The UK government is aiming to reach “two-thirds of the adult population” fully vaccinated with two doses by July 19 (up from 60% now) to meet this deadline on exiting the significant residual lockdown restrictions. The new Minister of Health, Sajid, said yesterday in the House of Commons Javid, who took over on Saturday from Matt Hancock, overwhelmed by the scandal of the video with his lover. Updating the deputies on this matter, Javid acknowledged the concerns relating to the rebound of infections fueled by the Delta (formerly Indian) variant, thus confirming the postponement of the reopening, initially scheduled for 21 June, to no earlier than 19 July. And he warned that “there is still a great deal of work to be done” to fully restore “our freedoms”. But he reiterated that “vaccines are working” also against the Delta strain, at least as a barrier against serious infections, the increase in hospitalizations and deaths, saying he is “encouraged” by the results of the latest research. “We therefore see no reason to think of going beyond July 19” at the moment, he stressed, adding that “people and business want certainties” and that for this reason the government is waiting for the right moment so that “every step can be irreversible”.
The cases of the Delta variant in Russia are on the rise
On Monday, Russian authorities announced daily death records for Covid-19 in Moscow and St. Petersburg, a sign that the situation continues to worsen in Russia, hit hard by the Delta variant. According to official data, the Russian capital recorded 124 deaths and St. Petersburg 110 in 24 hours, beating the records already broken at the weekend. The quarter-finals of the European football championships scheduled for Friday in St. Petersburg will take place anyway, the organizers said. And that, while nearly 300 fans who returned to Finland after attending the Finland-Belgium match on June 21 in this city tested positive for Covid-19, according to local health authorities.
Australia, new cases of the Delta variant
New cases of contamination with the highly contagious Delta variant were reported in various cities across Australia on Monday, forcing authorities to impose restrictions in some regions. The largest outbreak is in Sydney (south-east), whose millions of inhabitants entered a two-week detention on Sunday. Authorities have decided on a four-day lockdown in Perth (west), the third city to restrict travel after Sydney (south-east) and Darwin (north).
Brazil: vaccine scandal, senators ask for investigations on Bolsonaro for omission in official documents
Senators of Brazil, Randolfe Rodrigues, Jorge Kajuru and Fabiano Contarato, have filed a complaint with the Supreme Court (Srf) in which they ask for the opening of an investigation into the President of the Republic, Jair Bolsonaro, as part of the scandal for the ” purchase of an anti-Covid at a higher price. The speaker of the case will be the supreme judge, Rosa Weber. According to the three senators, the president was aware of the irregularity of the contracts and would have done nothing to avoid it. The offense has been classified as “prevarication” which, according to the Brazilian penal code, occurs when a public official “delays or fails to perform, improperly, an official act, or to practice it against an express provision of law, to satisfy a personal interest or feeling “. The offense is listed among the crimes committed by a public official against the public administration and, in the case of the President of the Republic, it would be considered a crime of responsibility, among the crimes foreseen for the opening of an impeachment process.
Venezuela: Covid, concern from trade unions and medical centers over Cuban Abdala vaccine
The National Academy of Medicine, the Association of Researchers of the Venezuelan Institute of Scientific Research (AsoInIvic), the National Center for Bioethics (Cenabi), the Organization of United Doctors of Venezuela (Muv), as well as federations and Medical associations and health professionals have expressed their concern about the approval and use of the Cuban Abdala vaccine against Covid-19, when the preparation has not been approved by any international organization. In separate communications, the organizations had as a common denominator the criticism that this product should not be administered as it had not passed the testing phase. The National Academy of Medicine was the first to pronounce on June 25, when it stated that the results of the experimental development should be known and stated: “The main source of information on the two Cuban products – Abdala and Soberana 02- is ‘was the newspaper Granma, the official organ of the Cuban Communist Party “.
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