More evidence of the considerably greater virulence of SARS-CoV-2 variations of concern has been provided by a Canadian study, with the Delta strain proving to be the most deadly yet.

The Delta variant's increased contagiousness was recognised early on in its journey to becoming the prevalent strain across the world.

However, evidence suggests that the variation also increases the likelihood of more severe outcomes, especially in younger age groups, according to a major study conducted by researchers at the University of Toronto.&nbsp;

They discovered that those infected with the alpha variant, which caused the province's third wave in early spring, as well as the beta and gamma variants, were 52% more likely to be hospitalised, 89% more likely to require intensive care, and 51% more likely to die from the virus than those infected with the virus in early 2020.

In comparison to the original viral strain, delta patients had a 108 percent higher risk of hospitalisation, a 235 percent higher risk of ICU admission, and a 133 per cent higher risk of mortality.

The researchers discovered that people infected with concerning variants were significantly younger and had fewer comorbidities than people infected with non-variant infections, and that the increased risk of adverse outcomes from variants persisted even after researchers adjusted for age, sex, comorbidities, and other factors.&nbsp; 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

More evidence of the considerably greater virulence of SARS-CoV-2 variations of concern has been provided by a Canadian study, with the Delta strain proving to be the most deadly yet.

More evidence of the considerably greater virulence of SARS-CoV-2 variations of concern has been provided by a Canadian study, with the Delta strain proving to be the most deadly yet. The Delta variant's increased contagiousness was recognised early on in its journey to becoming the prevalent strain across the world. However, evidence suggests that the variation also increases the likelihood of more severe outcomes, especially in younger age groups, according to a major study conducted by researchers at the University of Toronto. They discovered that those infected with the alpha variant, which caused the province's third wave in early spring, as well as the beta and gamma variants, were 52% more likely to be hospitalised, 89% more likely to require intensive care, and 51% more likely to die from the virus than those infected with the virus in early 2020. In comparison to the original viral strain, delta patients had a 108 percent higher risk of hospitalisation, a 235 percent higher risk of ICU admission, and a 133 per cent higher risk of mortality. The researchers discovered that people infected with concerning variants were significantly younger and had fewer comorbidities than people infected with non-variant infections, and that the increased risk of adverse outcomes from variants persisted even after researchers adjusted for age, sex, comorbidities, and other factors. (With inputs from agencies)

COVID-19:  Delta variant increases the risk of death by 133 per cent

Research conducted by a cybersecurity firm has revealed that the Chinese province that was the initial epicentre of the COVID-19 outbreak made significant purchases of equipment used to test for infectious diseases months before Beijing notified international authorities of the emergence of a new coronavirus.

According to the Australian-American firm Internet 2.0, the province's purchase of polymerase chain reaction, or PCR, testing equipment, which allows scientists to amplify DNA samples to screen for infectious illness or other genetic material, increased dramatically in 2019.&nbsp; 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pfizer-jab-prevents-severe-virus-for-at-least-6-months-study-418358">Also read | Pfizer jab prevents severe virus for at least 6 months: Study</a>

Wuhan, a big Chinese city where the first known instances of the virus arose, is located in Hubei province.

On December 31, 2019, the World Health Organization's China Country Office received notification that instances of pneumonia from an unknown source had been discovered in the city. 
 
Watch | Gravitas: Chinese officials were buying PCR tests in May 2019

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-chinese-officials-were-buying-pcr-tests-in-may-2019-418480/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

On January 7, 2020, Chinese officials discovered a new strain of coronavirus known as SARS-CoV-2, which causes the sickness now known as COVID-19. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/is-the-coronavirus-getting-better-at-airborne-transmission-417911">Also read | Is the coronavirus getting better at airborne transmission?</a>

Since then, it has spread to nearly every corner of the globe, infecting more than 230 million people and killing over 4.8 million.&nbsp;

The origins of the coronavirus have become a contentious topic, with the United States and its allies accusing Beijing of blocking a more complete probe, including claims that the virus escaped from a Wuhan biosecurity facility where similar coronaviruses were being investigated.

In August, US intelligence authorities issued a summary of their study into the outbreak's causes, but stated that they were unable to draw strong findings due to China's refusal to assist.

Chinese officials have denied interfering with the investigation and have fiercely refuted the Wuhan lab leak hypothesis.&nbsp;

Top Chinese scientists have stated that the disease most likely originated in an animal and was transferred to humans via an intermediate host, a view that has been widely accepted by the scientific world.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Research conducted by a cybersecurity firm has revealed that the Chinese province that was the initial epicentre of the COVID-19 outbreak made significant purchases of equipment used to test for infectious diseases months before Beijing notified international authorities of the emergence of a new coronavirus.

Research conducted by a cybersecurity firm has revealed that the Chinese province that was the initial epicentre of the COVID-19 outbreak made significant purchases of equipment used to test for infectious diseases months before Beijing notified international authorities of the emergence of a new coronavirus. According to the Australian-American firm Internet 2.0, the province's purchase of polymerase chain reaction, or PCR, testing equipment, which allows scientists to amplify DNA samples to screen for infectious illness or other genetic material, increased dramatically in 2019. Also read | Pfizer jab prevents severe virus for at least 6 months: Study Wuhan, a big Chinese city where the first known instances of the virus arose, is located in Hubei province. On December 31, 2019, the World Health Organization's China Country Office received notification that instances of pneumonia from an unknown source had been discovered in the city. Watch | Gravitas: Chinese officials were buying PCR tests in May 2019 On January 7, 2020, Chinese officials discovered a new strain of coronavirus known as SARS-CoV-2, which causes the sickness now known as COVID-19. Also read | Is the coronavirus getting better at airborne transmission? Since then, it has spread to nearly every corner of the globe, infecting more than 230 million people and killing over 4.8 million. The origins of the coronavirus have become a contentious topic, with the United States and its allies accusing Beijing of blocking a more complete probe, including claims that the virus escaped from a Wuhan biosecurity facility where similar coronaviruses were being investigated. In August, US intelligence authorities issued a summary of their study into the outbreak's causes, but stated that they were unable to draw strong findings due to China's refusal to assist. Chinese officials have denied interfering with the investigation and have fiercely refuted the Wuhan lab leak hypothesis. Top Chinese scientists have stated that the disease most likely originated in an animal and was transferred to humans via an intermediate host, a view that has been widely accepted by the scientific world. (With inputs from agencies)

China's pandemic expose: PCR-test kit orders doubled months before first COVID-19 case

Footballer Callum Robinson of the Republic of Ireland, who plays for &nbsp;West Brom in the English Premier League, has admitted he has chosen not to be vaccinated against coronavirus (COVID-19) despite contracting the virus twice.&nbsp;

The 26-year-old striker told Irish media on Tuesday (October 5), "It's obviously annoying that I've caught it twice but I haven't been vaccinated. Further down the line I could change my mind and want to do it but at this moment in time I haven't been vaccinated."&nbsp;

Robinson had first tested positive in November last year and then again in August, which forced him to miss three World Cup qualifiers last month as a close contact.&nbsp;

"I know there are managers and people that will want you to do it, which is right in their way, but everyone has their choice and what they want to do. I wouldn't force people to do it, it's your choice and your body."

ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/jurgen-klopp-slams-unvaccinated-players-compares-anti-vax-movement-to-drink-driving-417972">Jurgen Klopp slams unvaccinated players, compares anti-vax movement to drink driving&nbsp;</a>

A recent media report revealed that 13 of the 20 clubs in the top division have squads where fewer than 50 per cent of the players are fully vaccinated.&nbsp;

Daily Mail revealed some players are not only refusing to get vaccinated but they are spreading so-called "conspiracy theories" involving Bill Gates, infertility and the power of vitamins about the vaccines.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/a-plot-involving-bill-gates-premier-league-players-have-bizarre-conspiracy-theories-about-covid-and-vaccines-417447">'A plot involving Bill Gates': Premier League players have bizarre 'conspiracy theories' about Covid and vaccines</a>

Ireland coach Stephen Kenny said he is fully vaccinated and has encouraged his players and staff to do the same.

"I am not a medical expert but I do trust the experts and I do think it is better to be double vaccinated," Kenny said.

"But we're not in a position where we can insist on it and we have to respect individuals' rights as well. That is something that we have to learn to live with," he added.&nbsp;

Britain's coronavirus death toll is one of the world's highest at more than 137,000, but government figures show more than 82 percent of UK adults have had two vaccine doses.

More than 89 percent of over-12s in Ireland have received at least one vaccine dose.

(With inputs from agencies)

Footballer Callum Robinson of the Republic of Ireland, who plays for West Brom in the English Premier League, has admitted he has chosen not to be vaccinated against coronavirus (COVID-19) despite contracting the virus twice.

Footballer Callum Robinson of the Republic of Ireland, who plays for West Brom in the English Premier League, has admitted he has chosen not to be vaccinated against coronavirus (COVID-19) despite contracting the virus twice. The 26-year-old striker told Irish media on Tuesday (October 5), "It's obviously annoying that I've caught it twice but I haven't been vaccinated. Further down the line I could change my mind and want to do it but at this moment in time I haven't been vaccinated." Robinson had first tested positive in November last year and then again in August, which forced him to miss three World Cup qualifiers last month as a close contact. "I know there are managers and people that will want you to do it, which is right in their way, but everyone has their choice and what they want to do. I wouldn't force people to do it, it's your choice and your body." ALSO READ | Jurgen Klopp slams unvaccinated players, compares anti-vax movement to drink driving A recent media report revealed that 13 of the 20 clubs in the top division have squads where fewer than 50 per cent of the players are fully vaccinated. Daily Mail revealed some players are not only refusing to get vaccinated but they are spreading so-called "conspiracy theories" involving Bill Gates, infertility and the power of vitamins about the vaccines. ALSO READ | 'A plot involving Bill Gates': Premier League players have bizarre 'conspiracy theories' about Covid and vaccines Ireland coach Stephen Kenny said he is fully vaccinated and has encouraged his players and staff to do the same. "I am not a medical expert but I do trust the experts and I do think it is better to be double vaccinated," Kenny said. "But we're not in a position where we can insist on it and we have to respect individuals' rights as well. That is something that we have to learn to live with," he added. Britain's coronavirus death toll is one of the world's highest at more than 137,000, but government figures show more than 82 percent of UK adults have had two vaccine doses. More than 89 percent of over-12s in Ireland have received at least one vaccine dose. (With inputs from agencies)

Ireland's footballer Callum Robinson says he hasn't had COVID-19 jab despite contracting the virus twice

After 24,770 recoveries were recorded in the last 24 hours, India`s COVID-19 active caseload dropped to 2,46,687, the lowest in 203 days.

As per the official release by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, 18,833 new cases were reported in the last 24 hours.At present, active infections account for less than 1 per cent of total cases and are currently at 0.73 per cent, the lowest since March 2020.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-uk-in-talks-for-early-resolution-on-covid-travel-rules-row-417581">India, UK in talks for early resolution on Covid travel rules row</a>

The Union Health Ministry informed that the weekly positivity rate is at 1.68 per cent, which is less than 3 per cent for the last 103 days whereas the daily positivity rate has remained under 3 per cent for the last 37 days and is currently at 1.34 per cent.With 24,770 fresh recoveries, the cumulative recoveries have gone up to 3,31,75,656.

The national recovery rate is currently at 97.94 per cent, which is the highest since March 2020.According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the total number of samples tested up to October 5 is 57,68,03,867 including 14,09,825 samples tested yesterday.

Active coronavirus cases in Kerala continue to remain over 1 lakh and are currently at 1,25,030. Maharashtra has 36,744 active infections while there are 16,749 active cases in Tamil Nadu.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pfizer-jab-prevents-severe-virus-for-at-least-6-months-study-418358">Pfizer jab prevents severe virus for at least 6 months: Study</a>

As many as 92.17 crore Covid vaccine doses have been administered so far under the nationwide vaccination drive which began on January 16 this year.

Under the new phase of universalisation of COVID-19 vaccination commenced from June 21, the Government of India is procuring and supplying (free of cost) 75 per cent of the vaccine doses being produced by the vaccine manufacturers in the country to States and UTs.

More than 92.57 crore (92,57,51,325) vaccine doses have been provided to States/UTs so far through the Government of India (free of cost channel) and through direct state procurement category, read the release by the Union Health Ministry.More than 6.93 crore (6,93,46,080) balance and unutilised COVID vaccine doses are still available with the States/UTs to be administered.

On October 4, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya informed that 70 per cent of the population has been administered the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine.

India started the world`s largest COVID-19 vaccination drive on January 16 this year in a phased manner with healthcare workers (HCWs) getting inoculated first.

Also Read |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/chinas-pandemic-expose-pcr-test-kit-orders-doubled-months-before-first-covid-19-case-418395">&nbsp;China's pandemic expose: PCR-test kit orders doubled months before first COVID-19 case</a>

The vaccination of frontline workers (FLWs) started on February 2.

The next phase of COVID-19 vaccination commenced from March 1 for those over 60 years of age and for people aged 45 and above with specified co-morbid conditions.

India launched vaccination for all people aged more than 45 from April 1 while vaccinations for people belonging to the age group 18-44 began from May 1.

After 24,770 recoveries were recorded in the last 24 hours, India`s COVID-19 active caseload dropped to 2,46,687, the lowest in 203 days. As per the official release by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, 18,833 new cases were reported in the last 24 hours.

After 24,770 recoveries were recorded in the last 24 hours, India`s COVID-19 active caseload dropped to 2,46,687, the lowest in 203 days. As per the official release by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, 18,833 new cases were reported in the last 24 hours.At present, active infections account for less than 1 per cent of total cases and are currently at 0.73 per cent, the lowest since March 2020. Also Read | India, UK in talks for early resolution on Covid travel rules row The Union Health Ministry informed that the weekly positivity rate is at 1.68 per cent, which is less than 3 per cent for the last 103 days whereas the daily positivity rate has remained under 3 per cent for the last 37 days and is currently at 1.34 per cent.With 24,770 fresh recoveries, the cumulative recoveries have gone up to 3,31,75,656. The national recovery rate is currently at 97.94 per cent, which is the highest since March 2020.According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the total number of samples tested up to October 5 is 57,68,03,867 including 14,09,825 samples tested yesterday. Active coronavirus cases in Kerala continue to remain over 1 lakh and are currently at 1,25,030. Maharashtra has 36,744 active infections while there are 16,749 active cases in Tamil Nadu. Also Read | Pfizer jab prevents severe virus for at least 6 months: Study As many as 92.17 crore Covid vaccine doses have been administered so far under the nationwide vaccination drive which began on January 16 this year. Under the new phase of universalisation of COVID-19 vaccination commenced from June 21, the Government of India is procuring and supplying (free of cost) 75 per cent of the vaccine doses being produced by the vaccine manufacturers in the country to States and UTs. More than 92.57 crore (92,57,51,325) vaccine doses have been provided to States/UTs so far through the Government of India (free of cost channel) and through direct state procurement category, read the release by the Union Health Ministry.More than 6.93 crore (6,93,46,080) balance and unutilised COVID vaccine doses are still available with the States/UTs to be administered. On October 4, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya informed that 70 per cent of the population has been administered the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine. India started the world`s largest COVID-19 vaccination drive on January 16 this year in a phased manner with healthcare workers (HCWs) getting inoculated first. Also Read | China's pandemic expose: PCR-test kit orders doubled months before first COVID-19 case The vaccination of frontline workers (FLWs) started on February 2. The next phase of COVID-19 vaccination commenced from March 1 for those over 60 years of age and for people aged 45 and above with specified co-morbid conditions. India launched vaccination for all people aged more than 45 from April 1 while vaccinations for people belonging to the age group 18-44 began from May 1.

India's COVID-19 active caseload drops to 2,46,687, lowest in 203 days

Russia on Tuesday recorded its highest daily coronavirus death toll as cases linked to the Delta variant spike amid a lacklustre vaccination drive and few anti-virus restrictions.

A government tally reported 895 fatalities over the past 24 hours, a record in Russia since the start of the pandemic.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-reports-highest-covid-death-toll-for-second-consecutive-day-416898">Russia reports highest Covid death toll for second consecutive day</a>&nbsp;

The new figure brings total deaths from <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus">COVID-19</a>&nbsp;to 211,696 -&nbsp;the highest in Europe.

Authorities have been accused of playing down the severity of the outbreak.

The surging infections have come without any real pandemic restrictions to limit the spread.

Russia, the world's fifth worst-hit country with more than seven million infections, has seen cases climb as vaccinations stall.

Moscow, the epicentre of Russia's outbreak, has experienced a spike over the past few weeks, with officials warning of rising hospital admissions.

Authorities say that the highly contagious Delta variant now accounts for all of the cases in the Russian capital.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/world-tourism-surges-in-july-but-falls-short-of-pre-covid-levels-418165">World tourism surges in July, but falls short of pre-Covid levels</a>

Free jabs have been available since early December, but authorities have struggled to convince a vaccine-sceptic population to get immunised.

Independent polling shows that more than half of Russians do not plan on getting a shot.

As of Tuesday, only 29 per cent of the population had been fully vaccinated, according to the Gogov website, which tallies Covid data from the regions.

Under a broader definition for deaths linked to the coronavirus, statistics agency Rosstat reported in August that Russia had seen more than 350,000 fatalities.

Russia on Tuesday recorded its highest daily coronavirus death toll as cases linked to the Delta variant spike amid a lacklustre vaccination drive and few anti-virus restrictions.

Russia on Tuesday recorded its highest daily coronavirus death toll as cases linked to the Delta variant spike amid a lacklustre vaccination drive and few anti-virus restrictions. A government tally reported 895 fatalities over the past 24 hours, a record in Russia since the start of the pandemic. Also Read | Russia reports highest Covid death toll for second consecutive day The new figure brings total deaths from COVID-19 to 211,696 - the highest in Europe. Authorities have been accused of playing down the severity of the outbreak. The surging infections have come without any real pandemic restrictions to limit the spread. Russia, the world's fifth worst-hit country with more than seven million infections, has seen cases climb as vaccinations stall. Moscow, the epicentre of Russia's outbreak, has experienced a spike over the past few weeks, with officials warning of rising hospital admissions. Authorities say that the highly contagious Delta variant now accounts for all of the cases in the Russian capital. Also Read | World tourism surges in July, but falls short of pre-Covid levels Free jabs have been available since early December, but authorities have struggled to convince a vaccine-sceptic population to get immunised. Independent polling shows that more than half of Russians do not plan on getting a shot. As of Tuesday, only 29 per cent of the population had been fully vaccinated, according to the Gogov website, which tallies Covid data from the regions. Under a broader definition for deaths linked to the coronavirus, statistics agency Rosstat reported in August that Russia had seen more than 350,000 fatalities.

Russia reports record daily coronavirus deaths

India on Tuesday reported 18,346 Covid cases in the last 24 hours - the lowest tally in 209 days, while there were another 263 deaths, taking the death toll to 4,49,260, the Union Health Ministry said.

A total of 29,639 patients recovered in the last 24 hours, taking the cumulative tally of recovered patients to 3,31,50,886. Consequently, India`s recovery rate stands at 97.93 per cent - the highest since March 2020, the Ministry data said.

The active caseload is presently 2,52,902, which is the lowest in 201 days. Active cases presently constitute 0.75 per cent of the country`s total positive cases.

While the weekly positivity rate at 1.66 per cent remains less than 3 per cent for the last 102 days now, the daily positivity rate is 1.61 per cent, having remained below 3 per cent for last 36 days and below 5 per cent for 119 consecutive days now.

According to the Health Ministry data, the testing capacity across the country continues to be expanded, and the last 24 hours saw a total of 11,41,642 tests being conducted, taking the total to 57,53,94,042.

With the administration of 72,51,419 vaccine doses in the last 24 hours, vaccination coverage crossed the 91 crore mark, as per provisional reports till 7 a.m. on Tuesday.

India has thus administered more than 70 per cent of its eligible population with the first dose of Covid-19 vaccine.

India on Tuesday reported 18,346 Covid cases in the last 24 hours - the lowest tally in 209 days, while there were another 263 deaths, taking the death toll to 4,49,260, the Union Health Ministry said.

India on Tuesday reported 18,346 Covid cases in the last 24 hours - the lowest tally in 209 days, while there were another 263 deaths, taking the death toll to 4,49,260, the Union Health Ministry said. A total of 29,639 patients recovered in the last 24 hours, taking the cumulative tally of recovered patients to 3,31,50,886. Consequently, India`s recovery rate stands at 97.93 per cent - the highest since March 2020, the Ministry data said. The active caseload is presently 2,52,902, which is the lowest in 201 days. Active cases presently constitute 0.75 per cent of the country`s total positive cases. While the weekly positivity rate at 1.66 per cent remains less than 3 per cent for the last 102 days now, the daily positivity rate is 1.61 per cent, having remained below 3 per cent for last 36 days and below 5 per cent for 119 consecutive days now. According to the Health Ministry data, the testing capacity across the country continues to be expanded, and the last 24 hours saw a total of 11,41,642 tests being conducted, taking the total to 57,53,94,042. With the administration of 72,51,419 vaccine doses in the last 24 hours, vaccination coverage crossed the 91 crore mark, as per provisional reports till 7 a.m. on Tuesday. India has thus administered more than 70 per cent of its eligible population with the first dose of Covid-19 vaccine.

India logs 18,346 fresh Covid cases, 263 deaths

Air carriers'&nbsp;association IATA said on Monday that the global net aviation industry losses are expected to come in at $11.6 billion in 2022, down from $51.8 billion on a year-on-year basis.

"The magnitude of the COVID-19 crisis for airlines is enormous. Over the 2020-2022 period, total losses could top $200 billion. To survive, the airlines have dramatically cut costs and adapted their business to whatever opportunities are available, " said IATA`s Director General, Willie Walsh.

"That will see the $137.7 billion loss of 2020 reduce to $52 billion this year. And by 2022, that figure will have dropped to $12 billion.We are well past the deepest point of the crisis. While serious issues remain, the path to recovery is coming into view. Aviation is demonstrating its resilience yet again," Walsh added.

According to IATA, domestic travel demand will near pre-crisis levels in 2022.

However, the association pointed out that challenge remains in international markets, which are still severely depressed as government-imposed restrictions continue.

"People have not lost their desire to travel as we see in solid domestic market resilience. But they are being held back from international travel by restrictions, uncertainty and complexity. More governments are seeing vaccinations as a way out of this crisis.

"We fully agree that vaccinated people should not have their freedom of movement limited in any way. In fact, the freedom to travel is a good incentive for more people to be vaccinated. Governments must work together and do everything in their power to ensure that vaccines are available to anybody who wants them," Walsh added.&nbsp;

Air carriers' association IATA said on Monday that the global net aviation industry losses are expected to come in at $11.6 billion in 2022, down from $51.8 billion on a year-on-year basis.

Air carriers' association IATA said on Monday that the global net aviation industry losses are expected to come in at $11.6 billion in 2022, down from $51.8 billion on a year-on-year basis. "The magnitude of the COVID-19 crisis for airlines is enormous. Over the 2020-2022 period, total losses could top $200 billion. To survive, the airlines have dramatically cut costs and adapted their business to whatever opportunities are available, " said IATA`s Director General, Willie Walsh. "That will see the $137.7 billion loss of 2020 reduce to $52 billion this year. And by 2022, that figure will have dropped to $12 billion.We are well past the deepest point of the crisis. While serious issues remain, the path to recovery is coming into view. Aviation is demonstrating its resilience yet again," Walsh added. According to IATA, domestic travel demand will near pre-crisis levels in 2022. However, the association pointed out that challenge remains in international markets, which are still severely depressed as government-imposed restrictions continue. "People have not lost their desire to travel as we see in solid domestic market resilience. But they are being held back from international travel by restrictions, uncertainty and complexity. More governments are seeing vaccinations as a way out of this crisis. "We fully agree that vaccinated people should not have their freedom of movement limited in any way. In fact, the freedom to travel is a good incentive for more people to be vaccinated. Governments must work together and do everything in their power to ensure that vaccines are available to anybody who wants them," Walsh added.

Global airlines' net losses expected at $11.6 bn in 2022: IATA

In the past 24 hours, India reported a total of 20,799 fresh COVID-19 cases, as well as 180 deaths, according to the latest report issued by the Union Health Ministry on Monday.

The new fatalities pushed the overall death toll to 4,48,997, the report said.

The recovery of 26,718 patients in the last 24 hours has increased the cumulative tally of recovered patients to 3,31,21,247.

Consequently, India`s recovery rate stands at 97.89 per cent, the highest since March 2020.

Meanwhile, the country`s active caseload is 2,64,458, which is the lowest in 200 days.

Active cases presently constitute 0.78 per cent of the country`s total positive cases.

Also in the last 24 hours, a total of 9,91,676 tests were conducted, pushing the overall number to 57,42,52,400.

While the testing capacity has been enhanced across the country, the weekly positivity rate at 1.63 per cent remained less than 3 per cent for the last 101 days now.

The daily positivity rate was 2.10 per cent after remaining below 3 per cent for the last 35 days and below 5 per cent for 118 consecutive days now.

With the administration of 23,46,176 vaccine doses in the last 24 hours, India`s Covid vaccination coverage has crossed the landmark of 90 crore as per provisional reports till 7 a.m. on Monday.

More than 89.89 crore vaccine doses have been provided to States/UTs so far through Govt of India and through direct state procurement category.

Over 5.67 crore unutilised vaccine doses are still available with the States/UTs to be administered. the Health Ministry report added. 
&nbsp;

In the past 24 hours, India reported a total of 20,799 fresh COVID-19 cases, as well as 180 deaths, according to the latest report issued by the Union Health Ministry on Monday.

In the past 24 hours, India reported a total of 20,799 fresh COVID-19 cases, as well as 180 deaths, according to the latest report issued by the Union Health Ministry on Monday. The new fatalities pushed the overall death toll to 4,48,997, the report said. The recovery of 26,718 patients in the last 24 hours has increased the cumulative tally of recovered patients to 3,31,21,247. Consequently, India`s recovery rate stands at 97.89 per cent, the highest since March 2020. Meanwhile, the country`s active caseload is 2,64,458, which is the lowest in 200 days. Active cases presently constitute 0.78 per cent of the country`s total positive cases. Also in the last 24 hours, a total of 9,91,676 tests were conducted, pushing the overall number to 57,42,52,400. While the testing capacity has been enhanced across the country, the weekly positivity rate at 1.63 per cent remained less than 3 per cent for the last 101 days now. The daily positivity rate was 2.10 per cent after remaining below 3 per cent for the last 35 days and below 5 per cent for 118 consecutive days now. With the administration of 23,46,176 vaccine doses in the last 24 hours, India`s Covid vaccination coverage has crossed the landmark of 90 crore as per provisional reports till 7 a.m. on Monday. More than 89.89 crore vaccine doses have been provided to States/UTs so far through Govt of India and through direct state procurement category. Over 5.67 crore unutilised vaccine doses are still available with the States/UTs to be administered. the Health Ministry report added.

India logs 20,799 fresh Covid cases, 180 deaths

World tourism surged in July, thanks to vaccination rollouts and fewer travel restrictions, but traveller numbers still fell far short of pre-pandemic levels, the UN's tourism body said on Monday.&nbsp;

Some 54 million tourists crossed international borders in July, the highest figure since April 2020, in the early months of the coronavirus crisis, the World Tourism Organization said in a statement.

That represented an increase of 58 percent compared with the level recorded in July 2020, but was still a drop of 67 per cent from the 164 million recorded in July 2019.&nbsp;

"This improvement was underpinned by the reopening of many destinations to international travel, mostly in Europe and the Americas&nbsp;coupled with progress made in the roll-out of COVID-19 vaccines" which contributed to "gradually restoring safe mobility in Europe and other parts of the world," it said.&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-set-to-discontinue-compulsory-10-day-quarantine-rule-417795" hreflang="en">UK set to discontinue compulsory 10-day quarantine rule</a>

"Nevertheless, 2021 continues to be a challenging year for global tourism, with international arrivals down 80 per cent in January-July compared to 2019," said the Madrid-based organisation.&nbsp;

In the first seven months of the year, Asia and the Pacific continued to see the steepest declines, with a drop of 95 percent in international arrivals, followed by the Middle East where numbers were down 82 per cent, Europe and Africa, which registered a fall of 77 per cent, and the Americas which sustained a drop 68 per cent.

Only a few small islands in the Caribbean, Africa, Asia and the Pacific, alongside several small European destinations recovered and counted arrivals close to, or even higher, than pre-pandemic levels.&nbsp;

Spain, which before the pandemic was the world's second most popular tourist destination, on Monday said it welcomed 15 million tourists in the first eight months of the year, a decline of 4.2 percent from the same period last year, the National Statistics Institute said.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/new-zealand-tightens-travel-rules-as-covid-spreads-417811" hreflang="en">New Zealand tightens travel rules as Covid spreads</a>

The data cast doubt on the objective set by the Spanish government of attracting some 45 million foreign visitors this year, around half the number of 2019.

"The true restart of tourism and the benefits it brings, remains on hold as inconsistent rules and regulations and uneven vaccination rates continue to affect confidence in travel," UNWTO head Zurab Pololikashvili in the statement.

The UN body said it was expecting to see a "rebound" in 2022 although global tourism is not expected to reach pre-pandemic levels until 2023 or 2024.&nbsp;

World tourism surged in July, thanks to vaccination rollouts and fewer travel restrictions, but traveller numbers still fell far short of pre-pandemic levels, the UN's tourism body said on Monday.

World tourism surged in July, thanks to vaccination rollouts and fewer travel restrictions, but traveller numbers still fell far short of pre-pandemic levels, the UN's tourism body said on Monday. Some 54 million tourists crossed international borders in July, the highest figure since April 2020, in the early months of the coronavirus crisis, the World Tourism Organization said in a statement. That represented an increase of 58 percent compared with the level recorded in July 2020, but was still a drop of 67 per cent from the 164 million recorded in July 2019. "This improvement was underpinned by the reopening of many destinations to international travel, mostly in Europe and the Americas coupled with progress made in the roll-out of COVID-19 vaccines" which contributed to "gradually restoring safe mobility in Europe and other parts of the world," it said. Also Read: UK set to discontinue compulsory 10-day quarantine rule "Nevertheless, 2021 continues to be a challenging year for global tourism, with international arrivals down 80 per cent in January-July compared to 2019," said the Madrid-based organisation. In the first seven months of the year, Asia and the Pacific continued to see the steepest declines, with a drop of 95 percent in international arrivals, followed by the Middle East where numbers were down 82 per cent, Europe and Africa, which registered a fall of 77 per cent, and the Americas which sustained a drop 68 per cent. Only a few small islands in the Caribbean, Africa, Asia and the Pacific, alongside several small European destinations recovered and counted arrivals close to, or even higher, than pre-pandemic levels. Spain, which before the pandemic was the world's second most popular tourist destination, on Monday said it welcomed 15 million tourists in the first eight months of the year, a decline of 4.2 percent from the same period last year, the National Statistics Institute said. Also Read: New Zealand tightens travel rules as Covid spreads The data cast doubt on the objective set by the Spanish government of attracting some 45 million foreign visitors this year, around half the number of 2019. "The true restart of tourism and the benefits it brings, remains on hold as inconsistent rules and regulations and uneven vaccination rates continue to affect confidence in travel," UNWTO head Zurab Pololikashvili in the statement. The UN body said it was expecting to see a "rebound" in 2022 although global tourism is not expected to reach pre-pandemic levels until 2023 or 2024.

World tourism surges in July, but falls short of pre-Covid levels

A resurgence of global economic activity has lifted merchandise trade above its pre-pandemic peak, the World Trade Organization said on Monday as it upgraded its 2021 and 2022 trade forecasts.

"The WTO is now predicting global merchandise trade volume growth of 10.8 per cent in 2021- up from 8.0 per cent forecasted in March - followed by a 4.7 per cent rise in 2022," up from four percent previously, the global trade body said.

The strong annual growth rate for merchandise trade in 2021 is mainly due to the collapse in 2020, when trade bottomed out in the second quarter.

The rate of growth is expected to moderate as merchandise trade returns to the long-term trend it was on before the COVID-19 crisis struck.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/uk-wants-trade-security-pact-with-india-says-foreign-secretary-liz-truss-417979" hreflang="en">UK wants trade, security pact with India, says Foreign Secretary Liz Truss</a>

Supply-side issues such as semiconductor scarcity and port backlogs may strain supply chains, but are unlikely to have large impacts on global aggregates, WTO experts said.

They said the biggest downside risks came from the pandemic itself.

"Trade has been a critical tool in combatting the pandemic, and this strong growth underscores how important trade will be in underpinning the global economic recovery," said WTO director-general, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.

"But inequitable access to vaccines is exacerbating economic divergence across regions. The longer vaccine inequity is allowed to persist, the greater the chance that even more dangerous variants of COVID-19 will emerge, setting back the health and economic progress we have made to date."

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-to-have-frank-conversations-with-china-on-trade-418119" hreflang="en">US to have 'frank conversations' with China on trade</a>

While regions with access to COVID-19 jabs and sufficient fiscal space were recovering strongly, poorer regions with mostly unvaccinated populations are lagging behind, she said.

The WTO's 12th ministerial conference is to be held in Geneva from November 30 to December 3.

Okonjo-Iweala has said that one of her main objectives is to push long-blocked trade talks on fishery subsidies across the finish line.

The former Nigerian finance and foreign minister started her four-year term at the WTO helm in March. She dismissed as "fake news" reports that she was threatening to resign if no progress is made on major logjams at the global trade body.

A resurgence of global economic activity has lifted merchandise trade above its pre-pandemic peak, the World Trade Organization said on Monday as it upgraded its 2021 and 2022 trade forecasts.

A resurgence of global economic activity has lifted merchandise trade above its pre-pandemic peak, the World Trade Organization said on Monday as it upgraded its 2021 and 2022 trade forecasts. "The WTO is now predicting global merchandise trade volume growth of 10.8 per cent in 2021- up from 8.0 per cent forecasted in March - followed by a 4.7 per cent rise in 2022," up from four percent previously, the global trade body said. The strong annual growth rate for merchandise trade in 2021 is mainly due to the collapse in 2020, when trade bottomed out in the second quarter. The rate of growth is expected to moderate as merchandise trade returns to the long-term trend it was on before the COVID-19 crisis struck. Also Read: UK wants trade, security pact with India, says Foreign Secretary Liz Truss Supply-side issues such as semiconductor scarcity and port backlogs may strain supply chains, but are unlikely to have large impacts on global aggregates, WTO experts said. They said the biggest downside risks came from the pandemic itself. "Trade has been a critical tool in combatting the pandemic, and this strong growth underscores how important trade will be in underpinning the global economic recovery," said WTO director-general, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. "But inequitable access to vaccines is exacerbating economic divergence across regions. The longer vaccine inequity is allowed to persist, the greater the chance that even more dangerous variants of COVID-19 will emerge, setting back the health and economic progress we have made to date." Also Read: US to have 'frank conversations' with China on trade While regions with access to COVID-19 jabs and sufficient fiscal space were recovering strongly, poorer regions with mostly unvaccinated populations are lagging behind, she said. The WTO's 12th ministerial conference is to be held in Geneva from November 30 to December 3. Okonjo-Iweala has said that one of her main objectives is to push long-blocked trade talks on fishery subsidies across the finish line. The former Nigerian finance and foreign minister started her four-year term at the WTO helm in March. She dismissed as "fake news" reports that she was threatening to resign if no progress is made on major logjams at the global trade body.

WTO says goods trade surging past pre-pandemic level

Chief medical adviser to US President Biden, Dr Anthony Fauci has said that it is too early to say whether Americans should avoid larger family gatherings for Christmas.&nbsp;

This comes in when the nation experiences a surge in new COVID-19 infections among children alongside lagging vaccination rates.&nbsp;

In an interview with "Face the Nation," Fauci said that it is too soon to tell whether holiday gatherings should be limited due to the ongoing pandemic. He further added that Americans need to focus on lowering the number of new infections and hospitalisations.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/fauci-says-americans-should-get-vaccinated-even-if-mercks-covid-pill-cuts-deaths-418016">Also read |&nbsp;Fauci says Americans should get vaccinated even if Merck’s Covid pill cuts deaths&nbsp;</a>

"We've just got to concentrate on continuing to get those numbers down and not try to jump ahead by weeks or months and say what we're going to do at a particular time," Fauci said.

"Let's focus like a laser on continuing to get those cases down. And we can do it by people getting vaccinated and also in the situation where boosters are appropriate to get people boosted," he added.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/new-zealand-drops-its-covid-19-elimination-plan-as-delta-persists-418063">Also read |&nbsp;New Zealand drops its COVID-19 elimination plan as Delta persists</a>

The US recently surpassed 700,000 deaths from COVID-19.&nbsp;However, the surge of new cases, hospitalisations and deaths by the &nbsp;Delta variant now appears to be slowing.

Fauci warned that the Americans should not be complacent. "If you look at the history ... of the different surges we've had, it's come up, start to come down and then all of a sudden boom, come back up again," he said.

Chief medical adviser to US President Biden, Dr Anthony Fauci has said that it is too early to say whether Americans should avoid larger family gatherings for Christmas.

Chief medical adviser to US President Biden, Dr Anthony Fauci has said that it is too early to say whether Americans should avoid larger family gatherings for Christmas. This comes in when the nation experiences a surge in new COVID-19 infections among children alongside lagging vaccination rates. In an interview with "Face the Nation," Fauci said that it is too soon to tell whether holiday gatherings should be limited due to the ongoing pandemic. He further added that Americans need to focus on lowering the number of new infections and hospitalisations. Also read | Fauci says Americans should get vaccinated even if Merck’s Covid pill cuts deaths "We've just got to concentrate on continuing to get those numbers down and not try to jump ahead by weeks or months and say what we're going to do at a particular time," Fauci said. "Let's focus like a laser on continuing to get those cases down. And we can do it by people getting vaccinated and also in the situation where boosters are appropriate to get people boosted," he added. Also read | New Zealand drops its COVID-19 elimination plan as Delta persists The US recently surpassed 700,000 deaths from COVID-19. However, the surge of new cases, hospitalisations and deaths by the Delta variant now appears to be slowing. Fauci warned that the Americans should not be complacent. "If you look at the history ... of the different surges we've had, it's come up, start to come down and then all of a sudden boom, come back up again," he said.

'Too soon to tell': Fauci talks about Christmas gatherings as he warns Americans to not be complacent

New Zealand on Monday abandoned its strategy of eliminating coronavirus, easing some COVID-19 lockdown restrictions in its biggest city Auckland, and will instead look to live with the virus while controlling its spread.

The Pacific nation was among just a handful of countries to bring COVID-19 cases down to zero last year and largely stayed virus-free until an outbreak of the highly infections Delta variant in mid-August frustrated efforts to stamp out transmission.

"With this outbreak and Delta the return to zero is incredibly difficult," Ardern told a news conference.

"This is a change in approach we were always going to make over time. Our Delta outbreak has accelerated this transition. Vaccines will support it," she said.

Health authorities reported 29 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday, taking the total number in the current outbreak to 1,357. The majority of the cases are in Auckland, which has been in lockdown for nearly 50 days.

Amid mounting pressure, Ardern has said her strategy was never to have zero cases, but to aggressively stamp out the virus. She said strict lockdowns will end once 90% of the eligible population is vaccinated.

"It`s clear that a long period of heavy restrictions has not got us to zero cases. But its ok elimination was important because we didn`t have vaccinations. Now we do. So we can begin to change the way we do things," she said.

People in Auckland will be able to leave their homes to connect with loved ones outdoors from Wednesday, with a limit of 10 people.

Early childhood education will return and people can also move around for recreation, but retail, hospitality and offices will still remain shut.

Ardern said remaining restrictions in Auckland will be eased in phases.

New Zealand on Monday abandoned its strategy of eliminating coronavirus, easing some COVID-19 lockdown restrictions in its biggest city Auckland, and will instead look to live with the virus while controlling its spread.

New Zealand on Monday abandoned its strategy of eliminating coronavirus, easing some COVID-19 lockdown restrictions in its biggest city Auckland, and will instead look to live with the virus while controlling its spread. The Pacific nation was among just a handful of countries to bring COVID-19 cases down to zero last year and largely stayed virus-free until an outbreak of the highly infections Delta variant in mid-August frustrated efforts to stamp out transmission. "With this outbreak and Delta the return to zero is incredibly difficult," Ardern told a news conference. "This is a change in approach we were always going to make over time. Our Delta outbreak has accelerated this transition. Vaccines will support it," she said. Health authorities reported 29 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday, taking the total number in the current outbreak to 1,357. The majority of the cases are in Auckland, which has been in lockdown for nearly 50 days. Amid mounting pressure, Ardern has said her strategy was never to have zero cases, but to aggressively stamp out the virus. She said strict lockdowns will end once 90% of the eligible population is vaccinated. "It`s clear that a long period of heavy restrictions has not got us to zero cases. But its ok elimination was important because we didn`t have vaccinations. Now we do. So we can begin to change the way we do things," she said. People in Auckland will be able to leave their homes to connect with loved ones outdoors from Wednesday, with a limit of 10 people. Early childhood education will return and people can also move around for recreation, but retail, hospitality and offices will still remain shut. Ardern said remaining restrictions in Auckland will be eased in phases.

New Zealand drops its COVID-19 elimination plan as Delta persists

National Immunisation Technical Advisory Group (NTAGI) Chairperson Dr NK Arora has said that once the COVID-19 vaccination drive for children begins in India, priority would be given to children with comorbidities however severe.

In an interview with ANI, Dr Arora said, "We are going to prioritise COVID-19 vaccination for children with severe comorbidities and comorbidities so that we immediately immunise them and rest of the children who are healthy can be immunised subsequently."

Talking about how to prioritise the vaccination for children, Dr Arora said, "We are working on that and we are trying to identify those who are at highest risk of getting the severe disease and the need for hospitalisation. Within the next couple of weeks, the list will be available in the public domain. In addition, we are also making arrangements at different parts of the country so that these children do not have to travel and within their district, the vaccine is made available."

Earlier in August, the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) had approved Zydus Cadila's DNA vaccine for emergency use in adults and children aged 12 years and above.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/uk-wants-trade-security-pact-with-india-says-foreign-secretary-liz-truss-417979">Also read | UK wants trade, security pact with India, says Foreign Secretary Liz Truss</a>

Now, the vaccines are waiting to be introduced in the national vaccination programme.

A WHO-AIIMS joint survey in June found out that seroprevalence was 55.7 per cent in the age group below 18 years and 63.5 per cent in 18 years and above. They also highlighted that there was no statistically significant difference in prevalence between adults and children.

Dr Arora also spoke about the reopening of schools as he said, "Children are vectors. They spread the infection but they themselves do not get infected. So it is important that adults who are surrounding them - be it family members, teachers, non-teaching staff - they need to be immunised and surrounded by a ring of protection."

In addition, he stated, "Our national target is to immunise all adults. We have reached half the landmark. Once adults are immunised we have about 44 crore children below 18 years of age and we are prepared for giving immunisation to children at the same speed."

National Immunisation Technical Advisory Group (NTAGI) Chairperson Dr NK Arora has said that once the COVID-19 vaccination drive for children begins in India, priority would be given to children with comorbidities however severe.

National Immunisation Technical Advisory Group (NTAGI) Chairperson Dr NK Arora has said that once the COVID-19 vaccination drive for children begins in India, priority would be given to children with comorbidities however severe. In an interview with ANI, Dr Arora said, "We are going to prioritise COVID-19 vaccination for children with severe comorbidities and comorbidities so that we immediately immunise them and rest of the children who are healthy can be immunised subsequently." Talking about how to prioritise the vaccination for children, Dr Arora said, "We are working on that and we are trying to identify those who are at highest risk of getting the severe disease and the need for hospitalisation. Within the next couple of weeks, the list will be available in the public domain. In addition, we are also making arrangements at different parts of the country so that these children do not have to travel and within their district, the vaccine is made available." Earlier in August, the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) had approved Zydus Cadila's DNA vaccine for emergency use in adults and children aged 12 years and above. Also read | UK wants trade, security pact with India, says Foreign Secretary Liz Truss Now, the vaccines are waiting to be introduced in the national vaccination programme. A WHO-AIIMS joint survey in June found out that seroprevalence was 55.7 per cent in the age group below 18 years and 63.5 per cent in 18 years and above. They also highlighted that there was no statistically significant difference in prevalence between adults and children. Dr Arora also spoke about the reopening of schools as he said, "Children are vectors. They spread the infection but they themselves do not get infected. So it is important that adults who are surrounding them - be it family members, teachers, non-teaching staff - they need to be immunised and surrounded by a ring of protection." In addition, he stated, "Our national target is to immunise all adults. We have reached half the landmark. Once adults are immunised we have about 44 crore children below 18 years of age and we are prepared for giving immunisation to children at the same speed."

Children with comorbidities to be prioritised for vaccination in India

There was one bed coming available in the intensive care unit in Alaska’s largest hospital.

It was the middle of the night, and the hospital, Providence Alaska Medical Center in Anchorage, had been hit with a deluge of coronavirus patients. Doctors now had a choice to make: Several more patients at the hospital, most of them with COVID-19, were in line to take that last ICU spot. But there was also someone from one of the state’s isolated rural communities who needed to be flown in for emergency surgery.

Who should get the final bed?

Dr&nbsp;​​Steven Floerchinger gathered with his colleagues for an agonising discussion. They had a better chance of saving one of the patients in the emergency room, they determined. The other person would have to wait.

That patient died.

“This is gut-wrenching, and I never thought I’d see it,” said Floerchinger, who has been in practice for 30 years. “We are taxed to a point of making decisions of who will and who will not live.”

Since that night, more grim choices have had to be made as Alaska confronts what is currently the nation’s worst coronavirus outbreak. Nearly two years after the virus began circulating in the United States, some of the scenes here on the country’s northern frontier echo the darkest early days of the pandemic: testing supplies are depleted, patients are being treated in hallways and doctors are rationing oxygen. With emergency rooms overwhelmed, the governor has asked hundreds of medical workers to fly in from around the country to help.

Through much of the pandemic, Alaska’s natural isolation had shielded the state, with the early months defined by strict testing protocols for people arriving from the outside. Many villages locked down. When vaccines arrived, there was a legion of planes, ferries and sleds to bring doses to far-flung communities. The state has maintained some of the lowest death numbers in the country.

But with some pockets of the state wary of taking vaccines — only about half the state’s residents are fully vaccinated — and Gov. Mike Dunleavy resisting restrictions to curtail the virus, the state’s isolation has become a growing liability as the delta variant sweeps through. The state’s surge has continued even as the virus has receded nationwide, with new daily cases down by about one-third and hospitalisations by about one-quarter since Sept. 1.

Much of the nation’s hospital system has been stressed, but overloaded facilities in the lower 48 states have had more flexibility to transfer patients to neighboring cities or other states. In Anchorage, most of the help is 1,500 miles away in Seattle, and hospitals in the Pacific Northwest have been challenged by their own disastrous virus outbreak.

“When your hospitals are full, you can’t just put them into an ambulance and take them to another town,” Sen. Lisa Murkowski said of Alaskan patients in a floor speech to Congress on Friday. She described her own trip to an emergency room in Fairbanks, where a loved one needed help for a non-COVID problem. They were told that critical care beds were full and that they might have to fly to Seattle.

Doctors and nurses have started speaking out in meetings, urging the public to take the virus more seriously, but they have repeatedly encountered hostility.

When the Anchorage Assembly considered a mask mandate last week, some of the doctors who came to speak were jeered at. “Do you use ivermectin?” someone in the crowd shouted, referring to a deworming medicine that has been touted as a COVID-19 treatment on social media even as the Food and Drug Administration has warned people against taking it.

As a group of doctors left the meeting, one person followed them outside, heckling. “You guys have sold out and are liars,” he shouted. Others outside holding signs — “Liberty or Tyranny,” one of them said — also mocked the physicians.

Dr. Leslie Gonsette, an internal medicine hospitalist who often works at Providence Alaska Medical Center, said some of her colleagues had debated whether to even go to the meeting.

“There was an element of caution and worry for our safety,” she said. But in the end, she added, they concluded they had an obligation to tell people about the calamitous scenes playing out at hospitals.

At another meeting of the Assembly the following night, one person was arrested on a charge of disorderly conduct and found to be carrying a concealed weapon. Many people in the audience wore a yellow Star of David, likening the proposed mask mandate to the Holocaust, which led other speakers to express outrage. Mayor Dave Bronson, who has vigorously opposed a mask mandate, argued that it was appropriate to “borrow” the symbol and then later apologised for his remarks.

The debate was scheduled to resume for a fourth day Monday.

Doctors at Providence, which has now put into place “crisis standards of care” that provide legal clearance for the challenging process of rationing health care, said the process had been traumatic. They have been consulting an ethicist and a triage team. Few have experience navigating such difficult ethical terrain.

The patient who died after being denied emergency surgery was not the only one to undergo a triage choice. In one case, two patients needed continuous dialysis but only one machine was available. Doctors placed one patient on the machine and then switched it to the other. The first patient then died.

Patients with COVID-19, which often results in serious damage to kidneys, have often monopolised dialysis resources, doctors said. When there were not enough machines available at Providence, everyone on dialysis was a COVID-19 patient.

In another case, described by the hospital’s chief medical officer, Dr. Michael Bernstein, a patient with both COVID-19 and extensive cancer was on the verge of needing a ventilator. But with so many patients needing such intense care, that patient was not given life support, and died.

The “crisis standards of care” generally are intended to prioritise the patients most likely to survive. Many states have discussed and approved crisis care guidelines during the pandemic, but few have formally carried them out statewide. Alaska has done so.

Bernstein said that the triage team had to make rationing decisions in about 10 cases, and that the hospital had also been forced to postpone care in other ways. Twenty-nine cardiac patients have had operations postponed, and the hospital has refused to accept transfer requests for 21 patients.

“This morning, the ICU was completely full, and we had four patients in the emergency room that needed intensive care,” he saids

The struggle is spreading beyond Anchorage. On Wednesday, the Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation in Bethel announced that it, too, had turned to crisis standards of care. “We are now in a position of making these difficult decisions on a daily basis,” the hospital’s chief of staff, Dr. Ellen Hodges, said.

On Saturday, the state said it had activated crisis standards for 20 health care facilities, covering larger cities such as Anchorage, Fairbanks and Juneau, along with smaller ones such as Cordova, Dillingham and Kotzebue.

At the Providence hospital in Valdez, high-need patients who would otherwise transfer to Anchorage are staying put, and there is so much demand for oxygen that the hospital has had to limit the amount each person receives. While patients would normally be kept at oxygen saturation levels of 93%, that has now dropped to 90%.

Dr. Anne Zink is Alaska’s chief medical officer, helping lead the state’s pandemic response, but she also works as a physician in the emergency room at Mat-Su Regional Medical Center, northeast of Anchorage, a region with some of the state’s lowest vaccination rates and highest hospitalization rates.

Zink said she had been examining patients in the waiting room and caring for them in hallways. One day, with not even stretchers available, she found herself sitting on the floor to stitch a foot laceration.

“Our goal has always been to avoid having systems overwhelmed,” Zink said. “And right now we have systems overwhelmed.”

Dunleavy has avoided ordering a statewide mask mandate or other restrictions during the latest surge, saying such requirements should be decided locally in a vast state where some communities have had few or no cases. A draft statewide mask mandate had been drawn up early in the pandemic, Zink said, but it was never put into place.

With each COVID-19 patient, Zink said, she wonders if there was more she could have done, something she could have said, to convince more people to get vaccinated or take precautions.

She became a household name at the start of the pandemic, when she gave video briefings to the public from a heated yurt behind her family’s home. In many corners of the state, she has been widely praised. On a recent day, while talking with a reporter at an Anchorage park, a couple walking their dog recognised Zink and waved. “We are fans,” the man called out.

But Zink is spending time trying to reach people who are not fans. She has been appearing on conservative talk radio, answering questions and trying to ease fears about the vaccines.

While some people have made up their minds, Zink said, she still regularly finds others making the decision to get vaccinated. A state survey, she said, found that 60% of unvaccinated people are open to it. In trying to encourage people to consider vaccines, she often uses references to moose hunting and berry foraging and all the ways that Alaskans are used to taking care of themselves.

“Just like when we go out in a storm, we layer up,” she said.

“We do multiple things together: We change our snow tires and we wear a jacket and we wear a hat,” she said. “So make sure you’re vaccinated and wear a mask and keep your distance. We know how to do this.”

There was one bed coming available in the intensive care unit in Alaska’s largest hospital. It was the middle of the night, and the hospital, Providence Alaska Medical Center in Anchorage, had been hit with a deluge of coronavirus patients.

There was one bed coming available in the intensive care unit in Alaska’s largest hospital. It was the middle of the night, and the hospital, Providence Alaska Medical Center in Anchorage, had been hit with a deluge of coronavirus patients. Doctors now had a choice to make: Several more patients at the hospital, most of them with COVID-19, were in line to take that last ICU spot. But there was also someone from one of the state’s isolated rural communities who needed to be flown in for emergency surgery. Who should get the final bed? Dr Steven Floerchinger gathered with his colleagues for an agonising discussion. They had a better chance of saving one of the patients in the emergency room, they determined. The other person would have to wait. That patient died. “This is gut-wrenching, and I never thought I’d see it,” said Floerchinger, who has been in practice for 30 years. “We are taxed to a point of making decisions of who will and who will not live.” Since that night, more grim choices have had to be made as Alaska confronts what is currently the nation’s worst coronavirus outbreak. Nearly two years after the virus began circulating in the United States, some of the scenes here on the country’s northern frontier echo the darkest early days of the pandemic: testing supplies are depleted, patients are being treated in hallways and doctors are rationing oxygen. With emergency rooms overwhelmed, the governor has asked hundreds of medical workers to fly in from around the country to help. Through much of the pandemic, Alaska’s natural isolation had shielded the state, with the early months defined by strict testing protocols for people arriving from the outside. Many villages locked down. When vaccines arrived, there was a legion of planes, ferries and sleds to bring doses to far-flung communities. The state has maintained some of the lowest death numbers in the country. But with some pockets of the state wary of taking vaccines — only about half the state’s residents are fully vaccinated — and Gov. Mike Dunleavy resisting restrictions to curtail the virus, the state’s isolation has become a growing liability as the delta variant sweeps through. The state’s surge has continued even as the virus has receded nationwide, with new daily cases down by about one-third and hospitalisations by about one-quarter since Sept. 1. Much of the nation’s hospital system has been stressed, but overloaded facilities in the lower 48 states have had more flexibility to transfer patients to neighboring cities or other states. In Anchorage, most of the help is 1,500 miles away in Seattle, and hospitals in the Pacific Northwest have been challenged by their own disastrous virus outbreak. “When your hospitals are full, you can’t just put them into an ambulance and take them to another town,” Sen. Lisa Murkowski said of Alaskan patients in a floor speech to Congress on Friday. She described her own trip to an emergency room in Fairbanks, where a loved one needed help for a non-COVID problem. They were told that critical care beds were full and that they might have to fly to Seattle. Doctors and nurses have started speaking out in meetings, urging the public to take the virus more seriously, but they have repeatedly encountered hostility. When the Anchorage Assembly considered a mask mandate last week, some of the doctors who came to speak were jeered at. “Do you use ivermectin?” someone in the crowd shouted, referring to a deworming medicine that has been touted as a COVID-19 treatment on social media even as the Food and Drug Administration has warned people against taking it. As a group of doctors left the meeting, one person followed them outside, heckling. “You guys have sold out and are liars,” he shouted. Others outside holding signs — “Liberty or Tyranny,” one of them said — also mocked the physicians. Dr. Leslie Gonsette, an internal medicine hospitalist who often works at Providence Alaska Medical Center, said some of her colleagues had debated whether to even go to the meeting. “There was an element of caution and worry for our safety,” she said. But in the end, she added, they concluded they had an obligation to tell people about the calamitous scenes playing out at hospitals. At another meeting of the Assembly the following night, one person was arrested on a charge of disorderly conduct and found to be carrying a concealed weapon. Many people in the audience wore a yellow Star of David, likening the proposed mask mandate to the Holocaust, which led other speakers to express outrage. Mayor Dave Bronson, who has vigorously opposed a mask mandate, argued that it was appropriate to “borrow” the symbol and then later apologised for his remarks. The debate was scheduled to resume for a fourth day Monday. Doctors at Providence, which has now put into place “crisis standards of care” that provide legal clearance for the challenging process of rationing health care, said the process had been traumatic. They have been consulting an ethicist and a triage team. Few have experience navigating such difficult ethical terrain. The patient who died after being denied emergency surgery was not the only one to undergo a triage choice. In one case, two patients needed continuous dialysis but only one machine was available. Doctors placed one patient on the machine and then switched it to the other. The first patient then died. Patients with COVID-19, which often results in serious damage to kidneys, have often monopolised dialysis resources, doctors said. When there were not enough machines available at Providence, everyone on dialysis was a COVID-19 patient. In another case, described by the hospital’s chief medical officer, Dr. Michael Bernstein, a patient with both COVID-19 and extensive cancer was on the verge of needing a ventilator. But with so many patients needing such intense care, that patient was not given life support, and died. The “crisis standards of care” generally are intended to prioritise the patients most likely to survive. Many states have discussed and approved crisis care guidelines during the pandemic, but few have formally carried them out statewide. Alaska has done so. Bernstein said that the triage team had to make rationing decisions in about 10 cases, and that the hospital had also been forced to postpone care in other ways. Twenty-nine cardiac patients have had operations postponed, and the hospital has refused to accept transfer requests for 21 patients. “This morning, the ICU was completely full, and we had four patients in the emergency room that needed intensive care,” he saids The struggle is spreading beyond Anchorage. On Wednesday, the Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation in Bethel announced that it, too, had turned to crisis standards of care. “We are now in a position of making these difficult decisions on a daily basis,” the hospital’s chief of staff, Dr. Ellen Hodges, said. On Saturday, the state said it had activated crisis standards for 20 health care facilities, covering larger cities such as Anchorage, Fairbanks and Juneau, along with smaller ones such as Cordova, Dillingham and Kotzebue. At the Providence hospital in Valdez, high-need patients who would otherwise transfer to Anchorage are staying put, and there is so much demand for oxygen that the hospital has had to limit the amount each person receives. While patients would normally be kept at oxygen saturation levels of 93%, that has now dropped to 90%. Dr. Anne Zink is Alaska’s chief medical officer, helping lead the state’s pandemic response, but she also works as a physician in the emergency room at Mat-Su Regional Medical Center, northeast of Anchorage, a region with some of the state’s lowest vaccination rates and highest hospitalization rates. Zink said she had been examining patients in the waiting room and caring for them in hallways. One day, with not even stretchers available, she found herself sitting on the floor to stitch a foot laceration. “Our goal has always been to avoid having systems overwhelmed,” Zink said. “And right now we have systems overwhelmed.” Dunleavy has avoided ordering a statewide mask mandate or other restrictions during the latest surge, saying such requirements should be decided locally in a vast state where some communities have had few or no cases. A draft statewide mask mandate had been drawn up early in the pandemic, Zink said, but it was never put into place. With each COVID-19 patient, Zink said, she wonders if there was more she could have done, something she could have said, to convince more people to get vaccinated or take precautions. She became a household name at the start of the pandemic, when she gave video briefings to the public from a heated yurt behind her family’s home. In many corners of the state, she has been widely praised. On a recent day, while talking with a reporter at an Anchorage park, a couple walking their dog recognised Zink and waved. “We are fans,” the man called out. But Zink is spending time trying to reach people who are not fans. She has been appearing on conservative talk radio, answering questions and trying to ease fears about the vaccines. While some people have made up their minds, Zink said, she still regularly finds others making the decision to get vaccinated. A state survey, she said, found that 60% of unvaccinated people are open to it. In trying to encourage people to consider vaccines, she often uses references to moose hunting and berry foraging and all the ways that Alaskans are used to taking care of themselves. “Just like when we go out in a storm, we layer up,” she said. “We do multiple things together: We change our snow tires and we wear a jacket and we wear a hat,” she said. “So make sure you’re vaccinated and wear a mask and keep your distance. We know how to do this.”

In Alaska’s COVID Crisis, Doctors Must Decide Who Lives and Who Dies

New Zealand announced Sunday tighter border restrictions, as new cases of COVID-19 emerged in areas previously free of the coronavirus.

"We are introducing the requirement for air travellers aged 17 and over, who are not New Zealand citizens, to be fully vaccinated to enter New Zealand," COVID-19 response minister Christ Hipkins said.

The national flag carrier Air New Zealand also announced it was introducing a "no jab, no fly" policy for passengers on all international flights from February 1.

The country has been hugely successful at containing the virus - reporting just 27 deaths in a population of five million -- thanks to tight border controls and lockdowns, allowing pre-pandemic life to mostly resume.

But the upped border restrictions come as Hamilton city and neighbouring Raglan town were put into a five-day lockdown, with only essential movement permitted, after two people tested positive.

The cases are not believed to be connected to the latest outbreak in Auckland, 160 kilometres away.

The city of two million has been in lockdown for nearly seven weeks as officials grapple with an outbreak of the highly transmissible Delta variant that has so far infected 1,320 people.

About 2,000 people attended an anti-lockdown rally in Auckland over the weekend, with Jacinda Ardern describing the demonstration as "a complete slap in the face" for people who had been abiding by the strict rules banning public gatherings.&nbsp;

"It was illegal and also it was morally wrong," the prime minister said.

New Zealand is pursuing a "Covid zero" elimination strategy.

It had been free of community transmission for six months before the latest Auckland outbreak.

New Zealand announced Sunday tighter border restrictions, as new cases of COVID-19 emerged in areas previously free of the coronavirus. "We are introducing the requirement for air travellers aged 17 and over, who are not New Zealand citizens, to be fully vaccinated to enter New Zealand," COVID-19 response minister Christ Hipkins said.

New Zealand announced Sunday tighter border restrictions, as new cases of COVID-19 emerged in areas previously free of the coronavirus. "We are introducing the requirement for air travellers aged 17 and over, who are not New Zealand citizens, to be fully vaccinated to enter New Zealand," COVID-19 response minister Christ Hipkins said. The national flag carrier Air New Zealand also announced it was introducing a "no jab, no fly" policy for passengers on all international flights from February 1. The country has been hugely successful at containing the virus - reporting just 27 deaths in a population of five million -- thanks to tight border controls and lockdowns, allowing pre-pandemic life to mostly resume. But the upped border restrictions come as Hamilton city and neighbouring Raglan town were put into a five-day lockdown, with only essential movement permitted, after two people tested positive. The cases are not believed to be connected to the latest outbreak in Auckland, 160 kilometres away. The city of two million has been in lockdown for nearly seven weeks as officials grapple with an outbreak of the highly transmissible Delta variant that has so far infected 1,320 people. About 2,000 people attended an anti-lockdown rally in Auckland over the weekend, with Jacinda Ardern describing the demonstration as "a complete slap in the face" for people who had been abiding by the strict rules banning public gatherings. "It was illegal and also it was morally wrong," the prime minister said. New Zealand is pursuing a "Covid zero" elimination strategy. It had been free of community transmission for six months before the latest Auckland outbreak.

New Zealand tightens travel rules as Covid spreads

Israel has revoked all the green passes issued till date as new guidelines have been issued. The new guidelines limit COVID-19 immunity status only to those who naturally recovered or received their latest vaccine shot within the past six months.

Israel has revoked all the green passes issued till date as new guidelines have been issued. The new guidelines limit COVID-19 immunity status only to those who naturally recovered or received their latest vaccine shot within the past six months. According to reports by the Jerusalem Post, at least 1.5 million Israelis lost their green passes as the new rules kicked in on Sunday. However, Channel 12 news estimated that the number would be close to 2 million. As per the new guidelines, a person retains their immunity status for just six months after receiving their second or third dose of the vaccine. Those with natural immunity also get a pass. However, they must receive a vaccine shot six months after recovery, or they end up losing the privilege. Also read | UK: 15-year-old dies from Covid on day she was scheduled for vaccine People who are neither naturally immune nor vaccinated, including children under 12 who are not yet eligible for the jab, can get a limited seven-day pass after a negative PCR test. The results of a rapid antigen test will only be valid for 24 hours. Israeli officials have recently been caught admitting that in many situations the pass system is not “medically justified,” but exists to pressure more citizens into getting vaccinated. Israel indeed largely led the world in vaccinations and boosters. As of Friday, out of a population of some 9.2 million, over 5.6 million Israelis were vaccinated with two doses and nearly 3.5 million had already received their third jab.

1.5 million Israelis lose green pass privileges as government issues new COVID-19 guidelines

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp slammed players who are refusing to get vaccinated against the deadly coronavirus as a recent media report revealed that 13 of the 20 clubs in the top division have squads where fewer than 50 per cent of the players are fully vaccinated.&nbsp;

The German even said that if players are claiming if it is their 'freedom' not to be jabbed, they might as well argue it is their right to drink and drive.&nbsp;

"It's a little bit like drink driving. We probably all had a situation where we had a beer or two and thought 'I could still drive', but under the law we are not allowed to drive. The law is not there to protect me when I've had two beers and want to drive, it is there to protect all the other people because I am drunk and want to drive a car."

ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/a-plot-involving-bill-gates-premier-league-players-have-bizarre-conspiracy-theories-about-covid-and-vaccines-417447">'A plot involving Bill Gates': Premier League players have bizarre 'conspiracy theories' about Covid and vaccines</a>

"With the vaccination, all the specialists out there tell us the vaccination is the solution for the situation at the moment. It is the same. I don't take the vaccination only to protect myself but to protect all the people around me," he added.&nbsp;

"I don't understand how that is a limitation of freedom, because if it is then not being allowed to drink and drive is a limitation of freedom as well, but we accept that," the manager said.&nbsp;

Recently, a report by Daily Mail revealed some players are not only refusing to get vaccinated but they are spreading so-called "conspiracy theories" involving Bill Gates, infertility and the power of vitamins about the vaccines.&nbsp;

ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/klopp-as-bond-liverpool-boss-has-his-say-on-next-007-after-daniel-craig-suggested-he-could-be-a-good-fit-417468">Klopp as Bond? Liverpool boss has his say on next 007 after Daniel Craig suggested he could be a good fit</a>

Talking about his squad, Klopp revealed his squad are "99 per cent" vaccinated. "I can say we have 99 per cent vaccinated," said Klopp. "I didn't have to convince the players, it was more a natural decision from the team. I can't remember talking to a player and explaining him why he should because I am not a doctor," he added.&nbsp;

The 54-year-old Klopp said he had consulted doctors he trusted before taking the vaccine. "Where did I get the knowledge from that I think it is makes sense to get the vaccination? I called doctors who I have known for years. I took the vaccination obviously because I am in the age group where it is not that easy anymore, otherwise it could be tricky," he added.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp slammed players who are refusing to get vaccinated against the deadly coronavirus as a recent media report revealed that 13 of the 20 clubs in the top division have squads where fewer than 50 per cent of the players are fully vaccinated.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp slammed players who are refusing to get vaccinated against the deadly coronavirus as a recent media report revealed that 13 of the 20 clubs in the top division have squads where fewer than 50 per cent of the players are fully vaccinated. The German even said that if players are claiming if it is their 'freedom' not to be jabbed, they might as well argue it is their right to drink and drive. "It's a little bit like drink driving. We probably all had a situation where we had a beer or two and thought 'I could still drive', but under the law we are not allowed to drive. The law is not there to protect me when I've had two beers and want to drive, it is there to protect all the other people because I am drunk and want to drive a car." ALSO READ | 'A plot involving Bill Gates': Premier League players have bizarre 'conspiracy theories' about Covid and vaccines "With the vaccination, all the specialists out there tell us the vaccination is the solution for the situation at the moment. It is the same. I don't take the vaccination only to protect myself but to protect all the people around me," he added. "I don't understand how that is a limitation of freedom, because if it is then not being allowed to drink and drive is a limitation of freedom as well, but we accept that," the manager said. Recently, a report by Daily Mail revealed some players are not only refusing to get vaccinated but they are spreading so-called "conspiracy theories" involving Bill Gates, infertility and the power of vitamins about the vaccines. ALSO READ | Klopp as Bond? Liverpool boss has his say on next 007 after Daniel Craig suggested he could be a good fit Talking about his squad, Klopp revealed his squad are "99 per cent" vaccinated. "I can say we have 99 per cent vaccinated," said Klopp. "I didn't have to convince the players, it was more a natural decision from the team. I can't remember talking to a player and explaining him why he should because I am not a doctor," he added. The 54-year-old Klopp said he had consulted doctors he trusted before taking the vaccine. "Where did I get the knowledge from that I think it is makes sense to get the vaccination? I called doctors who I have known for years. I took the vaccination obviously because I am in the age group where it is not that easy anymore, otherwise it could be tricky," he added.

Jurgen Klopp slams unvaccinated players, compares anti-vax movement to drink driving

India reports 24,354 new cases and 234 deaths in the last 24 hours. Active caseload at 2,73,889; lowest in 197 days, Active cases presently constitute 0.81 per cent of the country`s total positive cases- &nbsp;says Ministry of health and family welfare.

The national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 97.86 per cent, highest since March 2020. At least 28,246 recoveries in the last 24 hours took the total number of recoveries to 3,30,43,144 in India

A total of 14,29,258 Covid tests were conducted. With this, India has so far conducted over 57,19,94,990 tests.

The weekly positivity rate at 1.68 per cent remains less than 3 per cent for the last 99 days now. The daily positivity rate reported to be 1.70 per cent which is below 3 per cent for the last 33 days and below 5 per cent for 116 consecutive days now.

The national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 97.86 per cent, highest since March 2020. At least 28,246 recoveries in the last 24 hours took the total number of recoveries to 3,30,43,144 in India.

Vaccine Dose in India

With the administration of 69,33,838 vaccine doses in the last 24 hours, India`s Covid vaccination coverage exceeded 89.74 crore as per provisional report till 7 a,m. on Saturday - said the Union health ministry.

Meanwhile ,36,32,00,842 persons in the 18-44 category across all states and union territories have received their first dose and a total of 8,49,70,800 have received their second dose since the start of phase-3 of the vaccination drive . 
&nbsp;

India reports 24,354 new cases and 234 deaths in the last 24 hours. Active caseload at 2,73,889; lowest in 197 days, Active cases presently constitute 0.81 per cent of the country`s total positive cases- says Ministry of health and family welfare.

India reports 24,354 new cases and 234 deaths in the last 24 hours. Active caseload at 2,73,889; lowest in 197 days, Active cases presently constitute 0.81 per cent of the country`s total positive cases- says Ministry of health and family welfare. The national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 97.86 per cent, highest since March 2020. At least 28,246 recoveries in the last 24 hours took the total number of recoveries to 3,30,43,144 in India A total of 14,29,258 Covid tests were conducted. With this, India has so far conducted over 57,19,94,990 tests. The weekly positivity rate at 1.68 per cent remains less than 3 per cent for the last 99 days now. The daily positivity rate reported to be 1.70 per cent which is below 3 per cent for the last 33 days and below 5 per cent for 116 consecutive days now. The national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 97.86 per cent, highest since March 2020. At least 28,246 recoveries in the last 24 hours took the total number of recoveries to 3,30,43,144 in India. Vaccine Dose in India With the administration of 69,33,838 vaccine doses in the last 24 hours, India`s Covid vaccination coverage exceeded 89.74 crore as per provisional report till 7 a,m. on Saturday - said the Union health ministry. Meanwhile ,36,32,00,842 persons in the 18-44 category across all states and union territories have received their first dose and a total of 8,49,70,800 have received their second dose since the start of phase-3 of the vaccination drive .

India reports 24,354 new cases and 234 deaths in the last 24 hours

Australia reported 2,355 new cases of the Delta coronavirus variant on Saturday, as the push to vaccinate the country`s population continues in order to end lockdowns and allow for the reopening of international borders.

An 18-month ban on international travel is set to be gradually lifted from next month for some states when 80 per cent of people aged 16 and over are fully vaccinated.

Fifty-five percent of Australians were fully inoculated as of October 1, but nearly 80 per cent have received at least one shot.

Victoria state, which reported a record 1,488 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday, ordered on Friday about a million employees across industries to receive at least one dose of a COVID vaccine by October 15 to keep working.

The state, where about a quarter of Australia`s population of 25 million live, has been in a hard lockdown since August 5.

New South Wales (NSW) state, battling the country`s biggest Delta outbreak, reported 813 cases and 10 deaths on Saturday. Nearly 88% of the state`s eligible population have been partially vaccinated and 65 per cent fully.

Sydney, the NSW state capital, has been under lockdown since June 26, with some restrictions scheduled to be lifted on October&nbsp;11 and more later in the month.

NSW is expected to be the first state to fully open up once the 80 per cent&nbsp;vaccination is reached, but authorities have warned case numbers are expected to soar and hospitals will come under strain as Australia learns to live with COVID-19.

"I`m worried about how we are going to cope with it culturally," Kirsty Keating, an Australia citizen originally from Scotland who lives in Sydney, told Reuters about the country`s reopening.

"Like most of the people I know overseas have lived with COVID and we haven`t and I think it could put a pressure on our health system and make everybody very tense."

Australia slammed the international border shut in March 2020. Since then, only a limited number of people have been granted a permit to leave the country for critical business or humanitarian reasons.

Citizens and permanent residents have been allowed to return from abroad, subject to quota limits and a mandatory 14-day quarantine period in a hotel at their own expense.

"I think it`s great coming up to Christmas that people get to reunite with their families," Peter Hendriks, a priest in Sydney, told Reuters about the decision to reopen borders.

Australia reported 2,355 new cases of the Delta coronavirus variant on Saturday, as the push to vaccinate the country`s population continues in order to end lockdowns and allow for the reopening of international borders.

Australia reported 2,355 new cases of the Delta coronavirus variant on Saturday, as the push to vaccinate the country`s population continues in order to end lockdowns and allow for the reopening of international borders. An 18-month ban on international travel is set to be gradually lifted from next month for some states when 80 per cent of people aged 16 and over are fully vaccinated. Fifty-five percent of Australians were fully inoculated as of October 1, but nearly 80 per cent have received at least one shot. Victoria state, which reported a record 1,488 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday, ordered on Friday about a million employees across industries to receive at least one dose of a COVID vaccine by October 15 to keep working. The state, where about a quarter of Australia`s population of 25 million live, has been in a hard lockdown since August 5. New South Wales (NSW) state, battling the country`s biggest Delta outbreak, reported 813 cases and 10 deaths on Saturday. Nearly 88% of the state`s eligible population have been partially vaccinated and 65 per cent fully. Sydney, the NSW state capital, has been under lockdown since June 26, with some restrictions scheduled to be lifted on October 11 and more later in the month. NSW is expected to be the first state to fully open up once the 80 per cent vaccination is reached, but authorities have warned case numbers are expected to soar and hospitals will come under strain as Australia learns to live with COVID-19. "I`m worried about how we are going to cope with it culturally," Kirsty Keating, an Australia citizen originally from Scotland who lives in Sydney, told Reuters about the country`s reopening. "Like most of the people I know overseas have lived with COVID and we haven`t and I think it could put a pressure on our health system and make everybody very tense." Australia slammed the international border shut in March 2020. Since then, only a limited number of people have been granted a permit to leave the country for critical business or humanitarian reasons. Citizens and permanent residents have been allowed to return from abroad, subject to quota limits and a mandatory 14-day quarantine period in a hotel at their own expense. "I think it`s great coming up to Christmas that people get to reunite with their families," Peter Hendriks, a priest in Sydney, told Reuters about the decision to reopen borders.

Australia reports 2,355 new COVID-19 cases as vaccination push continues

After being shut for more than a year, beaches in Havana are now opened for visitors. How did the locals take advantage of the new relaxed covid-19 guidelines.

Covid-19 curbs lifted, beaches finally reopened in Havana

The results of a clinical trial have concluded that flu jabs are safe to give at the same time as the Pfizer or AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines. The study discovered that while some people experienced more side effects with certain combinations of flu and COVID-19 shots, the ailments were mainly mild to moderate.

The most common side effects were pain at the injection site and temporary fatigue, headache or muscle pain.

The trial took place across 12 NHS sites in England and Wales and it looked at the side-effects and immune responses when 679 people had their second shot of Pfizer or AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine in one arm followed by one of three flu vaccines in the other.

As a part of the study, the volunteers were divided into two age groups, the under-65s and the 65s and over.

At their first appointment, the volunteers were given either a COVID-19 shot and a flu shot, or a Covid shot and a placebo.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/transport-chiefs-warn-world-leaders-and-un-about-incoming-collapse-of-global-supply-chain-417077">Also read |&nbsp;Transport chiefs warn world leaders and UN about incoming collapse of global supply chain</a>

The older group received the FluAd jab made by Seqirus in the UK, while the younger group had either Flublok from Sanofi or Flucelvax, also from Seqirus.

As per the blood tests on the trial volunteers, there was no negative impact on the immune responses to either flu or COVID-19 vaccines when the shots were given one after the other, in opposite arms.&nbsp;

However, one of the flu vaccines, FluBlok by Sanofi, appeared to be more potent when it was given alongside the Pfizer jab.

Dr Rajeka Lazarus, who is the lead scientist on the trial and a consultant in infectious diseases and microbiology at University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust, said that the results, which are preliminary and not yet peer-reviewed, were “a really positive step”.

“We don’t expect, with booster doses, that there would be an impact on how well the Covid vaccine works,” she said.&nbsp;

The results of a clinical trial have concluded that flu jabs are safe to give at the same time as the Pfizer or AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines. The study discovered that while some people experienced more side effects with certain combinations of flu and COVID-19 shots, the ailments were mainly mild to moderate.

The results of a clinical trial have concluded that flu jabs are safe to give at the same time as the Pfizer or AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines. The study discovered that while some people experienced more side effects with certain combinations of flu and COVID-19 shots, the ailments were mainly mild to moderate. The most common side effects were pain at the injection site and temporary fatigue, headache or muscle pain. The trial took place across 12 NHS sites in England and Wales and it looked at the side-effects and immune responses when 679 people had their second shot of Pfizer or AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine in one arm followed by one of three flu vaccines in the other. As a part of the study, the volunteers were divided into two age groups, the under-65s and the 65s and over. At their first appointment, the volunteers were given either a COVID-19 shot and a flu shot, or a Covid shot and a placebo. Also read | Transport chiefs warn world leaders and UN about incoming collapse of global supply chain The older group received the FluAd jab made by Seqirus in the UK, while the younger group had either Flublok from Sanofi or Flucelvax, also from Seqirus. As per the blood tests on the trial volunteers, there was no negative impact on the immune responses to either flu or COVID-19 vaccines when the shots were given one after the other, in opposite arms. However, one of the flu vaccines, FluBlok by Sanofi, appeared to be more potent when it was given alongside the Pfizer jab. Dr Rajeka Lazarus, who is the lead scientist on the trial and a consultant in infectious diseases and microbiology at University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust, said that the results, which are preliminary and not yet peer-reviewed, were “a really positive step”. “We don’t expect, with booster doses, that there would be an impact on how well the Covid vaccine works,” she said.

Flu and COVID-19 jabs safe when given at same time: Study

There's no denying the fact that the spread of coronavirus can be curbed by following&nbsp;appropriate&nbsp;rules and safety measures, i.e. social distancing, using face masks, getting jabbed, etc. But anti-vaxxers continue to come up with bizarre conspiracy theories, falsehoods, misinformation to oppose COVID-19 vaccines and restrictions imposed by governments around the world.&nbsp;

Recently, a similar incident from the football world grabbed attention when a report showed the magnitude of the English Premier League's vaccination problem as it has been&nbsp;revealed that almost two-thirds of top-flight players are yet to be fully vaccinated against coronavirus.&nbsp;

ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/how-premier-league-can-avert-the-covid-19-crisis-as-majority-of-players-not-getting-jabbed-417419">How Premier League can avert the COVID-19 crisis as majority of players not getting jabbed?</a>

Now, what's making it worse is another angle of the same report by Daily Mail, that revealed some players are not only refusing to get vaccinated but they are spreading so-called "conspiracy theories" involving Bill Gates, infertility and the power of vitamins about the vaccines.&nbsp;

"It's very frustrating and hard to know what to do, as the conspiracy theories have really taken hold in some dressing rooms," a club doctor told the paper.&nbsp;

"We've got senior players, intelligent men, coming out with all sorts of nonsense and they won't be budged. One of them told me he didn't need the vaccine because he could boost his immunity by taking vitamins," he added.&nbsp;

"Some of the stuff they're reading — and believing — on the internet is incredible. Players are saying that it will make them infertile, that it's part of a plot involving Bill Gates, the pandemic is just propaganda. The real problem is that they're also polluting the minds of younger players," he further said.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/was-boxing-in-rio-olympics-2016-rigged-independent-probe-reveals-shocking-details-of-bout-manipulation-417377">Was boxing in Rio Olympics 2016 rigged? Independent probe reveals shocking details of 'bout manipulation'</a>

The Mail also reported that the Premier League has written to clubs informing them of plans to "reward" teams who have the highest numbers of vaccinated players.&nbsp;

The letter, which was sent to clubs last week, highlighted that the league is stepping up its efforts to ensure more players are fully vaccinated due to fears over a slow uptake.&nbsp;

The letter as quoted by the media portal&nbsp;read: "According to the data we have, only seven clubs' squads are more than 50 per cent fully vaccinated, so we have a way to go."

"We are considering if and how best we can 'reward' those squads/players who are most Covid-compliant and who have opted to be vaccinated," it added.&nbsp;

"It is increasingly clear that full vaccination will be the key criteria for Government and health authorities, in terms of international travel and potential Covid certification at large scale events,'" a part of the letter read.

There's no denying the fact that the spread of coronavirus can be curbed by following appropriate rules and safety measures, i.e. social distancing, using face masks, getting jabbed, etc.

There's no denying the fact that the spread of coronavirus can be curbed by following appropriate rules and safety measures, i.e. social distancing, using face masks, getting jabbed, etc. But anti-vaxxers continue to come up with bizarre conspiracy theories, falsehoods, misinformation to oppose COVID-19 vaccines and restrictions imposed by governments around the world. Recently, a similar incident from the football world grabbed attention when a report showed the magnitude of the English Premier League's vaccination problem as it has been revealed that almost two-thirds of top-flight players are yet to be fully vaccinated against coronavirus. ALSO READ | How Premier League can avert the COVID-19 crisis as majority of players not getting jabbed? Now, what's making it worse is another angle of the same report by Daily Mail, that revealed some players are not only refusing to get vaccinated but they are spreading so-called "conspiracy theories" involving Bill Gates, infertility and the power of vitamins about the vaccines. "It's very frustrating and hard to know what to do, as the conspiracy theories have really taken hold in some dressing rooms," a club doctor told the paper. "We've got senior players, intelligent men, coming out with all sorts of nonsense and they won't be budged. One of them told me he didn't need the vaccine because he could boost his immunity by taking vitamins," he added. "Some of the stuff they're reading — and believing — on the internet is incredible. Players are saying that it will make them infertile, that it's part of a plot involving Bill Gates, the pandemic is just propaganda. The real problem is that they're also polluting the minds of younger players," he further said. ALSO READ | Was boxing in Rio Olympics 2016 rigged? Independent probe reveals shocking details of 'bout manipulation' The Mail also reported that the Premier League has written to clubs informing them of plans to "reward" teams who have the highest numbers of vaccinated players. The letter, which was sent to clubs last week, highlighted that the league is stepping up its efforts to ensure more players are fully vaccinated due to fears over a slow uptake. The letter as quoted by the media portal read: "According to the data we have, only seven clubs' squads are more than 50 per cent fully vaccinated, so we have a way to go." "We are considering if and how best we can 'reward' those squads/players who are most Covid-compliant and who have opted to be vaccinated," it added. "It is increasingly clear that full vaccination will be the key criteria for Government and health authorities, in terms of international travel and potential Covid certification at large scale events,'" a part of the letter read.

'A plot involving Bill Gates': Premier League players have bizarre 'conspiracy theories' about Covid and vaccines

Chelsea midfielder N'Golo Kante was tested positive for COVID-19 as a result, he missed the Champions League group clash&nbsp;against Juventus, which took place on Wednesday (September 29) that the Blues lost 0-1.&nbsp;

Addressing the COVID-19 situation and vaccination process, Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel told reporters that he does not know how many of his players are vaccinated. Although he has taken the jab, he will not "force" others to do so.&nbsp;

Analysing the current scenario, it appears that the problem related to the coronavirus vaccine — the hesitancy to take the jab, persist in several Premier League clubs, with players still refusing to take the COVID-19 shot.&nbsp;

ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/was-boxing-in-rio-olympics-2016-rigged-independent-probe-reveals-shocking-details-of-bout-manipulation-417377">Was boxing in Rio Olympics 2016 rigged? Independent probe reveals shocking details of 'bout manipulation'</a>

It has been revealed that 13 of the 20 clubs in the top division have squads where fewer than 50 per cent of the players are fully vaccinated against coronavirus.&nbsp;

The Daily Mail reported that the Premier League has written to clubs informing them of plans to "reward" teams who have the highest numbers of vaccinated players.&nbsp;

The letter, which was sent to clubs last week, highlighted that Premier League is stepping up its efforts to ensure more players are fully vaccinated due to fears over a slow uptake.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/manny-pacquiao-retires-from-boxing-from-street-kid-to-superstar-heres-a-look-at-his-career-416901">Manny Pacquiao retires from boxing: From street kid to superstar, here's a look at his career</a>

The letter as quoted by the media portal read: "According to the data we have, only seven clubs' squads are more than 50 per cent fully vaccinated, so we have a way to go."

"We are considering if and how best we can 'reward' those squads/players who are most Covid-compliant and who have opted to be vaccinated," it added.&nbsp;

"It is increasingly clear that full vaccination will be the key criteria for Government and health authorities, in terms of international travel and potential Covid certification at large scale events,'" a part of the letter read. &nbsp;

Sportsmail revealed last week that at least two Premier League sides have no more than six players vaccinated. On the other hand, Wolves, Brentford and Leeds have reported between 89 and 100 per cent vaccination levels.&nbsp;

When we talk about the COVID-19 cases in the United Kingdom, the number of daily new infections has risen in the past month, which is reportedly fuelled by the Delta variant and authorities are worried as the winter season is approaching.&nbsp;

Now, Premier League players who are fully vaccinated will be allowed to travel to countries on the UK's red list during the international break and will be allowed to train or play when they quarantine on return, the government said on Friday (October 1).

Many clubs refused to release players to 'red list' countries such as Brazil and Argentina last month and the Premier League is looking to avoid a similar situation which angered national federations.

The strict COVID-19 quarantine rules require those who return to England from a red list country to quarantine in a hotel for 10 days, but players will now be quarantined at "bespoke facilities" and will be allowed to train or play.

(With inputs from agencies)

Chelsea midfielder N'Golo Kante was tested positive for COVID-19 as a result, he missed the Champions League group clash against Juventus, which took place on Wednesday (September 29) that the Blues lost 0-1.

Chelsea midfielder N'Golo Kante was tested positive for COVID-19 as a result, he missed the Champions League group clash against Juventus, which took place on Wednesday (September 29) that the Blues lost 0-1. Addressing the COVID-19 situation and vaccination process, Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel told reporters that he does not know how many of his players are vaccinated. Although he has taken the jab, he will not "force" others to do so. Analysing the current scenario, it appears that the problem related to the coronavirus vaccine — the hesitancy to take the jab, persist in several Premier League clubs, with players still refusing to take the COVID-19 shot. ALSO READ | Was boxing in Rio Olympics 2016 rigged? Independent probe reveals shocking details of 'bout manipulation' It has been revealed that 13 of the 20 clubs in the top division have squads where fewer than 50 per cent of the players are fully vaccinated against coronavirus. The Daily Mail reported that the Premier League has written to clubs informing them of plans to "reward" teams who have the highest numbers of vaccinated players. The letter, which was sent to clubs last week, highlighted that Premier League is stepping up its efforts to ensure more players are fully vaccinated due to fears over a slow uptake. ALSO READ | Manny Pacquiao retires from boxing: From street kid to superstar, here's a look at his career The letter as quoted by the media portal read: "According to the data we have, only seven clubs' squads are more than 50 per cent fully vaccinated, so we have a way to go." "We are considering if and how best we can 'reward' those squads/players who are most Covid-compliant and who have opted to be vaccinated," it added. "It is increasingly clear that full vaccination will be the key criteria for Government and health authorities, in terms of international travel and potential Covid certification at large scale events,'" a part of the letter read. Sportsmail revealed last week that at least two Premier League sides have no more than six players vaccinated. On the other hand, Wolves, Brentford and Leeds have reported between 89 and 100 per cent vaccination levels. When we talk about the COVID-19 cases in the United Kingdom, the number of daily new infections has risen in the past month, which is reportedly fuelled by the Delta variant and authorities are worried as the winter season is approaching. Now, Premier League players who are fully vaccinated will be allowed to travel to countries on the UK's red list during the international break and will be allowed to train or play when they quarantine on return, the government said on Friday (October 1). Many clubs refused to release players to 'red list' countries such as Brazil and Argentina last month and the Premier League is looking to avoid a similar situation which angered national federations. The strict COVID-19 quarantine rules require those who return to England from a red list country to quarantine in a hotel for 10 days, but players will now be quarantined at "bespoke facilities" and will be allowed to train or play. (With inputs from agencies)

How Premier League can avert the COVID-19 crisis as majority of players not getting jabbed?

Just two per cent of the population, or fewer, have been fully vaccinated against coronavirus in half of the countries in Africa, the World Health Organization said on Thursday,

Fifteen of the continent's 54 nations have managed to vaccinate at least 10 per cent of their people, thereby achieving the global goal for September 30, set in May by the World Health Assembly, the world's highest health policy-setting body.

"The latest data shows modest gains but there is still a long way to go to reach the WHO target of fully vaccinating 40 per cent of the population by the end of the year," said Richard Mihigo, the World Health Organisation's vaccination coordinator in Africa. 
Shipments of the vaccine have been increasing "but opaque delivery plans are still the number one nuisance that hold Africa back," said Mihigo.

A total of 23 million vaccine doses arrived in Africa in September, a 10-fold increase from June.

Half of the 52 African countries that have received COVID-19 vaccines have fully vaccinated just 2 per cent or less of their populations, the WHO said.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-carries-out-new-test-fires-anti-aircraft-missile-417239">Also read |&nbsp;North Korea carries out new test, fires anti-aircraft missile</a>

Most of the African countries that have met, or bettered the 10 per cent goal have relatively small populations.

The islands of Mauritius and Seychelles have managed to fully vaccinate over 60 per cent of their populations, according to the WHO data.

In Morocco 48 per cent of the population have received two Covid-19 jabs while the figures are above 20 per cent in Tunisia, Comoros and Cape Verde.

"All these countries have enjoyed sufficient supplies of vaccines, and many could access doses from separate sources in addition to those delivered through the global Covax facility, the WHO said.

Covid-19 case numbers in Africa dropped by 35 per cent to just over 74,000 in the week of 26 September.

Almost 1,800 deaths were reported across 34 African countries in the same period.

"Despite the declining case numbers we must all remain vigilant and continue to adhere to the proven public health and safety measures that we know save lives, such as wearing a mask, washing our hands regularly and physical distancing, especially while vaccination rates remain low," Mihigo told a virtual press conference. 
&nbsp;

Just two per cent of the population, or fewer, have been fully vaccinated against coronavirus in half of the countries in Africa, the World Health Organization said on Thursday, Fifteen of the continent's 54 nations have managed to vaccinate at least 10 per cent of their people, thereby achieving the global goal for September 30, set in May by the World Health Assembly, the world's highest health policy-setting body.

Just two per cent of the population, or fewer, have been fully vaccinated against coronavirus in half of the countries in Africa, the World Health Organization said on Thursday, Fifteen of the continent's 54 nations have managed to vaccinate at least 10 per cent of their people, thereby achieving the global goal for September 30, set in May by the World Health Assembly, the world's highest health policy-setting body. "The latest data shows modest gains but there is still a long way to go to reach the WHO target of fully vaccinating 40 per cent of the population by the end of the year," said Richard Mihigo, the World Health Organisation's vaccination coordinator in Africa. Shipments of the vaccine have been increasing "but opaque delivery plans are still the number one nuisance that hold Africa back," said Mihigo. A total of 23 million vaccine doses arrived in Africa in September, a 10-fold increase from June. Half of the 52 African countries that have received COVID-19 vaccines have fully vaccinated just 2 per cent or less of their populations, the WHO said. Also read | North Korea carries out new test, fires anti-aircraft missile Most of the African countries that have met, or bettered the 10 per cent goal have relatively small populations. The islands of Mauritius and Seychelles have managed to fully vaccinate over 60 per cent of their populations, according to the WHO data. In Morocco 48 per cent of the population have received two Covid-19 jabs while the figures are above 20 per cent in Tunisia, Comoros and Cape Verde. "All these countries have enjoyed sufficient supplies of vaccines, and many could access doses from separate sources in addition to those delivered through the global Covax facility, the WHO said. Covid-19 case numbers in Africa dropped by 35 per cent to just over 74,000 in the week of 26 September. Almost 1,800 deaths were reported across 34 African countries in the same period. "Despite the declining case numbers we must all remain vigilant and continue to adhere to the proven public health and safety measures that we know save lives, such as wearing a mask, washing our hands regularly and physical distancing, especially while vaccination rates remain low," Mihigo told a virtual press conference.

2% or less have had COVID-19 jabs in many African nations: WHO

Nine people died on Friday when a fire broke out in an intensive care unit at a Romanian hospital treating COVID-19 patients, officials said, the country`s third deadly hospital fire in less than a year.

Firefighters extinguished the fire at the hospital in the eastern city of Constanta at around 0755 GMT, having brought in additional teams from nearby counties.

Video footage showed patients jumping out of windows from the hospital`s lower levels and firefighters carrying people out.

Interim Health Minister Cseke Attila said 113 patients were in the hospital at the time of the fire, including 10 in the intensive care unit.

Emergency response teams have installed a mobile triage unit near the hospital and 50 patients have so far been evacuated and transferred to other hospitals.

There were more than 12,100 COVID-19 patients, including 315 children, being treated in Romanian hospitals as of Thursday, including 1,364 in intensive care units.

The number of new COVID-19 infections in Romania reached 12,032 on Thursday, a new record high, and intensive care units across the country were running out of space. Romania has the second-lowest vaccination rate in the 27-nation European Union.

In February, a fire killed four patients at a COVID-19 hospital in the capital Bucharest. Last November 10 people died in an intensive care unit at the Piatra Neamt county hospital.

Even before the pandemic, Romania`s health care system had been under pressure, dogged by corruption, inefficiencies and politicised management. The country has one of the EU`s least developed healthcare infrastructures.

The state has built one hospital in the last three decades, spends the least on healthcare in the EU and tens of thousands of doctors and nurses have emigrated.

Nine people died on Friday when a fire broke out in an intensive care unit at a Romanian hospital treating COVID-19 patients, officials said, the country`s third deadly hospital fire in less than a year.

Nine people died on Friday when a fire broke out in an intensive care unit at a Romanian hospital treating COVID-19 patients, officials said, the country`s third deadly hospital fire in less than a year. Firefighters extinguished the fire at the hospital in the eastern city of Constanta at around 0755 GMT, having brought in additional teams from nearby counties. Video footage showed patients jumping out of windows from the hospital`s lower levels and firefighters carrying people out. Interim Health Minister Cseke Attila said 113 patients were in the hospital at the time of the fire, including 10 in the intensive care unit. Emergency response teams have installed a mobile triage unit near the hospital and 50 patients have so far been evacuated and transferred to other hospitals. There were more than 12,100 COVID-19 patients, including 315 children, being treated in Romanian hospitals as of Thursday, including 1,364 in intensive care units. The number of new COVID-19 infections in Romania reached 12,032 on Thursday, a new record high, and intensive care units across the country were running out of space. Romania has the second-lowest vaccination rate in the 27-nation European Union. In February, a fire killed four patients at a COVID-19 hospital in the capital Bucharest. Last November 10 people died in an intensive care unit at the Piatra Neamt county hospital. Even before the pandemic, Romania`s health care system had been under pressure, dogged by corruption, inefficiencies and politicised management. The country has one of the EU`s least developed healthcare infrastructures. The state has built one hospital in the last three decades, spends the least on healthcare in the EU and tens of thousands of doctors and nurses have emigrated.

Fire at COVID-19 hospital in Romania kills nine people

Six Argentina players and two staff have been kicked out of the Rugby Championship for breaching its health rules after taking an unauthorised day trip to the New South Wales resort of Byron Bay, competition organisers said on Thursday. The Rugby Championship, which also includes Australia, South Africa and New Zealand, has been operating under strict biosecurity protocols in the northeastern state of Queensland due to COVID-19.

Governing body SANZAAR said the Pumas group had broken the competition`s rules by travelling across the Queensland state border with New South Wales to visit the popular tourist destination on Wednesday. "SANZAAR is very disappointed that such a breach has occurred given the clear rules that are in place to ensure the health and safety of all players and staff, and compliance with all relevant health orders," it said in a statement.

Argentina have now been left without back row enforcer Pablo Matera and team mates Sebastián Cancelliere, Joaquín Díaz Bonilla, Felipe Ezcurra, Santiago Medrano and Santiago Socino for their final match against Australia on the Gold Coast on Saturday. The Argentina rugby union (UAR) said team manager Lucas Chioccarelli and video analyst Rodrigo Martínez were also on the day trip.

The group tried to re-enter Queensland but were turned back by police for lacking required documentation and had to stay at a hotel in New South Wales overnight. SANZAAR said they would remain in the state until rejoining the squad on Sunday before leaving Australia. "All are in perfect health, staying in a hotel in the area, waiting for their condition to be resolved," the UAR said, adding it was a "top priority" to bring them back to camp. 
"In parallel, an internal process has begun to clarify what happened and determine the corresponding responsibilities."

`CLEAR AND OBVIOUS`

The four Rugby Championship teams have been restricted to their hotels and training as Queensland authorities scramble to stamp out a small outbreak of COVID-19, having been largely free of the novel coronavirus for months. 
Queensland`s border is effectively closed to New South Wales, which has been dealing with a larger outbreak centred in Sydney. New Zealand coach Ian Foster said the COVID rules were "clear and obvious" to his team. 
"It`s very transparent to us that there’s a border between Queensland and New South Wales," Foster told reporters. 
After five straight defeats in the tournament, Argentina will head into their final match short of personnel but Australia coach Dave Rennie said they could not be taken lightly.

"There’s plenty of motivating factors for them," said Rennie. Argentina`s recent trips to Australia have been plagued by controversy. After the high of beating the All Blacks for the first time in last year`s Tri-Nations, the UAR stripped Matera of the captaincy and sanctioned Socino and team mate Guido Petti after revelations the trio had posted racist comments on social media between 2011-13. In this year`s Rugby Championship, coach Mario Ledesma complained his team had been "disrespected" after being left out of a captains` photo-shoot and said no one cared about the welfare of his players, who have been unable to play a test at home in two years due to COVID-19.

Six Argentina players and two staff have been kicked out of the Rugby Championship for breaching its health rules after taking an unauthorised day trip to the New South Wales resort of Byron Bay, competition organisers said on Thursday.

Six Argentina players and two staff have been kicked out of the Rugby Championship for breaching its health rules after taking an unauthorised day trip to the New South Wales resort of Byron Bay, competition organisers said on Thursday. The Rugby Championship, which also includes Australia, South Africa and New Zealand, has been operating under strict biosecurity protocols in the northeastern state of Queensland due to COVID-19. Governing body SANZAAR said the Pumas group had broken the competition`s rules by travelling across the Queensland state border with New South Wales to visit the popular tourist destination on Wednesday. "SANZAAR is very disappointed that such a breach has occurred given the clear rules that are in place to ensure the health and safety of all players and staff, and compliance with all relevant health orders," it said in a statement. Argentina have now been left without back row enforcer Pablo Matera and team mates Sebastián Cancelliere, Joaquín Díaz Bonilla, Felipe Ezcurra, Santiago Medrano and Santiago Socino for their final match against Australia on the Gold Coast on Saturday. The Argentina rugby union (UAR) said team manager Lucas Chioccarelli and video analyst Rodrigo Martínez were also on the day trip. The group tried to re-enter Queensland but were turned back by police for lacking required documentation and had to stay at a hotel in New South Wales overnight. SANZAAR said they would remain in the state until rejoining the squad on Sunday before leaving Australia. "All are in perfect health, staying in a hotel in the area, waiting for their condition to be resolved," the UAR said, adding it was a "top priority" to bring them back to camp. "In parallel, an internal process has begun to clarify what happened and determine the corresponding responsibilities." `CLEAR AND OBVIOUS` The four Rugby Championship teams have been restricted to their hotels and training as Queensland authorities scramble to stamp out a small outbreak of COVID-19, having been largely free of the novel coronavirus for months. Queensland`s border is effectively closed to New South Wales, which has been dealing with a larger outbreak centred in Sydney. New Zealand coach Ian Foster said the COVID rules were "clear and obvious" to his team. "It`s very transparent to us that there’s a border between Queensland and New South Wales," Foster told reporters. After five straight defeats in the tournament, Argentina will head into their final match short of personnel but Australia coach Dave Rennie said they could not be taken lightly. "There’s plenty of motivating factors for them," said Rennie. Argentina`s recent trips to Australia have been plagued by controversy. After the high of beating the All Blacks for the first time in last year`s Tri-Nations, the UAR stripped Matera of the captaincy and sanctioned Socino and team mate Guido Petti after revelations the trio had posted racist comments on social media between 2011-13. In this year`s Rugby Championship, coach Mario Ledesma complained his team had been "disrespected" after being left out of a captains` photo-shoot and said no one cared about the welfare of his players, who have been unable to play a test at home in two years due to COVID-19.

Argentina players kicked out of Rugby Championship after COVID rules breach

One&nbsp;of Brazil’s biggest healthcare providers, Prevent Senior, has been accused of covering up coronavirus deaths, pressuring doctors to prescribe ineffective treatments, and testing unproven drugs on elderly patients.

The health maintenance organisation is in the crosshairs of a congressional inquiry into Brazil’s coronavirus crisis.

It all started last month when a group of doctors handed a 10,000-page dossier to investigators containing a series of incendiary allegations against the organisation. The dossier contained claims that elderly patients had been used as “human guinea pigs” for the testing of unproven COVID-19 “remedies” without giving their full consent.

Bruna Morato, the lawyer representing the doctors, appeared before the COVID-19 investigation in Brasília and made further allegations.

As per his allegations, Prevent Senior doctors were pressured into giving patients a cocktail of ineffective drugs, including the antimalarial hydroxychloroquine and the anti-parasitic ivermectin.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ecuador-prison-riots-death-toll-crosses-100-416995">Also read |&nbsp;Ecuador prison riots: Death toll crosses 100</a>

This was a part of what is being termed as 'COVID kit'.

The decision to promote hydroxychloroquine as an effective COVID-19 treatment was partly designed to help government ideologues who allegedly wanted to use such information to convince Brazilians there was no need to stay at home during the pandemic.&nbsp;

“The economy couldn’t stop so they needed to find a way of giving hope to people who were leaving their homes. This hope had a name: hydroxychloroquine,” Morato alleged.

The lawyer further claimed that coronavirus deaths had been concealed in order not to compromise the results of Prevent Senior tests allegedly designed to show “Covid kit” drugs were effective against the disease. “This is a fraud,” said the inquiry’s vice-president, Randolfe Rodrigues.

A statement issued by Prevent Senior said that it repudiated the “untruthful accusations” and had always operated within legal and ethical guidelines.&nbsp;

The company further denied it had ever hidden or under-reported deaths.

“Prevent Senior has always respected the autonomy of its doctors and has never fired its employees because of their technical convictions,” the company said.

One of Brazil’s biggest healthcare providers, Prevent Senior, has been accused of covering up coronavirus deaths, pressuring doctors to prescribe ineffective treatments, and testing unproven drugs on elderly patients.

One of Brazil’s biggest healthcare providers, Prevent Senior, has been accused of covering up coronavirus deaths, pressuring doctors to prescribe ineffective treatments, and testing unproven drugs on elderly patients. The health maintenance organisation is in the crosshairs of a congressional inquiry into Brazil’s coronavirus crisis. It all started last month when a group of doctors handed a 10,000-page dossier to investigators containing a series of incendiary allegations against the organisation. The dossier contained claims that elderly patients had been used as “human guinea pigs” for the testing of unproven COVID-19 “remedies” without giving their full consent. Bruna Morato, the lawyer representing the doctors, appeared before the COVID-19 investigation in Brasília and made further allegations. As per his allegations, Prevent Senior doctors were pressured into giving patients a cocktail of ineffective drugs, including the antimalarial hydroxychloroquine and the anti-parasitic ivermectin. Also read | Ecuador prison riots: Death toll crosses 100 This was a part of what is being termed as 'COVID kit'. The decision to promote hydroxychloroquine as an effective COVID-19 treatment was partly designed to help government ideologues who allegedly wanted to use such information to convince Brazilians there was no need to stay at home during the pandemic. “The economy couldn’t stop so they needed to find a way of giving hope to people who were leaving their homes. This hope had a name: hydroxychloroquine,” Morato alleged. The lawyer further claimed that coronavirus deaths had been concealed in order not to compromise the results of Prevent Senior tests allegedly designed to show “Covid kit” drugs were effective against the disease. “This is a fraud,” said the inquiry’s vice-president, Randolfe Rodrigues. A statement issued by Prevent Senior said that it repudiated the “untruthful accusations” and had always operated within legal and ethical guidelines. The company further denied it had ever hidden or under-reported deaths. “Prevent Senior has always respected the autonomy of its doctors and has never fired its employees because of their technical convictions,” the company said.

Brazil hospital chain accused of hiding COVID-19 deaths

As the battle against the third wave of COVID-19 continues, Australia has surpassed 100,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus disease. &nbsp;

Watch:&nbsp;

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As per the figures from the Department of Health, there were 99,032 confirmed cases of COVID-19 reported in the country on Monday afternoon. &nbsp;

On Tuesday morning, over 1,700 new locally acquired cases were reported. It took the total number of confirmed cases to beyond 100,000 since the beginning of the pandemic. &nbsp;

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/covid-19-japan-to-ease-emergency-measures-gradually-as-number-of-cases-fall-416687" hreflang="en">COVID-19: Japan to ease emergency measures gradually as number of cases fall &nbsp;</a>

Health Minister Greg Hunt on Tuesday said that from November 1, Australians will be able to test themselves for COVID-19 at home. He also invited test manufacturers to apply for at-home use. &nbsp;

"This is an important additional protection for Australians. One of the important things is that we can supplement what is known as PCR testing - the testing that we all know if we go to a Commonwealth or a state clinic - with the home testing," Hunt told reporters. &nbsp;

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/covid-pandemic-ceos-of-pfizer-and-moderna-say-life-will-be-back-to-normal-in-a-year-416527" hreflang="en">Covid pandemic: CEOs of Pfizer and Moderna say life will be back to normal in a year</a>

In a media release, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) said that to support the safe use of rapid antigen self-tests, it will make a new regulation that will allow companies to formally apply for TGA regulatory approval after October 1 to legally supply their self-tests for use at home in Australia. &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

As the battle against the third wave of COVID-19 continues, Australia has surpassed 100,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus disease. Watch: × As per the figures from the Department of Health, there were 99,032 confirmed cases of COVID-19 reported in the country on Monday afternoon.

As the battle against the third wave of COVID-19 continues, Australia has surpassed 100,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus disease. Watch: × As per the figures from the Department of Health, there were 99,032 confirmed cases of COVID-19 reported in the country on Monday afternoon. On Tuesday morning, over 1,700 new locally acquired cases were reported. It took the total number of confirmed cases to beyond 100,000 since the beginning of the pandemic. Also Read | COVID-19: Japan to ease emergency measures gradually as number of cases fall Health Minister Greg Hunt on Tuesday said that from November 1, Australians will be able to test themselves for COVID-19 at home. He also invited test manufacturers to apply for at-home use. "This is an important additional protection for Australians. One of the important things is that we can supplement what is known as PCR testing - the testing that we all know if we go to a Commonwealth or a state clinic - with the home testing," Hunt told reporters. Also Read | Covid pandemic: CEOs of Pfizer and Moderna say life will be back to normal in a year In a media release, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) said that to support the safe use of rapid antigen self-tests, it will make a new regulation that will allow companies to formally apply for TGA regulatory approval after October 1 to legally supply their self-tests for use at home in Australia. (With inputs from agencies)

COVID-19: Australia surpasses 100,000 cases as third wave continues

For the first time in around six months, Japan is going to lift a coronavirus state of emergency in all regions on Thursday, said Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga. &nbsp;&nbsp;

The number of new cases and deaths in the country has been witnessing a fall. The strain on the medical system has also eased to a great extent. &nbsp;

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From over 25,000 last month to 1,128 on Monday, daily number of cases of Covid have been decreasing in Japan. &nbsp;&nbsp;

The country will be opened gradually. There will be some curbs on restaurants and large-scale events for a month. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/violent-clashes-reported-as-pandemic-restrictions-are-lifted-in-norway-416427" hreflang="en">Violent clashes reported as pandemic restrictions are lifted in Norway</a>

The government will introduce a certification system whereby only approved restaurants can stay open till 9 pm.&nbsp;The ban on serving alcohol will be lifted everywhere unless local governors’ object. &nbsp;

In a coronavirus task force meeting, Suga said, "Thanks to progress in vaccination and administration of neutralising antibody drugs, we are entering a phase where medical services can be offered in a stable manner even if a certain degree of infections take place." &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/as-delta-outbreak-ravages-us-cdc-chief-says-health-systems-in-dire-straits-416419" hreflang="en">As delta outbreak ravages US, CDC chief says health systems ‘in dire straits'</a>

Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura explained the gradual approach to reopening, by saying that "new cases will undoubtedly rise" after the emergency is lifted. &nbsp;

"We need to continue with the necessary measures to prevent a rebound," he said. &nbsp;&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

For the first time in around six months, Japan is going to lift a coronavirus state of emergency in all regions on Thursday, said Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga. The number of new cases and deaths in the country has been witnessing a fall.

For the first time in around six months, Japan is going to lift a coronavirus state of emergency in all regions on Thursday, said Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga. The number of new cases and deaths in the country has been witnessing a fall. The strain on the medical system has also eased to a great extent. Watch: × From over 25,000 last month to 1,128 on Monday, daily number of cases of Covid have been decreasing in Japan. The country will be opened gradually. There will be some curbs on restaurants and large-scale events for a month. Also Read: Violent clashes reported as pandemic restrictions are lifted in Norway The government will introduce a certification system whereby only approved restaurants can stay open till 9 pm. The ban on serving alcohol will be lifted everywhere unless local governors’ object. In a coronavirus task force meeting, Suga said, "Thanks to progress in vaccination and administration of neutralising antibody drugs, we are entering a phase where medical services can be offered in a stable manner even if a certain degree of infections take place." Also Read: As delta outbreak ravages US, CDC chief says health systems ‘in dire straits' Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura explained the gradual approach to reopening, by saying that "new cases will undoubtedly rise" after the emergency is lifted. "We need to continue with the necessary measures to prevent a rebound," he said. (With inputs from agencies)

COVID-19: Japan to ease emergency measures gradually as number of cases fall  

Hospitals in the Syrian capital Damascus and the coastal province of Latakia have reached capacity due to rising coronavirus admissions, a health official said Sunday.

"We have started transferring Covid-19 patients from the province of Damascus to the (central) province of Homs, and from Latakia to the province of Tartus," Tawfiq Hasaba, a health ministry official, was quoted as saying by Syrian state TV.

The move came after "hospitals in these areas reached capacity because of a large spike in coronavirus cases," he added.&nbsp;

Syria on Saturday logged 442 new coronavirus infections in government-held areas -- a new daily record for a conflict-hit country that has documented more than 32,580 cases, including 2,198 deaths in regime controlled territory, since the start of its outbreak last year.

"It is the first time the number of cases reaches 400" in one day, Hasaba said, adding that the number of new infections was highest in Damascus, Aleppo and Latakia.

Coronavirus cases have been on the rise across Syria since mid-August, including in the northwest and northeast, large parts of which fall beyond government control.&nbsp;

According to the World Health Organization, only two percent of Syria's population has been at least partially vaccinated.

Syria's conflict has since 2011 killed nearly half a million people and ravaged a healthcare sector struggling to cope with a mass outflux of professionals.

Around 70 percent of the country's pre-war medical staff have left since the start of the war.

Hospitals in the Syrian capital Damascus and the coastal province of Latakia have reached capacity due to rising coronavirus admissions, a health official said Sunday.

Hospitals in the Syrian capital Damascus and the coastal province of Latakia have reached capacity due to rising coronavirus admissions, a health official said Sunday. "We have started transferring Covid-19 patients from the province of Damascus to the (central) province of Homs, and from Latakia to the province of Tartus," Tawfiq Hasaba, a health ministry official, was quoted as saying by Syrian state TV. The move came after "hospitals in these areas reached capacity because of a large spike in coronavirus cases," he added. Syria on Saturday logged 442 new coronavirus infections in government-held areas -- a new daily record for a conflict-hit country that has documented more than 32,580 cases, including 2,198 deaths in regime controlled territory, since the start of its outbreak last year. "It is the first time the number of cases reaches 400" in one day, Hasaba said, adding that the number of new infections was highest in Damascus, Aleppo and Latakia. Coronavirus cases have been on the rise across Syria since mid-August, including in the northwest and northeast, large parts of which fall beyond government control. According to the World Health Organization, only two percent of Syria's population has been at least partially vaccinated. Syria's conflict has since 2011 killed nearly half a million people and ravaged a healthcare sector struggling to cope with a mass outflux of professionals. Around 70 percent of the country's pre-war medical staff have left since the start of the war.

Syria coronavirus spike sees hospitals reach capacity

Despite an iron grip on domestic trophies, Barcelona have been haunted by their recent failures in the Champions League and there are concerning signs for the Catalans as they prepare for Tuesday's last-16 first leg away to Olympique Lyonnais.

Ernesto Valverde's side fly to France after an uninspiring 1-0 win at home to struggling Real Valladolid on Saturday which consolidated their lead at the top of La Liga but left plenty of doubts about their capabilities of winning Europe's top prize.

The drab victory over Valladolid, in which Lionel Messi scored a penalty and missed one, followed a goalless stalemate at Athletic Bilbao, a 2-2 draw with Valencia and a 1-1 draw with Real Madrid in a Copa del Rey semi-final first leg.

Coach Ernesto Valverde has played down the significance of his side's recent slack displays.

"Sometimes you cannot be brilliant in every game, but I think the team is ready to play at its very best," he said.

Defender Gerard Pique, however, was more scathing of Barca's performance and warned of the potential consequences of their lacklustre displays.

"We were not the Barca we wanted to be, the result was good, the sensations were not," he said.

"We must improve on Tuesday or we will suffer a lot. If we don't move the ball quickly, dominate the play and possession or create chances, we are a weaker team."

HUMILIATING ELIMINATION

Barca have fallen at the quarter-final stage of the Champions League each year since last winning it in 2015, suffering a particularly humiliating elimination to AS Roma last season after taking a 4-1 lead in the first leg of the tie.

They have looked on enviously as Real Madrid have won the last three editions of the big eared trophy, swelling their total number of European Cups to 13, which makes Barca's five look measly by comparison.

Despite winning three of the last four La Liga titles and collecting the Copa del Rey four years in a row, there is a widespread feeling that Barca should have fared better on the continent, especially while Messi has been at his peak.

The Argentine seems to think so too - in his first speech as captain back in August, he pledged to do "everything possible to bring that beautiful trophy back to the Nou Camp".

For that ambition to be realised, Barca must improve on a dismal away record which has seen them win only one of their last six visits in the Champions League knockout rounds, scoring three goals while conceding 13.

Barca will be boosted by the return of France's World Cup winning defender Samuel Umtiti after nearly three months out with a knee problem, while defender Thomas Vermaelen and midfielder Arthur Melo are injured.

Despite an iron grip on domestic trophies, Barcelona have been haunted by their recent failures in the Champions League and there are concerning signs for the Catalans as they prepare for Tuesday's last-16 first leg away to Olympique Lyonnais.

Despite an iron grip on domestic trophies, Barcelona have been haunted by their recent failures in the Champions League and there are concerning signs for the Catalans as they prepare for Tuesday's last-16 first leg away to Olympique Lyonnais. Ernesto Valverde's side fly to France after an uninspiring 1-0 win at home to struggling Real Valladolid on Saturday which consolidated their lead at the top of La Liga but left plenty of doubts about their capabilities of winning Europe's top prize. The drab victory over Valladolid, in which Lionel Messi scored a penalty and missed one, followed a goalless stalemate at Athletic Bilbao, a 2-2 draw with Valencia and a 1-1 draw with Real Madrid in a Copa del Rey semi-final first leg. Coach Ernesto Valverde has played down the significance of his side's recent slack displays. "Sometimes you cannot be brilliant in every game, but I think the team is ready to play at its very best," he said. Defender Gerard Pique, however, was more scathing of Barca's performance and warned of the potential consequences of their lacklustre displays. "We were not the Barca we wanted to be, the result was good, the sensations were not," he said. "We must improve on Tuesday or we will suffer a lot. If we don't move the ball quickly, dominate the play and possession or create chances, we are a weaker team." HUMILIATING ELIMINATION Barca have fallen at the quarter-final stage of the Champions League each year since last winning it in 2015, suffering a particularly humiliating elimination to AS Roma last season after taking a 4-1 lead in the first leg of the tie. They have looked on enviously as Real Madrid have won the last three editions of the big eared trophy, swelling their total number of European Cups to 13, which makes Barca's five look measly by comparison. Despite winning three of the last four La Liga titles and collecting the Copa del Rey four years in a row, there is a widespread feeling that Barca should have fared better on the continent, especially while Messi has been at his peak. The Argentine seems to think so too - in his first speech as captain back in August, he pledged to do "everything possible to bring that beautiful trophy back to the Nou Camp". For that ambition to be realised, Barca must improve on a dismal away record which has seen them win only one of their last six visits in the Champions League knockout rounds, scoring three goals while conceding 13. Barca will be boosted by the return of France's World Cup winning defender Samuel Umtiti after nearly three months out with a knee problem, while defender Thomas Vermaelen and midfielder Arthur Melo are injured.

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