US, two out of three citizens have had at least one dose of the vaccine
Joe Biden urges Americans to get vaccinated against coronavirus at a rally in Raleigh, North Carolina. Underlining the progress but also the risks, the American president recalls that 66% of adult Americans have been immunized with at least one dose, just below the set goal of reaching 70% by 4 July, Independence Day.
In Brazil, a week of record infections
Brazil has recorded 73,602 new cases of covid in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of infected people to more than 18.2 million and the average of infections in seven days to 77,265 per day, a new record. Even though the number of infections fell from 115,228 on Wednesday, the highest ever recorded since the beginning of the pandemic, the average of the last seven days has therefore reached the highest level ever. The jump in the average number of cases, 32.7% from the average two weeks ago (58,214 cases on June 10), confirms experts’ projections that Brazil is beginning to experience a third wave of the pandemic. Brazil has recorded 2,032 deaths in the past 24 hours, down from 2,392 on Wednesday, bringing the total death toll to 509,141. In contrast to the number of infections, the average number of deaths in seven days has decreased, which is attributed to the progress of covid vaccination among the older, most vulnerable population. According to the Ministry of Health, at least 67.2 million Brazilians have already received the first dose of one of the vaccines distributed in the country, which corresponds to 31% of the country’s population and 40% of the adult population.
Australia, lockdown in 4 districts of Sidney for the Delta variant
Australian authorities have ordered a lockdown for residents of four central Sydney districts. The measure provides for staying at home for a week to contain the Delta variant outbreak. Several dozen cases have been reported this week and allegedly linked to a limo driver who allegedly became infected while transporting the crew of an international flight from Sydney Airport to a hotel for quarantine.
A first batch of Cuban Abdala vaccine arrives in Venezuela
Delcy Rodriguez, vice president of the Venezuelan government of Nicola’s Maduro, announced the arrival in Venezuela of the first batch of the Cuban Abdala vaccine, still in the approval phase but endorsed by international organizations, to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic. It is “a vaccine that is 92 percent effective against Covid-19,” Rodriguez explained. Abdala is expected to enter the Venezuelan government’s immunization program, although neither Venezuelan medical federations or societies nor international organizations such as the Pan American Health Organization or the World Health Organization (WHO) have approved it. The executive said a contract was signed to receive 12 million doses of Abdala, stressing that an “imperialist blockade” prevents the arrival of vaccines to the Venezuelan people.
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