Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
US-Canada Border May Open In August — But For Fully-Vaxxed Only
CBS News: Canada Likely To Reopen Border To Vaccinated Americans In August
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Thursday Canada could start allowing Americans fully vaccinated against the coronavirus into Canada as of mid-August for non-essential travel. He said the country should be in a position to welcome fully vaccinated travelers from all countries by early September. (7/16)
In other global developments —
CBS News: Russia Sees COVID Cases Skyrocket As Many Refuse Vaccine, Or Lie About Getting It
Russia is battling a deadly third wave of coronavirus infections. For days, the country has reported record numbers of daily deaths, and hospitalizations are skyrocketing thanks in part to the spread of the highly infectious Delta variant. On Thursday, Russia reported 25,293 new infections, and it set a grim new record for daily deaths with 791 confirmed fatalities. Overall, Russia has officially identified more than 5.8 million COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began. (Ilyushina, 7/15)
Bloomberg: Delta Engulfs Southeast Asia With Fastest-Growing Deaths
Southeast Asia is emerging as a battlefield for one of the world’s worst Covid-19 outbreaks, due to the fast-spreading delta variant and the slow rollout of vaccines. With a population about twice that of the U.S., the momentum of the region’s outbreak has now eclipsed previously hard-hit places like Latin America and India, with cases jumping 41% over the past week to more than a half-million, according to Bloomberg analysis of Johns Hopkins University data. Deaths rose 39% in the seven days through Wednesday, the quickest pace in the world, and will likely rise further as a spike in fatalities typically follows a surge in cases. (Arnold, 7/15)
NPR: Seoul's New COVID-19 Rules Bar Fast Music, Fast Running In Gyms
Some in South Korea may be stuck listening to slow ballads during their next high-energy workout. In an attempt to curb the spread of the coronavirus, health officials have banned fast music and even fast running at some fitness clubs. Gyms in the capital Seoul and other nearby areas are no longer allowed to play music faster than 120 beats per minute (the speed of "Call Me Maybe" by Carly Rae Jepsen) during group fitness classes. Treadmill speeds may not surpass 6 kilometers per hour (or 3 miles per hour). (Pruitt-Young, 7/13)
AP: UK's Top Medic Warns Of 'Scary' COVID Numbers In Hospital
The British government’s top medical adviser has warned that the number of people hospitalized with the coronavirus could reach “quite scary” levels within weeks as cases soar as a result of the more contagious delta variant and the lifting of lockdown restrictions. Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty told a webinar hosted by London’s Science Museum late Thursday that the U.K. is “not out of the woods yet.” (Pylas, 7/16)
AP: EU Likely To Decide On Moderna COVID Shot For Kids Next Week
A top official at the European Medicines Agency said a decision on whether to recommend that Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine be authorized for children is expected late next week. If approved, it would be the first such license for the shot’s use in children globally. At a press briefing on Thursday, Dr. Marco Cavaleri, the EU drug regulator’s head of vaccines strategy, said its expert committee was currently evaluating Moderna’s application to extend the use of its coronavirus vaccine for children 12 to 17 years old. (7/15)
AP: COVID-19 Takes Toll On Catholic Clergy In Hard-Hit Countries
The coronavirus has taken a heavy toll among Roman Catholic priests and nuns around the world, killing hundreds of them in a handful of the hardest-hit countries alone. The dead include an Italian parish priest who brought the cinema to his small town in the 1950s; a beloved New York pastor who ministered to teens and the homeless; a nun in India who traveled home to bury her father after he died from COVID-19 only to contract the virus herself. (Henao and Wardarski, 7/15)
Also —
The New York Times: China Reports A Human Case Of H5N6 Bird Flu
A man has been hospitalized in southwestern China after contracting the H5N6 strain of avian flu, Chinese state news media reported on Thursday, a reminder that the world is full of flu viruses even during a coronavirus pandemic. The man, 55, was hospitalized in Bazhong, a city in the southwestern province of Sichuan, after coming down with a fever and testing positive for the virus on July 6, the state-run China Global Television Network reported. (Ives, 7/15)
