H5N1

Cuba, gripped by unrest, battles highest COVID caseload in the Americas

Credit: Our World in Data

Via Reuters: Cuba, gripped by unrest, battles highest COVID caseload in the Americas. Excerpt:

HAVANA, July 19 (Reuters) - Cuba, which kept coronavirus infections low last year, now has the highest rate of contagion per capita in Latin America. That has strained its healthcare sector and helped stoke rare protests that have roiled the Communist-run island. 

The Caribbean nation of 11 million people reported nearly 4,000 confirmed cases per million residents over the last week, nine times more than the world average and more than any other country in the Americas for its size. 

The outbreak, fueled by the arrival of the more contagious Delta variant first identified in India, has pushed hospitals at the virus epicenter in the province of Matanzas to the brink. State media has shown rare images of patients in beds in corridors and doctors complaining of a lack of oxygen, ventilators and medicines. 

Cuba's handling of the pandemic was one of the issues that propelled thousands to take to the streets nationwide last Sunday in unprecedented anti-government demonstrations in a country where public spaces are tightly controlled. read more Demonstrators also protested shortages of food and medicines and curbs on civil liberties. 

Cuba is not alone in struggling under new waves of the pandemic. But the political implications of such a crisis are greater in a country where healthcare is considered one of the pillars of legitimacy of its "revolutionary" one-party system. 

Moreover the outbreak and subsequent lockdown and reduction in numbers of flights has taxed an already bankrupt economy where many work in tourism and others rely on travelers to bring in remittances and goods including medicine. 

"The government has consistently made the case that one of the main accomplishments of the revolution is its world-class medical sector," said Cuban American historian Daniel Rodriguez, author of a book on medical politics in post-independence Havana. 

Rodriguez said the exacerbation of food and medicine shortages over the past year due to the pandemic-related economic crisis had already broken Cuba's social pact.

"When the pandemic began spiraling out of control a couple of weeks ago, it appeared increasingly the revolutionary government was no longer able to protect Cuban lives, and the result was an extraordinary repudiation of the revolution itself."

Iran at risk of fifth COVID-19 wave as Delta variant spreads - Rouhani

Via Reuters: Iran at risk of fifth COVID-19 wave as Delta variant spreads.

DUBAI, July 3 (Reuters) - Iran may face a fifth wave of COVID-19 infections as the highly contagious Delta variant of the coronavirus spreads through the Middle East's worst-hit country, President Hassan Rouhani warned on Saturday. 

"There are concerns that the whole country may enter a fifth wave if enough care is not taken in following health protocols. Today, reports are that just 69% of the people are observing the precautions," Rouhani said in remarks broadcast on state TV. 

"The Delta variant entered the country from the south and southeast, and we should have been careful to prevent its spread in the country. All health regulations... must be fully observed, otherwise we will have a problem," Rouhani said. 

Iran, with a population of 83 million, has recorded 84,627 deaths from coronavirus, the highest toll in the Middle East. 

Health authorities have declared the capital Tehran and 91 other cities and towns as high-risk "red" zones, 30 more than a week ago. They are ordering internal travel restrictions, the closure of non-essential businesses and limiting work attendance to 30 percent of employees in the capital. 

 The government has blamed a slow vaccination drive on U.S. sanctions hampering efforts to buy foreign vaccines and on delays in deliveries. Rouhani said Iran has received a small portion of the 16.8 million vaccines it has ordered from the COVAX global vaccine-sharing program. 

A spokesman for the coronavirus taskforce told state TV that 7 million doses of vaccines have been distributed, with 2 million people receiving both doses and 4 million just one. 

Iran has licensed for public use two locally produced vaccines, including one together with Cuba, and is working on five more homegrown vaccines. Tehran is also cooperating with Russia on producing the Sputnik V jab. 

Food, medicine and other humanitarian supplies are exempt from U.S. sanctions reimposed on Tehran in 2018 after President Donald Trump walked away from a 2015 international deal over Iran’s nuclear program. 

But the U.S. measures, which target sectors including oil and financial activities, have deterred some foreign banks from processing financial transactions with Iran. Tehran says this has frequently disrupted efforts to import essential medicines and other humanitarian items.

Haiti extends COVID-19 state of emergency for third time

Via Haiti extends COVID-19 state of emergency for third time - The Haitian Times.

Haiti extended its state of health emergency for 15 more days, Minister of Culture and Communication Pradel Henriquez announced in a press conference Thursday. 

The country has been experiencing a spike of COVID-19 cases since the beginning of May. Haiti first declared a state of health emergency on May 22, then extended it two times before Thursday.  

As of June 26, the latest data available, the ministry of health counted 18,658 confirmed cases and 436 deaths. Prior to May, total confirmed cases and deaths were 13,164 confirmed cases and 263 deaths. 

Haiti has yet to receive a single dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. It was reported that the World Health Organization (WHO) pledged to provide vaccines to Haiti on May 26. 

Hundreds of vaccinated medical workers in Indonesia hospitalized

Via Medscape.com: Hundreds of Vaccinated Medical Workers in Indonesia Hospitalized. This could have serious implications for populations vaccinated with Sinovac.

More than 350 doctors and medical workers in Indonesia who received a Chinese-made COVID vaccine have tested positive for the virus, Reuters reported. 

Most are asymptomatic but dozens have been hospitalized with a high fever and other symptoms, Badai Ismoyo, head of the health office in the district of Kudus in central Java, told Reuters. 

Health care workers in Indonesia were among the first to be vaccinated. Almost all of them were given the vaccine developed by Chinese biopharmaceutical company Sinovac, the Indonesian Medical Association (IDI) told Reuters. 

The number of infected medical workers raises questions about how well that vaccine works against the Delta variant, which is thought to be causing the recent surge in cases in Indonesia. 

"The data shows they have the Delta variant (in Kudus) so it is no surprise that the breakthrough infection is higher than before, because, as we know, the majority of healthcare workers in Indonesia got Sinovac, and we still don't know yet how effective it is in the real world against the Delta variant," Dicky Budiman, an epidemiologist at Australia's Griffith University, told Reuters. 

The World Health Organization said the Sinovac vaccine prevented symptomatic disease in 51% of recipients and prevented severe COVID-19 and hospital stays, Reuters said. 

Last month, the WHO gave emergency authorization for the Sinovac vaccine, meaning it could be used in COVAX, the global vaccination program for low-income nations, Reuters said. 

The pandemic has hit Indonesia hard. The WHO says the nation of about 270 million people recorded more than 1.9 million infections and 53,000 deaths. Reuters said around 950 doctors and nurses have died in the pandemic. 

Reuters, citing health ministry data, reported that Indonesia recorded 12,624 new COVID infections on Thursday, the most since Jan. 30.

ECDC rapid risk assessment: Assessing SARS-CoV-2 circulation, variants of concern, non-pharmaceutical interventions and vaccine rollout in the EU/EEA, 15th update

ECDC has published Rapid risk assessment: Assessing SARS-CoV-2 circulation, variants of concern, non-pharmaceutical interventions and vaccine rollout in the EU/EEA, 15th update. Excerpt:

Although SARS-CoV-2 transmission remains widespread in large parts of the EU/EEA, most countries report declining trends in 14-day COVID-19 notification rates, hospital and intensive care unit (ICU) occupancy, and mortality. Many countries have initiated partial lifting of different non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) that aim to reduce the degree of citizens physical contact and mobility. 

Since January 2021, EU/EEA countries have reported an increase in the number and proportion of SARS-CoV-2 cases of variants of concern (VOC) associated with increasing transmissibility and/or severity, with Alpha (B.1.1.7) the current dominant variant across the EU/EEA. 

Estimates across the region show that a large proportion of the population across Europe still remains susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 and that population immunity is far from being reached. As of 3 June, the median cumulative vaccine uptake in the EU/EEA adult population (aged 18 years and older) had reached 46.2% for at least one vaccine dose and 22.3% for the full vaccination course. The highest level of vaccine uptake was observed among the elderly aged over 80, in which the uptake reached 80.5% for at least one dose and 66.3% for full vaccination coverage. For healthcare workers, the median level of at least one dose uptake was 87% and the median uptake for the full vaccination course was 65.2%. Increased vaccine supply has allowed countries to expand eligibility for vaccination to younger age groups.

PAHO Director calls for intensified health response in Haiti to reverse rapidly deteriorating COVID conditions

A news release: PAHO Director calls for intensified health response in Haiti to reverse rapidly deteriorating COVID conditions. Excerpt:

Washington, D.C., June 2, 2021 (PAHO) Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Director Carissa F. Etienne warned that the COVID-19 response in Haiti must be scaled up dramatically to cope with sharply escalating cases, hospitalizations, and deaths in recent weeks. 

“We call on partners and organizations working in Haiti to urgently reinforce the response to COVID-19,” Dr. Etienne said at her weekly media briefing. “The country will need additional health capacity, as well as support to embrace preventive measures required to curb transmission. Both will be decisive in the coming weeks. There is no time to waste.” 

PAHO is working with Haiti’s Ministry of Public Health and Population to scale up care for infected people and increase supplies of protective equipment for health workers. PAHO is collaborating to reduce transmission through increased testing, which allows for identification and quarantine of infected people. 

PAHO will also facilitate the upcoming delivery of the first doses of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine to Haiti. The vaccines were procured through COVAX, the global alliance to ensure equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. 

“A very high priority is to offer vaccination to all frontline health workers over 18 years of age,” Dr. Etienne said.  

She explained that the increased transmission is likely fueled by two variants of concern, (B 1.1.7 and P1) and because public health measures are “being largely ignored by the general population. The situation we’re seeing in Haiti is a cautionary tale in just how quickly things can change with this virus.” 

Turning to conditions in the rest of the Caribbean and Latin America, Dr. Etienne reported that rapidly increasing cases and deaths have nearly doubled in the first five months of the year. “Wishful thinking will not resolve this crisis,” she warned.  “We need action.” 

She said regional leadership must be united around stopping the virus. “This pandemic has taught us time and again that leadership determines the effectiveness of a country’s response. Sadly, across our region we’ve seen misinformation about COVID-19 sow doubt on proven health measures, often in the context of political disputes.” 

Access to vaccines urgently needs to increase, Dr. Etienne said. COVAX has already delivered 17.6 million doses to the region, but the quantity is not nearly enough. Some low-income countries are struggling to cover even their health workers and most vulnerable populations, she said.   

“Effective vaccines are a beacon of hope in this crisis, and we must do all in our power to secure more doses for all nations in the Americas,” she said. “Regional solidarity, including the donation of vaccine doses, will be key to get us through the current shortage of supply,” she continued. 

And everyone must adhere to public health measures such as wearing masks, social distancing, and washing hands. Increased mobility between and within countries and relaxation of the measures have created the “perfect environment” for the spread of the virus and its variants, Dr. Etienne said.   

Latin America and the Caribbean surpass 1 million COVID deaths

A news release from PAHO: Latin America and the Caribbean surpass 1 million COVID deaths. Excerpt:

Washington, D.C., May 21, 2021 (PAHO) — Pan American Health Organization Director Carissa F Etienne of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) reported today that more than one million people in Latin America and the Caribbean have died from the disease and called on the world to intensify efforts to improve the region’s access to vaccines.   

“More than one million lives have been cut short because of COVID-19. This is a tragic milestone for everyone in the region,” said Dr. Etienne. “This pandemic is far from over, and it is hitting Latin America and the Caribbean severely, affecting our health, our economies, and entire societies. Yet only about 3% of our citizens have been vaccinated.”   

According to figures reported by countries as of May 21, 2021, 1,001,781 people have died as a result of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in Latin America and the Caribbean. Almost 89% of the deaths occurred in five countries: Brazil (44.3%), México (22.1%), Colombia (8.3%), Argentina (7.3) and Peru (6.7%). Three percent of the deaths were concentrated in Central America and 1% in the Caribbean.   

“The region is an epicenter for COVID-19 suffering. It should be an epicenter for vaccination, too,” Dr Etienne said. More than 153.5 million people have been immunized in the Americas, but only 21.6% of these are in Latin America and the Caribbean.   

In contrast, in the United States, vaccination has been widespread, and marked improvements are already being observed, Dr. Etienne pointed out. Almost half of Americans have received at least one COVID vaccine dose and nearly 85% of those over the age of 85 are fully protected, and the result has been a sharp reduction in COVID-19 infections, deaths and hospitalizations, she said.   

“The progress we’re seeing in the U.S. is a testament to the power of safe and effective COVID vaccines, but it underscores the vital importance of accelerating access to vaccines throughout our region, so that other countries can fully immunize their populations,” she continued. 

“We urgently need more vaccines for Latin America and the Caribbean, a region which has been sorely tested by this pandemic.” 

She has congratulated countries that have indicated a willingness to donate tens of millions of excess vaccine doses and called on other countries to follow suit. 

“We urge countries with extra doses to consider donating a significant portion of these to the Americas, where these life-saving doses are desperately needed and will be promptly used,” she has said.   

PAHO has delivered more than 12 million COVAX-procured vaccine doses to countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. Another 770,000 doses are on the way to Central American and Caribbean countries.

India promises more vaccines as daily COVID-19 deaths stay above 4,000

Via Reuters: India promises more vaccines as daily COVID-19 deaths stay above 4,000. Excerpt:

Some Indian states said on Sunday they would extend COVID-19 lockdowns to help contain the pandemic, which has killed more than 270,000 people in the country, as the federal government pledged to bolster vaccine supplies. 

The number of deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours in India has risen more than 4,000 for the fourth time in a week, with Sunday's 311,170 new infections representing the lowest single-day rise in more than three weeks. 

Federal health officials warned against any complacency over a "plateauing" in the rise of infections, however, and urged states to add intensive care units and strengthen their medical workforces. 

The northern states of Delhi and Haryana extended lockdowns, slated to end on Monday, by a week. 

Delhi's Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said the rate of positive cases compared with overall tests carried out had come down to 10% from as high as 30% earlier this month. 

"The gains we have made over the past week, we don't want to lose them. So we are going to extend the lockdown for another week," Kejriwal told reporters.

Coronavirus live: A summary of today's developments

Via The Guardian: Coronavirus live: second pandemic year to be deadlier than first, warns WHO; Germany to mark UK as risk area.

A summary of today's developments 

• Brazil recorded 85,536 further confirmed cases of coronavirus in the past 24 hours along with 2,211 deaths, the country’s health ministry said. Brazil has registered more than 15.5 million cases since the pandemic began, while the official death toll has risen to 432,628, Reuters reports. 

• Mexico registered 2,880 new coronavirus cases and 258 additional fatalities on Friday, according to health ministry data, Reuters reports. It brings the overall tallies to 2,377,995 infections and 220,159 deaths. 

• France has added Bahrain, Colombia, Costa Rica and Uruguay to its list of countries deemed as high-risk zones. This will mean that people arriving from those countries will have to undergo quarantine measures on arrival. 

• The Lithuanian government to donate 200,000 Covid-19 vaccine shots to its eastern European neighbours, including 100,000 to Ukraine, 15,000 going to Georgia and 11,000 to Moldova. The remaining 74,000 shots will be decided later. 

• Stocks fall as Singapore announced on Friday its strict guidelines on gatherings and public activities, amid a rise in infections and new clusters forming in recent weeks. 

• Russia will restart regular air travel between Iceland, Malta, Mexico, Portugal and Saudi Arabia from May 25, the government’s coronavirus response headquarters said. 

• The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) said it expects the second batch of its Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine will be delivered to India by the end of the week. 

• Since the coronavirus outbreak began, at least 3,346,813 people have died due to a tally combined from official sources by AFP. 

• British holidaymakers will be allowed to enter Portugal as of midnight on May 17th. Travellers will need a negative PCR test 72hrs before their flight to gain entry into the country. 

• India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he feels the pain of all Indians battling the pandemic after weeks of mainly avoiding public comment on the country’s fatal coronavirus wave. 

• Canada is planning a gradual return to indoor sports and family gatherings as more people get vaccinated, Reuters reports. Canada has administered one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine to just over half its adult population, and the country may be over the worst of its current third wave of infections, chief public health officer Theresa Tam said. 

• The Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has said that a state of emergency was being extended to a broader area due to a rapid rise of Covid-19 cases in those regions. 

• An international cybercrime gang has been announced as being behind a significant ransomware attack on Ireland’s health service operator that halted diagnostic services on Friday and led to the cancellation of appointments. 

• World Health Organisation (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the second year of the pandemic was set to be more deadly than the first, with India a considerable concern. 

• Delta Air Lines will require all new hires in the United States to be vaccinated against Covid-19, becoming one of the first major companies to issue this requirement. 

• Italy has lifted quarantine rules for all travellers from the European Union, including the UK and Israel, upon their arrival, health authorities announced. 

• Slovakia ends its state of emergency as the coronavirus pandemic has receded. 

• Dutch tourists who visit Spain’s Balearic and the Canary Islands will no longer have to take a coronavirus test on their way home. 

• Germany plans to classify Britain as a coronavirus risk region due to the emergence of the highly infectious variant first detected in India, government sources said on Friday. 

• Turkey is to ease coronavirus restrictions, emerging out of a complete lockdown, President Erdogan has said today. The country has been in a lockdown for two weeks after daily new cases rocketed to above 60,000. 

• France will have administered at least one Covid-19 vaccine injection to 20 million people by Saturday, Health Minister Olivier Veran said on his Twitter feed. 

• The B.1.617.2 variant first found in India will, over time, surpass the variant first discovered in Kent and become dominant in the UK, Britain’s Chief Medical Officer, Prof Chris Whitty, said on Friday.

Vietnam: The outbreak grows

Via Mike Tatarski's excellent Vietnam Weekly: The Outbreak Grows. Excerpt:

Before Friday’s infection updates, the Ministry of Health had logged 120 local COVID-19 cases since this new wave began on April 29. That has now grown to 411 cases of community infection: 120 in Hanoi, 85 in Bac Ninh, 52 in Vinh Phuc and 37 in Bac Giang. Those neighboring provinces make up the bulk of cases, though Da Nang has turned into a hotspot of its own with 48 infections. 

Overall, cases have been found in 26 provinces and cities, while almost 60,000 people nationwide are in some form of quarantine due to exposure to known cases. 

Here in Ho Chi Minh City, the situation is still in good shape, though this week will be different since schools are now closed. 

One concerning aspect of this latest outbreak is its spread into medical facilities: at least 10 hospitals in Hanoi (including a public cancer hospital) and elsewhere are currently locked down. Hospital clusters are what made the Da Nang outbreak last fall so dangerous. In fact, all 35 of Vietnam’s COVID-19 deaths came from that. 

It’s been hard to keep track of exactly where all these cases came from, though we know that many are linked to foreign experts who tested positive after completing quarantine. A karaoke bar in Vinh Phuc has also been linked to a number of cases. 

Nationwide contact tracing is ongoing, and hundreds of direct and indirect contacts have been found for a known patient who went to Da Lat over the Reunification Day holiday - that city was absolutely packed at the time. 

Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long has warned of the dangers of this outbreak given the presence of different strains and also multiple initial infection points (the index patient hasn’t been found in some areas). 

In vaccine news, 851,513 Oxford/AstraZeneca doses have been injected, meaning the health ministry has used almost all of the 917,600 doses it has received thus far. There is no word on when more deliveries may arrive. Last Friday, Vietnam reported its first death related to the vaccine, a 35 year-old medical worker in An Giang Province. She died of anaphylaxis.