Coronavirus Global Updates, Dec 03: Thailand contact traces 700 people after infected nationals entered the country illegally

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Zimbabwe COVID19 Update


 


COVID-19 update: As at 02 December 2020, Zimbabwe had 10 243 confirmed cases, including 8 671 recoveries and 277 deaths.


 





 


Thailand contact traces 700 people after infected nationals entered the country illegally


Thailand has contact traced 700 people after 10 Thai nationals illegally crossed into the country from Myanmar, according to Thailand's Ministry of Public Health.

Opas Karnkawinpong, Director-General of Thailand's Disease Control Department, said during a news conference that the 10 Thai citizens tested positive for Covid-19 after they went to hospitals and clinics in Thailand following their return.

The 10 individuals entered Thailand between Nov. 24 and 28 through a natural border in Mae Sai district, in the northern Chiang Rai province.

“Most of them went out for trips and then returned to their homes before their symptoms showed,” Opas said.

Nearly 700 people have been exposed to these infected cases at various degrees.

Among them, 175 are considered high-risk as they spent time in close proximity, and in some cases, were not wearing masks. Everyone in the high-risk group has tested negative so far.

“We have tracked 175 people in high-risk groups, after tests were done, the results were negative. However, all of them have to undergo more tests until the incubation period is over,” Opas added.

Thailand’s last locally transmitted coronavirus case was reported in September.

 

US buys 650,000 more doses of Lilly's monoclonal antibody for Covid-19

The US federal government has bought 650,000 additional doses of Eli Lilly and Co’s monoclonal antibody treatment for coronavirus, bringing the total US purchase to 950,000 treatment courses. 

Lilly’s treatment, an engineered version of a human immune system protein, won emergency use authorization from the US Food and Drug Administration last month after clinical trials showed it could help prevent severe disease. 

“With Covid-19 cases on the rise, treating people with mild or moderate infections can help prevent hospitalizations, which will reduce that burden on healthcare systems,” Health and Human Services (HHS) Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response Dr. Robert Kadlec said in a statement.

The HHS’s Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority said that each treatment course was a single dose.

"Under the agreement announced October 28 and to meet Operation Warp Speed goals, the company is in the process of delivering the first 300,000 doses, and on November 10, HHS began allocating these doses to state and territorial health departments which, in turn, are determining which healthcare facilities receive the infusion drug,” the authority said.

In a separate statement, Lilly said that the purchase agreement was for $812.5 million worth of doses which would be delivered “through January 31, 2021, with at least 350,000 of the additional doses delivered in December 2020."

 

Russia reports more than 28,000 Covid-19 cases in new daily high

Russia reported 28,145 new Covid-19 cases Thursday, the highest number in a single day, according to data from the country’s coronavirus response center.

The total number of infections confirmed in Russia is now at least 2,375,546, with an overall death toll of 41,607.

A CNN investigation previously revealed that official Russian coronavirus death figures may grossly understate the real toll by excluding people who are presumed to have Covid-19 post mortem and even those with pre-existing conditions that proved fatal due to the infection.

 

US states will make decisions about Covid-19 vaccines based on their own circumstances, former FDA chief says


When states begin receiving their share of the limited Pfizer Covid-19 vaccines, perhaps as soon as this month, they’re going to make some decisions about vaccinations based on their own circumstances, Dr. Scott Gottlieb, the former head of the US Food and Drug Administration, said Wednesday.


The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted Tuesday to recommend giving the limited number of initial vaccines to healthcare workers and residents in long-term care facilities, but Gottlieb said states still have some leeway.

“States are going to do some things that are distinct to their state,” Gottlieb told CNBC.
“I’ve talked to a number of governors. You’ll see some states that deploy the vaccine in certain communities that are particularly hard hit where they have epidemics that they feel are under less control ... So, there will be decisions made by some states that are very particular to different states,” he added.

When it comes to distributions to healthcare workers, Gottlieb said the majority will be sent to hospitals, which will have to decide which staff get vaccinated first, “based on their exposure to Covid, their proximity to the virus.”

He said he expects the 3 million residents of long-term care facilities and staff there to get the vaccine quickly, given the high risk that they face.

 

US reports more than 200,000 new Covid-19 cases

At least 200,070 new coronavirus cases were reported in the United States on Wednesday, according to Johns Hopkins University.

An additional 3,157 virus-related fatalities -- the highest number in a single day since the pandemic began -- were also reported Wednesday.

A total of 13,924,956 Covid-19 infections, including 273,835 deaths, have now been confirmed nationwide, according to JHU's tally.

The totals include cases from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and other US territories, as well as repatriated cases. 

 


Germany extends coronavirus restrictions until Jan. 10


Germany has extended restrictive measures designed to curb the spread of coronavirus until Jan. 10, Chancellor Angela Merkel announced late Wednesday following a meeting with the country's state leaders.  

"The states will extend their measures from Dec. 20 until Jan. 10," Merkel told reporters at a news conference, adding that another round of consultations would be held on Jan. 4.  

"In principle things will remain as they are," she said.  

Merkel said that infection rates throughout the country remain too high to allow reopening of restaurants, bars and leisure facilities. The nationwide partial lockdown also includes private gatherings to be kept to a minimum of only five people from two households. 

Last week Merkel announced that restrictions will be eased over the Christmas period in most parts of Germany to allow for people to meet in groups of up to 10 people, not counting children. 

Germany is struggling to contain an ongoing surge in Covid-19 infections. On Wednesday, the country's infectious disease agency, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), reported 487 deaths due to the virus --- the highest daily death toll since the beginning of the pandemic. 

According to data published by the RKI Thursday morning, 22,046 new coronavirus infections were recorded in the past 24 hours. A total of 479 coronavirus fatalities also occurred in the past day -- the second-highest count since the pandemic began, bringing the total number of deaths to 17,602.

 

Japan reports highest increase of Covid-19 deaths since early May

Japan recorded 41 new coronavirus deaths on Wednesday, its highest daily increase of new deaths since May 8, the country’s Health Ministry announced today.

The country's death toll now stands at 2,226. 

The Health Ministry also reported 2,434 new Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours, bringing Japan's nationwide total to 153,539.

Japan reported there were 488 people in intensive care and on respirators on Wednesday, down five from the previous day when it had the highest such number since the pandemic began. 

Tokyo reported 500 new cases on Wednesday, bringing the capital's total number of infections to 41,811. 

Last Thursday, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga described the next three weeks as an extremely crucial period and asked the public to cooperate with anti-virus measures.  


 


US reports highest number of Covid-19 deaths in a single day


The United States reported 3,157 new coronavirus deaths on Wednesday, the highest number in a single day since the pandemic began, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. 

The days with the highest number of new deaths according to JHU data are: 

1.   Dec. 2: 3,157

2.   April 15: 2,603

3.   Dec. 1: 2,597

4.   April 7: 2,570 

5.   April 21: 2,542


 


Hawaii couple arrested for allegedly traveling to island with child after positive Covid-19 test


A couple returning home to Hawaii was arrested over the weekend after they allegedly flew on a commercial plane with a child despite testing positive for Covid-19.

According to the Kauai Police Department, Wesley Moribe, 41, and Courtney Peterson, 46, of Wailua were charged with second-degree reckless endangering.

Police spokesperson Coco Zickos said Moribe and Peterson boarded a United Airlines flight out of San Francisco on Sunday despite knowing they both had tested positive for the coronavirus.

A 4-year-old child traveled with them. Zickos said the child was released to the care of a family member following the adults’ arrests. The police department is not saying how the child is related to the suspects.

Following their arrests at the Lihue Airport, Moribe and Peterson were each released on $1,000 bail, said Zickos. 

“We continue to request visitors and residents alike to follow the Governor’s Emergency Rules and take all necessary precautions to prevent the spread of Covid-19,” Kauai Police Chief Todd Raybuck said in a news release.

CNN was not able to find contact information nor an attorney listed for the couple Wednesday evening.

 

Former US presidents volunteer to take coronavirus vaccine publicly to prove it's safe

Three former United States presidents -- Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton -- are volunteering to receive their Covid-19 vaccines on camera in order to promote public confidence in the medication's safety.

The three former presidents hope an awareness campaign to promote confidence in the vaccine's safety and effectiveness would be a powerful message as American public health officials try to convince the public to get vaccinated once the US Food and Drug Administration authorizes one. 

Freddy Ford, Bush's chief of staff, told CNN that the 43rd president had reached out to Dr. Anthony Fauci -- the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases -- and Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus response coordinator, to see how he could help promote the vaccine.

"A few weeks ago President Bush asked me to let Dr. Fauci and Dr. Birx know that, when the time is right, he wants to do what he can to help encourage his fellow citizens to get vaccinated," Ford told CNN. "First, the vaccines need to be deemed safe and administered to the priority populations. Then, President Bush will get in line for his, and will gladly do so on camera."

Clinton's press secretary told CNN on Wednesday that he too would be willing to take the vaccine in a public setting in order to promote it.

"President Clinton will definitely take a vaccine as soon as available to him, based on the priorities determined by public health officials. And he will do it in a public setting if it will help urge all Americans to do the same," Angel Urena said.

It has been previously reported that Obama said in an interview with SiriusXM host Joe Madison, scheduled to air Thursday, that if Fauci said a coronavirus vaccine is safe, he believes him.


 


Half a million South Korean students sit a college entrance exam despite rising Covid cases


Half a million students will sit South Korea's notoriously difficult National College Entrance Exam on Thursday, a marathon day of tests that is the country's answer to the SATs and can determine a teenager's future.

The tests are so significant that, in normal years, the country rolls out extreme measures to support students -- office hours are changed to clear roads to avoid students getting stuck in traffic and flights are rescheduled to prevent the sound of plane engines disrupting the English listening test.

But this year, even greater planning has been required, as South Korea attempts to hold the exams while keeping teenagers safe from coronavirus. Students will have their temperature checked before entering the testing facilities and will need to wear masks throughout the exam.

Arrangements were even made for 3,775 students to take the tests from quarantine, and for the 35 students who tested positive for Covid-19 as of Tuesday to sit the exam from a hospital bed.

The exams help decide whether students will make it into the most prestigious colleges and what career path they can take -- some options, such as medicine, will be shut off to students who don't get a high-enough score.

"Every citizen understands the exam to be a major national event," Education Minister Yoo Eun-hae told CNN in an exclusive interview ahead of the test.


 


LA is on track to run out of hospital beds by Christmas. The mayor has urged residents to "cancel everything"


Los Angeles will run out of hospital beds by Christmas if the coronavirus continues to spread at its current, unprecedented rate, Mayor Eric Garcetti warned in a news conference Wednesday, calling on residents to “hunker down” and “cancel everything” to help stop the spread of the virus.

“The public health condition of our city is as dire as it was in March in the earliest days of this pandemic,” he said.

The number of daily coronavirus infections in Los Angeles have tripled since early November. Hospitalizations have more than tripled as well and are at a new peak, according to Garcetti.

On Tuesday, the county reported its highest number of new coronavirus cases and hospitalizations since the start of the pandemic. The average daily cases have increased by 225% since early November, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. 

Garcetti urged residents to stay home as much as possible as the “choices between us are stark, between health and sickness, care and apathy, life and death.”

“It’s time to hunker down. It’s time to cancel everything. If it isn’t essential, don’t do it,” Garcetti said. “Don’t meet up with others outside your household, don’t host that gathering, don’t attend a gathering.”

To date, Los Angeles County has confirmed a total of 414,185 coronavirus cases and 7,740 deaths. 

 

UK didn't scrutinize Pfizer coronavirus vaccine trial data as carefully as US FDA is, Fauci says

British health regulators who authorized Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine on Wednesday did not scrutinize the trial data as carefully as the US Food and Drug Administration is doing in its review, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, claimed.

“The way the FDA is, our FDA is doing it, is the correct way,” Fauci said in an interview on Fox News.
“We really scrutinize the data very carefully to guarantee to the American public that this is a safe and efficacious vaccine,” he said.
“I think if we did any less, we would add to the already existing hesitancy on the part of many people to take the vaccine because they're concerned about safety or they're concerned that we went too quickly."

Fauci said it’s important that Americans feel good about a potential Covid-19 vaccine.

“So, it's almost a damned if you do and you're damned if you don't, because if you go quickly and you do it superficially, people are not going to want to get vaccinated,” he said. 

“We have the gold standard of a regulatory approach with the FDA. The UK did not do it as carefully and they got a couple of days ahead,” he said. “I don't think that makes much difference. We'll be there. We'll be there very soon.”

 

US reports highest number of Covid-19 deaths in a single day

The United States has reported a record-high number of new Covid-19 deaths on Wednesday, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. 

So far on Wednesday, 2,658 Covid-19 deaths have been reported, according to JHU. The US is currently averaging 1,531 new deaths per day, the university's data shows.

According to JHU data, the days with the highest number of new deaths are: 

1.   Dec. 2: 2,658

2.   April 15: 2,603

3.   Dec. 1: 2,597

4.   April 7: 2,570 

5.   April 21: 2,542 

Note: This is an ongoing tally and today's final numbers will not be available until overnight tonight.

 

Hospitals stretched beyond "reasonable limit" as number of Covid-19 patients reaches 100,000

While Americans are eagerly awaiting coronavirus vaccines to be authorized, doctors and nurses across the US are facing a difficult truth as hospitals try to find creative ways to handle the surging number of patients that exceeds 100,000 nationwide.

One county official in Wisconsin told CNN, "Our hospital ICUs and emergency rooms remain stretched beyond any reasonable limit and our healthcare workers as well as our patients need our help."

And the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday that these next three months will be "the most difficult time in the public health history of this nation."

More than 100,200 patients were in US hospitals Wednesday -- the most counted during the pandemic, according to the COVID Tracking Project.

And there was more sad news as more than 2,650 deaths were reported Wednesday, according to Johns Hopkins University, another national high during the health crisis.

After they are authorized by the federal government, coronavirus vaccines should help blunt the pandemic, but experts think it won't be until spring before a lot of Americans can get them.

 


US surpasses 100,000 Covid-19 hospitalizations


The United States has surpassed 100,000 current Covid-19 hospitalizations, setting a new record high since the pandemic began, according to the Covid Tracking Project (CTP). 

On Wednesday, at least 100,226 people were hospitalized with Covid-19, according to CTP

 

Why was the UK first to authorize a coronavirus vaccine?

The UK became the first Western country to authorize a Covid-19 vaccine on Wednesday, marking a pivotal moment in the global fight against coronavirus.

The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine has been granted emergency authorization by British regulators, and the first doses are expected to be rolled out from early next week.

Britain has been one of the countries hardest hit by the pandemic, with the highest death toll in Europe, and its government has been heavily criticized for its handling of the crisis.

But it has now leapfrogged both the European Union and the United States with this announcement.

Why was the UK first? The vaccine was granted emergency authorization in the UK by its independent regulator, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), which has played a crucial part in the process.

The MHRA began a rolling review of Pfizer and BioNTech data from October, with each "package" of data reviewed as soon as it became available. This allowed regulators to examine the data in detail before a final authorization application was submitted.

According to the MHRA, a rolling review "can be used to complete the assessment of a promising medicine or vaccine during a public health emergency in the shortest time possible."

This approach helped accelerate the authorization process and a formal review of all the necessary information began in the UK on November 23, leading to Wednesday's announcement.

 

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