In the future, Italy will be the first country in Europe to require all employees in the private and public sector to have vaccinations or negative corona tests in order to carry out their work. The government of Prime Minister Mario Draghi decided to extensively expand the Green Pass. Those who cannot show a certificate are no longer allowed to go to work in offices, authorities, shops or restaurants from October 15th. With the measure Draghi wants to change vaccination opponents and doubters. In Italy, 75 percent of people over the age of twelve had been vaccinated by Thursday.
Draghi pushed through the new decree despite protests from the trade unions and parts of the right-wing parties. In the consultations with the head of government, they unsuccessfully demanded that tests as an alternative to vaccinations should remain free. It shouldn’t be that you have to pay to go to work, they said. Draghi’s cabinet, however, only decided to cap prices: Adults may pay a maximum of 15 euros per test, children 8 euros.
Violations of the rules should be punished severely: Anyone who does not have a green passport – including the EU Corona certificate – and therefore does not appear for work, may be released without payment – in public institutions after five days, in the private sector immediately. In some areas, such as schools, the green pass is already compulsory. Employers who do not control, face fines of up to 1500 euros. The new decree will apply from October 15th to December 31st. The Corona emergency still officially applies in Italy until the end of the year. (September 16, 2021)
127 employees infected – slaughterhouse tight
After a coronavirus outbreak with now 127 infected employees, the company is dormant in a slaughterhouse in Georgsmarienhütte in Lower Saxony. 38 employees who tested positive live in the district of Osnabrück, as the authority announced, 89 in the neighboring district of Steinfurt in North Rhine-Westphalia. There are collective shelters for Romanian workers in Lengerich, among other places. Those who tested positive also include those who have already been vaccinated, in Lengerich, according to a city spokesman, at least 25 percent. Most of them are men.
The first case was noticed by the slaughterhouse operator Steinemann Holding GmbH during a test before the start of work. It was a returnee who, according to the company, had been vaccinated shortly before. Infections did not occur in the slaughterhouse, but apparently at private meetings before the quarantine was ordered, said managing director Andreas Steinemann. The slaughterhouse is expected to remain closed until the end of September. (16.09.2021)
Rapid tests for pregnant women and 12 to 17 year olds free of charge until the end of 2021
Free corona rapid tests should be available for 12 to 17-year-olds and pregnant women until the end of 2021. Until then, the costs will be covered, said Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU) world. The vaccination recommendation was only recently made for both groups. “You have the chance to get vaccinated during these weeks.” Unvaccinated people have to pay for corona tests themselves from October 11th. This does not apply to people who cannot be vaccinated for health reasons and initially also to children and adolescents under the age of 18. (16.09.2021)
WHO criticizes hoarding of vaccine doses in rich countries
The Africa head of the World Health Organization (WHO), Matshidiso Moeti, accuses rich countries of hoarding vaccination doses. As a result, many people in poor African countries would be excluded from access to the life-saving agents, she criticized.
The WHO Regional Director for Africa asked rich countries to transfer their surpluses to the international Covax program. According to her, only 50 million people or 3.6 percent of the population of Africa have been fully vaccinated against the Covid-19 pathogen. In many rich countries, more than half the population is already immunized.
According to Moetis, eight million Covid 19 cases have now been recorded in Africa. For the ninth consecutive week, the number of cases decreased. However, the WHO regularly points out that the unreported numbers are much higher in Africa. This is mainly due to the lack of test capacities and the refusal of many people to be examined.
In the Covax program, several international organizations such as the WHO, the children’s aid organization Unicef and the vaccine alliance Gavi have joined forces to ensure a more even distribution of corona vaccines. Above all, the people in poor countries should have better access to the vaccines. (16.09.2021)
3,000 health workers suspended due to mandatory vaccination in France
With the start of mandatory vaccination for healthcare workers in France, around 3,000 employees have been suspended. You have not yet had a first vaccination against the corona virus, said Minister of Health Olivier Véran on Thursday. He assumes, however, that the employees who work in areas such as the kitchen or laundry will quickly catch up with the vaccination.
“Everyone who works with sick and weak people in clinics or homes are now vaccinated,” emphasized the minister. There were only a few dozen dismissals from employees who did not agree to the mandatory vaccination.
About 2.7 million employees are affected by the mandatory vaccination in France, mainly in the health sector, but also firefighters, civil defense workers and gendarmes. Anyone who has only received the first dose of vaccine so far must also present a negative test at work – until they have complete vaccination protection. Employees may expressly schedule their vaccination appointments during working hours in order to facilitate the vaccination. There have been demonstrations for weeks against the stricter corona rules, which also include compulsory vaccinations, but the number of participants is constantly falling. (16.09.2021)
Corona sniffer dogs are said to sniff out infected people at concerts
The use of trained corona detection dogs is being tested for the first time at a concert series in Hanover. They are supposed to sniff out infected people at the entrance. “I am pleased that the feasibility study is now starting,” said Lower Saxony’s Minister of Science Björn Thümler (CDU).
“It is time to dare a little more normalcy,” added Thümler. “The study could mean a ray of hope for artists. Research can hardly be more up-to-date.” The project, supported by the ministry with 1.3 million euros, is a joint initiative of the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover and concert organizers from the state capital. The corona dogs are to be used at four concerts.
“We very much hope to be able to confirm with the project, even in a real situation, that well-trained dogs with their high performance are able to recognize corona-positive people,” said the President of the University of Veterinary Medicine, Gerhard Greif. A pilot study by the university had shown that the Corona dogs, with their keen sense of smell, can distinguish saliva samples from infected and healthy people with about 94 percent certainty. A follow-up study showed that sweat and urine are also suitable sample material. (16.09.2021)
Politicians warn against radicalization of those who oppose vaccination
After an attempted arson attack on a vaccination center in Saxony, domestic politicians in the Bundestag warned against radicalization of those who opposed the vaccination. “The increasing violence from the so-called lateral thinker scene against public institutions and health facilities is deeply worrying,” said the domestic political spokesman for the FDP parliamentary group, Konstantin Kuhle, the editorial network Germany. Radical opponents of vaccinations and lateral thinkers are a danger to society and, through misinformation and uncertainty, contribute to the fact that fewer people are vaccinated.
The domestic political spokeswoman for the Greens in the Bundestag, Irene Mihalic, said that a radicalization of the scene has been observed for months. The Union’s domestic politician Mathias Middelberg (CDU) called for consistent clarification by the police and the judiciary. The Office for the Protection of the Constitution must continue to look closely at the scene.
In the Saxon Vogtlandkreis, strangers threw three bottles with a flammable liquid against a roller door at a vaccination center on Tuesday evening. The incendiary devices did not ignite, so no fire broke out. (16.09.2021)
Researchers in Hong Kong only recommend one dose of Biontech for teenagers
Health experts in Hong Kong only recommend vaccination with the Biontech / Pfizer vaccine for adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17 due to the increased incidence of myocarditis. The disease is more common in this age group than originally thought, says Lau Yu-lung, chairman of the vaccination panel that advises the government. With a single dose of the vaccine, the risk can be “significantly reduced”. (16.09.2021)
Incidence drops slightly
The Robert Koch Institute reports 12 925 new positive tests. That is 2,416 fewer than on Thursday a week ago, when 15,341 new infections were reported. The seven-day incidence drops to 76.3 from 77.9 the previous day. 68 other people died related to the virus. This increases the number of reported deaths to 92,837 within 24 hours. In total, more than 4.1 million corona tests have so far been positive in Germany. (16.09.2021)
Berlin probably wants to exempt children from the 2-G rule
In view of widespread protests against the new 2-G rule for restaurants or events, the Berlin Senate wants to discuss exceptions for children one week before the House of Representatives election on September 26th. It was about “the temporary expansion of the 2-G option model to include children under twelve years of age until these children can be vaccinated,” it said.
On Tuesday, the Senate, supported by the SPD, the Left and the Greens, decided that, from Saturday onwards, operators could decide for themselves in a number of areas whether they would allow access to indoor areas such as those who had previously been vaccinated, recovered and tested (3 G) or, for example, omitting the mask requirement and with more participants only vaccinated and convalescent people (2 G). Criticism was also voiced from within the ranks of the coalition. It was mainly inflamed by the fact that, according to the Senate’s decision, there should be no exception for children for whom vaccination is not yet possible.
For example, SPD top candidate Franziska Giffey had called for such an exception. “Yesterday’s decision by the Berlin Senate on the 2 G option model must be corrected,” demanded the politician on Twitter. Otherwise children and their families would be “massively disadvantaged in their participation in social life”. A higher vaccination rate must be achieved, but not at the expense of children and their families. The Green parliamentary group in the House of Representatives also demanded exceptions for children and for people who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons. (15.09.2021)