Tag: health

New Mexico governor becomes substitute teacher amid Covid shortage

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — The governor of New Mexico started work Wednesday as a substitute teacher, replacing one of the thousands of educators across the United States who have been forced off work by the Covid-19 pandemic. Michelle Lujan Grisham — a lawyer by training — swapped the governor’s mansion for the classroom as part of the “Supporting Teachers and Families” initiative designed to plug holes in staffing in schools and child care […]

Boston hospital refuses heart transplant to unvaccinated patient

BOSTON, United States (AFP) — A hospital in Boston refused to perform a heart transplant on a patient who had not been vaccinated for Covid-19, US television media reported Wednesday. A spokeswoman for Brigham and Women’s Hospital confirmed in a statement to AFP that vaccination against the coronavirus is “required” for organ transplant recipients there. The patient’s father, David Ferguson, appeared on news channels CNN and ABC to share the family’s story, saying his 31-year-old […]

Biden admin withdraws Covid vaccination mandate for businesses

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — President Joe Biden’s administration on Tuesday formally withdrew the Covid vaccination-or-testing mandate for large businesses that was struck down by the Supreme Court. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) said that although it was withdrawing the mandate it “strongly encourages vaccination of workers against the continuing dangers posed by Covid-19 in the workplace.” The conservative-dominated Supreme Court delivered a blow to Biden this month when it blocked his vaccination-or-testing […]

Moderna begins trial of Omicron-specific vaccine booster

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US biotech company Moderna announced on Wednesday that it has begun clinical trials of a booster dose of vaccine designed specifically to combat the Omicron variant of the coronavirus. The trials will involve a total of 600 adults — half of whom have already received two doses of Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine at least six months ago, and half of whom have received two doses plus the previously authorized booster dose. […]

From critical risk, PHL classified under “high risk” due to decrease in percentage of Covid growth

Davao City topping other areas with high number of new Covid-19 cases on Jan. 24 alarms President Duterte (Eagle News) – The Philippines is now classified under high-risk classification from critical risk classification due to a decrease in the percentage of the two-week growth rate of Covid-19 cases, and daily reported cases on the national average. Health secretary Francisco Duque III noted the decrease in the country’s two-week Covid-19 growth rate to 178 percent, while […]

Austria to end lockdown for Covid unvaccinated

VIENNA, Austria (AFP) — Austria on Wednesday announced it was ending a lockdown for those unvaccinated as it prepares to become the first EU country to make Covid-19 jabs mandatory from next week. The government last November ordered those not vaccinated or recently recovered from coronavirus to stay at home with limited exceptions, such as going to work, as the country battled a surge in cases. But with intensive care units no longer at capacity, […]

PHL’s new Covid-19 numbers continue to drop as DOH records 15,789 new cases

New recoveries outnumber new Covid cases for fifth straight day   (Eagle News) – The Department of Health reported 15,789 new Covid-19 cases and 32,712 new recoveries on Wednesday, January 26. Since January 22, there has been a decreasing trend in cases, thus the fifth straight day that new virus cases have been decreasing, and coincidentally the fifth day too that there are more Covid recoveries compared to new cases. Because of this, total active […]

Covid-hit Australian warship delivers disaster aid to Tonga

NUKU’ALOFA, Tonga (AFP) — A coronavirus-hit Australian warship docked in Tonga on Wednesday, delivering desperately needed aid to the volcano-and-tsunami-struck nation under strict “no-contact” protocols. Tongan Health Minister Saia Piukala said the crew of the HMAS Adelaide would follow drastic health protocols to ensure the remote Pacific kingdom remains one of the few places in the world still free of Covid-19. “The ship will berth and no contacts will be made. Australians from the ship […]

DOH reports three more Omicron deaths, bringing total fatalities due to this variant to five

  (Eagle News) – The Department of Health reported three more Omicron deaths, bringing the total deaths due to this highly infectious variant to five. Health Undersecretary and Spokesperson Maria Rosario Vergeire said that the three new Covid fatalities related to the Omicron variant were senior citizens with comorbidities. In a message to reporters, the DOH official said that of the five fatalities, one was unvaccinated, another one was partially vaccinated, while the vaccination status […]

Omicron risk remains very high: WHO

GENEVA, Switzerland (AFP) — The risk level related to the Omicron variant remains very high, the WHO said late Tuesday, with the numbers of new Covid-19 cases hitting another record high last week. “Over 21 million new cases were reported, representing the highest number of weekly cases recorded since the beginning of the pandemic,” the World Health Organization said in its weekly epidemiological coronavirus update. The UN health agency said the number of new infections […]

WHO board nominates chief Tedros for May re-election

GENEVA, Switzerland (AFP) — World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is all but guaranteed a second term after a procedural vote Tuesday made him the sole nominee ahead of a leadership vote in May. “I’d like to congratulate Dr Tedros for your nomination as the DG (director-general) for an additional period of five years, as from 16th August 2022,” Patrick Amoth, head of the WHO’s 34-member executive board, said after a secret-ballot nomination vote. […]

Pfizer-BioNTech begin Omicron vaccine trial: statement

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Pfizer and BioNTech have begun enrollment for a clinical trial to test the safety and immune response of their Omicron-specific Covid-19 vaccine in adults aged up to 55, the companies said in a statement Tuesday. Pfizer’s CEO Albert Bourla previously said at a conference that the pharmaceutical giant could be ready to file for regulatory approval of the shot by March. The company’s head of vaccine research Kathrin Jansen said […]