Child COVID-19 cases still rising in U.S. — report
Child COVID-19 cases in the United States have been rising since late June, according to a recent report.
More than 121,000 new child cases were logged in the week ending Aug. 12 in the United States, “a continuing substantial increase,” said the report from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children’s Hospital Association.
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As of Aug. 12, more than 4.41 million children had tested positive in the country since the onset of the pandemic, representing 14.4 percent of all cases, said the report.
Children under the age of 12 have not been authorized to be vaccinated against COVID-19 in the United States.
U.S. to distribute COVID-19 booster shots next month: officials
“We are prepared to offer booster shots for all Americans beginning the week of September 20 and starting 8 months after an individuals second dose,” top U.S. health officials said in a joint statement.
The United States will begin administrating COVID-19 booster shots next month as new data shows that vaccine protection wanes over time, top U.S. health officials announced Wednesday.
“We are prepared to offer booster shots for all Americans beginning the week of September 20 and starting 8 months after an individual’s second dose,” the officials said in a joint statement.
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The statement was signed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky, acting FDA Commissioner Dr. Janet Woodcock, White House chief medical advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci and other U.S. health leaders.
The policy will apply to people who have received the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines, and is contingent on authorization from the FDA and a review by CDC’s vaccine advisory committee.
“Based on our latest assessment, the current protection against severe disease, hospitalization and death could diminish in the months ahead, especially among those who are at higher risk or were vaccinated during the earlier phases of the vaccination rollout,” said the officials.
The decision to recommend booster shots came as the United States is undergoing a surge of COVID-19 cases driven by the Delta variant. There was also a rise in breakthrough cases – infections in fully vaccinated individuals.
According to the CDC, 72.2 percent of American adults have received one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, with 61.8 percent being fully vaccinated.
A study among almost 50,000 patients with COVID-19 found that a lack of exercise might be linked to an increased risk of severe COVID-19 and associated complications.
Another 33,904 people in Britain have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases in the country to 6,355,887, according to official figures released Wednesday.
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The country also reported another 111 coronavirus-related deaths, taking the national death toll to 131,260. These figures only include the deaths of people who died within 28 days of their first positive test.
Meanwhile, researchers found that a lack of exercise might be linked to an increased risk of severe COVID-19 and associated complications.
According to a research in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, “consistently meeting physical activity guidelines was strongly associated with a reduced risk for severe COVID-19 outcomes among infected adults.”
This reversed photo shows a man walking next to a puddle in London, Britain, Aug. 9, 2021.
The research was based on study of almost 50,000 patients with COVID-19 who were consistently inactive, doing some activity or consistently reporting doing sufficient exercise. The researchers recommend health authorities to prioritize the promotion of physical activity and incorporate it into routine medical care.
Nearly 90 percent of adults in Britain have had their first vaccine dose and about 77.5 percent have received both, the latest figures showed.
People walk past the National COVID Memorial Wall in London, Britain, Aug. 9, 2021.
UN moving about 100 staffers from Afghanistan to Kazakhstan
“In light of the security and other constraints in Kabul and other parts of the country at the moment, it was decided to move a part of the UN staff out of the country,” a UN spokesman said.
About 100 UN staff members are moving to Kazakhstan from Afghanistan “in light of the security and other constraints in Kabul and other parts of the country at the moment,” a UN spokesman said on Wednesday.
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“They will continue their work remotely,” said Stephane Dujarric, the chief spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Dujarric thanked the government of Kazakhstan for hosting a temporary remote office of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan.
“In light of the security and other constraints in Kabul and other parts of the country at the moment, it was decided to move a part of the UN staff out of the country,” he said. “Personnel will return to Afghanistan as conditions permit.”
The spokesman would not go into exact numbers or locations where international staff members were working, but told reporters at a regular briefing that all those relocating are international staff members, numbering about 100.
The most recent public tally of staff members from all UN agencies working in Afghanistan put the total at about 1,200, made up of about 800 Afghan nationals and 300 international staffers.
“The UN is committed to staying and delivering in support of the Afghan people in their hour of need,” the spokesman said. “The majority of humanitarian personnel remain in Afghanistan, providing vital assistance to millions in need.”
He explained that working remotely in Kazakhstan will provide close support to the UN family’s continuing work on the ground in Afghanistan.
“This is a temporary measure intended to enable the UN to keep delivering assistance to the people of Afghanistan with the minimum of disruption while, at the same time, reducing risk to UN personnel,” Dujarric said.
Israel expanded COVID-19 restrictions on Wednesday following the recent surge in new cases, the countrys health ministry said.
The green pass, which represents a permit to enter indoor and crowded outdoor places for recovered and vaccinated people, was expanded to most sectors.
The green pass will now also include swimming pools, museums, libraries, national parks and nature reserves, while hotels, restaurants, cafes, gyms and culture events were already subject to the pass.
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People neither vaccinated nor recovered will need to present a negative COVID-19 test certificate to enter these places.
Children aged 3 to 12, who are not eligible to receive the vaccine, can take a free PCR test, valid for 72 hours, or a free rapid antigen test, valid for 24 hours.
Those aged above 12 who are not vaccinated or recovered will only be able to take the rapid test at their own expense.
The green pass has not been applied to malls, outdoor shopping centers and other large stores. The purple badge was thus applied to these places. It requires wearing a mask, keeping distance, placing instructions signs and more.
In addition, gatherings in Israel were limited to 1,000 people indoors and 5,000 in open spaces. Gatherings in private homes were limited to 50 people indoors and 100 people outdoors.
A medical worker prepares a third dose of COVID-19 vaccine in central Israeli city of Modiin, Aug. 17, 2021.
Instability in Afghanistan likely to lead to increased migratory pressure: EU official
EU shouldnt wait for refugees to reach the borders of its member countries, instead, it should prevent people from heading towards the EU through unsafe, irregular and uncontrolled routes run by smugglers.
The instability in Afghanistan is likely to lead to increased migratory pressure, and the European Union (EU) is preparing for all scenarios, European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson said Wednesday.
Johansson issued a statement following a meeting of EU interior ministers, saying that the EU shouldn’t wait for refugees to reach the borders of its member countries, instead, it should prevent people from heading towards the EU through unsafe, irregular and uncontrolled routes run by smugglers.
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She added that the EU cannot abandon people in immediate danger in Afghanistan. “Journalists, NGO staff and human rights advocates in Afghanistan are among those who are most at risk, women in particular.”
“I have called on member states to step up their engagement on resettlement, to increase resettlement quotas to help those in need of international protection and to offer complimentary legal pathways,” Johansson said, adding that the Commission stands ready to help in the coordination between member states and provide the necessary additional financial support on “this important work strand.”
Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin also said Wednesday that “Seamless cooperation is required now in the international community to secure the rights of women and civilians in Afghanistan.”
European Union flags fly outside the European Commission building in Brussels, Belgium, on June 9, 2021.
Strong international determination is now needed for not allowing the situation in Afghanistan to deteriorate, she told a press conference.
According to EU statistics, some 550,000 Afghans have now been internally displaced since the beginning of the year, in addition to 2.9 million already internally displaced at the end of 2020.
Also on Wednesday, 85 Afghan citizens landed in Rome in the framework of an airlift operation Italy was carrying out to evacuate local collaborators and their families in Afghanistan.
In Belgium, three military transportation planes left the country’s Melsbroek military air base on the same day in preparation for the Afghanistan evacuation operation.
Photo taken on Aug. 15, 2021 shows a road in Kabul, capital of Afghanistan.
Most U.S. Fed officials agree to start tapering asset purchases this year: minutes
The minutes noted that the Feds standard of “substantial further progress” toward the maximum-employment goal “had not yet been met,” while the inflation goal had been achieved.
Most U.S. Federal Reserve officials agreed last month that the central bank would start tapering asset purchases this year if the U.S. economy were to evolve broadly as they anticipated, according to the minutes of the Fed’s recent policy meeting released Wednesday.
“Various participants commented that economic and financial conditions would likely warrant a reduction in coming months,” the Fed said in the minutes of its July 27-28 meeting.
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But several other Fed officials indicated that a reduction in the pace of asset purchases was more likely to become appropriate early next year, according to the minutes.
The Fed has pledged to keep its benchmark interest rate unchanged at the record-low level of near zero, while continuing its asset purchase program at least at the current pace of 120 billion U.S. dollars per month until “substantial further progress” has been made on employment and inflation.
The minutes noted that the Fed’s standard of “substantial further progress” toward the maximum-employment goal “had not yet been met,” while the inflation goal had been achieved.
“Participants observed that the inflation rate had increased notably and expected that it would likely remain elevated in coming months before moderating,” the minutes said.
Photo taken on June 16, 2021 shows the U.S. Federal Reserve in Washington, D.C., the United States.
The minutes also showed that most Fed officials saw benefits in reducing the pace of net purchases of U.S. Treasury securities and agency mortgage-backed securities proportionally “in order to end both sets of purchases at the same time.”
The Fed is currently purchasing 80 billion dollars in U.S. Treasury securities and 40 billion dollars in agency mortgage-backed securities per month.
The minutes came as several Fed officials, including Dallas Federal Reserve Bank President Robert Kaplan and Boston Federal Reserve Bank President Eric Rosengren, have publicly endorsed a plan to announce tapering asset purchases as soon as September.
“The reason I’m saying we ought to begin the tapering soon is I think these purchases are very well equipped to stimulate demand. But we don’t have a demand problem in the economy,” Kaplan told CNBC last week, adding tapering soon would give the Fed more flexibility to be patient on raising interest rates.
Biden says chaos from U.S. Afghan drawdown unavoidable
President Joe Biden said the U.S. military could extend its mission in Afghanistan beyond Aug. 31 to evacuate Americans on the ground.
U.S. President Joe Biden said on Wednesday in an interview with ABC News that he did not see a way to withdraw from Afghanistan without “chaos ensuing.”
Biden, who is facing mounting criticism from the public over the chaotic evacuation, defended his decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan in the interview.
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Asked if the U.S. drawdown could have been handled better, Biden replied, “No, I don’t think it could have been handled in a way that … but the idea that somehow, to have gotten out without chaos ensuing, I don’t know how that happens.”
“One of the things we didn’t know is what the Taliban would do in terms of trying to keep people from getting out,” he said. “They’re cooperating, letting American citizens get out … but we’re having some more difficulty having those who helped us when we were in there.”
He also said that the U.S. military could extend its mission in Afghanistan beyond Aug. 31 to evacuate Americans on the ground.
National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said on Tuesday that the Taliban informed the United States that they would provide safe passage of civilians to Kabul airport.
Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman said Wednesday that U.S. military flights had evacuated over 2,000 people in the last 24 hours and nearly 5,000 people over the last several days.
U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan earlier in the day issued a security alert saying “the United States Government cannot ensure safe passage to the Hamid Karzai International Airport.”
According to media reports, up to 15,000 Americans remain in Afghanistan.
Afghan Taliban fighters are seen on a military vehicle in Kabul, capital of Afghanistan, Aug. 16, 2021.
At a Pentagon briefing on Wednesday, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said about 4,500 U.S. troops had arrived in Kabul, but their mission was to secure the airport. “We don’t have the capability to go out and collect up large numbers of people.”
U.S. troops on the ground had no hostile interaction with the Taliban, and the lines of communication with Taliban commanders remain open, he said.
Austin said that the U.S. military is working hard to get more people evacuated while noting “we’re not close to where we want to be in terms of getting the numbers through.”
The Pentagon said on Tuesday that it could have the capacity to evacuate as many as 5,000 to 9,000 per day at best effort.
Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani left the country on Sunday as the Taliban forces entered the capital of Kabul and took control of the presidential palace.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation confirmed on Wednesday that the UAE had welcomed Ghani and his family into the country “on humanitarian grounds.”
“He is no longer a figure in Afghanistan,” said Sherman when asked about U.S. reaction to Ghani’s whereabouts.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin attends a press conference in Tel Aviv, Israel on April 11, 2021.
Biden administration takes new actions on masking, vaccination amid COVID-19 resurgence
President Joe Biden said he is directing the Education Department to use its legal authority against some governors who are trying to block local school officials from requiring students to wear masks to prevent the spread of the virus.
U.S. President Joe Biden said Wednesday the administration is taking new actions on masking, vaccination and booster shots amid a COVID-19 resurgence driven by the highly contagious Delta variant across the country.
Speaking at the White House, Biden said he is directing the Education Department to use its legal authority against some governors who are trying to block local school officials from requiring students to wear masks to prevent the spread of the virus.
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“You know, we’re not going to sit by as governors try to block and intimidate educators protecting our children,” Biden said.
Some Republican governors, such as Florida’s Ron DeSantis, Doug Ducey of Arizona, and Greg Abbott of Texas, have issued orders barring local school districts from requiring masks in the classroom.
“They’re setting a dangerous tone,” Biden said. “This isn’t about politics. It’s about keeping our children safe. It’s about taking on the virus together, united.”
He said COVID-19 emergency funding in American Rescue Plan can be used to pay educators who have their paycheck cut by local and state governments if their schools implement mask mandates.
More than 121,000 new child cases were logged in the week ending Aug. 12 in the United States, “a continuing substantial increase,” said a report from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children’s Hospital Association.
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As of Aug. 12, more than 4.41 million children had tested positive in the country since the onset of the pandemic, representing 14.4 percent of all cases, said the report. Children under the age of 12 have not been authorized to be vaccinated against COVID-19 in the United States.
Biden said Wednesday he is also directing the Department of Health and Human Services to draw up new regulations making employee vaccination a condition for nursing homes to participate in Medicare and Medicaid.
His administration has already required that all health care and nursing home workers with the Department of Veterans Affairs be vaccinated and that federal employees get vaccinated or undergo routine testing.
Additionally, Biden spoke about the administration’s new recommendation for everyone to get booster shots, beginning the week of Sept. 20, pending approval by the Food and Drug Administration.
“It’s the best way to protect ourselves from new variants that could arrive,” Biden said of the boosters.
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He downplayed the criticism that Americans would be getting additional protection against COVID-19 while much of the world still waits for the first vaccination shots.
“There’s some world leaders who say America shouldn’t get a third shot until other countries got their first shot — I disagree,” Biden said. “We can take care of America and help the world at the same time.”
Students of Montrara Ave. Elementary School attend their in-person class in Los Angeles, California, the United States, on Aug. 16, 2021.
Fully vaccinated Americans who received a two-shot mRNA vaccine, like those made by Moderna and Pfizer, earlier this year can start getting booster doses on Sept. 20, U.S. health officials announced earlier Wednesday. Each person should get their booster shot eight months after their second shot.
Americans who got the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine will likely also need booster shots, but more data on the topic is expected in the coming weeks, said the officials.
Data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed that the vaccines’ effectiveness dropped from 75 percent in March to 53 percent by August.
Hospitals across the United States are “back in crisis mode” due to a fourth surge of the COVID-19 pandemic driven by the Delta variant, according to an article published by The Washington Post on Wednesday.
Double-digit growth in COVID-19 hospitalizations was recorded in 46 of the 50 U.S. states in the week ending Tuesday, and eight states, including California and New York, added more than 400 new inpatients, the article said.
The United States logged 911,529 new cases in the week ending Sunday, and had not seen such a high weekly increase since the week ending Jan. 31 with more than 1 million new infections, according to the newspaper.
As of Wednesday, 60 percent of the U.S. population has received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccines, with 51 percent fully vaccinated, CDC data showed.
A man walks past a sign of COVID-19 vaccination at a pharmacy in New York, the United States, Aug. 11, 2021.
Asean sees slightly lower number of new Covid cases, deaths
The number of Covid-19 cases in Southeast Asia crossed 8.95 million, with 82,265 new cases reported on Wednesday, slightly lower than Tuesday’s tally of 84,330. There were an additional 2,300 deaths, also decreasing from Tuesday’s 2,331 and taking total coronavirus deaths in Asean to 195,694.
Singapore reported 53 new cases and one death on Wednesday, bringing cumulative cases in the city-state to 66,334 patients and a total 45 deaths so far.
The government allowed businesses to let 50 per cent of their staff work at the office after the Covid-19 situation in the country showed improvement and 76 per cent of the population had been vaccinated with two doses.
Meanwhile, Cambodia reported 593 new cases and 12 deaths, bringing cumulative cases there to 87,190 patients and a total of 1,730 deaths so far.
The country’s Public Health Ministry announced face masks are a must along with 1.5-metre social distancing in another 15 provinces, putting a total of 25 provinces under these rules until further notice. Violators will be issued a warning for their first offence and repeated offences will be met with a 200,000 riel (THB1,600) to 1 million riel fine.
This reversed photo shows a man walking next to a puddle in London, Britain, Aug. 9, 2021.
People walk past the National COVID Memorial Wall in London, Britain, Aug. 9, 2021.
A medical worker prepares a third dose of COVID-19 vaccine in central Israeli city of Modiin, Aug. 17, 2021.
European Union flags fly outside the European Commission building in Brussels, Belgium, on June 9, 2021.
Photo taken on Aug. 15, 2021 shows a road in Kabul, capital of Afghanistan.
Photo taken on June 16, 2021 shows the U.S. Federal Reserve in Washington, D.C., the United States.
Afghan Taliban fighters are seen on a military vehicle in Kabul, capital of Afghanistan, Aug. 16, 2021.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin attends a press conference in Tel Aviv, Israel on April 11, 2021.
Students of Montrara Ave. Elementary School attend their in-person class in Los Angeles, California, the United States, on Aug. 16, 2021.
A man walks past a sign of COVID-19 vaccination at a pharmacy in New York, the United States, Aug. 11, 2021.
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