Coronavirus cases continue to decline in the United States after a winter surge
The latest: coronavirus cases in the U.S. continue to decline By The Associated PressThe Associated Press
ATLANTA – Coronavirus cases continue to decline in the United States after a winter surge.
Researchers at Johns Hopkins University say the seven-day average of new coronavirus cases in the country dropped to less than 100,000 on Friday for the first time since November 4. It remained below 100,000 again on Saturday.
The seven-day average was well over 200,000 in much of December and was around 250,000 in January, when the pandemic returned in full force after being tamed in some places over the summer.
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THE VIRUS OUTBREAK:
Scientists say it is too early to predict the future of the coronavirus, but many doubt that it will ever go away entirely. Germany tightens border controls to keep out variants of the virus. Japan formally approved its first COVID-19 vaccine. China fires on the charges of the US COVID investigation. A restricted supply creates reluctance towards federal vaccine sites.
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Follow all AP pandemic coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic, https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-vaccine and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak
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HERE WHAT’S MORE HAPPENING:
PARIS – French President Emmanuel Macron is calling for intensified international efforts to bring vaccines to poor countries and wants China and Russia to become more involved.
Although France’s own vaccination program has suffered from delays in delivery and bureaucratic problems, Macron told the Journal du Dimanche in an interview published on Sunday that “African countries are rightly asking us about their access to vaccines.”
Macron has met with global pharmaceutical CEOs and vaccine experts in the past few days to discuss programs to tackle vaccine inequality, to help end the pandemic and revive economies more quickly. Among these programs is COVAX, supported by the UN, which had a slow start due to the scarcity of funds and the lack of commitment from some of the main world powers.
“We must accelerate this effort even more because each week counts,” said Macron. He also said that vaccines made in China and Russia should be “integrated into this great multilateral effort against the pandemic”.
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BELGRADE, Serbia – Serbian police say they have arrested three people for organizing a party with about 1,000 guests at a nightclub in Belgrade, in violation of the rules against the new coronavirus.
Police said on Sunday that the three are suspected of “failing to comply with health regulations during an epidemic”. The statement said the suspects were placed in two-day detention and will be taken to a prosecutor.
Bars, restaurants and clubs in Serbia are allowed to operate with limited capacity and remain open until 8 pm. as part of anti-virus measures. But health officials recently warned of widespread disregard for the rules and announced tighter controls.
Local media reported that police on Saturday night raided a crowded club in central Belgrade that was open after hours allowed. Videos of the scene showed people inside the club with loud music in the background.
Serbia has reported more than 400,000 cases of infection with the new coronavirus and more than 4,000 confirmed virus-related deaths.
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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – Saudi Arabia has extended restrictions on meetings, entertainment and indoor meals for another 20 days to contain the spread of the new coronavirus.
The measures being renewed on Sunday also include the closing of cinemas and gyms.
Earlier this month, the kingdom suspended parties and weddings and closed shopping malls and sports centers to combat rising infections. The country has also suspended foreigners from 20 countries.
Saudi Arabia had a peak in coronavirus cases in June. The kingdom reduced the number of cases reported daily to less than 100 in early January, but reported 337 cases and four deaths on Saturday, according to government statistics.
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BEIRUT – Lebanon administered its first doses of COVID-19 vaccine on Sunday, with a doctor in the intensive care unit and a 93-year-old comedian becoming the first to receive doses from Pfizer-BioNTech.
Lebanon launched its inoculation campaign the day after receiving the first batch of the vaccine – 28,500 doses from Brussels, close to where Pfizer has a factory. More people are expected to arrive in the coming weeks.
Implementation will be monitored by the World Bank and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies to ensure safe treatment and fair and equitable access for all Lebanese.
Lebanon’s political, economic and health crises have converged, deepening the country’s problems and public anger and mistrust of the long-standing ruling class. The government has failed to offer social safety nets or structural reform to guarantee international assistance.
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BELGRADE, Serbia – Serbia on Sunday donated a first batch of 8,000 doses of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines to North Macedonia, which has yet to deliver its first jabs.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Prime Minister of North Macedonia, Zoran Zaev, attended a delivery ceremony at a border checkpoint, praising the friendship between the two neighboring states in the Balkans.
Serbia, a country of 7 million, has so far vaccinated around 600,000 people, mainly with the Chinese Sinopharm vaccine and the Russian Sputnik V vaccine, and to a lesser extent with the Pfizer jab. The country has been one of the most successful in Europe in terms of how quickly the vaccine was implanted among its population.
In contrast, North Macedonia, like most other countries in the Western Balkans, has not yet secured a single dose of the coronavirus vaccine for its population of 2.1 million.
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LOS ANGELES – Los Angeles County officials say Northridge Hospital Medical Center violated county rules by providing coronavirus vaccines to teachers and staff at Wesley School in North Hollywood. School teachers and staff are not allowed to receive doses of the vaccine.
Wesley School acting director Julie Galles says the school did not seek vaccines, but did not clarify how the vaccines occurred.
The Los Angeles Times reported that the incident raised concerns about equitable distribution of the vaccine in the county, especially with scarcity and other logistical problems that make delivery difficult. The school’s parents include Northridge Hospital Medical Center Chief Financial Officer Douglas Brown.
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LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas. – The number of people hospitalized in Arkansas with the coronavirus dropped to less than 700 on Saturday, according to the Arkansas Department of Health.
There were 690 hospitalizations for viruses, 22 fewer than on Friday, the department said, while the number of reported virus cases increased by 954 and there were another 40 deaths due to COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus.
There have been a total of 312,562 cases and 5,252 deaths since the pandemic began.
Arkansas had the sixth highest number of new cases per capita in the country, with 631.92 per 100,000 residents, according to Johns Hopkins University data, while continuous averages of new cases and deaths over the past two weeks have decreased from 1,597 new cases per day for 983 and 40 deaths per day for 23, according to Johns Hopkins data.
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WELLINGTON, New Zealand: In a significant setback for New Zealand’s efforts to prevent the coronavirus from spreading in the community, three people in a family tested positive for an unknown infection, health officials announced on Sunday.
The news prompted Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to cancel the appointments and return to Wellington for further instructions and decision making.
Officials say they are keeping an open mind about how Auckland’s mother, father and daughter contracted the disease. They said the mother works at an airline catering company, and officials are investigating whether there is a link to the return of infected passengers.
Authorities said the daughter’s school will be closed on Monday and Tuesday as a precaution, but so far have not announced any broader restrictions.
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OKLAHOMA CITY – The number of reported coronavirus cases in Oklahoma has exceeded 400,000.
The state health department registered 2,053 new cases on Saturday. Another 51 deaths increased the confirmed death toll to 3,761.
Data from Johns Hopkins University show that Oklahoma ranked fourth in the country in number of new cases per capita, with 855 cases per 100,000 residents. The data show that the seven-day continuous average of deaths in the state has dropped in the last two weeks from 37 to 34 deaths per day.
More than half a million Oklahoma residents received the coronavirus vaccine, including 114,208 who received both doses, according to the Federal Centers for Disease Control.
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MARSEILLE, France – It’s been a tough year for the performing arts in most countries, with virus blocks canceling shows and closing venues.
But the largest circus festival in the world has found a way to flourish between the loopholes – even without the huge crowds that would normally attend.
Finished on Saturday in the Mediterranean port city of Marseille, the fourth edition of the Circus Biennial (BIAC), held every two years in the south of France, celebrates the arts that defy injuries and stretch the spine that feed the historical spectacle.
More than 110 thousand people attended the last BIAC, in 2019. This year it received up to 2,000 visitors, all professionals working in the circus or looking to buy shows.
Even this is a testament to the courage and determination of the organizers, who skillfully adapted their festival to the rules and regulations of the French authorities.
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