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- The public health researcher says reactivating children after COVID-19 will be a “big challenge”.
Italy has seen an increase of up to 40% in the number of people who received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine following a government decree requiring health clearance for all workers, public and private, starting from 15 October.
The coronavirus tsar’s office in Italy says there has been a week-long 35% increase in early doses compared to last Saturday. Italian regions across the country are reporting a 20-40% increase in appointments this week to get the shot.
On Thursday, Italy became the first major European economy to require all workers to present a “green corridor” to work next month. Requires proof of vaccination, a recent negative test, or recovery from COVID-19 within the past six months.
Health Minister Roberto Speranza says the requirement is aimed at boosting the vaccination campaign while creating safer workplaces. Italy, once the epicenter of the epidemic in Europe, has vaccinated 75% of its population aged 12 years or older. Italy has recorded more than 130,000 confirmed deaths, the third highest toll in Europe after Great Britain and Russia.
“The green corridor is a tool of freedom that will help us make workplaces safer,” Speranza said at a press conference. The second reason is to strengthen our vaccine campaign.
Slovenia and Greece took similar measures this week. But Italy’s € 2 trillion ($ 2.35 trillion) economy, the third largest in the European Union, is a much bigger target and the measure underscores the government’s determination to avoid another blockade, even if the number of new virus infections increases. Mostly among the unvaccinated.
What’s happening across Canada
Dr Raghu Venugopal, a Toronto emergency room doctor, staged a counter-protest against protesters targeting Toronto General Hospital in opposition to COVID-19 measures and vaccine warrants. He says the protests are “unacceptable” and “non-Canadian” and that the government needs legislation against demonstrations outside hospitals. 6:54
What is happening in the world
As of Saturday, more than 227.8 million cases of COVID-19 have been reported worldwide, according to the Johns Hopkins University coronavirus tracker. The reported global death toll has reached more than 4.6 million.
In Americas, South Carolina is setting a record number of COVID-19 hospitalizations, and new cases in the state are nearing peak levels last winter. The number of cases has risen from 150 per day to more than 5,000. The state infected nearly 2,600 COVID-19 patients admitted to hospital in early September, a record number.
Two doctors answer questions about the safety of vaccines in pregnant women and the risks unvaccinated pregnant women face when contracting COVID-19. 5:44
In Middle EastThe UAE capital recently put an end to a policy requiring arrivals from other emirates to test negative for COVID-19 recently. Abu Dhabi made the announcement on Saturday, saying citizens from the other six emirates can enter the capital from Sunday without taking a test.
in a AsiaThe Vietnamese government said on Saturday that it approved the use of Abdullah’s Cuban vaccine, as the Southeast Asian country battled the worst COVID-19 outbreak. Abdullah became the eighth COVID-19 vaccine approved for use in Vietnam, which has one of the lowest vaccination rates in the region, with only 6.3 percent of its 98 million people having received at least two vaccinations.
In Singapore, health officials reported 1,009 new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday, the highest level since April last year. The recent spate of cases following the easing of some COVID-19 measures has prompted Singapore to suspend the reopening of its doors. More than 80% of its population has been vaccinated against COVID-19.
Australian police used pepper spray to subdue protesters on Saturday during an anti-blockade demonstration in Melbourne, the country’s second largest city. About 1,000 protesters gathered in the Richmond suburb after the protest was moved at the last minute to escape authorities.
Minor clashes occurred as well as a violent confrontation in which a small number of protesters participated. Several demonstrators were arrested. Most of the protesters defied the regulation not to wear masks. About 2,000 police officers were posted at roadblocks and road barricades, as well as in itinerant patrols, in an attempt to prevent the march from continuing in violation of public health orders.
Melbourne is the capital of Victoria, which reported 535 new infections and one death from COVID-19 on Saturday in the past 24 hours. The sixth city lockdown began on August 5, and health officials across Australia recorded 1,882 cases of the novel coronavirus on Saturday.
