coronavirus pandemic
Global Covid cases near 204 million
The global Covid-19 caseload is now nearing the grim milestone of 201 million as many countries continue their battle against the deadlier Delta variant of coronavirus even with mass inoculations underway.
The total caseload and fatalities stand at 203,925,022 and 4,313,342, respectively, as of Wednesday morning, according to Johns Hopkins University (JHU).
So far, 4,475,842,781 vaccine doses have been administered across the globe.
Read: US Hospitals run low on nurses as they get swamped with COVID
The situation in North America has worsened noticeably in the past weeks. The US, which is the world's worst-hit country in terms of both cases and deaths, has so far logged 36,050,630 cases. Besides, 618,108 people have lost their lives in the US to date, as per the JHU data.
Brazil has registered 1,211 more Covid-19 deaths in the past 24 hours, raising its national death toll to 564,773, the health ministry said on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the total caseload rose to 20,212,642 after 34,885 new cases were detected during the period.
Brazil currently has the world's second-highest pandemic death toll after the United States, and the third-largest caseload after the United States and India.
India's total tally rose to 31,998,158 as 28,204 new cases were registered in the past 24 hours across the country, as per the federal health ministry on Tuesday.
Besides, as many as 373 deaths due to the pandemic since Monday morning took the total death toll to 428,682.
Europe has managed to contain the Covid-19 outbreak. Mortality in Europe remains at a minimal level despite a new wave of the pandemic.
Meanwhile, Britain recorded another 146 coronavirus-related deaths, the highest daily figure since March 12, according to official data released Tuesday.
The total number of coronavirus-related deaths in Britain now stands at 130,503. These figures only include the deaths of people who passed away within 28 days of their first positive test.
The number of confirmed Covid-19 cases worldwide in the past seven days has also increased to 4.3 million from 4.1 million in the previous week. The global case count has risen to the levels of mid-May 2021.
Read: Covid-19: Vaccination campaign begins at Rohingya camps
Situation in Bangladesh
As the Delta variant has sharply been fuelling Covid case surges, Bangladesh on Tuesday again saw a record 264 deaths in 24 hours.
On August 5, the country reported 264 deaths shattering its previous single-day record of 258 Covid-related fatalities on July 27.
Besides, 11,164 more people came out positive during the period after testing 47,424 samples, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
The fresh numbers have pushed Bangladesh’s total fatalities to 23,161 and cases to 1,376,322.
The case positivity rate during the 24-hour period fell slightly to 23.58% from Monday’s 24.28%, while the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a 5% or below rate.
The recovery rate, however, rose to 89.71%, with the recovery of 14,903 people during the period, said the DGHS.
However, the case fatality rate remained unchanged at 1.68% during the period.
Mass vaccination update
In a bid to ensure the second dose of the Moderna vaccine, the government has decided to halt administering its first dose after August 12.
The Department of Health Services on Tuesday issued a notice in this regard after getting an approval from the Director General of DGHS.
Read: Bangladesh again hits record high 264 Covid deaths
The jabs for the second dose will soon be sent to the vaccination centres as per the requirement soon, the DGHS said.
The government will start administering the second dose of Sinopharm from August 14. The authorities concerned have been asked to take necessary steps in this regard.
As the ruthless Delta variant of Covid-19 keeps rising, Bangladesh on Saturday kicked off another phase of its mass vaccination drawing huge response.
With a fresh stock of vaccine doses in hand, the government’s aim is to inoculate 80% of its population, with each getting two doses administered.
21 more die of Covid at Rajshahi hospital
Twenty-one more people have died of Covid-19 and related complications at Rajshahi Medical College and Hospital (RMCH) in the past 24 hours, health officials said on Tuesday.
Five of them died of Covid-19, while 14 had symptoms of the virus and the remaining two succumbed to post-corona complications, said hospital director Brigadier General Shamim Yazdani.
Read: 15 more die of Covid at Rajshahi hospital
Of the deceased, 10 were from Rajshahi district, four each from Naogaon and Pabna, two from Chapainawabganj, and one from Natore district.
Besides, 43 people have been admitted to the corona unit of the hospital in the past 24 hours. On the other hand, some 44 people were discharged from the hospital after recovery during the period.
Read: Rajshahi hospital logs 14 Covid deaths in 24 hours
Currently, 380 patients are undergoing treatment at the hospital which has 513 beds. Of them, 20 are being treated in the ICU, said the hospital director.
Of the admitted patients, 197 have tested positive for Covid-19, while 115 are with symptoms and 68 have post-Covid health complications.
Covid claims 17 more lives in Barishal
Barishal division has logged 17 new Covid deaths in the past 24 hours, health officials said on Tuesday morning.
Of the deceased, 10 had tested positive for Covid-19 while the remaining seven showed symptoms of the virus infection.
Read:Barishal sanctions separate Covid unit for pregnant women
Seven of them died at Sher-E-Bangla Medical College and Hospital (SBMCH) while the others in different hospitals, the officials said.
Divisional Health Director Dr Basudev Kumar Das said that 563 patients have died of Covid-19 so far in the division.
Besides, 669 people have tested positive for Covid in Barishal division in the past 24 hours and of them, 305 are from Barishal district alone.
Some 39,353 active Covid patients have been identified in the division to date, according to the officials.
Read:Covid: Barishal division logs 20 more deaths
According to SBMCH authorities, 29 more patients have been admitted to the hospital in 24 hours till Tuesday morning.
Moreover, 215 Covid patients are currently undergoing treatment at SBMCH and of them, 69 are confirmed cases.
COVID vaccines to be required for military under new US plan
Members of the U.S. military will be required to get the COVID-19 vaccine beginning next month under a plan laid out by the Pentagon and endorsed by President Joe Biden. In memos distributed to all troops, top Pentagon leaders said the vaccine is a necessary step to maintain military readiness.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the mid-September deadline could be accelerated if the vaccine receives final FDA approval or infection rates continue to rise.
“I will seek the president’s approval to make the vaccines mandatory no later than mid-September, or immediately upon” licensure by the Food and Drug Administration “whichever comes first,” Austin said in his memo sent Monday, warning them to prepare for the requirement.
The Pentagon plan provides time for the FDA to give final approval to the Pfizer vaccine, which is expected early next month. Without that formal approval, Austin needs a waiver from Biden to make the shots mandatory, and Biden has already made clear he supports it.
Read:US now averaging 100,000 new COVID-19 infections a day
Austin’s decision reflects similar moves by governments and companies around the world, as nations struggle with the highly contagious delta variant that has sent new U.S. cases, hospitalizations and deaths surging to heights not seen since last winter. The concerns are especially acute in the military, where service members live and work closely together in barracks and on ships, increasing the risks of rapid spreading. Any large virus outbreak in the military could affect America’s ability to defend itself in any security crisis.
Austin warned that if infection rates rise and potentially affect military readiness, “I will not hesitate to act sooner or recommend a different course to the President if l feel the need to do so. To defend this Nation, we need a healthy and ready force.”
In a statement Monday, Biden said he strongly supports Austin’s message to the force and the plan to add the COVID vaccine “to the list of required vaccinations for our service members not later than mid-September.”
Biden said the country is still on a wartime footing and “being vaccinated will enable our service members to stay healthy, to better protect their families, and to ensure that our force is ready to operate anywhere in the world.”
Austin’s memo, which went out Monday, was followed quickly by one from Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
“The Secretary of Defense intends to mandate vaccinations for all Service members in the coming weeks,” said Milley, adding that the military’s medical professionals recommended the move. At the bottom of his message, Milley scrawled a handwritten note: “Getting vaccinated against COVID-19 is a key force protection and readiness issue.”
The decision comes a bit more than a week after Biden told defense officials to develop a plan requiring troops to get shots as part of a broader campaign to increase vaccinations in the federal workforce.
More broadly, the COVID-19 crisis has worsened around the country, with hospitals experiencing deeper strain in unvaccinated areas of the South. Mississippi reported that 35 medical centers are completely out of intensive care unit beds, Arkansas topped its pandemic record for COVID admissions, and the average number of people hospitalized nationwide has returned to levels not seen since February. More patients are being parked in emergency rooms while they wait for beds to open up and the average number of daily deaths is now above 500.
The country is averaging about 108,000 new infections and 700,000 vaccines administered a day.
Austin said the military services will have the next few weeks to prepare, determine how many vaccines they need, and how this mandate will be implemented. The additional time, however, also is a nod to the bitter political divide over the vaccine and the knowledge that making it mandatory will likely trigger opposition from vaccine opponents across state and federal governments, Congress and the American population.
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said Monday that he believes the military has enough vaccines to meet the requirements. He added, “You can consider this memo not just a warning order to the services but to the troops themselves.”
Read:Thousands jam Philippine vaccination sites over false news
Democratic and Republican leaders of the House Armed Services Committee said vaccines have proven effective.
“Some may try and criticize the Secretary’s decision, using anti-vax arguments that are not supported by facts or science to politicize the conversation. These desperate attention seekers must be ignored,” said Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., said the vaccine will help protect troops who live in cramped conditions and don’t have the option to telework.
Rep. Mark Green, R-Tenn., however, said Austin should not mandate a vaccine that doesn’t have full FDA approval. “Wearing our country’s uniform does not mean our service members sign away the right to make personal medical decisions,” he said.
The decision will add the COVID-19 vaccine to a list of other inoculations that service members are already required to get. Depending on their location, service members can get as many as 17 different vaccines.
Austin’s memo also said that in the meantime, the Pentagon will comply with Biden’s order for additional restrictions on unvaccinated federal personnel, including masks, social distancing and travel limits.
According to the Pentagon, more than 1 million troops are fully vaccinated and another 237,000 have received one shot. But the military services vary widely in their vaccination rates.
The Navy said that more than 74% of all active duty and reserve sailors have been vaccinated with at least one shot. The Air Force, meanwhile, said that more than 65% of its active duty and 60% reserve forces are at least partially vaccinated, and the number for the Army appears closer to 50%.
Military officials have said the pace of vaccines has been growing across the force, with some units — such as sailors deploying on a warship — seeing nearly 100% of their members get shots. But the totals drop off dramatically, including among the National Guard and Reserve, who are much more difficult to track.
Some unvaccinated troops have said they’d get the shot once it’s required, but others are flatly opposed. Once the vaccine is mandated, a refusal could constitute failure to obey an order and may be punishable under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
Army guidance, for example, includes counseling soldiers to ensure they understand the purpose of the vaccine and the threat the disease poses. The Army also notes that if a soldier “fails to comply with a lawful order to receive a mandatory vaccine, and does not have an approved exemption, a commander may take appropriate disciplinary action.”
Military service officials says the don’t have data on the number of troops who have refused other mandated vaccines, such as anthrax, chicken pox or flu shots over the past decade or more. And they weren’t able to provide details on the punishments service members received as a result of the refusal.
Read:US plans to require COVID-19 shots for foreign travelers
Officials said they believe few troops have refused other mandated vaccines, and the discipline can vary.
Also, service members can seek an exemption from any vaccine — either temporary or permanent — for a variety of reasons including health issues or religious beliefs. Regulations say, for example, that anyone who had a severe adverse reaction to the vaccine can be exempt, and those who are pregnant or have other conditions can postpone a shot.
Navy officials said last week that there has been only one case of COVID-19 hospitalization among fully vaccinated sailors and Marines. But, the Navy said there have been more than 123 hospitalizations in a similar group of unvaccinated sailors and Marines.” It said fewer than 3% of its immunized troops have tested positive for COVID-19.
The other military services did not provide similar data.
Global Covid cases top 203 million
The global Covid-19 caseload has now surpassed 203 million, as the ferocious second wave of the corona pandemic continues to wreak havoc across the world amid mass inoculation efforts.
The total caseload and fatalities stand at 203,351,847 and 4,302,493, respectively, as of Tuesday morning, according to Johns Hopkins University (JHU).
Read: Global Covid cases return to mid-May levels
So far, 4,447,184,520 vaccine doses have been administered across the globe.
The situation in North America has worsened noticeably in the past weeks. The US, which is the world's worst-hit country in terms of both cases and deaths, has so far logged 35,947,913 cases. Besides, 617,318 people have lost their lives in the US to date, as per the JHU data.
Brazil has registered 411 more Covid-19 deaths in the past 24 hours, raising its national death toll to 563,562, the health ministry said on Monday.
Meanwhile, the total caseload rose to 20,177,757 after 12,085 new cases were detected during the period.
Brazil currently has the world's second-highest pandemic death toll after the United States and the third-largest caseload after the United States and India.
India's Covid-19 tally rose to 31,969,954 on Monday as 35,499 new cases were registered during the past 24 hours across the country, according to the federal health ministry.
Besides, as many as 447 deaths due to the pandemic were reported since Sunday morning, taking the total death toll to 428,309.
Read: Covid vaccine: Temporary waiver sought on TRIPS
The number of Covid-19 cases confirmed worldwide in the past seven days increased to 4.3 million from 4.1 million of the previous week. The global case count rose to levels observed in mid-May 2021.
However, the geography of the disease differs. This spring, South America accounted for the majority of all cases. Now, North America and several Asian nations are bearing the brunt.
At the same time, Europe managed to contain the Covid-19 outbreak. Mortality in Europe remains at a minimal level despite a new wave of the pandemic.
Situation in Bangladesh
Teetering on the edge of a brutal Covid-19 infection wave, Bangladesh reported 245 more deaths and 11,463 new cases in 24 hours till Monday morning.
The new numbers again raised the case fatality rate to 1.68% from Sunday’s 1.67%, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
With the fresh deaths, the country’s total death tally reached 22,897 while the total cases mounted to 1,365,158.
The new cases were detected after the test of 47,207 samples, slightly lowering the case positivity rate to 24.28% from Sunday’s 24.52%, the DGHS said.
Read: Shattered by Covid, Bangladesh now awaits a dengue blow
Overwhelmed by the Delta variant of Covid surge, Bangladesh has been seeing around 250 deaths and 13,000 cases daily on an average for a week.
Besides, the recovery rate rose to 89.36% in Bangladesh from Sunday’s 89.05% with 14,412 new patients recovering from Covid during this time.
Over 450 Covid cases confirmed during Tokyo Olympics
Medical specialists confirmed 458 Covid cases during the Tokyo Olympic Games, the organising committee said Monday.
Twenty-eight infections were confirmed in the past 24 hours, while the highest number – 31 – was reported on August 5. The number covers the period from July 1 when preparations for the Olympic Games entered the final stage and athletes began to arrive in Japan.
Read:Mixed bag: Erratic Pandemic Olympics come to a nuanced end
More than 650,000 Covid tests were conducted during the Olympics and the preparatory stage, with 0.02% of them turning out to be positive.
Due to the worsening Covid-19 situation in Tokyo, a state of emergency was extended until August 31. It includes restrictions on the number of spectators during public events. So, the Tokyo Olympic Games were held from July 23 to August 8 without spectators.
Banks to return to normal operation hours from Wednesday
Banks will operate normally from Wednesday with customers’ transaction time from 10 am to 4 pm instead of current hours of 10 am to 2:30 pm.
The Bangladesh Bank issued a new circular on Tuesday saying that banks can remain open until 6 pm for conducting their other office activities instead of the previously set time of 4 pm.
Read:Banks to remain closed on Sunday
The new circular was issued against the backdrop of the government’s withdrawal of strict countrywide lockdown to contain the deadly Coronavirus that is spreading fast.
The central bank said the bank authorities will follow all Covid-19 health safety protocols including maintaining social distance during the transactions.
Barishal logs 21 fresh Covid deaths
Barishal division has logged 21 new Covid deaths in the past 24 hours, health officials said on Monday morning.
Of the deceased, six tested positive for Covid-19 while the remaining 15 showed symptoms of the virus infection.
Read:Covid: Barishal division logs 20 more deaths
Fifteen of them died at Sher-E-Bangla Medical College and Hospital (SBMCH) while the others in different hospitals, the officials said.
Divisional Health Director Dr Basudev Kumar Das said that 553 patients have died of Covid-19 so far in the division.
Besides, 388 people have tested positive for Covid in Barishal division in the past 24 hours and of them, 83 alone are from Barishal district.
So far, 15,866 people have been infected in the district.
Some 38,684 active Covid patients have been identified in the division to date, according to the officials.
Read:Barishal sanctions separate Covid unit for pregnant women
According to SBMCH authorities, 27 more patients have been admitted to the hospital in 24 hours till Monday morning.
Moreover, 73 Covid patients are currently undergoing treatment at the corona unit of SBMCH and 154 in the isolation ward of the hospital.
Canada begins allowing vaccinated US citizens to visit again
Canada on Monday is lifting its prohibition on Americans crossing the border to shop, vacation or visit, but the United States is keeping similar restrictions in place for Canadians, part of a bumpy return to normalcy from COVID-19 travel bans.
U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents must be both fully vaccinated and test negative for COVID-19 within three days to get across one of the world’s longest and busiest land borders. Travelers also must fill out a detailed on application on the arriveCAN app before crossing.
Read:Tribe claims remains of kids who died at assimilation school
Even though travelers have to register, the Canada Border Services Agency won’t say how many people they are expecting to enter Canada for the reopening. But travelers should plan for the possibility of additional processing time at the border.
“CBSA will not compromise the health and safety of Canadians for the sake of border wait times,” agency spokeswoman Rebecca Purdy said in a statement.
While the Canada Border Services Agency won’t say how many people it’s expecting, Garnet Health, an Essex, Vermont-based company that offers same-day COVID-19 testing, has seen the number of tests it performs more than triple in recent weeks. The increase coincides with Canada’s decision last month to drop a two-week quarantine requirement for its citizens when they return home from the U.S.
“I imagine once that border opens, we are going to see lots of people,” said Chelsea Sweeney, the company’s director of business development.
The U.S.-Canada border has been closed to nonessential travel since March 2020 to try to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
The U.S. has said it will extend its closure to all Canadians making nonessential trips until at least Aug. 21, which also applies to the Mexican border. But the Biden administration is beginning to make plans for a phased reopening. The main requirement would be that nearly all foreign visitors to the U.S. will have to be vaccinated against the coronavirus.
But Canadians aren’t waiting for reciprocal rules.
Joel Villanueva, owner of Primo’s Mexican Grill in White Rock, British Columbia, about 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) north of the U.S. border, is more than ready for Americans to return.
Read:Canadian Indigenous group says more graves found at new site
“Let’s get this thing going,” he said. “A lot of our customers are from the United States, and we are literally minutes from across the border. We welcome our Americans, and we depend on their foot traffic.”
Villanueva said he supports people coming who are fully vaccinated and doesn’t think there will be a rush of Americans initially. But if his restaurant and dozens of others along the waterfront could fill some tables with U.S. visitors every day for the rest of the summer, it would be a big financial boost, he said.
Near the border in Washington state, Blaine Chamber of Commerce board member Carroll Solomon called the reopening a step in the right direction for businesses. But she also said it was somewhat concerning because of an increase in COVID-19 cases nationwide as the highly contagious delta variant spreads.
“For people who need to get up there (to Canada) for family reasons, it’s wonderful,” said Solomon, who also volunteers at the Blaine Visitor Information Center.
With all the hoops people need to jump through — being fully vaccinated, getting tested for COVID-19 and uploading that information to an app — she doesn’t think that people will be going to Canada for many day trips.
“I have a lot of friends on the Canadian side and would love to go have lunch with somebody, but you can’t just do that; you have to plan days in advance to make sure you can get through,” Solomon said.
It’s going to be an event for the Blaine area when Canadians can come down on a regular basis, she said.
As far as returning to the United States from Canada, U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesman Jason Givens said there’s no requirement to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test.
Read:Unmarked graves found at another Indigenous school in Canada
“CBP officers have been processing essential travel throughout the pandemic and remain ready and able to process American citizens and permanent residents returning from Canada,” Givens said by email.
Steve Blake, who lives in Stanstead, Quebec, just across the border from Derby Line, Vermont, is hoping his siblings living in the United States will be able to visit Canada soon so they can hold a memorial service for their mother who died in early 2020, just before the pandemic closed the border. But given the requirements, he doesn’t know how quickly that will happen.
“I’d like it to be sooner rather than later,” he said.
1 Chicago officer killed, 1 wounded in traffic stop shooting
A 29-year-old female police officer in Chicago was killed and another officer was seriously wounded in an exchange of gunfire during a traffic stop, officials said Sunday, the city’s mayor later citing the shooting as a reason for Chicagoans to work together to stem violence.
The officer killed Saturday night was identified as Ella French, according to a post on the Chicago Police Department’s Facebook page Sunday evening. French’s death was the first fatal shooting of a Chicago officer in the line of duty since 2018 and the first female officer fatally shot on the job in 33 years.
Read: Pentagon on lockdown after shooting near Metro station
“We will never forget the true bravery she exemplified as she laid her life down to protect others,” the department said of French on Facebook, adding that fellow officers will “grieve the loss of this hero.” The department also requested support for French’s “wounded partner, who is in the hospital fighting for his life.”
At a Sunday news conference, Mayor Lori Lightfoot urged Chicagoans to end the acrimony between ardent police proponents who say officers are hampered by overly burdensome rules and staunch critics who say officers act with impunity.
“Stop. Just stop,” she said. “This constant strife is not what we need in this moment.”
The shooting of the officers occurred on another violent summer weekend in the nation’s third largest city, with at least 64 people shot, 10 fatally, by afternoon Sunday, ABC7 in Chicago reported.
“The police are not our enemies,” Lightfoot added at the news conference. “We must come together... We have a common enemy: It’s the guns and the gangs.”
Officers had stopped a vehicle with two men and a woman inside just after 9 p.m. on Chicago’s South Side, when a male passenger opened fire, Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown said during the same news conference.
Read:8 dead in shooting at rail yard serving Silicon Valley
Officers returned fire, striking the passenger who appeared to fire at them, said Brown. He did not release the condition of that man. All three are in custody, but no charges had been filed, he said.
Police also did not identify the three who have been arrested.
When asked about the condition of the injured officer, Brown responded, “Critical. We need your prayers.”
The superintendent said it was too soon to say why the vehicle was stopped and what might have happened just before the shooting began. He said available evidence included police body camera footage. A gun was also recovered at the scene.
A large crowd of officers gathered outside the hospital’s ambulance entrance overnight, some hugging and praying, as Lightfoot first addressed the shooting to reporters nearby. Lightfoot said the officer who died “was very young on the job, but incredibly enthusiastic to do the work.”
The last Chicago officer shot to death in the line of duty was 28-year-old Samuel Jimenez, who was killed after responding to a shooting at a hospital on Nov. 19, 2018.
Read:Police: 9 wounded in Providence, Rhode Island, shooting
Two officers, Conrad Gary and Eduardo Marmolejo, died when they were struck by a train while pursuing a suspect on Dec. 17, 2018. The department also considers the COVID-19 deaths of four officers last year line-of-duty deaths.
The last female officer shot to death in the line of duty was Irma Ruiz, who was shot inside an elementary school in 1988.