– Here’s what you need to know about the coronavirus right now:
China faces biggest Delta outbreak
China is battling its biggest COVID-19 outbreak caused by the highly transmissible Delta variant, with some areas restricting entry by people from the northeastern city of Dalian where infections have grown faster than elsewhere in the country in the past week.
This marks China’s most widespread Delta outbreak, which has affected 21 provinces, regions and municipalities. It is smaller than many outbreaks in other countries but authorities in China are anxious to block the transmission under the government’s zero-tolerance guidance.
Britain expected to extend booster programme to under 50s
The British government is expected to extend its COVID-19 booster programme to people under the age of 50 to drive down transmission rates as winter approaches, the Times reported.
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) is expected to give its approval on Monday to extending the rollout, the newspaper reported, adding the details of the age groups had not been confirmed.
Cambodia ends quarantine for vaccinated travellers
Cambodia will stop requiring quarantine for travellers who have been vaccinated for COVID-19 starting on Monday, Prime Minister Hun Sen said.
Hun Sen said travellers will have to show a negative test taken 72 hours prior to travel and have two vaccine doses. Cambodia has vaccinated nearly 90% of its more than 16 million people, one of Asia’s highest inoculation rates.
Florida lawmakers meet over vaccine mandates
Florida lawmakers will meet in a special legislative session on Monday, called by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis with the goal of thwarting coronavirus vaccine mandates.
In a week-long session, the lawmakers, largely dominated by the Republican party, are slated to consider four bills that would impose new penalties on businesses and local governments that require workers to get vaccinated against COVID-19, according to the agenda released by the governor’s office.
Long COVID rare in college athletes
College athletes who become infected with the coronavirus are very unlikely to have any lasting effects, a large U.S. study suggests. Researchers tracked more than 3,500 athletes from 44 colleges and universities and from more than 20 different sports who tested positive for the virus. Only 1.2% reported symptoms lasting more than three weeks, with 0.06% reporting symptoms lasting more than three months, the researchers wrote in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
“For the vast majority of athletes, this study shows that a return to play is possible without lingering COVID symptoms,” study leader Dr Jonathan Drezner of the University of Washington in Seattle said in a statement. “But any new chest pain or cardiopulmonary symptom should be taken seriously. Even if initial cardiac testing is negative after a COVID-19 illness, chest pain while exerting yourself should be evaluated.”
(Compiled by Karishma Singh; Editing by Robert Birsel)
