Record number of COVID-hit Australians in hospital as Omicron surges
Sydney, AustraliaReuters The number of Australians admitted to hospitals with COVID-19 hit a record of about 5,450 on Monday, official data showed, as the spread of highly contagious new Omicron sub-variants strains the healthcare system nationwide. The figure has grown since late June, as the BA.4 and BA.5 strains became dominant since they can evade […]
Australia begins vaccine booster rollout as more curbs ease in Sydney
Sydney, AustraliaReuters Australia will begin administering booster shots of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine from Monday as millions in its largest city, Sydney, woke up to more freedom amid an accelerating immunisation drive against the coronavirus. Australia’s vaccination rate has picked up pace since July, after widely missing its initial targets, when its south-east was hit by […]
Global COVID-19 cases surpass 200 million as Delta variant spreads
Reuters Coronavirus cases worldwide surpassed 200 million on Wednesday, according to a Reuters tally, as the more-infectious Delta variant threatens areas with low vaccination rates and strains healthcare systems. The global surge in cases is highlighting the widening gap in inoculation rates between wealthy and poor nations. Cases are rising in about one-third of the […]
WHO says countries should not order COVID-19 boosters while others still need vaccines
Geneva, SwitzerlandReuters Rich countries should not be ordering booster shots for their vaccinated populations while other countries have yet to receive COVID-19 vaccines, the World Health Organization said on Monday. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said deaths were again rising from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Delta variant was becoming dominant, and many countries had yet […]