Covid LIVE: Over 570 mn vaccine doses administered so far, says govt

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7:59 AM

Singapore reports 53 new Covid-19 cases

Singapore's Ministry of Health (MOH) reported 53 new Covid-19 cases on Wednesday, bringing the total tally in the country to 66,334.

 

The new infections included 49 locally transmitted cases. As many as 23 are linked to previous cases and have already been placed on quarantine. Seven are linked to previous cases and were detected through surveillance, while 19 are currently unlinked, the Xinhua news agency reported.

 

There are four imported cases, who have already been placed on Stay-Home Notice (SHN) or isolated upon arrival in Singapore. Among them, three were detected upon arrival in Singapore, while one developed the illness during SHN or isolation.

7:50 AM

Turkey reports 19,944 daily Covid-19 cases

Turkey on Wednesday registered 19,944 new COVID-19 cases, raising its tally of infections to 6,138,452, according to its health ministry.

 

The death toll from the virus in Turkey rose by 168 to 53,675, while 15,537 more people recovered in the last 24 hours.

 

A total of 295,206 tests were conducted over the past day, it said.

 

Turkey started mass COVID-19 vaccination on Jan. 14 after the authorities approved the emergency use of the Chinese Sinovac vaccine.

7:40 AM

US urges over 150 world leaders not to come to UN over Covid

The US is urging the more than 150 countries planning to send their leader or a government minister to New York to speak in person at the UN General Assembly next month to consider giving a video address instead to prevent the annual high-level week from becoming "a super-spreader event".

 

A note from the US Mission sent to the 192 other UN member nations also called for all other UN-hosted meetings and side events to be virtual, saying these parallel meetings that draw travelers to New York "needlessly increase risk to our community, New Yorkers and the other travellers".

 

The US note, obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press, said the Biden administration is particularly concerned about Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the incoming General Assembly President Abdulla Shahid hosting high-level in-person events on climate change, vaccines, the 20th anniversary of the U.N. World Conference Against Racism, food systems and energy.

7:30 AM

US to distribute Covid-19 booster shots next months: Officials

The US will begin administrating Covid-19 booster shots next month as new data shows that vaccine protection wanes over time, top US health officials announced on Wednesday.

 

"We are prepared to offer booster shots for all Americans beginning the week of September 20 and starting 8 months after an individual's second dose," the officials said in a joint statement.

 

The statement was signed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky, acting FDA Commissioner Dr. Janet Woodcock, White House chief medical advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci and other US health leaders, the Xinhua news agency reported.

 

7:27 AM

World coronavirus update: Child Covid-19 cases still rising in US

Child Covid-19 cases in the US have been rising since late June, according to a recent report.

 

More than 121,000 new child cases were logged in the week ending Aug. 12 in the US, "a continuing substantial increase," said the report from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children's Hospital Association.

 

As of August 12, more than 4.41 million children had tested positive in the country since the onset of the pandemic, representing 14.4 per cent of all cases, the Xinhua news agency reported.