How will life change once the COVID-19 emergency ends?
The declaration of a COVID-19 public health emergency three years ago changed the lives of millions by offering increased health care coverage, beefed-up food assistance and universal access to coronavirus vaccines and tests.
ROME, APRIL 1: More than two years after its announcement, and following several extensions, Italy on Thursday officially ended the COVID-19 pandemic state of emergency.
The end date -- March 31 -- was originally announced by Prime Minister Mario Draghi in February. The country can now gradually phase out the remaining COVID measures between April 1 and Dec. 31, 2022.
From Friday on, the four-tier system based on a color code -- white, yellow, orange and red zones for no, low, medium and high pandemic risk, respectively -- will no longer apply, according to the new rules.
This means that the remaining measures will apply nationwide, regardless of the local or regional epidemiological situation.
KEY CHANGES
Several rules will change starting on April 1, according to a cabinet decree passed earlier in March.
Among the changes that will impact Italians' daily life the most are those concerning the "normal" green pass -- showing proof of vaccination, recovery or a negative test --, which will no longer be needed to enter public offices, banks, shops and in the outdoor areas of restaurants and bars.
However, the pass will still be required for patrons inside cafeterias and restaurants.
Another key change provides that those aged 50 or older who are not vaccinated against COVID-19 will be allowed to access their workplaces again by presenting a negative test result.
However, the so-called "super" green pass (showing proof of vaccination or recovery only) will remain mandatory until Dec. 31 for healthcare workers, including those in nursing homes.
Also from Friday, local public transport passengers will not be required to present a green pass but will still be obliged to wear face masks on board until April 30.
The wearing of face masks will continue to be required until April 30 to enter shops, offices, restaurants, gyms, pools, theaters and other leisure and cultural venues, as well as workplaces.
The mandate to wear masks outdoors will be lifted everywhere in Italy, as will the obligation to wear an FFP2 (filtering face piece) mask in classrooms.
Stadiums and all other sports facilities will be allowed to operate at full capacity again. Proof of vaccination and wearing a face mask will continue to be needed to access indoor facilities.
In stadiums, a negative test result received within 48 hours as well as an FFP2 mask will suffice.
NEW QUARANTINE RULES
From Friday on, only infected people will have to self-isolate. Close contacts of infected individuals -- even if they are not vaccinated -- will no longer be required to quarantine.
The quarantine obligation at schools will also be lifted. From April 1, only pupils who eventually test positive will be required to self-isolate. Their classmates, aged six and older, and teachers will have to wear FFP2 masks for ten days, but only if several active cases are identified.
The "super" green pass will remain mandatory for visitors to hospitals and care homes until Dec. 31.
Italy's government first declared a COVID-19 state of emergency on Jan. 31, 2020. To date, the country has registered some 14.5 million cases, including 13.1 million recoveries and over 159,000 fatalities.
Almost 90 percent of people aged 12 and above have completed the vaccine cycle. In addition, some 38.8 million of the nearly 59 million population have received their booster doses.
HELSINKI, Feb. 18: The female hormone estrogen may protect women from severe heart disease and death caused by COVID-19, said Helsinki University Hospital (HUS) in a press release on Thursday.
The estrogen supplement halved the risk of death due to COVID-19 in women, according to a joint study by HUS, the University of Helsinki, and the University of Umea of Sweden.
The mortality rate for women receiving the estrogen supplement was 2.1 percent, compared with 4.6 percent for women in the control group, according to the study.
The study has been published in BMJ Open, a peer-reviewed open-access medical journal.
The study compared the mortality of women diagnosed with COVID-19 disease at the beginning of the pandemic with the effect of estrogen on mortality.
The study included around 15,000 women aged 50 to 80 who were diagnosed with COVID-19 related heart disease between February and September 2020. The 2,500 women in the study had estrogen replacement therapy for menopausal symptoms, and about 200 women received estrogen-lowering medication after cancer treatment. There were 12,000 women in the control group who did not receive estrogen-increasing or estrogen-lowering medication.
The group receiving estrogen-lowering therapy had the highest risk of death. However, a causal relationship to estrogen could not be established as patients in this group were older than the control group and had received cancer treatment. Age and cancer treatments increase the risk of serious heart disease and death caused by COVID-19.
"Our study does not yet lead to a change in treatment practices, so estrogen therapy should not be started or estrogen-lowering medication should be discontinued based on this study," said Malin Sund, professor and chief physician at HUS, in the press release.
The study was conducted before COVID-19 vaccines were available. Thus, it is not yet possible to deduce from the study how much estrogen reduces the risk of serious illness and death among vaccinated women, said the release.
NEW YORK, Oct. 3: The United States has set the pace to expand the spectrum of COVID-19 vaccines, while its vaccination campaign drags on as it hit a grim milestone of 700,000 deaths in the pandemic that has entered its 19th month.
Topping the world, the United States on Friday surpassed 700,000 deaths from COVID-19, according to Johns Hopkins University's data. Meanwhile, the average number of people getting vaccinated, at 270,531 per day, is the lowest it has been since Aug. 15, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The CDC updated on Saturday that 214,597,690 people have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, making up 64.6 percent of the whole U.S. population; fully vaccinated people stood at 184,852,416, accounting for 55.7 percent of the total. A total of 4,363,791 people, or 2.4 percent of the fully vaccinated group, received booster shots.
Trying to add some bright color to the ongoing tragedy, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky told reporters at a White House briefing on Friday that weekly COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in the United States were down by 15 percent from the previous week.
According to The New York Times' update, the seven-day average of confirmed cases of the pandemic stood at 109,192 nationwide on Friday, with its 14-day change striking a 27-percent fall. The COVID-19-related deaths were 1,883 on Friday, with the 14-day change realizing a 5-percent decrease.
WIDE-RANGING VACCINE REQUIREMENTS
"As many companies impose COVID-19 vaccine mandates, employees who refuse to get jabbed are getting the ax," reported CBS on Friday, adding that employers in the health care and aviation industries this week dismissed hundreds of workers who declined to get inoculated.
A case in point is Christiana Care, which is headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, and has 1,200 beds across three hospitals. On Monday, it announced that some 150 of its employees had failed to meet a Sept. 21 deadline to be fully vaccinated. As a result, they were fired.
Health care organizations account for most of the firings of unvaccinated workers, but other kinds of employers are also expected to follow suit when workers start reporting to offices again in earnest.
Currently, a dilemma is being weighed for some companies considering vaccine mandates: an acute worker shortage among retailers, restaurants, hotels and other service-sector employers, according to the report.
On Friday, the Broadway League announced that all its 41 theaters in New York City will continue to require COVID-19 vaccinations for audience members, performers, backstage crew and venue staff at least through the end of the year.
Audiences also will be required to wear masks inside the theaters at least for the remainder of 2021, except while actively eating or drinking in designated locations.
The announcement extended the COVID-19 protocol policy that has been in place since Broadway resumed performances in July. At that time, the League said it would review the procedures in the fall. Theater owners will again review the policies by Dec. 1 for performances starting Jan. 3, 2022.
"We know that with these policies in place through the end of the year, we will continue to help our audiences feel safe and to deliver them the thrill of Broadway night after night," Charlotte St. Martin, president of the Broadway League, said in a statement.
PILLS, MORE VACCINES
Merck and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics said on Friday that they created an antiviral pill that can reduce the risk of COVID-19 hospitalization and death by about 50 percent, but health experts cautioned that it wasn't a replacement for vaccinations, which remain the most effective path to ending the coronavirus pandemic if enough people get their shots.
"This can be used in conjunction with the vaccine. And it's not an alternative to vaccination. We still have to try to get more people vaccinated," Scott Gottlieb, former commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), was quoted by CNN as saying. Gottlieb acknowledged that the antiviral medicine could be effective for those who choose not to get vaccinated as well as those who catch the virus while fully vaccinated.
Merck said that it will seek FDA emergency use authorization for its molnupiravir medication "as soon as possible." If permitted, it would become the first oral medicine that fights viral infection for COVID-19.
"If approved, I think the right way to think about this is this is a potential additional tool in our toolbox to protect people from the worst outcomes of COVID," White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Jeff Zients said on Friday.
Also on Friday, the FDA announced that its independent vaccine advisory committee will hold three meetings in October to discuss COVID-19 booster shots, mix-and-match boosters and vaccines for children aged 5 to 11.
The first two meetings, on Oct. 14 and 15, will cover booster doses of the Moderna vaccine and the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, both of which are authorized for use in adults. During the second meeting, the committee also will discuss data from the National Institutes of Health and the safety and efficacy of getting initial doses of one COVID-19 vaccine and, later, a booster dose of another manufacturer's shot.
Less than two weeks later, on Oct. 26, the FDA panel will discuss Pfizer's request to FDA to authorize its COVID-19 shot for 5 to 11-year-old children. No vaccines are currently available for kids under 12, and only Pfizer's shot is available for teens 12 to 17.
"The meetings set up a rough timeline for a slate of FDA decisions that could help the country avoid a damaging winter surge, and ultimately help bring the pandemic to an end," reported U.S. news portal Politico.
KATHMANDU, August 12: Finance Minister Janardan Sharma has said that vaccines against COVID-19 would be provided to all the remaining citizens of the country soon.
In a speech regarding present economic condition of the country delivered in today’s National Assembly meeting, Finance Minister shared that it was the government’s first responsibility to protect the people’s life by providing vaccine against COVID-19 on time and to activate the economy.
The Finance Minister had presented the same statement in the meeting of House of Representatives on Tuesday.
He clarified that the incumbent government has focused its efforts to bring positive change and prosperity in people’s life, facing problem of COVID-19 pandemic, turning the life into normalcy and reviving the economy affected due to this.
Saying coronavirus would come under control only if all the citizens get vaccine, the Finance Minister expressed commitment not to allow budget crunch to buy vaccine.
He opined, “I have allocated budget required for the Health and Population Ministry to buy vaccine against COVID-19 on the same day I became the Finance Minister. I am still in regular discussion. The Ministry is ready to provide the budget required for the same.”
Stating that the incumbent government has been formed in between serious public health crisis and adverse economy created by COVID-19 pandemic, Finance Minister Sharma shared that protecting the public health by providing vaccine against COVID-19 and other health services and making the country’s economy dynamic through the medium of policy-level improvement was government’s first responsibility.
He shared that 1.3 million people are waiting for second dose of COVID-19 vaccines. According to him, 2 million 679 thousand 811 individuals have received first dose of vaccines while 1 million 112 thousand166 have received second dose of the vaccines by the Mid July. According to the data of the Ministry of Health and Population, 10 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccines have imported in the country till the date.
Minister Sharma committed to revive the economy and gain the hope of people showing the optimism in each economic indicator of the national economy. He further committed to stop the exploitation over government resources. Finance Minister Sharma argued to make the agro sectors self-reliant by decreasing the import and increasing the export of the domestic goods.
The Finance Minister also opined to enhance the employment opportunity targeting to the marginalized and poor communities even to meet the goal of socialism oriented constitution.
Responding to the queries of the lawmakers on the fact paper issued by him, Minister urged all not to be misled as it was a mirror of national economy and all fact based data were incorporated there.
He committed to not let the financial crunch occur in national pride projects. Minister Sharma also committed to prioritize in budget allocation to Province-2, Karnali Province and Sudurpachim Province in future.
Taipei [Taiwan], July 9 : Taiwan has received a shipment of 1.13 million AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine doses donated by Japan on Thursday.
The vaccine doses were developed by the British-Swedish biotech company AstraZeneca and manufactured under license in Japan, Focus Taiwan reported. Health Minister Chen Shih-chung, at a press briefing, thanked Japan for the donation and said inspection of the vaccine shipment will be expedited to allow for faster distribution.
Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said Tuesday that the vaccine donations were a gesture of gratitude for Taiwan's aid to Japan in the aftermath of a devastating earthquake and tsunami that hit his country in 2011.
Motegi said he hopes the vaccines will help curb the spread of the virus in Taiwan, where daily confirmed cases have gradually flattened but a high alert for COVID-19 remains in place due to sporadic cases of the highly infectious Delta variant of the virus.
On June 4, Japan had donated 1.24 million doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine doses to Taiwan.
The donations come as Japan and Taiwan are strengthening ties, while their relations with Beijing are deteriorating.
Meanwhile, China has accused Taiwan's governing party of preventing the mainland from sending vaccines to Taiwan and falsely claiming that China has hindered its procurement of vaccines.
China has also lambasted Japan for having donated COVID-19 vaccine to Taiwan, labelling such a move as a "political performance". Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin had responded sharply when Tokyo said it is considering sending vaccines to Taipei in late May.
"We are firmly against those who exploit the pandemic to put on political shows or even meddle in China's internal affairs," he had said. "I have noticed that Japan can barely ensure adequate supply of vaccines at home."
"I would like to stress that vaccine assistance should be restored to its original purpose, which is to save lives, and should not be reduced to a tool for selfish political gains," he had added.
Taiwan's inoculation program has been on the slow side with President Tsai Ing-Wen's government facing flak over the unavailability of the vaccines.
Taiwan still has not received the ten million AstraZeneca vaccines it ordered between September 2020 and February 2021. In January, Taiwan agreed to purchase five million doses of BioNTech-Pfizer vaccines directly from BioNTech. The deal has remained unfulfilled.
President Tsai Ing-Wen, who handily won re-election last year, accused China of interfering with Taiwan's vaccine procurement to purposely cause delays.
"We were almost finished with the contract with the German supplier, but owing to China's interference, it's been delayed so that until now we have no way to complete it," she told members of her Democratic Progressive Party.
Health Minister Chen Shih-Chung later said that BioNTech had asked Taiwan to change the word "country" in the press release announcing the deal. Taiwan agreed, but the deal still remains unfinished.
To date, 60 per cent of the vaccines in Taiwan are donations from the governments of Japan and the US.
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