Singapore Braces For A Leap Of Faith In Its Covid Strategy
Singapore, whose economy is heavily dependent on global connectivity, is devising a strategy in which it will reopen borders to the world by resuming international travel and at the same time try to stop the carnage of the coronavirus, a feat that no country has achieved so far. Even though rich countries like the UK and US have pressed ahead with their reopenings, the Delta variant has caused major outbreaks, resulting in many fatalities. Meanwhile, Australia and New Zealand are still keeping their borders shut to avoid infections, and the slow vaccine roll-out isn’t helping. The city-state, meanwhile, plans to vaccinate 80 per cent of its population to snuff out the virus. While the promise of easier travel for the vaccinated sparked jubilation in Singapore, the question remains if its leaders will actually take what will be a leap of faith for a nation where even one locally-transmitted Covid case makes the front page. Read here
Let’s look at the global statistics
Global infections: 195,334,487
Global deaths: 4,177,436
Vaccine doses administered: 3,925,915,616
Nations with most cases: US (34,604,005), India (31,484,605), Brazil (19,749,073), Russia (6,094,379), France (6,088,930).
Source: John Hopkins Coronavirus Research Center
Astra Shot Brings No Increased Blood-clot Risk After Two Doses: Lancet
AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine doesn’t raise the risk of a rare blood clotting disorder after a second dose, suggesting people shouldn’t hesitate to get a second shot if they didn’t have trouble after the first. The estimated rate of the disorder was 2.3 per million in patients who received a second shot, according to data published in the medical journal The Lancet. The analysis was conducted using Astra’s global safety database. But the rate after a single dose was still higher, at 8.1 per million. Read here
In Spain, Vaccinations And The Virus Are Both Surging
After a slow start, Spain’s vaccination programme has accelerated to near the forefront in Europe, with just over 55 per cent of its population fully vaccinated, according to the country’s health ministry. But for all its recent success with vaccines, Spain is also experiencing one of the worst surges in new Covid-19 cases on the continent, forcing several of its regions to reintroduce night time curfews and other restrictions. The country is now averaging more than 25,000 new cases a day, a six-fold increase from late June. Read here
Thailand Puts Covid Patients On Sleeper Trains To Ease Crisis In Bangkok
Facing its third and most severe wave of Covid since the start of the pandemic, driven by the Delta variant, Thailand has begun using sleeper trains to transport Covid patients out of Bangkok, where hospitals have been overwhelmed by a recent surge in cases. Hospitals have been forced to treat patients in car parking areas, and to turn away patients who are severely ill. Since April, the country’s total fatalities have grown from fewer than 100 to 4,397. On Wednesday, 16,533 cases and 133 deaths were reported. Read here
