by Juliette MICHEL NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — From Wall Street to Silicon Valley, slaughterhouses to airlines, more American firms are demanding their employees get Covid-19 vaccines to return to the workplace, and are willing to fire them if they violate the rule. CNN news network terminated three employees who flouted the policy and went to work without being immunized against the coronavirus. “Let me be clear — we have a zero-tolerance policy on […]
Tag: Virus
White House says 50% of Americans fully vaccinated against Covid
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Half of the US population is now fully vaccinated against Covid-19, the White House said Friday, as inoculations rise in response to the surging Delta variant of the coronavirus. “50% of Americans (all ages) are now fully vaccinated. Keep going!” Cyrus Shahpar, the White House’s Covid-19 data director, tweeted. That means more than 165 million people have received either the two-dose Moderna or Pfizer vaccine, or the one-and-done Johnson & […]
In Florida, Delta variant fuels concerns for children’s health
by Gerard Martinez MIAMI, United States (AFP) — Greater numbers of American children are being swept up in a wave of coronavirus infections driven by the Delta variant, causing renewed anxiety for parents and a bitter political fight as schools prepare to reopen within weeks. Much of the surge is concentrated in the southeastern state of Florida, where some school districts are defying an order by the Republican governor forbidding mask mandates, in the latest […]
Sydney posts fresh Covid record as Melbourne races to trace outbreak
SYDNEY, Australia (AFP) — Australia’s state of New South Wales reported another record day of Covid-19 cases Saturday, as authorities in the country’s second city of Melbourne rushed to trace the source of its outbreaks. Australia’s three largest cities were in lockdown on Saturday, as New South Wales recorded 319 community cases of the virus and five more deaths — a third straight day of record case numbers. With the virus continuing to spread through […]
Ex-NBA player Jeremy Lin tests positive for Covid
BEIJING, China (AFP) — Jeremy Lin has tested positive for Covid-19 and is receiving treatment in Shanghai, the former NBA guard and first Asian-American to win an NBA title said in a social media post Saturday. Lin announced in June he was rejoining the Chinese Basketball Association’s Beijing Ducks after a failed NBA comeback. He tested positive for coronavirus on his third day in quarantine after flying to Shanghai from San Francisco, the 32-year-old posted […]
Coronavirus: Latest global developments
PARIS, France (AFP) — Here are the latest developments in the coronavirus crisis: Sydney’s new daily record Australia’s hope of returning to “Covid zero” suffers a fresh blow as Sydney reports another record number of new infections and authorities warn residents to brace for worse to come. Manila lockdown The Philippine capital Manila returns to lockdown as authorities seek to slow the spread of the hyper-contagious Delta variant and ease pressure on hospitals while trying […]
Australia’s ‘Covid zero’ days may be numbered
by Andrew BEATTY SYDNEY, Australia (AFP) — Australia’s coveted status as a haven from the pandemic could be at an end, with experts warning that a sustained Delta outbreak makes a return to “Covid zero” unlikely. After long stretches with zero local cases — what Australians once jokingly referred to as “doughnut days” — a Sydney outbreak has now grown to 4,610. Record numbers of new cases are being reported each day despite widespread lockdowns. […]
Virus surge overwhelms Barcelona hospital staff
by Rosa SULLEIRO BARCELONA, Spain (AFP) — Staff in the intensive care unit at Barcelona’s Hospital del Mar are battling exhaustion as they grapple with a new surge in Covid-19 patients that is straining the region’s health system. Ten new intensive care beds have been added at this one hospital alone, bringing the total to 30. All of them are full — and it is overwhelmingly unvaccinated, and younger, patients who are occupying them. Nurses […]
10,623 new COVID cases reported; the highest single day record since April surge in PH
(Eagle News) – The Department of Health reported 10,623 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, Aug. 6, the highest number of daily cases so far since the last major surge in cases last April. Because of this, the number of active COVID-19 cases jumped to 74,297 while total confirmed cases reached 1,638,345. The DOH also reported an increase in deaths. On Friday, 247 new COVID-19 fatalities were recorded, higher than the previous day’s 196 deaths. […]
Israel doing world a ‘great service’ with Covid booster shots: PM
by Jonah Mandel JERUSALEM, Undefined (AFP) — Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said Thursday that Israel was doing the world a “great service” by administering Covid vaccine booster shots, despite the World Health Organization’s plea for a moratorium. Nearly 60 percent of Israel’s 9.3 million people have had two jabs, mostly of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, with the government recently rolling out a third shot for the over-60s. The WHO has called for a moratorium on booster […]
China pledges two billion vaccine doses to world: Xi
BEIJING, China (AFP) — China will “strive to provide” two billion Covid-19 vaccine doses to the world this year and donate $100 million to the international vaccine distribution system known as Covax, President Xi Jinping said Thursday. The pledge came in a written message by Xi to a video forum on vaccine cooperation as China battles a fresh outbreak fuelled by the highly contagious Delta variant. Delta has now been detected in parts of China, […]
Australia expands lockdowns as virus fight falters
by Andrew BEATTY SYDNEY, Australia (AFP) — Almost two-thirds of Australia’s 25 million people were in lockdown Thursday, as the country’s faltering bid to bring a virulent Delta outbreak to heel prompted a new wave of restrictions. The country’s two largest cities received a double blow in their efforts to retain “Covid Zero” status, with authorities reporting a record number of new coronavirus infections in Sydney and imposing a sixth lockdown for virus-weary Melbourne. In […]





