24th Aug 2021 https://nfind.uk/lockdown_exit/index.php/newsletter=462 lockdown_exit

US regulators give full approval to Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine

Associated Press The U.S. gave full approval to Pfizers COVID19 vaccine Monday potentially boosting public confidence in the shots and instantly opening the way for more universities companies and local governments to make vaccinations mandatory. The Pentagon promptly announced it will press ahead with plans to force members of the military to get vaccinated amid the battle against the extracontagious delta variant. The University of Minnesota likewise said it will require its students get the shot as did Louisianas major public universities including LSU though state law there allows broad exemptions. https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-vaccine-pfizer-approval-1361ff61d06b815652a08a7cc0683a72 23rd Aug 2021

Israel finds COVID-19 vaccine booster significantly lowers infection risk

Reuters A third dose of Pfizers COVID19 vaccine has significantly improved protection from infection and serious illness among people aged 60 and older in Israel compared with those who received two shots findings published by the Health Ministry showed on Sunday. The data were presented at a meeting of a ministry panel of vaccination experts on Thursday and uploaded to its website on Sunday though the full details of the study were not released. https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-finds-covid-19-vaccine-booster-significantly-lowers-infection-risk-2021-08-22/ 23rd Aug 2021

4 measures applied together can limit Covid-19 transmission in schools

STAT News The results of the model are clear. Four clear and important measures must be implemented in parallel to minimize the chances of schoolrelated outbreaks. Require vaccination. The currently authorized Covid19 vaccines are safe and incredibly effective against Covid19. Though they have not yet been authorized for use in those under age 12 ensuring that every eligible individual within a school is vaccinated is one of the best ways to protect the entire school population. Wear masks. If someone in a school has been infected with SARSCoV2 the best way to minimize others exposure is to ensure that all individuals are wearing masks. This is especially important given that some individuals may not show any symptoms but can still transmit the virus. Increase ventilation. Early in the pandemic researchers learned that the major form of SARSCoV2 transmission is through droplets and sometimes even aerosols. Get tested. The Delta variant is two to three times more transmissible than previous versions of SARSCoV2. Until children under the age of 12 can be vaccinated it is impossible in elementary school settings to achieve herd immunity through vaccination. https://www.statnews.com/2021/08/23/4-measures-applied-together-in-schools-can-minimize-covid-transmission/ 23rd Aug 2021

Now Lebanese Hospitals Near Collapse From Covid-19

Bloomberg Medics scramble to find alternatives to saline solutions after the hospital ran out. The shortages are overwhelming the medical staff exhausted. And with a new surge in coronavirus cases Lebanons hospitals are at a breaking point. The countrys health sector is a casualty of the multiple crises that have plunged Lebanon into a downward spiral a financial and economic meltdown compounded by a complete failure of the government runaway corruption and a pandemic that isnt going away. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-08-23/lebanese-hospitals-at-breaking-point-as-everything-runs-out?srnd=premium-europe 23rd Aug 2021

So many people in this Texas town got Covid-19 that the school district shut down and then the city essentially closed

CNN Last week the school district shut down after only five days of classes because about a quarter of the staff and 16 of the students got infected or were exposed to Covid19 according to IraanSheffield Independent School District Superintendent Tracy Canter. In the last week weve seen more Covid cases for staff and students than we did the entire year last year during school Canter said. For right now the closure is due to last until August 30 depending on the situation. In the meantime theres no virtual or remote learning the superintendent told parents in a letter. She also asked everyone to pitch in to slow the spread of the virus. https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/23/us/texas-town-covid-outbreak/index.html 23rd Aug 2021

Citing vaccine inequality, WHO head argues against booster shots

AlJazeera The head of the World Health Organization called for a twomonth moratorium on administering booster shots of COVID19 vaccines as a means of reducing global vaccine inequality and preventing the emergence of new coronavirus variants. WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters in Hungarys capital Budapest that he was really disappointed with the scope of vaccine donations worldwide as many countries struggle to provide first and second doses to more than small fractions of their populations while wealthier nations maintain growing vaccine stockpiles. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/8/23/citing-vaccine-inequality-who-head-argues-against-booster-shots 23rd Aug 2021

Medigen: Taiwan rolls out local COVID vaccine, president gets jab

Al Jazeera English on MSN.com Taiwan has rolled out a domestically developed COVID19 vaccine to the public with President Tsai Ingwen receiving her first dose at a Taipei hospital to demonstrate her confidence in the safety of the jab. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/medigen-taiwan-rolls-out-local-covid-vaccine-president-gets-jab/ar-AANCoou 23rd Aug 2021

NYC mandates vaccinations for public school teachers, staff

Associated Press All New York City public school teachers and other staffers will have to get vaccinated against the coronavirus officials said Monday ramping up pandemic protections as the nations largest school system prepares for classes to start next month. The city previously said teachers like other city employees would have to get the shots or get tested weekly for the virus. The new policy marks the first nooption vaccination mandate for a broad group of city workers in the nations most populous city though Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Friday that coaches and students in football basketball and other highrisk sports would have to get inoculated before play begins. https://apnews.com/article/health-education-coronavirus-pandemic-676f2a2c63b4136360f8ea3682f48287 23rd Aug 2021

Students' lack of routine vaccines muddies start of school

The Associated Press The vaccinations that U.S. schoolchildren are required to get to hold terrible diseases like polio measles tetanus and whooping cough in check are way behind schedule this year threatening further complications to a school year already marred by COVID19. The lag was caused by pandemicrelated disruptions last year to routine doctors visits summer and sports camps at which kids usually get their immunizations. Now pediatricians and educators are scrambling to ensure that backlogs dont keep kids from school or leave them vulnerable to contagious diseases. https://apnews.com/article/lifestyle-health-education-coronavirus-pandemic-b4208c2745c696765c805fa8e30eb6a0 23rd Aug 2021

School mask mandate ban challenged in new Utah lawsuit

The Associated Press It just sort of seems like nobody cares she said. Kids with disabilities often get left behind. They dont get considered when these types of decisions are being made. The case filed by a group of nine parents is the latest U.S. lawsuit of its kind from families and educators concerned about school without masks as the highly contagious delta variant surges. Similar cases have been filed in Arizona Texas and Florida where thousands of students have already been sent home in rapidly spreading outbreaks. https://apnews.com/article/health-education-lawsuits-coronavirus-pandemic-utah-a493741a30ccdccc33ddb1d1f3c5b814 23rd Aug 2021

France's COVID-19 hospitalisations highest in 2 months

Reuters French health authorities said on Monday the number of people hospitalised for COVID19 and those treated in intensive care units ICU stood at the highest levels in more than two months as the Delta variant of the disease has put a renewed strain on the health system. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/frances-covid-19-hospitalisations-above-11000-first-time-since-early-june-2021-08-23/ 23rd Aug 2021

Oman to allow entry to COVID-19 vaccine certificate holders

Reuters Oman will allow anyone holding a COVID19 vaccine certificate to travel to the country from Sept. 1 the civil aviation authority said on Twitter on Monday. The authority said it had dropped a list of countries from which arrivals were banned due to the pandemic. https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/oman-allow-entry-covid-19-vaccine-certificate-holders-2021-08-23/ 23rd Aug 2021

Nearly 5,000 Covid cases linked to Boardmasters Festival being investigated

The Mirror Health officials are investigating around 4700 cases of coronavirus suspected to be linked to the Boardmasters music festival in Cornwall earlier this month. Huge crowds of around 50000 people attended the fiveday surf festival in Newquay. The cases are spread across the country but around 800 of infected people are living in Cornwall a council official confirmed. https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/breaking-nearly-5000-covid-cases-24820936 23rd Aug 2021

Chevron begins COVID-19 vaccination mandates

Reuters U.S. energy companies are moving to requirethat employees receive COVID19 vaccinations as infection rates rise across the United States and energy workers according to health surveys remain among those most reluctant to get inoculations. https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/chevron-begins-covid-19-vaccination-mandates-wsj-2021-08-23/ 23rd Aug 2021

COVID-19: UK orders 35 million more doses of Pfizer vaccine as it prepares for booster shots

Sky News The UK has agreed to buy 35 million more doses of the PfizerBioNTech vaccine as a way to futureproof the jabs programme. It comes as the government prepares to roll out booster shots from next month while the head of the World Health Organisation WHO has said such shots should be delayed to raise vaccination rates globally. The coronavirus vaccines which will be delivered from the second half of next year will also help the country prepare for any new variants that could emerge. https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-uk-orders-35-million-more-doses-of-pfizer-vaccine-as-it-prepares-for-booster-shots-12388720 23rd Aug 2021

Coronavirus: Young long Covid sufferers lead vaccine drive

BBC News Young people have shared stories of the debilitating effects of long Covid as they urge others to get jabbed. A new NHS video features the experiences of three previously healthy people as part of a drive to encourage vaccine uptake. Quincy Dwamena 31 said he delayed his jab and ended up being hospitalised and thought I was going to die. It comes as the government says it has met its target of offering all 16 and 17yearolds in England a Covid jab. More than 360000 people in this age group in England have now been given a first dose of the vaccine. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-58301011 23rd Aug 2021

Indonesia eases COVID-19 curbs as cases drop from peak

Reuters Indonesia will start reopening restaurants malls and places of worship in some areas including the capital Jakarta President Joko Widodo said on Monday as new coronavirus cases have fallen sharply from their peak and vaccinations rise. Starting Tuesday restaurants and places of worship in parts of the worlds fourth most populous country will be able to operate at 25 capacity and shopping malls at 50 Widodo told a virtual press conference. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/indonesia-allow-restaurants-shops-reopen-jakarta-bali-2021-08-23/?taid=6123bca3eb3353000173a6cf&amputm_campaign=trueAnthem:+Trending+Content&amputm_medium=trueAnthem&amputm_source=twitter 23rd Aug 2021

Covid-19: PCR test market needs 'cleaning out', says Randox boss

BBC News There needs to be a cleaning out of the market for Covid19 PCR tests the head of one of the UKs biggest diagnostic firms has told the BBC. Peter Fitzgerald founder of Randox said some firms may not be delivering the service they claim to provide. He has welcomed an investigation of the sector by the Competition and Markets Authority CMA. The CMA the UKs competition watchdog is investigating whether there are pricing and reliability problems. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-58298467 23rd Aug 2021

Bristol Covid-19 vaccine clinic targeted by protesters set to reopen

BBC News A Covid vaccination clinic that had to close because of an antivaccine protest will reopen later this week. The popup clinic inside Cabot Circus Shopping Centre in Bristol was shut when about 60 protesters gathered outside on Sunday afternoon. Avon and Somerset Police said the clinic closed for the welfare and safety of staff and patients. In a statement the NHS said it was disappointed that vaccinations had to be paused. Some of the protesters addressed shoppers outside the clinic using a megaphone telling them not to get the vaccine. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-58305576 23rd Aug 2021

Ex-Indonesian minister jailed for 12 years in COVID-19 graft scandal

Reuters Former Indonesian social affairs minister Juliari Batubara has been sentenced to 12 years in prison over a multimillion dollar COVID19 graft scandal the Jakarta Corruption Court ruled on Monday. A judge said the former politician was found convincingly guilty of corruption after receiving 32.4 billion rupiah 2.25 million in kickbacks in relation to the procurement of goods intended for COVID19 social assistance packages. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/ex-indonesian-minister-jailed-12-years-over-covid-19-graft-scandal-2021-08-23/ 23rd Aug 2021

Egypt to Release Locally-Made Coronavirus Vaccine Soon - Production Up to 18.5 Million Doses Monthly

AllAfrica.com Egypt will release its locallyproduced doses of the Chinese Sinovac coronavirus vaccine by today or tomorrow maximum and will manufacture between 15 and 18.5 million doses per month Health Minister Hala Zayed said on Sunday 2282021. Zayed made the announcement during a press conference with her Djiboutian counterpart Ahmed Abdilleh in Cairo. Egypt plans to produce millions of Sinovac and Russian Sputnik V vaccine doses annually to cover the local and African needs. Early in July Zayed said the ministry seeks to produce 80 million vaccine shots this year. https://allafrica.com/stories/202108230738.html 23rd Aug 2021

Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, Comirnaty, receives FDA approval

Outbreak News Today The FDAs approval of this vaccine is a milestone as we continue to battle the COVID19 pandemic. While this and other vaccines have met the FDAs rigorous scientific standards for emergency use authorization as the first FDAapproved COVID19 vaccine the public can be very confident that this vaccine meets the high standards for safety effectiveness and manufacturing quality the FDA requires of an approved product said Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock M.D. While millions of people have already safely received COVID19 vaccines we recognize that for some the FDA approval of a vaccine may now instill additional confidence to get vaccinated. Todays milestone puts us one step closer to altering the course of this pandemic in the U.S. http://outbreaknewstoday.com/pfizer-biontech-covid-19-vaccine-comirnaty-receives-fda-approval-76114/ 23rd Aug 2021

The Vaccinated Are Worried and Scientists Don’t Have Answers

Bloomberg Though it is evident vaccination still provides powerful protection against the virus theres growing concern that vaccinated people may be more vulnerable to serious illness than previously thought. Theres a dearth of scientific studies with concrete answers leaving public policy makers and corporate executives to formulate plans based on fragmented information. While some are renewing mask mandates or delaying office reopenings others cite the lack of clarity to justify staying the course. It can all feel like a mess. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-08-21/science-can-t-keep-up-with-virus-creating-worry-for-vaccinated 22nd Aug 2021

A Covid Booster Is The Privilege Scientists Say Will Curb Delta

Bloomberg The roll out of a third dose of Covid vaccine has sparked debate on ethical and political grounds since a large swath of the human population is yet to receive any inoculation. But the case for boosters on scientific grounds is building. The reason is delta. The mostinfectious coronavirus variant to emerge so far is in a race with the human immune system and theres mounting evidence that delta is winning at least initially. Fully vaccinated individuals infected with the variant have peak virus levels in the upper airways as high as those lacking immunity a large study from the U.K. showed last week. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-08-22/beating-back-delta-will-take-extra-covid-shot-for-privileged-few 22nd Aug 2021

How does COVID-19 affect the brain? A troubling picture emerges.

National Geographic UK Davis is among a large portion of COVID19 patientspossibly as high as 30 percent according an estimate from the U.S. National Institutes of Healthwho suffer some type of neurological or psychiatric symptoms. Even more troubling is that for many of these individuals like Davis these cognitive issues can linger for weeks or months after the initial infection. https://www.nationalgeographic.co.uk/science-and-technology/2021/08/how-does-covid-19-affect-the-brain-a-troubling-picture-emerges 23rd Aug 2021

Antibody Levels Help Predict Immunity After A COVID Shot : Shots

NPR When Dr. Anthony Fauci spoke recently at a White House briefing about the need for COVID19 booster shots buried in his slideshow of charts and data points was a littlenoticed scientific paper that offers evidence for a reliable way to predict how much protection a COVID19 vaccine offers. The study appeared on a preprint server earlier this month without much fanfare but many interested in the future of COVID19 vaccines had been eagerly awaiting the results. https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2021/08/23/1029827996/new-evidence-points-to-antibodies-as-a-reliable-indicator-of-vaccine-protection 23rd Aug 2021

China reports no new local Covid-19 cases for first time since July, as Delta outbreak wanes

CNN China reported no new locally transmitted Covid19 cases on Monday for the first time since July according to its National Health Commission NHC as authorities double down on the countrys stringent zeroCovid approach. China has been grappling with the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant since July 20 when a cluster of Covid19 infections were detected among airport cleaning staff in the eastern city of Nanjing. https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/23/china/china-zero-case-delta-intl-hnk/index.html 23rd Aug 2021

Covid-19 Australia: New South Wales recorded 818 new cases

Daily Mail NSW recorded 818 new Covid19 cases with 42 infectious in the community. The state is on track to hit 6 million vaccinations one week ahead of schedule. Raft of new restrictions came into force including mask mandate across NSW. A 9pm to 5am curfew begins in local government areas across western Sydney. Police broke up an illegal church service in hotspot area of Blacktown on Sunday https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9917593/Covid-19-Australia-New-South-Wales-recorded-818-new-cases.html 23rd Aug 2021

Vietnam reports 10266 new COVID-19 infections, 389 deaths

Reuters Vietnams health ministry reported 10266 new COVID19 infections and 389 deaths on Monday most of which were detected in outbreak epicentre Ho Chi Minh City where troops have been deployed to enforce a strict lockdown. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/vietnam-reports-10266-new-covid-19-infections-389-deaths-2021-08-23/ 23rd Aug 2021

srael struggles with COVID surge despite mass vaccinations

Al Jazeera English Israel was one of the first countries to vaccinate the majority of its population and by March most Israelis were already putting COVID19 behind them. By June the mandatory mask requirement was completely dropped and the only restrictions that remained concerned the entry and exit from the country. Now the rate of infection has risen to 5.4 percent and Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has said he will take every action possible to lower the rate and avoid going to a fourth lockdown. Health experts say there are two main reasons the Delta variant hit Israel so hard. For one Israelis were flouting the mask requirements which were reimposed at the end of June. Now police are handing out fines to those who do not wear a face covering. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/8/23/israel-struggles-to-cope-with-surge-of-covid-infections-despite-v 23rd Aug 2021

Philippines reports record virus cases as Delta variant spreads

Reuters Community transmission of Delta variant seen in capital Manila. A fifth of all cases in the Philippines detected in past 40 days. Widespread lockdown no longer effective health spokesperson. Reported active COVID19 cases at fourmonth high ministry https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/philippines-reports-record-virus-cases-delta-variant-spreads-2021-08-23/ 23rd Aug 2021

Young patients bedbound with Covid-19 urge unvaccinated teenagers to get the jab

Wales Online The invitation extends to atrisk people aged 12 to 15 ahead of their return to school in September. People aged 18 to 34 now make up more than one in five of those admitted to hospital with the virus which is four times higher than the peak in winter 2020 the NHS has said. Megan Higgins 25 and Ella Harwood 23 were both previously healthy and active but are now suffering with extreme fatigue due to long Covid. Miss Higgins a special needs tutor from London said Its now been eight months since I tested positive and I cant even walk around the shops without getting exhausted. https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/uk-news/young-patients-bedbound-covid-19-21375960 23rd Aug 2021

Vietnam deploys troops to enforce COVID lockdown in largest city

Reuters Ho Chi Minh City epicentre of Deltadriven outbreak. Authorities tighten lockdown in city no going out even for food. Vietnam deploys military to help with food distribution. Just 1.8 of people in Vietnam fullyvaccinated against COVID19 https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/vietnam-deploys-troops-enforce-lockdown-largest-city-2021-08-23/ 23rd Aug 2021