In Countdown To Olympics, Japan Relaxes Its State Of Emergency

AP: Japan Announces Easing Of Virus Emergency Ahead Of Olympics
Japan on Thursday announced the easing of a coronavirus state of emergency in Tokyo and six other areas from next week, with new daily cases falling just as the country begins final preparations for the Olympics starting in just over a month. Japan has been struggling since late March to slow a wave of infections propelled by more contagious variants, with new daily cases soaring above 7,000 at one point and seriously ill patients straining hospitals in Tokyo, Osaka and other metropolitan areas. (Yamaguchi, 6/17)

AP: Why Are Olympics Going On Despite Public, Medical Warnings?
Public sentiment in Japan has been generally opposed to holding the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, partly based on fears the coronavirus will spike as almost 100,000 people — athletes and others — enter for both events. The Japanese medical community is largely against it. The government’s main medical adviser Dr. Shigeru Omi has said it’s “abnormal” to hold the Olympics during a pandemic. So far, only 5% of Japanese are fully vaccinated. (Wade, 6/16)

In other global developments —

AP: EU Members Agree To Lift Travel Restrictions On US Tourists
The European Union is recommending that its 27 member countries start lifting restrictions on tourists from the United States.EU members agreed Wednesday to add the U.S. to the list of countries for which they should gradually remove restrictions on non-essential travel. The move was adopted during a meeting in Brussels of permanent representatives to the bloc. The recommendation is non-binding, and national governments have authority to require test results or vaccination records and to set other entry conditions. (6/16)

Bloomberg: Coronavirus Is Spreading Rapidly In England, Study Finds
The prevalence of Covid-19 in England is increasing exponentially, driven by younger age groups that haven’t been vaccinated, according to the latest round of results from the React-1 study. The research, led by Imperial College London, shows the national prevalence of the virus has increased by 50% in its latest round of analysis recorded between May 20 and June 7, compared with its last round from April 15 to May 3. A doubling time of around every 11 days was now estimated, with the R number at 1.44, the report said. It also found a re-convergence between prevalence and the pattern of hospitalizations and deaths since late April for those under 65. (Gemmell, 6/17)

AP: UK To Require COVID-19 Shots For Nursing Home Workers
Britain will require COVID-19 vaccinations for nursing home workers in England, arguing that the need to protect vulnerable residents outweighed employees’ right to choose whether to get the jab. Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced the new rules Wednesday together with plans for a public consultation on extending the vaccine requirement to National Health Service workers. He described the vaccination mandate as a sensible step to save lives. (Kirka, 6/16)

CIDRAP: Global COVID Cases Continue Decline, Though Many Countries Still Struggle 
Weekly COVID-19 cases dropped to their lowest level since February, though many countries are still struggling with sparse vaccine supply, the spread of variants, and overburdened health systems, the World Health Organization (WHO) said yesterday in its weekly snapshot of the pandemic. In other developments, the WHO said it is tracking one more variant of concern, first seen in Peru and called Lambda, which has genetic markers suggesting that it is more transmissible. (Schnirring, 6/16)

AP: France Eases Mask Rules; Will End Nightly Virus Curfew
France on Wednesday eased several COVID-19 restrictions, with authorities saying it’s no longer always mandatory to wear masks outdoors and halting an 8-month nightly coronavirus curfew this weekend. The surprise announcement by French Prime Minister Jean Castex comes as France is registering about 3,900 new virus infections a day, down from 35,000 in the March-April peak. (Corbet, 6/16)

Bloomberg: France Donates Covid-19 Vaccine Doses To Uganda As Cases Jump
Uganda received 175,200 AstraZenaca doses donated by France, shoring up depleting stocks as a spike in infections increases demand for inoculations. The vaccines manufactured in Italy were donated under the Covax initiative, according to Ministry of Health spokesman Emmanuel Ainebyoona. The delivery is the third since Uganda received 864,000 doses early March manufactured by the Serum Institute of India and a donation of 100,000 doses by the south Asian country. (Ojambo, 6/17)

Also —

CIDRAP: Five Polio Vaccinators Killed In Afghanistan
In the middle of a 4-day polio vaccination campaign targeting 9.9 million Afghan children, gunmen shot and killed at least five vaccinators and injured several others today in separate attacks in eastern Nangarhar province.  The Voice of America (VOA) reported that the vaccination campaign has been halted due to the violence. Afghanistan and neighboring Pakistan are the only two countries in the world where polio is endemic, but vaccinators have faced increasing violence in recent years. In March, the VOA said, three female anti-polio workers were gunned down in Jalalabad; the Islamic State eventually claimed responsibility for that attack. (6/15)