Reuters Health News Summary
Following is a summary of current health news briefs.
More of northern England put into highest COVID-19 lockdown tier
South Yorkshire in northern England will move into the very high lockdown tier on Saturday to tackle rising levels of COVID-19 infections, the mayor of the Sheffield City Region Dan Jarvis said on Wednesday. The area has agreed a funding package worth 41 million pounds ($53.5 million) to support businesses that will have to close and for additional public health measures.
Russia not planning lockdowns despite record high COVID-19 deaths: Kremlin
Russia is not planning to impose any further lockdowns to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, the Kremlin said on Wednesday, after it notched up a record daily death toll of 317. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said no harsh restrictions were required to contain the virus, saying safety precautions, hygiene and certain curbs imposed by local authorities were key.
Poland weighs new curbs as coronavirus cases hit fresh record
Poland is considering new restrictions, including moving some primary students to distance learning, after its total of coronavirus infections doubled in less than three weeks. On Wednesday, it announced a new daily record of 10,040 new cases, taking its overall total past 200,000, as the lower house of parliament held an emergency session to discuss a bill to help an overwhelmed health system.
Dutch coronavirus cases jump by more than 8,500, new daily record
The Netherlands hit a new record for daily coronavirus cases, with more than 8,500 infections in the 24 hours, data released by the National Institute for Public Health (RIVM) on Wednesday showed. The daily number of confirmed cases continues to rise in one of Europe's second-wave hotspots, nearly a week after the government imposed "partial lockdown" measures including the closure of bars and restaurants.
Brazil's Bolsonaro says his government will not buy China's Sinovac vaccine
Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro said on Wednesday that his government will not buy China's Sinovac vaccine against COVID-19, one day after the health minister said it would be included in the nation's immunization program. "For sure, we will not buy the Chinese vaccine," Bolsonaro said on social media, responding to a supporter who urged him not to buy the vaccine. The president said the issue would be clarified later in the day.
COVID-19: U.S. Northeast states discourage travel; California rebuffs theme parks
New York, New Jersey and Connecticut on Tuesday urged their residents to not travel between the three states as the U.S. Northeast sees a rise in COVID-19 cases, while California said major theme parks including Disneyland would not be opening anytime soon. The moves in two of the most populous regions of the United States came during a new surge in coronavirus infections. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said 300,000 more people had died nationwide in 2020 than in a typical year.
Egypt concerned about rising coronavirus cases in neighbouring countries
Egypt's Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said on Wednesday that his government is concerned about the rising numbers of new coronavirus cases in neighbouring countries. Madbouly urged citizens to adhere to health and safety rules in order to avoid a similar surge which could lead to measures that are likely to impact the economy.
Turkey said to consider a return to some coronavirus curbs
Turkey is considering re-imposing some measures to stem rising coronavirus cases such as stay-home orders for younger and older people or even weekend lockdowns, but will avoid hurting the economic recovery, a senior official said. The official, who requested anonymity, said the total number of COVID-19 cases is about five times that reported in the government's daily tally - echoing concerns by Turkey's top medical association and opposition lawmakers.
Deaths after flu shots in S.Korea fan fears, but authorities find no link
Nine people have died after getting flu shots in South Korea in the past week, raising concerns over the vaccine's safety just as the seasonal inoculation programme is expanded to head off potential COVID-19 complications. Five new deaths were reported on Wednesday alone, but authorities had no plans to suspend the vaccination programme, unless investigations, including post mortems, revealed a link, which preliminary findings had not.
EU signs supply deal with J&J on potential COVID-19 vaccine
The European Commission said on Wednesday it had signed a contract on behalf of EU states with U.S. drugmaker Johnson & Johnson for the supply of 400 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine candidate. The move follows an advance purchase agreement signed by Brussels with Johnson & Johnson earlier in October.
