Vaccinations And Boosters Urged As Covid Spikes Again In Parts Of Europe
Germany, Russia and Denmark are among the nations reporting infection increases. British officials are urging citizens to get a booster shot. In some good news, Japan sees its first day in 15 months with no covid deaths.
AP:
German COVID Infection Rate At New High As Vaccinations Slow
Germany’s coronavirus infection rate climbed to its highest recorded level yet on Monday as what officials have called a “pandemic of the unvaccinated” gathers pace. The national disease control center, the Robert Koch Institute, said the country has seen 201.1 new cases per 100,000 residents over the past seven days. That was above the previous record of 197.6 from Dec. 22 last year. While it’s still a lower rate than in several other European countries, it has set alarm bells ringing. (11/8)
AP:
New Infections Hit Record As Russia's COVID-19 Wave Persists
Russia’s COVID-19 cases hit another one-day record as the country struggles to contain a wave of infections and deaths that has persisted for more than a month. The national coronavirus task force on Saturday reported 41,335 new cases since the previous day, exceeding the previous daily record of 40,993 from Oct. 31. The task force said 1,188 people with COVID-19 died, just seven fewer than the daily death record reported Thursday. (11/6)
Bloomberg:
Danish Prime Minister Says New Virus Restrictions Are Needed
Denmark, which has one of the highest vaccination rates in the world, will probably need to re-introduce some restrictions after the number of virus infections has jumped, the prime minister said. “We can see that the infection is spreading from those who have not been vaccinated to those who have been vaccinated, including the elderly and people at risk,” Mette Frederiksen said in a Facebook post late Sunday. (Wienberg, 11/8)
The New York Times:
Britain’s Health Secretary Urges People To Get Booster Shots Amid A Surge
Britain’s health secretary is urging eligible residents to get booster shots of the coronavirus vaccine, aiming to reduce pressure on the country’s health system as winter approaches. Ten million Britons, largely those over age 50, have received booster shots since the government began offering them, and millions more will be invited in the coming weeks to book appointments. (Kwai, 11/7)
Reuters:
Japan Has Zero Daily COVID-19 Deaths For First Time In 15 Months
Japan recorded no daily deaths from COVID-19 for the first time in more than a year on Sunday, local media said. Prior to Sunday, there had not been a day without a COVID-19 death since Aug. 2, 2020, according to a tally by national broadcaster NHK. COVID-19 cases and deaths have fallen dramatically throughout Japan as vaccinations have increased to cover more than 70% of the population. (11/8)
In non-covid news —
Reuters:
India's Latest Zika Outbreak Sees Surge Of Nearly 100 Cases
At least 89 people, including 17 children, have tested positive for the Zika virus in a surge of cases in the Indian city of Kanpur, its health department said on Monday. First discovered in 1947, the mosquito-borne virus Zika virus reached epidemic proportions in Brazil in 2015, when thousands of babies were born with microcephaly, a disorder that causes babies to be born with abnormally small heads and underdeveloped brains. (Sharma, 11/8)
AP:
Poles Protest Strict Abortion Law After Pregnant Woman Dies
Protesters turned out in Warsaw and in many other Polish cities Saturday to decry the country’s restrictive abortion law, which they say has led to the death of a young mother with pregnancy that had medical problems. The protesters held portraits of the woman, 30-year-old Iza, who died in hospital in Pszczyna, southern Poland, from septic shock. She died in September but her death just became known in the last week. Doctors at the hospital held off terminating her 22-week pregnancy despite the fact that her fetus lacked enough amniotic fluid to survive, her family and a lawyer say. The doctors have been suspended and prosecutors are investigating. (11/6)
The Washington Post:
Spain To Pay For IVF For Lesbians, Bisexual Women And Some Trans People
Spain’s health minister on Friday signed an order making available free fertility treatment for women regardless of their sexual orientation or marital status, as well as for transgender people who can become pregnant. The move, which Madrid said is likely to benefit some 8,500 people, was applauded by LGBTQ advocacy groups that have long called for the public health system to pay for procedures such as in vitro fertilization for individuals who can become pregnant. State-funded fertility treatment had previously been limited to heterosexual women who had trouble conceiving children, according to the Associated Press. (Cheng, 11/6)
