Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
South China Province Locks Down As Delta Covid Variant Surges
CNBC: China's Guangzhou Fights Delta Covid Variant With Lockdowns, Mass Testing
Authorities in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong are carrying out mass testing and have locked down areas to try to control a flare up of coronavirus cases in Guangzhou. The city has cited the Delta variant of the coronavirus, first detected in India, as a driver behind the uptick in cases it has reported since the latter part of May. The Delta strain is known to be highly transmissible. (Kharpal, 6/7)
Bloomberg: Fiji’s Covid Cases Hit Record High As Kava Blamed For Spread
Fiji recorded a surge in Covid-19, with 83 new cases reported on Sunday from the day before, according to the Fiji Times. The majority of the infections were from known clusters or areas already under containment or lockdown protocols, with only 11 fresh cases of unknown origin, the newspaper said, citing health authorities. The new tally is a record high for the Pacific Islands nation, where only 0.33% of the population have been fully vaccinated, according to Johns Hopkins University data. Fiji, which had seemingly eliminated community transmission two months ago, saw cases begin to spike in late May, with 244 recorded in the week to June 5, that data shows. (Scott, 6/7)
AP: India Cautiously Starts To Open Up As Virus Cases Decline
Businesses in two of India’s largest cities were reopening Monday as part of a phased easing of lockdown measures in several states now that the number of new coronavirus infections in the country is on a steady decline. India’s capital allowed businesses and shops to reopen with limited hours and the Delhi Metro, which serves New Delhi and adjoining areas, also resumed operations at 50% capacity. Last week, authorities in the capital allowed some manufacturing and construction activity to resume. (6/7)
AP: Thais Debut Locally Made AstraZeneca But Supplies Are Tight
Health authorities in Thailand began their much-anticipated mass rollout of locally produced AstraZeneca vaccines on Monday, but it appeared that supplies were falling short of demand from patients who had scheduled vaccinations for this week. Hospitals in various parts of the country have been posting notices for several days that some scheduled appointments would be delayed, adding to existing public skepticism about how many doses Siam Bioscience would be able to produce each month. (Ekvittayavechnukul and Vejpongsa, 6/7)
In news from Europe and the Americas —
The New York Times: British Tourists Scramble To Leave Portugal Ahead Of Quarantine Deadline
British tourists scrambled to leave Portugal over the weekend in order to beat a Tuesday deadline for a new quarantine imposed by the British government on those returning from Portugal over concerns about a dangerous virus variant. Britain had recently put Portugal, one of the most popular destinations for British tourists, and 12 other countries and territories with low coronavirus caseloads on a “green list,” allowing visitors coming from Britain to avoid a quarantine period upon returning from those locations. (Minder and Thomas, 6/7)
AP: France Tackles Virus Variants As It Readies For Tourists
French health authorities are racing to contain scattered cases of the more contagious delta virus variant, as France prepares to reopen its borders to vaccinated visitors and celebrates plunging COVID-19 infection and hospitalization rates. Health Minister Olivier Veran said Sunday that France has multiple clusters of the variant, first identified in India and believed to be fueling a rise in infections in neighboring Britain, notably in the southwest Landes region. Speaking on BFM television, Veran said the variant hadn’t spread widely into the community and that health investigators are working to track cases. (6/6)
CNN: The City Of Serrana's Mass Vaccination Experiment Offers A Taste Of Normality In Brazil
Hope has returned to the small city of Serrana, Brazil, after researchers vaccinated almost its entire adult population in a city-wide medical experiment this spring. "Everything is practically open now, and the atmosphere is so different, so much lighter and joyful. We feel safe while the other cities around us are in a very difficult situation," says Ricardo Luiz, owner of a well-known restaurant in Serrana. (Reverdosa and Rodrigo Pedroso, 6/6)
NPR: Want To Mix 2 Different COVID-19 Vaccines? Canada Is Fine With That
Canada's public health agency says people can mix COVID-19 vaccines if they want to, citing cases where local supply shortages or health concerns might otherwise prevent some from completing their two-dose vaccination regimen. The new recommendations come after safety concerns were raised linking the AstraZeneca vaccine to the potential for dangerous blood clots — a condition the health agency calls "rare but serious." That vaccine is not authorized for use in the U.S., but the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which has faced similar scrutiny, is. Both of them are viral vector vaccines. (Chappell, 6/4)
AP: Canada Grants NHL Cross-Border Travel Exemption For Playoffs
The NHL received an exemption from Canadian health officials allowing cross-border travel for teams starting in the semifinal round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, the league announced on Sunday. When in Canada, teams will be required to stay in a bubble and be tested daily for COVID-19, similar to the tight restrictions that allowed the NHL to stage and complete its playoffs in two hub cities last year. Teams will be assigned designated hotels and have no interaction with the public. (Wawrow, 6/6)
In updates on malaria —
The Washington Post: Malaria Is Far Deadlier In Africa Than The Coronavirus. Why Is The Vaccine Taking So Long?
No hospital in this rural community has recorded a covid-19 death. But another menace fills graves on a grimly predictable schedule. The seasonal downpours that soak the red dirt roads here nurture clouds of mosquitoes that spread malaria. Researchers call it a forgotten epidemic: The parasitic disease kills more than 400,000 people each year. Most victims are children in Africa. (Wilkins and Paquette, 6/7)
