Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Experts Worry As Fans Abandon Covid Safety Rules At Euro Soccer Final
Reuters: Lack Of COVID Awareness At Euro Final 'Devastating' - WHO
A WHO epidemiologist said she had been devastated to watch unmasked crowds singing and shouting at the Euro 2020 soccer final in London on Sunday, expressing concerns that it would spur COVID-19 transmission, including of the Delta variant. (Farge, 7/12)
CNN: What The Delta Variant's Trajectory In Israel And The UK Could Mean For The US
All eyes are on the Delta variant that is now dominant in the United States as new Covid-19 cases rise week-to-week and the variant -- first identified in India and also known as B.1.617.2 -- accounts for a growing share. But trends from Israel and the United Kingdom -- where the variant became dominant a few weeks sooner than in the US -- present hope for a less deadly and severe surge than others that have come before. And experts say that vaccination progress will be the most critical factor in preventing the worst outcomes. (McPhillips, 7/11)
Bloomberg: G-20 Warns On Variants As Global Outbreak Worsens: Virus Update
New variants of the coronavirus and an uneven pace of vaccination could undermine a brightening outlook for the world economy, according to a communique agreed to on Saturday by Group of 20 finance ministers. U.S. cases remain elevated, after the delta variant was declared the nation’s dominant strain, spreading particularly in areas with low vaccination rates. New cases in Los Angeles County doubled this week. (7/9)
Politico: England ‘Tantalizingly Close’ To Easing Lockdown Curbs, Says Boris Johnson
England is "tantalizingly close" to easing the majority of its lockdown restrictions in a week's time, Boris Johnson said ahead of a press conference Monday at which he is expected to set out the government's latest thinking. The U.K. prime minister — who is aiming for the end of most coronavirus curbs in England on July 19 — said in a statement released before the press conference that caution on the part of the public remained "absolutely vital" as the country braces for a rise in cases. (Honeycombe-Foster, 7/11)
Bloomberg: Johnson To Warn U.K. As Delta Gains In Asia, U.S.: Virus Update
U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson will today warn people to stay vigilant as he prepares to lift virtually all remaining curbs in England, while French President Emmanuel Macron will also address the nation today amid a surge in infections. Authorities toughened social-distancing rules in Bangkok, Seoul, and parts of Vietnam as the fast-spreading delta variant of the coronavirus continues to make gains. Tokyo entered its fourth state of emergency and Sydney had a 45% spike in daily cases. (7/11)
CNBC: England Expected To Confirm Lockdown Lifting Despite Fears Over Delta Surge
U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to confirm on Monday that the final easing of lockdown rules in England will go ahead of July 19. The move comes despite a continuing surge in coronavirus cases caused by the more infectious delta variant; over 31,000 new cases were reported in the U.K. on Sunday. (Ellyatt, 7/12)
Axios: Tokyo Reports Highest Number Of New COVID-19 Cases In Two Months
Tokyo reported a total of 950 new coronavirus cases on Saturday, the highest daily number since May 7. The world is closely watching Japan's case count, as the summer Olympics are due to begin in Tokyo on July 23. Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga declared a state of emergency in Tokyo following a surge in cases, which will begin on Monday until August 22. Restaurants and bars will be required to suspend alcohol sales during that time. (Gonzalez, 7/10)
AP: Explainer: How Will The Virus Emergency Affect The Olympics?
A virus state of emergency began Monday in Japan’s capital, as the number of new cases is climbing fast and hospital beds are starting to fill just 11 days ahead of the Tokyo Olympics. Here’s a look at the state of emergency and how it will affect the Olympics. (Yamaguchi, 7/12)
The New York Times: Asia Grapples With Delta-Driven Outbreaks
In recent days, Indonesia has reported nearly twice as many coronavirus cases as the United States. Malaysia’s per capita caseload is roughly on par with those of Brazil and Iran. And the latest Covid surges in Japan and South Korea have prompted harsh new restrictions on movement there, effective Monday. Across the Asia-Pacific region, the Delta variant is driving new outbreaks in places where transmission was once kept relatively low, but where the pace of vaccination has been too slow to contain the latest outbreaks. One result is that everyday activities are again being restricted, just as they were in the anxious, early days of the pandemic — even as the West edges back to normalcy. (Ives, 7/11)
CNBC: Singapore's Tharman Shanmugaratnam On The Next Pandemic After Covid
The next global pandemic could happen at any time and the world must start preparing for it now, said Singapore’s Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam. “We don’t have the luxury of waiting for Covid to be over before we start preparing for the next pandemic, because the next pandemic can come any time,” Tharman told CNBC’s Annette Weisbach at the G-20 summit in Italy. (Lee, 7/12)
Axios: Long-Standing Corruption Cripples Vaccine Campaigns In Latin America
Long-standing corruption in Latin America has hindered vaccination campaigns and health care responses. These scandals include inflated prices for unusable ventilators purchased by Bolivia, price gouging for N95 masks in Argentina, and a botched acquisition of emergency field hospitals that took over six months to be operational in Honduras. (Franco, 7/10)
Axios: Australia Reports First COVID Death Of 2021 Amid Growing Cases
Australian officials on Sunday announced the country's first COVID-related death this year, and a record 77 new daily cases of the virus in New South Wales, Reuters reports. Australia has generally fared better in controlling the virus than many developed countries. But it's had a harder time combating the highly-infectious Delta variant, amid a slow vaccine rollout, Reuters writes. (Allassan, 7/11)
AP: U.S. Donates 500,000 COVID-19 Vaccine Doses To Moldova
Moldova is set to receive half a million doses of Johnson & Johnson vaccine from the United States to help the small nation combat the coronavirus pandemic. The first 150,000 doses of J&J are to arrive in Moldova — a country of 3.5 million, Europe’s poorest sandwiched between Romania and Ukraine — on July 12, the U.S. Embassy officials in Moldova said. (McGrath, 7/10)
