agreement to license its production could help millions of people in the developing world gain access to it.
Merck said earlier this month that a recent study of molnupiravir showed that it cut hospitalizations and deaths from COVID-19 in half.
United Nations-backed Medicines Patent Pool said Wednesday that it had reached an agreement with Merck and its partner Ridgeback Biotherapeutics. Under the pact, the U.S. drugmakers will allow MPP to license the manufacture of molnupiravir to qualified pharmaceutical companies across the globe.
"This agreement will help create broad access for molnupiravir use in 105 low- and middle-income countries following appropriate regulatory approvals," Merck and the patent pool said in a news release.
MPP Executive Director Charles Gore said in a statement. that the interim results for molnupiravir "are compelling and we see this oral treatment candidate as a potentially important tool to help address the current health crisis.
"This transparent, public health-driven agreement is MPP's first voluntary license for a COVID-19 medical technology, and we hope that Merck's agreement with MPP will be a strong encouragement to others," Gore added.
Under the agreement, Merck and Ridgeback will receive no royalties as long as COVID-19 is considered a global emergency by the World Health Organization. Makers of coronavirus vaccines have yet to make similar agreements, despite pressure from governments and the WHO.
Molnupiravir, which is awaiting authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, was originally developed by scientists at Emory University. It works by blocking the ability of the coronavirus to replicate.
If authorized, the drug would be the first COVID-19 treatment in pill form. Until now, all FDA-approved therapies have been administered by IV or injection.
As cases, hospitalizations and deaths associated with COVID-19 trend downward across the country, Maine and some other New England states are still seeing high and sustained levels of all three.
A significant increase in the number of Mainers getting vaccinated in recent days is reason for hope, health officials said Wednesday, but the continued spread of the delta variant is concerning, and difficult to fully explain.
Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Nirav Shah said one likely explanation is simply that these states have largely avoided the major spikes that other states already have experienced.
Up until recently, rural parts of these states were relatively protected from COVID for a number of reasons, Shah said during a media briefing Wednesday. With (the delta variant), the virus is being introduced to parts of the state where there had been virtually no exposure to COVID.
Dr. James Jarvis, COVID-19 incident commander for Northern Light Health, said some of the explanation for the current trend is human nature. Mainers have mostly followed safety protocols throughout the pandemic but may be letting their guard down.
People may not be wearing masks indoors as much as they should, he said. Weve seen an increase in gathering. Travel is another thing, people are traveling more.
The CDC reported 620 new cases on Wednesday and seven additional deaths. The seven-day case average has fluctuated somewhat but is largely unchanged from this time last month, about 460 cases each day.
Across the United States, cases have fallen by 42 percent during that same time, according to the U.S. CDC.
Hospitalizations, meanwhile, have increased by 24 percent in Maine over the last two weeks. As of Wednesday, 209 individuals were in the hospital, including 74 in critical care and 34 on ventilators.
By comparison, hospitalizations have fallen nationally by 20 percent in that time.
Since the pandemic began, there have been 102,469 confirmed or probable cases of COVID-19 in Maine and 1,154 people have died, according to data from the Maine CDC. Both remain among the according lowest per capita of any state.
Despite the recent worrisome trends in Maine, both Shah and Department of Health and Human Services Commissioner Jeanne Lambrew said there are positive signs, too.
The biggest of those is a recent increase in vaccination, not just among those who are receiving booster shots but those who are receiving their initial series.
Over the last two weeks, the average number of second doses of Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, or the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine, have increased from 1,180 per day to 2,600 per day, or 120 percent.
The recent data prove that people do learn, they do listen, they can change their minds, and thats very encouraging, Lambrew said.
Shah said he doesnt know exactly whats driving the recent increase in vaccinations but said its likely a combination of factors, including the severity of the delta variant and also existing and future vaccine mandates by employers.
Overall, Maine has administered 915,325 final doses of vaccine, which accounts for 68.1 percent of all residents and 77.3 percent of those 12 and older who are eligible, according to Maine CDC data. Maine ranks fourth overall in vaccination rate. The top five states are all in New England.
State officials also sometimes cite federal vaccination data, which indicates a slightly higher rate for Maine based on differences in the counting methodology.
A total of 78,998 people have gotten third doses thus far, according to the Maine CDC. Boosters are recommended for older adults and those with immunodeficiencies, and also for those who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
By next week, the Pfizer vaccine could be approved for children 5 to 11. Shah said there are nearly 80,000 children in that category
This provides a tangible opportunity for children to return to a more normal way of life, he said.
Although Maines overall vaccination rate is high, there are still pockets of the state with large numbers of unvaccinated individuals and that has contributed to high transmission, hospitalizations and deaths.
Those hospitalized with COVID-19 have overwhelmingly been unvaccinated or vaccinated but older and with other serious health conditions.
Within Northern Light Healths system, there were 46 people hospitalized with COVID-19 on Wednesday, half of them at Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor. Of those hospitalized, 37, or 80 percent, are unvaccinated.
Health care providers have been forced to adapt to not only an increased number of COVID patients but ongoing workforce challenges.
On Tuesday, officials with MaineHealth, the parent organization of Portlands Maine Medical Center and other hospitals, said roughly one-third of all elective surgeries are being delayed, and there is a backlog of 1,500 procedures. Other hospitals also have cut back on some services temporarily.
It will get worse in terms of some of those delays. Theres not an easy solution, or easy end in sight, said Dr. Joan Boomsma, MaineHealths chief medical officer.
Jarvis said Northern Light hospitals are in a similar position.
Its no secret we continue to be in one of the most difficult phases of the pandemic, he said during a media briefing Wednesday.
Although facilities have not reached capacity, Jarvis warned that some patients, may need to wait a little longer for care if your needs are not urgent.
Exacerbating the problem for hospitals has been lack of space in nursing home and skilled rehab facilities, many of which have halted admissions due to staffing shortages. Jarvis said there are 111 patients in Northern Lights system currently who have been cleared to leave the hospital but dont have a nursing home or skilled nursing bed to go to.
Although its only a small factor, the vaccine mandate for health care workers has exacerbated the staff shortages. A small number of employees have left their jobs rather than get vaccinated and more could be terminated when the state begins enforcing the mandate on Friday.
Lambrew said DHHS will enforce the mandate the same way it enforces other vaccine requirements for health care workers that have been in place for years through random audits and complaint-driven investigations mostly.
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.
Previous
Next
By: KDKA-TV News Staff
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) The Allegheny County Health Department is reporting 408 new COVID-19 cases and 12 additional deaths.
Of the newly reported cases, the Health Department says 265 are confirmed cases and 143 are probable cases.
There have been 8,761 total hospitalizations and 131,032 total coronavirus cases in Allegheny County since the pandemic started.
The county-wide death toll stands at 2,299.
The 12 newly-reported deaths range from Oct. 2-26. One patient was in the 19-24 age group and the other 11 were in the 65+ age group.
More information on the Coronavirus pandemic:
Intermountain Healthcare has announced it will require all of its caregivers to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to comply with pending federal rules.
Federal officials are moving forward on vaccine requirements for large employers and previously have said government insurers like Medicare and Medicaid will only cover services from health care providers whose employees all are vaccinated.
That would eliminate coverage for about four in every 10 of Intermountains patients, if the network did not require vaccines, said Dr. Mark Briesacher, chief physician executive for Intermountain.
After reviewing the rules that we have received, it really became clear that we need to comply with these rules because this is about caring for people, Briesacher said in a news conference Wednesday. We care for people who have Medicare insurance, Medicaid insurance, other forms of federal health insurance. We have connections to a variety of federal contracts.
About 80% of Intermountains care providers already are fully vaccinated, according to a news statement Wednesday.
That means about one in five are not.
Those employees may seek exemptions on medical or religious grounds, Briesacher said a process thats already in place for an array of other vaccinations that Intermountain requires employees to have, like those for the flu, whooping cough, measles, and other illnesses.
Were going to work through those very thoughtfully, very carefully, in a generous way ... to honor those exemptions, Briesacher said.
Employees have until Jan. 5 to get their first shot of a vaccine. Those who havent at that point will be put on administrative leave, Briesacher said.
We will ... continue that thoughtful conversation to understand what their needs are, what their questions are and get those answered, Briesacher said.
If employees remain unvaccinated and do not have an exemption as of Feb. 9 well then begin to move to separate them from the organization, Briesacher said. Well do that in a very caring and thoughtful and supportive way, helping them land in a place thats right for them and best for them.
Briesacher said he doesnt have a specific number in mind of how many employees may quit or wait to be fired rather than get the vaccine.
Weve seen varying experiences across the United States when different health systems have gone through this, Briesacher said.
While some hospitals have struggled to retain staff after imposing vaccine requirements, surveys of health care workers have generally overstated their actual willingness to quit. Thats according to research in The Conversation, a nonprofit news publication that conducts and covers academic research. In a sample of health care employers that had implemented vaccine requirements, researchers found a vanishingly small percentage of employees actually left their jobs.
Its not clear where else Intermountain employees would seek employment; the states second-largest healthcare system, University of Utah Health, already has required employees to be vaccinated. And all other healthcare providers in the United States fall under under the same federal rules that have prompted Intermountain to require vaccines.
Its also not clear why Intermountain did not previously require the COVID-19 vaccine, even though it requires employees to be immunized against a number of other diseases.
Briesacher said only that every health care organization across the United States has faced this question, and they all have a unique set of circumstances that are specific to them.
Intermountain leaders have been carefully stepping through this as weve deliberated all the information, the information about the vaccines, its effect, their effectiveness, what does the schedule look like? And now, of course, the new variable being the the federal requirements that have been announced, he added.
So I would submit that organizations have made decisions that are right for those that they serve and for that for their organizations and the communities they serve on an individual basis.
But he would not say which circumstances or information weighed against Intermountain requiring the vaccine before federal rules were announced.
Intermountain representatives did not immediately know how many employees have received exemptions from its existing vaccine requirements.
Intermountain has more than 41,000 employees and is Utahs largest health care provider.
President Joe Biden in September announced an array of pending federal vaccination requirements, both for health care providers and for other large employers.
The Utah Legislature has resisted other COVID-19 mandates, including prohibiting a statewide mask mandate. On Wednesday, Utah Speaker Brad Wilson said there is little state lawmakers can do about the federal policy and Intermountains new mandate.
I understand why theyre doing it (implementing the mandate) and I have empathy for them, WIlson said. The federal government has put them in a really tough spot. Because of the federal funding theyre receiving, we (the Legislature) cant intervene in that space very effectively.
Intermountain is doing what the federal government allows, which is providing a medical and religious exemption for their employees, he added. I think theyre trying to manage as best as they can. Theyre a pretty important part of our health care system in the state.
Tribune reporter Bryan Schott contributed to this story.
Confirmed cases of COVID-19 have passed 244.5 million globally, according to Johns Hopkins University. The number of confirmed deaths stands at more than 4.96 million. More than 6.92 billion vaccination doses have been administered globally, according to Our World in Data.
All fully-vaccinated Australian citizens and permanent residents will be able to leave the country without a special exemption from 1 November. Australians have been unable to travel abroad for 18 months without a government waiver.
The Canadian province of British Colombia will offer COVID-19 vaccine booster shots to everyone over the age of 12 from January, officials have announced.
Bahrain has approved the Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine for children aged 3-11 years old.
Viet Nam will begin vaccinating children against COVID-19 using the Pfizer/BioNTech jab from next month.
Victoria state Premier Daniel Andrews has said his government will not apply for travel permits to allow unvaccinated tennis players to compete at the Australian Open.
Daily new confirmed COVID-19 cases have hit a record high in Bulgaria, with 6,813 new cases in the previous 24 hours.
Ukraine's health minister has urged more people to get vaccinated against COVID-19, as COVID-19-related deaths hit a daily record of 734 yesterday.
A panel of experts has voted to recommend the US Food and Drug Administration authorize the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children aged 5-11.
Daily new confirmed COVID-19 cases per million people in selected countries.
Image: Our World in Data
The European Union's public health agency has warned that the upcoming influenza season in Europe could be severe for the elderly and those with weak immunity. The agency added that it could put a greater burden on health systems already under strain by COVID-19.
The main reported subtype of the influenza virus seen in the EU and European Economic Area disproportionately affects older people and is associated with lower vaccine effectiveness, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said.
"The early detections of the A (H3N2) subtype are an indication that the upcoming flu season could be severe, although we cannot know for sure what the upcoming flu season will look like," said Pasi Penttinen, ECDC's head of influenza programme.
Penttinen also urged health workers to get vaccinated against COVID-19 and the flu.
The world's largest economies should create a forum to facilitate global coordination for the next pandemic, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Indonesian Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said on Tuesday. A new financing facility should also be created to keep up with emerging threats, the two said in a letter to their G20 colleagues.
"While we are making progress in fighting COVID-19, we also face a stark reality: this will not be the last pandemic," they wrote ahead of Friday's joint meeting of G20 health and finance ministers. "We must not lose this opportunity to demonstrate leadership with a decisive commitment to act."
They said that the forum would allow health and finance ministers to better cooperate and coordinate prevention, detection, information sharing and any necessary response.
The COVID Response Alliance for Social Entrepreneurship is a coalition of 85 global leaders, hosted by the World Economic Forum. Its mission: Join hands in support of social entrepreneurs everywhere as vital first responders to the pandemic and as pioneers of a green, inclusive economic reality.
Its COVID Social Enterprise Action Agenda, outlines 25 concrete recommendations for key stakeholder groups, including funders and philanthropists, investors, government institutions, support organizations, and corporations. In January of 2021, its members launched its 2021 Roadmap through which its members will roll out an ambitious set of 21 action projects in 10 areas of work. Including corporate access and policy change in support of a social economy.
For more information see the Alliance website or its impact story here.
Written by
Joe Myers, Writer, Formative Content
The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum.
