Covid world: US hits grim new virus milestone AS Austria becomes first in EU to impose vaccine mandate
The US’ struggle with Covid has worsened over the last month despite Joe Biden’s pledge to ‘shut down the virus’, as a vax mandate is imposed in the EU for the first time.
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The US death toll from the Covid-19 pandemic has surpassed 900,000, according to the Johns Hopkins University coronavirus tracker.
The toll had hit 800,000 dead in mid-December, just a month and a half ago.
New cases linked to the Omicron variant are falling, but daily deaths are still rising, with an average of 2,400 now, according to government figures.
“Hospitalisations remain high, stretching our healthcare capacity and workforce to its limits in some areas of the country,” said Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Covid deaths usually occur a few weeks after patients get the virus, which explains why the spike in deaths occurs later than the spike in new cases.
Americans continue to die from Covid in large numbers because only 64 per cent of the population is fully immunised, despite highly effective vaccines being widely available.
The United States has the most Covid deaths in absolute terms, ahead of Brazil and India, according to government figures.
The Covid pandemic has killed at least 5.7 million people worldwide since it began in December 2019, according to an AFP tally published on Friday.
But the World Health Organisation says the actual toll could be two to three times higher.
According to the Johns Hopkins University coronavirus tracker, the US passed the grim milestone on Friday, local time.
AUSTRIA FIRST IN EU TO IMPOSE VAX MANDATE
Austria’s president has signed off on a Covid-19 vaccination mandate for all adults – a first in the European Union.
It applies to all residents aged over 18 years, except pregnant women and those with a medical exemption. Those holding out can face fines of up to 3,600 euros (A$5,800) after mid-March following an “introductory phase”.
President Alexander Van der Bellen signed the law after parliament approved it, his office said. It was published in the official gazette and will come into effect on Saturday.
Tens of thousands have demonstrated against mandatory vaccination in regular weekend rallies across the country since the measure was announced in November.
But it has broad political support — with all parties except the far-right rallying behind it — in a bid to drive up the country’s vaccination rate.
Currently, 69 per cent of Austrian residents have certificates that they are fully protected against the coronavirus — including a booster for those whose shots were more than six months ago.
Austria has to date seen more than 14,000 Covid-related deaths and close to 2 million cases in a population of nine million.
As elsewhere, Omicron has sent cases spiralling in recent weeks, but hospitals have not been overwhelmed so far.
Compulsory vaccinations against Covid are rare though Ecuador, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Indonesia and Micronesia have introduced such schemes.
UK APPROVES NOVAVAX VACCINE
A new type of Covid vaccine has been approved for use by the medical regulator in the UK.
The jab, made by US firm Novavax, is based on protein rather than genetic material from the virus.
Clinical trials have shown it provides 89 per cent protection against symptomatic disease caused by the original strain of the virus and the Alpha variant. The company is working on a another version to specifically target Omicron.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said the vaccine was safe and effective for adults aged over 18 years.
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation will now consider how it should be used in the UK.
The UK Vaccine Taskforce placed an order for 60 million doses in 2020, and the government had originally expected they would be available in the second half of 2021.
SWEDEN’S CONTROVERSIAL MOVE
One European country has decided not to vaccinate most children aged five to 11 years against Covid-19, with medical regulators deciding they did not see a “clear benefit” to it.
Despite Sweden recording 39,070 new cases of Covid-19 on Wednesday, and with limited testing, the country’s health officials have decreed only children in high-risk categories should get a Covid vaccine.
“With the knowledge we have today, with a low risk for serious disease for kids, we don’t see any clear benefit with vaccinating them,” Health Agency spokeswoman Britta Bjorkholm told a news conference.
Ms Bjorkholm said the advice could be revisited in future if a dangerous new variant emerged or if research pointed to greater benefits for children.
Even though regulators recommended against the jab for younger children, Sweden extended social restrictions to limit the spread of Covid-19 until February 9, including limited opening hours for restaurants and crowd limits for all indoor venues.
UK RECORDS 534 DEATHS IN A DAY
Sadly, Britain has recorded its highest daily Covid death toll since February 2021.
More than 88,000 cases of Covid-19 were recorded in the United Kingdom on Wednesday, as well as 534 deaths in a single day.
The deaths occurred within 28 days of a positive test.
However, the shocking death toll came as Covid deaths in Britain fell slightly over the past week, with the virus claiming 1806 lives in the last seven days — 25 fewer than the week before.
Covid patients admitted to hospital also fell by 11 per cent in the country.
The UK has recorded more than 156,000 Covid deaths in the past year.
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