Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
UK's Unlocking Plan Causes Worries Of Long Covid Surge In Young
Los Angeles Times: Britain's Plan To Scrap COVID Restrictions Stirs Fears
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s backers have enthusiastically dubbed it “Freedom Day” — July 19, when the government is expected to lift nearly all coronavirus-related restrictions in England. But not everyone is celebrating. Britain has had one of the world’s most successful vaccine rollouts, with nearly two-thirds of the adult population now fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The country, however, is confronting a huge wave of new cases, largely powered by the highly transmissible Delta variant. (King, 7/6)
Bloomberg: ‘Long Covid’ Will Surge Among Young, England’s Chief Medic Warns
So-called long Covid is set to soar among younger people in England when remaining coronavirus restrictions are lifted, England’s chief medical officer warned. Chris Whitty said that while he expected deaths to be “much lower” proportionally compared to previous waves, long Covid remains “a worry.” “Since there’s a lot of Covid at the moment and the rates are going up, I regret to say I think we will get a significant amount more long Covid -- particularly in the younger ages where the vaccination rates are currently much lower,” he said at the Local Government Association’s virtual conference Tuesday. (Ashton, 7/6)
CBS News: "Green Pass" COVID Travel App Smoothing Travel For Europeans
The coronavirus pandemic has made travel more complicated for everyone, from airlines to security personnel and, of course, passengers. Europe has started cutting some of the red tape limiting international travel with its own version of a COVID-19 "passport." Now, for many Europeans looking to move around the continent, the "Green Pass" is as important an item to check off the travel preparation list as tickets and bags. (7/6)
In other global developments —
AP: 14 Of 32 Competitors At Miss Mexico Pageant Had Coronavirus
Contestants from 14 of Mexico’s 32 states at a Miss Mexico contest tested positive for the coronavirus, a health official in the northern Mexico border state of Chihuahua said Tuesday. State Health Secretary Eduardo Fernández Herrera told local media that all the contestants had all submitted negative tests before the pageant in the state capital. But authorities received an anonymous tip that one person was in fact infected with the virus. (7/6)
Bloomberg: Mexico Allows Vaccinations For All Residents Older Than 18
Mexico opened registrations for Covid-19 vaccines to the entire population over 18, an attempt to fulfill the government’s promise that all adults would have at least one dose by October. Currently, 37% of the adult population has a shot, according to government statistics, but a rise in the number of Covid cases in recent weeks has led the country to speed up vaccine distribution. The program, which has administered 47 million doses, has kept deaths from rising at the same rate as the infections, according to Deputy Health Minister Hugo Lopez-Gatell. (Averbuch, 7/6)
Bloomberg: Surging Death Toll Fails To Convince Vaccine-Wary South Africans
One of the world’s fastest pace of deaths from Covid-19 infections hasn’t been able to trounce widespread hesitancy over vaccines in South Africa. Deaths from the virus in the country rose 72% week-on-week as of Monday, according to data compiled by Bloomberg, the fifth-fastest worldwide and behind only Zimbabwe on the continent. Yet a lack of communication coupled with anti-vaccine propaganda may be responsible for daily doses languishing almost 50% below President Cyril Ramaphosa’s target, health experts have warned. (Vanek and Wilson, 7/7)
