[ad_1]
White House implements “emergency response” to tackle Delta hotspots
The White House Coronavirus Task Force plans to set up “emergency response teams” to help low-vaccination communities at risk for the Delta variant outbreak. The strain accounts for a quarter of sequenced infections in the United States.
Brazilian Covid investigation hears new vaccine corruption allegations
A Congressional inquiry in Brazil has learned that a health ministry official demanded a bribe in a coronavirus vaccine deal as President Jair Bolsonaro’s administration is rocked by growing allegations of corruption. The claim was made by a businessman acting on behalf of a medical supplies company, who said he was asked for an additional payment of $ 1 per dose in talks over 400 million AstraZeneca shots. . The virus has claimed the lives of more than half a million people in Latin America’s most populous country.
A third of the world’s population cannot wash their hands at home
The World Health Organization has reported that a third of the world’s population at the start of the pandemic were unable to wash their hands with soap and water at home. A quarter do not have access to safe drinking water, and half do not have sanitation facilities where fecal waste is transported and treated off-site, the WHO said in a report. Health authorities have called for frequent hand washing to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
Hotel group urges UK government to overhaul self-isolation guidelines
An industry group representing the UK hotel sector has urged the government to revise its guidelines on self-isolation due to pressure on staff. UKHospitality has called on the government to review and modify its self-isolation testing and tracing guidelines to better reflect the vaccine rollout.
Unemployment claims in US fall below 400,000 to pandemic low
New claims for unemployment assistance in the United States fell below 400,000 last week to a new pandemic-era low, as layoffs slow and businesses struggle to recruit workers amid a backdrop rebound in economic activity. A Labor Department report released Thursday said there were 364,000 initial jobless claims on a seasonally adjusted basis, up from 415,000 the week before. Economists expected 390,000 new claims.
Source link