News24com Covid-19 wrap 6bn vaccines injected 200 Melbourne protesters arrested France upholds pass restrictions

Keeping you up to date on the latest novel coronavirus (Covid-19) news from around the world.

FOLLOW LIVE | Covid-19 in SA: Death toll at 86 376 as cases rise by 2 197

Coronavirus toll at 10:00 (GMT) Wednesday

Paris â€" The novel coronavirus has killed at least 4 705 691 people since the outbreak emerged in China in December 2019, according to a tally from official sources compiled by AFP at 10:00 (GMT) on Wednesday.

At least 229 482 830 cases of coronavirus have been registered.

The vast majority have recovered, though some have continued to experience symptoms weeks or even months later.

The figures are based on daily reports provided by health authorities in each country.

They exclude revisions made by other statistical organisations, which show that the number of deaths is much higher.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that the pandemic's overall toll could be two to three times higher than official records, due to the excess mortality that is directly and indirectly linked to Covid-19.

A large number of the less severe or asymptomatic cases also remain undetected, despite intensified testing in many countries.

On Tuesday, 9 248 new deaths and 476 331 new cases were recorded worldwide.

Based on latest reports, the countries with the most new deaths were United States with 2 294 new deaths, followed by Russia with 817 and Mexico with 815.

 - AFP

Six billion anti-Covid shots injected worldwide - AFP

Paris â€" More than six billion doses of anti-Covid vaccines have been given around the world, according to an AFP tally on Wednesday based on official sources.

The vaccination drive has reached a steady rhythm, taking 29 days to clock up the sixth billion, almost the same speed as the fourth and fifth billion at 30 and 26 days respectively.

In contrast, it took around 140 days to administer the first billion doses.

Nearly 40% (2.18 billion) of the six billion shots have been administered in China. India (826.5 million) and the United States (386.8 million) complete the trio of countries that have given the most jabs.

Among countries with a population of over one million, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) leads the way with 198 doses per 100 habitants, with more than 81% of its population fully vaccinated.

Uruguay comes next with 175 doses per 100 inhabitants, followed by Israel (171), Cuba (163), Qatar (162) and Portugal (154).

 - AFP

New Zealand says it may not get to zero Covid-19 cases again

WELLINGTON â€" New Zealand may not get back to having zero coronavirus cases in the community, the director general of health said on Thursday, as the country continues efforts to stamp out the infectious Delta variant of the virus.

New Zealand eliminated Covid-19 last year and had been largely virus-free, barring a small number of cases in February, until the latest outbreak of the Delta variant erupted in August, prompting Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to order a nationwide lockdown.

Its biggest city Auckland is still in lockdown with a small number of new cases being reported every day.

"We may not get back to zero, but the important thing is we are going to keep finding any infections and basically continue to contact trace, test and isolate people so that we stop the virus circulating in the community... that's the aim," Ashley Bloomfield, the director general of health told Radio New Zealand.

Bloomfield said the aim now was to try and get on top of the outbreak while also ramping up vaccination rates.

"Get that vaccination rate up over 90%...that's absolutely our new means whereby we will be able to get back to the freedoms we had," he said.

 - REUTERS

Melbourne police arrest 200 at Covid-19 lockdown protests

SYDNEY â€" Police in Australia's second largest city of Melbourne arrested more than 200 people after projectiles thrown by protesters injured two officers on Wednesday, the third consecutive day of demonstrations against Covid-19 curbs.

Golf balls, batteries and bottles were among the items thrown at police during the protests held in defiance of stay-at-home orders after a two-week closure of building sites to rein in infections, which rose again in the state of Victoria.

Police are bracing for more demonstrations in the next few days, said deputy commissioner Ross Guenther, adding that the motives of some participants had seemed unclear.

"There weren't as many tradies involved...there are other small breakaway groups that see benefit in hijacking these things," Guenther told reporters.

"We've got plenty of resources. We will vary our tactics tomorrow, if that is what we need to do, but of course, my message is, 'Don't come into the city.'"

Earlier, authorities and union officials had said extremist and far-right groups also joined the protests.

 - REUTERS

France has no plans to ease Covid-19 health pass restrictions at this stage

PARIS â€" France has no plans at this stage to ease health pass restrictions set up to rein in a fourth wave of Covid-19 infections, French government spokesperson Gabriel Attal said on Wednesday.

Attal also told a news conference after a cabinet meeting that the Covid-19 health situation was improving in France.

 - REUTERS

Germany won't pay unvaccinated workers in quarantine - draft

BERLIN â€" German health authorities are planning new rules under which unvaccinated workers would not receive compensation for lost pay if coronavirus measures forced them to quarantine, according to a draft decision by state health ministries.

The rules would come into force from 11 October at the latest, a draft document seen by Reuters showed.

The rules would affect people who test positive for the virus and those returning from trips to countries designated "high risk" for Covid-19, which now include Britain, Turkey and parts of France.

Unvaccinated travellers from such countries are required to quarantine for at least five days. Those who are vaccinated or recently recovered are not.

Critics have said such rules would be equivalent to a mandate for Covid-19 vaccinations because many workers cannot afford to stay at home without pay.

 - REUTERS

India to target children for Covid-19 vaccine from October - sources

NEW DELHI â€" All Indian children aged 12 or older will become eligible for Covid-19 vaccinations from next month, when drug maker Cadila Healthcare launches its ZyCoV-D product, two sources with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters.

The world's first DNA-based Covid-19 vaccine, ZyCoV-D won emergency authorisation from Indian regulators last month. From October, the company, better known as Zydus Cadila, will produce 10 million doses a month.

The health ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The sources sought anonymity because they were not authorised to talk to media.

The vaccine is the only one approved for children in India, which has given a total of 825.9 million doses to adults among its population of nearly 1.4 billion.

 - REUTERS

Almost 40 million Russians fully vaccinated against Covid-19 - report

MOSCOW â€" Almost 40 million people in Russia have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19, the TASS news agency quoted Anna Popova, the head of the consumer watchdog Rospotrebnadzor, as saying on Wednesday.

Authorities in Russia, which has a population of 146 million, have said they are aiming for 80% of the population to have immunity by November.

 - REUTERS

UAE eases Covid-19 face mask rules as Expo nears

DUBAI â€" The United Arab Emirates on Wednesday cut the number of places where face masks must be worn as it gears up to open the Expo 2020 world fair next month and as official Covid-19 case numbers fall.

The UAE had required masks in all public places and among members of different households in private vehicles.

While adhering to a two-metre distancing rule, masks can now be removed when doing exercise in public places, on beaches and at pool sides, in hair salons and in medical centres when being treated.

The change follows a steady decrease in reported daily cases since early July, the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority said in a statement carried by state news agency WAM.

Local authorities should display signs where it is permitted to remove masks, it added.

 - REUTERS

Mexico reports 12 521 new confirmed Covid-19 cases, 815 more deaths

MEXICO CITY â€" Mexico reported 12 521 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 and 815 deaths on Tuesday, according to Health Ministry data, bringing the total number of infections since the pandemic began to 3 585 565 and 272 580 fatalities.

The ministry has previously said the real coronavirus numbers are likely significantly higher.

 - REUTERS

Brazil reports 485 Covid-19 deaths in 24 hours, down to a sixth of pandemic peak - ministry

BRASILIA â€" Brazil reported 485 new deaths from Covid-19 over the past 24 hours, bringing the total toll from the coronavirus in the country to 591 440, the health ministry said on Tuesday.

The ministry said it had revised down by 573 the number of infections since the pandemic began, which lower the total cases to 21 247 094.

New cases of infection reported in Brazil on Tuesday were 11 455, but the state of Ceara said it had to correct its database, which reduced the number of its cases by 12 028, thus lowering the national total, the ministry said.

Brazil has had the world's third-worst outbreak outside the United States and India, and its second-deadliest. More people have died from Covid-19 in Brazil than in any country, bar the United States.

But as vaccinations advance in the country, the rolling 14-day average of Covid-19 deaths has fallen to 519 a day, compared with almost 3 000 at the peak of the pandemic in April.

 - REUTERS

Australia's New South Wales reports 1 035 local Covid-19 cases

SYDNEY â€" Australia's New South Wales state reported 1 035 locally acquired cases of Covid-19 on Wednesday, up from 1 022 a day earlier, as total infections from the Delta outbreak neared 50 000 since the first case was detected in mid-June.

Five new deaths were reported in the state. A total of 1 232 people are hospitalised, with 242 in intensive care and 122 requiring ventilation.

 - REUTERS

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