Tag: health

Malaysian holiday island opens as tourism restarts

LANGKAWI, Malaysia (AFP) — Visitors flocked to the Malaysian island of Langkawi Thursday as it became the country’s first holiday hotspot to reopen after a coronavirus lockdown that has hammered the vital tourism industry. Restrictions on local travel had been in place for months and international borders remain largely closed as Malaysia battles its worst Covid-19 wave. But with the outbreak gradually easing, Langkawi, one of tropical Malaysia’s premier holiday destinations, has been chosen for […]

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Ebola virus in survivors can trigger outbreaks years after infection

by Sara HUSSEIN TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Ebola survivors can relapse and trigger outbreaks at least five years after infection, and long-term follow-up of former patients is needed to prevent devastating flare-ups, according to new research. Scientists already knew Ebola could lie dormant in survivors, who test negative because the virus is in tissue rather than circulating in the blood. But analysis of an outbreak this year in Guinea, published Wednesday in the journal Nature, […]

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Cuba seeks WHO approval of its Covid-19 vaccines

HAVANA, Cuba (AFP) — Cuba said Wednesday it would seek World Health Organization approval for two home-grown coronavirus vaccines it hopes to commercialize widely. A vetting process will start Thursday with WHO experts examining the nation’s Abdala and Soberana 02 jabs, said Rolando Perez of state pharma group BioCubaFarma. Perez said the experts would examine the vaccines’ “safety, immunogenicity (the ability of a vaccine to provoke an immune response) and efficacy.” The WHO’s representative in […]

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Israel booster jabs cutting severe Covid even as cases surge: experts

by Ahikam Seri and Ben Simon JERUSALEM (AFP) — Israel’s program of booster jabs has proved effective in reducing severe cases of Covid even as new infections hover near record highs, experts said, citing recent data. Since taking office in June, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has insisted he will aim to avoid any new lockdown, a pledge his government has kept even as the country of roughly 9.3 million people regularly records more than 10,000 […]

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EU to donate 200 million more vaccine doses to low-income countries

STRASBOURG, France (AFP) — The European Union is to donate another 200 million Covid-19 vaccine doses to low-income countries, more than doubling its present pledge, the bloc’s chief said on Wednesday. The extra doses announced by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen come on top of 250 million shots the EU has already promised to give to other countries, particularly ones in Africa. “I can announce today that the commission will add a new […]

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France gets tough on vaccine rule for health workers

by Clare BYRNE PARIS, France (AFP) — The French government faces a stand-off with tens of thousands of health workers and carers Wednesday over a new rule requiring them to receive a Covid-19 vaccine or face suspension without pay. Starting Wednesday, hospital staff, ambulance drivers, retirement home workers, private doctors, fire service members and people caring for the elderly or infirm in their homes — some 2.7 million people in total — must be able […]

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Sydney lifts Covid curfews as case numbers stabilize

SYDNEY, Australia (AFP) — Sydney authorities moved to lift curfews for coronavirus hotpots Wednesday, as infection numbers stabilised and vaccination rates surged. Almost three months after activity in Australia’s largest city was frozen by lockdown orders, state authorities announced easing restrictions for the worst-hit areas. New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the 9 pm to 5 am curfew for virus hotspots would be lifted from Wednesday, in what Sydneysiders hope signals the beginning of […]

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Dutch announce ‘Covid pass’, end to social distancing

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AFP) — The Netherlands said Tuesday it would further ease Covid-19 restrictions including an end to social distancing, but will introduce a pass for bars, restaurants and festivals. The pass showing proof of vaccination, recovery from the virus or a negative test will be needed for people aged 13 and over from September 25, Prime Minister Mark Rutte said. Infection rates are falling in the Netherlands, which early in the pandemic had […]

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Arizona first state to file suit against Biden vaccine mandate

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Arizona on Tuesday became the first US state to file suit against President Joe Biden’s Covid vaccination mandate for federal employees and businesses with more than 100 employees. Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich, a Republican, announced the filing of the suit against what he described as an “unconstitutional” move by the Democratic president. “The federal government cannot force people to get the Covid-19 vaccine,” Brnovich said in a statement. “The […]

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US approaching Delta wave peak but virus expected to become endemic

by Issam AHMED WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The latest coronavirus wave in the United States driven by the Delta variant could soon peak, but experts warn against complacency and expect the virus will be part of everyday life for years to come. The seven-day-average of daily cases as of Monday was 172,000, its highest level of this surge even as the growth rate is slowing and cases are headed down in most states, according […]

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Putin self-isolates after Covid cases in inner circle

by Anastasia CLARK MOSCOW, Russia (AFP) — President Vladimir Putin will self-isolate after coronavirus cases were detected in his inner circle, the Kremlin said Tuesday, as Russia struggles with stubbornly high Covid infection rates. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Putin was “absolutely healthy” and had taken a coronavirus test, without specifying the result. Putin had been due to travel to Tajikistan’s capital Dushanbe for a regional summit later this week but in a […]

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Vaccinated Sydney residents picnic as lockdown rules relaxed

SYDNEY, Australia (AFP) — Virus lockdown rules were relaxed for fully vaccinated people in Sydney on Monday, with small groups allowed to meet for picnics for the first time in months. Families and friends gathered in parks and at beaches, reuniting 11 weeks after an outbreak of the Delta variant brought Australia’s biggest city to a virtual standstill. The rules remain strict, with just five fully vaccinated people allowed to gather outdoors for up to […]

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