North Korea’s Leader Hints At ‘Grave’ Covid Crisis
North Korea's leader previously denied there was any covid in the country. Separately, China's Sinovac vaccine is effective in kids as young as 3, Australia struggles with AstraZeneca vaccine rules, and the U.K. is confident it can beat delta covid.
Bloomberg:
Kim Jong Un Says ‘Great Crisis’ Caused By Quarantine Lapse
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said a “grave” situation stemming from quarantine negligence has created a crisis, hinting at a possible Covid-19 outbreak that could affect his regime after it long denied having any infections. There were no details of the nature of the incident in the report from the state’s official Korean Central News Agency on Wednesday. Kim said missteps created “a great crisis in ensuring the security of the state and safety of the people,” KCNA reported, and he accused some cadres of “chronic irresponsibility and incompetence” that had done “tremendous harm,” according to the report. (Kang and Herskovitz, 6/30)
In other global developments —
CIDRAP:
Chinese COVID Vaccine Produces Good Immune Response In Children
China-based Sinovac's CoronaVac COVID-19 vaccine appears to be safe and produces a good immune response in Chinese children as young as 3, according to phase 1 and 2 results published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases yesterday. The researchers gave two low (1.5 micrograms), two high (3.0 micrograms), or two placebo doses to 72 children in phase one and 480 children in phase two. All were from Hebei province, ranged in age from 3 to 17 years, were healthy, and had no history of SARS-CoV-2 infection. (6/29)
AP:
2 Australian States Urge Against Under 40s Taking AZ Vaccine
The Queensland and Western Australia state governments on Wednesday advised people under age 40 not to take the AstraZeneca vaccine because of the risk of a rare blood clotting disorder, despite the Australian government making those shots available to all adults. The state governments’ advice to those under 40 is based on British government guidelines, while the new federal government’s position acknowledges the scarcity of the Pfizer vaccine and an urgent need to accelerate a slow national rollout. (McGuirk, 6/30)
CNN:
The UK Thinks It Can Out-Vaccinate The Delta Variant. The World Isn't So Sure
When the United Kingdom emerged from one of the world's longest and most stringent coronavirus lockdowns in April, it did so believing that the worst of the pandemic was over. Prime Minister Boris Johnson touted the successes of the country's vaccination rollout, and promised a "cautious but also irreversible" roadmap that would culminate on June 21, when the country would lift virtually all restrictions and return mostly back to normal. But that date was delayed, and normal still feels some way off in the UK. (Picheta, 6/30)
CNN:
Russia Says People Can Decline Its Vaccine. But For Many, They'll Get Fired If They Do
If you ask the Kremlin whether Covid-19 vaccination in Russia is voluntary, its officials will tell you it is. Yet authorities in Moscow have put together a policy that essentially gives people in public-facing roles little choice but to get their shots. Faced with stubbornly low vaccination rates, Moscow authorities announced just over a week ago that at least 60% of staff in service industries -- spanning everything from catering to housing and transport -- must get vaccinated with at least one shot by July 15. (Ullah and Chernova, 6/29)
CNN:
Singapore Wants To Stop Counting Covid Cases. Its Roadmap Could Be A Model For Other Countries
As countries around the Asia-Pacific region tighten restrictions once again to curb potential breakouts of the Delta coronavirus variant, Singapore has laid out a new vision for life to return to normal. The roadmap, proposed by three members of Singapore's Covid-19 task force, would scrap lockdowns and mass contact tracing and allow for a return to quarantine-free travel and the resumption of large gatherings. It would even stop counting the daily Covid cases. (Regan, 6/30)
The Washington Post:
Poor Countries’ Struggles Amid Vaccines Shortfall Threaten Greater Instability, Migration And Disease
Even as millions of Americans enjoy a post-pandemic boom, fresh covid-19 outbreaks in the developing world are undermining economic recovery and fueling political unrest. Sluggish vaccination campaigns stand between the world’s poorest nations and the resumption of normal life, casting a shadow over a global rebound that is otherwise shaping up as the most impressive in 80 years, according to the World Bank. (Lynch, 6/29)
