These are the global coronavirus stories you need to know about this week.
The UK simplified its traffic light system for fully vaccinated international travellers this week by scrapping the amber and green lists. There’s no quarantine requirement unless countries are on the red list. Lateral flow tests rather than PCR tests are needed 2 days after arrival. UK COVID-19 deaths are down 14.8% over the last 7 days, and hospital admissions down 5.4%. Positive tests are down 2% but are still over 30,000 daily at a rate of 343.9 per 100,000 population. Publication of vaccination uptake figures has been paused while work is underway to include 12 to 15-year-olds. Co-creator of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, Professor Dame Sarah Gilbert, co-signed a letter in Science Translational Medicine calling for urgent action to tackle the disparity in vaccination rates between high and low income countries.
The 7-day incidence in Germany has increased slightly from the previous week and currently stands at 62.3 new infections per 100,000 population. So far, 64.7% of the total population is now fully vaccinated against COVID-19. At least one initial vaccination has now been given to 68.2% of eligible people. According to data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) on Tuesday, the proportion of fully vaccinated adults is now 75.3%. Among children and adolescents aged 12 to 17 years, 35.2% are fully vaccinated.
Looking ahead to autumn and winter, RKI President Lothar Wieler warned against a double burden of flu and COVID-19 on the healthcare system. The existing recommendation for COVID-19 protection measures in schools, daycare centres, and nursing homes should not be changed until the spring.
In Austria, 64.5% of the total population has been vaccinated with at least one jab and 61% are fully vaccinated. The 7-day incidence at the beginning of the week was 141.1, a slight increase on the previous week.
As of Wednesday, the 7-day incidence in Switzerland was 85.7 per 100,000 population, and is continuing to decline significantly. The vaccination rate is currently 63.8% for a first vaccination and 58.6% for second vaccinations – clearly too low, according to government experts.
In France, the COVID-19 incidence rate has fallen below the symbolic number of 50 per 100,000 population to 48.15 on Saturday. However, the number of cases is on the rise in 15 departments. Wearing a mask is no longer compulsory for primary school students (aged 6 to 10-years-old) in 46 departments where the incidence of cases is below 50 per 100,000. So far, 75.2% of the total population has been fully vaccinated.
There was anger when more than 43% of health professionals who received financial aid to compensate for their loss of work during the pandemic in 2020 were asked to return an overpayment after a change in how the aid was calculated.
There were fewer complaints against doctors during the pandemic.
Portugal will give a third dose of COVID-19 vaccine to people over 65-years-old starting next week. Vaccination will begin with the most vulnerable groups (older adults in nursing homes and over 80s).
The Health Secretary of State, António Sales, announced that booster doses will also be offered from October 11 to all over-65s six months after their second dose.
Last Friday, virtually all COVID-19 protection and prevention measures were suspended. However, masks are still needed in nursing homes, hospitals, and larger shops.
There are still concerns about winter infections even in fully vaccinated elderly people. The current national incidence rate is 94.3 cases per 100,000 population. On the mainland, the rate is 95.1 per 100,000 people.
In Spain, starting 25 October, the Public Health Commission has agreed to administer a third dose of COVID-19 vaccine to those over 70 years of age who received their last dose at least 6 months ago. This campaign will go along with the flu vaccination campaign. So far, 79.5 % of the population has had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 77.5% have received both doses. On Wednesday, Spain registered 1801 new cases of COVID-19 continuing a downward trend in the data. The incidence at 14 days remains under 50. Most regional governments have already removed all COVID-19 restrictions, except the use of masks indoors.
In the US, the summer Delta surge has continued to ebb, with cases, hospitalisations, and deaths all declining over the past week. The US has now officially recorded more than 705,000 deaths, making COVID-19 the deadliest pandemic on record. With 65% of the total population fully vaccinated, and 76% of those eligible fully vaccinated, community transmission remains high, leading some experts to predict that the US will experience another surge over the winter. About six million people, or 3.2% of those who were fully vaccinated, have received a booster dose. The country continues to struggle with significant pockets of vaccine hesitancy, even as many employers have begun requiring vaccination. Hospitals have begun firing or suspending healthcare workers who have continued to refuse to be vaccinated. These measures are in place despite a significant labour shortage.
The Director of the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO), Carissa Etienne, announced that PAHO has made additional agreements with AstraZeneca, Sinopharm and Sinovac to access doses of COVID-19 vaccines in Latin America and the Caribbean. The vaccines will be made available to countries this year and in 2022.
The Delta variant is puzzling experts over the cause of its ‘more benign’ impact throughout South America, compared to the situation in the rest of the world. Dr Sylvain Aldighieri, PAHO’s COVID-19 incident manager, said that “it is difficult to explain why so far the Delta variant has not had a more explosive spread in South America, as has occurred in other regions, although it is likely to become dominant in more countries in a few weeks”.
In Mexico, COVID-19 vaccination registration began for immunocompromised 12 to 17-year-olds and pregnant women.
In Brazil, more than 44.2% of the population is fully vaccinated. Another 69.25% have had a first vaccine dose. Booster doses have been given to 0.57% of the population. Data from a public hospital in Rio de Janeiro found 94% of patients hospitalised with COVID-19 were unvaccinated.
People who received a different vaccine brand for first and second doses have been facing difficulties getting official vaccination certificates. The Ministry of Health said it is working on a solution.
One of the reasons for using different vaccines for second doses is the lack of supplies in some areas.
Australia is working on a national plan to ease its border regulations by November, once 80% of the population has been vaccinated. In the first phase of the reopening, residents will be allowed to travel overseas.
On October 4, New Zealand announced that it is dropping its COVID-19 elimination strategy, as the country struggles to contain a Delta variant outbreak. The capital Auckland has now been under lockdown for nearly 50 days. Restrictions in Auckland are expected to be eased in phases starting this week.
On October 6, Singapore signed a deal with Merck to get access to its experimental oral COVID-19 antiviral drug, molnupiravir.
Pregnant women in South Korea will be eligible to enroll for COVID-19 vaccination starting October 8, as the country aims to achieve its goal of vaccinating 80% of all adults by the end of this month.
The COVID-19 state of emergency measures ended in Japan on September 30 for the first time in more than 6 months. Mask mandates on public transport remain in place.
Malaysia has conditionally approved the COVID-19 vaccine made by China’s Sinovac for use in young people aged 12 to 17.
Schools in and around Mumbai, India reopened for older children on October 4, after being shut for nearly 18 months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Schools have been asked to strictly adhere to COVID-19 protocols and ensure mandatory vaccination of teachers and staff.
In Africa the number of new cases has decreased but only five African countries have vaccinated 10% of their population, the percentage for the continent is around 7%. The average number of new infections reported each day in Ghana has decreased 30% from its previous peak. The average number of new infections in Tunisia has been declining for 10 days in a row. Egypt is reporting its highest number of new infections since June.
See more global coronavirus updates in Medscape’s Coronavirus Resource Centre.
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