Country,	Total	New	Total
Other	Cases	Cases	Deaths
World	214,700,360	717,655	4,475,462
USA	39,157,249	171,737	649,680
India	32,557,767	46,397	436,396
Brazil	20,645,537	30,529	576,730
Russia	6,804,910	19,536	178,423
France	6,673,336	23,706	113,665
UK	6,590,747	35,847	132,003
Turkey	6,273,681	19,970	55,212
Argentina	5,155,079	6,994	110,966
Colombia	4,897,150	2,448	124,474
Spain	4,815,205	10,781	83,690
Iran	4,796,377	39,983	104,022
Italy	4,502,396	7,547	128,914
Indonesia	4,026,837	18,671	129,293
Germany	3,901,864	12,490	92,572
Mexico	3,249,878	18,262	254,466
Poland	2,887,270	234	75,329
South Africa	2,722,202	13,251	80,469
Ukraine	2,276,590	727	53,521
Peru	2,143,691		197,944
Netherlands	1,926,424	2,828	17,974
Philippines	1,883,088	13,573	32,492
Iraq	1,847,697	7,787	20,410
Czechia	1,678,083	250	30,387
Chile	1,635,173	399	36,718
Malaysia	1,616,244	22,642	14,818
Canada	1,479,310	3,158	26,855
Bangladesh	1,477,930	4,966	25,627
Japan	1,339,115	21,570	15,693
Belgium	1,170,213	1,611	25,342
Pakistan	1,135,858	4,199	25,220
Sweden	1,120,628		14,634
Thailand	1,102,368	18,417	10,085
Romania	1,092,971	849	34,453
Portugal	1,025,869	3,062	17,674
Israel	1,017,825	4,579	6,908
Morocco	829,137	8,008	12,079
Hungary	811,337	134	30,055
Jordan	792,278	812	10,338
Switzerland	765,190	3,212	10,962
Kazakhstan	754,891	6,040	8,643
Nepal	752,863	1,862	10,612
Serbia	748,693	2,327	7,233
UAE	712,411	983	2,028
Austria	680,179	1,574	10,770
Tunisia	647,483	3,411	22,860
Cuba	611,163	8,637	4,806
Lebanon	595,522	1,593	8,024
Greece	570,077	3,265	13,459
Saudi Arabia	543,028	321	8,505
Georgia	528,043	5,021	6,949
Ecuador	499,631	435	32,134
Bolivia	487,721	590	18,330
Belarus	472,852	1,357	3,712
Paraguay	458,116	145	15,633
Panama	454,330	864	7,023
Costa Rica	450,291	2,619	5,394
Guatemala	450,150	5,226	11,615
Bulgaria	446,698	1,601	18,613
Kuwait	408,797	197	2,412
Sri Lanka	407,768	4,483	7,948
Azerbaijan	401,828	3,794	5,403
Slovakia	394,285	81	12,547
Uruguay	384,392	105	6,022
Vietnam	381,363	12,096	9,349
Myanmar	380,879	2,502	14,737
Croatia	370,985	677	8,310
Dominican Republic	348,566	317	4,006
Ireland	342,329	2,051	5,092
Denmark	340,567	987	2,571
Honduras	331,372	1,681	8,704
Palestine	330,821	1617	3,654
Venezuela	328,550	1,100	3,940
Oman	301,683	113	4,047
Libya	300,455	1,682	4,126
Ethiopia	300,092	2,095	4,593
Lithuania	295,373	649	4,505
Egypt	286,938	203	16,691
Bahrain	271,933	130	1,388
Moldova	265,817	559	6,380
Slovenia	264,649	508	4,443
S. Korea	241,439	2,152	2,237
Armenia	239,056	634	4,778
Kenya	232,052	1258	4,600
Qatar	231,559	216	601
Bosnia and Herzegovina	211,059	617	9,758
Zambia	205,107	130	3,586
Mongolia	199,279	2433	913
Algeria	193,171	545	5,096
Nigeria	188,880	637	2,288
Kyrgyzstan	174,576	229	2,498
North Macedonia	171,576	1164	5,755
Afghanistan	152,822	100	7,093
Norway	152,119	1,294	814
Uzbekistan	151,517	834	1,043
Botswana	150,842		2171
Mozambique	144,032	377	1,822
Latvia	141,536	249	2,570
Albania	141,365	844	2,483
Estonia	139,937	437	1,285
Namibia	124,083	51	3,349
Australia	46,728	978	986
Suriname	27,998	222	705

 

Retrieved from：https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/

 

 

 

Pfizer seeks U.S. approval for COVID vaccine booster

 

Vials of Pfizer's coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine are seen at a pop-up community vaccination center at the Gateway World Christian Center in Valley Stream, New York, U.S., February 23, 2021. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo

 

Pfizer Inc (PFE.N) on Wednesday said a booster dose of its two-shot COVID-19 vaccine spurs a more than threefold increase in antibodies against the coronavirus, as the company seeks U.S. regulatory approval for a third injection.

The drugmaker and its German partner BioNTech SE (22UAy.DE) aim to complete the submission for use of booster shots in people aged 16 and over by the end of this week.

The U.S. government has said it was gearing up to roll out the third shot of vaccines from both Pfizer and Moderna Inc (MRNA.O) from mid-September to Americans who had their initial course more than eight months ago if the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention decide that boosters are needed.

That eight-month gap is likely to be narrowed to six months, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday.

A committee of outside advisors to the CDC is scheduled to meet on Monday to review clinical data.

Pfizer said 306 people given a third dose of its vaccine between five and eight months after their second shot showed levels of neutralizing antibodies that were 3.3 times the levels seen after their second shot.

The study, details of which have not yet been published, also found that side effects of a third shot were similar to second-dose reactions, including mild to moderate fatigue and headache, the company said.

Scientists continue to debate whether waning antibody levels mean that COVID vaccine boosters need to be given widely, but some countries are moving ahead.

Israel began rolling out boosters at the beginning of August to older citizens and this week expanded the drive to people as young as 30, saying the shots were helping to increase protection against the highly infectious Delta variant of the coronavirus.

U.S. President Joe Biden has said, "It's the best way to protect ourselves from new variants that may arise."

However, World Health Organization Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the data on the benefits and safety of a COVID-19 vaccine booster shot is inconclusive.

The health agency called for a delay in rolling out booster shots and a goal of higher vaccination rates in countries where many had not received a first or second shot.

On Monday, U.S. regulators granted full approval to Pfizer's two-dose vaccine, which has been available up until now under emergency use authorization.

The approval spurred some local governments, such as New York City and the state of New Jersey, as well as the U.S. military and some companies, to mandate vaccines.

A third dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is not currently authorized for broad use in the United States.

However, under the amended emergency use authorization, a third dose was authorized for administration to individuals at least 12 years of age who were immunocompromised.

Pfizer and BioNTech said they intend to file the data with the European Medicines Agency and other regulatory authorities around the world in coming weeks.

 

Retrieved from：https://www.reuters.com/world/us/pfizer-starts-process-seek-us-approval-covid-19-vaccine-booster-2021-08-25/

 

 

 

Delta Air Lines to add $200 monthly health insurance charge for unvaccinated staff

By Rajesh Singh

 

Delta Air Lines (DAL.N) on Wednesday said employees will have to pay $200 more every month for their company-sponsored healthcare plan if they choose to not be vaccinated against COVID-19.

The move to add a surcharge to health insurance contributions is the latest tactic by corporate America to push employees to get the shots to fight the pandemic.

A number of U.S. companies, including Delta competitor United Airlines (UAL.O), have mandated shots for their employees to protect their operations from the highly contagious Delta variant of the coronavirus, which has especially hit parts of the country with lower vaccination levels.

President Joe Biden has also urged private businesses to require employees to be vaccinated.

Hours after Delta Air announced the surcharge, Canadian rival Air Canada (AC.TO)said workers who are not vaccinated by Oct. 30 will face termination or be sent on unpaid leave. It has also made full vaccination a condition of employment for new employees.

Surging coronavirus infections have clouded the outlook for airline companies. American Airlines (AAL.O)said on Wednesday its August revenue was trending below its internal forecast due to a slowdown in bookings and a rise in cancellations.

The comments came two weeks after Southwest Airlines (LUV.N) issued a profit warning, citing the impact of the Delta variant on its business.

Shares of U.S. airline companies, however, have risen in the past two days on hopes that Monday's full approval of the Pfizer (PFE.N) and BioNTech (22UAy.DE) COVID-19 vaccine by the Food and Drug Administration would drive up the vaccination rate and slow down new infections.

In a staff memo, Delta Air Chief Executive Ed Bastian said the monthly surcharge would take effect on Nov. 1. He said the surcharge is necessary to address the financial risk the Atlanta-based airline faces from the decision to not vaccinate.

Wade Symons, partner and regulatory resources group leader at global consulting firm Mercer, reckons U.S. companies have reached a "tipping point" for taking stricter measures to motivate employees to get vaccinated.

"We anticipate more companies will announce vaccine mandates and surcharges in the coming weeks," he said.

The firm's data shows a quarter of U.S. employers with workforces of 500 or more charge employees extra for company-sponsored healthcare plans if they use tobacco.

Delta Air did not say whether its employees were subject to any other surcharges.

PROOF OF INOCULATION

A Delta Air spokesperson said the average hospital stay for COVID-19 has cost the company $40,000 per person. The surcharge would apply to the entire workforce and proof or documentation of vaccination will be needed to avoid it, the spokesperson said.

Chris Riggins, spokesman for the Air Line Pilots Association at Delta, said the union does not intend to oppose the proposed surcharge because it would not affect the healthcare plan it has negotiated with the airline for its members.

But since most of the pilots are not covered by the union-negotiated plan, Riggins said they would see an increase in their healthcare costs if they decide to remain unvaccinated.

In the memo, Bastian said 75 percent of Delta Air's workforce has been vaccinated. However, all the employees who have been hospitalized with COVID-19 in recent weeks were not fully vaccinated, he said.

While Delta had refrained from making the shots mandatory for its staff, its latest move was in sharp contrast to the policy being pursued by rivals such as American Airlines and Southwest Airlines, which are "strongly encouraging" their employees to get vaccinated.

American Airlines is offering vaccinated employees an additional day off in 2022 and $50 through its employee recognition platform.

Bastian said unvaccinated Delta employees will be required to wear masks in all indoor settings, effective immediately.

Any employee in the United States who is not fully vaccinated will be required to take a COVID-19 test every week. The mandatory testing will start on Sept. 12.

Those who test positive for the virus will be required to isolate and remain out of the workplace, Bastian said.

The company will offer COVID-19 pay protection starting Sept. 30 only to fully vaccinated employees who are experiencing a breakthrough infection, he said.

 

Retrieved from：https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/delta-add-200-monthly-health-insurance-charge-unvaccinated-staff-2021-08-25/

 

 

 

S.Korea reports highest daily COVID-19 deaths for 2021, as severe cases rise

By Sangmi Cha

 

Visitors wearing masks to avoid the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) fill out a form which is mandatory to get into a hospital in Seoul, South Korea, August 26, 2020. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji

 

South Korea reported 20 COVID-19 deaths for Wednesday, the highest daily count this year, as the number of severe cases more than doubled since the current and worst wave of infections began in July.

While total case mortality rates remain low at below 1% and no major strains on its healthcare system is reported yet, South Korean authorities have been trying to secure more ICU beds for severe patients which are on the rise along with record new infections.

The number of critical or severe cases jumped to 425 as of Wednesday from 155 as of July 7, around when the fourth wave of infections began. The country has 833 intensive care beds for severe COVID-19 patients and 250 of them were available as of Tuesday, according to the health ministry.

On Thursday it kicked off vaccination for people aged 18 to 49, as it aims to give at least one dose to 70% of the population and fully vaccinate 50% by September.

South Korea has been struggling to boost its immunisation drive that began in February amid supply shortages and shipment delays, with about 52.7% of its 52 million people having received at least one dose, while just 26% are fully vaccinated.

Of the eligible 15 million in the 18-49 age bracket, just below 70% had signed up for vaccination, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said.

South Korea reported 1,882 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total to 243,317. A total of 2,257 people have died so far, the KDCA data showed.

 

Retrieved from：https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/skorea-reports-highest-daily-covid-19-deaths-2021-severe-cases-rise-2021-08-26/

 

 

 

Hawaii hospitals are overwhelmed with Covid patients.

By Sophie Kasakove

 

A popular tourist spot on Hawaii’s Maunawili trail. As surging Covid-19 cases strain hospitals, the Honolulu mayor declared restrictions on public gatherings and the governor asked tourists to stay away.Credit...Michelle Mishina Kunz for The New York Times

 

At the emergency department of Hilo Medical Center on the island of Hawaii Wednesday, patients lay on beds in the hallway as staff members scrambled to find space in other parts of the hospital.

“Today is the fullest we’ve been in over 15 years — maybe even ever,” said Elena Cabatu, director of public affairs at the hospital. Nurses “are almost beside themselves at this point,” she said.

Across the islands of Hawaii, hospitals are facing an acute shortage of beds and medical staff as the Delta variant causes a surge far worse than any the state experienced during earlier waves of the pandemic.

By virtue of its geographical isolation and stringent government restrictions, Hawaii maintains its position as the state with the lowest rates of Covid cases and deaths. But in recent months, as restrictions have loosened and travel has resumed, case numbers have skyrocketed.

On July 1, the state’s seven-day average was 40 new cases daily. By Aug. 19, the new case reports had peaked at 729 a day, according to a New York Times database, more than double the state’s previous high in September.

And, with just 55 percent of the state’s population fully vaccinated, according to a New York Times database, health care providers worry that the worst is yet to come.

Models show that the state could reach a daily average of 1,500 Covid hospitalizations by the end of September, said Hilton Raethel, president of the Healthcare Association of Hawaii. The state normally maintains just 2,000 staffed hospital beds across the islands.

“The numbers don’t work, obviously,” said Mr. Raethel. Options for obtaining additional beds are limited. “It’s not like New York where you can truck people or beds in from New Jersey. We’re a five-hour flight away from the mainland.”

Over 200 health care workers have been dispatched from the mainland to assist the strapped hospitals. Three hundred more will be on the way next week.

At the same time, officials are rushing to reinstate restrictions to temper the surge. On Monday, Mayor Rick Blangiardi of Honolulu prohibited indoor gatherings of more than 10 people and outdoor gatherings of more than 25 people for at least 28 days.

And at a news conference Monday, Gov. David Ige discouragedtourists from coming.

“It’s not a good time to travel to the islands,” he said. “The visitors who choose to come to the island will not have the typical kind of holiday that they expect to get when they visit Hawaii.”

 

 

 

The W.H.O. will address inequities by making vaccines in Latin America.

By Daniel Politi

 

Newly vaccinated patients waiting to be released after the mandatory post-vaccine observation period in Le Lamentin, Martinique, earlier this month.Credit...Lionel Chamoiseau/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

 

To help address unequal access to Covid-19 vaccines around the world — an issue that “remains the Achilles’ heel” of the pandemic fight —  the World Health Organization is starting a program to manufacture vaccines in Latin America and the Caribbean, Dr. Carissa Etienne, the director of the Pan American Health Organization, said Wednesday.

“Much of today’s vaccine supply remains in the hands of wealthy nations around the world,” she said. “We must expand regional pharmaceutical production so we can be in the driver’s seat.”

She said her organization, which is part of the W.H.O., was analyzing about 30 proposals to manufacture messenger RNA vaccines — the same type as the Pfizer-BioNTech and Modernashots — and expects to decide next month which ones to implement.

The “most feasible proposals,” including those that already have guaranteed investment backing, will get priority in an effort to expedite the project, according to Dr. Jarbas Barbosa, the pan-American agency’s assistant director.

The mRNA “vaccines are some of the most effective vaccines against Covid-19, and the technology is highly adaptable, so it has enormous potential to be used against other viruses,” Dr. Etienne said.

Vaccines produced by the program are to be distributed to countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, a region where an average of only 23 percent of the population has been fully vaccinated so far. “In many countries coverage is much lower,” Dr. Etienne said. “Just over 3 percent of people have been vaccinated in Guatemala, and a little over 4 percent in Jamaica.”

Many islands in the Caribbean, including Jamaica, are reporting steep surges in new cases and Haiti’s health system is struggling to care for survivors of the devastating Aug. 14 earthquake that killed more than 2,200 people.

“Logistics and security challenges continue to limit the delivery of supplies, the deployment of personnel to affected areas and the transfer of patients to other hospitals,” Dr. Etienne said.

 

Retrieved from：https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/08/25/world/covid-delta-variant-vaccine#hawaii-hospitals-are-overwhelmed-with-covid-patients

 

 

 

Pentagon orders all active and reserve military personnel to be vaccinated

By Bryan Pietsch, Adela Suliman, Hannah Knowles and Lateshia Beachum 

 

The Hickam 15th Medical Group hosts its first mass coronavirus vaccination event at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Hawaii on Feb. 9. Service members will be required to get vaccinated, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a memo dated Tuesday. (U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Anthony Nelson Jr./Department of Defense/AP)

 

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is ordering all active-duty and reserve service members to get vaccinated against the coronavirus.

Only vaccines with full authorization from the Food and Drug Administration will be used in mandatory inoculations, Austin said in a letter. For now, that only applies to the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which was granted that status Monday. The letter did not give a deadline for service members to get vaccinated.

The Defense Department previously encouraged immunization, but it was not mandatory. About 65 percent of the 1.3 million service members on active duty have been fully vaccinated, according to Pentagon data from earlier this month.

 

Retrieved from：https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/08/25/covid-delta-variant-live-updates/