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Taino Beach Resort, Clubs in Bahamas Signs Multi -Year Affiliation with Interval Int.
Miami, FL, July 22, 2021 – Interval International, a prominent worldwide provider of vacation services, announces the affiliation of Taino Beach Resort and Clubs in The Bahamas. The beachfront property is located on Grand Bahama Island, just 55 miles east of Florida, and is surrounded by clear blue waters, powder-white sand beaches, and lush tropical landscaping.
TAINO BEACH RESORT AND CLUBS IN THE BAHAMAS SIGNS EXCLUSIVE, MULTI-YEAR Interval International, a prominent worldwide provider of vacation services, announces the affiliation of Taino Beach Resort and Clubs in The Bahamas. The beachfront property is located on Grand Bahama Island, just 55 miles east of Florida, and is surrounded by clear blue waters, powder-white sand beaches, and lush tropical landscaping.
“We are delighted to establish a long-term business relationship with such a dedicated group of industry professionals. Our team is always looking for ways to enhance our product offering and we chose Interval because of its steadfast commitment to excellence over the past 45 years,” said Soren Petersen, president of Taino Beach Limited, the developer of the property. “Our respective companies share a dedication to exceeding consumer expectations. Interval’s exchange network and industry-leading benefits and services will greatly assist us in fulfilling that promise for years to come.” “Taino Beach Resort and Clubs’ founder Arne Petersen played a significant role in the growth of the shared ownership industry in The Bahamas and was a driving force in the development of the current timeshare legislation,” said Marcos Agostini, Interval’s senior vice president of global business development.
“The resort has evolved into one of the largest vacation ownership operations in the market with a long track record of success. We are honored to serve as the company’s exclusive exchange provider and to support its business goals.” Situated on Freeport’s southeastern coastline, the property consists of 157 units, divided into three different phases, The Marlin, The Ocean, and The Coral. The resort offers high-quality accommodations, excellent service, and warm hospitality, for all types of travel parties, from singles and couples to families. -more- TAINO BEACH RESORT AND CLUBS IN THE BAHAMAS SIGNS EXCLUSIVE, MULTIYEAR AFFILIATION AGREEMENT WITH INTERVAL INTERNATIONAL – Page 2 Guests have access to a wide range of amenities and activities on the property, including a spectacular two-mile beach; a full-service signature restaurant open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner; gift shop; tennis court; and an expansive 720,000-gallon free-form pool with a waterslide, waterfalls and caves, a lazy river, and a grotto swim up bar. At the on-site water sports center, outdoor enthusiasts can rent wave runners, kayaks, and paddleboats, bicycles and scooters, or book deep-sea fishing trips, glass-bottom boat tours, swimming with dolphins’ experiences, or sunset cruises.
Visitors to Freeport can enjoy rich Bahamian culinary experiences and choose from a variety of restaurants located in the vicinity of the resort. They can also take a ferry boat to bustling Port Lucaya Marketplace, the largest shopping, dining, and entertainment center on Grand Bahama. New purchasers at Taino Beach Resort and Clubs will be enrolled as Club Interval Gold® members, entitling them to exchange through Interval by depositing their week or converting it to points for maximum exchange flexibility.
As Club Interval Gold members they will also have access to a number of upgraded benefits and services that they can enjoy yearround, including Interval Options®, the ability to exchange their resort week or points toward a cruise, hotel, tour, spa vacation, or unique Interval Experiences adventure; ShortStay Exchange®; Golf Connection for access to select private courses; VIP treatment with Dining Connection; City Guides for insider advice; Hertz Gold Plus Rewards® membership, which gives them the opportunity to earn bonus points for up to two free weekend rental days; discounts on Getaway vacation rentals; online hotel discounts; dining and leisure discounts powered by Entertainment®; and VIP ConciergeSM, for personal assistance 24/7.
About Interval International Interval International operates membership programs for vacationers and provides valueadded services to its developer clients worldwide. Based in Miami, Florida, the company has been a pioneer and innovator in serving the vacation ownership market since 1976. Today, Interval’s exchange network comprises nearly 3,200 resorts in over 80 nations. Through offices in 13 countries, Interval offers high-quality products and benefits to resort clients and more than 1.7 million families who are enrolled in various membership programs. CONTACT: Beatrice de Peyrecave, 305.925.7032 Be******************@**********tl.com
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In praise of a black Caribbean woman
By Sir Ronald Sanders
(The writer is Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the United States and the Organization of American States. He is also a Senior Fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies at the University of London and Massey College in the University of Toronto. The views expressed are entirely his own)
CARICOM should be proud of the success of a Caribbean woman who was at the center of the effort to manage the COVID-19 pandemic in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Dominican born Dr Carissa Etienne, the Director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), deserves the greatest admiration and respect of all the 37 nations of Latin America and the Caribbean that she and her team piloted through the impact of the pandemic.
It was good to see her being praised, at a meeting of the OAS Permanent Council on July 21, by the Secretary-General of the OAS, Luis Almagro, and many delegations that spoke at a special session of the Organization’s Permanent Council.
The meeting was called to discuss the implementation of a resolution on “The Equitable Distribution of COVID-19 Vaccines” that Antigua and Barbuda had drafted and negotiated to adoption in February 2021. It was not called to focus on the outstanding role of the Director. But, it was inevitable that she would be singled out, for without the guidance, technical expertise and provision of equipment to 37 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, COVID-19 would have infected many more than the millions that it has. It would also have killed more than the hundreds of thousands that it did.
It is not often that the competence of a woman is complemented and even more rare if the woman is black. But it happened on July 21.
In my own remarks at the meeting, I stated the countries of the Caribbean were greatly aided by the guidance provided by PAHO experts and by the medical equipment the organization supplied.
In truth, the majority of countries in the world were ill-prepared for a pandemic of any kind, let alone one that moved with the swiftness and deadly impact of COVID-19.
The figures, given by Dr Etienne at the meeting underscored the unpreparedness of all our countries. Seventy-five million cases in our hemisphere and 2 million deaths are frightening figures and evidences the fact that our region was one of the worst affected in the world.
While progress has undoubtedly been made in the production of several vaccines that can help to suppress and contain the virus, much of the world, including many countries in Latin America and the Caribbean remain deprived of much needed vaccines.
CARICOM countries and other developing nations ought not to have been placed in the untenable situation in which they have to beg for vaccines to save their people from the deathly coronavirus.
This point was emphasized by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Antigua and Barbuda, E Paul ‘Chet’ Greene at the meeting. He said, “If this pandemic has taught the world a single salutary lesson, it is that humanity should never again experience conditions in which a few countries use their wealth to purchase almost all the vaccines produced, leaving the majority of nations in dire straits”.
“While we are grateful that countries, such as the United States, are making quantities of their oversupply available to nations in need, the point is that this situation should not have occurred. Nations ought not to have to plead for vaccines to save the lives of their people, or to spare their economies the harmful impact of a pandemic”
Developing countries are forced to beg for vaccines because of two circumstances. First, a few rich countries purchased more than 70 per cent of the total vaccines produced by the major pharmaceutical companies. In some cases, these countries bought as much as three times the quantity of vaccines needed to vaccinate all their people. They left the rest of the world floundering.
Second, while vaccines against this lethal virus and its variants should have been a global good, available to all mankind, it became a commodity to be sold on commercial terms to the largest and richest purchasers, ignoring the needs of many citizens of our one planet. The pharmaceutical companies left people quite literally dying for vaccines.
Conscious that the populations of Caribbean countries are too small to allow them to bargain effectively for supplies of the vaccines at an affordable price, Dr Etienne and her team at PAHO have again taken up cudgels on behalf of the Caribbean and other deprived countries in Latin America.
Through its Revolving Fund for Access to Vaccines, which can buy in much larger quantities than individual countries, PAHO has engaged various manufacturers, whose COVID-19 vaccines have been approved by the World Health Organization, to negotiate supply, delivery and costs. PAHO’s success would provide more vaccines on a reliable and predictable basis to Caribbean countries.
PAHO believes that these negotiations are close to completion and vaccines could be available by the last quarter of 2021.
The Caribbean and Latin America owe much to the dedication and resourcefulness of PAHO – and particularly to the black, Caribbean woman at the center of its operations – Dr Carissa F. Etienne.
Responses and previous commentaries: www.sirronaldsanders.com
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One More Time: Jason Rogers After Olympic Glory for Himself and SKN
by Karla Berridge
Jason Rogers is the most decorated athlete in St. Kitts and Nevis. Now he’s after Olympic glory in Tokyo.
He came from humble beginnings, growing up in ‘Hub City’, ‘S.P. where de best be’, the town of Sandy Point if you will. He is 29 years old and he is a son, a father, a friend.
“Track and field has done so much for me. It has moulded me into the man that I am today.”
In July 2021, Rogers will represent St. Kitts and Nevis at the Olympics for the third consecutive hosting of the sporting event, having participated in London 2012 and Rio 2016.
He got his start in track and field at the primary school level, attending the Sandy Point Primary School where he ran at Sports Days and Sports meets. This is where said he noticed he was “kinda good”.
“I noticed I was winning all of my races and so I kept running and running and I never stopped.”
But track and field has become more than just something to do because he was good at it. Track and field has taught him lessons for a lifetime.
“Track and field has given me so much to believe in, so much morals and discipline, it trained me and has taken me around the world. I have been to every continent except Africa and Antarctica. I really appreciate the sport and have a lot of love and respect for it.”
Rogers carved some time out of his busy training schedule to have a chat with Loop about his decorated career and qualifying for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
Grinning, He said “Yes I’m ready. I’m gonna lay it down!”
About a month and a half ago Jason had a setback; a hamstring issue. Right now he and his coach are very happy about how training has been going. “We have a nice tight schedule planned out and as long as we stick to it we will be pleased with the performance.”
He said while it is a great feeling knowing he has qualified for the 100M race with a personal best of 10.01, it was a bittersweet moment.
“It was great in the sense that I feel very proud of myself for never giving up because it was really tough but I didn’t let the tough times get the best of me. I fought and now I’m here with my qualifying standard, ready to go to the Olympics.
“It is a bittersweet feeling, however, knowing that there are athletes in St. Kitts and Nevis who could qualify alongside me but because of the lack of support and opportunities they are unable to hone their skills.”
While he is a professional athlete, Rogers is not signed to any brand or sponsored by any company. He said it all comes down to support which he doesn’t have, but had high praise for his coach and his team who has offered great assistance.
He said this can change through his performance at a level that would bring in outside support. “I have to put myself on a level where the support comes from outside.”
First Federal Credit Union in St. Kitts has come on board as a sponsor for Rogers in his participation at the upcoming Olympics.
What makes an Olympian
“A lot of long days, a lot of hard work…it’s a lot of hurt, pain and tears. There are a lot of injuries and hard times as well.”
Jason has sacrificed a lot for his athletic career. Being away from his 4-year-old daughter, his family and friends in St. Kitts for 6 to 8 months every year to train in the United States has been one of the most difficult things.
Jason cites his mother Pearlina Richards as his inspiration and driving force despite the challenges. He is, in some ways continuing her legacy.
“Track and field is a sport that my mother really loves.”
Jason said his mother made a name for herself in track and field when she was younger and he heard all the stories from persons within the community growing up as a young sprinter himself.
“Ever since I was small, my mother kept pushing me. Every time I would stray from track and field, she always reminded me about track and field. She always says if she had the opportunities that we have now, she would have gotten so far in the sport. Her own love for the sport causes her to maintain my focus.”
Jason Rogers the entrepreneur
Rogers says he has a number of business ideas he wants to venture into.
During the pandemic, he joined with a couple of friends in Sandy Point to start the Reggae Rock Farm. The excitement about his business was visible as he spoke with pride about the farm’s unexpected success. He said because of how well it has been doing they keep pushing forward and the farm’s growth has been incredible.
His intention is to work toward assisting those athletes who will be coming after him.
“There is no one trying to help right now. I want to be the person who would change things for national athletes by being their voice; I need that and I don’t have that and I know athletes coming up will need that too.”
Rogers encourages young persons to follow their dreams whether it be in athletics or in business. “Going after what you want, you will encounter a lot of fights, a lot of obstacles, but all these struggles will shape you into the person you need to be to get what you really dream of. No matter what you do, don’t give up. The fight will come; it will be hard, it will be tough but don’t let that make you give up. Enjoy the tough days because it can’t rain forever, you will have success one day.
“I always believe in myself. I always push myself.”
Jason Rogers’ Athletic Honours:
2021:
- Placed 2nd in the TRUFIT Meet Series in Miami, Florida in a time of 10.01s.
- Setting a new personal best time on 24th April 2021.
2019:
- Placed 7th in the 100m finals in a time of 10.40s at the 2019 Pan Am Games held in Lima, Peru
2018:
- Placed 2nd in the 100m semi-finals in a time of 10.23s at the 2018 NACAC Championships held in Ontario, Canada, but false-started in the finals.
- Silver medalist in the 100m event in a time of 10.15s at the 23rd CAC Games held in Barranquilla, Colombia.
- Placed 6th in the 100m finals in a time of 10.24s at the 2018 Commonwealth Games held in Gold Coast, Australia.
2017:
- Gold medalist in the 100m event in a time of 10.27s at the 3rd ANOCES OECS Track & Field Championships held in St George, Grenada.
- Gold medalist in the 100m event in a time of 10.04s at the National Youth, Junior & Senior Championships/National.
2015:
- Placed 6th in the 100m finals in a time of 10.29s at the NACAC Senior Championships held in San Jose, Costa Rica.
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Two student nurses test positive to COVID-19
More than 100 staff and patients at a Sydney hospital have been sent into isolation after two student nurses tested positive to COVID-19.
NSW health authorities confirmed on Friday night that 130 staff and patients from Bankstown-Lidcombe Hospital had been impacted.
The two cases are not linked, a South Western Sydney Local Health District spokesperson told 9News.
"Twenty-five staff were identified as close contacts of the first student nurse and have been isolating. There were no patients identified as contacts," the spokesperson said.
"Extensive contact tracing of the second case continues. Five patients and more than 100 staff have been identified as potential contacts and are isolating."
The spokesperson adds that "extensive cleaning of the clinical areas in which the staff members worked" has been conducted and says there has been "no impact on the hospital's services or the delivery of care".
It comes after New South Wales recorded 136 local COVID-19 cases on Friday, 53 of which were infectious in the community, as the premier says the evolving situation could be regarded a "national emergency".
Restrictions have been tightened further in several local government areas in south-west Sydney while authorities fight to control the spiralling outbreak across the city, which has claimed another life.
"There is no doubt that the numbers are not going in the direction we were hoping they would at this stage," Premier Gladys Berejiklian said.
Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant confirmed an 89-year-old man had died overnight, but said further information would not be released until the family had been notified.
There were a record 86,620 tests conducted in New South Wales overnight – a number rapidly approaching capacity.
"We have to acknowledge that our testing resources are finite," Dr Chant said.
"We are starting to max out at that."
New testing technologies were being explored, she said.
New restrictions for two LGAs
Further restrictions will be imposed in the Cumberland and Blacktown local government areas.
In line with the restrictions on Fairfield, Liverpool and Canterbury-Bankstown, workers in Cumberland and Blacktown will no longer be allowed to leave those communities unless they are health and emergency workers.
Fairfield is still generating the largest number of cases, Dr Chant said.
Vaccine strategy 'must be refocused'
NSW will appeal to the Federal Government to refocus the national vaccination strategy on south-western Sydney.
"What I am recommending strongly is that our vaccination efforts are refocused on those affected LGAs," Dr Chant said.
"Every day people from those LGAs have to go out to work to keep our city going.
"They are doing critical food production, critical work, to keep society functioning, and we are seeing cases of the virus introduced into various workplaces.
"We are also seeing a significant household transmission, and it has been very challenging to interrupt those transmission chains.
"Two areas that I have requested that we urgently focus on, is redirecting all of vaccine initiatives to south-western Sydney, and Western Sydney, particularly the affected local government areas, that we work in partnership with the Commonwealth to deliver both Pfizer and AstraZeneca, consider the use of the Pfizer in the younger working population, in order to prevent the spread.
"The individual benefits of vaccination are so clear, both vaccines are very effective at preventing against severe illness and hospitalisation."
READ MORE: Latest coronavirus exposure sites for Sydney
READ MORE: Brisbane flight attendant 'tests positive' to COVID-19
'We need to vaccinate younger people'
Dr Chant said young people in south-west Sydney were the driving force keeping Sydney going and getting them doses of the Pfizer vaccine must be a priority.
"These workplaces are not the hairdressers or the discretionary premises, they are premises that actually put food on the table for people in Sydney," she said.
"They are the people that keep our supermarkets in stock, working in food processing and other settings.
"Because of that, my view is that we need to get vaccines into younger people in south-western Sydney and as the Premier indicated, south-western Sydney and parts of Western Sydney have some of the lower levels of vaccination coverage which poses another challenge, and so we need to redouble our efforts in supporting that community to have access to vaccinations.
"We need to vaccinate younger people, between that 20- and 40-year-old age group."
'Oceans of AstraZeneca'
Ms Berejiklian said she wanted to see clear messaging around the nation about the AstraZeneca vaccine, adding she had received it herself when the health advice recommended it for under-60s.
"I'm 50 and I had it and I'm appealing to everyone that Dr Chant is, for me, the most respected medical person in Australia in public health, if she is saying it's OK for over-40s to have AstraZeneca, please take the advice," Ms Berejiklian said.
"The risk of any adverse condition from the jab is minuscule compared to the serious illness you can get if you get the COVID virus and you don't have any dose of the vaccine."
NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard reiterated the message, saying the state had "oceans of AstraZeneca" available and people should consider vaccination as an "obligation to yourself, the community, New South Wales and indeed Australia, because this could leak further into other states."
READ MORE: Pfizer vaccine approved for children as young as 12
NSW 'on the precipice'
Earlier this morning, infectious disease expert, Professor Robert Booy, said the state "is on the precipice" of losing control of the current outbreak if local infections keep growing.
"It's so close. It is still possible to get control over the next week or so," Professor Booy told Today.
"With so many in the community infectious, different chains of transmission, unrecognised chains of transmission, it's a real challenge."
Professor Booy said while numbers this week have grown, the coming days would indicate if the harder lockdown has had any real effect.
"If there really is an improvement over the weekend, that's great. If not, there will be harder lockdowns, more shops that won't be able to open, more travel that won't be allowed. We will have an even stronger lockdown than we currently have," he said.
Professor Booy said there was data suggesting the Delta variant could have gotten out of control prior to the current NSW outbreak and an earlier lockdown could have made a difference.
"(If we) possibly started three to four days earlier in NSW. I myself didn't recommend it, so they're at fault, I'm at fault, many others are at fault. We could have done better," he said.
READ MORE: Can you get a COVID-19 vaccination yet? State by state guide
It comes as Queensland has again closed the border with NSW in a bid to keep the Delta strain out of the northern state.
Hundreds of police are now manning checkpoints along the border after traces of coronavirus were found in Byron Bay's sewage systems.
The traces were found in a treatment plant that services about 19,000 people in Byron Bay, Wategos, Suffolk Park, Sunrise, and Broken Head, raising new fears the COVID-19 cluster may have spread outside of Sydney again.
"There are no known cases in this area, which is of great concern," the department said in its latest public health alert overnight.
Authorities have asked everyone in the Byron Bay region to be on high alert for any symptoms, "and if they appear, to immediately come forward for testing and isolate until a negative result is received".
US: Critical Race Theory Becomes Focus of Midterms
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Newspaper Cover for 23rd July, 2021
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Bolsonaro Attempts to Sew Doubts About Brazil’s Democracy
RIO DE JANEIRO, July 22 (Reuters) – Brazil’s political leaders lined up on Thursday to stress next year’s presidential election is certain to take place, after a bombshell newspaper report that Brazil’s defense minister had issued a threat about holding the highly polarized vote.
The Estado de S. Paulo story landed at a fraught time in Brazil, amid repeated – and unfounded – allegations by President Jair Bolsonaro that the country’s electronic voting system is vulnerable to fraud.
With his popularity falling after overseeing the world’s second deadliest coronavirus outbreak, the far-right former army captain is pushing to replace the system with printed ballots, but the bill has not gained much traction in Congress.
Critics allege that Bolsonaro, like his idol, former U.S. President Donald Trump, is sowing election doubts to pave the way for him not to accept any loss. Opinion polls show he trails former leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, although neither of them has officially announced their candidacy yet.
In its story, Estado de S. Paulo reported that Defense Minister Walter Braga Netto, a former army general, had told powerful House Speaker Arthur Lira via an interlocutor that the 2022 election would not take place unless printed ballots were used. Reuters was unable to independently verify the story, which cited anonymous sources.
Both Lira and Braga Netto denied the report.
Lira, who serves as a crucial bulwark against the multiple impeachment proceedings Bolsonaro faces, tweeted that Brazilians will vote next year in a “secret and sovereign” election.
His Senate counterpart Rodrigo Pacheco also assured Brazilians that the 2022 election will take place, either with printed or electronic ballots.
Brazil’s vice president, former army general Hamilton Mourao, said it was “logical” the vote would take place.
“Who’s going to prohibit an election in Brazil?” he said. “We’re not a banana republic.”
Braga Netto, speaking at an event in Brasilia, said the armed forces were committed to democracy and freedom.
In a statement released by the Defense Ministry, Braga Netto said “the discussion about auditable electronic voting through printed proof is legitimate,” adding that he believed “all citizens desire the utmost transparency and legitimacy” in the electoral process.
Bolsonaro, speaking in a weekly live video address on social media, declined to address the allegations in the story, referring people to the Defense Ministry statement. He said there needed to be elections but said they must be clean and transparent for people to have faith in the result.
The Estado de S. Paulo defended its reporting.
Joao Caminoto, director of news for the media group that runs the paper, tweeted: “I consider it important to reaffirm in full the contents of the published report.”
ELECTION THREATS
Bolsonaro has said he may not accept the result of an election using electronic voting in 2022.
“There will be printed ballots, because if there are no printed ballots, this is a sign that there will be no election. The message is clear,” Bolsonaro said earlier this month.
The news story resonated in Brazil, where an anti-communist coup in 1964 led to 21 years of military rule.
Bolsonaro has stocked his administration with current and former military officials. Many in Brazil wonder what path the armed forces, who bristled under leftist Lula governments, would take if the president were to reject the elections results.
“In a democracy, it is not the military who decides if there will or will not be an election but the constitution which they have sworn to defend and obey,” said lawmaker Marcelo Ramos, vice-president of the lower house, in a note.
Brazil’s electoral court has repeatedly denied that the system is vulnerable to fraud or that there is evidence of fraud in previous elections, and Bolsonaro has yet to provide proof to back up his claims.
Reporting by Lisandra Paraguassu, writing by Carolina Mandl, Stephen Eisenhammer and Gabriel Stargardter, Editing by Rosalba O’Brien and Richard Pullin
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World View: OIympics Open, Taliban Demand, Moise’s Violent Funeral, More
Jul 23, 2021
The Associated Press
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The Rundown
TOKYO (AP) — Disputed, locked down and running a year late, the Tokyo Games begin at last on Friday night, a multinational showcase of the finest athletes of a world fragmented by disease — and an event steeped in the political and medical baggage of…Read More
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ISLAMABAD (AP) — The Taliban say they don’t want to monopolize power, but they insist there won’t be peace in Afghanistan until there is a new negotiated government in Kabul and President Ashraf Ghani is removed. …Read More
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WASHINGTON (AP) — Unfazed by Republican threats of a boycott, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi declared Thursday that a congressional committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection will take on its “deadly serious” work whether Republicans partici…Read More
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BEIJING (AP) — Chinese leader Xi Jinping has made a rare visit to Tibet as authorities tighten controls over the Himalayan region’s traditional Buddhist culture, accompanied by an accelerated drive for economic development and modernized infrastructu…Read More
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CAP-HAITIEN, Haiti (AP) — The hometown of slain Haitian President Jovenel Moïse prepared to receive his body on Friday for a private funeral amid heavy security following violent protests and fears of political volatility in the Caribbean nation. …Read More
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OTHER TOP STORIES
When a religious publication used smartphone app data to deduce the sexual orientation of a high-ranking Roman Catholic official, it exposed a problem that goes far …Read More
WASHINGTON (AP) — A few years ago, a Sydney scientist noticed a sulfur-crested cockatoo opening his trash bin. Not every resident would be thrilled, but ornithologis…Read More
MEXICO CITY (AP) — The mainly female volunteers who fan out across Mexico to hunt for the bodies of murdered relatives are themselves increasingly being killed, putt…Read More
MILAN (AP) — Venice and its lagoon environment avoided placement on UNESCO’s list of world heritage sites in danger Thursday following Italy’s ban on massive cruise …Read More
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1st Olympic Record-100 COVID Cases, Pfizer Vax has Eight Week Sweet Spot, World Stats
The Covid-19 cases associated with the Tokyo Olympics breached the 100-mark on Friday with the announcement of 19 new infections and the Czech contingent seemed among the worst hit after a fourth athlete — road cyclist Michal Schlegel — tested positive for the virus.
The worrying milestone was touched on the day the Games will officially open here with a ceremony to be attended by less than 1,000 dignitaries and sans any spectators. (Tokyo 2020 Full Coverage)
The organisers, in their daily Covid-19 update, announced that three athletes, 10 Games-concerned personnel, three mediapersons and as many contractors associated with the event have been found positive.
The total number of cases directly linked to the Games stood at 106 on Friday with 11 of them athletes.
The Czech contingent reported its sixth overall case even as it investigated breach of health safety protocols while travelling to Japan.
“The fourth athlete and the sixth Czech member of the team, who did not avoid a positive test for Covid-19 at the Tokyo Olympics, is road cyclist Michal Schlegel,” the country’s National Olympic Committee (NOC) stated.
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Pfizer vaccine second dose has ‘sweet spot’ after eight weeks, UK scientists say
Longer schedule led to more Covid antibodies and higher proportion of helper T-cells, supporting immune memory – researchers
Press Association
An eight-week gap between the first and second doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine is a “sweet spot” when it comes to generating strong immune response while protecting the UK population against the Delta variant of coronavirus, scientists have said.
In a study funded by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), researchers have found that when compared with a four-week gap, a 10-week interval between the doses produces higher antibody levels, as well as a higher proportion of a group of infection-fighting cells in the body known as “helper” T-cells.
At the start of the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) made a decision to recommend a 12-week gap between two doses for the two vaccines that were available at the time: Pfizer and Oxford/AstraZeneca.
US officials call for more data on vaccine boosters as Pfizer pushes for third shot
This was at a time when vaccines were in short supply and preliminary research suggested that widening the gap from the manufacturer-recommended four weeks to 12 increased the immune response.
But in May the guidance was changed to eight weeks as cases associated with the Delta variant continued to rise in the UK.
Prof Susanna Duanchie, of the University of Oxford, who is the joint chief investigator in the study, known as Pitch, said: “The original recommendation from JCVI was 12 weeks and this was based on a lot of knowledge from other vaccines that often having a longer interval [between doses] gives your immune system a chance to make the highest response.
“The decision to put it to eight weeks is really balancing all the wider issues, the pros and cons – two doses is better than one overall.
“Also, other factors need to be balanced, [such as] vaccine supply, the desire to open up, and so on.”
She added: “I think that eight weeks is about the sweet spot for me, because people do want to get the two vaccine [doses] and there is a lot of Delta out there right now.
“Unfortunately, I can’t see this virus disappearing so you want to balance that against getting the best protection that you can.”
For the Pitch study, the researchers recruited 503 healthcare workers, 44% (223) of whom previously had Covid-19, and studied the immune responses generated by the Pfizer jab.
They found that both short (three to four-week) and long (10-week) dosing intervals of the Pfizer vaccine generated strong antibody and T-cell immune responses.
But the longer schedule led to higher antibody levels and a higher proportion of helper T-cells, which according to the researchers supports immune memory.
The scientists found that after the second dose, a wider gap also resulted in higher neutralising antibody levels against the Delta variant and all other variants of concern.
But in this instance antibody levels dropped off between first and second dose – leaving the recipients vulnerable against the Delta variant after one jab.
However, Dr Rebecca Payne, one of the study authors from Newcastle University, said that the cellular response from T-cells remained consistent across both long and short dosing schedules, “indicating they may contribute to important protection against Sars-CoV-2 during this time”.
Payne said: “After the second dose on the longer dosing schedule, antibody levels surpassed those seen at the same timepoint after a shorter dosing interval.
“Although T-cell levels were comparatively lower, the profile of T-cells present suggested more support of immune memory and antibody generation.”
The researchers said there may be exceptions where the dosing schedule may need to be shortened from eight weeks to four, such as for those who are about to have treatments that may affect the immune system, such as cancer or organ transplant.
Dr Lance Turtle, of the University of Liverpool, who specialises in T-cell studies, said: “I would then say they should be vaccinated as soon as possible.”
The vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi said: “As we raced to offer a vaccine to all adults, we took the JCVI’s advice to shorten the dosing interval from 12 to eight weeks to help protect more people against the Delta variant.
“This latest study provides further evidence that this interval results in a strong immune response and supports our decision.
“I urge every adult to get both doses of the vaccine to protect yourself and those around you and we are looking to offer millions of the most vulnerable a booster jab from September to ensure this protection is maintained.”
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WORLD STATS
Highlighted in green
= all cases have recovered from the infection
Highlighted in grey
= all cases have had an outcome (there are no active cases)
Latest News
July 23 (GMT)
Updates
- 2 new cases in China, Hong Kong SAR [source]
- 2 new cases in the Turks and Caicos Islands [source]
- 15 new cases in Equatorial Guinea [source]
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