Covid-19 origin: Covid-19 origins may never be known, US intelligence agencies say

In an updated assessment of where the virus began, the Office of the US Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) said an animal-to-human transmission and a lab leak were both plausible hypotheses for how it spread.

But there was not enough information to reach a definitive conclusion.

China has criticised the report.

Read more at: Covid-19 origins may never be known, US intelligence agencies say - BBC News

The G20, the private sector and the vaccine, debt and climate crises – by Katie Gallogly-Swan and Rebecca Ray

In their recent communiqué, Group of 20 (G20) finance ministers admirably committed to using ‘all available tools for as long as required to address the adverse consequences of Covid-19’—in particular for those most affected.

Since the pandemic developed, governments around the world have taken extraordinary steps to support their economies, forcing the closure of ‘non-essential’ businesses, locking down borders and unleashing a wave of economic and health measures. While not all responses have been equally effective, one fundamental lesson has become clear: governments—particularly in wealthy countries—can marshal unprecedented interventions, at scale, when needed.

Eighteen months on though, critical weaknesses persist. Global vaccine inequity is perpetuating the pandemic. Economic instability and lack of fiscal space threaten another lost decade of development for many low- and middle-income countries. Despite escalating climate disasters, only 2 per cent of the total fiscal response to Covid-19 and the recovery from the ensuing economic crisis has gone into clean-energy measures. Progress on addressing the interlocking global crises of Covid-19, economic instability and climate change has effectively stalled.

Read more at The G20, the private sector and the vaccine, debt and climate crises – Katie Gallogly-Swan and Rebecca Ray

Russia: Moscow locks down as Russian COVID-19 deaths surge to new highs -by Tom Balmforth and Andrew Osborn

The Russian capital brought in its strictest COVID-19 related lockdown measures in more than a year on Thursday as nationwide one-day pandemic deaths and infections hit new highs amid slow vaccination take-up across the world's biggest country.

Read more at: Moscow locks down as Russian COVID-19 deaths surge to new highs | Reuters

The Netherlands: Dutch government looking at reintroducing COVID-19 measures

The Dutch government is seeking advice from a panel of experts on whether it needs to reintroduce COVID-19 restrictions amid sharply rising infection rates, the health minister said Monday.

The Netherlands has one of the fastest-rising infection rates in Europe. The 7-day rolling average of daily new cases increased over the past two weeks from 13.43 new cases per 100,000 people to 29.27 new cases per 100,000 people on Oct. 24.

Read more at: Dutch government looking at reintroducing COVID-19 measures

EASTERN EUROPE: COVID-19 cases recorded in eastern Europe hit 20 million - by R.Abraham, S. Ahluwalia, R.Biswas

The number of coronavirus infections recorded so far in eastern Europe surpassed 20 million on Sunday, according to a Reuters tally, as the region grapples with its worst outbreak since the pandemic started and inoculation efforts lag.

Countries in the region have the lowest vaccination rates in Europe, with less than half of the population having received a single dose.

Read more at: COVID-19 cases recorded in eastern Europe hit 20 million | Reuters

Britain: Scientists urge UK to prep rapid return to COVID restrictions

The British government’s scientific advisers urged the government on Friday to ensure coronavirus restrictions can be introduced rapidly, as the rate of new infections continues to grow.

Britain has recorded an average of 47,000 new cases of COVID-19 a day in the past week, up 18 percent from the week before, according to figures released on Friday. There was an average of 135 deaths a day, a 16 percent rise from the previous week. Britain has recorded more than 139,000 coronavirus deaths during the pandemic, the highest toll in Europe after Russia.

Many scientists are urging the government to reintroduce some of the measures that it lifted three months ago when more than a year of restrictions ended, including mandatory mask-wearing indoors, social distancing and work-from-home advice.

Read more at: https://www.euronews.com/2021/10/22/scientists-urge-uk-to-prep-rapid-return-of-covid-measures

The Netherlands: New Covid sub variant is in the Netherlands, but remains minor: RIVM

A new sub variant of the Delta coronavirus strain, currently being monitored in the UK, has been in the Netherlands for the past 10 weeks, public health institute RIVM has confirmed. The AY.4.2 sub strain accounts for 0.1% to 0.2% of cases, and the fact it has not increased since it was first identified is an indication that it is not a highly infectious variant, a spokesman told broadcaster NOS.

Read more at: New Covid sub variant is in the Netherlands, but remains minor: RIVM - DutchNews.nl

Turkey: Double pandemic feared as COVID-19 cases rise in Turkey

As COVID-19 cases continue on an upward trend in Turkey, the pandemic may get even worse in the coming winter months amid the risk of a flu epidemic.

Coronavirus Scientific Advisory Board member professor Serap Şimşek Yavuz warned that several respiratory viruses, such as the Rhinovirus, have been detected much earlier this year.

“With the easing of COVID-19 restrictions, the flu epidemic may well make a comeback. This is our biggest concern,” she said.

Read more at: Double pandemic feared as COVID-19 cases rise in Turkey | Daily Sabah

Europe: Covid-19 surge: Morocco suspends flights from the UK over fears of Covid surge

Morocco is suspending until further notice all flights to and from the United Kingdom, Germany and the Netherlands amid rising coronavirus infections in those countries.

The new restriction will come into force just before midnight Wednesday, the North African kingdom's airports authority said.

In a tweet, national carrier Royal Air Maroc said the move was due to "the pandemic situation." It did not provide further detail.

Read more at: Morocco suspends flights from the UK over fears of Covid surge

Covid-19: The best- and worst-case scenarios for Covid-19 this winter

Last December and January, the United States and much of the world experienced the deadliest surges of the pandemic. At one point, more than 3,000 Americans were dying every day of Covid-19. Nearly 250,000 people died in the United States over December, January, and February.

But this winter may be different, at least in America. Last year, almost nobody was vaccinated against Covid-19. As of October 7, 56 percent of the US population is fully vaccinated, according to the New York Times’s tracker. That includes 84 percent of people over 65, who are generally the most vulnerable to dying from the virus. The Food and Drug Administration will soon consider whether to authorize a vaccine for children as young as 5, which would push vaccination rates higher.

Read more at: The best- and worst-case scenarios for Covid-19 this winter

Germany: Corona Vaccine: Booster Shot - Germany recommends booster shots for over 70s

Germany's vaccination authority, STIKO, recommended COVID-19 vaccine booster shots for people older than 70 on Thursday.

All residents of care homes, as well as workers who come into direct contact with them, should also be offered a third vaccine dose, the body said. The same was also recommended for medical workers in direct contact with patients.

Read more at: Germany recommends booster shots for over 70s | News | DW | 07.10.2021

The Netherlands - Coronavirus: Red-orange-red: the Netherlands’ warning level due to go up on the European coronavirus map

Throughout September, and pretty much for as long as we can remember actually, the whole of the Netherlands has been red. Last week, however, the Netherlands turned orange — we all love orange, don’t we? 🍊 It was even predicted that certain provinces could turn green — the lowest warning colour.

If that all felt a little too good to be true, that’s probably because it was. This week the RIVM’s official coronavirus figures showed a huge increase from last week, meaning that no provinces will be going green — wat jammer. In fact, if more than 4% of the tests taken this week are positive, the Netherlands will be going right back to red again, RTL Nieuws reports.

Read more at: https://dutchreview.com/news/red-orange-red-netherlands-warning-level-due-to-go-up-on-european-coronavirus-map/

COVID in Europe: Romania's situation a 'catastrophe' as Russian death toll increases

COVID-19 cases continue to surge in some European countries while governments work to extend vaccination campaigns to prevent more deaths due to the virus.

Romania's president said the situation was now "a catastrophe" while Latvia entered a new state of emergency to encourage vaccination. Deaths due to COVID-19 in Russia, meanwhile, have been increasing.

Read more at: COVID in Europe: Romania's situation a 'catastrophe' as Russian death toll increases | Euronews

The Netherlands: Thousands in the Netherlands living in poverty as a result of COVID-19

According to figures from the aid organisation Red Cross, thousands of people up and down the country are living below the poverty line, relying on food banks and support to get by.

Figures show that single mothers, self-employed people, and low-income families have been hit the hardest by the pandemic, with thousands of vulnerable people being forced into a situation where they have to choose between buying food, paying rent, or buying other vital hygiene products.

“Vulnerable people often have no money for essential care products, such as sanitary towels, incontinence products, diapers, toothpaste or detergents,” explains Red Cross chief Marieke van Schaik. “If people cannot take good care of themselves and their household, it often makes it more difficult for them to get out of their predicament.”

Read more at: Thousands in the Netherlands living in poverty as a result of COVID-19

The Netherlands: Coronavirus: Dutch court dismisses call to scrap 'corona pass' regulations

A Dutch court on Wednesday dismissed a call to scrap the ‘corona pass’ required to enter

The court in The Hague said the government had the right to demand proof of a COVID-19 vaccination or a recent negative coronavirus test to limit the spread of the coronavirus as most other social distancing measures were lifted last month.

Read more at: Coronavirus: Dutch court dismisses call to scrap 'corona pass' regulations | Cyprus Mail

Russia - Serbia relations Covid 19 vaccine: Russians flock to Serbia for Western-made COVID-19 vaccines

When Russian regulators approved the country's own coronavirus vaccine, it was a moment of national pride, and the Pavlov family was among those who rushed to take the injection. But international health authorities have not yet given their blessing to the Sputnik V shot.

So when the family from Rostov-on-Don wanted to visit the West, they looked for a vaccine that would allow them to travel freely — a quest that brought them to Serbia, where hundreds of Russian citizens have flocked in recent weeks to receive Western-approved COVID-19 shots.

Read more at: Russians flock to Serbia for Western-made COVID-19 vaccines | Euronews

USA - Coronavirus vaccine: Biden says vaccine mandates ′lifesaving′

US President Joe Biden on Thursday advocated for COVID-19 vaccine mandates to force roughly 67 million unvaccinated American adults to get the jab, even as he acknowledged that the requirements weren't his "first instinct.''

"There is no other way to beat the pandemic than to get the vast majority of the American people vaccinated,'' Biden said in Chicago at an event promoting the mandates.

Read more at: Coronavirus digest: Biden says vaccine mandates ′lifesaving′ | News | DW | 08.10.2021

Clothing Manufacturers: Toxic clothing; YouTube cracks down on anti-vaccine content:

Marketplace bought clothing and accessories from AliExpress, Boohoo, Fashion Nova, Shein, Zulily and Zaful and asked researchers at the University of Toronto to test for toxic chemicals.

The investigation found that out of 38 samples of children's, adult's and maternity clothes and accessories, twenty per cent had elevated levels of chemicals — including lead, PFAS and phthalates — that experts found concerning.

Some products sold by AliExpress, Shein and Zaful were found to contain potentially harmful levels of chemicals.

Read more at: Toxic clothing; YouTube cracks down on anti-vaccine content: CBC's Marketplace cheat sheet | CBC News

C0VID -19 pill: Merck says experimental drug molnupiravir cuts worst effects of COVID-19

Merck & Co. said Friday that its experimental COVID-19 pill reduced hospitalizations and deaths by half in people recently infected with the coronavirus and that it would soon ask health officials in the U.S. and around the world to authorize its use.

If cleared, Merck's drug would be the first pill shown to treat COVID-19, a potentially major advance in efforts to fight the pandemic. All COVID-19 therapies now authorized in the U.S. require an IV or injection.

Read more at: Merck says experimental drug molnupiravir cuts worst effects of COVID-19 | CBC News

USA: COVID-19 deaths eclipse 700,000 in US as delta variant rages across the country

The milestone is deeply frustrating to doctors, public health officials and the American public, who watched a pandemic that had been easing earlier in the summer take a dark turn. Tens of millions of Americans have refused to get vaccinated, allowing the highly contagious delta variant to tear through the country and send the death toll from 600,000 to 700,000 in 3 1/2 months.

Florida suffered by far the most death of any state during that period, with the virus killing about 17,000 residents since the middle of June. Texas was second with 13,000 deaths. The two states account for 15% of the country’s population, but more than 30% of the nation’s deaths since the nation crossed the 600,000 threshold.

Read more at: COVID-19 deaths eclipse 700,000 in US as delta variant rages across the country - South Florida Sun-Sentinel

USA: Covid-19 medicine: Merck says antiviral COVID-19 pill halves death and hospitalizations

US pharmaceutical giant Merck announced on Friday the results of an internal study of its antiviral COVID-19 treatment pills. It said the results showed hospitalizations and deaths were reduced by half when taken by people recently infected with COVID-19, although academic peer review is not yet completed.

The company will soon ask health officials in the US and around the world to authorize the use of the drug, called molnupiravir. It would be the first antiviral pill to treat COVID-19 effectively, a potential turning point in the pandemic.

Read more at: Merck says antiviral COVID-19 pill halves death and hospitalizations | News | DW | 01.10.2021