28th Apr 2021 https://nfind.uk/lockdown_exit/index.php/newsletter=298 lockdown_exit

Vaccinations are plateauing. Don’t blame it on ‘resistance’

STAT News The U.S. vaccine rollout is plateauing. A remarkable 230 million shots have been given in a few short months fully vaccinating about 95 million Americans as I write this. The next 100 million shots will be harder. News reports are chronicling a slowdown in appointments across the nation. The number of daily doses administered is down from the peak of 4.6 million on April 10 to about 3 million today. By now this historic effort has captured the vaccinehungry individuals who are eager wellresourced technologically savvy and excited to get vaccinated. But as fewer people sign up to get their shots a dominant narrative is emerging Its because of hesitancy too many people dont want to get the vaccine. Some even call this vaccine resistance. Those are convenient narratives. But they are false and can have harmful consequences. Instead of talking up hesitancy its time to talk about what motivates people to get vaccinated and identify the ongoing barriers to vaccination. https://www.statnews.com/2021/04/27/vaccinations-are-plateauing-dont-blame-it-on-resistance/ 27th Apr 2021

Vaccinations are plateauing. Don’t blame it on ‘resistance’

The Associated Press New DISQO research asking COVID19 unvaccinated U.S. adults about their intentions to get vaccinated raises concerns over the countrys ability to reach the threshold widely believed necessary for herd immunity 70 of the population being vaccinated. DISQO found that 23 of unvaccinated people were unsure about whether they will get a vaccine when available to them and 22 said they would not. DISQO fielded the new study Moving the Needle Persuading the Vaccine Unsure to understand COVID19 vaccine attitudes trust about information sources and willingness to be vaccinated at pharmacy retailers. 22000 U.S. adults answered survey questions and more than 30000 opted in to share their online browsing enabling DISQO to understand attitudes and actual behaviors. https://apnews.com/press-release/globe-newswire/health-business-coronavirus-40609729c3a31faddeb4552dc95559d8 27th Apr 2021

CDC: Fully vaccinated Americans can go maskless outdoors

CIDRAP Today the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC said fully vaccinated Americans no longer need to wear masks during bike rides runs small outdoor gatherings with friends or dining outdoors at restaurants. Though the agency still recommends mask wearing in large outdoor gatherings such as sports games and concerts CDC Director Rochelle Walensky MD MPH said data are clear that being outside poses little threat to fully vaccinated people meaning those who are 14 days out from their Johnson Johnson vaccine or received their second dose of the PfizerBioNTech or Moderna vaccine 14 or more days ago. Most of transmission is happening indoors than outdoors Walensky said explaining that less than 10 of documented COVID19 transmission has occurred outside. Unvaccinated Americans may also now safely resume exercising outdoors without a mask the CDC said and socialize with fully vaccinated friends and family members in small outdoor gatherings. Today is another day we can take a step back to the normalcy of before Walensky said during a White House press briefing on the guidance change. https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2021/04/cdc-fully-vaccinated-americans-can-go-maskless-outdoors 27th Apr 2021

CDC: Fully vaccinated Americans can go maskless outdoors

STAT News People who are fully vaccinated against Covid19 no longer need to wear masks while outside in uncrowded areas or in small groups federal health officials said Tuesday as part of updated guidance. The federal health officials urged people even those who are vaccinated to continue wearing masks in indoor settings like the grocery store or houses of worship as a way to protect others who are not yet vaccinated and to reduce transmission. They also said people should continue to use face coverings in crowded areas even if outdoors at events like sports games or concerts where distancing is more difficult. While the available Covid19 vaccines are incredibly powerful at preventing illness and are cutting transmission some people do contract the virus after being immunized. Researchers are still trying to understand just how efficiently people who have these socalled breakthrough infections can transmit the virus to others its possible the vaccines cut down on how contagious they are. https://www.statnews.com/2021/04/27/a-mask-break-federal-health-officials-say-vaccinated-people-can-doff-face-coverings-when-outside-away-from-crowds/ 27th Apr 2021

CDC: Fully vaccinated Americans can go maskless outdoors

Al Jazeera English Fully vaccinated people in the United States can now safely go out in public without having to wear a mask unless they are attending a crowded venue health officials and the US president announced on Tuesday. In newly updated guidelines the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC said fully vaccinated Americans can walk bike socialise or dine in an outdoor restaurant without having to wear a mask. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/4/27/vaccinated-americans-can-now-remove-masks-outdoors-cdc 27th Apr 2021

CDC: Fully vaccinated Americans can go maskless outdoors

NPR Young people who get the COVID19 vaccine in West Virginia wont just gain protection against a deadly virus theyll also make money. The state will offer a 100 savings bond to everyone between the ages of 16 and 35 who gets vaccinated Gov. Jim Justice a Republican announced at a Monday briefing. Its part of an ongoing push to get shots into the arms of younger residents who have been largely slow to roll up their sleeves so far. The initiative will apply retroactively to people in this age group who have already gotten their shots. It is funded with money from the CARES Act with Justice adding that officials have vetted this in every way that we possibly can. https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2021/04/27/991173625/west-virginia-will-pay-young-people-100-to-get-vaccinated-against-covid-19 27th Apr 2021

WHO says ‘perfect storm’ of conditions led to India COVID surge

Al Jazeera English The World Health Organization WHO has said the wave of COVID19 infections in India is the result of a perfect storm of mass gatherings more contagious variants and low vaccination rates. Indias new coronavirus cases remained above 300000 for a sixth consecutive day on Tuesday while its armed forces have pledged urgent medical aid to help battle the staggering spike in infections overwhelming its hospitals and crematoriums. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/4/27/who-rush-to-hospitals-responsible-for-indias-covid-crisis 27th Apr 2021

Vital medical supplies reach India as COVID deaths near 200000

Reuters India Covid19 live updates CDC relaxes mask guidelines Indias crisis deepensThe Washington PostIndias new COVID19 cases stay above 300000 army called to helpNasdaqIndia posts 323144 new COVID19 casesShepparton NewsSupplies reach India as COVID toll climbsSeymour TelegraphView Full coverage on Google News https://www.reuters.com/world/india/india-posts-323144-new-covid-19-cases-2021-04-27/ 28th Apr 2021

Spain to send 7 tonnes of medical aid to India

Reuters India Spain will send just over seven tonnes of medical supplies to India the foreign minister said on Tuesday to help authorities cope with a rampant COVID19 wave that is killing thousands there every day. Nobody will be safe until we are all safe Arancha Gonzalez Laya told a news conference after the weekly cabinet meeting. https://www.reuters.com/world/india/spain-send-7-tonnes-medical-aid-india-2021-04-27/ 27th Apr 2021

India Covid: Delhi builds makeshift funeral pyres as deaths climb

BBC News Crematoriums in the Indian capital Delhi have been forced to build makeshift funeral pyres as the city runs out of space to cremate its dead. Staff are working around the clock while parks and other empty spaces are also being utilised for cremations. Families have had to wait hours before being allowed to cremate their dead due to the rise in demand. Deaths have been surging in India as a second wave of infections devastates the country. The rising number of deaths 380 were recorded in Delhi alone on Monday has left crematoriums in urgent need of space. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-56897970 27th Apr 2021

Rep. Khanna Calls For U.S. To Provide More COVID-19 Assistance To India

NPR NPRs Steve Inskeep talks to Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna of California about Indias COVID19 crisis. Khanna is vice chair of the India caucus and urges the administration to take action. https://www.npr.org/2021/04/27/991117934/rep-khanna-calls-for-u-s-to-provide-more-covid-19-assistance-to-india 27th Apr 2021

‘Cannon fodder’: Medical students in India feel betrayed

The Associated Press Since the beginning of the week Dr. Siddharth Tara a postgraduate medical student at New Delhis governmentrun Hindu Rao Hospital has had a fever and persistent headache. He took a COVID19 test but the results have been delayed as the countrys health system implodes. His hospital overburdened and understaffed wants him to keep working until the testing laboratory confirms he has COVID19. On Tuesday India reported 323144 new infections for a total of more than 17.6 million cases behind only the United States. Indias Health Ministry also reported another 2771 deaths in the past 24 hours with 115 Indians succumbing to the disease every hour. Experts say those figures are likely an undercount. I am not able to breathe. In fact Im more symptomatic than my patients. So how can they make me work asked Tara. https://apnews.com/article/health-india-new-delhi-coronavirus-b70d05eb020b3e6331863e685fb374fa 27th Apr 2021

Indian state ‘cracks down’ on hospitals flagging oxygen shortage

AlJazeera The rightwing Bharatiya Janata Party BJP government in Indias most populous Uttar Pradesh state has ordered a crackdown on individuals and hospitals reporting a shortage of medical oxygen or beds according to Indian media reports. Over the weekend the northern states saffronclad Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath a firebrand Hindu monk known for his hate speech threatened to invoke the stringent National Security Act NSA and the Gangster Act against anyone trying to spread fear and panic during the pandemic local reports said. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/4/27/indian-state-cracks-down-on-hospitals-flagging-oxygen-shortage 27th Apr 2021

India nears 200,000 COVID deaths, daily cases fall, army steps in

AlJazeera Indias coronavirus death toll is nearing the bleak milestone of 200000 with another 2771 fatalities reported while its armed forces have pledged urgent medical aid to help battle the staggering spike in infections. Over the past 24 hours India recorded 323144 new cases on Tuesday slightly below a worldwide peak of 352991 reached on Monday with overrun hospitals turning away patients due to a shortage of beds and oxygen supplies. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/4/27/india-nears-200000-covid-deaths-army-steps-in 27th Apr 2021

India's daily COVID-19 cases break yet another record

CIDRAP The pace of new COVID19 cases in India hit a new daily world record today topping 300000 for the seventh day in a row as its daily deaths topped 3000 for the first time. The worst surge of the pandemic has prompted an outpouring of international assistance as more help arrived. https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2021/04/indias-daily-covid-19-cases-break-yet-another-record 27th Apr 2021

In Covid’s grip, India gasps for air: ‘If there is an apocalypse, this has to be one’

STAT News Working hard to keep her composure Lavanya Sharma tweeted a short video on April 25. Please please please help the teenage girl from New Delhis Uttam Nagar neighborhood wrote atop her post as her mother lay gasping for breath and her oximeter blinked a dangerously low reading of 52100. Sharmas frantic calls for help didnt get an official response until the next day when an ambulance finally arrived to take her mother to the hospital. This harrowing tale highlights the plight of millions of Indians who are being pushed to the brink by the countrys ferocious second wave of the pandemic. https://www.statnews.com/2021/04/27/in-covid-grip-india-gasps-for-air-if-there-is-an-apocalypse-this-has-to-be-one/ 27th Apr 2021

Manufacturing Ramp-Up

Reuters Drugmaker Lonza Group under pressure to find workers to help speed production of Moderna Incs COVID19 vaccine is recruiting temporary employees from food giant Nestle to staff Swiss plants making ingredients for the shot state broadcaster RTS said on Tuesday citing sources. Moderna last week blamed projected secondquarter delays in shipments of its vaccine to countries including Britain and Canada on production bottlenecks. read more Switzerlands Lonza is the key supplier of ingredients needed to produce the messenger RNA vaccine. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/nestle-staff-sought-help-lonza-production-moderna-vaccine-swiss-tv-2021-04-27/ 27th Apr 2021

Manufacturing Ramp-Up

Reuters U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai discussed increasing COVID19 vaccine production in a virtual meeting on Tuesday with an executive with drugmaker Novavax NVAX.O Tais office said in a statement. Tai and Novavax Executive Vice President John Trizzino also discussed a proposal before the World Trade Organization to waive certain intellectual property rights in response to the coronavirus pandemic the USTR statement said. Ambassador Tai sought Mr. Trizzinos views on steps Novavax is taking to quickly increase equitable production and distribution of vaccines in the United States and around the world the statement said. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/top-us-trade-negotiator-discusses-vaccine-ramp-up-with-novavax-exec-ustr-2021-04-27/ 27th Apr 2021

Manufacturing Ramp-Up

Reuters Denmark aims to start producing coronavirus vaccines in 2022 Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said adding that a tender would be made public in a few weeks. As everyone can see read feel and hear we need more vaccines Frederiksen told the business daily Borsen late on Monday. That is why we need to set up production. The vaccines will be produced by private companies she said. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/denmark-produce-covid-19-vaccines-2022-pm-says-2021-04-27/ 27th Apr 2021

Manufacturing Ramp-Up

FiercePharma India is in the midst of one of the worlds grimmest COVID19 outbreaks so far but for weeks the country has struggled to meet local demand for lifesaving drugs and vaccines. Now drugmakers reliant on India for their own production needs are stepping in to help. Gilead Sciences on Monday said it would help local manufacturers boost production of its COVID19 antiviral drug remdesivir marketed as Veklury. The drug is authorized in India for hospitalized adults and children with severe disease. Seven companies in India already produce the drug but theyre not able to keep up with demand amid the crisis. Gilead plans to donate at least 450000 vials of remdesivir to help ease the immediate need for treatment. Supplies of remdesivir in India have been so tight a thriving black market has cropped up. https://www.fiercepharma.com/pharma/gilead-merck-plan-production-boosts-for-covid-19-drugs-india-amid-surging-outbreak 27th Apr 2021

Lockdown Exit

Reuters Australia The government of Western Australia state said it will lift a threeday COVID19 lockdown in Perth and neighbouring Peel region as planned from midnight on Monday after no new cases were found in the past two days. Perth and the Peel region were placed into a hard lockdown from Saturday after an infected traveller from overseas who likely contracted the novel coronavirus during his twoweek quarantine in a Perth hotel visited several venues while unknowingly infectious. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-australia-perth/australias-perth-to-exit-covid-19-lockdown-idUSKBN2CD0HK 27th Apr 2021

Lockdown Exit

Reuters Vienna will cautiously loosen its coronavirus lockdown next week a month after it was introduced its leftwing mayor said on Tuesday criticising the conservativeled governments plans for a broad easing of restrictions nationally next month. Austria has had three national lockdowns the last of which eased in February. Vienna however reintroduced a full lockdown on April 1 to help hospitals facing rising cases particularly of the more dangerous socalled British variant. Infections nationally have eased this month but remain stubbornly high at more than 1500 a day. Despite that Chancellor Sebastian Kurz last week said restaurants hotels and theatres will reopen nationally on May 19 though provinces can have stricter rules locally if needed. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/vienna-easing-lockdown-cautiously-with-swipe-government-plans-2021-04-27/ 27th Apr 2021

Lockdown Exit

Reuters French President Emmanuel Macron will probably make an announcement on plans to relax COVID19 restrictions in the next few days employment minister Elisabeth Borne told BFM TV on Tuesday. France the euro zones second biggest economy started its third national lockdown at the end of March after suffering a spike in COVID19 deaths and case numbers. Macron is hoping the effects of that lockdown along with an accelerated vaccination campaign will improve Frances COVID19 figures which would then allow certain businesses and leisure activities such as outdoors dining to reopen in mid May. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/frances-macron-expected-announce-easing-covid-rules-coming-days-minister-2021-04-27/ 27th Apr 2021

Lockdown Exit

Reuters Chilean authorities announced that they would extend the closure of the countrys borders for another 30 days as hospitals remain nearfull and COVID19 cases high despite a gradual improvement in recent weeks. Health Minister Enrique Paris said seven and 14day averages each showed a 7 decrease in confirmed cases and COVID19 positivity test rates were down. On Monday 6078 new infections were identified compared to a record high of 9171 cases on April 9. The health situation is showing some signs of improvement. We are seeing changes but that doesnt mean we can stop fighting Paris said. Chile is running one of the worlds fastest vaccination campaigns with half of its target population already inoculated with one shot and 38.8 with two https://www.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-chile/amid-green-shoots-chile-keeps-borders-closed-but-eases-capitals-lockdowns-idUSL1N2MJ2M7 27th Apr 2021

Harry and Meghan to lead ‘Vax Live’ fundraising concert

The Associated Press Prince Harry and Meghan will serve as the campaign chairs of Global Citizens effort to deliver COVID19 vaccines to medical workers in the worlds poorest countries. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will appear at Vax Live The Concert to Reunite the World to be taped Sunday at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles and air on ABC CBS FOX YouTube and iHeartMedia broadcast radio stations on May 8 Global Citizen the antipoverty nonprofit announced Tuesday. Harry and Meghan are also leading an effort to raise money for the vaccinesharing program COVAX which hopes to produce 19 billion to pay for the vaccines for medical workers. https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-meghan-markle-emmanuel-macron-media-coronavirus-pandemic-260de2f8d28914af337cc06c0bf276f8 27th Apr 2021

UK survey finds rising unease about AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine

Reuters UK British enthusiasm for the AstraZeneca COVID19 vaccine has faded in the past month reflecting rising unease about its possible links to rare adverse side effects though overall UK confidence in vaccines is high an updated survey has found. The survey of almost 5000 people showed a significant increase in the proportion who said they want to be vaccinated against COVID19 as soon as possible but also found that almost a quarter of those asked now believe the AstraZeneca vaccine causes blood clots up from 13 last month. https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/uk-survey-finds-rising-unease-about-astrazeneca-covid-19-vaccine-2021-04-27/ 28th Apr 2021

In fight against virus, Biden looks for path back to normal

Associated Press President Joe Biden spent his first 100 days in office encouraging Americans to mask up and stay home to slow the spread of the coronavirus. His task for the next 100 days will be to lay out the path back to normal. When he entered office Biden moved swiftly to overcome problems with vaccine supply and more than tripled the countrys ability to administer them. But ending the coronavirus pandemic the central challenge of his presidency will require not only putting shots into arms a task now growing more difficult as demand sags but also a robust plan to help the nation emerge from a year of isolation disruption and confusion. https://apnews.com/article/pandemics-health-joe-biden-business-government-and-politics-3d38206bc38f012b9598154b59d27d1f 27th Apr 2021

In Africa, vaccine hesitancy adds to slow rollout of doses

The Associated Press Some Africans are hesitating to get COVID19 vaccines amid concerns about their safety alarming public health officials as some countries start to destroy thousands of doses that expired before use. Malawi and South Sudan in recent days have said they will destroy some of their doses a concerning development on a continent where health officials have been outspoken about the need for vaccine equity as the worlds rich nations hold the bulk of shots. Africa whose 1.3 billion people represent 16 of the worlds population has received less than 2 of the COVID19 vaccine doses administered around the world according to the World Health 0rganization. https://apnews.com/article/world-news-public-health-health-kampala-coronavirus-vaccine-7ca6c2cfb013174cf3faa35904fc7c26 27th Apr 2021

Racism on the frontline: Britain’s Asian healthcare workers

AlJazeera It was just after eating Christmas dinner with her son last year that Bristolbased care home nurse Carine started experiencing the worst headache of her life. Carine 65 who is from the Philippines but has lived in the UK for more than 30 years cast her mind back to the moment three days prior when she had learned that a resident she had just been helping wash himself had tested positive for COVID19. But you told me he was negative just half an hour ago she recalls saying to the duty manager who broke the news to her. https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2021/4/27/under-fire-on-the-frontline-britains-asian-healthcare-workers 27th Apr 2021

Research suggests shift workers are three time more likely to test positive for Covid 19 in Hospital

ITV News Scientists from Manchester University have discovered that patients are up to three times more likely to test positive for Covid 19 in hospital if they were shift workers during their career. Researchers used data from UK Biobank the worlds largest biomedical database. It showed that shift work increased the likelihood of testing positive for COVID19 in hospitalised patients 23 fold depending on the nature of shift work. Though there are several known risk factors for COVID19 they do not always explain why COVID19 outbreaks happen in factories or healthcare settings which is why they investigated the role of shift work. https://www.itv.com/news/granada/2021-04-27/research-suggests-shift-workers-are-three-time-more-likely-to-test-positive-for-covid-19-in-hospital 27th Apr 2021

The most promising coronavirus vaccine you've never heard of

POLITICO Hopes are growing that a darkhorse coronavirus vaccine from a tiny U.S. drugmaker can shore up supplies in the U.S. and globally as safety concerns and production problems shadow shots from Johnson Johnson and AstraZeneca. The vaccines developer Novavax has never brought a product to market. The shot entered latestage clinical trials months after candidates from bigger names like Pfizer and Moderna. But the Novavax vaccine proved just as potent as those mRNA shots in a U.K. trial and the company is now preparing to file for U.S. authorization in a matter of weeks potentially leapfrogging AstraZeneca a former frontrunner. https://www.politico.com/news/2021/04/27/novavax-coronavirus-vaccine-484731 27th Apr 2021

Turkey announces

Reuters Turks will be required to stay mostly at home under a nationwide full lockdown starting on Thursday and lasting until May 17 to curb a surge in coronavirus infections and deaths President Tayyip Erdogan announced on Monday. Turkey logged 37312 new COVID19 infections and 353 deaths in the last 24 hours health ministry data showed sharply down from midApril but still the worlds fourth highest number of cases and the worst on a percapita basis among major nations. Announcing the new measures after a cabinet meeting Erdogan said all intercity travel would require official approval all schools would shut and move lessons online and a strict capacity limit would be imposed for users of public transport. https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/turkeys-erdogan-adopts-full-closure-until-may-17-over-covid-19-2021-04-26/ 27th Apr 2021

Counties with Oregon's biggest cities moved to extreme risk

Associated Press Oregon Gov. Kate Brown said Tuesday rising COVID19 hospitalizations threaten to overwhelm doctors and she is moving 15 counties into the extreme risk category which imposes restrictions that include banning indoor restaurant dining. Some of the states biggest cities including Portland Salem Bend and Eugene are in the counties that will be in the most dire category effective Friday. If we dont act now doctors nurses hospitals and other health care providers in Oregon will be stretched to their limits treating severe cases of COVID19 Brown said in a statement. The move comes ironically as the supply of vaccines is exceeding demand. There are appointments available right now all across the state Brown said. https://apnews.com/article/health-lifestyle-business-coronavirus-oregon-3563078bcbaad4397ea432111264065e 27th Apr 2021