Category Archives: News to use

Useful news for all to advance knowledge of the world and how it works

Algeria Picks Russian Sputnik V Vaccine For Vaccination Campaign

Authorities in Algiers announced that Algeria will use the Russian “Sputnik V” vaccine for its national vaccination campaign.

Source: Algeria Picks Russian Sputnik V Vaccine For Vaccination Campaign

Tokyo overshoots daily record by 40% with 1,337 COVID-19 cases | The Japan Times

Tokyo’s daily COVID-19 cases surged to a record 1,337 Thursday, the metropolitan government said, as the nationwide tally eclipsed 4,000 for the first time.

The nationwide figure was at 4,515 as of 7 p.m. Thursday, public broadcaster NHK reported, with single-day records set in Fukuoka, Saitama and Chiba prefectures.

Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike has warned that holiday shopping is apparently leading to bigger crowds, and repeated her plea for residents to stay home during the holidays.

“I want to emphasis again that there is no New Year holidays for the coronavirus,” Koike said Thursday. “I urge people to spend quiet holidays staying at home with families.”

The number of infections in Tokyo in December has now exceeded 19,200, nearly double the cases confirmed in November and reflecting the rapid pace of resurgence in the city.

“We are in a very severe and crucial phase,” Koike said at a news conference on a day earlier. “It is no surprise that an explosion of infections could occur at any time.”

Source: Tokyo overshoots daily record by 40% with 1,337 COVID-19 cases | The Japan Times

The COVID-19 Vaccine Market — By the Numbers | UNICEF USA

UNICEF has launched a new interactive tool for tracking the rapidly evolving COVID-19 vaccine market — an online, dynamic dashboard presenting all the latest data about vaccines in the pipeline, manufacturers’ production capacities, supply agreements between companies and countries and much, much more. Offering a dizzying array of charts, graphs and tables, the COVID-19 Vaccine Market Dashboard covers detailed information that is already publicly available, drawing from numerous sources that UNICEF deems reliable. The dashboard is not intended to guide country decision-making, or imply endorsement of a particular product.

In its next iteration, the dashboard will track progress towards the goal of securing 2 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses by the end of 2021, as established by the COVAX Facility, and to communicate the status of procurement and deliveries by UNICEF and other national and institutional buyers. UNICEF is leading global procurement and delivery of COVID-19 vaccines to 92 low- and middle-income countries — while also supporting procurement in 97 high-income ones — on behalf of the Facility, which was formed to ensure timely, equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines for all countries.

Source: The COVID-19 Vaccine Market — By the Numbers | UNICEF USA

State updates COVID-19 vaccine rollout | Updates | taosnews.com

Since Pfizer-BioNTech began shipping vaccines Dec. 13, New Mexico has received 49,625 doses, and distributed 41,075 of those to frontline workers. According to Collins, the state is still in the middle of Phase 1A of the vaccine rollout. While there is not a solid timeline on exactly when New Mexico will move to Phase 2, or even Phase 1B, the goal is to begin moving to later phases by late January. Source: State updates COVID-19 vaccine rollout | Updates | taosnews.com

Even as Covid-19 is still around, tuberculosis remains India’s biggest health crisis

Covid-19 has disrupted life across India as we know it. Response to this pandemic has impacted other health services of which tuberculosis is the most significant. With similar clinical symptoms, TB and Covid-19 present a deadly mix for India’s health system. TB, though curable, remains India’s severest health crisis killing over 1,200 Indians daily with delays in diagnosis, treatment, access and possibly increased suffering, mental health issues for those affected.

The TB programme and its services have been badly hit in the Covid-19 pandemic. Our recent analysis of on-ground cases and reports reveal that both diagnosis and treatment are significantly affected.

Source: Even as Covid-19 is still around, tuberculosis remains India’s biggest health crisis

Delhi leads India’s COVID-19 clampdown on New Year events – CNA

New Delhi and other major cities across India on Thursday (Dec 31) ordered curfews for New Year’s Eve as they stepped up efforts to head off a new coronavirus wave.

In the capital, the curfew would run for two days from 11pm until 6am with gatherings limited to five people even before the shutdown, authorities said.

Normally, tens of thousands of revellers pack central Delhi to see in the New Year.

But with frantic efforts being made to track thousands of people who have recently returned from Britain because of the new coronavirus strain, the city of 20 million people joined a growing number of Indian states that have imposed draconian restrictions on New Year gatherings.

Source: Delhi leads India’s COVID-19 clampdown on New Year events – CNA

Thousands of virus vaccines sent to an El Paso clinic won’t be administered for 2 weeks – KVIA – (a look into why we need good leadership at all levels for vaccines)

Director of Operations Dusty Warden told ABC-7 they received notice of the shipment on Dec. 22. By the next day, they received the thousands of doses of the vaccine. The clinics were scheduled to be closed the next day for the holidays. (no one thought that altering holiday schedule was important to public health)

Warden told ABC-7 they used the two weeks to train staff, alert the public and ensure they had a “well-thought-out process” before they were ready to administer the vaccines. (they knew vaccines were coming so why weren’t they already trained?)

Immunize El Paso this week started accepting appointments for the 2,000 vaccine doses they received. The appointments are all booked and will be spread out between their clinics.

They do not know when they will receive another shipment.

Source: Thousands of virus vaccines sent to an El Paso clinic won’t be administered for 2 weeks – KVIA