All 50 states and Washington, DC, have reported cases of the Delta variant, which is believed to be more transmissible than other strains. And though experts have stressed vaccines are the best defense and provide strong protection against the variant, parts of the country are still lagging in vaccination rates, according to data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"As a nation, as a whole, we are doing very well. We have ... about 50% of the population that is vaccinated," said director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Dr. Anthony Fauci on NBC's "Meet the Press." "But we have a big country with disparity in the willingness to be vaccinated."
The holiday weekend highlighted the divide as some regions saw increased Covid-19 infections and others celebrated holiday gatherings with the safety of vaccine protection.
"This is really a day of independence -- for folks in the United States who are vaccinated, this is really a holiday that celebrates our independence from the fear and the death and the hardships that so many people in this country have faced," CNN Medical Analyst Dr. Jonathan Reiner told CNN's Brian Stelter.
Meanwhile, the South, Southwest and parts of the Midwest are starting to see surges. Florida, in particular, is being hit hard, Reiner noted, with about 17% of all new US cases being reported in the state.
"People will continue to die until we vaccinate everybody," Reiner said.
The importance of vaccination became especially clear last month, when more than 99% of US Covid-19 deaths were among unvaccinated people, Fauci told NBC's "Meet the Press" Sunday.
White House Covid-19 Response Coordinator Jeffrey Zients told CNN Sunday, "If you're not vaccinated, you are not protected so we're going to double down on our efforts to vaccinate millions of more Americans across July and August."
Renewed debate on masks
In areas with high Covid-19 transmission and low vaccination rates, even vaccinated people may want to wear masks, Fauci said Sunday.
"When I'm in that area where there's a considerable degree of viral circulation, I might want to go the extra mile to be cautious enough to make sure that I get the extra added level of protection -- even though the vaccines themselves are highly effective," Fauci told NBC.
And while some areas, like Vermont, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Maine have fully vaccinated more than 60% of the their total population against the virus, others are lagging far behind, according to the CDC.
Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi are the furthest behind, with 35.3% or less of their population fully vaccinated, according to CDC data.
"Currently, approximately 1,000 counties in the United States have vaccination coverage of less than 30%. These communities, primarily in the Southeast and Midwest, are our most vulnerable," CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said Thursday. "As the Delta variant continues to spread across the country, we expect to see increased transmissions in these communities, unless we can vaccinate more people now."
In states where about 35% of the population or less is vaccinated, counties or cities could see outbreaks, Fauci said.
Even with the possibility of outbreaks among undervaccinated populations, Reiner said vaccines provide strong enough protection that those who are inoculated shouldn't need to wear masks, except for those with extenuating circumstances like compromised immune systems.
Vaccination is "the ticket to get your life back," Reiner said.
For his part, Zients wouldn't say Sunday if masks should be mandated for vulnerable regions, but said local governments will make their own decisions and the CDC has been clear about who should and should not wear a mask.
Regardless of mandates, former US Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb said Sunday that masks may become normalized for some people looking to protect themselves against respiratory pathogens -- be they coronavirus or the flu.
"I think people are going to use them on a voluntary basis," Gottlieb told CBS's "Face the Nation" Sunday. "I think going to work with the sniffles is going to be frowned upon. I think businesses are going to have access to routine testing. I think there might be symptom checks within certain settings."
A push to get vaccination rates up over the summer
Zients, the White House coronavirus official, said the administration will be increasing efforts this summer to get more people vaccinated so they can return to enjoying life without fear of Covid-19.
President Joe Biden had set a goal to have at least 70% of US adults at least partially vaccinated by July 4. The nation missed that mark by about eight million on Sunday.
The numbers are still ahead of where most people expected they would be, Zients said in defense of the vaccination progress, but added that federal officials will focus on increasing vaccine accessibility to the public to boost numbers.
"The most trusted messenger is the local doctor, the local healthcare provider, so increasingly we have vaccines in doctor's offices, at healthcare clinics, so that people can get their questions answered and roll up their sleeve and get a shot," Zients said.
If not enough people get that shot, it could spell a surge in the pandemic this winter, experts have said.
Vaccine expert Dr. Paul Offit estimated in May that 80% of the population will need to become immunized through vaccines or prior infections to avoid a winter surge.
CNN's Jacqueline Howard, Lauren Mascarenhas, Jasmine Wright and Maggie Fox contributed to this report.
"We don't exactly know what the herd immunity percentage would be for Covid-19. It would be different for the Delta variant, and higher, because it is more transmissible," Dr. Rachel Levine told CNN's Ana Cabrera on Friday.
"But we know ... that people who are vaccinated are protected against this Delta variant. And they're extremely unlikely to get sick and it's virtually impossible for them to require hospitalizations," said Levine, who is the assistant secretary at the US Department of Health and Human Services.
Estimates vary on how much of the population needs to have immunity to reach that goal. Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has said herd immunity might be reached if 70-85% of people are immune.
Variant accounting for greater percentage of cases in some states
The Delta variant, which was first seen in India, can infect people more easily and causes even more severe illnesses.
In California, where about half of the state's 40 million population is vaccinated, Covid-19 cases are rising, with the Delta variant accounting for 36% of all new cases, according to officials.
"The most important thing we can do to stop the spread of COVID-19, and the variants, is ensure everyone who is eligible gets vaccinated," said Dr. Toms Aragn, California's public health officer.
On Monday, Los Angeles County recommended that people wear masks in indoor public spaces even if vaccinated and, on Friday, the city and county of St. Louis, Missouri, did the same. Both jurisdictions made the recommendations because of the spread of the variant.
"As we monitor the Delta variant, we are seeing that it's spreading fast, and data shows it is more infectious and impacting younger segments of the population," said Dr. Fredrick Echols, the acting director of the City of St. Louis Department of Health, in a news release.
"In the five states with the highest rate of Covid-19 spread, the Delta variant is more than 50% of the cases there. Arkansas is 50%. Utah 60%. Missouri is 70%." Wen said. "I think we have to keep in mind, too, the statistics of who is getting ill. By and large, it is unvaccinated people."
Where US states stand in vaccinations
According to the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention, there are 18 states that have fully vaccinated more than half their population. They are California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and Washington, as well as Washington, D.C.
Experts agree that the best protection against the Delta variant is vaccination.
Moderna's vaccine was found in lab experiments to work against new variants including the Delta strain, the company said this week. Serum samples from people who received two shots of the Moderna vaccine showed neutralizing activity against the variants, Moderna said in a pre-print study that hasn't yet been peer-reviewed.
Johnson & Johnson said its one-shot coronavirus vaccine provides immunity that lasts at least eight months, and it appears to provide protection against the Delta variant.
Travel guidance from the WHO
Fauci offered a glimmer of good news ahead of the Fourth of July holiday: Americans can celebrate with the proper precautions, he said.
"That is, if you were vaccinated, you have a high degree of protection. If you are not, you should wear a mask, and you should think very seriously about getting vaccinated," he said.
However, US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy said he was most worried about people who are unvaccinated headed into the holiday weekend.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization's new interim international travel guidance released Friday takes into account vaccination status as well as variants of concern and variants of interest.
The organization recommends that a " risk-based approach" should be followed when Covid-19 measures are implemented.
"This approach should consider the risk posed by travel for the importation and exportation of cases in the context of the evolving epidemiology, including the emergence and circulation of virus variants of concern; the expansion of the COVID-19 vaccination roll-out; and lessons learned while responding to the pandemic, including on the early detection and management of cases and the application of public health and social measures," WHO said in a statement.
WHO also pointed out that proof of vaccination should not be required as a condition to enter or leave a country and that national authorities could consider individualized approaches when implementing testing or quarantine as a condition of entry if people have immunity from vaccination or previously confirmed infection.
CNN's Cheri Mossburg, Carma Hassan, Deidre McPhillips, Maggie Fox and Naomi Thomas contributed to this report.
The Oregon Health Authority reported 198 new coronavirus cases Thursday and 4 COVID-19 deaths.
To date, 1,790 Oregonians have contracted COVID-19 despite being fully vaccinated, the health authority said. Thats a fraction of the millions vaccinated who have not tested positive for the disease. The agency also noted that all but four of the 63 COVID-19 deaths in June were among people who werent fully vaccinated.
A total of 31 Oregonians have died after contracting COVID-19 despite being fully vaccinated. The majority of those who died were elderly, the health authority said, ranging in age from 57 to 100 and with a median age of 83.
SEE STATE AND COUNTY COVID-19 TRENDS
Vaccines: Oregon reported 8,535 newly administered doses, of which 4,395 were administered Wednesday.
Where the new cases are by county: Benton (1), Clackamas (21), Clatsop (1), Columbia (3), Coos (1), Crook (2), Curry (1), Deschutes (12), Douglas (7), Hood River (1), Jackson (9), Jefferson (4), Josephine (5), Klamath (5), Lake (2), Lane (18), Lincoln (1), Linn (15), Malheur (1), Marion (17), Morrow (1), Multnomah (21), Polk (9), Tillamook (5), Umatilla (12), Union (1), Wasco (1), Washington (13) and Yamhill (8).
Who died: Oregons 2,775th death connected to the coronavirus is a 64-year-old Columbia County man who tested positive June 10 and died June 18 at Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center.
Oregons 2,776th death is a 49-year-old Coos County woman who tested positive June 14 and died June 28 at Oregon Health & Science University Hospital.
Oregons 2,777th death is a 72-year-old Harney County man who tested positive June 22 and died June 30 at his residence.
Oregons 2,778th death is an 87-year-old Jefferson County man who tested positive June 10 and died June 25 at his residence.
All had underlying medical conditions.
Hospitalizations: 134 people with confirmed cases of COVID-19 are hospitalized, down two from Wednesday. That includes 27 people in intensive care, down four from Wednesday.
Since it began: Oregon has reported 208,834 confirmed or presumed infections and 2,778 deaths, among the lowest per capita numbers in the nation. To date, the state has reported 4,446,362 vaccine doses administered, fully vaccinating 2,189,221 people and partially vaccinating 211,946 people.
-- Fedor Zarkhin
Chinese State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi speaks at a Lanting Forum with the theme "China and the UN: Cooperation in 50 Years and Beyond, in Beijing, China June 25, 2021. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang
BEIJING, July 3 (Reuters) - China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi urged the international community on Saturday to build a "Great Wall of Immunity" to battle the COVID-19 pandemic.
"We should face the imminent challenges together," Wang, who is also a member of the State Council, or cabinet, told the 9th World Peace Forum held at Tsinghua University in the Chinese capital.
"The most urgent priority is to expedite the construction of the 'Great Wall of Immunity' to fend off the virus, surpass political discrimination and carry out international anti-pandemic cooperation."
China, where the coronavirus first surfaced in the central city of Wuhan in late 2019, has supplied more than 480 million vaccine doses to other nations.
Wang said it would keep working to improve the accessibility and affordability of vaccines in developing countries.
By Friday, China had administered a total of 1.28 billion doses of vaccine. B9N2N201Q
Reporting by Shivani Singh and Colin Qian; Editing by Clarence Fernandez
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
SEOUL, July 3 (Reuters) - Thousands of South Korean workers staged a rally in downtown Seoul to demand better conditions, video images showed on Saturday, defying a government ban and shrugging off warnings that their protest could ignite a new wave of the coronavirus.
As South Korea battles a spike in infections fuelled by the highly infectious Delta variant, officials had denied permission for the protest, with Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum urging leaders of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions to cancel it.
Marchers wearing masks blocked some of the main streets in the central district of Jongno, holding up signs with slogans such as "Stop restructuring!" and "Let's go! General strike!" video from the Yonhap news agency showed.
The protest, which the union said drew as many as 8,000 participants, backed demands for wage hikes and measures to prevent accidents.
But plans for the gathering had provoked concern about a repeat of the events of last summer, after a massive rally traced to a church sparked a second wave of infections nationwide.
However, the union pushed ahead with Saturday's rally after a last-minute change of venue from the financial centre of Yeouido, where police had set up a barricade of buses and checkpoints to deter protesters.
The union has said it is capable of ensuring a safe protest
based on strict COVID-19 guidelines, and urged respect for its right to freedom of assembly.
About 80% of South Korea's locally transmitted cases continue to come from the Seoul metropolitan area, home to more than half of the country's population of 52 million. Daily infections hit the highest in nearly six months on Thursday. read more
Friday's 794 cases reported by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) were slightly lower than the previous day's figure.
"Holding a large protest in the greater Seoul area is an extremely dangerous move that would only add fuel to the flames of COVID-19," Kim had said on Friday, warning that authorities would take all measures necessary to block the demonstration.
Reporting by Hyonhee Shin; Editing by Jane Wardell and Clarence Fernandez
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
The nightmare is returning.
In Indonesia, grave diggers are working into the night, as oxygen and vaccines are in short supply. In Europe, countries are slamming their doors shut once again, with quarantines and travel bans. In Bangladesh, urban garment workers fleeing an impending lockdown are almost assuredly seeding another coronavirus surge in their impoverished home villages.
And in countries like South Korea and Israel that seemed to have largely vanquished the virus, new clusters of disease have proliferated. Chinese health officials announced on Monday that they would build a giant quarantine center with up to 5,000 rooms to hold international travelers. Australia has ordered millions to stay at home.
A year and a half since it began racing across the globe with exponential efficiency, the pandemic is on the rise again in vast stretches of the world, driven largely by the new variants, particularly the highly contagious Delta variant first identified in India. From Africa to Asia, countries are suffering from record Covid-19 caseloads and deaths, even as wealthier nations with high vaccination rates have let their guard down, dispensing with mask mandates and reveling in life edging back toward normalcy.
Scientists believe the Delta variant may be twice as transmissible as the original coronavirus, and its potential to infect some partially vaccinated people has alarmed public health officials. Unvaccinated populations, whether in India or Indiana, may serve as incubators of new variants that could evolve in surprising and dangerous ways, with Delta giving rise to what Indian researchers are calling Delta Plus. There are also the Gamma and Lambda variants.
Were in a race against the spread of the virus variants, said Prof. Kim Woo-joo, an infectious disease specialist at Korea University Guro Hospital in Seoul.
The political debates underway from Malaysia to the Seychelles whether to institute lockdowns and mask requirements are starting to echo in countries with far more resources, including plentiful vaccines. On Monday, health officials in Los Angeles County, where Delta variant infections are climbing, urged residents, even immunized ones, to wear masks indoors. (Many scientists, however, say masks are not necessary for the fully immunized in areas where the virus is not widespread.)
But while the new images from Nepal or Kenya of overflowing intensive-care units and dying doctors dredge up terrible memories for the West, it is not clear whether they also provide a glimpse into the future.
Most existing vaccines appear to be effective against the Delta variant, and initial research indicates that those who are infected are likely to develop mild or asymptomatic cases. But even in the wealthiest countries except for a handful of nations with small populations fewer than half the people are fully vaccinated. Experts say that with new variants spreading, markedly higher vaccination rates and continued precautions are needed to tame the pandemic.
The smoke rising once more from crematories in less affluent nations has highlighted the gulf between the worlds haves and have-nots. Vast inequalities in economic development, health care systems and despite the promises of world leaders vaccine access have made the latest surge much bigger and much deadlier.
The developed countries used up the resources available because they own the resources and they want to protect their people first, said Dono Widiatmoko, a senior lecturer in health and social care at the University of Derby and a member of the Indonesian Public Health Association. Its natural, but if we look it from a human rights point of view, every life has the same value.
And as the public health officials keep repeating, and the pandemic keeps proving, as long as one region is afflicted, no part of the world is safe.
As the Delta variant wreaked havoc in India this spring, when the pandemic killed more than 200,000 people there an official count that is widely seen as too low and paralyzed the economy, it also leapt national borders, infecting climbers on Mount Everest, pro-democracy protesters in Myanmar and travelers to Londons Heathrow Airport. Today, it has been detected in at least 85 countries and is the dominant strain in parts of Europe, Asia and Africa.
July 3, 2021, 10:27 a.m. ET
The variants ferocious transmissibility was on full display in Indonesia, the worlds fourth-most-populous country.
In May, infections there were at their lowest point since the country was gripped by the pandemic last year. By late June, Indonesia was suffering record caseloads as the Delta variant took hold after a religious holiday scattered travelers across the archipelago. On Tuesday, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent warned that the country was on the edge of catastrophe.
Fewer than 5 percent of Indonesians have been fully vaccinated, and frontline medical workers were immunized with Sinovac, the Chinese-made vaccine that may be less effective than other inoculations. At least 20 Indonesian doctors who received both doses of Sinovac have died. But with Western countries hoarding what appear to be more potent vaccines, countries like Indonesia and Mongolia have had no choice but plentiful Chinese-made alternatives.
Last week, the Hong Kong authorities suspended passenger flights from Indonesia, and they are doing the same with travel from Britain starting on July 1.
In May, Portugal tried to resuscitate its tourism industry by welcoming back sun seekers from Britain, despite reports of the Delta variants spread there. Within a few weeks, the British government had instituted a quarantine for travelers from Portugal, including returning vacationers.
With Delta variant cases sharply increasing, Lisbon went into weekend lockdown, and Germany deemed Portugal a virus variant zone. Now Portugal has backed away from its tourist welcome and is requiring unvaccinated British travelers to quarantine.
Some Portuguese hoteliers are despondent. Isabel Pereira, a guesthouse owner, said half of her bookings have been canceled, and she understands the tourists concerns.
I cannot unfortunately even tell them for sure what to expect tomorrow, let alone next week, she said.
For others, the past is repeating itself with turbocharged velocity.
In Bangladesh, scientists found that nearly 70 percent of coronavirus samples from the capital, Dhaka, taken between May 25 and June 7 were the Delta variant. Coronavirus test positivity rates this week have hovered around 25 percent, compared to 2 percent in the United States.
On Wednesday, Bangladesh recorded its highest-ever daily case count. The numbers look set to climb higher as migrant workers return to their villages ahead of a July 1 nationwide lockdown, potentially exposing those communities to the virus.
The nationwide shutdown means that all domestic public transportation networks will be suspended and all shops closed for at least a week. But with Bangladeshs export-driven economy battered by the pandemic, the government has refrained from idling garment factories and mills.
They are hard-working people, said Mohammed Nasir, the former vice president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association. Their immune systems are stronger.
If pandemic history is any precedent, such crowded quarters, just like prisons or mass religious gatherings, can turn into petri dishes of infection. Many garment workers, though, are desperate to keep their jobs, especially with annual bonuses due soon.
Despite promises from various countries and international organizations, vaccine deliveries to Bangladesh have been underwhelming. Fewer than 3 percent of Bangladeshis have been fully vaccinated.
We are working to make a balance, Mr. Nasir said, between lives and livelihoods.
Reporting was contributed by Muktita Suhartono and Richard C. Paddock in Bangkok, Raphael Minder in Madrid, Amy Chang Chien in Taipei, Taiwan and Yu Young Jin in Seoul.
Almost 72% of Illinois adults have received at least one vaccine dose and more than 56% are fully vaccinated
SPRINGFIELD The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 2,120 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 54 additional deaths since reporting last Friday, June 25, 2021. Almost 72% (71.8%) of Illinois adults have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose and more than 56% of Illinois adults are fully vaccinated, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 1,392,552 cases, including 23,245 deaths, in 102 counties in Illinois. The age of cases ranges from younger than one to older than 100 years. Since reporting on Friday, June 25, 2021, laboratories have reported 234,527 specimens for a total of 25,868,855. As of last night, 424 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 97 patients were in the ICU and 35 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from June 25 July 1, 2021 is 0.9%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from June 25 July 1, 2021 is 1.1%.
Celebrate the Fourth of July holiday weekend while exercising appropriate caution, said IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike. While many events are outside, it is still important for unvaccinated people to take precautions and, when necessary, avoid large crowds where social distancing is not possible. For indoor events, unvaccinated people should continue to wear masks, and vaccinated individuals may choose to do so as well as the more virulent strain of COVID-19, Delta variant, increases in Illinois.
A total of 12,648,167 vaccines have been administered in Illinois as of last midnight. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 41,150 doses. Since reporting on Friday, June 25, 2021, 288,050 doses were reported administered in Illinois.
*All data are provisional and will change. Additional information and COVID-19 data can be found at http://www.dph.illinois.gov/covid19.
This story will be updated.
Another Mainer has died as health officials on Friday reported 15more coronavirus cases across the state.
The number of coronavirus cases diagnosed in the past 14 days statewide is 316. This is an estimation of the current number of active cases in the state, as the Maine CDC is no longer tracking recoveries for all patients. Thats down from 337 on Thursday.
A man in his 60s from Penobscot County has succumbed to the virus, bringing the statewide death toll to 860.
Fridays report brings the total number of coronavirus cases in Maine to 69,069,according to the Maine CDC. Thats up from 69,054 on Thursday.
Of those, 50,519have been confirmed positive, while 18,550were classified as probable cases, the Maine CDC reported.
The new case rate statewide Friday was 0.11 cases per 10,000 residents, and the total case rate statewide was 516.05.
Maines seven-day average for new coronavirus cases is 22.7, down from 25.4 a day ago, down from 26.9 a week ago and down from 85.4 a month ago. That average peaked on Jan. 14 at 625.3.
The most cases have been detected in Mainers younger than 20, while Mainers over 80 years old make up the majority of deaths. More cases and deaths have been recorded in women than men.
So far, 2,079 Mainers have been hospitalized at some point with COVID-19, the illness caused by the new coronavirus. Information about those who are currently hospitalized wasnt immediately available.
The total statewide hospitalization rate on Friday was 15.53 patients per 10,000 residents.
Cases have been reported in Androscoggin (8,416), Aroostook (1,903), Cumberland (17,260), Franklin (1,392), Hancock (1,376), Kennebec (6,608), Knox (1,147), Lincoln (1,081), Oxford (3,648), Penobscot (6,354), Piscataquis (589), Sagadahoc (1,475), Somerset (2,288), Waldo (1,052), Washington (944) and York (13,536) counties.
Out of 3,707 COVID-19 tests reported to the Maine CDC in the previous 24 hours, 0.5 percent came back positive. Overall, 2,748,982 tests have been administered and the statewide positivity rate is 2.75 percent.
An additional 877 Mainers have been vaccinated against the coronavirus in the previous 24 hours. As of Friday, 746,777 Mainers have received a first dose of the vaccine, while 788,068 have received a final dose.
New Hampshire reported 23 new cases on Friday and no deaths. Vermont reported two new cases and one death, while Massachusetts reported 83 new cases and three deaths.
As of Friday morning, the coronavirus had sickened 33,681,328 people in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and the U.S. Virgin Islands, as well as caused 605,062 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins University of Medicine.
More articles from the BDN
The World Bank is organizing the symposium on Learning during and post-COVID-19 in Nepal as a side event to the Global Education summit in collaboration with Nepals Ministry of Education, Science and Technology; Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO); UNICEF and USAID.
Like other countries in South Asia, widespread school closures and other disruptions to education due to COVID 19 are likely to have long-term impacts on the well-being and learning and earning potential of children in Nepal.
These effects are anticipated to hit disadvantaged children the hardest, as they fall even further behind their peers.
In response to this challenge, the Government of Nepal (GON) has rolled out multimodal learning programs during school closures and other periods of disruption, including provision of online, offline and printed learning materials to students and promotion of flexible learning approaches to help teachers cover core curriculum content in a shorter time.
At the same time, the GON recognizes that high-technology approaches are likely to deepen educational inequities in a country where many households do not have access to radio, TV, and internet.
A range of development partners have supported the GONs efforts to stabilize education across the country, through alternative, catch-up learning approaches that utilize low- or no-tech solutions for some of the most educationally disadvantaged children.
The objective of this symposium is to bring together key stakeholders to combine efforts and strategies towards mitigating learning losses due to prolonged school closures and inequitable access to technology-based learning.
The timing for this symposium is opportune because it aligns with the GONs efforts to finalize and begin implementing the next Education Sector Plan (2021-2030) in a context of ongoing ripple effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Likewise, the symposium aims to inform Nepals contributions and commitments as part of the upcoming Global Education Summit, in which Global Partnership for Education recipient countries and donor nations will affirm shared priorities for supporting equitable, quality education.
An advertisement truck, operated by Tokyo Metropolitan Government office, displaying messages that warns against the spread of the N501Y mutant COVID-19 strain, drives on the street in Tokyo, Japan May 14, 2021. REUTERS/Naoki Ogura/File Photo
TOKYO, July 3 (Reuters) - Tokyo reported 716 new COVID-19 infections on Saturday, its highest in more than five weeks, as the nation considers extending pandemic restrictions in the capital just weeks before it is to host the Olympics.
Tokyo and three neighbouring prefectures are among areas under a "quasi" state of emergency set to run through July 11, but Japan may extend the measures by two weeks or more due to a recent uptick in infections. read more
The coronavirus surge comes as Olympic organisers struggle to decide whether to allow spectators at the Games, which start on July 23.
Having decided to ban overseas spectators, the organisers have capped the number of domestic spectators at 10,000 per venue for the Games, or 50% of capacity, despite medical experts saying no spectators would be the "least risky" option. read more
Saturday's COVID-19 number is the highest since May 26, when Tokyo had 743 new infections.
Reporting by Junko Fujita; Editing by William Mallard
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
