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 […]
India’s COVID vaccinations hit two billion, new cases at four-month high
New Delhi, IndiaReuters The Indian Government’s COVID-19 vaccinations hit two billion on Sunday, with booster doses underway for all adults, as daily infections hit a four-month high, official data showed. Prime Minister Narendra Modi extolled the vaccination milestone, celebrating the world’s largest and longest-running inoculation campaign, which began last year. A man reacts as he […]
US Navy barred from acting against religious vaccine refusers
Washington DC, USAP A US federal judge in Texas is barring the US Navy from taking action for now against sailors who have objected to being vaccinated against COVID-19 on religious grounds. US District Judge Reed O’Connor had in January issued a preliminary injunction preventing the Navy from disciplining or discharging 35 sailors who sued over the […]
Vatican replaces Puerto Rico bishop who alleges persecution
San Juan, Puerto RicoAP The Bishop of the Arecibo diocese in Puerto Rico said Wednesday that the Vatican dismissed him against his wishes, a rare move for the Holy See. The announcement comes nearly a year after Monsignor Daniel Fernández declined to sign a decree issued by the Puerto Rican Episcopal Conference declaring that unvaccinated […]
India’s COVID deaths cross 500,000 but some analysts count millions more
New Delhi, IndiaReuters India’s official COVID-19 death toll crossed 500,000 on Friday, a level some data analysts said was breached last year but was obscured by inaccurate surveys and unaccounted dead in the hinterlands, where millions remain vulnerable to the disease. The country, which has the fourth-highest tally of deaths globally, recorded 400,000 deaths by […]
Cyprus Orthodox Archbishop suspends 12 unvaccinated priests
Nicosia, CyprusAP The head of Cyprus’ Orthodox Christian Church said Sunday that he will suspend a dozen priests from his diocese because they refused to heed his call to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Archbishop Chrystostomos II told state broadcaster CyBC that most of the priests are also theologians who have swayed some of the faithful […]
Mexico nears 300,000 deaths from COVID-19 as cases surge after holidays
Mexico CityReuters Mexico is likely to surpass 300,000 deaths from COVID-19 this week – the fifth highest death toll worldwide – as infections rise after the holiday season, fueled by the Omicron coronavirus variant and largely unrestricted tourism. Infections have more than doubled to 20,000 during the last week when many tourists visited Mexico from […]
India vaccinates 3.8 million teens in new COVID-19 inoculation push
Mumbai, IndiaReuters India vaccinated more than 3.8 million teens aged between 15 and 18 years on Monday, as the country expanded an inoculation effort to protect its large adolescent population ahead of a looming wave of coronavirus infections. The teenagers, many wearing their uniforms, queued at schools and health centres across the country as health […]
South America, battered by COVID-19, now winning global vaccination race
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil/Buenos Aires, ArgentinaReuters Throughout much of 2020 and early 2021, South America was ground zero in the global fight against COVID-19. Oxygen ran low in Peru. Gravediggers worked through the night in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Bodies were stuffed into shipping containers in Guayaquil, Ecuador. A healthcare worker takes a swab sample from […]
In pandemic, Americas also facing crisis in routine vaccines – health group
Bogota, ColombiaReuters The Americas is facing an impending crisis in routine vaccinations because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Pan American Health Organization said on Wednesday, and vaccinations against COVID are behind where they should be. Vaccine-preventable diseases like measles, influenza, whooping cough, tetanus and other illnesses are all likely to increase if immunisations fall, PAHO […]