COVID-19 vaccine
Bangladesh reports record number of 5,358 new daily Covid cases; 52 deaths
Bangladesh recorded 52 Coronavirus-related deaths in the last 24 hours till Wednesday, the highest single-day death toll in seven months.
Besides, the country’s health authorities recorded over 5,000 fresh cases for the third straight day.
The latest figures showed 5,358 new cases in a 24-hour period until morning, which pushed up the caseload to 611,295, according to a handout issued by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
This is the highest number of infections in a single day since the pandemic began.
Besides, the coronavirus fatalities reached 9,046 with the new deaths.
Also read:Covid-19 in Bangladesh: Daily death toll, new cases rise
Bangladesh reported its first coronavirus cases on March 8 last year and the first death on the 18th of that month.
The DGHS said the infection rate jumped to 19.90 percent from 18.94 percent on Tuesday while the mortality rate remained static at 1.48 percent.
During the period, 2,219 coronavirus patients recovered, taking the total number of recoveries to 542,399.
So far, 4,670,576 samples have been tested, including 26,931 in the last 24 hours, the DGHS said.
Among the deceased, 34 people died in Dhaka division, nine in Chattogram, three each in Rajshahi, Khulna, two in Sylhet and one in Rangpur divisions.
Also read:Covid-19 in Bangladesh: 10 more deaths push up toll to 8,451
So far, 5,152 coronavirus patients died in Dhaka division, 1,640 in Chattogram, 504 in Rajshahi, 582 in Khulna, 273 in Barishal, 320 in Sylhet, 374 in Rangpur and 201 in Mymensingh divisions.
Obaidul Quader receives first dose of Covid-19 vaccine
Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader on Wednesday received the first dose of Covid-19 vaccine.
After getting vaccinated, the minister, also Awami League general secretary, posted seven photos on his verified Facebook account.
Also Read: AL the true champions of women's empowerment: Obaidul Quader
Quader took the vaccine shot at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) at 10:30.
Also Read: AL victim of political plots: Obaidul Quader
On January 28, the Covid-19 vaccination drive was rolled out at capital’s five hospitals first and then across the country on February 7.
Global Covid cases top 128 million
The Covid situation is worsening around the world with each passing day. In fact, the overall number of corona cases has now surpassed 128 million.
Whilr the total case count reached 128,144,389, the death toll from the virus mounted to 2,802,066 on Wednesday morning, according to Johns Hopkins University.
Also Read: Global Covid-19 cases surge past 127 million
The US, which remains the worst hit country both in terms of cases and deaths, has so far recorded 30,393,028 cases and 550,955 deaths, as per the university data.
Brazil on Tuesday registered the highest daily count of 3,780 Covid-19 deaths in the past 24 hours, the country's ministry of health said.
The latest figure has raised the nationwide death toll to 317,646 since Brazil's first case was detected on February 26, 2020.
Also Read: Global Covid-19 cases top 126.6 million
In addition, 84,494 new cases have been recorded, bringing the national count to 12,658,109.
Brazil is currently one of the countries hardest hit by Covid-19 worldwide in terms of both deaths and infections, second only to the United States.
Currently, the country is seeing 6,023 cases with 151 deaths per 100,000 citizens.
India has registered 12,095,855 cases as of Wednesday morning, with 162,114 deaths, as per the official data.
Situation in Bangladesh
Coronavirus fatalities in Bangladesh rose to 8994 on Tuesday after health authorities recorded 45 more deaths in the past 24 hours till Tuesday morning.
Besides, 5,042 more people were diagnosed with coronavirus, pushing up the total caseload to 6,05,937, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) said in a handout.
The cases were reported after testing of 26,620 samples, the handout said.
It said the infection rate jumped to 18.94 percent on Tuesday from 18.38 percent on Monday. However, the mortality rate slipped slightly to 1.48 percent.
During the 24-hour period, 2,162 coronavirus patients recovered, taking the total number of recovered patients to 54,0180.
Bangladesh reported its first cases on March 8, 2020, and the first death on March 18 the same year.
In the wake of a fresh surge in the Covid-19 infections, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) on Monday issued an 18-point directive in an effort to contain the spread of coronavirus in Bangladesh.
"The Health Ministry has also proposed partial lockdowns for some places with higher coronavirus transmission rates," Health Minister Zahid Maleque said Monday.
Partial lockdown, closure of amusement centres, picnic spots, religious gatherings, limiting wedding ceremonies, strengthening quarantine system, limiting passengers in public transport, and limiting attendance in offices are some of the recommendations.
The ministry has also proposed ensuring a ‘no mask, no service’ policy, increasing the number of mobile courts and imposing fines on health guideline violators.
Bangladesh on Monday recorded its highest-ever single day infection (5,181) since the first cases were reported on March 8 last year.
German cities suspend AstraZeneca vaccine use for under-60s
Authorities in Berlin and Munich are again suspending the use of AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine for residents under age 60 due to new reports of unusual blood clots in people who recently received the shots, officials said Tuesday.
The action was taken as a precaution ahead of a meeting later Tuesday of representatives from Germany’s 16 states and further recommendations expected from national medical regulators, said Berlin’s top health official, Dilek Kalayci.
Also Read: Sweden is latest country to stop using AstraZeneca vaccine
The decision came after the country’s medical regulator announced that it had received a total of 31 reports of rare blood clots in recent recipients of the AstraZeneca vaccine. Nine of the people died and all but two of the cases involved women aged 20 to 63, the Paul Ehrlich Institute said.
Also Read: Major European nations suspend use of AstraZeneca vaccine
Reports of an unusual form of blood clot in the head, known as sinus vein thrombosis, prompted several European countries to temporarily halt the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine earlier this month. After a review by medical experts, the European Medicines Agency concluded the benefits of the vaccine outweighed the risks.
Also Read: Canada pauses AstraZeneca vaccine for under 55
At the same time, the agency recommended that warnings about possible rare side effects should be provided to patients and doctors. Most European Union countries, including Germany, resumed use of the vaccine.
Earlier Tuesday, two state-owned hospitals in Berlin announced that they had stopped giving the AstraZeneca vaccine to female staff members under 55. The heads of five university hospitals in western Germany called for a temporary halt to the vaccine for all younger women, citing the blood clot risk.
Kalayci, the Berlin state health minister, said the suspension of AstraZeneca vaccines for younger people was done as a precaution.
“We have not had a case of serious side effects in Berlin yet,” she said, adding that all of those who had received the AstraZeneca shot already could rest assured that it provides good protection against the coronavirus.
“Still, we need to treat it carefully and wait for the talks taking place at the federal level,” said Kalayci.
The decision could affect appointments for tens of thousands of teachers and people with preexisting conditions who received invitations to get vaccinated in Germany’s capital in recent days.
German news agency dpa quoted a spokesman for Munich, the country’s third-largest city, saying that the suspension of AstraZeneca vaccinations for people younger than 60 would last “until issue of possible vaccine complications for this group of persons has been resolved.”
Some 2.7 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine have been administered across the whole of Germany so far.
Some other European countries remain hesitant about giving the AstraZeneca shot to older people. In Madrid, residents ages 60 to 65 started receiving the vaccine Tuesday ahead of those between the ages of 66 and 79 because Spanish authorities have not yet reviewed new data provided by AstraZeneca about how well it works in the older age group.
Spain is currently using the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines for people over 80 years old.
Spanish health authorities have said that they are hoping to speed up the rollout of vaccines with the arrival of the jab developed by the pharmaceutical company Janssen, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, which has also been approved for use in Europe and requires one shot only.
Authorities in Berlin and Munich are again suspending the use of AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine for residents under age 60 due to new reports of unusual blood clots in people who recently received the shots, officials said Tuesday.
The action was taken as a precaution ahead of a meeting later Tuesday of representatives from Germany’s 16 states and further recommendations expected from national medical regulators, said Berlin’s top health official, Dilek Kalayci.
The decision came after the country’s medical regulator announced that it had received a total of 31 reports of rare blood clots in recent recipients of the AstraZeneca vaccine. Nine of the people died and all but two of the cases involved women aged 20 to 63, the Paul Ehrlich Institute said.
Reports of an unusual form of blood clot in the head, known as sinus vein thrombosis, prompted several European countries to temporarily halt the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine earlier this month. After a review by medical experts, the European Medicines Agency concluded the benefits of the vaccine outweighed the risks.
At the same time, the agency recommended that warnings about possible rare side effects should be provided to patients and doctors. Most European Union countries, including Germany, resumed use of the vaccine.
Earlier Tuesday, two state-owned hospitals in Berlin announced that they had stopped giving the AstraZeneca vaccine to female staff members under 55. The heads of five university hospitals in western Germany called for a temporary halt to the vaccine for all younger women, citing the blood clot risk.
Kalayci, the Berlin state health minister, said the suspension of AstraZeneca vaccines for younger people was done as a precaution.
“We have not had a case of serious side effects in Berlin yet,” she said, adding that all of those who had received the AstraZeneca shot already could rest assured that it provides good protection against the coronavirus.
“Still, we need to treat it carefully and wait for the talks taking place at the federal level,” said Kalayci.
The decision could affect appointments for tens of thousands of teachers and people with preexisting conditions who received invitations to get vaccinated in Germany’s capital in recent days.
German news agency dpa quoted a spokesman for Munich, the country’s third-largest city, saying that the suspension of AstraZeneca vaccinations for people younger than 60 would last “until issue of possible vaccine complications for this group of persons has been resolved.”
Some 2.7 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine have been administered across the whole of Germany so far.
Some other European countries remain hesitant about giving the AstraZeneca shot to older people. In Madrid, residents ages 60 to 65 started receiving the vaccine Tuesday ahead of those between the ages of 66 and 79 because Spanish authorities have not yet reviewed new data provided by AstraZeneca about how well it works in the older age group.
Spain is currently using the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines for people over 80 years old.
Spanish health authorities have said that they are hoping to speed up the rollout of vaccines with the arrival of the jab developed by the pharmaceutical company Janssen, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, which has also been approved for use in Europe and requires one shot only.
Covid-19: Bangladesh records 5000+ cases for 2nd consecutive day
Bangladesh on Tuesday recorded over 5,000 new coronavirus cases for the second straight day, signalling a tough fight ahead for the country as people are still reluctant about following basic health guidelines.
With 5,042 new cases in a 24-hour period until morning, the caseload rose to 605,937, according to a handout of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
Meanwhile, the coronavirus fatalities climbed to 8,994 with 45 more deaths recorded until morning.
Bangladesh reported its first coronavirus cases on March 8 last year and the first death on the 18th of that month.
The DGHS said the infection rate jumped to 18.94 percent from 18.38 percent on Monday when Bangladesh recorded its highest-ever single day case count (5,181).
During the 24-hour period, 2,162 coronavirus patients recovered, taking the total number of recovered patients to 540,180.
The government has ramped up testing, intensified vaccination campaign and efforts to ensure that the people properly follow health guidelines and hygiene rules.
So far, 4,643,645 samples have been tested – including 26,620 in the last 24 hours, the DGHS said.
Dhaka sees highest Covid deaths
The mortality rate slipped slightly to 1.48 percent on Tuesday.
Among the deceased, 37 people died in Dhaka division, three in Chattogram, two in Rajshahi, two in Khulna and one in Sylhet.
So far, 5,118 coronavirus patients died in Dhaka division, 1,631 in Chattogram, 501 in Rajshahi, 579 in Khulna, 273 in Barishal, 318 in Sylhet, 373 in Rangpur and 201 in Mymensingh.
Trash scavengers who help keep cities clean plea for vaccine
The scavengers wait patiently for a dump truck to tip the trash on the summit of the landfill outside New Delhi. Armed with plastic bags, they plunge their bare hands into the garbage and start sorting it.
Every day, more than 2,300 tons of garbage is dumped at the landfill at Bhalswa that covers an area bigger than 50 football fields, with a pile taller than a 17-story building. And every day, thousands of these informal workers climb the precarious slopes to pick through what can be salvaged.
They are among the estimated 20 million people around the world — in rich nations and poor — who are pivotal in keeping cities clean, alongside paid sanitation employees. But unlike those municipal workers, they usually are not eligible for the coronavirus vaccine and are finding it hard to get the shots.
Also read: Virus variants, vaccine inequity responsible for rising Covid caseload: WHO
The pandemic has amplified the risks that these informal workers face. Few have their own protective gear or even clean water to wash their hands, said Chitra Mukherjee of Chintan, a nonprofit environmental research group in New Delhi.
“If they are not vaccinated, then the cities will suffer,” Mukherjee said.
Manuwara Begun, 46, lives in a cardboard hut behind a five-star hotel in the heart of New Delhi and feels the inequity keenly. Chintan estimates that each year, those like her save the local government over $50 million and eliminate over 900,000 tons of carbon dioxide by diverting waste away from landfills.
Still, they are they not considered “essential workers” and thus are ineligible for vaccinations.
Begun has started an online petition pleading for vaccines and asking, “Are we not human?”
Sanitation workers employed by local governments in South Africa and Zimbabwe are likely to be in line for the COVID-19 vaccine after health workers, unlike those who sort through the trash. At the Dandora landfill in Kenya’s capital of Nairobi, some of the scavengers who are not eligible for a shot wear medical gear discarded by hospitals and health clinics, saying it especially protects them from the weather during the rainy season.
There is no doubt that these people provide an essential service, says Louise Guibrunet, a researcher at National Autonomous University of Mexico who has studied the issue.
Also read: Leaders of "Quad" agree to aid vaccine delivery to developing nations
In Mexico, scavengers help municipal workers on garbage trucks and often collect trash from neighborhoods not served by authorities. The work is dangerous, and injuries are common, so governments have an incentive to not recognize them or provide benefits like health care, she said.
They often are already poor, moving to unfamiliar cities to eke out a living by sorting garbage, says Robin Jeffrey, a professor at the Institute of South Asian Studies at the National University of Singapore. That many of these workers in India belong to poor Muslim or Dalit communities, who once were known as “untouchables” at the bottom of the country's caste system, adds a layer of prejudice.
“The vaccine is just another, and very dramatic, example of an exclusion that has prevailed before COVID-19 came on the horizon,” said Jeffrey, who co-authored a book on waste in India in 2018.
India said it will give vaccines to everyone over 45 starting April 1. At private hospitals, each shot is sold for 250 rupees ($3.45), but they are free at government hospitals.
Because the pandemic sent the price of oil crashing, it became cheaper to make new plastic than to recycle it. In many countries, closed borders brought recycling markets to a halt, lowering demand for reused materials that the workers collect.
In New Delhi, a pound of plastic bottles sells for the equivalent of 11 U.S. cents, half of what it brought before the pandemic. Sahra Bano, 37, who lives near the Bhalswa landfill and sells what she can scavenge, says she used to earn about 400 rupees ($5) per day. Now, getting even half that is difficult.
Toxic runoff from the landfill infiltrates the groundwater, so she must spend 40 rupees (5 cents) per day on bottled water; the rest of what she earns goes for food. To earn enough to get one shot of the vaccine, she said she would have to collect and sell an additional 31 pounds of plastic bottles.
“We are struggling to feed our family. How can we buy vaccines?” she asks.
Also read: UN launches ‘Only Together’ campaign to support global vaccine equity call
To get the free vaccine from an overburdened public hospital, she would have to wait there for days, and each day away from work is one without food on the table. Moreover, the stigma associated with waste workers in India means they are often turned away from such facilities.
“They don’t treat us well,” Bano says.
Any illness means visiting a drugstore, not a doctor, for medicine.
If they’re lucky, the person recovers, she says, adding: “If not, what can we do?”
Canada pauses AstraZeneca vaccine for under 55
Canada on Monday suspended the use of the Oxford-AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine for people under age 55 following concerns it might be linked to rare blood clots.
The National Advisory Committee on Immunization had recommended the pause for safety reasons and the Canadian provinces, which administer health in the country, announced the suspension Monday.
“There is substantial uncertainty about the benefit of providing AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccines to adults under 55 given the potential risks,” said Dr. Shelley Deeks, vice chair of the National Advisory Committee on Immunization.
Also read: AstraZeneca: US data shows vaccine effective for all adults
Deeks said the updated recommendations come amid new data from Europe that suggests the risk of blood clots is now potentially as high as one in 100,000, much higher than the one in one million risk believed before.
She said most of the patients in Europe who developed a rare blood clot after vaccination with AstraZeneca were women under age 55, and the fatality rate among those who develop clots is as high as 40%.
Dr. Joss Reimer of Manitoba’s Vaccine Implementation Task Force said despite the finding that there was no increase risk of blood clots overall related to AstraZeneca in Europe, a rare but very serious side effect has been seen primarily in young women in Europe.
Reimer said the rare type of blood clot typically happens between four and 20 days after getting the shot and the symptoms can mirror a stroke or a heart attack.
“While we still believe the benefits for all ages outweigh the risks I’m not comfortable with probably. I want to see more data coming out of Europe so I know exactly what this risk benefit analysis is,” Reimer said.
The AstraZeneca shot, which has been authorized in more than 70 countries, is a pillar of a U.N.-backed project known as COVAX that aims to get COVID-19 vaccines to poorer countries. It has also become a key tool in European countries’ efforts to boost their sluggish vaccine rollouts. That makes doubts about the shots especially worrying.
Also read: AstraZeneca confirms strong vaccine protection after US rift
“This vaccine has had all the ups and downs. It looks like a roller coaster,” said Dr. Caroline Quach-Thanh, the chair of the National Advisory Committee on Immunization, when asked if the latest news will lead to further vaccine hesitancy.
Health Canada said it has not received any reports of blood clots in Canada, and the department’s chief medical adviser, Dr. Supriya Sharma, said she still believes the vaccine’s benefits outweigh the risks.
Last week, the department changed its label on the vaccine to warn about the rare risk of blood clots.
Only those 60 and above have received AstraZeneca in Ontario, Canada's most populous province.
“We have no concerns with those who have received it so far,” said Dr. David Williams, Ontario's chief medical officer.
Mark Mendelson, a 63-year-old Toronto man who has had heart surgery, said that he has no regrets about getting his first AstraZeneca dose two weeks ago and that he will get the second.
“Get what you can,” Mendelson said. “I had no ill effects at all from the AstraZeneca. I am in a better position than those who don’t have any vaccine at all. If you are betting person you would take those odds any day of the week. I’m quite prepared to roll the dice.”
Several European countries that had suspended using the vaccine over concerns it could cause blood clots have resumed administering it after the EU’s drug regulator said the vaccine was safe.
The vaccine is used widely in Britain, across the European continent and in other countries, but its rollout was troubled by inconsistent study reports about its effectiveness, and then more recently the scare about clots that had some countries temporarily pausing inoculations.
Canada is expected to receive 1.5 million doses of AstraZeneca from the U.S. on Wednesday.
“The messaging has been brutal overall. I am fearful it is toast. It shouldn't be," said Dr. Andrew Morris, a professor of infectious diseases at the University of Toronto and the medical director of the Antimicrobial Stewardship Program at Sinai-University Health Network.
Morris thinks those who are at a high risk for a bad COVID-19 outcome and over the age of 55 should get AstraZeneca if the other vaccines are not available to them, especially during a third wave of coronavirus infections.
Canadian regulators approved the Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson vaccines. Canada has placed bigger bets on Pfizer and Moderna, ordering up to 76 million doses of Pfizer and up to 44 million of Moderna, compared with up to 20 million of AstraZeneca. It's not known when Canada will receive its first shipment of Johnson & Johnson.
Canada received its first shipment of AstraZeneca this month — 500,000 doses from India. Of the 194,500 doses that Ontario received, about 10,000 remain. They expire April 2.
Also read: AstraZeneca vaccinations resume in Europe after clot scare
Canada has lagged on vaccinating its population because it lacks the ability to manufacture the vaccine and has had to rely on the global supply chain for the lifesaving shots, like many other countries.
With no domestic supply, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government bet on seven different vaccines manufactured elsewhere and secured advance purchase agreements — enough to get 10 doses for each of Canada’s 38 million people. While acquiring them has proven difficult, deliveries have ramped up this month. Canada expects to have more than 36.5 million doses by July and officials hope to get at least one dose into all adults who want one by the end of June.
The National Advisory Committee on Immunization earlier recommended a four-month delay between doses after data from the U.K. and Quebec showed a good level of protection offered by the first shot. The U.K. has instituted a similar delay.
More than a dozen American states to open vaccines to all adults
More than a dozen states will open vaccine eligibility to all adults this week in a major expansion of COVID-19 shots for tens of millions of Americans amid a worrisome increase in virus cases and concerns about balancing supply and demand for the vaccines.
Meanwhile, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Monday that she had a recurring feeling of "impending doom" about a potential fourth wave of infections after cases in the U.S. rose 10% over the last week. She pleaded with Americans not to relax preventative practices such as social distancing and mask-wearing.
Also read: AstraZeneca: US data shows vaccine effective for all adults
“Just please hold on a little while longer," Dr. Rochelle Walensky said during a White House briefing. Several Northeastern states and Michigan have seen the biggest increases, with some reporting hundreds or thousands more new cases per day than they were two weeks ago.
A new study by the CDC concluded that the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines were 90% effective after two doses, a finding that Walensky said should offer hope.
States opening eligibility to anyone ages 16 and older on Monday included Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Ohio, North Dakota and Kansas.
The rapid expansion has fueled concerns that the number of eager vaccine seekers will far outstrip the available supply of shots, frustrating millions of newly eligible people who have waited since late last year for a chance to get an injection. Other officials have put their faith in a promised glut of vaccines and instead turned their attention to the next challenge: pressing as many people as possible to get the shots so the nation can achieve herd immunity at the earliest opportunity.
Vaccination rates in Texas have lagged behind much of the U.S., and although state officials put at least part of the blame on delays in data reporting, they also acknowledged that appointment slots are going unfilled.
Demand "has definitely decreased over the past couple of weeks,” said Imelda Garcia, head of the state’s expert vaccine allocation panel.
Texas is supposed to receive more than 1 million new doses this week. On Monday, the state launched a new online vaccine scheduler and phone number, taking a bigger role in efforts that had largely been done at the local level.
In Kansas, where some local health officials have said they are also struggling to find people to vaccinate, an additional 400,000 people are now eligible for shots. Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly has been criticized by Republicans for a slow, disorganized vaccine rollout, and she faced more criticism Friday when she announced the plan to expand eligibility. One Republican lawmaker said people with chronic medical conditions could be left behind.
Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards has said the state will soon have enough shots for everyone who wants one and that the challenge now is to make sure people want to get vaccinated.
Some counties in Illinois are being allowed to expand eligibility to all this week if they find doses are going unused. But in Chicago, the vaccine will not be available to everyone until at least May 1 because the city does not have enough shots on hand.
On Tuesday, Minnesota opens eligibility, followed by Indiana and South Carolina on Wednesday, Connecticut and Montana on Thursday, and New Hampshire and Colorado on Friday. In New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that residents over 30 will be eligible for vaccinations starting Tuesday, and everyone over 16 can sign up starting April 6.
Connecticut officials said “priority access” will be given to people with high medical risks or developmental disabilities once everyone 16 and up is eligible. That could include some hospitals organizing dedicated clinics or reserving appointment slots for people with those conditions, officials said.
Arizona opened up eligibility to all adults last week, but it has since been dealing with an unintended consequence: Interest in volunteering at four state-run vaccination sites plummeted almost immediately. Since February, thousands of volunteer shifts filled up within an hour. Now many remain vacant, said Rhonda Oliver, CEO of HandsOn Greater Phoenix, a nonprofit handling online volunteer recruitment.
“People saw it as a way to get the vaccine sooner,” Oliver said. “We anticipated a drop-off, but we just didn’t expect it to go off a cliff in a matter of 24 to 48 hours like this.”
On Wednesday, the first day of the new eligibility, only 70 of the scheduled 145 volunteers appeared at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, and dozens of people either withdrew earlier or did not show up. Oliver said that put an unfair burden on volunteers who did show up and could not take breaks.
The shortage of volunteers should not affect wait times for those with appointments, Oliver said. HandsOn Greater Phoenix is hoping to lessen the hemorrhaging by reaching out to large companies and community groups looking for service activities. The group also is encouraging friends or family members who have been vaccinated to volunteer together.
Many other states are still limited by a continued lack of supply.
California officials said the state can administer 3 million shots a week now, and Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom has predicted that maximum capacity will climb to 4 million by the end of April. But supplies have limited the effort so far to 1.8 million shots per week, a figure that is expected to increase to 2.5 million per week in the first half of April and then 3 million by the end of April, when everybody 16 and older will be offered the vaccine.
Santa Clara County has been told it will get 58,000 doses this week, health officer Dr. Marty Fenstersheib said, but the state will begin allowing about 400,000 more people between 50 and 64 in the county to sign up as of Thursday, in addition to the current backlog.
“We don’t have the vaccine, and we are concerned,” Fenstersheib said.
Among the methods officials are employing to reach underserved communities are vans used as mobile clinics that travel to hard-hit neighborhoods and provide on-the-spot vaccinations.
In California, mobile clinics are helping vaccinate farmworkers who may not have transportation to larger vaccination sites or cannot navigate the state’s online portal. Los Angeles also plans to have 10 mobile vaccination teams.
Also read: Shots in little arms: COVID-19 vaccine testing turns to kids
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said Monday that four mobile bus clinics will distribute vaccines to underserved communities.
While demand has dropped off in some communities, it’s as brisk as ever in others, and sign-up hassles continue.
Lena Lawson, a 37-year-old technology consultant in Phoenix, tried to book a vaccine appointment since the new eligibility rules started. Working from home, she was able to periodically refresh appointment websites but had no luck for three days.
She happened to be up at 2 a.m. Sunday and finally got a slot at a Walgreens on Tuesday.
“I was pretty surprised. Oh, my God, I got an appointment. I’m good,” Lawson said.
The effort was smoother for University of Utah professor Bill Johnson. He said he was bracing for a time-consuming and confusing experience but instead found it remarkably easy.
“We had to make the appointment online and got in two days later,” said Johnson, 59, who got his first shot at the convention center in Salt Lake City. “It took us 10 minutes to drive there, and they jabbed us two minutes after we arrived.”Mar 30 (AP/UNB)-More than a dozen states will open vaccine eligibility to all adults this week in a major expansion of COVID-19 shots for tens of millions of Americans amid a worrisome increase in virus cases and concerns about balancing supply and demand for the vaccines.
Meanwhile, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Monday that she had a recurring feeling of "impending doom" about a potential fourth wave of infections after cases in the U.S. rose 10% over the last week. She pleaded with Americans not to relax preventative practices such as social distancing and mask-wearing.
“Just please hold on a little while longer," Dr. Rochelle Walensky said during a White House briefing. Several Northeastern states and Michigan have seen the biggest increases, with some reporting hundreds or thousands more new cases per day than they were two weeks ago.
A new study by the CDC concluded that the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines were 90% effective after two doses, a finding that Walensky said should offer hope.
States opening eligibility to anyone ages 16 and older on Monday included Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Ohio, North Dakota and Kansas.
The rapid expansion has fueled concerns that the number of eager vaccine seekers will far outstrip the available supply of shots, frustrating millions of newly eligible people who have waited since late last year for a chance to get an injection. Other officials have put their faith in a promised glut of vaccines and instead turned their attention to the next challenge: pressing as many people as possible to get the shots so the nation can achieve herd immunity at the earliest opportunity.
Vaccination rates in Texas have lagged behind much of the U.S., and although state officials put at least part of the blame on delays in data reporting, they also acknowledged that appointment slots are going unfilled.
Demand "has definitely decreased over the past couple of weeks,” said Imelda Garcia, head of the state’s expert vaccine allocation panel.
Texas is supposed to receive more than 1 million new doses this week. On Monday, the state launched a new online vaccine scheduler and phone number, taking a bigger role in efforts that had largely been done at the local level.
In Kansas, where some local health officials have said they are also struggling to find people to vaccinate, an additional 400,000 people are now eligible for shots. Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly has been criticized by Republicans for a slow, disorganized vaccine rollout, and she faced more criticism Friday when she announced the plan to expand eligibility. One Republican lawmaker said people with chronic medical conditions could be left behind.
Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards has said the state will soon have enough shots for everyone who wants one and that the challenge now is to make sure people want to get vaccinated.
Some counties in Illinois are being allowed to expand eligibility to all this week if they find doses are going unused. But in Chicago, the vaccine will not be available to everyone until at least May 1 because the city does not have enough shots on hand.
On Tuesday, Minnesota opens eligibility, followed by Indiana and South Carolina on Wednesday, Connecticut and Montana on Thursday, and New Hampshire and Colorado on Friday. In New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that residents over 30 will be eligible for vaccinations starting Tuesday, and everyone over 16 can sign up starting April 6.
Connecticut officials said “priority access” will be given to people with high medical risks or developmental disabilities once everyone 16 and up is eligible. That could include some hospitals organizing dedicated clinics or reserving appointment slots for people with those conditions, officials said.
Arizona opened up eligibility to all adults last week, but it has since been dealing with an unintended consequence: Interest in volunteering at four state-run vaccination sites plummeted almost immediately. Since February, thousands of volunteer shifts filled up within an hour. Now many remain vacant, said Rhonda Oliver, CEO of HandsOn Greater Phoenix, a nonprofit handling online volunteer recruitment.
“People saw it as a way to get the vaccine sooner,” Oliver said. “We anticipated a drop-off, but we just didn’t expect it to go off a cliff in a matter of 24 to 48 hours like this.”
On Wednesday, the first day of the new eligibility, only 70 of the scheduled 145 volunteers appeared at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, and dozens of people either withdrew earlier or did not show up. Oliver said that put an unfair burden on volunteers who did show up and could not take breaks.
The shortage of volunteers should not affect wait times for those with appointments, Oliver said. HandsOn Greater Phoenix is hoping to lessen the hemorrhaging by reaching out to large companies and community groups looking for service activities. The group also is encouraging friends or family members who have been vaccinated to volunteer together.
Many other states are still limited by a continued lack of supply.
California officials said the state can administer 3 million shots a week now, and Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom has predicted that maximum capacity will climb to 4 million by the end of April. But supplies have limited the effort so far to 1.8 million shots per week, a figure that is expected to increase to 2.5 million per week in the first half of April and then 3 million by the end of April, when everybody 16 and older will be offered the vaccine.
Santa Clara County has been told it will get 58,000 doses this week, health officer Dr. Marty Fenstersheib said, but the state will begin allowing about 400,000 more people between 50 and 64 in the county to sign up as of Thursday, in addition to the current backlog.
“We don’t have the vaccine, and we are concerned,” Fenstersheib said.
Among the methods officials are employing to reach underserved communities are vans used as mobile clinics that travel to hard-hit neighborhoods and provide on-the-spot vaccinations.
In California, mobile clinics are helping vaccinate farmworkers who may not have transportation to larger vaccination sites or cannot navigate the state’s online portal. Los Angeles also plans to have 10 mobile vaccination teams.
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said Monday that four mobile bus clinics will distribute vaccines to underserved communities.
Also read: S. Korea approves AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine for all adults
While demand has dropped off in some communities, it’s as brisk as ever in others, and sign-up hassles continue.
Lena Lawson, a 37-year-old technology consultant in Phoenix, tried to book a vaccine appointment since the new eligibility rules started. Working from home, she was able to periodically refresh appointment websites but had no luck for three days.
She happened to be up at 2 a.m. Sunday and finally got a slot at a Walgreens on Tuesday.
“I was pretty surprised. Oh, my God, I got an appointment. I’m good,” Lawson said.
The effort was smoother for University of Utah professor Bill Johnson. He said he was bracing for a time-consuming and confusing experience but instead found it remarkably easy.
“We had to make the appointment online and got in two days later,” said Johnson, 59, who got his first shot at the convention center in Salt Lake City. “It took us 10 minutes to drive there, and they jabbed us two minutes after we arrived.”
Worrying Covid upsurge in Bangladesh: 3,908 new cases, 35 deaths
A growing number of coronavirus cases and an alarming uptrend in the daily infection rate are posing big challenges to Bangladesh in its fight against the deadly virus.
A 2.75 percent rise in the infection rate was recorded on Sunday (17.65 percent) compared to 14.9 percent a day earlier.
The country’s health authorities reported 3,908 new cases and 35 Covid-related deaths during a 24-hour period until Sunday morning.
Now, the local fatality tally stands at 8,904, according to a handout of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). The country reported its first coronavirus-related death on March 18 last year.
Also read: Covid-19: Bangladesh records 3-month high 39 deaths; 3,674 fresh cases
Bangladesh, which announced its first cases on March 8 last year, has so far reported 595,714 infections.
However, the mortality rate was recorded at 1.4 percent on Sunday which was 1.5 percent on Saturday.
So far, 535,941 patients (89.97 percent) have recovered, including 2,019 in the last 24 hours, according to DGHS.
So far, 4,588,830 samples, including 22,136 in the past 24 hours, have been tested.
Also read: Global Covid-19 cases top 126.6 million
Coronavirus cases were first reported in China in December 2019. Until Sunday, countries around the world confirmed 126.6 million cases with 2.77 million fatalities, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
Fight against Covid
Along with a countrywide vaccination drive, the government has taken a tougher stance to tackle the transmission of Covid-19.
The Health Ministry sent letters to districts, directing the officials concerned to impose fines on people flouting Covid protocols.
Meanwhile, the closure of schools and colleges were extended until May 23 as the situation showed no sign of improvement.
Also read: 36 countries yet to get Covid jabs: WHO
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday said she wants quick steps to fight the fresh surge of Covid-19 cases. “We’ll have to take prompt steps as we did in the past,” she said at a virtual discussion.
She said health guidelines and safe physical distance will have to be maintained at every programme and the use of face masks must be ensured.
Ground-level cooperation needed to check all border incidents: Modi
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said ground-level cooperation is needed to check all those incidents happening along the India-Bangladesh border.
The Indian Prime Minister came up with the remark when Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina requested him to look after the matter properly so that the sad border incidents could be reduced to a zero level.
The border incidents between the two neighbouring countries were discussed during the bilateral meeting held at the Prime Minister’s Office.
PM’s press secretary Ihsanul Karim briefed reporters after the meeting.
“Ground-level cooperation will help check this kind of incident,” PM’s press secretary Ihsanul Karim quoted the Indian Prime Minister as saying.
Water sharing
Talking about the water-sharing of common rivers, including that of the Teesta River, Sheikh Hasina said the decision of signing the Teesta water-sharing treaty was taken jointly nine years back.
“But it’s yet to be implemented," she said adding that the people living in the vicinity of the Teesta River have been suffering a lot.
In reply, the Indian Prime Minister said, "We’re committed to a reasonable solution to sharing of water of all the rivers."
Regarding the Rohingya issue, Sheikh Hasina expected more active role of India regarding the repatriation of over one million Rohingyas.
She mentioned that the Rohingyas should be repatriated as soon as possible for preventing their involvement in drug business and terrorist activities. “The sooner the better,” she said.
Also read: Dhaka-Delhi to accelerate momentum; eye next 50 years diversified ties
In reply, Narendra Modi said Indian wants sustainable return of the refugees.
Thanks for vaccine
Sheikh Hasina thanked the Indian government for sending Covid-19 vaccine to Bangladesh and said this reflects India’s ‘neighbour first’ policy.
She said the first commercial consignment of Covid-19 vaccine has been used and hoped that the rest of the consignments will be delivered soon.
Sheikh Hasina also thanked the Indian Prime Minister for giving 1.2 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine as gift.
The Indian Prime Minister said that his country gifted another consignment of 1.2 million Covid-19 vaccine and 109 life-saving ambulances.
Meaningful cooperation
Sheikh Hasina said that Bangladesh and India are the biggest producers and users countries. “So we must need to cooperate more meaningfully for this sector,” she said.
She invited foreign direct investment in state-run jute mills under the public-private partnership.
In this context, she said that indiscriminately anti-dumping duties imposition is creating unnecessary conflict between our cooperation.
She drew the attention of the Indian Prime Minister for quick solution.
The Prime Minister said that Bangladesh is keen to effectively use the Indian lines of credit. She put emphasis on axing ineffective projects from the list under the Indian line of credit.
Also read: Dhaka, Delhi ink five MoUs to boost cooperation
She asked her Indian counterpart to take steps to quickly disburse line of credit so that the projects could be implemented swiftly.
Modi put emphasis on increased contacts between entrepreneurs of the two countries.
The Indian prime minister also expressed his desire to be a partner to launch the Bangabandhu-2 satellite.
Enhanced connectivity
Sheikh Hasina said that the introduction of Moitree Setu between Bangladesh and India has added a new dimension to cooperation in the communication sector.
She said that Indian state Tripura can use Chattogram Airport alongside Chattogram and Mongla ports.
Stating some routes to connect Bangladesh with Nepal and Bhutan, Sheikh Hasina expected consideration from India.
She said that if the motor vehicles agreement among Bangladesh, India and Nepal is signed, all three countries will be benefitted.
Also read: Bangladesh, India for progress of whole world: Modi
Important milestone
They also reviewed bilateral relations between the two countries marking the birth centenary of the Father of the Nation, the Press Secretary said.
During the meeting, the Prime Minister termed 50 years of diplomatic ties between Bangladesh and India as an important milestone.
Sheikh Hasina extended her thanks to Narendra Modi for accepting positively the proposal of Bangladesh for naming “Mujibnagar-Nadia Road” as Shadhinata Sharok.
During the meeting, the Indian Prime Minister put emphasis on expediting the ongoing projects between Bangladesh and India.
Besides, Narendra Modi said, India is going to establish “Bangabandhu Chair” at Delhi University in memory of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.