9th Sep 2021 https://nfind.uk/lockdown_exit/index.php/newsletter=486 lockdown_exit

Lockdown Exit

Reuters Brazils federal health regulator said on Wednesday that documents provided by a Sao Paulo biomedical center attesting to the safety of over 12 million doses of the Coronavac COVID19 vaccine were insufficient to ensure their safety. Last week the regulator known as Anvisa suspended the use of millions doses of the vaccine developed by Chinas Sinovac Biotech Ltd as they were produced in a plant that had not been authorized by the authority. https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/brazilian-regulator-still-unsatisfied-with-safety-12-mln-coronavac-doses-2021-09-08/ 9th Sep 2021

Lockdown Exit

MarketWatch The number of children and teens suffering from the coronavirusborne illness COVID19 exceeded 250000 for the first time since the start of the pandemic in the week through Sept. 2 a worrying trend coming just as they return to school in person. Data published by the American Academy of Pediatrics showed the number of child cases has been climbing fast through the summer months after declining at the start of the season with more than 750000 cases being added between Aug. 5 and Sept. 2. Children accounted for 26.8 of reported cases in the latest week. https://www.marketwatch.com/story/number-of-children-and-teens-with-covid-19-exceeds-250-000-for-first-time-since-start-of-pandemic-as-mask-and-vaccination-fights-continue-11631112818 8th Sep 2021

Lockdown Exit

Reuters The World Health Organization on Wednesday said lowincome countries were ready to run effective COVID19 vaccination campaigns and it was now down to manufacturers and rich countries to deliver the pledged doses to ease global health inequalities. About 80 of the 5.5 billion vaccines doses that have been administered globally went to high and uppermiddle income countries WHO DirectorGeneral Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a news briefing on Wednesday https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/more-data-needed-before-covid-19-vaccine-booster-decisions-eu-regulators-2021-05-12/ 8th Sep 2021

Lockdown Exit

Daily Mail More than 250000 COVID19 cases were recorded among children and teens during the week that ended September 2. The new case count is the highest total during the pandemic and 25 higher than the previous week. There have been 444 Covid deaths among children meaning kids make up less than 0.1 of all deaths in the U.S. More than half of COVID19 cases among children are in the South in states such as Florida and Texas https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-9969773/COVID-19-cases-minors-reach-record-250-000-cases-youth-account-25-active-infections.html 8th Sep 2021

Lockdown Exit

AlJazeera The head of the World Health Organization WHO has called on wealthy countries with large supplies of coronavirus vaccines to refrain from offering booster shots through the end of the year expanding an earlier request that has been largely ignored. Speaking to journalists on Wednesday in Geneva WHO DirectorGeneral Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also said he was appalled at comments by a leading association of pharmaceutical manufacturers a day earlier who said vaccine supplies are high enough to allow for both booster shots and vaccinations in countries in dire need of jabs but facing shortages. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/9/8/who-chief-urges-halt-to-booster-shots-for-rest-of-the-year 8th Sep 2021

Lockdown Exit

The Associated Press A Florida judge ruled Wednesday that the state cannot enforce a ban on public schools mandating the use of masks to guard against the coronavirus while an appeals court sorts out whether the ban is ultimately legal. Leon County Circuit Judge John C. Cooper lifted an automatic stay of his decision last week that Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and state education officials exceeded their authority by imposing the blanket ban through executive order and tagging defiant promask local school boards with financial penalties. https://apnews.com/article/health-courts-education-florida-coronavirus-pandemic-007ce7c6eadc2f36146c32d45743f54d 8th Sep 2021

Exit Strategies

PerthNow Australia will begin issuing coronavirus vaccine passports from next month as preparations to restart international jetsetting continue. Travel is not expected to start until vaccination coverage for people aged 16 and over reaches 80 per cent which is likely months away. The first international immunisation certificates are set to be rolled out in October with the federal government also working with other countries to determine which vaccines will be recognised. https://www.perthnow.com.au/news/coronavirus/states-row-with-pm-over-vaccine-allocation-c-3902016 8th Sep 2021

Exit Strategies

The Guardian The UKs vaccines watchdog is expected to decide on Thursday about a Covid booster vaccine programme with ministers hopeful that approval for vaccinations for 12 to 15yearolds could follow imminently. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation JCVI is scheduled to meet on Thursday to examine interim results from the CovBoost study which looks at the impact of one of seven different vaccines as a third dose on top of either the Pfizer or AstraZeneca vaccines. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/sep/08/covid-vaccine-boosters-go-ahead-within-days-says-sajid-javid 8th Sep 2021

Exit Strategies

BBC News There is to be a further push to vaccinate more students at campuses in Northern Ireland. The health minister Robin Swann announced details of the plan on Wednesday. The initiative termed jabbathon will involve 60 walkin clinics across 30 campuses giving first jabs to students in universities and Further Education colleges. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-58490679 8th Sep 2021

Exit Strategies

ABC News Trade Minister Dan Tehan says Australia will support an international push to waive intellectual property IP protections for COVID19 vaccines as soaring infection rates across the globe prolong the pandemic and create ripe conditions for new variants. India and South Africa have spearheaded the campaign to change World Trade Organization WTO rules in an effort to make it easier for low and middleincome countries to manufacture and sell cheaper generic copies of COVID19 vaccines produced by multinational pharmaceutical giants such as Pfizer. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-09-08/australia-waive-intellectual-property-covid-vaccines/100445094 8th Sep 2021

Exit Strategies

ABC News Queenslanders will be able to get their COVID19 jab at the football from this weekend with the government trialling a stadium popup vaccination hub.The announcement comes as the Queensland government steps up its attacks on the federal governments rhetoric about vaccine distribution on a day the state recorded no new COVID19 cases. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-09-08/qld-coronavirus-no-new-cases-covid-19-vaccination/100442700 8th Sep 2021

Exit Strategies

Reuters South Korea is drawing up a plan on how to live more normally with COVID19 expecting 80 of adults to be fully vaccinated by late October health authorities said on Wednesday. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/skorea-planning-live-more-normally-with-covid-19-after-october-2021-09-08/ 8th Sep 2021

Exit Strategies

Daily Mail Epidemiologist predicts masks and large gathering bans will be last restrictions Professor Catherine Bennett said workplaces will return as lockdowns ease Restrictions are gradual and attuned to community outbreak transmissions Bennett warns patchy vaccine uptake may mean health restrictions until 2022 https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9967995/Covid-19-Australia-health-restrictions-lifted-Federal-Government-National-reopening-plan.html 8th Sep 2021

Exit Strategies

The Associated Press COVID19 booster shots may be coming for at least some Americans but already the Biden administration is being forced to scale back expectations illustrating just how much important science still has to be worked out. The initial plan was to offer Pfizer or Moderna boosters starting Sept. 20 contingent on authorization from U.S. regulators. But now administration officials acknowledge Moderna boosters probably wont be ready by then the Food and Drug Administration needs more evidence to judge them. Adding to the complexity Moderna wants its booster to be half the dose of the original shots. https://apnews.com/article/science-health-coronavirus-pandemic-bd0bcbcfbd76b178d430000c94bf7a7e 8th Sep 2021

Exit Strategies

CIDRAP In 2 days President Joe Biden will announce a new sixpoint plan to battle the current surge of COVID19 cases caused by the highly transmissible Delta B1617.2 variant and an uneven vaccination campaign that has left only half of the nation fully protected from the novel coronavirus. The speech will come as America faces two milestones Over the holiday weekend the country topped 40 million cases of the virus the largest tally in the world and the number of hospitalized Americans is now double what it was last Labor Day. Yesterday almost 100000 99823 Americans were in hospitals because of COVID19 infections. https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2021/09/us-covid-19-cases-top-40-million-biden-deliver-new-plan 7th Sep 2021

Partisan Exits

Daily Mail The 39yearold man was detained by border guards trying to fly to Nottingham Officials discovered he had faked the test result at passport control in Poland He had altered his positive test result in a desperate attempt to return home He was fined 100 and faces between six months and eight years in a Polish jail https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9969651/British-man-Covid-19-faces-eight-years-Polish-jail-faked-test-certificate.html 8th Sep 2021

Partisan Exits

CNN Its happening from Fox to CNN from The New York Times to the Los Angeles Times. And its happening on two tracks simultaneously. Vaccinated America is learning how to live with mostly mild flareups of the Covid19 virus. Unvaccinated America is grappling with the death and suffering that comes from rejecting the protection of the vaccines. And in places where the two Americas intersect schools shopping malls cookouts county fairs it feels like two languages are being spoken without a trusted translator. https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/07/media/covid-conversation-media-reliable-sources/index.html 8th Sep 2021

Partisan Exits

BBC News A woman who became critically ill with Covid19 said not getting the vaccine after listening to antivaxxers is her biggest regret. Emily Burrows 47 was admitted to hospital with dangerously low oxygen levels and tested positive on 23 July. She pleaded with staff to give her the jab but was it was too late and instead she was put on a ventilator. The mumofsix from the Forest of Dean spent two weeks in an induced coma. She is still in hospital. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-gloucestershire-58481626 8th Sep 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

The New York Times The coronavirus pandemic could wipe away 20 years of hardfought gains in reducing maternal mortality in Latin America and the Caribbean and countries in the region should prioritize those who are pregnant and those who have recently given birth in their vaccination campaigns officials at the World Health Organization warned on Wednesday. So far more than 270000 pregnant women have become sick with Covid in the Americas and more than 2600 of them or 1 percent of those infected have died from the virus Dr. Carissa F. Etienne the director of the Pan American Health Organization a division of the W.H.O. said at a news conference. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/08/world/americas/covid-pregnancy-caribbean-latin-america.html 9th Sep 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

Free Malaysia Today Vaccine developer Novavax Inc said today it has initiated an earlystage study to test its combined flu and Covid19 vaccine. The trial to be conducted in Australia will enrol 640 healthy adults between the ages of 50 and 70 years and who have either been previously infected with the coronavirus or given an authorized Covid19 vaccine at least eight weeks prior to the study. https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/world/2021/09/08/novavax-begins-early-stage-trial-for-flu-covid-combo-vaccine/ 8th Sep 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

Reuters Countries in the Americas should prioritize pregnant and lactating women in distribution of COVID19 shots the Pan American Health Organization PAHO said on Wednesday hailing the ability of the vaccines to protect women and their babies. PAHO recommends that all pregnant women after their first trimester as well as those who are breastfeeding receive the COVID19 vaccine PAHO Director Dr. Carissa Etienne said during the organizations weekly virtual briefing. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/countries-should-prioritize-pregnant-breastfeeding-women-covid-19-shots-paho-2021-09-08/ 8th Sep 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

Reuters Europes medicines regulator has added an extremely rare nervedamaging disorder GuillainBarr syndrome as a possible sideeffect of AstraZenecas COVID19 vaccine regular safety updates from the watchdog showed on Wednesday. The European Medicines Agency said a causal relationship between GBS and the AstraZeneca shot known as Vaxzevria was a at least a reasonable possibility after 833 cases of GBS were reported out of 592 million doses of the vaccine given worldwide by July 31. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/eu-lists-rare-nerve-disorder-possible-side-effect-astrazeneca-covid-19-vaccine-2021-09-08/ 8th Sep 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

Reuters Ireland will give COVID19 vaccine booster shots to elderly people who were fully vaccinated at least six months ago the health ministry said on Wednesday. People over the age of 80 and those over 65 living in longterm residential care facilities will receive a booster dose of a vaccine such as those made by Pfizer or Moderna irrespective of what vaccine they received initially the ministry said in a statement. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ireland-give-covid-19-vaccine-booster-shot-over-80s-2021-09-08/ 8th Sep 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

The Mirror A Covid booster vaccine rollout is set to be recommended by the governments advisors in the next few days as the work is almost done the Health Secretary has declared. Sajid Javid said he expected the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation to imminently spell out exactly who should get a third dose of the vaccine how and in what order. JCVI experts have spent months studying how boosters should be rolled out including whether different vaccine brands can be mixed and matched and whether the flu jab should be given at the same time. https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/breaking-covid-booster-vaccines-approved-24934125 8th Sep 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

Reuters Vietnams health ministry will offer the coronavirus vaccine jointly developed by Pfizer and BioNTech as a second dose option for people first inoculated with the Moderna vaccine state media reported on Wednesday. The ministry had approved the mixed regimen which is due to low supplies of the Moderna vaccine. Both vaccines are of the Messenger RNA mRNA type. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/vietnam-mix-moderna-pfizer-biontech-covid-19-vaccines-media-2021-09-08/ 8th Sep 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

Pharmaceutical Technology Takeda plans to supply the vaccine doses earlier next year on obtaining approval from the countrys MHLW. The Government of Japans Ministry of Health Labour and Welfare MHLW has agreed to procure 150 million doses of Novavaxs Covid19 vaccine candidate produced by Takeda Pharmaceutical in the country on obtaining approval. https://www.pharmaceutical-technology.com/news/takeda-novavax-vaccine-japan/ 8th Sep 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

CNN Surging Covid19 cases and the increasing proportion reported in children are causing many health experts to worry about the outlook as the school year gets underway across the entire country. But Dr. Anthony Fauci said there shouldnt be a big uptick if we do it right. Weve gotta get the school system masked in addition to surrounding the children with vaccinated people said the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Thats the solution. https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/08/health/us-coronavirus-wednesday/index.html 8th Sep 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

Reuters Vaccine developer Novavax Inc said on Wednesday it has initiated an earlystage study to test its combined flu and COVID19 vaccine. The trial to be conducted in Australia will enroll 640 healthy adults between the ages of 50 and 70 years and who have either been previously infected with the coronavirus or given an authorized COVID19 vaccine at least eight weeks prior to the study. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/novavax-begins-early-stage-trial-combined-influenzacovid-19-vaccine-2021-09-08/ 8th Sep 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

Reuters The Bill Melinda Gates Foundation would make a 35 million equity investment in privately owned Exscientia Ltd to fund the development of antiviral drugs including for the coronavirus the Oxfordbased drug developer said on Wednesday. Exscientia will make a matching contribution and lead the development of up to five therapeutics which are ready to enter human trials. The program will initially focus on agents against the SARSCoV2 and its variants as well as other coronaviruses. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/uks-exscientia-gates-foundation-partner-develop-variant-resistant-covid-19-drugs-2021-09-08/ 8th Sep 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

FiercePharma Fresh off National Resiliences acquisition of a new stateoftheart manufacturing site in Ontario the fledgling CDMO is putting it to the test with a highprofile partnership. Moderna has tapped National Resilience founded in November last year to manufacture mRNA vaccine substance at Resiliences newly acquired facility in Mississauga Canada. While sparse on details Moderna said the substance made at the plant will be delivered globally. The partnership marks Modernas most recent foray into Canada and comes as the biotech faces a vaccine contamination scandal in Japan. In late August Japanese pharma Takeda which distributes Modernas shot in the country said it suspended three lotsor about 1.63 million dosesafter finding tiny black specks in the vials. https://www.fiercepharma.com/pharma/moderna-taps-national-resilience-s-new-canadian-manufacturing-site-for-covid-19-vaccine 8th Sep 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

STAT News Moderna will turn to a biotech startup National Resilience to manufacture additional doses of its Covid19 vaccine. Moderna had previously said it would manufacture 800 million to 1 billion doses of its Covid19 vaccine in 2021 ramping up to 3 billion doses in 2022. A person familiar with the company said the collaboration might result in hundreds of millions more doses. Currently the vaccine is given as a twodose series though Moderna has said at least some patients may need a third dose given many months later. National Resilience will manufacture mRNA to produce the Moderna Covid19 vaccine at its facility in Mississauga Ontario for worldwide distribution. The company is headquartered in San Diego and Cambridge Mass. https://www.statnews.com/2021/09/08/moderna-turns-to-biotech-startup-to-ramp-up-covid-vaccine-manufacturing/ 8th Sep 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

The Associated Press Health experts and medical groups are pushing to stamp out the growing use of a decadesold parasite drug to treat COVID19 warning that it can cause harmful side effects and that theres little evidence it helps. With a fourth wave of infections more Americans are turning to ivermectin a cheap drug used to kill worms and other parasites in humans and animals. https://apnews.com/article/business-science-health-arkansas-coronavirus-pandemic-61425b8fb2da7426ed9aebd18fdcde5b 7th Sep 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters The United Kingdom recorded a further 191 daily deaths from COVID19 and 38975 new cases on Wednesday official data showed. Infection numbers in the last seven days are up 15.3 on the week before and the weekly death count is up 26.1. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/uk-records-191-covid-deaths-38975-cases-2021-09-08/ 8th Sep 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

The Associated Press Standing outside the rundown public hospital in Bulgarias northern town of Veliko Tarnovo the vaccination units chief nurse voices a sad reality about her fellow citizens They dont believe in vaccines. Bulgaria has one of the highest coronavirus death rates in the 27nation European Union and is facing a new rapid surge of infections due to the more infectious delta variant. Despite that people in this Balkan nation are the most hesitant in the bloc to get vaccinated against COVID19. Only 20 of adults in Bulgaria which has a population of 7 million have so far been fully vaccinated. That puts it last in the EU which has an average of 69 fully vaccinated. https://apnews.com/article/europe-business-health-coronavirus-pandemic-coronavirus-vaccine-ecba7cca33182bf329ff2a5f0fb9e5fb 8th Sep 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

The Washington Post For the first time in Idahos history officials in the state on Tuesday moved to start rationing medical care in some overburdened hospitals grappling with a surge in covid19 patients a grim reflection of the delta variants devastation and a dire warning for other healthcare systems pushed to the brink by rising infections. Officials activated Idahos crisis standards of care for at least 10 hospitals in two public health districts saying in a statement that a massive increase in patients with COVID19 who require hospitalization had led to a shortage of staff and beds. Idaho has one of the lowest vaccination rates in the country with less than 40 percent of the population fully vaccinated. https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/09/07/covid-delta-variant-live-updates/ 8th Sep 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

iNews A total of 53 cases of the Mu Covid variant that displays some indications of vaccine resistance have been detected in the UK but experts have stressed it may not pose a major threat. Public Health England PHE figures released today confirmed additional cases of the strain which was first recorded in Colombia in January and is classed as a variant under investigation by UK health authorities. The World Health Organisation WHO has said the new variant has a constellation of mutations that indicate potential properties of immune escape similar to the South Africaoriginating Beta variant though it stressed any impact on vaccine resistance needs to be confirmed by further studies. https://inews.co.uk/news/mu-covid-variant-of-interest-uk-cases-detected-vaccines-who-1186886 8th Sep 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

CNN Children now represent more than a quarter or 26.8 of weekly Covid19 cases nationwide according to data released Tuesday from the American Academy of Pediatrics AAP. The update comes as schools across the US have been in session or are getting into full swing. Experts have encouraged adults to get vaccinated to protect young children returning to the classroom. If we want to protect the children particularly those who are not yet eligible for vaccination you want to surround the children with people who are vaccinated teachers school personnel everyone else Dr. Anthony Fauci director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases said Tuesday. https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/07/health/us-coronavirus-tuesday/index.html 8th Sep 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

The Independent Two West London hospitals have requested that visitors stop attending after a rise in coronavirus infections in the area. Hillingdon Hospital in Uxbridge and Mount Vernon hospital in Northwood issued the guidance to people wishing to visit the after a growing number of positive patients in our hospital. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/london-hospital-bans-visitors-covid-b1916147.html 8th Sep 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters Australias New South Wales state reported on Wednesday 1480 locally acquired cases of COVID19 up from 1220 a day earlier as firstdose vaccination rates among the states adult population topped 75. Nine new deaths were reported including a man in his 20s taking the total number of deaths in the latest outbreak to 148. A total of 1136 people are hospitalised with 194 people in intensive care 78 of whom require ventilation. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/australias-new-south-wales-reports-1480-covid-19-cases-9-deaths-2021-09-08/ 8th Sep 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

Forbes When Representative Jim Jordan ROH tweeted on Tuesday September 7th that Real America is done with Covid19 it raises the question whether the Congressman is even aware that the 7day average of daily Covid19 deaths is approaching 1500 real Americans by the way and approximately 100000 Covid19 patients are hospitalized nationwide. The Delta surge of Covid19 is forcing hospitals in parts of the U.S. to plan for or implement rationing of intensive care unit ICU beds. On September 6th Dr. Anthony Fauci Director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Disease said that as hospitals in a number of states fill up with Covid19 patients doctors will have to make tough choices regarding who will get an ICU bed. https://www.forbes.com/sites/joshuacohen/2021/09/07/delta-surge-of-covid-19-is-forcing-hospitals-to-ration-icu-beds-in-parts-of-the-us/ 8th Sep 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

Belfast Live Northern Ireland schools are on the verge of collapse under the strain of Covid19 a leading teaching union has warned. Jacquie White General Secretary of the Ulster Teachers Union was speaking as the Education Committee meets today to discuss the significant difficulties across schools at the start of the new term. Health chiefs are under pressure to ramp up coronavirus testing capacity as schools across Northern Ireland continue to send hundreds of pupils home. There is also concern at suggestions a faster form of Covid19 testing could be used to allow selfisolating students to return to school. https://www.belfastlive.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/northern-ireland-schools-on-verge-21506122 8th Sep 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

Metro The government isnt considering a firebreak lockdown this autumn despite rising cases and deaths. Scientific advisors to the government have discussed the move and described it as on the cards according to reports. But speaking to Sky News health secretary Sajid Javid ruled out the move saying I dont think thats something we need to consider. I havent even thought about that as an option at this point. https://metro.co.uk/2021/09/08/sajid-javid-not-considering-october-lockdown-despite-rising-cases-15223790/ 8th Sep 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters The Czech Republic on Wednesday recorded 588 new cases of coronavirus the highest daily tally since May 25 as government officials predict a continued rise in infections. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/czech-republics-daily-covid-cases-highest-since-may-2021-09-08/ 8th Sep 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters Threequarters of people over the age of 16 in Australias New South Wales NSW have now had at least their first vaccination dose the state reported on Wednesday along with the first rise in new infections in three days. Australia has locked down Sydney and Melbourne its largest cities after outbreaks from the highly infectious Delta variant in June ended months of little or no community transmission. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/australias-victoria-reports-easing-covid-19-cases-2021-09-08/ 8th Sep 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters New Zealand reported a further fall in locally acquired COVID19 cases on Wednesday as the largely coronavirusfree nation looks to eradicate an outbreak of the highly infectious Delta variant. New Zealand reported 15 new locally acquired cases of COVID19 down from 21 a day earlier on the first day of an easing of tough restrictions in all regions outside its largest city Auckland. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/new-zealand-marks-downward-trend-new-covid-19-cases-2021-09-08/ 8th Sep 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

The Associated Press The summer that was supposed to mark Americas independence from COVID19 is instead drawing to a close with the U.S. more firmly under the tyranny of the virus with deaths per day back up to where they were in March. The delta variant is filling hospitals sickening alarming numbers of children and driving coronavirus deaths in some places to the highest levels of the entire pandemic. School systems that reopened their classrooms are abruptly switching back to remote learning because of outbreaks. Legal disputes threats and violence have erupted over mask and vaccine requirements. https://apnews.com/article/lifestyle-health-pandemics-coronavirus-pandemic-north-carolina-b9012bd212ef28dcceec583eb3ca7612 8th Sep 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

AlJazeera Indian authorities are restricting major religious festivals that start this week and attract huge crowds warning that a new COVID19 wave had already begun in the financial capital Mumbai. State governments across the country of 1.3 billion people which saw a devastating coronavirus surge in AprilMay are clamping down on mass gatherings. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/9/8/india-covid-religious-festivals-third-wave-mumbai 8th Sep 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters Article reports that the Czech Republic on Wednesday recorded 588 new cases of coronavirus the highest daily tally since May 25 as government officials predict a continued rise in infections. The country which was one of the hardest hit by the pandemic in earlier waves has seen low infection rates since the summer months. In the past two weeks it has reported 25 cases per 100000 people compared with 137 in Germany according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control ECDC. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/czech-republics-daily-covid-cases-highest-since-may-2021-09-08/ 8th Sep 2021

New Lockdown

Reuters A Ukrainian government commission will meet soon to decide whether to tighten coronavirus lockdown restrictions Prime Minister Denys Shmygal told a televised government meeting on Wednesday. Ukraine lifted lockdown restrictions as cases dropped over the summer but could impose a nationwide yellow code which restricts mass events and limits the occupancy rates of gyms cinemas and other culture venues. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukraine-could-tighten-lockdown-restrictions-covid-19-picture-worsens-2021-09-08/ 8th Sep 2021