Nine corona patients died in a hospital in Russia because of a defect in an oxygen tube. This was announced by the government of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania in the Caucasus, according to Russian agencies. An underground pipe had broken, said the incumbent head of government of the republic, Sergei Menjajlo.
As a result, several seriously ill corona patients in the clinic in the capital of Vladikavkaz could temporarily no longer be supplied with their ventilators. The hospital staff have now started to ventilate the survivors using oxygen bottles. All doctors available to ventilate intensive care patients in the region have been ordered to the Vladikavkaz clinic.
According to the regional Ministry of Health, around 70 people were said to have been connected to ventilators at the time of the accident. Other corona hospitals in the region are apparently not affected by the burst pipe. Nevertheless, all supply systems would now be checked. The Russian Defense Ministry has offered to provide two tons of oxygen if necessary, Menjajlo said.
The reason for the defect on the pipe was initially unknown. Investigations have started. The Russian media quoted the responsible investigative authority as saying that criminal proceedings had been opened due to possible non-compliance with safety precautions and the negligent death of several people as a result. (08/10/2021)
US military introduces mandatory vaccination for soldiers
For the soldiers of the US armed forces, a vaccination against the coronavirus should apply by September 15 at the latest. That comes from a letter from Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. If the vaccinations were to get regular approval from the responsible US agency FDA beforehand, the mandatory vaccination could be introduced earlier, said Austin. Emergency approval is currently still in force for the corona vaccines. More than 1.3 million servicemen and women serve in the US armed forces, of which about 1.05 million are already fully vaccinated, according to data from the Pentagon.
President Joe Biden has yet to approve the order – but this is purely a formality. Biden immediately stated in a statement that he fully supported Austin’s actions. “These vaccinations will save lives. Period. They’re safe. They’re effective,” Biden said. (08/09/2021)
Hospital capacities are becoming scarce in the first few US states
In view of the latest corona wave, the US state of Texas has asked all hospitals to postpone medical interventions that are not absolutely necessary. This is to ensure that all Covid patients can be adequately cared for, said Governor Greg Abbott in a letter to the hospital association. The Ministry of Health will also endeavor to recruit medical staff from other states to care for corona patients, it said. Disaster control is also to reopen infusion centers where patients can receive blood plasma treatments.
The situation in Texas has worsened significantly due to the particularly contagious delta variant of the corona virus. In the state with 29 million inhabitants, an average of around 12,000 new corona infections were recently reported per day, as data from the authorities show. According to this, around 9,000 Covid patients are currently being treated in hospitals. The Republican Abbott has made corona requirements, such as masking compulsory, illegal in the state. In Texas, around 44 percent of the population is fully vaccinated, and the nationwide vaccination rate is 50 percent.
The latest corona wave has so far hit states in the south of the country hard, including Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas and Missouri. The governor of Arkansas, Republican Asa Hutchinson, warned on Monday via Twitter that there are currently only eight beds available in the intensive care unit in the entire state. In the meantime, more Covid patients are being treated in hospital than ever before during the pandemic. Of the 1376 patients, 286 are connected to a ventilator. “Vaccinations reduce hospital stays,” he wrote.
The US authorities are now reporting an average of around 100,000 new infections per day. In June, before the delta variant caught on, it was only around 10,000 a day at times. On average, more than 450 people die every day after a corona infection, according to data from the CDC health authority. (08/10/2021)
China punishes more than 30 officials for corona outbreaks
In China, more than 30 officials have been punished for the latest corona wave. Like the state newspaper Global Times reported that officials in four affected provinces were held responsible for “slow response and poor management”. It was not known what the penalties were. Vice-mayors, district boards, heads of local health commissions, hospital managers and officials from the airport and tourism industry are affected.
For more than a year, life in China, where the first infections with the new viral disease were discovered worldwide in December 2019, has largely returned to normal. A strict “zero covid policy” is followed: In the event of outbreaks, immediate response is given with mass tests, exit restrictions, contact tracing and quarantine. There are also strict restrictions on travelers. You must be in a quarantine facility for at least two weeks.
However, the highly contagious Delta variant has recently pushed the authorities to their limits several times. The virus is spreading after an outbreak at the airport in the east Chinese city of Nanjing three weeks ago. So far, more than 900 infections with the variant have been reported nationwide. There are mass tests in many places. Travel has been restricted in parts of the country. (08/09/2021)
Scotland cancels almost all corona rules
From this Monday on – with a few exceptions – the distance rules in Scotland have been lifted. There are no longer any capacity limits for pubs, restaurants or events. Night clubs are allowed to open. However, masks must still be worn in authorities and on public transport. Masks are also required in schools. However, in a corona case, the entire class no longer has to go home in isolation.
Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon spoke of “perhaps the most important date so far” in the pandemic. At the same time she called on everyone to be careful. The pandemic is not over yet. Almost all corona measures in Wales, except for the mask requirement, have been over since Saturday. In England there have been no legal requirements for wearing masks since July 19. The rules are still toughest in the province of Northern Ireland. Here the government wants to decide in a few days whether to relax. (08/09/2021)
Restaurants and train travel in France are only allowed with a health pass
In France, from this Monday on, restaurant visits and train travel are only allowed with proof of corona vaccination, recovery or a negative test. The stricter health rules should apply to people over 18 years of age by mid-November. Against the controversial measures with which France’s head of state Emmanuel Macron wants to fight the rising corona infections, more than 200,000 people across the country demonstrated again at the weekend.
Proof of a full vaccination, recovery or negative test is now mandatory in restaurants, cafes, trains, long-distance coaches, airplanes, at trade fairs and in health facilities. The negative test must not have been more than 72 hours ago. For health workers, a mandatory vaccination comes into force on Monday. The digital health pass has been required in cinemas, museums and at major events since mid-July. (08/09/2021)