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Covid-19 vaccine from Biontech / Pfizer
Photo: Sven Hoppe / dpa
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USA does not want to lift travel restrictions immediately
5:08 a.m.:
The US government is not planning to lift travel restrictions early.
As a White House spokesman told Reuters, they do not want to give in to the growing pressure from US business groups and some MPs for the time being: “We have made enormous strides in our vaccination efforts, like many other countries, but we want to make sure that we move consciously and are able to reopen international travel in the long term if it is safe to do so. "
In June, the US government set up an inter-agency working group with the European Union, the UK, Canada and Mexico to look at ways to lift restrictions and eventually resume travel.
US researchers: Already four million
corona
deaths worldwide
4.10 a.m.:
Since the pandemic began, more than four million people have died worldwide after being infected with the coronavirus.
That came out on Wednesday evening from data from the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.
The number of globally known corona deaths rose from three to four million within just under three months.
So far, there have been around 185 million confirmed infections with the virus worldwide, according to data from the university.
Experts assume an even higher number of unreported cases for infections and deaths.
You can find out more about the latest JHU figures here.
South Korea: 1275 new infections within 24 hours
03.48 a.m.:
South Korea also reports a record in connection with corona cases: 1275 new infections within 24 hours, more than ever before.
The government is considering tighter restrictions as the fourth wave is spreading very quickly - especially between unvaccinated people between the ages of 20 and 40.
The authorities are also concerned about the spread of the Delta variant.
Only 10 percent of the 52 million South Koreans are fully vaccinated.
30 percent, mainly those over 60, received their first vaccination.
Thailand reports more corona deaths than ever before
03.35 a.m.:
Thailand registered 75 corona deaths within 24 hours - more than ever before.
The total number of those who died in connection with Covid-19 in the country rises to 2462. In addition, a total of 7058 new infections with the coronavirus were recorded, the total number of infections since the start of the pandemic is 308,230.
Record new infections in New South Wales, Australia
03.15 a.m.:
The Australian state of New South Wales has recorded the highest increase in new infections with the coronavirus this year: the authorities reported 38 new cases on Thursday.
This brings the total number of infections in the latest outbreak to almost 400. The two-week lockdown in the state was only extended by one week the day before.
Olympic city of Tokyo faced another state of emergency
02.59 a.m.:
During the Olympic Games, the corona emergency is said to prevail again in Tokyo.
In view of the significantly increasing number of infections, the government is forced to take this step, as Japanese media reported on Thursday.
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga wants to announce his decision on the same day.
The day before, the city administration had reported 920 new cases of infection.
This is the highest level of new infections within 24 hours since May 13th.
This means that the number of new infections for 18 days is above the value on the same day of the previous week.
A cancellation of the Games does not seem to occur to Japan's Olympic organizers or the IOC.
The games are scheduled to open on July 23 - but possibly without spectators.
According to Japanese media reports, the upcoming new corona emergency will possibly be imposed by August 22, well after the end of the games.
Many people in Japan fear that the games could turn into a super-spreader event.
Calls for more creative vaccination offers: on shopping malls and markets
02.10 a.m.:
The vaccination rate in Germany is falling.
In response to this, more and more politicians and experts are calling for "more creative vaccination offers" right where people spend a lot of time.
Citizens should also be able to get vaccinated in pedestrian zones, housing estates and at events, demanded the health policy spokeswoman for the SPD parliamentary group, Sabine Dittmar, in the »Welt«.
The Marburger Bund doctors' union sees it similarly: "The local authorities need a little more creativity," said chairwoman Susanne Johna of the Düsseldorf "Rheinische Post".
»We also have to speak to people directly and not wait until they come to the vaccination center or the family doctor.
The lower the threshold, the better. "
In the past two weeks, the number of vaccinations per day in Germany has decreased.
According to figures from the Robert Koch Institute, 699,500 vaccine doses were administered on Tuesday, 917,000 on the Tuesday of the previous week and more than a million doses on the Tuesdays of the three weeks before.
New York celebrates systemically important professional groups with a large parade
00:05:
Doctors, nursing staff, suppliers: New York has honored the employees of systemically important industries in the corona pandemic with a large parade.
Representatives of the various professional groups marched on Broadway on Wednesday and were celebrated as "heroes" by the people of the metropolis on the US east coast.
"These often unrecognized everyday workers literally saved our lives," said New Yorker Melinda Mlinac.
She came to thank them.
Words of thanks alone are not enough - the professional groups must also receive higher wages.
New York was the epicenter of the corona pandemic in the United States last spring, with more than 33,000 people dying in the metropolis.
With a tough lockdown, the situation was finally brought under control.
In view of the sharp drop in the number of infections and the progress made in the vaccination campaign, the corona restrictions have now largely been lifted.
nck / aar / dpa / Reuters / AFP