【無了期唔知幾時完嘅武漢肺炎】國際疫情討論區09

South Africa Eases Restrictions

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa eased coronavirus lockdown restrictions in a bid to revive an economy reeling from the effects of the pandemic and a week of deadly riots.

The move to virus alert level 2 from level 3 comes as Covid-19 infections drop and will allow for greater activity in an economy seen contracting in the third quarter because of the unrest.

Scotland Must Tame Virus Before Referendum

Scotland won’t call a new referendum on independence until the pandemic is under control, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said.

“This is not just about safety of polling stations,” Sturgeon said in an interview with Sky News Sunday morning.

Mauritius Plans Booster Shots in October

The tourism-dependent nation of Mauritius plans to roll out a booster-dose vaccination campaign starting next month after taking into account recent studies and situation prevailing in other countries, Le Dimanche/L’Hebdo reported.

An additional dose is imperative for better efficiency and protection, the report said, citing Catherine Gaud, a senior adviser at the health ministry. Vaccines used in the Indian Ocean island so far are AstraZeneca’s Covishield, Sinopharm, Covaxin, Sputnik and Johnson & Johnson.

Bangladesh Reopens Schools

Students in Bangladesh returned to in-person classes on Sunday after a shutdown of more than a year.

Those in higher grades will have classes five days a week, while others will return once a week, according to Education Minister Dipu Moni.

“The government will shut the schools again if the coronavirus cases surge,” she said. “But there are little chances of Covid infections going up again.”

Bangladesh on Saturday recorded 1,327 new virus cases, the fewest daily count since May, taking the tally of infections to more than 1.52 million. The death toll climbed by 48, the lowest since June, to 26,880.

New York hospital to stop delivering babies as staffers quit over vaccine mandate

A hospital in rural New York is pausing its maternity services as employees quit instead of getting the COVID-19 vaccine.

Six employees at the Lewis County Health System have resigned, and seven more are unwilling to get vaccinated, meaning Lewis County General Hospital will stop delivering babies for the time being, multiple news outlets reported.

"We are unable to safely staff the service after Sept. 24," said Lewis County Health System CEO Gerald R. Cayer at a news conference.

The move appears to be temporary. During the pause in maternity services, Cayer said the health system will focus on recruiting nurses to get baby deliveries back up and running.

"We have a challenge to work through with the vaccination mandate," Cayer said.

Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo passed a mandate Aug. 16 to ensure that all healthcare workers in New York must be vaccinated. More specifically, hospitals and long term care facility employees need to get their first dose of the vaccine by Sep. 27.

The original mandate included religious exemptions, but an emergency regulation passed by the New York Department of Health on Aug. 27 said that religious exemptions would no longer be considered for as a reason for healthcare workers to remain unvaccinated.

Cayer says he supports the vaccine mandate and that it is the key to maintaining a "healthy workforce," NBC reports.

At Lewis County General Hospital, 27% of employees are unvaccinated, Cayer said.

Lewis County has recorded 2,626 COVID-19 cases and 31 deaths out of a population of 25,916. Only 46% of its population is vaccinated with one or more dose, below the national average of 63%.

Hospitals around the nation have offered incentives to attract employees to get vaccinated, including thousands of dollars in sign on bonuses. All over the nation, hospitals have suffered from nursing shortages as COVID cases surge with the delta variant.

法國官方數據：當地第四波新冠疫情緩和

法國官方最新數據顯示，當地第四波新冠疫情目前緩和。

數據顯示，全國新冠發病率持續下降。現時新冠發病率為每10萬居民中有109名感染者，比前一周下降26%。

法國周日新增7679宗確診，再多29名患者死亡，累計超過690萬宗個案，11萬5千多人不治。

報道說，擴大健康通行證使用範圍等防疫措施已實施一個月，大多數民眾已接受日常生活中使用健康通行證。參加反對健康通行證的示威人數持續減少。

法國目前已有4963萬人即超過7成3人口，接種至少一劑疫苗，接近7成人完成兩劑接種。

東京都增1067人確診 日本逾五成人完成接種疫苗

日本東京都新增1067宗新冠病毒確診個案，較一星期前少786宗，重症患者人數較前一日減少3人至230人。

經濟再生擔當相西村康稔透露，日本已經有超過五成人接種了兩劑新冠疫苗，按照現時接種速度推算，本月底將超過六成，達到與英國和法國的相同水平。

日本政府預計在11月底前，完成為所有希望接種的國民打針。西村認為，將接種率提高至八成較為理想。

36 new cases in New Zealand

Worsneing again.

7,213 new cases and 55 new deaths in Japan

Improving rapidly.

新增5例COVID-19確定病例，分別為2例本土及3例境外移入

中央流行疫情指揮中心今(13)日公布國內新增5例COVID-19確定病例，分別為2例本土及3例境外移入；另確診個案中無新增死亡。

指揮中心說明，今日新增2例本土個案中，案16199為50多歲女性，9月11日因同住家人(案16197)檢出COVID-19陽性，由衛生單位安排採檢，同日出現喉嚨癢等症狀，於今日確診，已匡列接觸者23人，均列集中檢疫，餘匡列中。案16203為60多歲女性，因家戶接觸者確診(案16179)而被匡列居家隔離，9月11號由衛生單位安排採檢，於今日確診，相關接觸者匡列中。衛生單位將持續進行疫情調查及防治，以釐清感染源。

指揮中心表示，今日新增3例境外移入個案，為2例男性、1例女性，年齡均為20多歲，分別自美國(案16200、案16201)、日本(案16202)入境，入境日介於8月30日至9月10日，均持有搭機前3日內檢驗陰性報告；詳如新聞稿附件。

指揮中心統計，截至目前國內累計3,005,313例新型冠狀病毒肺炎相關通報(含2,988,645例排除)，其中16,093例確診，分別為1,471例境外移入，14,568例本土病例，36例敦睦艦隊、3例航空器感染、1例不明及14例調查中；另累計110例移除為空號。2020年起累計839例COVID-19死亡病例，其中829例本土，個案居住縣市分布為新北市411例、臺北市318例、基隆市28例、桃園市26例、彰化縣15例、新竹縣13例、臺中市5例、苗栗縣3例、宜蘭縣及花蓮縣各2例，臺東縣、雲林縣、臺南市、南投縣、高雄市及屏東縣各1例；另10例為境外移入。

新西蘭奧克蘭增33宗確診 當地延長封鎖至本月21日

新西蘭新增33宗涉及Delta變種新冠病毒的確診個案，全部來自奧克蘭。

總理阿德恩表示，病毒未有在奧克蘭廣泛傳播，但只要有新病例出現，就存在風險，因此決定將當地的封鎖措施延長至本月21日，之後會將警戒級別下調一級，意味會有限度解除防疫限制，但辦公室、學校和公共場所仍會關閉。

何栢良：曾做「通波仔」手術人士押後數月接種復必泰

港大感染及傳染病中心總監何栢良表示，數據顯示，復必泰疫苗在部分人尤其12至15歲青少年身上，引發輕微心肌炎的機率高於背景發病率，疫苗標籤亦已將心肌炎列為其中一種副作用，參考心臟科學院的建議，曾患急性心臟病或進行「通波仔」等手術的人士，應押後3至6個月接種復必泰疫苗。

有國泰前員工稱提交醫療文件後仍因未接種疫苗遭解僱

國泰日前解僱部分未有按要求接種新冠疫苗的機組人員。有被解僱的國泰機艙服務員在一個電台節目表示，6月底曾因心口痛而入院一星期，到7月中看私家醫生發現她心肌有問題，心臟有雜音，但一直未知病因，該名員工將私家醫生的醫療文件交予國泰，她於本月1日收到初步解僱通知，上星期二收到正式的解僱信，指由於她未有接種疫苗，亦無有效醫生證明，要終止僱傭合約，即時生效。

該名員工說，自己不抗拒打針，只是關注疫苗會否引發心臟問題，但在提交醫療文件後卻收到部門主管電話，提及不接種疫苗就可能被解僱，亦從未提供其他方案，如接受公司醫生的檢查、調職、放無薪假等，她批評國泰的做法一刀切，不公平亦不近人情，她將會向勞工處求助。

平機會主席朱敏健在同一節目表示，截至8月底，收到有關接種疫苗問題上遭受差別待遇的查詢有129宗，另外有8宗相關投訴，近日亦有國泰員工就疫苗問題查詢或投訴。他在同一節目說，《殘疾歧視條例》的間接歧視條文，涵蓋員工因健康理由或醫學情況，不能達到公司開列的措施，從而受到差別待遇，例如被解僱。平機會接獲個案後會考慮介入調停，如果無法達成協議，會視乎個案情況作進一步行動，包括提出訴訟。

朱敏健又解釋，公司推出強制接種疫苗措施時，應先考慮該措施是否必要及合理，員工不打針是否就不能符合固有工作要求，員工有否醫學證明未能接種，如果員工未能提供證明，資方應先檢視有無其他崗位可合理調配，倘若相關安排為公司運作帶來不合情理的困難，才考慮解僱。

國泰無良 哺乳及患癌員工未打針照炒 平機會：或犯殘疾歧視條例

因管理不善而在全球最佳航空公司排名跌出三甲的國泰航空，早前要求所有駐港機組人員，須在8月31日或之前接種疫苗，有正餵哺母乳及曾患癌的機組人員向《東網》投訴，表示即使提交醫生紙證不宜打針，仍遭國泰無情解僱。

平機會主席朱敏健今早(13)在電台節目表示，若有僱員因醫學理由未能達到公司措施要求，而受差別待遇，包括被解僱，可能會觸犯《歧視殘疾條例》的「間接歧視」，建議有關員工可向平機會查詢或投訴。

朱續指，若僱員未能提交醫學證明，公司證明接種新冠疫苗要求是必要而合理，且對有關員工有調配困難而需解僱，可能未能違反歧視條例。平機會接到查詢後，會與有關方面接觸，了解前因後果，再決定如何協助，惟他又指不同行業有不同情況，故目前難以評論國泰的做法。

有曾患甲狀腺癌的國泰空姐向《東網》投訴，指獲醫生告知已切除甲狀腺令免疫力減弱，加上血壓、血脂高，簽發不適宜打針的證明書，並於7月底交予公司。近日收到公司即時解僱通知，解僱原因是她無「合理原因(Valid Reason)」而不打針。另一國泰空姐則任職7年，今年6月因心痛入公立醫院，發現凝血指數高出正常水平4倍，其後亦被公司以「無合理原因不打針」即日解僱。

一名正餵哺母乳國泰前空姐亦向《東網》表示，7月已向公司提交醫生證明，並向公司明言會於12月1日前，待她完全退奶就去接種疫苗。豈料，她月初收到電郵，表示將會中止(terminate)聘用並採取進一步行動，及後收到正式的解僱通知，她嘗試致電公司要求説法，對方只表示會交由上級處理。自此之後，負責部門的熱線「打極唔通」。

2,577 new cases and 276 new deaths in Indonesia

Keep imporving rapidly.

日本增4171宗確診 東京都611人感染

日本新增4171宗新型肺炎確診個案，東京都佔611宗，較一星期前少357宗，是當地本月第二次單日新增少於1000宗確診，都內重症患者人數較前一日減少5人至225人。早前染疫的72歲名古屋市長河村隆之已恢復辦公。

日本當局表示，全國超過一半人口，即近6450萬人已完成接種兩劑新冠疫苗，完成接種一劑的有約7980萬人，佔全國人口63%，政府目標是在11月初前，完成為所有希望接種的國民打針。

內閣官房長官加藤勝信表示，要放寬旅行及舉辦大規模活動的行動限制，除了取決於疫苗接種進度，還需要與各都道府縣的知事及餐飲店等商家協商；雖然目前很難實現，但已朝著放寬限制的方向行動。

新增5例COVID-19確定病例，分別為2例本土及3例境外移入

中央流行疫情指揮中心今(14)日公布國內新增5例COVID-19確定病例，分別為2例本土及3例境外移入；另確診個案中無新增死亡。

指揮中心說明，今日新增2例本土個案，案16204、案16205分別為30多歲男性及未滿5歲女性，為同住家人，因有北部某幼兒園相關接觸史，於9月6日匡列為居家隔離對象。案16204於9月12日出現發燒等症狀，2名個案由衛生單位安排採檢，於今日確診，衛生單位刻正進行相關疫調及接觸者匡列。

指揮中心表示，今日新增3例境外移入個案，為1例男性、2例女性，年齡介於30多歲至60多歲，分別自柬埔寨(案16206)、美國(案16207)、印尼 (案16208)入境，入境日期介於8月20日至9月1日，均持有搭機前3日內檢驗陰性報告，詳如新聞稿附件。

指揮中心統計，截至目前國內累計3,028,468例新型冠狀病毒肺炎相關通報(含3,011,399例排除)，其中16,098例確診，分別為1,474例境外移入，14,570例本土病例，36例敦睦艦隊、3例航空器感染、1例不明及14例調查中；另累計110例移除為空號。2020年起累計839例COVID-19死亡病例，其中829例本土，個案居住縣市分布為新北市411例、臺北市318例、基隆市28例、桃園市26例、彰化縣15例、新竹縣13例、臺中市5例、苗栗縣3例、宜蘭縣及花蓮縣各2例，臺東縣、雲林縣、臺南市、南投縣、高雄市及屏東縣各1例；另10例為境外移入。

17 healthcare professionals, citing religious reasons, seek to prevent New York State from enforcing vaccine mandate

Seventeen Catholic and Baptist medical professionals who say they oppose getting the Covid-19 vaccine for religious reasons are seeking to prevent New York State from enforcing its vaccine mandate, according to a federal complaint filed in New York on Monday.

The professionals -- nine doctors, five nurses, a nuclear medicine technologist, a physician liaison and a rehabilitation therapist -- are seeking a judgment declaring the mandate "unconstitutional, unlawful, and unenforceable," according to the lawsuit.
"The Vaccine Mandate emerges in the context of an atmosphere of fear and irrationality in which the unvaccinated are threatened with being reduced to a caste of untouchables if they will not consent to being injected, even 'continuously,' with vaccines that violate their religious beliefs," the complaint said.
They are seeking a temporary statewide restraining order against the mandate followed by a permanent injunction, according to the lawsuit.
The mandate, the lawsuit argues, overrides protections provided under the Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, New York State's Human Rights Law, the Supremacy Clause as well as the First and Fourteenth Amendment of the US Constitution.
In August, the New York State Department of Health issued an order requiring all health care workers be vaccinated against Covid-19 by September 27.
The lawsuit names New York Attorney General Letitia James, Commissioner Howard Zucker of the State Department of Health and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul as defendants in the complaint.
CNN reached out to Hochul's office but was told it doesn't comment on pending litigation. CNN also reached out to the Department of Health and the Attorney General's office for comment and was referred to the Department of Health.
Debate surrounding vaccine mandates has picked up since President Joe Biden announced a new plan to tackle the pandemic last week, which includes vaccine requirements in some workplaces.
Health experts and many officials have called vaccine mandates a necessary step to protect the population and slow the spread of the virus. But there has also been blowback from some state leaders, such as Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas, who have called the announcement at the federal level an overreach and pledged to challenge it in court.

再多19間食肆違防疫令被停晚市堂食 24名食客被發罰款通知書

食物環境衞生署近日在各區加強巡查食肆的防疫規例執行情況，截至本月9日，全港分別有2,332間及1,150間登記為C類及D類運作模式的餐飲處所，在過去周末(10至12日)，食環署於中西區、灣仔區、油尖旺區及沙田區採取執法行動，共巡查了1,447間餐飲處所，共檢控涉嫌違規的19名餐飲處所負責人。

食環署表示，19間違規食肆負責人須於執法人員發現違規情況後的翌日起，被禁晚市堂食，即在下午6時正至翌日上午4時59分停止售賣或供應供在餐飲業務處所內進食或飲用的食物或飲品，並不得安排多於2人同坐一桌，為期3、7或14天不等，而酒吧或酒館則須關閉14天。

食環署亦向涉嫌違反規定的3名處所員工及24名顧客發出定額罰款通知書，當中2名員工涉嫌違反接種疫苗規定、1名員工涉嫌違反定期檢測規定，而有關顧客主要涉嫌違反與「安心出行」流動應用程式相關的規定，或身處餐飲處所「特定範圍D區」或酒吧內而違反與接種疫苗相關的規定。

食環署表示，會繼續加強巡查各餐飲處所，並會檢查員工和顧客的疫苗接種紀錄，以及與警方採取聯合行動，對違例者採取嚴厲執法行動。

Judge blocks New York mandate on vaccinations for health care workers

A federal judge temporarily blocked the state of New York on Tuesday from forcing medical workers to be vaccinated after a group of health care workers sued, saying their constitutional rights were violated because the state’s mandate disallowed religious exemptions.

Judge David Hurd in Utica issued the order after 17 health professionals, including doctors and nurses, claimed in a lawsuit Monday that their rights were violated. The judge gave the state until Sept. 22 to respond to the lawsuit in federal court.

The state issued the order Aug. 28, requiring at least a first shot for health care workers at hospitals and nursing homes by Sept. 27.

Russian President Vladimir Putin self-isolates after inner-circle infections

Russian President Vladimir Putin is going into self-isolation because of coronavirus cases in his inner circle, the Kremlin said Tuesday, adding that he tested negative for COVID-19.

Putin has been fully vaccinated with the Russian vaccine Sputnik V, receiving his second shot in April.

Based on size, Tennessee has the most COVID-19 cases in US

Tennessee has the most coronavirus infections of all U.S. states in the past seven days and over the entire pandemic when adjusted for population, according to data compiled by The New York Times.

Tennessee averaged over 8,300 new infections each day over the last seven days and has seen a total of 1.15 million cases since the pandemic began. When adjusting these numbers for population, Tennessee has surpassed states like North Dakota and Florida.

Still, Gov. Bill Lee has vowed to fight President Joe Biden's executive order requiring businesses with more than 100 employees to require vaccination or weekly COVID-19 testing. Lee calls the mandate unconstitutional.

Nearly 2M people in Texas overdue for a second shot

Nearly two million people in Texas are overdue for their second dose of COVID-19 vaccine, the Texas Tribune reported Tuesday.

As of Sept. 6, 1.89 million have missed their second dose of the two-dose Moderna or Pfizer vaccines, the Tribune reported, citing data from the Texas Department of State Health Services. More than 1 million of them are more than 90 days overdue for their second dose.

That means that of those who received a first dose, 11% haven’t gotten their second shot within the recommended time frame, according to the outlet.

1 out of every 500 Americans has died from COVID

One of every 500 Americans has died of COVID-19, Johns Hopkins University data shows.

With its 662,899th death, America on Tuesday reported a toll equal to 0.2 percent of the people who answered the 2020 Census, near the beginning of the pandemic.

Half of the deaths have occurred since two days before Christmas 2020.