Honduras will receive 1.5 million doses of the Moderna vaccine from the United States on Sunday. As the US Presidential Office announced, this is the first part of a delivery for the country as part of the Covax international vaccine program. “We share vaccines with Honduras because it is right for the health of the population from a global perspective,” said Juan Gonzalez, director for the western hemisphere on the US National Security Council, in a statement. (26.06.2021)
FDA provides vaccines with supplemented package inserts
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has added a warning to the package inserts for the vaccines from Pfizer, Biontech and Moderna, indicating the rare risk of heart inflammation. The decision follows an extensive review by the US CDC. According to the authority, adolescents and young adults had unexpectedly often developed heart muscle inflammation, especially after the second dose. (26.06.2021)
EU Commission wants to double the vaccination effort in the fight against Delta variant
The European Commission is calling for EU states to do more to combat the spread of the delta variant of the corona virus. “For the unvaccinated and only partially vaccinated, the Delta variant is a real threat,” said EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides of the “Welt” (Saturday edition) according to a preliminary report. As long as a higher level of second vaccinations has not been reached, everything must be done to interrupt the transmission chain of the delta variant. The EU Health Commissioner also stated that further policy action needed to be taken if necessary. Action must be taken now to prevent a new wave of Covid. (26.06.2021)
Maximum number of corona deaths in Moscow
In Russia, new corona infections and deaths after infection with the pathogen are increasing rapidly. The authorities registered 601 deaths within one day – more than since the end of last year. The capital Moscow recorded a record for the fourth day in a row with 98 corona deaths. In Russia, where many people are still skeptical about a vaccination, the particularly contagious delta variant of the coronavirus has spread strongly.
According to Mayor Sergej Sobyanin, almost 90 percent of the infections in Moscow were due to the Delta variant a week ago. There is no official information for all of Russia. However, some scientists assume that the value should be similarly high.
According to the latest information, only around 14 percent of the country’s 146 million residents have received at least one dose of a corona vaccination. On Friday, the largest country in the world recorded around 20,400 new infections within 24 hours.
Russia is trying to get the situation under control with various restrictions: In 18 of 85 regions, the authorities made vaccination compulsory for employees of numerous companies. The vaccine shortage, which has been reported in some regions, should be addressed in the coming days, said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
In Moscow, restaurants and bars will also be able to serve almost exclusively people who can prove either a vaccination or antibodies after surviving Covid disease from next week. By order of Mayor Sobjanin, employers also have to send 30 percent of their employees to the home office. (25.06.2021)
Iceland lifts all pandemic restrictions
Iceland is lifting its restrictions amid low corona numbers and advances in vaccination. Health Minister Svandís Svavarsdóttir announced in Reykjavik that after 15 months of keeping your distance, wearing masks and other measures, all restrictions within the country would be lifted on Saturday. No new corona case has been reported on the North Atlantic island for more than a week. Almost 90 percent of all Icelanders over the age of 16 are vaccinated at least once.
In a European comparison, the island nation with 360,000 inhabitants has long been one of the countries with the lowest 14-day incidence. According to the EU health authority ECDC, Iceland is more advanced than any other country in the European Economic Area when it comes to primary vaccinations. (25.06.2021)
Israel reintroduces the mask requirement
After a significant increase in new corona infections, Israel has again imposed a mask requirement in closed rooms. This was only lifted almost completely in the middle of the month. As of Friday, everyone indoors would have to wear mouth and nose protection, the Ministry of Health announced. The only exceptions are, for example, for people who play sports, small children and for staying in their own four walls. The ministry also recommends wearing masks at major outdoor events such as the Gay Pride Parade in Tel Aviv on Friday.
On Monday, more than 100 new infections in one day were detected in Israel for the first time since April. According to official information, most of them are related to the delta variant of the virus. This is considered particularly contagious and was first detected in India. Among the newly infected in Israel are many younger people and many vaccinated.
In Israel, a nation of nine million, more than 5.5 million people have already received a first corona vaccination, and around 5.2 million people also received the second dose. The vaccination campaign was very successful, especially at the beginning, and caused a stir internationally. However, vaccination numbers have stagnated in the past few weeks. With the number of new infections, the number of vaccinations is increasing again. (25.06.2021)
Spain is relaxing the mask requirement in the open air
Spain has eased the mask requirement considerably. The Spanish government announced on Thursday that mouth and nose protection will no longer have to be worn outdoors everywhere from Saturday. People should continue to carry a mask with them when they are out and about and put them on if they are less than one and a half meters away from people outside the household. In closed public spaces and on public transport, the mask requirement remains.
The decision is based on the continued good development of the corona situation, said Health Minister Carolina Darias. “That means that you will be able to see people’s smiles again.” The mask requirement was introduced in Spain in May 2020. Since then, people have only been allowed to remove mouth and nose protection in certain situations, for example on the beach, during sports, in restaurants or cafés. The demands for a relaxation had recently become louder, especially hoteliers demanded an end to the mask requirement.
The corona numbers in Spain have been falling almost continuously for months. Most recently, 43 infections per 100,000 inhabitants nationwide were recorded within seven days. The situation is even better in holiday regions such as the Balearic Islands with Mallorca and in Valencia. (24.06.2021)
Portugal is withdrawing easing due to delta variant
In view of the rising number of cases, Portugal has not planned to relax. In addition, restaurants and cafes in Lisbon have to close at 3:30 p.m. on weekends, the government said. Anyone who wants to enter or leave the region around the capital will need proof of vaccination or a negative corona test. The outbreak in Lisbon can be traced back to the delta variant, which, according to the latest official information, already accounts for more than 70 percent of all new infections.
The metropolitan area of the capital was therefore cordoned off last weekend. Tourists who land in Lisbon to go on vacation in another part of the country, or visitors who are flying back home, are not affected by such barriers. You are allowed to enter from Germany and from other EU countries with a relatively good corona situation. All visitors over two years old must continue to show a negative PCR or antigen test. However, the Federal Foreign Office warns against unnecessary trips to the Lisbon region and the Azores.
In the country with 10.3 million inhabitants, around 46 percent have received at least one vaccination, and more than 2.6 million are fully vaccinated. The nationwide 14-day incidence rose to 87, according to the EU authority ECDC.