Tag Archives: caribbean

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Study: Signs of Long-Lasting Protection from COVID-19 Vaccines

By Peter Sullivan

The Hil

The COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna produce a “persistent” immune response and give a sign of long-lasting protection, a new study finds.

The study is a positive development in the discussion around whether booster shots of the vaccines will be needed and when, though there has not been a definitive answer to that question yet.

The study published in the journal Nature on Monday centers on what are known as germinal centers, what Ali Ellebedy, the study’s senior author and an associate professor at Washington University in St. Louis, describes as “boot camps for immune cells.”

The study found that those training grounds in the body for immune cells were still active 15 weeks after the first dose of vaccine.

“Germinal centers are the key to a persistent, protective immune response,” Ellebedy said in a statement. “Germinal centers are where our immune memories are formed. And the longer we have a germinal center, the stronger and more durable our immunity will be because there’s a fierce selection process happening there, and only the best immune cells survive.”

“We found that germinal centers were still going strong 15 weeks after the vaccine’s first dose,” he added. “We’re still monitoring the germinal centers, and they’re not declining; in some people, they’re still ongoing. This is truly remarkable.”

One key wild card in the discussion of booster doses is what variants of the virus develop. So far, the vaccines have held up well against new variants of the virus, including the highly transmissible delta variant that is on the rise in the United States.

But if a new variant develops that is more resistant to the current vaccines, that could prompt a need for booster doses, possibly with a modified vaccine designed to fight the new variant.

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Delta Variant 20% of Cases in France; Fears of 5th Wave in Tokyo   

French minister says cases of the variant are rising; cases rising in Tokyo one month from Olympics
People wearing face masks to help protect against the spread of coronavirus walk through an underpass in Tokyo.
People wearing face masks to help protect against the spread of coronavirus walk through an underpass in Tokyo. Photograph: Koji Sasahara/AP

(now) and (earlier) Guardian (UK)

Bangladesh soldiers set to patrol streets as national Covid lockdown looms

Hannah Ellis-Petersen

Guardian (UK)

Bangladesh prepared to enter into its harshest lockdown yet, with people only allowed to leave their homes in an emergency and soldiers set to patrol the streets, as a deadly resurgence of Covid-19 infections swept the country.

As the national Covid positivity rate exceeded 20% and the country on Monday recorded its highest single-day death toll of the pandemic so far, the government announced a set of tough measures to attempt to curb the spread, including the closure of public transport networks and confining the population to their homes for a week.

Cabinet secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam said troops would be deployed from Thursday to help enforce the lockdown. “The armed forces will be on patrol. If anyone ignores their orders, legal action will be available to them,” he told reporters late Monday.

Islam added that “if needed, it [lockdown] will be extended.”

Most of the south Asian nation’s 168 million population will be confined to their homes by Thursday as part of the restrictions. Only essential services and some larger garment factories supplying international markets will be allowed to operate.

The halting of buses and trains last week has already left tens of thousands of migrant workers living in the capital Dhaka stranded and unable to get home. In scenes reminiscent of India’s lockdown last year, many migrant workers began walking home along the roads in the sweltering summer heat while others crammed into ferries, with no social distancing possible.

Officials have linked the rise in infections to the deadly Covid-19 second wave that swept neighbouring India in April, fuelled in part by the transmissible Delta variant. India and Bangladesh share a long and porous border and thousands of migrant workers have crossed over from India in recent weeks.

More than two-thirds of new virus cases in Bangladesh’s capital are of the Delta variant, a recent study by the independent Dhaka-based International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research reported.

Authorities in Bangladesh feared a repeat of scenes in India, and more recently Nepal, where the deadly Covid-19 wave overwhelmed hospitals, led to oxygen shortages and brought the healthcare system to its knees.

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Ministers in England are expected to announce plans that will mean school pupils will no longer have to automatically isolate after contact with a positive Covid case. The proposals are that self-isolating will be replaced by a testing regime to prevent children from missing school.

Our community team would like to hear from teachers and parents what they think about the plans and how it will affect them and schoolchildren.

Ireland’s government is to decide today whether to permit only those who are fully vaccinated to eat and drink inside bars and restaurants.

Speaking to journalists before a cabinet meeting, Reuters report that transport minister Eamon Ryan said the government was considering a recommendation by the National Public Health Emergency Team that would require people to “show vaccination status”.

The restrictions could mean delaying Monday’s planned re-opening of indoor hospitality to allow time to develop a system to manage the changes. Ireland would be one of the first places in Europe to introduce the measure.

Bars, restaurants, and cafes have been closed in Ireland for much of the past 16 months, with the latest national lockdown in place since late December. Outdoor dining and drinking has been allowed since 7 June.

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The French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi has said today that it will invest about €400m ($476.4m) in research and development of next-generation vaccines using mRNA technologies, which proved their efficiency in the Pfizer and Moderna Covid vaccines.

Sanofi has lagged its US competitors on the Covid vaccines front, and says that its “mRNA center of excellence” would bring together approximately 400 employees.

“During the Covid-19 pandemic, mRNA technologies demonstrated potential to deliver new vaccines faster than ever before,” said Jean-Francois Toussaint, global head of R&D at Sanofi Pasteur, reports Reuters.

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Cambridge hospital’s mask upgrade appears to eliminate Covid-19 risk to staff

Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge is making headlines this morning after a study that claims that using an improved type of PPE in hospital settings reduced transmission of Covid to staff.

Data had suggested that staff working on Covid wards nearly 50 times more likely to contract the virus than staff working elsewhere in the hospital. They then made the decision to swap from one type of mask – fluid resistant surgical masks (FRSMs) – to another: filtering face piece 3 (FFP3).

Since the change, in December 2020, data shows that staff working the Covid wards were no more likely to contract Covid than people in the non-Covid areas of the hospital. Addenbrooke’s research has yet to be peer-reviewed.

Nevertheless, Dr Mike Weekes, who worked on the study, said it gives “some real world evidence that FFP3 masks are actually effective and more effective than the surgical masks. We should be thinking about is changing to use FFP3 masks for anyone caring for a patient with coronavirus.”

However, he did add a note of caution, saying: “Clearly, it’s a relatively small study in one trust and so we need to see these findings replicated elsewhere.

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Health centres open during lockdown to facilitate Covid-19 vaccine second dose, says PM Harris

BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, June 28, 2021 (MMS-SKN) — The island of St. Kitts is under a 24-hour lockdown which started on Sunday June 27 from 6:00 p.m. until 5:00 a.m. on Thursday July 1, but health centres will be open today Monday June 28, tomorrow Tuesday June 29 and Wednesday June 30 from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. to facilitate those who are due to take the second dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.

roll up your sleeves poster
Roll up your sleeves and vaccinate: Opening hours for health centres.

“The Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday carve out are intended specifically for persons who already have had their first dose of the vaccine and are now requiring the second dose to be completely vaccinated,” stated Prime Minister Dr the Hon Timothy Harris. “Those are the persons we would wish to have out on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.”

 Prime Minister Harris made the remarks on Sunday June 27 at the Sylvia Garnette Primary Health Care Facility in Tabernacle, which along with other health centres in the country was open between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., where he had gone to encourage and give support to persons taking their vaccines.

 “Persons have an opportunity today (Sunday June 27) whether for their first dose or they are taking the vaccine for the second time to be fully vaccinated,” said Dr Harris. “What is critical is that the cycle of two doses is completed for the batch that will be expiring after Wednesday, and we have enough vaccines available to give everyone who is due the vaccine by the 30th of June the opportunity to take it.”

 He as a result encouraged that during the 24-hour lockdown period that persons requiring the second dose of the vaccine to go to their health centres to be vaccinated so as to be fully vaccinated. He however, reminded them that they should carry with them their vaccination card which shows that they have already received the first dose, and a government issued ID in case the police were to stop them and to demand proof for them being on the road.

Prime Minister Harris, with two well-known restaurateurs Mr Anthony ‘Movie Star’ Richardson and Ms Andrea French who also took the vaccine on Sunday June 27 at the Sylvia Garnette Primary Health Care Facility.

   “The more people have the second dose, the higher the protection in the community, and this in itself would provide a barrier against significant infections going forward because the vaccine is the most powerful tool which we have in the fight against Covid-19,” pointed out the Honourable Prime Minister. “The more persons therefore armed with it, the stronger the defence of the entire country will be, and the better and safer all of us will be.”

 The vaccination rollout at the Sylvia Garnette Primary Health Care Facility in Tabernacle was facilitated by Nurse Paula Boddie, who was assisted by Nurse Vivien Greene-Simon. Prime Minister Harris, who is also the Area Parliamentary Representative for St. Christopher Seven (Bellevue to Ottley’s) brought six young men from his home village of Tabernacle who took their first dose of the vaccine.

 Dr Harris observed that it had been a wonderful week with an excellent turnout in terms of persons who took the vaccine, stressing: “We have had excellent turnout, 800-plus on Thursday, 900-plus on Friday, yesterday Saturday we had 1300-plus persons, the largest number since the programme started in February.”

 He however noted: “Today (Sunday June 27) I anticipate we will have lower numbers, but they will nonetheless give a significant boost to the second dosers and then Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday is the last set of opportunities available for people to get their second dose and become fully vaccinated.”

 At the end of the vaccination session at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, June 27, a total of 25 persons got vaccinated at the Sylvia Garnette Primary Health Care Facility, with 17 persons taking the second dose, and eight taking the first dose.

Nurse Paula Boddie administers the Oxford AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine to Pastor Abraham Davis of Mansion Village.

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Boat with 20 Dead Bodies Found Drifting Off Turks & Caicos Islands

British overseas territory is known to be a midpoint in the Caribbean for people smugglers taking migrants to US.

A boat drifting carrying 20 dead people, including two children, has been found drifting off the coast of Turks and Caicos.

The vessel was discovered by fishermen one mile off the coast of Grand Turk island last Thursday. The fishermen alerted the marine branch of the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force, which towed the boat ashore.

Police said they had ruled out foul play and was investigating the circumstances of deaths and how the boat came to be in Turks and Caicos waters.

Investigators are also trying to establish the identities of those on board.

In a statement, the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force said: “Whilst the deaths are unexplained, there is no indication of foul play, and investigators are keeping an open mind as to how these people met their deaths.”

Police Commissioner Trevor Botting said that the boat likely came from outside of the Caribbean, adding that the islands were not thought to be its final destination.

He said: “It is believed that the boat originates from outside of the Caribbean region and that neither the Turks and Caicos Islands nor the region was their intended destination.”

Turks and Caicos, which is British Overseas Territory, has been known to be a midpoint for human smuggling boats travelling from from Haiti, Sri Lanka, and India to the US.

In June 2020, Sri Lanka-born Canadian citizen Srikajamukam Chelliah pleaded guilty to human trafficking charges in Turks and Caicos and was sentenced to 14 months in prison for conspiring to smuggle undocumented immigrants from Sri Lanka into the US.

Mr Botting said: “Whatever the circumstances, this is a tragic situation where many people have lost their lives, and the thoughts and prayers of the force go out to those families who have lost a loved one. We will do all we can to identify them and contact their families.

He also thanked the policing team and health agencies who responded to the scene, calling the deaths a “human tragedy and a very distressing scene”.

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In Five Weeks, 299 Active Cases, 82 Recovered & Three Deaths Through Covid-19 Community Spread In St. Kitts & Nevis

Basseterre, St. Kitts, June 28, 2021 (SKNIS): As the Lambda variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19 disease continues to spread throughout communities in St. Kitts, with Nevis spared, for the time being, the Government on the advice of health authorities has instituted a 14-day stringent action plan that includes a majority of 24-hour lockdowns and a few days of limited operations in order to curb the spread of the deadly and evasive virus. Since May 19, 2021, the country has seen 384 confirmed positive cases in just five weeks, in stark contrast to a total of just 45 positive cases in the previous 14 months, all of whom have recovered.

The Ministry of Health’s robust contact tracing continues to identify new cases of COVID-19 with one positive result reported within the last 24 hours in its COVID-19 Situation Report for Sunday 27th June, 2021.

The report states that the total number of confirmed cases, since the virus was imported into the country on March 24, 2020, now stands at 429 with 299 active cases, 127 recovered cases and three deaths. 414 of those cases were recorded in St. Kitts, while 15 were registered in Nevis. To date, there have been 20, 565 negative test results.

The country’s vaccination programme has been making steady progress and offering some hope, although more work needs to be done. As of Sunday 27th June, 2021, health authorities had administered 38, 499 total doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine representing 68.8 % of the target adult population who have had at least the first dose. 15, 778 persons have been back for their second dose amounting to 47.8 percent. In order for herd immunity to be achieved 70 percent of the total adult population, which equates to 33, 037 must be fully vaccinated.

Almost four million people around the world have succumbed to COVID-19 with the World Health Organization reporting the grim figure of 3, 899,172 deaths. 179, 686,071 cases have been confirmed globally and of that number 166, 271, 056 have recovered.

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New Covid-19 Strain In Circulation In St. Kitts And Nevis Identified As The Lambda Variant

Basseterre, St. Kitts, June 27, 2021 (SKNIS): Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr. Hazel Laws, announced during a Special NEOC COVID-19 Press Briefing on Saturday, June 26, that the new COVID-19 strain that was picked up in St. Kitts and Nevis in May 2021, is identified as the Lambda variant.

In early June, the Ministry of Health sent samples to the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) for genomic sequencing to determine the variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that is presently in circulation.

“The report says that the SARS-CoV-2 variant belongs to the lineage B.1.1.1 or C.37. The World Health Organization label for this variant is the Lambda variant. So this is the variant that is in circulation in the Federation,” said CMO Dr. Laws. “The Lambda variant is classified as a variant of interest by the World Health Organization.”

The Lamba variant, which has been identified in 29 countries, was first identified in Peru in August 2020. Dr. Laws said it is “quite prevalent in the South American countries including Argentina.”

At a recent COVID-19 Press Briefing, Dr. Laws noted that the new strain is more transmissible than the strain we contained last year between March-July and it is also more deadly.

CMO Dr. Laws continues to encourage the general public to boost their immune systems, eat healthily, and exercise regularly. For persons who have tested positive for COVID-19, she also encouraged them to boost their immune system, make sure they consume healthy meals, maintain adequate hydration with water, and if possible, engage in some form of physical activity in an effort to facilitate a speedy recovery.

St. Kitts and Nevis COVID-19 Situation Report No. 457 as of Saturday, June 26, 2021, states that the total number of confirmed positive cases now stands at 428 with 313 active cases, 112 recovered cases, and three deaths. Four hundred and thirteen (413) of those cases were recorded in St. Kitts while 15 were registered in Nevis. To date, there have been 20, 427 negative results.

The Federation’s vaccination programme has been making steady progress. As of June 26, 2021, 38,006 total doses were administered representing 68.6 % of persons who have had at least the first dose, while 15, 350 persons have received their second dose amounting to 46.5 percent. In order for herd immunity to be achieved 70 percent of the total adult population, which equates to 33, 037 must be fully vaccinated.

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Peru: Mass Protest Rallies Over Election Result Delay

LIMA, June 26 (Reuters) – Thousands of Peruvians supporting socialist Pedro Castillo and right-wing rival Keiko Fujimori took to the streets on Saturday amid uncertainty over the result of a tight June 6 presidential election that has been held up by legal challenges.

Castillo holds a slender 44,000-vote lead over Fujimori with all ballots counted. But his right-wing rival has sought to disqualify votes, largely in rural areas that backed the leftist, making claims of fraud with little evidence.

Castillo’s Free Peru party has denied the allegations of fraud while international election observers have said the vote was carried out cleanly. The U.S. State Department described the process as a “model of democracy.”

In Fujimori’s march were members of various right and center-right parties, as well as retired military personnel who have backed her fraud claims. Many had banners saying “no to communism,” a criticism they often aim at Castillo.

“We are not Chavistas, we are not communists, we are not going to take away property from anyone, that is false… we are democratic,” Castillo told supporters on Saturday night. “The differences, the inequalities, are over.”

Many of his followers wore the same wide-brimmed hats Castillo has used in the campaign. Some wore outfits from the country’s Andean regions and danced, while others carried whips like those used by rural “ronderos,” or civil police.

Fujimori told her supporters on Saturday evening that she simply wanted electoral justice. “What we want is for all these irregularities to be analyzed,” she said.

Castillo, a 51-year-old former elementary school teacher and the son of peasant farmers, plans to redraft the country’s constitution to give the state a more active role in the economy and take a larger share of profits from mining companies.

A supporter wearing a face mask with the image of Peru's presidential candidate Pedro Castillo marches in Lima, Peru June 26, 2021. REUTERS/Sebastian Castaneda
Supporters of Peru's presidential candidate Pedro Castillo march in Lima, Peru June 26, 2021. REUTERS/Sebastian Castaneda
Supporters of Peru's presidential candidate Pedro Castillo hold a banner reading "President Pedro Castillo. No to the Fujimori/Montesinos coup" in Lima, Peru June 26, 2021. REUTERS/Sebastian Castaneda

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Supporters of Peru’s presidential candidate Pedro Castillo march in Lima, Peru June 26, 2021. REUTERS/Sebastian Castaneda

He has softened his rhetoric in recent weeks, however, in a bid to calm market fears. He said on Saturday he would be keen to retain the central bank’s highly respected head, Julio Velarde, an important signal of stability for investors. read more

‘INTERRUPTIVE ACTS’

The already tense election process was plunged into disarray this week after one of the four magistrates on the jury reviewing contested ballots quit after clashing with the other officials over requests to nullify votes. read more

On Saturday the electoral jury swore in a replacement to allow the process to restart, key to restoring stability in the copper-rich Andean nation, which has been rattled by the tight vote.

“Electoral justice cannot be paralyzed or blocked, much less in this phase of the process,” said Jorge Salas, president of the National Elections Jury. “These interruptive arts will not prosper.”

The election jury will restart its work reviewing contested ballots on Monday, a spokeswoman for the body said. It must complete the review before an official result can be announced.

The polarized election has deeply divided Peruvians, with poorer rural voters rallying behind Castillo and wealthier urban voters from Lima supporting Fujimori, the daughter of jailed ex-President Alberto Fujimori.

The demonstrations came despite calls from health authorities to avoid crowds, with the country battling the most deadly per capita COVID-19 outbreak in the world.

Amid the tensions, intrigue has mounted after an audio recording was leaked of a jailed former intelligence adviser who was a close collaborator to former president seeking to influence the vote in favor of Keiko Fujimori.

The Navy has said it will investigate phone calls from his prison on a naval base and the current interim government has raised concerns about the revelation.

“We are outraged that an inmate appears on the scene at such a critical moment in our democratic life,” Prime Minister Violeta Bermúdez told reporters on Saturday.

Reporting by Marco Aquino; Editing by Adam Jourdan and Chris Reese

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Pacific Hurricane Enrique to Drench Mexican Coastline

MEXICO CITY, June 27 (Reuters) – The hurricane Enrique barrelling northwards off Mexico’s Pacific coast may strengthen slightly overnight before weakening on Monday, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said on Sunday, though part of Mexico remain at risk of flash floods.

Enrique, currently about 150 miles (241 km) south of Cabo Corrientes in western Jalisco state, is expected to remain parallel to the Mexican coast through the night, the NHC said in its latest report at 11 a.m. ET (1500 GMT).

“Some slight strengthening is possible through tonight,” NHC said. “Enrique is then expected to begin weakening on Monday and continue to weaken through early this week.”

However, Enrique is still expected to produce 6 to 12 inches (15 to 30 cm) of rain through to Tuesday, and in some places as much as 18 inches (46 cm) over Colima and coastal sections of Michoacan, Jalisco and Guerrero states, NHC said.

“These amounts would likely produce life-threatening flash flooding and mudslides over portions of southwestern Mexico,” NHC said.

Reporting by Abraham Gonzalez; Writing by Drazen Jorgic; Editing by Lisa Shumaker

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World View: Building Rescuers Hopeful, US Syria, Iraq Strikes, Record Heat, More

June 25, 2021

Alternate text
  •  Rescuers are still hopeful of finding survivors in a collapsed Florida condo
  • In the Middle East, the U.S. has launched airstrikes against facilities used by Iran-backed militias near the border between Syria and Iraq.
  • Venezuelan migrants are crossing the U.S. border in record numbers
  • The Pacific Northwest is in the grips of an historic heatwave bringing triple-digit temperatures.
  • Still in the U.S., a bipartisan deal for a 1 trillion dollar infrastructure plan is back on track.
  • Over in Australia, authorities are battling to contain new COVID-19 clusters in what’s seen as the country’s “most dangerous” pandemic stage.
  • U.S. experts try to persuade unvaccinated people to get the shot amid a rise in a COVID-19 variant.
  • And Palestinians protest their unpopular president and what they perceive as a corrupt government.

Menelaos Hadjicostis

The Associated Press

The Rundown

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SURFSIDE, Fla. (AP) — Rescue workers digging feverishly for a fifth day Monday stressed that they could still find survivors in the rubble of a collapsed Florida condo building, a hope family members clung to even though no one has been pulled out…Read More

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WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military, under the direction of President Joe Biden, has conducted airstrikes against what it said were “facilities used by Iran-backed militia groups” near the border between Iraq and Syria. …Read More

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DEL RIO, Texas (AP) — Marianela Rojas huddles in prayer with her fellow migrants, a tearful respite after trudging across a slow-flowing stretch of the Rio Grande and nearly collapsing onto someone’s backyard lawn, where, seconds before, she stepp…Read More

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PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Oregon’s largest city broke its all-time heat record on Saturday. It could beat the new mark on Sunday. Forecasters say many Pacific Northwest communities may sweat through the hottest days in their histories as as temperatur…Read More

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WASHINGTON (AP) — When President Barack Obama flew to California to dedicate a national monument to Latino labor leader Cesar Chavez nearly a decade ago, a group of the activist’s relatives were invited to pose for photos with the president. …Read More

OTHER TOP STORIES

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia was battling to contain several COVID-19 clusters around the country on Monday in what some experts have described as the nation’s…Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — A bipartisan deal to invest nearly $1 trillion in the nation’s infrastructure appeared to be back on track Sunday after a stark walk-back by Preside…Read More

JERUSALEM (AP) — Thousands of Palestinians have taken to the streets in recent days to protest against President Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinian Authority, whose sec…Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — Thrown off-stride to reach its COVID-19 vaccination goal, the Biden administration is sending A-list officials across the country, devising ads for n…Read More

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Copa: Brazil’s Win Streak Ends in Tie with Ecuador

Copa America hosts Brazil saw their 10-game winning run come to an end as they drew 1-1 with Ecuador in Goiania.

The point took Ecuador into the quarter-finals, with holders Brazil having previously booked their place in the knockout stages.

Eder Militao headed Brazil into the lead from Everton Soares’ free-kick for his first international goal.
But Angel Mena rifled home from Enner Valencia’s flick-on to equalise and send Ecuador through.
Mena was a first-half replacement for injured Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo.
Ecuador had only needed to match Venezuela’s result against Peru – who had already qualified – in Sunday’s other game.
Andre Carrillo scored the only goal in that encounter as Peru won 1-0.
Both Brazil – who had won every game since November 2019 – and Ecuador must wait until Group A is over before discovering their quarter-final opponents. Only two of the 10 competing teams go out at the group stages.
On Monday in Group A (01:00 BST on Tuesday), Bolivia face Argentina and Uruguay play Paraguay.

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