Covid-19 has infected more than 244M people and killed over 4.9M globally. Here are the virus-related developments for October 25:
Red Cross urges action for Papua New Guinea as Covid overwhelms health system
Concerted international action is needed to support Papua New Guinea as a surge in Covid-19 cases overwhelms the Pacific country’s health system, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said on Monday.
Coronavirus cases in the island nation of 9 million have been surging in recent weeks, with 385 new cases recorded on Thursday, according to the latest available government data.
There have been 26,731 officially confirmed cases and 329 deaths in the country 150 km (90 miles) north of Australia.
Less than 1 percent of the population has been fully vaccinated, according to Our World in Data figures, although the government anticipated months ago that it would have enough shots by now for everyone who wanted to be vaccinated.
New Zealand reports second-highest daily cases in pandemic
New Zealand has reported 109 new locally acquired coronavirus cases, the bulk of them in its largest city, Auckland, as the country saw its second-worst day of daily infections since the pandemic began.
Once the poster child for stamping out Covid-19, New Zealand has been unable to beat an outbreak of Delta variant of Covid-19 centred in Auckland, despite the city remaining under a strict lockdown for more than two months.
The country over the weekend also reported the first community case of the virus in its South Island in nearly a year, a cause for further headache, though health officials said the risks of a further spread from the case remained low.
The spike in cases has forced Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to abandon her elimination strategy and switch to living with the virus, and health officials have warned of an uptick in cases until vaccinations ramp up.
Australia looks to roll out booster shots soon as curbs ease
Australian officials plan to roll out Covid-19 booster shots soon to prevent a resurgence of cases, as residents in the two largest cities of Sydney and Melbourne begin to enjoy more freedoms after months-long curbs.
Australia has ditched its Covid-zero strategy in favour of suppressing the coronavirus, after largely stamping out infections for most of this year, and is now aiming to live with the virus through higher vaccinations.
Officials are gradually shifting their focus to booster shots as double-dose vaccinations levels in Australia’s adult population nears 75 percent. Almost 87 percent of people above 16 have received their first dose since the national rollout began in February.
“We think what is going to happen is that a booster shot will be made available from six months from your second dose,” Lieutenant General John Frewen, head of the vaccination task force, told the Australian Broadcasting Corp on Monday.
Indonesia to gradually reopen regions with high vaccination rates
Indonesia will gradually reopen parts of the country where COVID-19 vaccination rates are above 70 percent, its President Joko Widodo told a Southeast Asian business forum on Monday.
Jokowi, as the president is known, also said Southeast Asia should start loosening travel restrictions, including vaccinated lanes for inoculated arrivals with negative Covid-19 tests.
He said it was important the region reforms to prepare for future health crises.
Source: TRTWorld and agencies
Covid overwhelms Papua New Guinea’s health system – latest updates
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