. Earth Science News .
EPIDEMICS
China gives one-billionth Covid shot as Brazil toll hits milestone
By AFP bureaus
Beijing (AFP) June 20, 2021

China on Sunday announced it had administered its one-billionth shot in the world's biggest coronavirus inoculation drive as Brazil's death toll from the pandemic passed 500,000.

The global death toll from Covid-19 is now more than 3.8 million and many nations are still battling outbreaks, but vaccine drives in some countries are allowing activities that were unthinkable a few months ago.

China's vaccine milestone comes after the number of shots administered globally passed 2.5 billion on Friday, according to an AFP count from official sources.

But the Asian giant's vaccination efforts initially got off to a slow start after a successful fight against the virus left little sense of urgency to get jabbed.

A lack of transparency and previous vaccine scandals have also led to resistance among many residents.

Authorities have set an ambitious target of fully vaccinating 40 percent of China's nearly 1.4 billion people by the end of this month.

Some provinces are offering vaccines for free to encourage people to roll up their sleeves. Residents in central Anhui province have been given free eggs, while some living in Beijing have received shopping coupons.

China's success against the virus stands in stark contrast to Brazil, which on Saturday became the second nation after the United States to surpass half a million Covid-19 deaths.

Vaccination efforts have been slow with only 11 percent of the Brazilian population inoculated, as a third wave of infections spreads through the nation.

Far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, who previously hit out at vaccines, has promised to immunise the entire population by the end of the year -- something specialists consider unlikely.

He has been criticised for downplaying the illness from the outset, opposing lockdown measures and plugging unproven medical treatments.

On Saturday, thousands of Brazilians again took to the streets to protest against his handling of the pandemic.

"His position on Covid and his denialism are absurd. He has abandoned reality and common sense," said Robert Almeida, a 50-year-old photographer marching in Rio.

"There is no explaining this, it is surreal."

- 'Learn to live with it' -

In India, there were also fears that people were not taking the Covid threat seriously enough, just a few weeks after crematoriums were operating around the clock dealing with virus victims.

Doctors are worried that India is letting its guard down again too early as shopping malls and markets buzz with customers once more.

One shopper at a New Delhi mall told AFP she was "fed up being cooped up inside".

"I needed this break, for how long you can remain locked up?" sales executive Surili Gupta, 26, said.

"The coronavirus is not going any time soon, so one has to learn to live with it."

The pandemic is also casting a shadow over the Tokyo Olympics, which will start in just over a month.

A member of the Uganda Olympic team tested positive for coronavirus on arrival in Japan Saturday, officials said.

The nine-strong party, including boxers, coaches and officials, are just the second team to arrive in Japan after the Australian women's softball squad on June 1.

It was the first positive Covid test among Olympic arrivals from overseas, according to Japanese media.

"I heard the person has been isolated based on regulations," Hidemasa Nakamura, the Tokyo 2020 Games delivery officer, told reporters, renewing a pledge to take strict measures against infections.

Authorities in many countries continue to wrestle with crowds flouting coronavirus rules on social distancing and mask-wearing.

In France, five police officers were injured as they broke up a 1,500-strong illegal rave, authorities said, with one party-goer losing a hand.

Police fired tear gas to disperse the crowd, who defied an 11pm coronavirus curfew on Friday in an area around a race course in Brittany.

There were "very violent clashes" when 400 police intervened that lasted more than seven hours through the night.

"It was war," said Flo, a 22-year-old who attended.

burs-axn/jfx


Related Links
Epidemics on Earth - Bird Flu, HIV/AIDS, Ebola


Thanks for being here;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5 Billed Monthly


paypal only


EPIDEMICS
South Africa sends army medics to Covid-hit province
Johannesburg (AFP) June 18, 2021
South Africa is deploying army medical personnel to its commercial hub and most populous province to help health workers battle a surge in coronavirus, the government said Friday. South Africa, the worst-hit country in the continent, has entered a third Covid wave, with new daily cases doubling over the past two weeks. Gauteng province - home to the administrative capital Pretoria and financial hub Johannesburg - is the outbreak's current epicentre, accounting for around 60 percent of the late ... read more

Comment using your Disqus, Facebook, Google or Twitter login.



Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle

EPIDEMICS
Millions join Mexico quake drills after pandemic eases

Eight detained over deadly China gas blast

Snipers 'were ready to shoot' Greenpeace Euro 2020 parachutist

China says radiation levels normal at Taishan nuclear plant

EPIDEMICS
Compact quantum computer for server centers

Meringue-like material could make aircraft as quiet as a hairdryer

Juice moves into Large Space Simulator

G7 nations commit to the safe and sustainable use of space

EPIDEMICS
Australia to challenge UNESCO downgrade of Great Barrier Reef

Coastal cities face their mortality on the climate 'frontline'

Harvesting drinking water from humidity around the clock

Danger and demons: Yemen's mysterious 'Well of Hell'

EPIDEMICS
Irreversible warming tipping point possibly triggered: Arctic mission chief

Study shows how permafrost releases methane in the warming Arctic

Ice shelf disintegration accelerating Pine Island Glacier descent toward sea

Antarctica less frigid in last ice age than scientists previously estimated

EPIDEMICS
Changes in farming practices could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 70% by 2036

The origins of farming insects

Israelis taste the future with lab-grown chicken 'food revolution'

Climate change likely contributed to 'catastrophic' French frost: scientists

EPIDEMICS
Strong earthquake shakes Peru's capital

Forecast predicts global increase in coastal overtopping

Heavy rains in Crimea trigger floods, state of emergency

Death toll rises as monsoon floods hit Bhutan and Nepal

EPIDEMICS
Calls for inquiry as dozens killed, injured, in Ethiopia market airstrike

Three senior DRCongo officers arrested: prosecutors

Mali ex-rebels question junta's commitment to 2015 peace deal

Four kidnapped Chinese workers freed in Nigeria

EPIDEMICS
Urban green space brings happiness when money can't buy it anymore

Brain's memory center also key for real-time decision-making

Study: Brains, bodies of babies active during new sleep stage

Soft tissue measurements in chimpanzees to aid hominid facial reconstruction









The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.