© Gerald Herbert An ICU nurse moved electrical cords for medical machines outside the room of a patient suffering from COVID-19 in an intensive care unit at the Willis-Knighton Medical Center in Shreveport, La. in August. Coronavirus case counts are once again rising across the US, near and far. Health officials are scrambling to vaccinate as the Delta variant takes hold.
Below, we're gathering the latest news and updates on coronavirus in New England and beyond.
For a second year, Jews mark the High Holy Days in the shadow of COVID-19 — 11:12 p.m.
By New York Times
The leadership at Central Synagogue in Manhattan had big plans this year for the Jewish High Holy Days: After celebrating via livestream during the pandemic last fall, they rented out Radio City Music Hall for a grand celebration.
But the spread of the Delta variant has upended those plans. Now, they'll still use the 5,500-seat music hall, but at only 30 percent capacity. And everyone must show proof of vaccination and wear masks.
In Florida, a summer of death and resistance as the coronavirus rampaged — 9:20 p.m.
By The Washington Post
As Florida appears to be turning the corner from a coronavirus rampage that fueled record new infections, hospitalizations and deaths, its residents and leaders are surveying the damage left from more than 7,000 deaths reported since July Fourth and the scars inflicted by feuds over masks and vaccines.
New infections were averaging more than 22,000 a day in the last days of August but have fallen to about 19,000. Yet recovery could prove fleeting: Holiday weekends such as Labor Day have acted as a tinderbox for earlier outbreaks, and late summer marks the return of students to college campuses.
COVID deaths surge across a weary America as a once-hopeful summer ends — 8:33 p.m.
By New York Times
A summer that began with plunging caseloads and real hope that the worst of COVID-19 had passed is ending with soaring death counts, full hospitals and a bitter realization that the coronavirus is going to remain a fact of American life for the foreseeable future.
Vaccination rates are ticking upward, and reports of new infections are starting to fall in some hard-hit Southern states. But Labor Day weekend bears little resemblance to Memorial Day, when the country was averaging fewer than 25,000 cases daily, or to the Fourth of July, when President Joe Biden spoke about nearing independence from the virus.
Instead, with more than 160,000 new cases a day and about 100,000 COVID patients hospitalized nationwide, this holiday feels more like a flashback to 2020.
Thai protesters are back, and angrier, as government fumbles on COVID — 7:15 p.m.
By New York Times
Thailand, which not long ago was seen as a virus-containing wonder, has become yet another example of how authoritarian hubris and a lack of government accountability have fueled the pandemic. This year, more than 12,000 people in Thailand have died of COVID-19, compared with fewer than 100 last year. The economy has been ravaged, with tourism all but nonexistent and manufacturing slowed.
Anger is spreading, and not only in the streets. Opposition lawmakers in Parliament tried to pass a vote of no confidence in Prayuth, accusing his government of squandering the monthslong head start Thailand had to fight the coronavirus. That effort failed Saturday, even though some members of the prime minister's coalition had briefly fanned speculation that they might support his ouster.
Israel to brief US on Pfizer booster shots — 5:58 p.m.
By Bloomberg
Israel, the first country to widely roll out booster shots, will brief the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as decides on additional Covid vaccine doses in the U.S., Reuters reported.
Officials with Israel's Health Ministry will brief U.S. counterparts on Sept. 17, days before President Joe Biden has said he wants to begin a widespread booster campaign.
The briefing will be confined the Pfizer Inc-BioNTech shot used in Israel -- and which officials say is likely to be rolled out first in the U.S. as a booster.
Doctors are seeing 'long COVID' cases among the few vaccinated people who get COVID-19. But it's not clear how common this will be — 5:05 p.m.
By Felice J. Freyer, Globe Staff
Doctors who treat people with long-lasting symptoms from COVID-19 are starting to see some cases of "long COVID" in vaccinated people who suffered from breakthrough infections.
But it's too soon to tell whether long COVID will be less prevalent among people who took the vaccine but became infected anyway — those uncommon "breakthrough" cases. Some evidence suggests vaccination may lower the risk of developing this syndrome of persistent symptoms even in breakthrough cases.
Boosters will not move ahead until regulators sign off, official says — 4:15 p.m.
By New York Times
The Biden administration will only offer COVID-19 booster shots once federal health regulators offer their support, the White House chief of staff said Sunday, reiterating a pledge from administration officials.
"I want to be absolutely clear," Ron Klain, the chief of staff, said on CNN's "State of the Union" news program. "No one's going to get boosters until the FDA says they're approved, until the CDC advisory committee makes a recommendation."
The pledge followed a report Friday by The New York Times that top federal health officials had told the White House to scale back the planned booster campaign, arguing that regulators needed more time to collect and review all the necessary data.
Some Americans ignore warnings against using Ivermectin to treat COVID — 3:10 p.m.
By New York Times
Public health warnings against using the anti-parasitic ivermectin as a treatment for COVID-19, especially in the large doses meant for livestock, appear to have made little progress in stemming its popularity in parts of the United States.
Hospitals and poison control centers across the United States are treating a growing number of patients taking the drug.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that almost 90,000 prescriptions for ivermectin were being written per week in mid-August, up from a pre-pandemic weekly average of 3,600. Veterinary supply store shelves have been emptied of it.
They suffered through COVID, and still don't want the vaccine — 2:58 p.m.
By Bloomberg
More than 100 million people in the U.S. have likely been infected with Covid, according to one recent estimate. Many of them have become proponents of natural immunity who are among the roughly 126 million Americans who remain unvaccinated, about 38% of the population.
As public health officals urge universal immunization, polling shows more resistance to shots among people with prior infections. The majority report that having had Covid influenced their decision to remain unvaccinated.
Hospitals in crisis in least vaccinated state in US — 1:50 p.m.
By The Associated Press
As patients stream into Mississippi hospitals one after another, doctors and nurses have become all too accustomed to the rampant denial and misinformation about COVID-19 in the nation's least vaccinated state.
People in denial about the severity of their own illness or the virus itself, with visitors frequently trying to enter hospitals without masks. The painful look of recognition on patients' faces when they realize they made a mistake not getting vaccinated. The constant misinformation about the coronavirus that they discuss with medical staff.
Mississippi's low vaccinated rate, with about 38% of the state's 3 million people fully inoculated against COVID-19, is driving a surge in cases and hospitalizations that is overwhelming medical workers. The workers are angry and exhausted over both the workload and refusal by residents to embrace the vaccine.
Fauci says COVID boosters likely to start with Pfizer shot only — 1:24 p.m.
By Bloomberg
President Joe Biden's chief medical adviser said U.S. booster shots against Covid-19 are likely to start only with the vaccine by Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE, while the Moderna Inc. shot may be delayed.
"The bottom line is very likely at least part of the plan will be implemented, but ultimately the entire plan will be," Anthony Fauci said Sunday on CBS's "Face the Nation."
Fauci's comments may lead to more clarity on the administration's stance after Biden ran into resistance by medical experts who advise U.S. regulators over what they view as political interference in the review process.
COVID-19 unemployment relief and eviction moratorium to end, affecting millions — 8:44 a.m.
By The Associated Press
Mary Taboniar went 15 months without a paycheck, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. A housekeeper at the Hilton Hawaiian Village resort in Honolulu, the single mother of two saw her income completely vanish as the virus devastated the hospitality industry.
For more than a year, Taboniar depended entirely on boosted unemployment benefits and a network of local foodbanks to feed her family. Even this summer as the vaccine rollout took hold and tourists began to travel again, her work was slow to return, peaking at 11 days in August — about half her pre-pandemic workload.
Taboniar is one of millions of Americans for whom Labor Day 2021 represents a perilous crossroads. Two primary anchors of the government's COVID protection package are ending or have recently ended. Starting Monday, an estimated 8.9 million people will lose all unemployment benefits. A federal eviction moratorium already has expired.
Coronavirus fears spike, but workers split on vaccine mandates, poll finds — 8:11 a.m.
By The Washington Post
The Delta variant's two-month surge has generated a sharp rise in public fears about contracting the coronavirus, undermined confidence in President Joe Biden's leadership and renewed divisions over vaccine and mask mandates, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll.
Nearly half of Americans, 47%, rate their risk of getting sick from the coronavirus as moderate or high, up 18 percentage points from late June. This follows a more than tenfold increase in daily infections. Concerns over catching the virus among partially or fully vaccinated adults have risen from 32% to 52%, while concern among unvaccinated adults has grown from 22% to 35% over the same period.
Italy to decide on compulsory vaccine this month, minister says — 7:50 a.m.
By Bloomberg
Italy will decide by the end of September whether COVID-19 vaccines will become mandatory for all people aged 12 and over, according to a minister in Mario Draghi's coalition.
"If we will not have reached a vaccination level between 80% and 90% we will pass a law to impose the COVID-19 vaccine to all people against it," Public Administration Minister Renato Brunetta said Sunday in an interview at the Ambrosetti Forum in Cernobbio, Italy. "We will decide by the end of the month."
That target may be ambitious, as about 71.5% of Italians over that age level have currently completed the vaccine cycle, data on the government's website show. Prime Minister Mario Draghi earlier this week said vaccination will eventually become compulsory, adding that he's confident that a target to inoculate 80% of the population by the end September would be reached.
Italy is among the leading countries for inoculation rates, but the government's vaccination push has created political and social tensions, with some parties including Matteo Salvini's League opposing the introduction of COVID passports.
A green pass proving vaccination or a negative test is now needed to dine indoors at restaurants, to visit museums and cinemas, as well as to board planes and long distance trains.
Boosters to help Israel avoid lockdown, prime minister says — 7:37 a.m.
By The Associated Press
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett says the government's COVID-19 booster vaccination drive will help allow the country to avoid a full lockdown during the coming Jewish holiday season.
Religious and secular Israelis alike mark Jewish new year Rosh Hashana on Monday night. Jews will also mark the fast day of Yom Kippur and the weeklong Sukkot festival over the next few weeks.
The holiday season is marked by traditional family gatherings as well as packed services in synagogues. The government has urged families to avoid large gatherings. And synagogue prayers will be limited to small groups of vaccinated people.
Bennett told his Cabinet on Sunday that unvaccinated children shouldn't be brought to synagogues.
Last year the holiday season led to a spike in coronavirus infections that resulted in a full lockdown.
4 million cases in Germany since pandemic began — 5:46 a.m.
By The Associated Press
The German disease control agency says that more than 4 million people have contracted the coronavirus in the country since the outbreak of the pandemic.
The Robert Koch Institute reported 4,005,641 cases on Sunday. The actual number of cases is likely much higher as many infections go unnoticed. The institute said 92,346 people have died of COVID-19 in Germany.
Top health officials have urged more citizens to get vaccinated.
More than 61% of the German population, or 50.9 million people, are fully vaccinated, but that's less than in other European countries. The daily vaccination rate has been dropping for weeks.
Germany's disease control agency on Saturday reported 10,835 new COVID-19 cases. That's up from 10,303 a week ago.
UK could introduce vaccine passports for big venues this month — 5:00 a.m.
By Bloomberg
The UK is considering introducing the need for vaccine passports for large venues in September, but has yet to decide whether to roll out jabs to healthy schoolchildren.
The government is "looking at by the end of September" requiring COVID-19 vaccine certification for entry to large venues where infection risk may be higher, Vaccines Minister Nadhim Zahawi said in an interview with Sky News.
He also said the government hasn't yet decided on whether to roll out vaccines to healthy 12- to 15-year-olds, but if the move does go ahead, then parental consent would be needed.
On Friday, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation said that the benefits of vaccination for healthy children in this age group was "marginally greater" than the potential known harms, though advised the government to ask the UK's chief medical officers to weigh in on the decision.
Do we need humans for that job? Automation booms after COVID — 3:27 a.m.
By The Associated Press
Ask for a roast beef sandwich at an Arby's drive-thru east of Los Angeles and you may be talking to Tori — an artificially intelligent voice assistant that will take your order and send it to the line cooks.
"It doesn't call sick," says Amir Siddiqi, whose family installed the AI voice at its Arby's franchise this year in Ontario, California. "It doesn't get corona. And the reliability of it is great."
The pandemic didn't just threaten Americans' health when it slammed the US in 2020 — it may also have posed a long-term threat to many of their jobs. Faced with worker shortages and higher labor costs, companies are starting to automate service sector jobs that economists once considered safe, assuming that machines couldn't easily provide the human contact they believed customers would demand.
Sept. 4, 2021
Washington state vaccine mandate moves forward — 10:47 p.m.
By The Associated Press
OLYMPIA, Wash. — Days after suing to block what is believed to be among the nation's strictest COVID-19 employee vaccine mandates, Washington's largest state labor union has announced a tentative agreement for Gov. Jay Inslee's order for state workers.
The Northwest News Network reports the Washington Federation of State Employees has negotiated terms for Inslee's mandate that all 46,000 of its union members be fully vaccinated by October 18 or lose their jobs.
The new agreement, which still needs to be ratified, was announced Saturday and defines the exceptions and religious and medical exemptions process for employees who can't or won't get their shots.
After Tampa's Super Bowl party, Tom Brady contracted COVID-19 — 10:00 p.m.
By Jon Couture, Globe correspondent
Shortly after winning Super Bowl 55 and celebrating his seventh championship with an alcohol-fueled boat parade in Tampa, Tom Brady contracted COVID-19.
The longtime Patriots quarterback confirmed the news to the Tampa Bay Times, as part of the paper's coverage of the Buccaneers' 100 percent vaccination rate among players, coaches, and team personnel. That includes Brady, who told the paper he thinks coronavirus will play a bigger role in the league this year than it did in 2020.
Germany urges vaccine shots; warns of fall COVID-19 surge — 9:25 p.m.
By The Associated Press
Germany's top health official is urging more citizens to get vaccinated, warning Saturday that if the vaccination numbers don't go up the country's hospitals may get overwhelmed by COVID-19 patients toward the end of the year.
"We need at least 5 million vaccinations for a safe autumn and winter," Health Minister Jens Spahn tweeted.
Alex Cora hopeful, but cautious as Kiké Hernández nears return from COVID-related injured list — 8:10 p.m.
By Julian Benbow, Globe Staff
Since testing positive for COVID-19 a week ago, Red Sox utility man Kiké Hernández has been quarantined in Cleveland. He's one of nine Red Sox players currently on the COVID-related injured list.
Sox manager Alex Cora expects Hernández to be able to return as soon as next week, but in the meantime has had to consider how much the idle time can disrupt routine and conditioning for the players on the COVID list and whether they might experience any lingering effects of the virus once they get back.
COVID claims 48 percent of ICU beds in parts of US — 6:44 p.m.
By Bloomberg
Use of intensive-care units to treat U.S. Covid-19 patients increased to 29% in the week through Tuesday, drawing closer to a peak of 31% reached in January, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
ICU capacity was tightest in a region comprising Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas, with 48% devoted to Covid patients. Ranking next at 44% was an eight-state bloc from Kentucky to Florida that includes much of the South. Intensive-care utilization was lowest at 9% in a group consisting mainly of New York and New Jersey, according to a regular CDC data set published Friday.
Kentucky governor calls special session on virus — 5:55 p.m.
By The Associated Press
FRANKFORT, Ky. — Democratic Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear has announced that he's calling the state's Republican-led legislature into a special session to shape pandemic policies as the state struggles with a record surge of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.
The return of lawmakers to the state Capitol starts Tuesday and marks a dramatic power shift in coronavirus-related policymaking in the Bluegrass State following a landmark court ruling. Since the pandemic hit Kentucky, the governor mostly acted unilaterally in setting statewide virus policies, but the state Supreme Court shifted those decisions to the legislature.
"Now, that burden will fall in large part on the General Assembly," Beshear said Saturday. "It will have to carry much of that weight to confront unpopular choices and to make decisions that balance many things, including the lives and the possible deaths of our citizens."
Beshear wields the authority to call lawmakers into special session and to set the agenda. At a news conference Saturday, he outlined pandemic-related issues he wants lawmakers to consider, including policies on mask-wearing and school schedules amid growing school closures brought on by virus outbreaks. But GOP supermajorities in both chambers will decide what measures ultimately pass.
Hospitals are sprinting to keep up with demand for this COVID-19 treatment — 4:09 p.m.
By Kay Lazar, Globe Staff
The COVID-19 mantra in Massachusetts has been vaccinate, vaccinate, vaccinate. And that unrelenting priority has protected many people from getting seriously ill.
But the push for shots in arms has left this state behind in one key area: ready access to a remarkably effective COVID treatment that uses monoclonal antibodies. Some Southern states with much lower vaccination rates than Massachusetts — and with political leaders like Florida Governor Ron DeSantis — have taken the lead in using the therapy to keep COVID patients out of the hospital. Meanwhile, many Massachusetts patients can't get the treatment at all.
Now, as infections continue to climb, and hospitals across the state are stretched thin, Massachusetts is racing to catch up.
At least 45 Texas school districts pause in-person learning — 3:23 p.m.
By Bloomberg
At least 45 Texas school districts have stopped in-person learning because of Covid-19 cases, affecting about 42,000 students, the Texas Tribune reported, quoting the state's Education Agency.
Weekly cases statewide rose to almost 128,000 on Friday, the most since early February, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University and Bloomberg. Children's hospitals in the state have reported surging numbers of pediatric cases.
Governor Greg Abbott is battling with local districts over his ban on mask mandates in schools, which the state isn't enforcing amid legal challenges.
U.K. to approve jabs for children — 2:55 p.m.
By Bloomberg
Ministers are confident that England's chief medical officer and other experts will approve the plan in the middle of next week, with the roll-out for 12- to 15-year-olds starting shortly, The Telegraph reported.
While a government advisory panel said Friday that the benefits of vaccination for healthy 12- to-15-year-olds were "marginally greater" than the potential known harms, it advised the government to ask the U.K.'s four chief medical officers to weigh in on the decision, taking into account the impact on schools and young people's education.
COVID hospitalization rate for children soars — 1:41 p.m.
By The New York Times
Pediatric hospitalizations for COVID-19 have soared over the summer as the highly contagious delta variant spread across the country, according to two new studies from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
From late June to mid-August, hospitalization rates in the United States for children and teenagers increased nearly fivefold, although they remain slightly below January's peak, one new study found.
But vaccination has made a difference. During this summer's wave, the hospitalization rate was 10 times as high in unvaccinated adolescents as in those who were vaccinated, researchers found. Pediatric hospital admissions were nearly four times as high in states with the lowest vaccination rates as in those with the highest rates, according to a second study.
Kentucky hospitals strained by influx of COVID patients — 1:26 p.m.
By Bloomberg
Kentucky leads the U.S. in a measure of strain on hospitals from incoming Covid-19 patients, ahead of Georgia and Florida. The state had almost 38 confirmed admissions per 100 beds during the week that ended Tuesday, according to the latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.
On Friday, with new cases near a record, Governor Andy Beshear pleaded with residents to get vaccinated and wear masks indoors. "Right now is one of the most dangerous times we've had in this pandemic," the Democratic governor said in a video posted on Twitter. "Folks, it is a scary time."
Florida grapples with COVID-19′s deadliest phase yet — 10:01 a.m.
By The Associated Press
Funeral director Wayne Bright has seen grief piled upon grief during the latest COVID-19 surge.
A woman died of the virus, and as her family was planning the funeral, her mother was also struck down. An aunt took over arrangements for the double funeral, only to die of COVID-19 herself two weeks afterward.
"That was one of the most devastating things ever," said Bright, who also arranged the funeral last week of one of his closest friends.
Florida is in the grip of its deadliest wave of COVID-19 since the pandemic began, a disaster driven by the highly contagious delta variant.
FDA pushes for Moderna booster shot data in weighing dose — 6:06 a.m.
By Bloomberg
U.S. health regulators are seeking additional coronavirus booster shot data from Moderna Inc., as the Biden administration expects to begin a widespread booster campaign later this month with only the Pfizer Inc.-BioNTech vaccine, people familiar with the matter say.
Moderna announced Friday that it had "completed" its submission of data to the Food and Drug Administration for authorization of boosters. The FDA has been seeking more data as Moderna's submission rolled in, the people added.
In particular, the FDA is looking for more information on the efficacy of a 100-microgram dose -- the same as the first two shots people received -- not just the 50-microgram booster submitted by Moderna as a potential booster, one of the people said.
Whether the apparent impasse will spark a lengthy delay, or ultimately be resolved, is unclear. The FDA will now pore over the Moderna submission. The agency has been pressing for data on a 100-microgram booster as it weighs its next steps.
The Biden administration announced that it would offer boosters beginning Sept. 20, but the baseline expectation is now that it will begin with only the Pfizer-BioNTech shot at that point, the people said. Moderna is poised to follow a couple weeks later, one of them said.
The FDA and the Department of Health and Human Services did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The White House referred inquiries to HHS.
"We consider our submission complete," said Kate Cronin, a Moderna spokeswoman. "We can't comment on the FDA reviewal portion and what that will entail."
The company on Friday announced that it had "completed" its submission, two days after saying that it had filed initial data to the FDA.
Moderna also submitted booster-shot data to the European Medicines Agency for a conditional marketing approval, the company said in a statement late Friday.
Japan to extend COVID state of emergency in Tokyo — 5:58 a.m.
By The Associated Press
Japan is preparing to extend its Covid-induced state of emergency by around two weeks for Tokyo and three surrounding prefectures, the Mainichi newspaper reported Saturday.
Six other prefectures including industrial centers Osaka and Aichi will also be considered for extensions of the emergency period from the current end date of Sept. 12, the paper said. The government will be holding a meeting to make the decision around the middle of next week, the paper said.
Across Japan, 21 prefectures are currently under a state of emergency. While Tokyo cases have seen a declining trend, the Covid-19 case numbers still remain relatively high. The capital reported 2,362 new Covid-19 cases on Saturday, while serious cases fell to 267 from 278 the day before.
Prefectures including Ibaraki, Tochigi, Okayama and Hiroshima are considering lifting the state of emergency and potentially moving to less restrictive measures after the Sept. 12 end date, the Mainichi added.
Australia's COVID epicenter sees another day of record cases — 3:55 a.m.
By Bloomberg
New South Wales, Australia's most populous state, reported a record 1,533 new daily coronavirus cases, with the state's creaking health system braced for a peak in hospitalizations in October.
The number of people in the state being treated for the virus in hospital rose above 1,000 for the first time and is expected to climb in the coming weeks. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said Friday she would outline a plan next week on how the health system would handle the surge.
The state's ambulance service is making contingency plans to draft in police and firefighters to drive ambulances to help deal with increasing patient numbers, Brad Hazzard, the state's health minister, said at a news conference Saturday. "I don't think that's been finalized yet, but that's certainly a plan, and I support that plan." Friday had been the second busiest day for the ambulance service in the state's history, he said.
Sept. 3, 2021
Vaccine passports roll out in Canada, and so do unruly anti-vaccine protests — 11:47 p.m.
By The New York Times
A crowd rallying against vaccination for COVID-19 clogged the streets outside a hospital in Vancouver, British Columbia, this week, haranguing and, in one case, assaulting health care workers, slowing ambulances, delaying patients entering for treatment and disturbing those recovering inside.
Kennedy Stewart, the city's mayor, was among the many people to quickly condemn the protesters.
"When I see folks blocking health care workers who are working flat out to save people dying of COVID, it makes me sick," he wrote on Twitter.
While polls show that Canadians opposed to vaccines are a decided minority, the Vancouver protest was not an isolated event. In British Columbia, protesters were out in Kamloops, Victoria, Kelowna, Prince George and Nanaimo. A hospital area in downtown Toronto saw a similar rage-filled protest, and an anti-vaccine group made its way through downtown Montreal.
New Zealand has 1st virus death in over 6 months — 11:00 p.m.
By The Associated Press
New Zealand reported its first coronavirus death in more than six months on Saturday, while the number of new cases continued to trend downward.
Health authorities said the woman who died was in her 90s and had underlying health problems.
Authorities reported 20 new community cases, all in the largest city of Auckland.
New Zealand remains in lockdown as it tries to eliminate an outbreak of the delta variant that began last month.
New cases in the outbreak have steadily fallen from a peak of more than 80 each day. New Zealand has so far escaped the worst of the pandemic and has reported just 27 coronavirus deaths since it began.
Florida's newly reported deaths jump to record — 10:43 p.m.
By Bloomberg
Florida reported 2,345 additional Covid-19 deaths in its latest weekly report, the most ever in a similar period.
The daily average rose 36% to 335, according to calculations based on data in the report. That would surpass the high for the entire pandemic in Johns Hopkins University data. The data is based on when the death was reported, not when it occurred.
People 65-and-over accounted for 63% of the deaths. Cumulatively over the entire pandemic, Florida seniors have made up 79% of deaths.
Colorado school coronavirus outbreaks double — 9:58 p.m.
By Bloomberg
Covid-19 outbreaks in Colorado schools more than doubled in a week to 42, the Denver Post reported, quoting official state data. New clusters also popped up at nursing homes and assisted living facilities, the newspaper said.
Virus pushes some California hospitals near ICU capacity — 9:13 p.m.
By The Associated Press
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Hospitals in the heart of California's Central Valley are running out of beds in their intensive care units, state officials announced Friday, as a more contagious version of the coronavirus continues to spread primarily among the unvaccinated population.
Hospitals in the 12-county San Joaquin Valley region have had fewer than 10% of staffed adult ICU beds for three consecutive days. State officials labeled it a "surge," triggering special rules announced last month that require nearby hospitals to accept transfer patients.
In Fresno County and neighboring counties, the number of confirmed and suspected coronavirus patients in hospitals is more than double what it was four weeks ago, the Fresno Bee reported.
In San Joaquin County, new virus cases and the number of people admitted to hospitals has surpassed the peak numbers of cases and patients during last summer's surge, according to the county health officer. But a spokeswoman for the county's Office of Emergency Services said the county had enough hospital beds to avoid transferring patients out of the county as of Friday.
If the problem gets worse and ICU capacity falls to zero, the state says hospitals across California must also accept transfer patients.
Jarren Duran latest Red Sox player to land on COVID-related injured list — 7:51 p.m.
By Julian Benbow, Globe Staff
The Red Sox had reason to believe they were in the clear after a flurry of COVID-19 cases in the clubhouse throughout the week, but rookie outfielder Jarren Duran had to be pulled from the lineup Friday night after experiencing symptoms that required testing.
Duran, who was originally set to play center field and hit seventh, had to remain away from the team as he waited for test results.
Worcester announces COVID-19 orders requiring masks in schools, employer reporting of cases — 6:51 p.m.
By Katie Redefer, Globe Correspondent
Worcester officials announced emergency orders Friday requiring face masks be worn in all schools and instructing employers to report COVID-19 cases to city health officials in an effort to combat rising cases of the virus.
Both orders will take effect Tuesday, after the Labor Day holiday, and will remain in effect until further notice, officials said in a statement.
As COVID-19 cases climb in Tennessee, officials plead with public to get vaccinated — 6:23 p.m.
By The Associated Press
As hospitalizations, deaths and COVID-19 case numbers continue to climb in Tennessee, health experts on Friday pleaded with the public to get vaccinated and continue to wear a mask.
In a letter distributed by the Tennessee Hospital Association, a group of chief officers and chief nursing officers stressed that the latest surge of the virus outbreak is taking a deep toll on the state's frontline workers and wreaking havoc on families who have lost loved ones to the virus.
As of Friday, there were nearly 1,395 new cases per 100,000 people in Tennessee over the past two weeks, which ranks third in the country for new cases per capita. One in every 134 people in Tennessee tested positive in the past week, according to researchers from Johns Hopkins.
Meanwhile, 42.1% of the population is now fully vaccinated against the virus.
Gov. Bill Lee told reporters earlier this week that the vaccine was the key tool to overcoming the outbreak. But he said he had "no plans" to change the state's current pandemic mitigation strategy.
Spain wants vaccination proof from US tourists — 6:19 p.m.
By The Associated Press
Spain is tweaking its travel entry rules from next week to require vaccination certificates from U.S. tourists, adjusting to recent European Union advice on stricter rules due to growing anxiety over coronavirus contagion in the U.S.
The European Council's decision earlier this week to remove the U.S. from a safe list of countries for nonessential travel also came amid unanswered calls from European officials for "reciprocity" in travel rules. Despite the EU's move to open its borders to U.S. citizens in June, the U.S. didn't allow EU tourists in.
Spain, a major tourism destination, is among a handful of EU countries that has announced steps to adjust its entry rules to the Council's recommendation.
The country published Friday the new guidelines on its official gazette, also removing Israel, Kosovo, Lebanon, Montenegro and North Macedonia from the safe list.
Under the rules, U.S. tourists will no longer be admitted from Monday, Sept. 6, unless they can show proof of being fully vaccinated at least 14 days before their trip. Unvaccinated children under 12 traveling with vaccinated adults are also allowed in the country.
Efforts grow to stamp out use of parasite drug for COVID-19 — 6:01 p.m.
By The Associated Press
Health experts and medical groups are pushing to stamp out the growing use of a decades-old parasite drug to treat COVID-19, warning that it can cause harmful side effects and that there's little evidence it helps.
With a fourth wave of infections, more Americans are turning to ivermectin, a cheap drug used to kill worms and other parasites in humans and animals.
Federal health officials have seen a surge in prescriptions this summer, accompanied by worrying increases in reported overdoses. The drug was even given to inmates at a jail in northwest Arkansas for COVID-19, despite federal warnings against that use. On Wednesday, podcaster Joe Rogan, who has been dismissive of the COVID-19 vaccine, announced he had tested positive for the virus and was taking the medication.
Ivermectin has been promoted by Republican lawmakers, conservative talk show hosts and some doctors, amplified via social media to millions of Americans who remain resistant to getting vaccinated. It has also been widely used in other countries, including India and Brazil.
This week, the top U.S. professional groups for doctors and pharmacists appealed for an "immediate end" to the drug's use outside of research.
Nevada hospitals see severe shortage of nurses — 5:33 p.m.
By The Associated Press
Nevada hospitals are seeing a severe shortage of nurses and some northern Nevada hospitals are nearly out of staffed beds for patients, state health officials said Thursday.
Nevada had a shortage of nurses even before the pandemic, when each wave of cases and crush of hospitalizations left nurses demoralized and drove some to leave the profession.
Nevada, like other states, is struggling to attract traveling nurses to help bolster their staffs.
Dr. Chris Lake with the Nevada Hospital Association said Thursday the issue has been compounded by the number of people who are unvaccinated and end up in the hospital or intensive care unit.
About 53% of all eligible Nevadans are fully vaccinated.
Lake said northern Nevada has been further squeezed by the major wildfire bearing down on South Lake Tahoe, which prompted the city's hospital to evacuate dozens of its patients to nearby hospitals.
Hawaii health care workers decry lack of COVID mandates — 5:28 p.m.
By The Associated Press
Health care workers in Hawaii say a lack of government action is worsening an already crippling surge of coronavirus cases in the islands, and without effective policy changes the state's limited hospitals could face a grim crisis.
"Soon we're going to be in a situation where we're going to ration health care," said Dr. Jonathan Dworkin, an infectious diseases specialist in Hawaii.
Dworkin said that while mandates may be unpopular, rationing Hawaii's limited health care resources is "going to be far more ugly."
"It involves making decisions about who lives and dies," he said. "I hate the idea of having to make a decision about who's going to get oxygen."
Another stay-at-home order may be needed, Dworkin said.
De La Hoya pulls out of Sept. 11 fight, says he has COVID — 5:07 p.m.
By The Associated Press
Oscar De La Hoya's return to the ring will have to wait after the fighter said he tested positive for COVID-19.
The 48-year-old De La Hoya was scheduled to fight on Sept. 11 against former MMA fighter Vitor Belfort in a pay-per-view event at Staples Center in Los Angeles. It would have been his first fight since being stopped by Manny Pacquiao in 2008.
The former boxing champion posted a video online Friday of himself in a hospital bed, saying he caught the virus despite being fully vaccinated.
"I am currently in the hospital getting treatment and am confident I will be back in the ring before the year is up," De La Hoya said.
De La Hoya, who has been a boxing promoter since retiring, was to have fought the 44-year-old Belfort at 185 pounds, 40 pounds heavier than he was for his loss to Pacquiao.
One arrest after men confront principal over COVID-19 mandates — 4:08 p.m.
By The Associated Press
Several men objecting to an Arizona elementary school student being required to quarantine and miss a field trip because of a possible contact to the coronavirus threatened to make a citizen's arrest of the school principal while at least one brandished cable ties, school officials said Friday.
The principal called police Thursday after she met with the men and they then initially refused to leave, and a Police Department spokesman said at least one person was later arrested and accused of trespassing.
"The principal through training and her own personality did an excellent job of making sure that tensions didn't escalate," Vail Unified School District Superintendent John Carruth told The Associated Press.
School officials said the 40-year-old man is the father of the student who was directed to quarantine and missed the field trip. Court records didn't list an attorney for the man who could comment on his behalf.
White House unveils plan to prepare for future pandemics threats — 3:18 p.m.
By Bloomberg
The Biden administration unveiled a $65 billion plan to prepare for future pandemics threats, likening the ambitious proposal to the Apollo mission to the moon.
The proposal announced Friday by the White House Office of Science, Technology and Policy and National Security Council focuses on protecting the U.S. against potentially catastrophic biological threats, including those that are naturally occurring, accidental or deliberately set in motion by bad actors.
"There's a reasonable likelihood that another serious pandemic that could be worse than Covid-19 will occur soon, and possibly even within the next decade," said Eric Lander, director of the Office of Science, Technology and Policy in a briefing with reporters. "For the first time in the nation's history, we have the opportunity -- due to these kinds of advances in science and technology -- not just to refill stockpiles, but transform our capabilities."
Broadway in Boston to require proof of vaccination — 2:45 p.m.
By Malcolm Gay, Globe Staff
Broadway in Boston became the latest arts organization to implement stricter COVID-19 policies Friday as the highly contagious Delta variant continues to fuel rising case counts across the country.
Under the new rules, theater-goers age 12 and older will be required to provide proof of full vaccination to attend all performances of "Hadestown," which opens Nov. 2 at the Citizens Bank Opera House. Individuals who for medical or religious reasons are not vaccinated, may provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of the performance, or an antigen test within 24 hours of the show.
New York gives $250M in COVID benefits to excluded workers — 2:42 p.m.
By The Associated Press
New York has doled out $250 million so far from a $2 billion fund targeted at workers who are in the country illegally and have been excluded from other COVID-19 unemployment benefit programs, the state's governor said Friday.
Gov. Kathy Hochul said the state is reviewing an additional $600 million in benefits it could release by the end of September.
The program launched Aug. 31 and has received applications from over 90,000 New Yorkers. About a third of applications were submitted in Spanish.
Hochul said 50,000 have been approved so far.
Payments are going out sooner than the estimated time frame of six to eight weeks, according to Hochul.
Wisconsin extends $100 reward program for COVID-19 vaccine — 2:25 p.m.
By The Associated Press
Wisconsin's $100 reward program for those receiving the COVID-19 vaccine will be extended two weeks until Sept. 19.
Democratic Gov. Tony Evers says extending the incentive will give an opportunity for more people to get vaccinated. The program began Aug. 20 and was originally scheduled to end Monday.
Between Aug. 20 and Sept. 1, more than 65,000 people received their first dose. Evers launched the program amid a spike in cases across the state caused by the more infectious delta variant. The level of new cases and hospitalizations are at a level not seen since January.
On Aug. 22, the day before Evers announced the program, the seven-day average of vaccinations in Wisconsin was 8,360. That grew to 9,712 as of Wednesday. More than 3 million people are fully vaccinated in Wisconsin, about 52% of the total population. Among adults age 18 and over, more than 62% are fully vaccinated.
US booster plan faces possible delay by Sept. 20 — 2:23 p.m.
By The Associated Press
President Joe Biden's plan to start delivery of booster shots by Sept. 20 for most Americans who received COVID-19 vaccines is facing complications that could delay the availability for those who received the Moderna vaccine.
Biden announced last month that his administration was preparing to administer boosters to provide more enduring protection against the coronavirus, pending approvals from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration. He recommended boosters eight months after the second shot.
However, those agencies are awaiting critical data before signing off on the third doses, with Moderna's vaccine increasingly seen as unlikely to make the Sept. 20 date.
According to one official, Moderna produced inadequate data for the FDA and CDC to approve the third dose of its vaccine. The FDA has requested additional data that is likely to delay those boosters into October. Pfizer is further along in the review process, with an FDA panel review on boosters on Sept. 17.
Data for boosters on Johnson & Johnson's single-dose vaccine won't be available for months, since that shot wasn't approved until February, officials say.
Excitement meets worry as European kids head back to school — 1:42 p.m.
By The Associated Press
English educator Richard Sheriff watched this week as a group of energetic 11-year-olds entered their new secondary school for the first time — finding their classrooms, eating in the cafeteria, racing around the halls.
The familiar rituals of a school sparking back to life were especially poignant after a year and a half of disruption driven by the coronavirus pandemic, said Sheriff, head of the Red Kite Learning Trust, a group of primary and secondary schools in the Yorkshire region. But in addition to the usual excitement, he had a new feeling this year: "Trepidation."
Two state Assembly members in NY test positive for COVID-19 — 1:26 p.m.
By The Associated Press
Two members of New York's state Assembly have tested positive for COVID-19 days after lawmakers gathered for a special legislative session, the chamber's top Democrat said Friday.
Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie said that Assemblymembers Inez Dickens and Charles Fall had tested positive for COVID-19.
Both Dickens and Fall were vaccinated, and were quarantining as of Friday, according to Heastie. Dickens' district includes Harlem, while Fall represents the north shore of Staten Island.
Heastie said the Assembly is reaching out to other members and staff who may have been in contact with Fall and Dickens during Wednesday's session in Albany.
The two lawmakers join a small handful of New York's 150 Assembly members who have tested positive for COVID-19 and recovered since spring 2020.
Heastie himself said March 23 that he had tested positive for COVID-19, and said he had "extremely mild symptoms." He had received his first of two COVID-19 vaccinations on March 6.
Parents of kids with disabilities sue over Iowa ban on mask mandates — 1:22 p.m.
By The Associated Press
A group of parents of disabled students filed a lawsuit Friday seeking to strike down Iowa's law banning schools from requiring masks, arguing it endangers their health and denies equal access to education.
The lawsuit, backed by the American Civil Liberties Union and disability rights organizations, adds to the legal pressure facing the law as virus cases and hospitalizations climb in Iowa to their highest levels since last winter.
UK COVID panel declines to back vaccines for adolescents — 1:00 p.m.
By Bloomberg
A U.K. government advisory panel declined to recommend rolling out Covid-19 shots to all adolescents, instead passing the decision to Britain's chief medical officers.
While the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation said Friday that the benefit of vaccination for healthy 12-to-15-year-olds was "marginally greater" than the potential known harms, it advised the government to ask the U.K.'s four chief medical officers to weigh in on the decision, taking into account the impact on schools and young people's education.
"Given the very low risk of serious Covid-19 disease in otherwise healthy 12-to-15-year-olds, considerations on the potential harms and benefits of vaccination are very finely balanced and a precautionary approach was agreed," the JCVI said in a statement.
Concerns center on a very rare heart condition that has been linked to the Pfizer Inc. shot, one of the only vaccines that has been authorized for use in children.
The U.K. is an outlier among its neighbors over its decision not to vaccinate healthy older children, instead only offering the shots to those under age 16 who have underlying health conditions or live with vulnerable adults. In the U.S., children 12 and over have been getting the vaccines since May, while most of the European Union has opted to vaccinate young people ahead of the fall school year.
Bruins defenseman Connor Clifton reveals he tested positive for COVID-19 — 12:46 p.m.
By Matt Doherty, Globe Correspondent
Bruins defenseman Connor Clifton announced Thursday on his verified Instagram account that he tested positive for COVID-19 while on his honeymoon.
Clifton posted an Instagram story shortly after 4 p.m. on Thursday of his wife, Amanda, laying on a hotel room couch with sunglasses and a mask on. The caption read: "When you get covid on your honeymoon and your wife hates you for the very first time."
The Bruins had no comment.
US COVID-19 death toll hits 1,500 a day amid Delta scourge — 12:05 p.m.
By The Washington Post
Brian Pierce, a coroner in Baldwin County, Ala., thought he had seen the last of the coronavirus months ago as the area's death count held steady at 318 for most of the spring and summer. But then in July and August, the fatalities began mounting and last week, things got so bad the state rolled a trailer into his parking lot as a temporary morgue.
"I think most people were thinking, 'We're good,'" he said. "Life was almost back to normal. Now I'm telling my kids again to please stay home."
Sununu in hospital, still feeling flu-like symptoms — 11:45 a.m.
By The Associated Press
New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu was in the hospital on Friday, still feeling flu-like symptoms and days after he tested negative for COVID-19 three times, his chief of staff said.
"Governor Sununu is being evaluated by Portsmouth Hospital this morning as a precautionary measure to determine the cause of the flu-like symptoms he has been experiencing this week," Chief of Staff Jayne Millerick said in a statement. "More information will be shared as it becomes available."
Sununu said Wednesday he tested negative for COVID-19, hours after his office said he wasn't feeling well, postponed an Executive Council meeting and began isolating.
Biden pins poor jobs growth on Delta — 11:30 a.m.
By Bloomberg
President Joe Biden said the U.S. economy remains strong after a disappointing jobs report, blaming a retrenchment in hiring on the spread of the delta variant of coronavirus.
"What we're seeing is an economic recovery that's durable and strong," he said, crediting his own policies including a $1.9 trillion pandemic relief bill earlier this year.
The Labor Department reported earlier that U.S. hiring abruptly down-shifted in August with the smallest jobs gain in seven months. The increase in nonfarm payrolls fell far short of economists' forecasts, with gains of just 235,000 jobs as the delta variant caused a resurgence in the U.S. pandemic and employers struggled with persistent hiring challenges.
Counterfeit vaccine cards intercepted bound for Idaho — 11:29 a.m.
By Bloomberg
Federal agents intercepted a shipment of counterfeit vaccine cards bound for Idaho, the Idaho Statesman reported. Meantime, Idaho's hospitals are stretched and fear the worst is yet to come, the newspaper said.
"We are losing the Covid battle, and patients are dying unnecessarily," said Steven Nemerson, chief clinical officer at Saint Alphonsus Health System.
Boulder, Colorado mandates masks — 11:28 a.m.
By Bloomberg
Health officials in Boulder, Colorado, are once again requiring face masks in indoor public settings, from offices to restaurants and stores, to prevent spread of the delta variant.
Such a move can "preserve our healthcare system resources," said Camille Rodriguez, executive director of Boulder County Public Health of the order that takes effect Friday evening for everyone 2 years and older regardless of vaccination status.
Wyoming and other neighboring states are facing hospital bed shortages. The main campus of the University of Colorado is located in Boulder.
KLM cancels flights to US — 11:26 a.m.
By Bloomberg
KLM is canceling proposed new flights from Amsterdam to Miami, Orlando and Las Vegas this winter after the Netherlands labeled the U.S. a "high-risk area" for coronavirus.
KLM said the Dutch government's decision was a "big step backwards" for the airline and noted in a company statement that other EU member states, such as Italy, France and Belgium are not putting a "triple lock on the door for travelers" from the U.S.
According to the new rules, vaccinated travelers from the U.S. who have tested negative for Covid-19 will have to quarantine for 10 days upon arrival in the Netherlands.
Video: U.S. plans to begin administering COVID-19 booster shots in September - source (Reuters)
U.S. plans to begin administering COVID-19 booster shots in September - source
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NHL to punish unvaccinated players more harshly this season — 10:53 a.m.
By The Associated Press
The NHL plans to punish unvaccinated players more harshly if they test positive for the coronavirus as part of new protocols for the upcoming season.
Teams will be able to suspend unvaccinated players without pay if they cannot participate in hockey activities as part of the protocols, according to a person with knowledge of the new rules. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Friday because the protocols had not been announced.
Tyson Foods workers get paid sick leave; 75% vaccinated — 10:15 a.m.
By The Associated Press
Tyson Foods is offering its front-line workers paid sick leave for the first time, part of an agreement that secured union support for its mandate that all U.S. employees get vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus.
The meatpacking giant said 90,000 — or 75% — of its 120,000 U.S. workers have now been vaccinated, up from 50% when it announced the mandate on Aug. 3. Workers have until Nov. 1 to get vaccinated, but the agreement with the United Food and Commercial Workers provides for medical and religious exemptions.
Tyson Foods, which owns the Jimmy Dean and Hillshire Farm brands, is among the few companies with a large front-line workforce to impose a vaccine mandate so far. Many companies have taken aggressive steps to encourage workers to get the vaccines while avoiding mandates that could worsen a labor shortage.
Under the agreement with UFCW, Tyson workers can earn up to 20 hours of paid sick leave. The UFCW represents 26,000 Tyson workers but the Springdale, Arkansas-based company said the benefit would extend to all employees.
The UFCW said it was the union's first time reaching a national agreement to provide paid sick leave for meatpacking workers.
COVID-19 surge continues in Maine — 10:14 a.m.
By The Associated Press
The surge of COVID-19 is continuing in Maine, with another 665 infections and three deaths reported by the Maine Center for Disease Control on Friday.
The seven-day rolling average of daily new cases in Maine has risen over the past two weeks from 164 new cases per day on Aug. 18 to 316 new cases per day on Sept. 1.
Hospitals that are treating the most COVID-19 patients since February are urging Mainers to get vaccinated.
Nurse Shannon Calvert has been working at Maine Medical Center for 24 years and said this virus is unlike anything she has seen before.
"We've had teenagers, we've had 20-year-olds, we have a lot of 40-year-olds and they have kids," Calvert said. "It's heartbreaking because it isn't uncommon for someone to make it into the ICU and not make it out."
The common thread is that virtually all of the patients in the intensive care unit are unvaccinated, she said.
All told, 848,862 Maine people, or 63.15% of the state's 1.3 million people, have received their final dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Denmark to give booster shots in nursing homes — 9:50 a.m.
By The Associated Press
Danish Health Minister Magnus Heunicke says residents in nursing homes will get a third shot of the COVID-19 vaccine, starting next week.
He says Denmark has seen an increase in cases in nursing homes, despite 96% of the people living there getting vaccinated.
"At the same time, they have the greatest risk of a serious course," Heunicke wrote on Twitter.
The government acted on a recommendation by the Danish Health Authority, which says the "revaccination of residents in nursing homes starts now, as they are at increased risk of a serious course of COVID-19."
Travelers from Asia visit Guam for sun, sea, and COVID shots — 9:40 a.m.
By The Washington Post
Wearing an N95 mask and face shield, Jimmy Lin lugged his bag full of instant noodles and beachwear out of Guam's modest airport one recent afternoon.
"It feels kind of surreal being here," said the 37-year-old from Taiwan, who owns a ski resort in Japan that he hasn't visited since early 2020 because of travel restrictions. "I used to travel abroad at least every other month, and then suddenly the world was closed on me."
Like thousands of Asian tourists who have visited this American outpost in the Pacific since early this summer, Lin was in Guam to get his preferred coronavirus shots - Pfizer's messenger-RNA doses - under a vaccine tourism initiative designed to offset pandemic losses.
Iran to get 'large' volume of Sinopharm COVID vaccine in days — 9:28 a.m.
By Bloomberg
Iran will receive a "large volume" of Sinopharm vaccines from China in the coming days and through September, the Iranian Foreign Ministry says in a statement, without specifying the number.
South Africa to let companies decide on mandatory vaccines — 9:19 a.m.
By The Associated Press
The South African government says it will leave it up to businesses to decide whether or not to make vaccinations mandatory for employees and clients, Health Minister Joe Phaahla said Friday.
"It is not our priority to start thinking about legislation and regulations which say every adult must vaccinate," said Phaala. "We leave it to those who run industries and services."
Restaurants, bars, grocery stores and other businesses must set their own policies on whether or not to insist that patrons must be vaccinated, he said.
The government plans to encourage people to get inoculated with incentives such as allowing soccer matches and music concerts for vaccinated people, he said. Currently, such public gatherings are not permitted under COVID-19 restrictions. Other ways to promote vaccines are currently being discussed by the department of health, he said.
Some South African companies have announced that they will make vaccinations mandatory for all employees.
After a school ordered a student to quarantine, his dad and two men confronted the principal with zip ties — 9:07 a.m.
By The Washington Post
When an Arizona school employee called a parent on Thursday to share that his son had come in close contact with someone who tested positive for the coronavirus, the dad was told his son must stay at home for at least a week.
Instead, later that morning, the man walked into Mesquite Elementary School with his son and two other men carrying zip ties before confronting the principal over the school's quarantine policy, Vail Unified School District Superintendent John Carruth told The Washington Post.
Remote Vermont school district nixing mask mandate — 9:03 a.m.
By The Associated Press
The school district in the Vermont town of Canaan is believed to be the only district in the state not to require students and staff to wear masks as suggested by the Agency of Education.
The board in the district that abuts the Canadian border and New Hampshire voted 5-1 last month to reject the state's recommended COVID-19 prevention measures, chiefly the use of face masks as school resumes.
But the board is recommending mask wearing. Masks will be required on school buses.
Canaan School Board Chairman Dan Wade said the board is not against mask wearing, but members had questions about enforcing a requirement.
Wade tells the Caledonian Record he said he contacted the Vermont School Boards Association and asked if "we can actually enforce it and that was a very questionable point at that time and the answer was 'no, I don't think we can.' "
Canaan Superintendent Karen Conroy said they have been promoting vaccinations and an anonymous survey found that 86% of those who responded were vaccinated."
She said that as she walked through the the school Thursday "all of my elementary classroom teachers were wearing masks but the majority of students are not, based on their parent's choice."
Three cases of Mu variant confirmed in South Korea — 8:42 a.m.
By Bloomberg
Three cases of the mu variant were identified in South Korea from those who visited Mexico, the U.S., and Colombia, according to a statement from Korea Disease Control & Prevention Agency. Authorities will strengthen monitoring of the variant, the statement said.
Oxford COVID vaccine technology shows promise for cancer shot — 8:23 a.m.
By Bloomberg
Scientists behind the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca PlcCovid-19 shot are using the same technology to try to develop a therapeutic cancer vaccine, with promising results seen in animal studies.
Researchers from Oxford's Jenner Institute and the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research have designed a two-dose therapeutic cancer vaccine using technology involved in the Covid-19 inoculation, the scientists said in a study published in the Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer Friday. The vaccine is set to enter human trials this year after studies in mice showed a reduction in tumor size and improved survival rate.
Brief gains in air quality in 2020 over COVID lockdowns, UN says — 5:42 a.m.
By The Associated Press
The U.N. weather agency says the world — and especially urban areas — experienced a brief, sharp drop in emissions of air pollutants last year amid lockdown measures and related travel restrictions put in place over the coronavirus pandemic.
The World Meteorological Organization, releasing its first ever Air Quality and Climate Bulletin on Friday, cautioned that the reductions in pollution were patchy — and many parts of the world showed levels that outpaced air quality guidelines. Some types of pollutants continued to emerge at regular or even higher levels.
"COVID-19 proved to be an unplanned air-quality experiment, and it did lead to temporary localized improvements," said Petteri Taalas, the WMO secretary-general. "But a pandemic is not a substitute for sustained and systematic action to tackle major drivers of both population and climate change and so safeguard the health of both people and planet."
The Geneva-based agency noted an "unprecedented decrease" in pollutant emissions as many governments restricted gatherings, closed schools, and imposed lockdowns.
WMO cited in particular drops of up to nearly 70% in average nitrous oxide levels during full lockdown measures last year, compared to the same periods from 2015 to 2019. But ozone levels, for example, stayed at similar levels or even rose.
EU, AstraZeneca reach deal to end vaccine delivery dispute — 4:53 a.m.
By The Associated Press
BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union says it's reached an agreement with drugmaker AstraZeneca to end their legal battle over the slow delivery of the Anglo-Swedish company's coronavirus vaccine.
The EU's executive branch, the European Commission, said Friday that AstraZeneca made a "firm commitment" to deliver a total of 300 million vaccine doses by March next year.
The commission says it involves the pharmaceutical company providing 135 million doses by the end of this year plus another 65 million doses in the first quarter of 2022.
Brussels says the deliveries would respect an advance purchasing agreement the EU reached with AstraZeneca a year ago. Tens of millions of doses already have been supplied to EU member nations, but not as many as the 27-nation bloc expected.
A Belgian court ruled in June that AstraZeneca had committed a "serious breach" of its contract with the EU. But the company said the ruling showed that "AstraZeneca has fully complied with its agreement" with the European Commission.
AstraZeneca was seen as a key pillar of the EU's vaccine rollout. The legal tussle over delivery obligations tarnished the company's image, but the commission has no issue with the quality of the firm's vaccines.
Britain sends Australia 4 million Pfizer doses in swap deal — 1:44 a.m.
By The Associated Press
CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Britain is rushing 4 million Pfizer doses to Australia, where authorities are scrambling to bolster supplies of that COVID-19 vaccine and protect the population against a rapidly spreading outbreak of the delta variant.
The swap deal announced Friday follows Australian deals with Singapore and Poland to address a short-term Pfizer shortage.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the British shots would leave Britain on Saturday and double Australia's Pfizer supplies in September.
Idaho hospitals nearly buckling in relentless COVID surge — 1:23 a.m.
By The Associated Press
The intensive care rooms at St. Luke's Boise Medical Center are full, each a blinking jungle of tubes, wires and mechanical breathing machines. The patients nestled inside are a lot alike: All unvaccinated, mostly middle-aged, paralyzed and sedated, reliant on life support and locked in a silent struggle against COVID-19.
But watch for a moment, and glimpses of who they were before the coronavirus become clear.
Idaho hit a grim COVID-19 trifecta this week, reaching record numbers of emergency room visits, hospitalizations and ICU patients. Medical experts say the deeply conservative state will likely see 30,000 new infections a week by mid-September.
Sept. 2, 2021
Kim Jong Un orders tougher virus steps after N. Korea shuns vaccines — 11:09 p.m.
By The Associated Press
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ordered officials to wage a tougher epidemic prevention campaign in "our style" after he turned down some foreign COVID-19 vaccines offered via the U.N.-backed immunization program.
During a Politburo meeting Thursday, Kim said officials must "bear in mind that tightening epidemic prevention is the task of paramount importance which must not be loosened even a moment," the official Korean Central News Agency reported Friday.
US hospitalizations focus on children, teens — 10:05 p.m.
By Bloomberg
Young Americans through age 17 are the only group showing an upward trend in per-capita hospitalizations for Covid-19, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. Weekly average admissions during the seven days through Tuesday rose 11% to the highest level yet.
By contrast, the same weekly measure fell 4.5% among the 18-29 age group. Both groups had been rising steadily since July. Covid hospitalizations for all U.S. age groups declined 1.7% during the period.
Among the 0-17 age group, a four-state region comprising Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska led the U.S. with a rate of increase almost triple the national average. The CDC cautioned that the data may be subject to reporting delays.
Florida governor appeals ruling on masks in schools — 9:13 p.m.
By The Associated Press
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has appealed a judge's ruling that the governor exceeded his authority by ordering school boards not to impose strict mask requirements on students to combat the spread of the coronavirus.
The governor's lawyers took their case Thursday to the 1st District Court of Appeal in Tallahassee. DeSantis wants the appeals court to reverse last week's decision by Leon County Circuit Judge John C. Cooper, which essentially gave Florida's 67 school boards the power to impose a student mask mandate without parental consent.
Surge in COVID patients taxes Springfield hospital group — 8:44 p.m.
By Felice J. Freyer, Globe Staff
The Delta variant, spreading rapidly in a county where nearly half the population is unvaccinated, has sent a staggering influx of COVID-19 patients to BayState Health, the dominant health care provider in Western Massachusetts.
The Springfield-based hospital group is now caring for more people sick with the coronavirus than even the big Boston hospitals. BayState's four hospitals had 89 COVID-19 patients on Thursday. In contrast, Massachusetts General Hospital, the state's largest, had just 32.
Data shows Florida's latest COVID surge the deadliest yet — 8:03 p.m.
By The Associated Press
Florida is reporting its deadliest peak in daily death rates since the start of the pandemic, surpassing previous coronavirus surges in the state, according to federal data published Thursday.
Data provided by the state to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveals that at least eight days in August produced more daily deaths than during the last peak of the pandemic in August 2020. The typical lag times in the reporting of deaths means the true toll of the pandemic can take weeks to emerge.
US says high vaccination areas protect children — 6:42 p.m.
By The Associated Press
U.S. states with high COVID-19 vaccination rates are protecting children from hospitalization, according to an analysis by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"Cases, emergency room visits and hospitalizations are much lower among children in communities with higher vaccination rates," CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said Thursday at a White House briefing.
In August, the hospitalization rate among children was nearly four times higher in states with the lowest vaccine coverage compared to states with high coverage, Walensky said.
The hospitalization rate in unvaccinated adolescents was nearly 10 times higher in July than among fully vaccinated adolescents, Walensky said, citing a second study. Both papers are set to be published Friday in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Children under age 12 are not yet eligible for the shots. Vaccination of adults and teens slows the spread of the virus in a community, making it less likely a child will catch it from someone close to them.
Moderna says no evidence yet between vaccine particles and Japan deaths — 5:37 p.m.
By Bloomberg
Moderna and its Japanese partner Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. said there is currently no evidence linking the deaths of two men in Japan to stainless steel particles found in vials of the Moderna vaccine.
The deaths are currently considered coincidental, pending the end of a formal investigation, the drug makers said in a joint statement Wednesday.
The suspension of 1.6 million Moderna shots last week in Japan drew more scrutiny when the health ministry said Saturday that two men who had received shots from one of the halted lots had died.
Missouri doctors fear new child COVID-19 wave — 5:15 p.m.
By The Associated Press
Children are making up an increasing number of patients filling Missouri hospitals during the summer COVID-19 surge, and some doctors worry that the return to school will lead to more illnesses.
The fast-spreading delta variant combined with low vaccination rates across Missouri to create a new wave of the COVID-19 outbreak that began in June and still persists. One difference this time: Children are more prone to get sick.
The number of children in the St. Louis region hospitalized with COVID-19 reached a record 31 on Wednesday before dipping slightly to 27 on Thursday. Ten of the sick children, ages 18 and under, remain in intensive care units.
In the Kansas City area, Children's Mercy Hospital reached its capacity on Monday. Dr. Barbara Pahud, director of research for infectious diseases, urged parents to have their kids take precautions as they return to school, including vaccinations for those 12 and older.
Hospital leaders in Springfield are also worried about the ramifications of thousands of unmasked students gathering in schools — only a handful of southwestern Missouri districts require masks.
Conn. records 305 COVID-19 cases in schools over last week — 4:54 p.m.
By The Associated Press
Connecticut schools recorded 305 cases of COVID-19 during what for many was the first week of fall classes, including 247 among students, state officials said Thursday.
There have been 58 cases reported among school staff since last Wednesday, including 34 that were diagnosed in people who were vaccinated, according to a weekly report from the state Department of Public Health.
Of the 247 cases involving public and private students in kindergarten through 12th grade, 21 involved vaccinated children, according to the report.
The governor's office also released its weekly update on coronavirus-related deaths in the state, adding 39 since last Thursday. That brings the total in Connecticut to 8,394 during the pandemic.
The seven-day rolling average of daily new cases in Connecticut has risen over the past two weeks from 619.86 on Aug. 17 to 664.57 on Aug. 31, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
With just a week until Boston schools reopen, less than a quarter of students have consented to weekly coronavirus testing — 4:33 p.m.
By Felicia Gans, Globe Staff
Just a week before Boston students are set to begin the school year, less than a quarter of the city's public school students have submitted consent forms to participate in weekly coronavirus testing, a key mitigation strategy that city leaders say will help keep school buildings open and safe this coming year.
On Thursday, city and district leaders urged families to give consent to get the free testing. The city has only received signed forms for about 11,000 students, Superintendent Brenda Cassellius said during a press conference at City Hall alongside other city and school leaders. There were 51,869 students enrolled in Boston Public Schools for the 2021-22 year as of Aug. 18.
US hospitals hit with nurse staffing crisis amid COVID surge — 4:12 p.m.
By The Associated Press
The COVID-19 pandemic has created a nurse staffing crisis that is forcing many U.S. hospitals to pay top dollar to get the help they need to handle the crush of patients this summer.
The problem, health leaders say, is twofold: Nurses are quitting or retiring, exhausted or demoralized by the crisis. And many are leaving for lucrative temporary jobs with traveling-nurse agencies that can pay $5,000 or more a week.
It's gotten to the point where doctors are saying, "Maybe I should quit being a doctor and go be a nurse," said Dr. Phillip Coule, chief medical officer at Georgia's Augusta University Medical Center, which has on occasion seen 20 to 30 resignations in a week from nurses taking traveling jobs.
Americans will 'likely' need third COVID-19 shot to be considered fully vaccinated, Fauci says — 3:58 p.m.
By The Associated Press
Dr. Anthony Fauci says it is "likely" Americans will need to get a third dose of vaccine to be considered fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Fauci spoke at a White House briefing, saying a final determination would be made by the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, the nation's top infections disease expert says his professional experience leads him to believe a third dose of mRNA vaccines will be required to provide long-term protection against the coronavirus.
The U.S. is preparing for boosters for all Americans who received the mRNA vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna between five and eight months after their second dose, pending approval by the FDA. The U.S. is still studying the need for a booster dose of the single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
A formal determination of the third dose for "full vaccination'" would have broad implications for schools, businesses and other entities with vaccine mandates.
White House COVID-19 coordinator Jeff Zients says the federal government will bring the "same intensity" to encouraging Americans to get booster shots as it did for the initial vaccination campaign.
Boston Marathon runners will need proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative test this year — 3:47 p.m.
By Nik DeCosta-Klipa, Boston.com
The Boston Athletic Association is implementing additional COVID-19 safety precautions for the postponed and pared-down Boston Marathon next month.
BAA officials announced Thursday that those running in the 125th race Oct. 11 must either provide proof of vaccination or produce a negative COVID-19 test.
To get a bracelet that must be worn to get access to the bib pickup areas and race-day transportation, participants will need to show a paper copy, digital copy, or photo showing that they received all required doses of a World Health Organization-certified vaccine or submit to an on-site COVID-19 test at a Boston Marathon medical tent.
Is one of the vaccines best at preventing COVID? Experts say no, even as new data emerge — 3:00 p.m.
By Anissa Gardizy, Globe staff
Recent studies comparing the performance of different COVID-19 vaccines are leading some people to wonder: Did I get the right one?
If you have questions about which vaccine provides longer-lasting protection or prevents breakthrough infections better, you're not alone. The answers, however, are not clear cut.
Maine governor gives health workers more time to get vaccinated — 2:58 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Maine Gov. Janet Mills announced Thursday that she's giving health care more time to get mandated COVID-19 vaccinations, and providing $146 million to help health care organizations recruit more employees.
The state will retain the original Oct. 1 deadline but won't enforce the mask mandate for health care workers until Oct. 29, the governor said.
The $146 million will help long-term health care organizations like nursing homes recruit and retain vaccinated workers, she said.
"My goal is that every health care worker in Maine is vaccinated. Anyone who is placed in the care of a health care worker has the right to expect – as do their families – that they will receive high-quality, safe care from fully vaccinated staff," the governor said in a statement.
The new timeline allows workers to get both doses of Pfizer vaccine, which is now approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
The state also procured 10,000 additional doses of the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine that it has prioritized for health care workers.
URI issues COVID-19 vaccine mandate for faculty, some staff — 12:57 p.m.
By Brian Amaral, Globe Staff
The University of Rhode Island announced Thursday that it will require all faculty and non-classified staff to provide proof of a COVID-19 vaccination by Oct. 15, or request a medical or religious exemption.
Employees who get exemptions have to do twice-weekly surveillance testing and remain physically distanced from others, the state university said. Unvaccinated staff will also be required to quarantine or isolate if they're exposed to or test positive for COVID-19.
Ex-Alabama player, Jacksonville State coach Jim Fuller dies from complications due to COVID-19 — 12:53 p.m.
By The Associated Press
Former Alabama player and assistant coach Jim Fuller, who worked as both athletic director and head coach for Jacksonville State, has died after suffering from complications due to COVID-19. He was 76.
Fuller died Wednesday night at his home in Texas, Jacksonville State athletic director Greg Seitz said Thursday.
Fuller was an offensive tackle for coach Bear Bryant's national championship teams at Alabama in 1964 and 1965.
He was Jacksonville State's head coach from 1977-83, winning four Gulf South Conference championships and leading the Gamecocks to the Division II championship game in 1977.
Fuller's teams made the Division II playoffs four times. He then left to coach Alabama's offensive line and was an assistant on the 1992 national championship team.
Fuller was Jacksonville State's athletic director from 2003-08 and is a member of the school's Hall of Fame.
"We are saddened to learn of the passing of Coach Jim Fuller," Seitz said. "He was instrumental in several conference championships during his time at Jacksonville State, both as a coach and as an administrator.
"He was a true Gamecock that was loved by so many in our community, alumni and fan base. He will be sorely missed."
Nebraska coordinates patient transfers as COVID overwhelms the health-care system — 12:30 p.m.
By Bloomberg
Nebraska is re-establishing a special center to coordinate patient transfers between stressed hospitals as Covid-19 overwhelms the health-care system again, the Omaha World-Herald reports. The state last week declared a hospital staffing emergency. Nebraska's larger hospitals currently report daily occupancy rates of 85% to 100%, reflecting both Covid-19 and other admissions, the newspaper reported.
French children back to school, wearing masks — 12:22 p.m.
By The Associated Press
Twelve million children in France are back to school and wearing masks.
They must wear a mask from age 6 because of rules aimed at slowing down the spread of the delta variant of the coronavirus. France is averaging about 17,000 confirmed cases each day, down from more than 23,000 in mid-August.
French President Emmanuel Macron visited a primary school in the southern city of Marseille. He was greeted with a fist bump by children and teachers. He praised it "a victory" to open school, saying "we must continue to live, educate and learn with the virus."
Macron urged teenagers to get the vaccine, open to those 12 and older. Schools are organizing vaccinations for those who want to get the shot. More than 63% of people aged 12-17 have received at least one shot, and 47% are fully vaccinated.
Along with other European countries, many in France are concerned the end of the summer break will bring a new surge in cases in schools and other locations.
Las Vegas school board votes to require teachers and other employees be vaccinated for COVID-19 — 12:21 p.m.
By The Associated Press
The governing board of the school district serving metro Las Vegas has voted to require teachers and other employees be vaccinated for COVID-19.
The 5-1 vote by the Board of Trustees of the Clark County School District to impose the mandate came Thursday. District Superintendent Jesus Jara will next draw up a plan to implement the mandate.
Officials say the plan will include a process for requesting exemption from the vaccination requirement for either medical conditions or religious beliefs.
"We are experiencing a substantial surge in COVID-19 infections in our entire community," Jara says. "COVID-19 knows no geographical limitations. The district has an obligation to protect the health of our children, our staff and the public that we serve, from this virus."
For families with young children, vaccines are not an option — 12:20 p.m.
By The New York Times
President Joe Biden has declared the current coronavirus surge a "pandemic of the unvaccinated."
But as the United States confronts its worst moment of the pandemic since the winter, there is a group of 48 million people who do not have the option of getting a vaccine: children younger than 12.
Because a vaccine is not yet authorized for young children and may not be for some time, their families are left in a particularly difficult position heading into this school year.
"Waiting for a vaccine for the under-12 set has started to feel like waiting for Godot," said Dana Gilbert, 49, of Minneapolis.
Prime Minister says Italy will eventually make vaccine compulsory — 12:07 p.m.
By Bloomberg
Italy will eventually make vaccination compulsory, Prime Minister Mario Draghi said at a press conference in Rome on Thursday.
Italy will also start administering a third vaccine shot from later this month, Health Minister Roberto Speranza said, adding that the campaign will start from those with a weak immune system. Speranza stressed that vaccination is already required for health workers, and that this requirement could be expanded to other groups.
The country expanded the use of the European Union's vaccine passport, the so-called "green pass," this month, and will continue adding activities and venues for which it is required.
A green pass is now needed to eat indoors at restaurants, to visit museums and cinemas, and to board planes and long distance trains. A "green pass" is proof of vaccination, of a recent negative Covid-19 test or of recent recovery from the virus.
Draghi sounded upbeat on Italy's vaccination campaign, saying he was confident that a target to inoculate 80% of the population by end September would be reached. As of this week, 7 out of 10 Italians over 12 are fully vaccinated.
NBA tells teams vaccinated players won't need regular tests — 11:57 a.m.
By The Associated Press
Fully vaccinated NBA players and coaches are not expected to be subject to regular coronavirus testing this season, the league told its teams Thursday.
Exceptions to that policy will include situations such as a player or coach showing symptoms generally associated with the coronavirus or being exposed to an unvaccinated player who tests positive for COVID-19.
Those who are not fully vaccinated will need to be tested on all days involving practice or travel and likely will be tested twice on game days. They'll also have to wear masks at team facilities and during travel.
And everyone, regardless of vaccination status, will be expected to submit to an antibody test before the season "to better identify individuals with a limited or waning immune response to vaccination," the league said.
It is still unclear if players will need to be tested on off days, the league said.
Players, vaccinated or not, who return a positive or inconclusive test result again will be required to isolate immediately. It would likely be for 10 days if those test results are eventually confirmed as positive.
Teams will likely have to arrange seating in almost all situations — travel, meals, meetings, even locker-room setups — to ensure that players who are not fully vaccinated are not seated directly next to another player.
US shipping enough monoclonals to treat 1-in-5 COVID cases — 11:49 a.m.
By Bloomberg
U.S. shipments of monoclonal antibody therapeutics for Covid-19 have surged during the latest wave of infections, with the government distributing one treatment for every five cases.
The U.S. shipped 200,513 doses for the week of Aug. 18, a five-fold increase from a month earlier, according to the latest data provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In the same period, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported just shy of a million new cases.
Another study indicates Moderna's vaccine generates higher antibody levels than Pfizer's — 11:05 a.m.
By Jonathan Saltzman, Globe Staff
For the second time in four days, researchers have found that Moderna's vaccine for COVID-19 generated significantly higher antibody levels in recipients than a similar vaccine made by Pfizer-BioNTech, although not as dramatic a difference as the first study reported.
In addition, Pfizer's vaccine stimulated roughly 50 percent lower antibody levels in older adults than in younger adults, according to the study by University of Virginia researchers published Thursday. In contrast, said a letter to JAMA Network Open reporting the results, Moderna's vaccine generated the same levels regardless of age.
Israel reports record new COVID cases — 11:03 a.m.
By Bloomberg
Israel reported a record of 11,187 new cases, topping the previous record of 11,140 recorded earlier in the week. The percentage of positive tests rose to 7.92%, the highest for the current wave of infections, but only about half the rate at the end of last September.
Serious cases declined to 666, well below levels recorded at the beginning of the year. There were 13 new deaths, also well below the records recorded in January. In total, 7,090 have died since the beginning of the pandemic.
Israel had one of the earliest vaccine drives, and health officials said this week that the effects of the shots weaken five months after inoculation. The country started giving booster shots and eligibility has been gradually expanded to include the entire population aged 12 and over.
China's flight curbs may last to 2022 — 11:00 a.m.
By Bloomberg
China's top three airlines told analysts the government's tight restrictions on international flights could last into the first half of next year due to Covid-prevention measures ahead of the Beijing Winter Olympics in February, HSBC Holdings Plc said. The continuation of curbs means a full international travel recovery isn't likely until 2024.
Non-COVID infections rose in hospitals strained by virus in 2020 — 10:38 a.m.
By Bloomberg
U.S. hospitals faced a surge in many other kinds of infections as Covid-19 taxed health-care capacity across the country last year, according to a new report from federal researchers.
Four types of health-care infections commonly tracked as core measures of hospital quality increased significantly in 2020, compared with what would have been expected based on prior years' rates, researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported in a journal article Thursday.
Biden's booster plan seen facing resistance from CDC panel, FDA — 10:31 a.m.
By Bloomberg
Medical experts who advise U.S. regulators on vaccines are chafing at what they perceive as political interference in the review process by the Biden administration.
Last month, the White House announced plans to begin distributing Covid-19 booster shots to Americans Sept. 20. However, the effort still needs the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to sign off. Members of a key panel that advises the CDC on vaccines have pushed back consideration of the plan to mid-September and said this week they were concerned that politics was getting ahead of the process.
Rising India cases raise fears of third wave — 10:20 a.m.
By Bloomberg
India's increase in daily case numbers is raising concerns of a possible third wave. The country reported 47,092 new cases, including 509 deaths, on Thursday, marking the highest daily infections in two months. This is driven by surging numbers in the southern state of Kerala, which has contributed 70% of the total.
Long-COVID risk reduced by 49% in double vaccinated, study finds — 10:15 a.m.
By Bloomberg
New data from the U.K.'s Zoe Study suggest that those who are fully vaccinated have lower risk of long-term symptoms and fewer near-term symptoms, according to Bloomberg Intelligence's Sam Fazeli.
Separate studies show fully vaccinated people may be less infectious than those who haven't been vaccinated, and a reduction in mutation frequency of the virus in countries with high vaccination rates.
Bulgaria issues stricter pandemic measures after rise in COVID cases — 10:13 a.m.
By The Associated Press
Bulgaria's health minister says the country will introduce stricter control measures for the coming two months because of a rise in coronavirus cases.
Stoycho Katsarov says the situation is serious but still not out of control. Katsarov says the school year will start on Sept. 15 with in-person classes but might switch to online learning if the coronavirus situation deteriorates.
He says remote work is recommended where possible. Language centers, as well as dance and art schools remain open, but with limited attendance. Restaurants and cafes will be open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Only six people per table can be seated and the staff must wear masks. Nightclubs and discos will be closed.
Bulgaria has seen a surge of daily virus cases over the past month, while only 17 percent of the Balkan country's 7 million people have been fully vaccinated, placing it last in the European Union.
Norwegian Prime Minister calls situation "challenging" after country sees spike in new cases in recent days — 10:11 a.m.
By The Associated Press
Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg called the situation in her country "challenging" and says they had "miscalculated and therefore now were addressing the situation" after the Scandinavian country in recent days has seen a spike in new cases, chiefly among those ages 13 to 19.
"There is now a lot of infection among children and young people," says Solberg, adding school children aged between 12 and 15 would be offered one shot of a vaccine.
She says the infection was unevenly distributed across Norway and "we believe it is right to meet local outbreaks with local measures."
A further opening of Norway is on hold until more adults receive the vaccine.
Sweetgreen CEO criticized after connecting the pandemic to unhealthy eating: 'Incredibly fat-phobic' — 9:43 a.m.
Vaccines and masks won't save us from the pandemic, Jonathan Neman wrote, but the Sweetgreen CEO has a solution: outlaw junk food.
Neman, whose chain of 100-plus restaurants sells salads for $10 to $15 a pop, published a LinkedIn post Tuesday suggesting that obesity is the "root cause" of health problems - including severe covid-19 infections.
"[Seventy-eight percent] of hospitalizations due to COVID are Obese and Overweight people. Is there an underlying problem that perhaps we have not given enough attention to?" he wrote, appearing to cite March Centers for Disease Control and Prevention coronavirus hospitalization data.
Man arrested after New Zealand quarantine escape — 6:06 a.m.
By The Associated Press
A man in New Zealand who had tested positive for the coronavirus faces criminal charges after he escaped from an Auckland quarantine hotel and returned home, according to authorities.
In New Zealand, people who test positive for the virus are routinely required to isolate in hotels run by the military. Authorities believe the man escaped early Thursday and was on the run for about 12 hours before police — dressed in full protective gear — arrested him about 10 kilometers (6 miles) away.
COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins told reporters it wasn't yet clear how the man escaped the hotel, although closed circuit cameras showed a man hiding in a bush when a security guard walked past.
Under a new COVID-19 law passed last year, the man could face a fine or up to six months in jail if found guilty of failing to comply with a health order. New Zealand is currently battling an outbreak of the delta variant in Auckland.
A man in New Zealand who had tested positive for the coronavirus faces criminal charges after he escaped from an Auckland quarantine hotel and returned home, according to authorities.
In New Zealand, people who test positive for the virus are routinely required to isolate in hotels run by the military. Authorities believe the man escaped early Thursday and was on the run for about 12 hours before police — dressed in full protective gear — arrested him about 10 kilometers (6 miles) away.
COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins told reporters it wasn't yet clear how the man escaped the hotel, although closed circuit cameras showed a man hiding in a bush when a security guard walked past.
Under a new COVID-19 law passed last year, the man could face a fine or up to six months in jail if found guilty of failing to comply with a health order. New Zealand is currently battling an outbreak of the delta variant in Auckland.
Newton School Committee issues vaccine mandate for school employees — 1:47 a.m.
By Nick Stoico, Globe Correspondent
Educators and employees in Newton's public schools will be required to receive a COVID-19 vaccine by Oct. 15 after the city's school committee approved a mandate Wednesday night.
The mandate allows some exemptions for medical and religious reasons. Staff members who are exempt must submit to weekly testing provided by the school or show official proof of a weekly negative test.
"We think this is the best way to keep students and faculty safe, and to keep students in school," said Ruth Goldman, the school committee chairwoman. "Our top priority is a full in-person return for all of our students and our employees, and the best way to do that is to have [as many people] vaccinated as humanly possible."
Couple convicted in $18m COVID-19 relief scam now on the run — 12:40 a.m.
By The Associated Press
A Los Angeles couple who were convicted of helping steal $18 million in COVID-19 relief funds are on the lam after cutting off their ankle monitors, the FBI said.
Richard Ayvazyan, 43, and his wife, Marietta Terabelian, 37, are considered fugitives, an FBI tweet said Tuesday.
The couple, Ayvazyan's brother and a Glendale man were convicted in June of scheming to submit phony loan applications for federal COVID-19 business relief funds. They were scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 4 and were potentially facing decades in federal prison.
Four other people had pleaded guilty to various charges in what prosecutors said was a scheme that involved using fake or stolen identities to apply for loans guaranteed by the Small Business Administration to help businesses struggling because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The money obtained was used for down payments on luxury homes and to buy "gold coins, diamonds, jewelry, luxury watches, fine imported furnishings, designer handbags, clothing, and a Harley-Davidson motorcycle," according to a June 29 announcement from the U.S. attorney's office.
Sept. 2, 2021
Chaim Bloom had few concrete answers when asked repeatedly about Red Sox' COVID-19 outbreak — 10:20 p.m.
By Peter Abraham
Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom met with reporters via video conference on Wednesday. His hope was to avoid too many questions about the team's COVID-19 outbreak.
"Before this turns into the biggest cellphone in Red Sox media history, you can tell me how stupid I was to try to be the pincushion here," Bloom told vice president of media relations Kevin Gregg before the session started.
"All good," Gregg said.
In a video accidentally uploaded to a team website, Bloom said team president Sam Kennedy told him not to allow the interview to be too focused on vaccinations.
Eviction bans may be legally dubious — 9:43 p.m.
Zoe Greenberg and Tim Logan, Globe Staff
Boston on Tuesday became the latest city to ban evictions during the pandemic, following last week's Supreme Court decision that overturned a nationwide eviction moratorium. But critics — including some landlords, attorneys, and real estate industry groups ― say the moratoriums are legally dubious and distract from sunu to funnel rental aid to tenants and landlords.
Even housing advocates acknowledge that local bans, which were already in effect in Malden and Somerville, are a stopgap measure at best. They are calling for a more effective system of providing rent relief and legal aid, as well as legislative action to avert a wave of evictions that by one estimate could push 750,000 families nationwide from their homes in the coming months.
Breakthrough infections are less likely to lead to long COVID-19, a study suggests — 8:18 p.m.
New York Times
People who experience breakthrough infections of the coronavirus after being fully vaccinated are about 50% less likely to experience long COVID-19 than are unvaccinated people who catch the virus, researchers said in a large new report on British adults.
The study, which was published in the journal Lancet Infectious Diseases on Wednesday, also provides more evidence that the two-shot Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and AstraZeneca vaccines offer powerful protection against symptomatic and severe disease.
"This is really, I think, the first study showing that long COVID is reduced by double vaccination, and it's reduced significantly," said Dr. Claire Steves, a geriatrician at King's College London and the study's lead author.
Although many people with COVID-19 recover within a few weeks, some experience long-term symptoms, which can be debilitating. This constellation of lingering aftereffects that have become known as long COVID-19 may include fatigue, shortness of breath, brain fog, heart palpitations and other symptoms. But much about the condition remains mysterious.
Joe Rogan, podcaster who suggested COVID vaccinations weren't necessary, tests positive for virus — 7:05 p.m.
New York Times
Joe Rogan, the host of the hugely popular podcast "The Joe Rogan Experience," said Wednesday that he had tested positive for the coronavirus after he returned from a series of shows in Florida, where the virus is rampant.
Rogan, who was rebuked by federal officials last spring for suggesting on the podcast that young healthy people need not get COVID vaccinations, said that he started feeling sick Saturday night after he returned from performing in Orlando, Tampa and Fort Lauderdale.
"Throughout the night I got fevers, sweats, and I knew what was going on," he said in a video on Instagram, adding that he isolated himself from his family, staying in a different part of his house.
He took a coronavirus test the next morning that came back positive, he said.
Rogan said he was treated with a series of medications including ivermectin, a deworming veterinary drug that the Food and Drug Administration has warned COVID-19 patients against taking and that has repeatedly been shown as ineffective for them in clinical trials. He also mentioned prednisone, a steroid, and a "vitamin drip."
Misspelling of Moderna leads to tourist's arrest in Hawaii — 6:21 p.m.
By The Associated Press
A 24-year-old Illinois woman submitted a fake COVID-19 vaccination card to visit Hawaii with a glaring spelling error that led to her arrest: Moderna was spelled "Maderna," according to court documents.
In order to bypass Hawaii's 10-day traveler quarantine, she uploaded a vaccination card to the state's Safe Travels program and arrived in Honolulu Aug. 23 on a Southwest Airlines flight, the documents said.
"Airport screeners found suspicious errors ... such as Moderna was spelled wrong and that her home was in Illinois but her shot was taken at Delaware," Wilson Lau, a special agent with the Hawaii attorney general's investigation division, wrote in an email to a Delaware official who confirmed there was no record vaccination record for the woman under her name and birth date.
The email is included in documents filed in court. She was charged with two misdemeanor counts of violating Hawaii's emergency rules to control the spread of COVID-19. She had been in custody on $2,000 bail until a judge released her at a hearing Wednesday and scheduled another hearing in three weeks.
Moderna submits early data to FDA for third shot of COVID-19 vaccine — 5:15 p.m.
By Bloomberg
Moderna said that it had filed initial data with the US Food and Drug Administration for clearance of a third-dose booster shot of its COVID-19 vaccine.
In a statement on Wednesday, the company said the booster shot, using a reduced dose of 50 micrograms that is half the dose used in the existing vaccine, raised antibody levels against the delta variant by more than 40-fold in a clinical trial.
The company also said it planned to submit the data to regulators in Europe and elsewhere in the coming weeks.
URI faculty union says it's agreed to vaccination requirement — 5:10 p.m.
By Brian Amaral, Globe Staff
The union representing faculty at the University of Rhode Island said Wednesday they've reached an agreement requiring all full-time faculty to get a COVID-19 vaccine unless they have a medical or religious exemption.
"Keeping the community safe and providing the best learning environment possible is our number one goal," Miriam Reumann, the president of the URI chapter of the American Association of University Professors, said in an emailed statement. "This agreement will protect students, staff, and faculty thereby enhancing the teaching, research, and service that are so beneficial to the entire state of Rhode Island."
URI, which has several other unions representing its workers, said it could not yet comment on the agreement with the faculty union. Classes at URI start Sept. 8.
Chaim Bloom calls Red Sox' COVID outbreak 'gut-wrenching' — 5:02 p.m.
By Andrew Mahoney, Globe Staff
Speaking with the media for the first time since his post-trade deadline availability on July 30, Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom called the recent outbreak of positive COVID tests within the organization "gut-wrenching."
"We try to go to great lengths to keep these things from happening, and then to see what's happening now, it's really hard. This goes beyond baseball," said Bloom.
Canada's Ontario province to require vaccine certificates — 4:08 p.m.
By The Associated Press
Ontario on Wednesday became the fourth Canadian province to announce residents will have to show proof of vaccination against COVID-19 to enter restaurants, theaters, gyms and other indoor public venues.
Premier Doug Ford said the vaccination certificate program will take effect Sept. 22.
"I know this is what we have to do right now in the face of this fourth wave," Ford told a news conference.
Initially, residents will show a PDF or printout of the vaccination receipt they received when they got their COVID-19 shots, along with a government-issued piece of ID such as a photo health card or driver's license.
The province is expected to launch a system in late October that will send everyone a QR code to accompany their vaccination receipt. It will also launch an app that will allow service providers to scan the QR codes as proof of vaccination.
British Columbia, Quebec and Manitoba have also implemented some form of vaccine certificate program.
Red Sox issue new rules on mask-wearing at Fenway Park in light of citywide mandate — 4:07 p.m.
By Michael Silverman, Globe Staff
When the next Red Sox homestand begins Friday against Cleveland, fans will need to keep their masks handy, if not on their faces, for the duration of their visit to Fenway Park.
A citywide mask mandate for indoor spaces intended to combat the spread of COVID-19 went into effect last Friday, with the Red Sox on the road. After the Aug. 20 announcement of the mandate, the Red Sox consulted with the City of Boston to clarify which spaces at Fenway Park qualified as indoor.
Infielder Yairo Muñoz joins list of Red Sox players to test positive for COVID — 3:52 p.m.
By Andrew Mahoney, Globe Staff
Yairo Muñoz is the latest member of the Red Sox to test positive for COVID, according to manager Alex Cora, who revealed the news in an interview on WEEI on Wednesday.
"We're scrambling right now roster-wise, making phone calls, and see what we're going to do," said Cora. "We've just got to keep competing. I know it's hard from afar and all that, but we're still in the middle of the pennant race or the wild-card race and we've still got a shot, so we have to find a way."
Switzerland captain Granit Xhaka tests positive for COVID-19 — 3:11 p.m.
By The Associated Press
Switzerland captain Granit Xhaka tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday and is a doubt for a World Cup qualifying game against European champion Italy.
The Swiss soccer federation announced the news after Xhaka was not in the lineup to play a warmup game against Greece on Wednesday evening. It would have been his 99th game for the national team ahead of hosting Italy on Sunday in Basel.
Xhaka showed symptoms in the morning and, after a rapid test returned a negative result, a subsequent PCR test revealed the infection, the Swiss federation said.
He is due to have another PCR test on Thursday.
The Swiss federation said other players in the squad were either vaccinated or had recovered from COVID-19 and did not need to be isolated.
It was unclear if Xhaka has been vaccinated.
The Arsenal midfielder was already due to serve a suspension when he returns to the club after being sent off at the weekend in a 5-0 loss at Manchester City.
WHO leader opposes 'widespread' use of boosters — 2:51 p.m.
By The Associated Press
The head of the World Health Organization says he opposes "widespread use of boosters" for healthy people for now, underscoring the need to get doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to poorer countries.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus spoke in Berlin on Wednesday. He says the U.N. health agency last week witnessed the first decline in new global cases in more than two months.
He says, "this is obviously very welcome but it doesn't mean much," since many countries are still seeing steep increases and "shocking inequities" in access to vaccines.
Tedros says he's called for a moratorium on booster shots at least until the end of September "to allow those countries that are furthest behind to catch up."
He says "third doses may be necessary for the most at-risk populations, where there is evidence of waning immunity against severe disease and death." He cites the "very small group" of immunocompromised people who didn't respond sufficiently to their original shots or are no longer producing antibodies.
Tedros adds: "But for now, we do not want to see widespread use of boosters for healthy people who are fully vaccinated."
Scientific statement from Brigham doctor, other researchers looks at COVID-19 and heart failure — 2:08 p.m.
By Travis Andersen, Globe Staff
Patients who have suffered heart failure are at a heightened risk for severe outcomes if they contract COVID-19, according to a scientific statement from a research panel led by a cardiovascular specialist at Brigham and Women's Hospital.
The statement from the Heart Failure Society of America was published in the Journal of Cardiac Failure. Dr. Ankeet S. Bhatt, a clinical and research fellow at the Brigham's Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, served as lead author and co-chair of the committee that wrote the statement, along with Dr. Anuradha Lala of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
When will the Delta surge end? — 1:57 p.m.
By The New York Times
The United States has entered the fourth wave of the pandemic — or fifth, depending on which expert you ask. As the vaccination campaign lags and the contagious delta variant spreads, cases and hospitalizations are at their highest since last winter. COVID-19 deaths, too, are on a steady incline.
Oklahoma school mask mandate ban blocked, exemptions a must — 1:34 p.m.
By The Associated Press
An Oklahoma judge on Wednesday said she will temporarily block a state law banning public school mask mandates, but students or their parents can opt-out of the requirement if they choose.
Judge Natalie Mai said she will issue a temporary injunction that will go into effect next week when she issues a written order detailing her ruling. Mai said she is blocking the law because it applies only to public, not private, schools and that schools adopting a mask mandate must provide an option for parents or students to opt out of the requirement.
The ruling drew praise from Gov. Kevin Stitt, who signed the law and opposes mask mandates without exemptions, and Dr. Mary Clarke, president of the Oklahoma State Medical Association, which joined the lawsuit brought by four parents who oppose the law.
"This is a victory for parental choice, personal responsibility and the rule of law," Stitt said in a statement.
Apple asks all US employees to report vaccination status — 1:09 p.m.
By Bloomberg
Apple Inc. is asking all U.S. employees to report their vaccination status, marking the latest move in a Covid-19 campaign that has stopped short of mandating shots.
The iPhone maker has asked the employees to report their status "voluntarily" by mid-September, regardless of whether they are working remotely or from an office. The company said it's using the data to inform its Covid-19 response efforts and protocols. Apple previously asked employees in California, Washington and New Jersey for this information to comply with local regulations.
"As Apple's Covid-19 response continues to evolve, our primary focus remains keeping our team members, their friends and families, and our entire community healthy," Apple said in the memo. It set a deadline of Friday, Sept. 17.
An Apple spokesperson didn't respond to a request for comment.
When might COVID-19 vaccines be cleared for children younger than 12? — 12:56 p.m.
By Amanda Kaufman, Globe Staff
As COVID-19 infections continue to rise across the population due to the highly transmissible Delta variant and children begin to return to school, many parents are asking the same question: When will my child be able to get vaccinated?
Moderna and Pfizer launched clinical trials of the vaccines for children younger than 12 earlier this year. That data will be submitted to the Food and Drug Administration for officials to review before granting emergency use clearance in the younger age group.
Here's what we know about when the vaccines might be approved for children younger than 12.
Baker administration to require COVID-19 vaccinations for long-term care and home care workers — 12:52 p.m.
By Martin Finucane, Globe Staff
All staff at rest homes, assisted living residences, and hospice programs, as well as home care workers will be required to get a coronavirus vaccination by Oct. 31, the Baker administration announced Wednesday.
The plan is part of the Baker administration's effort to protect older adults against the coronavirus, the Executive Office of Health and Human Services said in a statement.
The plan follows an earlier announcement by the Baker administration that vaccines would be required for workers at skilled nursing facilities.
Arizona banned school mask mandates. Now some kids are sick and parents are angry — 12:48 p.m.
By The New York Times
Only weeks after Arizona's students went back to school, coronavirus infections are forcing thousands of children and teachers into quarantine. School outbreaks around Phoenix are surging. In one suburban district, so many drivers are sick that school buses are running 90 minutes late.
All this in a state that ignored recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and banned school mask mandates weeks before classes resumed.
Unvaccinated Americans shouldn't travel during Labor Day weekend, CDC says — 12:35 p.m.
By The Washington Post
Those who are not fully vaccinated against covid-19 should avoid travel over the upcoming holiday weekend, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director Rochelle Walensky said.
"First and foremost, if you are unvaccinated, we would recommend not traveling," she said in response to a question at a White House briefing Tuesday.
That has long been the position of the agency, which recommends that people delay domestic travel and not travel internationally until they are fully vaccinated. Walensky reiterated the guidance that people who are fully vaccinated, and wearing masks, can travel - but she added a caveat.
"Although given where we are with disease transmission right now, we would say that people need to take these risks into their own consideration as they think about traveling," she said.
Walensky noted that even vaccinated people should wear masks in public indoor settings and that gathering outdoors with others who are vaccinated will help prevent transmission.
She did suggest one type of local trip for unvaccinated Americans.
"Talk with family and friends who are still unvaccinated about the benefits of the vaccine and consider taking them to get vaccinated over the long holiday weekend," she said.
Long COVID affects almost a third of teenagers, UK study finds — 11:49 a.m.
By Bloomberg
Almost a third of teens experience coronavirus symptoms three months after diagnosis, according to a U.K. study that suggests long Covid also afflicts the young.
The children aged 11 to 17 reported persistent symptoms such as fatigue and shortness of breath, according to the study led by University College London and Public Health England. The findings were published in pre-print form, meaning they weren't peer-reviewed.
The U.K. is one of the few countries in Europe not offering Covid vaccines to children aged between 12 and 15 and the findings probably won't sway regulators on the matter because more research is needed, Liz Whittaker, one of the report's authors from Imperial College London, said at a briefing.
The scientists drew data from about 7,000 responses to a questionnaire, selecting youngsters who were tested between January and March. They compared those who tested positive to a control group that had a negative test but reported Covid-like symptoms that could be triggered by other infections.
The U.K. only authorizes Covid vaccines for kids between 12 and 15 who have underlying health conditions such as Down syndrome, or who live with adults with compromised immune systems. France, by contrast, makes it difficult for that age group to forgo vaccination by requiring them to show proof of immunity to go to movies, restaurants and practice sports.
Tens of billions of dollars in pandemic aid for hospitals and nursing homes sits unused — 11:25 a.m.
By The Washington Post
Tens of billions of dollars designated by Congress to help hospitals, nursing homes and other health-care providers stave off financial hardship from the coronavirus pandemic are sitting unused, because the Biden administration has not released the money.
As many hospitals bulge again with covid-19 patients, a wide swath of the health-care industry is exasperated that federal health officials have not made available any more of the aid since President Joe Biden took office. About $44 billion from a Provider Relief Fund created last year remains unspent, along with $8.5 billion Congress allotted in March for medical care in rural areas.
COVID hospital admissions fall for first time since June in US — 11:12 a.m.
By Bloomberg
Hospital admissions of Covid-19 patients in the U.S. are declining for the first time since late June, a sign that the latest surge may have peaked -- at least for now.
The seven-day average of new daily admissions with confirmed Covid fell 2.4% from a week earlier to 12,280, the first such drop since June 27, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
The national decline is driven by falling numbers in recent hot spots -- Florida, Texas and the Deep South.
While it may be ebbing, the latest wave has upended hopes that the U.S. had begun to put the pandemic behind it. Inoculations prevented a much worse sitiation, protecting those who got them. But the more contagious delta variant found many of the millions of people still susceptible, sending deaths rising anew.
There's no guarantee improvements will last. Covid cases and hospital admissions are rising sharply in several rural parts of the country -- including West Virginia and swaths of the Great Plains -- even as the rates in cities level off.
In some ways, the decoupling of metropolitan and rural counties echoes what happened a year ago, when a September surge began in the Dakotas, eventually engulfing the Midwest and then the entire country.
Nigeria states to bar unvaccinated from banks, places of worship — 11:10 a.m.
By The Washington Post
Two southern Nigerian state governments instructed their populations to get inoculated against the coronavirus or be banned from religious services and public places, while federal authorities suggested they're considering restrictions to tackle vaccine hesitancy.
Large gatherings, places of worship and banks will only be accessible to those with proof that they've received at least one Covid-19 shot from mid-September, Edo state governor Godwin Obaseki said last week. On Aug. 30, the leaders of neighboring Ondo declared that only the vaccinated can enter churches, mosques, hospitals, government offices and other public places after a two-week grace period. Nigeria comprises 36 states and the capital, Abuja.
Just 150,000 of the approximately 10 million residents of Edo and Ondo have had a vaccine so far, although the inoculation rate has recently picked up, with more than 60,000 shots issued on Aug. 30. Even if the two states can pin down adequate vaccines and distribution accelerates further, the measures will be highly disruptive.
Scotland plans vaccine certificates to curb COVID — 10:53 a.m.
By Bloomberg
Vaccine passports will be needed for admission into nightclubs and large events in Scotland from later this month after the country emerged again as Europe's coronavirus hot spot.
The plans will apply to indoor and outdoor events and will need the approval of lawmakers in the Edinburgh legislature next week, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said on Wednesday. Scotland is responsible for its own health policy and has diverged from the U.K. in some of its handling of Covid.
"The situation we face just now is fragile and serious," she said. "We must stem the rise in cases."
The proposal comes after a surge in cases to a record after most restrictions on social distancing were lifted and schools returned from their summer break in mid August. English pupils are due back in the classroom this month.
Regions of Scotland currently account for six of the top 10 highest rates of infection in Europe, accrding to World Health Organization data.
A church camp didn't require vaccinations or masks. It's now linked to 180 COVID cases, CDC says — 10:46 a.m.
By The Washington Post
An Illinois church camp for teenagers and an affiliated men's conference that did not mandate masks or require attendees to be vaccinated or tested for the coronavirus have been linked to at least 180 covid-19 infections, according to new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Pfizer advances antiviral testing — 10:19 a.m.
By Bloomberg
Pfizer dosed the first participant in a late-stage trial of its experimental oral antiviral in adults who are at low risk of developing severe Covid.
The study will evaluate 1,140 participants getting the experimental protease inhibitor and the HIV medicine ritonavir. Half will receive a placebo, and the remainder will get the drug combination twice a day for five days from the confines of their home or a non-hospital facility.
The New York-based drugmaker is running a parallel study in adults who are at high risk of developing severe disease. Results could be available this fall.
Maine law reducing vaccine opt-outs goes into effect — 10:04 a.m.
By The Associated Press
A new vaccine law reducing opt-outs for students went into effect Wednesday, ahead of the start of school for most students.
Mainers voted last year to keep the state law that restricts exemptions on childhood vaccinations. The law removes philosophical or religious exemptions for vaccinations for students.
Before the law, Maine's vaccination opt-out rate for kindergarteners was three times higher than the national average, and officials warned that the measles, mumps and rubella vaccination rate among kindergarteners had dropped below 94%. That's below the needed "herd" immunity level of 95% immunization, state officials said.
The new law requires traditional childhood vaccinations for students at public and private schools and universities, including nursery school, unless they have a medical exemption.
Another hidden COVID risk: lingering kidney problems — 10:01 a.m.
By The New York Times
Since the beginning of the pandemic, doctors have found that people who become very ill with COVID-19 often experience kidney problems, not just the lung impairments that are the hallmark of the illness.
Now, a large study suggests that kidney issues can last for months after patients recover from the initial infection and may lead to a serious lifelong reduction of kidney function in some patients.
The study, published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, found that the sicker COVID patients were initially, the more likely they were to experience lingering kidney damage.
Italy, Spain reach 70% vaccine milestone — 9:53 a.m.
By Bloomberg
More than 70% of Italians are fully vaccinated, Health Minister Roberto Speranza said on Wednesday. Speranza thanked health personnel and volunteers who, all through the summer, tackled "one of the biggest challenges that our country ever faced." Spain will reach that goal this week, according to Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.
Majority of US employers planning or considering vaccine mandates, survey finds — 9:40 a.m.
By Bloomberg
Vaccine mandates are set to become more common in the workplace.
A majority of U.S. employers -- 52% -- are planning or considering requirements for a Covid shot by the end of the year, according to a survey released by consultant Willis Towers Watson. That's more than double the 21% of companies polled that currently have some form of mandate.
The options vary, ranging from a strict order for all employees to limiting access to certain areas to inoculated workers.
WHO opens pandemic intelligence hub in Berlin — 9:37 a.m.
By Bloomberg
The World Health Organization opened a new hub for pandemic and epidemic intelligence in Berlin, saying the center will help give countries the fast analysis they need to respond more quickly to public-health emergencies.
The German government is providing $100 million in initial funding for the project, which will seek to combine case and lab data with other information sources, including economic factors, cultural beliefs and human-animal interactions.
Georgia health official details incidents against state's health care workers: 'This is absolutely wrong' — 9:36 a.m.
By The Washington Post
As Georgia faces a surge of covid-19 cases, state health-care workers recently had to shut down and vacate a mobile vaccination clinic after being threatened by a swarm of protesters. Others are receiving harassing emails, and some are seeing their social media accounts flooded with false information about vaccines.
The state's top health official detailed the examples of increasing hostility toward health-care workers during a Monday briefing. Speaking alongside Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, she pleaded for civility toward those working "tirelessly to keep people alive."
Most in England have COVID antibodies — 9:30 a.m.
By Bloomberg
More than 94% of people in England had coronavirus antibodies in the week of Aug. 9, according to the Office for National Statistics.
Doctors dismayed by patients who fear COVID vaccines, but clamor for unproven ivermectin — 9:22 a.m.
By The Washington Post
Oklahoma doctor Matthew Payne regularly encounters covid-19 patients in the hospital who say they had feared coronavirus vaccines and thought they had found a safer approach - taking ivermectin, a medicine long used to kill parasites in animals and humans.
"There is surprise and shock when they initially get sick and have to come to the hospital," said Payne, a hospitalist at Stillwater Medical Center. "They'll say, 'I'm not sure why I feel so bad. I was taking the ivermectin,' and I will say, 'It doesn't do any good.'"
France starts booster shots for people over 65 — 9:18 a.m.
By The Associated Press
France has started administering coronavirus booster shots to people over 65 and those with underlying health conditions.
The move is meant to shore up their vaccine protection against the highly contagious delta variant. People can get the shot on the condition a minimum six-month period has passed since they got fully vaccinated with the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine.
The Health Ministry says about 18 million people are eligible for the booster shot.
France has been facing increased cases since July, with a slight decrease in recent weeks — from 23,000 per day around mid-August to the current 17,000. Health officials are concerned about a reversal of the trend as children return to school on Thursday.
Almost 44 million people, or 65% of the French population, are fully vaccinated.
Northern Vermont University goes fully remote due to COVID-19 cases — 9:15 a.m.
By The Associated Press
Students at the Johnson campus of Northern Vermont University will be studying remotely through the end of the week.
In a Tuesday message to the school community, interim President John Mills said the move to fully remote classes came after two cases of COVID-19 were reported among residential students.
WCAX-TV reports that in addition to fully remote classes, all school athletics and on-campus activities are canceled through the weekend.
Students at Northern Vermont University, which is a part of the Vermont State Colleges and includes a campus in Lyndonville, are required to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
State statistics from 14 of the 16 colleges and universities in the state show that 92.3% of students are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Massive randomized study is proof that surgical masks limit coronavirus spread, authors say — 9:11 a.m.
By The Washington Post
The authors of a study based on an enormous randomized research project in Bangladesh say their results offer the best evidence yet that widespread wearing of surgical masks can limit the spread of the coronavirus in communities.
The preprint paper, which tracked more than 340,000 adults across 600 villages in rural Bangladesh, is by far the largest randomized study on the effectiveness of masks at limiting the spread of coronavirus infections.
N.H. Governor Chris Sununu getting COVID-19 test; not feeling good — 9:06 a.m.
By Travis Andersen, Globe Staff
New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu plans to get a COVID-19 test "soon" after experiencing discomfort Wednesday morning, his office said in a statement.
The statement was posted to Sununu's official Twitter account at 7:39 a.m. Wednesday.
Egypt virus cases rise amid variant, fewer rules — 6:37 a.m.
By The Associated Press
The number of daily COVID-19 cases confirmed in Egypt has grown steadily in recent weeks amid relaxed precautionary measures and the spread of the highly contagious delta variant.
The Health Ministry reported late Tuesday 279 cases in 24 hours and nine deaths, compared to 194 cases and seven deaths on the same day last week.
The delta variant first was detected in Egypt in July. Daily reported cases have gone up as authorities relaxed restrictions, allowing concerts and other large events where few participants wear face masks or maintain a distance from others.
Authorities have reported a total of 288,440 confirmed cases and 16,736 deaths since the start of the pandemic, but the actual numbers are believed much higher due to limited testing.
Vaccine drive launched in Gaza Strip schools — 5:51 a.m.
By The Associated Press
Palestinian health authorities are launching a vaccination drive for students in the Gaza Strip ages 16-18 as the territory contends with a third wave of coronavirus infections.
Health officials began giving the Pfizer vaccine in Gaza Strip schools on Wednesday and aim to inoculate more than 100,000 students in the coming weeks. Palestinian officials in the occupied West Bank began a similar drive on Tuesday.
The Gaza Health Ministry reported six deaths and more than 1,400 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, the highest number since a new wave of infections began in August.
Less than half the population of the West Bank has received a first vaccine dose, and around 15% of Gaza's population has gotten a first shot.
The Palestinians received 500,000 doses of Moderna vaccine last week that were donated by the United States through COVAX, the global vaccine-sharing initiative distributing vaccines to poorer nations.
The Palestinian Authority and Gaza's ruling Hamas militant group have worked to secure their own vaccine supplies, partly through COVAX and donations from other countries. But the territories remain far behind neighboring Israel, which has a world-leading vaccination drive.
South Africa considers limiting public amenities to the vaccinated — 5:23 a.m.
By Bloomberg
South Africa may limit the use of public amenities to the people who have been vaccinated against COVID-19, the country's health minister said.
While a decision hasn't been taken it is being discussed by the government, Joe Phaahla, the minister, said in the National Council of Provinces on Tuesday. The Department of Labour and Employment has already given directives allowing employers to make the decision on whether to make vaccination a requirement, he said.
"The opinion we are getting from legal people, that once there is sufficient coverage we should be able to arrive at the stage where we can actually make demands even at public amenities," he said. "You can't have your cake and eat it. You have the right to not have a vaccination, but you have no right to endanger the lives of other people."
So far about 6 million of the country's about 40 million adults have been fully vaccinated.
Italy braces for train track protests against COVID passes — 4:23 a.m.
By The Associated Press
The Italian government vowed to crack down on demonstrators threatening to block train tracks throughout the country on Wednesday as a rule requiring COVID-19 tests or vaccines takes effect for long-distance domestic public transport.
In a bid to rein in transmission of infections now that many have returned from summer holidays, domestic travelers in Italy must now show a so-called "Green Pass." This certifies that they have received at least one dose of the vaccine more than 15 days ago, have tested negative in the past 48 hours or have recovered from COVID-19 in the past six months.
North Korea proposes Sinovac shots go elsewhere — 3:40 a.m.
By The Associated Press
North Korea has proposed a U.N.-backed immunization program send its allotment of almost 3 million doses of a Chinese-made vaccine to countries with severe COVID-19 outbreaks while it continues to claim a perfect record in keeping out the coronavirus.
UNICEF, which procures and delivers vaccines on behalf of the COVAX program, said Tuesday that North Korea's Ministry of Public Health has communicated that the 2.97 million Sinovac shots COVAX planned to deliver to the North may be sent elsewhere.
The North Korean ministry also said it will "will continue to communicate with COVAX Facility to receive COVID-19 vaccines in the coming months," UNICEF said in an email to The Associated Press.
COVAX had also allocated 1.9 million AstraZeneca shots to the North but delivery has been delayed.
Experts say North Korea remains focused on tough quarantines and border controls to keep out the virus, and vaccines appear to be a secondary priority.
Some experts say North Korea could be questioning the effectiveness and rare side effects of the vaccines it's been offered and holding out for others.
The North claims to have not confirmed a single case of coronavirus infection, despite widespread skepticism. In its latest report to the World Health Organization last week, the North said it has tested 37,291 people for the coronavirus as of Aug. 19 and that all were negative.
Taiwan schools open with masks, plastic dividers — 2:19 a.m.
By The Associated Press
Schools across Taiwan have reopened for the academic year as the island's largest COVID-19 outbreak subsides.
Schools on the island shut down in May and many switched online in the face of the island's largest outbreak, which has since passed 15,000 cases. Taiwan is now reporting new COVID-19 cases in the single digits.
Students will eat lunch at their own desks, which now have plastic dividers separating students. Masks are required, and classrooms will have exhaust fans to circulate air.
Two giant balloons and music created a festive air greeting the students arriving for classes at Tienmu Elementary School on Wednesday. Parents are relived that their kids are back in school, saying online learning wasn't necessarily good in the long term.
"You can see that parents are really happy today," said Liao Cher-hao, president of the parents' association of the school in the capital, Taipei. "They all want to send their kids back to school ASAP. Basically, we made a survey. The results of online classes are not super good."
Vaccinations in rural India increase amid supply concerns — 12:07 a.m.
By The Associated Press
India has dramatically increased COVID-19 vaccination rates in its vast rural hinterland, where around 65% of the country's nearly 1.4 billion people live. But supply constraints remain for the world's largest maker of vaccines and experts say it's unlikely India will reach its target of vaccinating all adults by the end of the year.
India opened shots for all adults in May. But the campaign faltered in villages due to vaccine hesitancy and misinformation. That started changing in mid-July and of the nearly 120 million shots administered in the past three weeks, around 70% were in India's villages — up from around half in the initial weeks of May.
Although the increased vaccine acceptance in rural areas is promising, the pandemic is far from done in India: After weeks of steady decline, the 46,000 new infections reported Saturday was its highest in almost two months.
Only about 11% of India's vast population is fully vaccinated. Half of all adults and about 35% of the total population have received at least one shot. This has left large swathes of people still susceptible to the virus.
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