A Single Covid Case Puts New Zealand Into 3-Day Lockdown

Bloomberg: New Zealand PM Ardern Puts Nation In Lockdown On Single Covid Case
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern put the nation into a three-day lockdown after the discovery of the first community case of Covid-19 since February. The snap lockdown will begin at midnight tonight as authorities rush to identify the source of a single infection in largest city Auckland, Ardern said at a news conference Tuesday in Wellington. While genome sequencing has yet to be completed, the case is assumed to be the highly infectious delta variant, she said. “Delta has been a game-changer, we’re responding to that,” Ardern said. “The best thing we can do to get out of this as quickly as we can is to go hard.” (Withers, 8/17)

CNN: CDC Adds 4 Destinations To 'Very High' Covid-19 Travel Risk List, Including Turkey 
Turkey and Montenegro are now among the highest-risk destinations for travelers, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's regularly revised travel advisories list. Travel should be avoided to locations carrying the "Level 4: Covid-19 very high" notice, according to CDC guidance. Anyone who must travel should be fully vaccinated first, the agency advises. (Hunter, 8/16)

In other global covid developments —

Bloomberg: Interpol Issues Global Alert Over Covid-19 Vaccine Sale Scams
Interpol said it’s issued a worldwide alert over organized crime groups attempting to defraud governments with fake offers to sell Covid-19 vaccines. The global law-enforcement agency said the warning follows some 60 cases in 40 countries around the world where individuals in health ministries and hospitals have received offers for vaccines approved for distribution in their country. (Chapman, 8/16)

The Washington Post: Federal Agents Seize Thousands Of Fake Covid Vaccination Cards Destined For Locations Across U.S. 
Bundles of counterfeit coronavirus vaccination cards printed with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention logo have been shipped from Shenzhen, China, to recipients all around the United States, as some unvaccinated people try to evade restrictions that require proof of the shot to enter certain bars, schools and public spaces. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials said in a Friday statement that agents have seized thousands of fake vaccination cards passing through Memphis, a shipping hub. (Shepherd, 8/16)

The New York Times: While South Africa Waits For Vaccine Supplies, J.&Amp;J. Doses Made There Are Sent To Europe
While many African nations remain desperately short of vaccine supplies, Johnson & Johnson has been exporting to Europe millions of doses that were bottled and packaged in South Africa, according to executives at Johnson & Johnson and the South African manufacturer, Aspen Pharmacare, as well as South African government export records reviewed by The New York Times. South Africa has yet to receive the overwhelming majority of the 31 million vaccine doses it has ordered from Johnson & Johnson. The country has administered only about two million Johnson & Johnson shots so far. That is a major reason that fewer than 7 percent of South Africans are fully vaccinated — and that the country has been devastated by the Delta variant. (Robbins and Mueller, 8/17)

The Wall Street Journal: Forget Beating Covid-19. Europe Is Preparing To Live With It
The battle against Covid-19 is shifting into long-term, low-intensity mode in Europe, as countries including Germany, Italy and France go from seeking to end the pandemic to preparing to live with it. Governments are drawing up plans for campaigns of booster shots, mask wearing, frequent testing and limited social-distancing measures to keep the virus in check ahead of the region’s third pandemic winter. (Douglas and Sylvers, 8/16)

Bloomberg: Paralympics To Go Without Fans As Tokyo Battles Virus Surge
The Paralympics will be held without fans at venues in the Tokyo region as the Japanese capital battles its worst-yet surge of coronavirus. All events in Tokyo and neighboring prefectures of Saitama and Chiba, as well as in Shizuoka, will be held without spectators during the games running from Aug. 24 through Sept. 5, the Tokyo Organizing Committee said on Monday. Tokyo is scrambling to control ballooning virus cases, which have prompted the metropolitan and national governments to consider extending a state of emergency in the capital, currently set to be lifted at the end of August. (Tomisawa, 8/16)

In updates on side effects of the Sinovac and Pfizer vaccines —

The Washington Post: Study Warns Of Higher Risk Of Bell’s Palsy Linked To Sinovac Vaccine
A study published in the Lancet Infectious Diseases journal has shown a higher risk of Bell’s palsy — a type of facial paralysis — following Sinovac’s coronavirus vaccine, CoronaVac. The study, however, found that the benefits of the vaccine still “far outweigh the risk" and said further investigations were required into what exactly triggers it. “Bell’s palsy after vaccination is rare, and most symptoms were mild and got better on their own,” a Sinovac representative Liu Peicheng said in an written response to Reuters. The study says more than 90 percent of Bell’s palsy cases can be resolved within nine months following prompt corticosteroid treatment. (Suliman, 8/17)

Bloomberg: Singapore Teen With Cardiac Arrest After Vaccine Gets $166,000
Singapore is giving S$225,000 ($166,000) to a 16-year-old boy who is recovering from a cardiac arrest after having his first dose of Covid-19 vaccine, in order to help defray the costs of his medical care, the Ministry of Health said in a statement Monday. The patient, who had required intensive care, is recovering steadily and will likely be discharged in the coming weeks, according to the statement. However, he will likely require outpatient rehabilitation for some time before he can return to school and resume other activities. (Cang, 8/16)