Kovid News Live: WHO recommends lifting of international travel ban, says proof of vaccination is not needed

South African-American businessman Patrick Soon-shiong opened a new vaccine plant in Cape Town on Wednesday, intends to help its local NantSA company manufacture COVID-19 shots and address the continent’s fatal shortfall of manufacturing capacity, Reuters reports.

president of south africa Cyril Ramaphosa, who attended the inauguration, tweeted in support of the move:

This state-of-the-art vaccine manufacturing complex that we are officially launching today is part of a broader initiative to lead Africa into a new era of health science.

Today we are founding a company that aims to develop the next generation of vaccines that will reach patients across the continent.

Africa should no longer be the last line in access to vaccines against pandemics. Africa should no longer join hands with the Western world, begging and begging for vaccines.

Soon-Shiong, also a medical doctor, will transfer technology and materials from his California-based Nantworks to South African scientists, where they will also work on vaccines targeting cancer, TB and HIV.

“Greater self-reliance is necessary,” Matsydiso Moeti, World Health Organization (WHO) Africa’s regional director said in a message of support for the plant, which aims to produce 1 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses a year by 2025.

Soon-shiong said he would move the bioreactors stocked at his US factories, with the first production of vaccines seen later this year. To ensure a pipeline of skilled workers, he has pledged 100 million rand ($6.5 million) for scholarships.

Entering one of two currently vacant warehouses, in the semi-industrial area of ​​Brackenfell near Cape Town, Soon-shiong told Ramaphosa, “We now have South Africa’s human capital to make 21st century medicine. ability to use.”

Australiathe health of the body, medical goods association, has given provisional approval to protein based novavax covid 19 vaccine.

More traditional vaccine techniques are preferred by many vaccine-hesitation groups across the country.

Health Minister Greg Hunt said:

We have 51m units available, and obviously we have a first dose national vaccination rate of 95.2%, [but] We know that some people have waited for this vaccine. Although we have encouraged everyone to move on… we accept it as a fact.

Hopefully, this will encourage those in less than the last 5% to come forward. We want more people to come forward for vaccination, the next step is the Australian Advisory Group on Vaccination and subject to their approval this will be made available to be distributed through states and territories, general practices and pharmacies in the coming weeks . Try ordering it.

New ZealandPrime Minister Jacinda Ardern has said restrictions will be tightened if there is community transmission of Omicron.

Ardern made the remarks during a press conference on Thursday in which he provided an update on the country’s traffic light system.

In the event of a community outbreak of Omicron, New Zealand will move into a red zone within 24 to 48 hours as part of the traffic light system, but will not use the lockdown, content.co.nz Report.

Ardern said in a statement accompanying the announcement:

We are also confirming today that we will not use a lockdown when we have evidence of omicron transmission in the community, instead the entire country will go red within 24 to 48 hours.

The prime minister has previously told his lawmakers that Omicron is a “different enemy” and will result in a number of cases not seen before in New Zealand. However, he added that the version is “not inaccessible” and there should not be a need for a longer lockdown.

Two new cases of Omicron have been reported in Auckland.

Ardern said testing for COVID would be free in New Zealand and rapid antigen tests would be used more widely.

World Health Organization has recommended the removal or easing of international traffic restrictions, citing the ineffectiveness of measures to suppress the spread of omicron version,

The UN health agency recently updated its international health regulations recommendations during an emergency committee meeting on Wednesday.

The recommendations include “the lifting or easing of international traffic restrictions because they do not provide added value and continue to contribute to the economic and social stress of some countries”.

Enforcing a blanket travel ban “is not effective in suppressing international spread” and “could discourage transparent and rapid reporting of emerging forms of concerns”, the agency said in a statement. Statement,

The failure of travel restrictions introduced following Omicron variant identification and reporting to limit the international spread of Omicron demonstrates the ineffectiveness of such measures over time.

Travel measures such as masking, testing, isolation/quarantine and vaccination should be based on risk assessment and avoid putting financial burden on international travelers as per their recommendations.

The WHO also said that international travel may not be required to provide proof of vaccination against COVID-19 as the “only route or condition” permits international travel.

Proof of vaccination against COVID-19 is not required for international travel as the only route or condition allowing international travel given the limited global reach and uneven distribution of COVID-19 vaccines.

States Parties should consider a risk-based approach to facilitating international travel by lifting or modifying measures such as testing and/or quarantine requirements, when appropriate, in accordance with WHO guidance. ,

Hello It’s Samantha Locke Back With On Blog As We Unpack All The Latest COVID Developments From Around The World.

I will report to you from Sydney and my colleagues from London will take over a little later in the day.

Let’s dive in with cautiously optimistic advice from World Health Organization To remove or ease international travel restrictions.

The UN health agency recently updated its international health regulations recommendations during an emergency committee meeting on Wednesday.

The recommendations include “the lifting or easing of international traffic restrictions because they do not provide added value and continue to contribute to the economic and social stress of some countries”.

Enforcing a blanket travel ban “is not effective in suppressing international spread” and “could discourage transparent and rapid reporting of emerging forms of concerns”, the agency said in a statement. Statement,

The WHO also said that international travel may not be required to provide proof of vaccination against COVID-19 as the “only route or condition” permits international travel.

Here is a round-up of all the top international COVID news.

Europe:

• England soon Scrap almost all covid measures, Health Secretary confirmed.
• Denmark A record 38,759 infections were reported, a jump of 37% from two weeks ago.
• Austria Record daily rise in Covid infections with 27,641 cases reported in last 24 hours statistics From the Austrian Agency for Health (AGES).
• Algeria Announced the closure of schools for ten days on rising cases.
• Germany A record 112,323 cases were reported as Omicron overtook Europe.
• Bulgaria It reported its highest Covid tally of the entire pandemic, with 11,181 new infections, a 65% jump from the 6,766 cases reported two weeks ago on Wednesday.
• France More than 400,000 new cases were detected for the second day in a row.
• Northern Ireland The U.S. will cut self-isolation from seven to five days from Friday, following suit from new isolation rules England,
• St. Petersburg In Russia Record cases were detected as the country reported more than 33,000 infections.
• Hana Horka, A Check The folk singer died on Sunday after deliberately exposing herself to Kovid. Her son said that she was a victim of the antivax movement.
• officers Beijing, China Local media reported that another piece of infected international mail was announced, amid suspicions from experts that such incidents are extremely rare.
• Portuguese Voters with COVID or isolating will be allowed to vote in person on January 30.

Asia:

• Japan Covid is set to widen restrictions to cover half its population as the Omicron version records infections.
• children aged 5-11 Malaysia From February, Pfizer will start with the vaccine.

Of America:

• we The White House said the government would make 400 meters of non-surgical N95 masks free to the public from next week.
• In we, starbucks It has suspended the requirement to vaccinate or routinely test its 220,000 employees following a Supreme Court decision.
• we actor John Malkovich I was turned away from a luxury hotel Venice, Italy After failing to present a Covid vaccination pass last week.
• Brazil The health ministry said on Wednesday that 204,854 new confirmed cases of coronavirus have been reported in the last 24 hours, breaking the country’s previous record for the second day in a row.

Australia and New Zealand:

• of australia health body medical goods administration has given provisional approval to two oral COVID-19 treatments, Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir + ritonavir) and Legevio (molnupirvir).
• TGA Provisional approval was also given to the protein-based Novavax COVID-19 vaccine.
• a. interval for booster shot in Victoria will be reduced to three months, new South WalesSouth Australia and ACT amid unprecedented strain on hospitals due to a surge in Omicron cases.
• New Zealandprime minister of JayAcida Ardern The U.S. has said that restrictions will be tightened if there is community transmission of Omicron.