【無了期唔知幾時完嘅武漢肺炎】國際疫情討論區09

南韓新增2080宗確診病例 當局憂疫情中秋期間蔓延

南韓新增2080宗新型肺炎確診，累計277989宗病例，新增13人死亡，累計2380宗染疫死亡病例。

韓聯社報道，南韓確診病例時隔6天再超過2000宗，是因為早前數字受檢測人數減少影響，而首都圈單日社區感染病例新增1650宗，創疫情以來最高水平，由於首都圈疫情很可能借中秋假期返鄉人潮波及全國各地，防疫部門正在謀求應對之策。

約翰遜籲更多人接種疫苗應對秋冬疫情 已制定後備方案

英國首相約翰遜表示，雖然新冠病毒的確診個案仍不斷上升，但英國已有超過8成16歲以上民眾完成接種兩劑疫苗，九成的成人已有新冠病毒抗體，能夠更好應對新冠病毒。

約翰遜表示，目前實行的「A計劃」是繼續呼籲更多民眾接種疫苗，要求民眾戴口罩、洗手及檢測，他表示，仍有5百萬人應該接種疫苗。

約翰遜表示，已經準備好「B計劃」作為後備方案，包括疫苗護照、強制戴口罩及居家工作，以應對秋冬季節的新冠疫情。

對於有國會議員及企業批評疫苗護照的可行性，約翰遜認為不能完全排除這個做法，現時不實行是要取得正確平衡，他希望能維持晚間經濟繼續營業，又說任何額外的防疫措施不會一次過全部實施，而是會分級別進行。

被問到什麼情況會啟動「B計劃」，英格蘭首席醫療官惠蒂表示，會根據入院人數、住院率的變化及國民保健署的整體情況。

More details at
https://uk.yahoo.com/news/mandatory-face-coverings-covid-passes-124042438.html

Child deaths from COVID double in Florida as cases among children climb across the country

Florida's COVID-19 response took a hit this week as the number of COVID-related child deaths in Florida more than doubled in just over a month, according to data from the Florida Department of Health.

A Florida Department of Health weekly report showed seven children under the age of 16 died from coronavirus complications from the start of the pandemic to July 30 - a 15-month period. Per the Department's latest report from September 3, the number has jumped to 17 deaths since July 30.

Though the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Florida chapter said most of these deaths were aligned with underlying health conditions, this sharp climb has pediatric experts worried and uncertain about the COVID Delta variant in the coming months.

"We're all worried because we're not sure what's going to happen in the future," AAP Florida President Lisa Gwynn said, according to Politico.

The AAP did not respond immediately to Insider's request for further comment on rising mortality or morbidity rates among children by publication.

As of September 8, the CDC reported a national total of 486 deaths in children ages 0-18.

"Children are not supposed to die," Dr. Rochelle P. Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said in a tense US Senate hearing in July about an overwhelming statistic on child COVID deaths.

Meanwhile, COVID cases among children across the US are up as students return to school. In August, days into a new school year, thousands of students across the country were forced to quarantine after schools reopened and case loads in children jumped. Several schools in the state have already announced closures in response to rising numbers. Pediatric hospitalizations also hit a record high last month, with 1,900 children hospitalized for COVID.

As of September 2, those 12 years and older are eligible to receive the vaccine, but vaccine coverage in children ages 12-17 is lower than older age groups, the CDC said.

"After declining in early summer, child cases have increased exponentially, with over 750,000 cases added between August 5 and September 2," the AAP said in a report, which makes up a quarter of new weekly COVID cases.

This comes as GOP governors like Florida's Ron Desantis continue to fight individual school districts over mask mandates in school settings. A judge ruled in August that Desantis could not issue a mask ban, which was upheld in a court decision on Wednesday, allowing school districts to continue imposing a mask mandate. However, the decision was overruled when an appeals court ruled in favor of the governor's ban on Friday. The US Department of Education opened a civil rights investigation into mask bans in six states, including Florida.

UK would not have approved Valneva COVID vaccine, health secretary says

LONDON (Reuters) -Britain cancelled its contract for about 100 million doses of a COVID-19 vaccine being developed by France's Valneva in part because it was clear it would not be approved for use in the country, UK Health Secretary Sajid Javid said on Tuesday.

"There are commercial reasons that we have cancelled the contract, but what I can tell her is that it was also clear to us that the vaccine in question that the company was developing would not get approval by the MHRA here in the UK," he said in response to a question from a Scottish lawmaker.

Shares in Valneva plunged 35% on Monday after it said the British government had ended a COVID-19 vaccine supply deal that could have been worth up to 1.4 billion euros ($1.65 billion).

The shares made up some of the lost ground on Tuesday, regaining more than 8%, to close at 12.60 euros. At that level, they're still up 62.6% since the start of 2021.

A French government source told Reuters discussions between Valneva and the European Commission were ongoing and advanced.

"The EU is still interested in this vaccine", the source said, adding Valneva was also being positioned, in France at least, as a booster shot, same as would be Sanofi, which has yet to have COVID-19 shot authorised.

Valneva's COVID-19 vaccine candidate, VLA 2001, relies on an inactivated virus, similar to flu vaccines, and is seen by some as having the potential to win over people wary of vaccines that use new mRNA technology.

The company said on Monday that the British government had alleged it was in breach of its obligations under the supply agreement. It said it strenuously denied the charge.

The vaccine is being produced in Livingston, Scotland, using an adjuvant made by U.S. company Dynavax. The facility has capacity to produce around 200 million doses in 2022.

Valneva has said the UK government had options that could have brought the order to 190 million doses by 2025.

Javid said the British and Scottish governments would be working together to see what they could do to secure the future of the facility.

(Reporting by Paul Sandle; Additional reporting by Sarah White in Paris, Editing by Alistair Smout and Steve Orlofsky)

桃勤染Delta女員工足跡公布 鄭文燦：將進行國境防疫體檢

國內今天新增1例本土個案，目前感染源待釐清，指揮中心指揮官陳時中表示，本土確診者為桃園機場負責清消人員，確認染感Delta變種病毒，曾接種1劑新冠肺炎疫苗，暫時推定可傳染期為9月8日之後，並已匡列45人居家隔離。桃園市長鄭文燦指出，已安排桃勤公司339人、華膳和機務人員49人進行採檢，因為是Delta的病例，要高標準處理；將和中央一起進行國境防疫的體檢。

中央流行疫情指揮中心指揮官陳時中今天下午說明，今天新增的新冠肺炎本土個案為20多歲女性，9月12日出現輕微流鼻涕、頭暈等症狀，9月14日因工作需求篩檢，於今天確診。個案無出國史，衛生單位將持續進行疫情調查及防治，以釐清感染源。

桃園市長鄭文燦下午也在臉書直播說明疫情，他說這名個案（案16213）在桃勤公司服務，擔任機艙的清消人員，桃勤公司每周有安排快篩，個案在9月7日快篩陰性，9月14日快篩陽性，到醫院進行PCR採檢後確診，CT值14，初步匡列接觸者職場39人、家人親友6人進行居家隔離；疫調仍在進行中。

鄭文燦表示，今天下午已安排桃勤公司共339人進行採檢，另外華膳和機務人員共49人也要採檢，「因為指揮中心有特別說明，這是Delta的病例」，因此要高標準、快速處理。

鄭文燦表示，針對這起桃勤公司員工確診事件，會跟交通部、指揮中心以及桃園機場各單位進行防疫的體檢，要檢查每個動線，包括人員的隔離動線，以及機艙清消人員是否有環境污染因素等，進行更徹底的調查。

鄭文燦表示，國境防疫很重要，目前桃園機場4萬2827人，已經有4萬859人完成第1劑疫苗接種，完成2劑接種的有3萬1763人，後續會向指揮中心爭取專案疫苗配賦。

桃園市政府表示，今天的個案足跡曾在9月13日到過全聯龜山文化店、家樂福超市桃園文德二店；曾出入相關場所者，請於足跡重疊次日起14天，進行自我健康監測。

指揮中心醫療應變組副組長羅一鈞下午在記者會說明，這名20多歲女性個案Ct值為14，考量病例9月7日快篩陰性，現階段將可傳染期推定為9月8日之後。個案僅打過一劑疫苗，所以並不算突破性感染。

針對新增的本土個案陽性檢體，羅一鈞表示，為盡快釐清感染的病毒株種類，先初步以北市裝修工做點突變快速檢驗，確認感染病毒是Delta變種病毒，是否與現在台灣Delta確診者是同一隻病毒株，後續序列比對結果17日出爐。

指揮中心表示，加上本案，本土定序為Delta變種病毒的確診病例已達36例，其中13例為六月份屏東群聚相關、1例為九月份國籍航空機師群聚相關、21例為九月份新北幼兒園及社區群聚相關，以及1例為今天公布之桃園機場航班清潔人員案例。

4,640 new cases and 93 new deaths in Ukraine

Worsening again!

1,835 new cases and 7 new deaths in Croatia

Keep worsening

4,004 new cases and 81 new deaths in Romania

Worsening rapidly

衞生署：已預約接種第二劑復必泰青少年 可取消預約

衞生防護中心的聯合科學委員會及專家顧問團，建議本港12至17歲青少年只需接種一針復必泰疫苗，因不少案例顯示，青少年在接種第二劑復必泰疫苗後，出現心肌炎及心包炎等副作用，因此認為接種一劑的保護力已足夠。

因應相關建議，衞生署說今日起，如果12至17歲青少年已預約接種第二劑復必泰疫苗，他們可於網上取消預約。如果他們有特別需要而選擇繼續接種第二劑疫苗，並按預約到達社區疫苗接種中心，在場醫護人員將會向他們及其監護人講解有關的建議和相關風險，以便他們作出合適決定。

菲律賓一間修道院出現新冠群組 過百人確診

菲律賓一間修道院出現新冠病毒感染群組，過百人確診。

菲律賓奎松市傳染病防控部門證實，一間修道院出現集體感染，有114人的核酸檢測呈陽性，其中包括61名修女。在確診的114人中，2人情況嚴重、4人有中度症狀，86人有輕微症狀，另有22人無出現症狀。修道院所在的行政村已經封鎖。

Florida's county-level COVID-19 death reports publicly available for first time in months

Figures on COVID-19 deaths in Florida's counties quietly rematerialized this week on a federal website tracking the pandemic, more than three months after state officials stopped publicly reporting the information.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now shows seven-day mortality figures for counties, but only for a recent week. For months, the CDC site showed zero deaths for all counties in Florida, though aggregate death numbers for the state were available.

The new data appeared one week after a USA TODAY Network - Florida report on the lack of accessible county death data. The state of Florida stopped reporting county-level data in early June. Most local public health officials won't release it. At least one county acknowledged it didn't have the data. Federal websites showed either incomplete or inconsistent data for Florida's counties.

Florida Department of Health officials say they have consistently reported death data to the CDC and had no control over how that information is displayed. The CDC had shown county-level COVID-19 data for all U.S. states except Florida and Nebraska until this week.

Florida has not said why it's not displaying the data itself, and Health Department spokeswoman Weesam Khoury gave no indication the department intends to return those local death statistics to its weekly reports, even though Gov. Ron DeSantis said at a recent news conference that releasing local death totals would be “appropriate.”

Long essay, read more at https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2021/09/15/florida-releases-county-covid-19-death-data-first-time-months/8347397002/

More than 5K Chicago students in COVID-19 quarantine

By the end of the second week of school in the nation’s third-largest school district, Chicago Public Schools had directed more than 5,600 students and nearly 100 staff members to quarantine, according to district data provided by the Chicago Teachers Union.

Meanwhile, Chicago Public Schools data posted online suggests nearly 3,000 students were close contacts of confirmed COVID-19 cases since the first day of classes Aug. 30. A district spokesperson did not respond to USA TODAY inquiries about the discrepancy.

The district has more than 340,000 students.

普京解釋自我隔離決定 指身邊數十人確診新型肺炎

正進行自我隔離的俄羅斯總統普京透露，身邊有數十人確診感染新冠病毒。

普京在一個視像會議中表示，在自己的貼身圈子內發現確診病例，不是一宗或兩宗，而是幾十宗，他不得不保持自我隔離幾日，並取消訪問行程，對此表示抱歉。

普京原定親身前往塔吉克，出席俄羅斯牽頭成立的集體安全保障組織峰會，他其後改為以視像方式發表講話。

普京提到阿富汗局勢，指組織成員國外部邊界局勢不穩，為各國安全帶來新的嚴峻挑戰與風險，各成員國必須協調力量及團結一致應對。

US launches study of long Covid in tens of thousands of patients

The US National Institutes of Health said Wednesday it's starting a $470 million study to try to understand what's become known as long Covid—the long-term, sometimes serious effects of Covid-19.

The study will aim to include 30,000-40,000 people and will make use of digital data -- including input from wearable devices, the NIH said.
"We know some people have had their lives completely upended by the major long-term effects of Covid-19," NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins said.
"These studies will aim to determine the cause and find much needed answers to prevent this often-debilitating condition and help those who suffer move toward recovery."

The study, called Researching Covid to Enhance Recovery or RECOVER, will include researchers at more than 30 institutions across the country, the NIH said. They'll study existing and new patients with some of the mystifying conditions that show up after people supposedly get over the intense, acute effects of a bout with Covid-19.
"These post-Covid conditions are often referred to as long Covid, long-haul Covid, post-acute Covid-19, long-term effects of Covid, or chronic Covid. NIH refers to this scientifically as PASC- post-acute sequalae of SARS-CoV-2," Collins told a briefing.
"Persistent symptoms originate in multiple organs. The most common symptoms include pain, headaches, fatigue, what's called brain fog, shortness of breath, anxiety, depression, fever chronic cough and sleep disorders. PASC also includes multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children or MIS-C and also in adults -- MIS-A."
It's not clear what causes these symptoms and the study will seek to find what they might be.
"Is it a misfiring of the immune system that fails to reset after the infection with this coronavirus? Is it a triggering of some metabolic dysfunction?" Collins asked.

"We don't know. The diversity of symptoms and presentations leads us to believe that long Covid is not just one condition," he added.
"The only way, therefore, we're going to sort this out is with very large studies that collect lots and lots of data about symptoms, physical findings and laboratory measures."
The NIH said it would encourage researchers to recruit a variety of patients -- people of all ages, ethnicities, pregnant women and other. Researchers will be including input from the patients -- an unusual approach that Collins said is important to make sure the study covers all the bases.
Studies will also include data from wearable devices. Collins said the study has been put together in months, rather than the usual multi-year process for something so big and complex.
The NIH has set up a website where people who would like to volunteer can sign up.
Funding for the study comes from $1.15 billion Congress appropriated specifically for studying long Covid as part of the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan President Biden signed into law last March.
Collins said the $470 million for the study will leave money over to start research into possible treatments.
The study will look into whether various treatments used for severe cases of Covid-19 affect the risk of long Covid, whether vaccination affects risk, and will include people who had only mild symptoms of coronavirus infections, the NIH said.

新加坡增910宗確診 去年5月以來單日最多

新加坡的新型肺炎疫情持續反彈，昨日新增910宗確診個案，是去年5月以來單日最多。

新增個案當中，906宗屬於本土病例，其中803宗是社區感染，103宗來自外勞宿舍。

同日新增一宗死亡個案，死者是一名未接種新冠疫苗的72歲女子。

新加坡超過八成人口已接種疫苗，政府早前改為採取與病毒共存的策略，將焦點改為監察疫苗是否可以避免重症和死亡病例攀升。

澳洲維州擬引入面容識別系統 助查證須隔離者位置

澳洲維多利亞州錄得今年以來，新型肺炎確診個案單日增幅的新高，社會期望疫苗接種率顯著增加之下，當局能盡快放寬抗疫封鎖措施。維多利亞州參考鄰州新南威爾士的做法，正測試面容識別軟件，協助警方查證須隔離人士，是否留在處所內。

泛美衛生組織表示，過去一個星期北美地區的確診個案，增加了三分之一，因為美國與加拿大的病例增加。

英國新冠患者住院人數破8000

<匯港通訊> 英國政府周四公布的數據顯示,新增26911宗新冠病毒確診病例,再多158人不治。

現時,英國住院的新冠患者人數達到8339人,為過去10天之中,有9天單日超過8000人住院,亦是今年3月初以來,再次有超過8000人住院。

英國衞生大臣賈偉德(Sajid Javid)向傳媒表示,住院人數增加為當地公共衞生系統帶來壓力,當局或需要引入新措施應對疫情,不排除再次引入封鎖措施的可能性。

另外,意大利新增5117宗病例,再多67人死亡。巴西新增3.4407萬宗病例,再多643人病亡。

'I want to see the Premier of Alberta prosecuted’: Canadians stunned as Kenney refuses to apologize for easing COVID-19 restrictions

The Alberta government has now declared a statement of public health emergency as COVID-19 continues to significantly spread across the province.

"We may run out of staff and intensive care beds within the next 10 days," Alberta Premier Jason Kenney said at a press conference on Wednesday.

"Unless we slow transmission, particularly amongst unvaccinated Albertans, we simply will not be able to provide adequate care to everyone who gets sick, based on current trends."

Alberta has now introduced stricter COVID-19 restrictions across the province in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19.

Full article at https://us.yahoo.com/news/alberta-covid19-jason-kenney-pandemic-response-181121537.html

Hong Kong Tests Boosters for Sinovac

Hong Kong is testing whether people given Sinovac Biotech Ltd.’s Covid vaccine will fare better if they get a booster using BioNTech SE’s more potent mRNA technology, as evidence emerges about how quickly antibodies from the Chinese-made vaccine fade.

Questions have swirled about the effectiveness of the Sinovac shots, which were the first to be rolled out in Hong Kong starting in February and account for about one-third of immunizations given in the city. As recent research shows that protection from all the available immunizations ebb with time, Hong Kong officials decided to study the importance of which booster was used.

Manila Under Second-Tightest Curbs

The Philippine capital region will be under the second-strictest movement restrictions until end-September as coronavirus cases remain elevated, the Department of Health said.

Metro Manila, which accounts for a third of economic output, will be under Alert Level 4, where businesses like restaurants and beauty salons can operate at limited capacity, and where only vaccinated people can dine in. Curbs will be reviewed weekly, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said at a virtual forum Friday.

N.Z. Extends Travel Bubble Suspension

Quarantine-free travel with Australia will remain suspended for a further eight weeks, New Zealand Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said in emailed statement.

The suspension will be reviewed again in mid- to late-November.

Thailand Cases Rise for a Third Day

Thailand’s new daily Covid-19 infections rose for a third straight day to 14,555, the highest tally since Sept. 11, according to government data on Friday.

The cumulative case-count climbed to 1.45 million. The Southeast Asian nation reported 171 Covid deaths in the past 24 hours, taking total death toll to 15,124.

Tokyo to Cancel Marathon For First Time

The Tokyo Marathon will be canceled for the first time in its decade-plus history due to the virus emergency in the capital, broadcaster NHK reported, without citing anyone.

The decision will be made at the Tokyo Marathon Foundation’s extraordinary board meeting Friday, according to the report. Under the organizer’s guidelines, the event will be canceled if the state of emergency is imposed within a month prior to the date. The marathon, scheduled for Oct. 17, meets that requirement after Japan extended its fourth state of emergency for Tokyo through September.