Daily Archives: June 27, 2021

TOKYO, June 27 (Reuters) - Japan plans to ask Olympic athletes from India and five other countries hit hard by the highly infectious Delta variant of the coronavirus to have daily virus tests for seven days before leaving for the Games, a Japanese newspaper said on Sunday.

Currently, all overseas athletes are being asked to have coronavirus tests twice during the four-day period before their departure for the Tokyo Olympics, which are set to start on July 23 after a year's delay due to the pandemic.

The Japanese government aims to put the new rule, which will be applied to athletes from India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan, into effect on July 1, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported, without citing sources.

Olympics Minister Tamayo Marukawa said on Friday a member of the Ugandan Olympic team who tested positive for the coronavirus upon arrival had the Delta variant, adding to concern the Games may trigger a new wave of infections.

Reporting by Kiyoshi Takenaka; Editing by William Mallard

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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Japan to ask athletes from India, others for more COVID-19 tests - Reuters

A teenager enters a pop-up COVID-19 vaccine site this month in the Jackson Heights neighborhood of Queens in New York City. Scott Heins/Getty Images hide caption

A teenager enters a pop-up COVID-19 vaccine site this month in the Jackson Heights neighborhood of Queens in New York City.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says 323 cases of heart inflammation have been verified in people who received the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.

The cases of myocarditis and pericarditis have been seen mostly in teens and young adults between 12 and 39 years old mostly after the second vaccine dose.

Most people who have experienced this side effect have recovered from symptoms and are doing well, according to data presented Wednesday at a public meeting of the CDC's vaccine advisory committee. Of the 323 cases, 295 were discharged from the hospital, nine remained hospitalized as of last week and 14 were not hospitalized at all. Outcome data was missing for five of the cases. No deaths have been associated with this side effect.

Symptoms include chest pain or pressure and difficulty breathing, says Dr. Kristen Sexson Tejtel, a cardiologist at Texas Children's Hospital who has treated people with the vaccine-related condition. For people experiencing symptoms, "the best thing to do is to talk to their physician or come to the emergency room for evaluation," Tejtel says, where blood tests and heart imaging results can confirm the diagnosis.

The CDC says there have been some cases of heart inflammation reported after the Johnson & Johnson vaccine to the Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System, though not as many as with the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines.

The number of cases has not risen much from last week when CDC Director Rochelle Walensky told reporters at a White House briefing that the agency knew of "over 300" cases.

The CDC says the findings do not change the basic recommendation that all people 12 and older should receive either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine. However, the CDC recommends that if a person develops myocarditis after the first dose, a second dose should be delayed until the condition has fully resolved and the heart has returned to a normal state.

"The facts are clear: this is an extremely rare side effect, and only an exceedingly small number of people will experience it after vaccination," officials said in a statement. "Importantly, for the young people who do, most cases are mild, and individuals recover often on their own or with minimal treatment. In addition, we know that myocarditis and pericarditis are much more common if you get COVID-19, and the risks to the heart from COVID-19 infection can be more severe."

Health experts agree that the benefits of being protected from COVID-19 outweigh the risks of developing this temporary heart condition from a vaccine. "There's no zero risk proposition," says Dr. Brian Feingold, medical director of the heart transplant program at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. "If you're statistically going after what's safest, the data right now stacks up [to show] that vaccines are absolutely the safer route."

A representative from the Food and Drug Administration attending the meeting, Dr. Doran Fink, said the agency would add a warning to vaccine fact sheets reflecting the risk of this rare complication.

Naturally occurring heart inflammation is rare, but it does occur from time to time in teens and young adults. The rate seen after these vaccines is slightly higher than would be expected for these ages, prompting concern.

Teenagers get vaccination cards after receiving a first dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine last month at a mobile clinic at the Weingart East Los Angeles YMCA in Los Angeles. Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

Teenagers get vaccination cards after receiving a first dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine last month at a mobile clinic at the Weingart East Los Angeles YMCA in Los Angeles.

The group is also looking at the issue of booster doses. A report from the CDC presented to the expert panel says that the agency would recommend a booster dose only after seeing evidence that people who've gotten the vaccines have started getting infected in significant numbers. The agency would not rely solely on a decline in antibodies.

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices issues recommendations for the use and scheduling of all approved and authorized vaccines in the United States. It did not vote on any recommendations Wednesday regarding the use of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines.

Pien Huang contributed to this report

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Heart Inflammation In Teens And Young Adults After COVID-19 Vaccine Is Rare, CDC Says - NPR

HANOVER COUNTY, Va (WRIC) After serving around 51,000 people with the COVID-19 vaccine, the Hanover County vaccination center at the old Food Lion in Ashland has closed.

In the last few weeks, health leaders have noticed vaccine demand has dropped across the health district, which includes New Kent, Charles City, Goochland and Hanover.

Most of the clinics we were doing were just for second doses, Hanovers deputy county administrator Jim Taylor said.

Taylor told 8News Saturday closing their main vaccination site there in Ashland is bittersweet.

He said health leaders have been able to protect thousands of people against the virus, but at the same time, they know theres still progress to make.

As of Saturday, 83,531 people across New Kent, Charles City, Hanover and Goochland are fully vaccinated.

Taylor said the Chickahominy Health District was one of the first to allow seniors to call-in for appointments and one of the first to offer walk-in appointments.

I think years from now, well look back on this and just smile in terms of what we were able to accomplish in a short period of time, he told 8News.

Now, just under 70% of the adult population in the districts largest county, Hanover, has at least one dose.

In fact, as of Saturday, 90.1% of those between 70 and 79-years-old in all four counties within the health district have gotten at least one dose, according to the Virginia Department of Healths COVID-19 vaccine dashboard.

I think the target was the elderly population, the seniors, who were at most risk to have serious illness or death from the virus, so that was, I think, one of our priorities in the beginning, Taylor said. So, I think its terrific that we were able to make such good progress with our older residents.

Despite the vaccination center closing, Taylor points out that the district will continue holding mobile vaccine clinics and reaching out to those who havent been vaccinated.

Its just been incredible, and I know when we think back months ago how busy it was and how grateful people were, you know, to get through there, its hard to fast-forward to where we are here today and to be actually closing that place up and turning the keys back over to food lion, Taylor said.

Residents across the four counties in the health district will still be able to get vaccines at pharmacies, doctors offices and hospitals where theres still a great availability of the vaccine.

Its pretty easy to find now, not like it was a few months ago, Taylor said about vaccine availability.

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Hanover vaccination center closes after vaccinating 51,000 people against COVID-19 - 8News

U.S. health officials have paused the distribution of two Eli Lilly & Co. Covid-19 monoclonal antibody treatments because of data showing that they arent effective against virus variants that are becoming increasingly common across the country.

The Department of Health and Human Services said Friday that it is immediately pausing all distribution of bamlanivimab and etesevimab together, as well as etesevimab alone to be paired with existing supplies of bamlanivimab, in the U.S. until further notice.

Health administrators cited analyses that found that the two antibody treatments together werent effective against two variants: the Gamma variant, first identified in Brazil, and the Beta variant, first identified in South Africa.

These variants account for more than 11% of Covid-19 cases, a share that is growing, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Distribution of the antibody treatments was already paused because of concerns regarding their effectiveness with the variants in at least nine states including Rhode Island, Arizona, California, Florida, Washington and Massachusetts.

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Eli Lilly Covid-19 Antibody Drug Shipments Paused Over Variant Concerns - The Wall Street Journal

While COVID-19 restrictions are being eased across the United States, PGA Tour players who travel to The Open in England next month will face protocols and procedures more strict than any they have seen in months.

According to a "Player Information Update'' sent this week and obtained by ESPN, The Open at Royal St. George's in Sandwich, England, will "operate under strict government oversight from the UK government,'' according to Martin Slumbers, CEO of the R&A, which runs The Open.

The tournament begins July 15.

Among other things, players will not be allowed to share accommodations and will be required to undergo COVID-19 testing, regardless of vaccination status. They will not be allowed to visit restaurants, pubs or grocery stores -- all of which have been allowed for months at PGA Tour events in the United States.

And yet, the tournament is being permitted to have up to 32,000 spectators per day at the venue in the southeastern part of the country. Although exact numbers were not reported at last month's PGA Championship at Kiawah Island, South Carolina, the spectator capacity being allowed at The Open is likely the largest of any worldwide golf event since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

As the word has sunk in with the players, many are learning that housing accommodations they had secured previously will not be suitable for The Open. According to the information update, they will be able to choose from a list of hotels provided by the R&A, or they can book their own private residence, but only for use by the player and team and with a maximum of four people.

"Please be aware that the UK has strict contact tracing laws and our ability to stage the Championship relies on persons not creating contacts other than their own player support team group,'' the update said.

Each player is permitted to bring one caddie plus two support team members. The latter can be a coach, manager, medical support or translator. Players can also choose to allow one family member to attend, but that person must already be in the U.K., have completed any quarantine requirements and must stay in the same accommodation as the player.

At present, anyone traveling to England from the United States must be tested prior to departure and quarantine for 10 days upon arrival. The quarantine is waived after five days with a negative COVID-19 test. The four people including the player are exempt from the quarantine criteria.

"All accredited players, caddies and player support team members including family members will be subject to strict 'inner bubble' restrictions for the duration of their time at the Championship and must not mix with members of the general public in restaurants, supermarkets or other public areas,'' the update said. "No one outside the accommodation buddy group is permitted to visit others in self-catering/private accommodation. This would be seen as a breach of the COVID-19 protocols and could lead to withdrawal from the Championship.''

Players are also subject to removal from the tournament if they are deemed to have been in contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. Unlike the PGA Tour, which requires daily testing of a person who is deemed to be a contact, the R&A can disqualify such a player without a positive test.

One player agent, who asked not to be identified, told ESPN: "No pubs, no restaurants, no grocery stores and no walking to the course. Crazy! Also, a player cannot go to another's houses for dinner. We will essentially eat all our meals at the course or have groceries delivered.''

An anonymous player told Golfweek.com: "I'm going to go because it's the British Open. But I certainly thought about not going. I just can't believe with the numerous examples of successfully run, safely held tournaments and majors here that they can't figure out a better situation.

"If someone on your plane tests positive on the way to the British and is sitting anywhere close to you, you're out, no questions asked, no matter if you're vaccinated. It's aggravating that they deem the tournament safe enough for 32,000 fans a day to attend but won't let a player's wife or children travel and watch the tournament, nor will they even let players visit a restaurant without threat of disqualification."

The European Tour has been operating under similar restrictions since its return to action last July. The PGA Tour has gradually lifted various protocols throughout the pandemic. In April, the tour told its membership that players would no longer need to undergo weekly COVID-19 testing if they were fully vaccinated. Contact protocols would also be waived for such players.

The U.K. government recently extended its mask and distancing restrictions until July 19 out of fear for the spread of the Delta variant of COVID-19 that was first detected in India. The United States is on the country's Amber list for travel, which requires testing and quarantine.

Pete Cowen, a U.K.-based instructor who works with several players, including Rory McIlroy, had planned to share a large RV with several caddies near the driving range, he told the Telegraph newspaper in the U.K. Those plans are now off because of the restrictions.

"It wasn't cheap, but it seemed the wisest option in the current climate,'' Cowen said. "But we've just found out that we are not allowed to stay together because it breaks the government protocols.''

Cowen later added: "There are going to be 32,000 fans allowed in every day and they're saying we can't stay in anything other than the dedicated hotels -- most of which are already sold out -- because we'd be mixing with the public. And we can't stay together, like we have on the PGA Tour for the last year.

"We have all been vaccinated and will have been tested before we are allowed in. This 'bubble' we have created between ourselves has produced no problems at all.

"It makes no sense at all when there will be 60,000 at Wembley [for soccer], 140,000 at Silverstone [racetrack] and all those at Wimbledon on the weekend before -- sitting next to each other. I suppose I should be grateful I am going at all, as initially the wording of the [regulations] made me believe instructors would be banned."

The R&A said in its update that the restrictions are required by the U.K. government.

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Golfers to face strict COVID-19 protocols at The Open - ESPN

The daughter of an unvaccinated woman who died from the coronavirus said her family will still not be getting their shots, according to the Daily Beast.

Molly Hart, a physical therapist from Bradenton, Florida, was left devastated after her mother, Mary Knight, passed away from complications related to COVID-19 last week. However, the tragic event did not change her stance on getting the COVID-19 vaccine.

"No one in my family will be getting the vaccine," Hart confirmed to the Daily Beast.

Read more: Governors of all 50 states are vaccinated against COVID-19

Hart said she believes her mother, who was 58 years old, did not die from the coronavirus but that it was a "freak thing" caused by "stress."

"She was always a busy worker bee," Hart said, according to the Daily Beast. "She didn't know how to rest and gave her all to everything she did. Stress killed her, not COVID. A healthy body and immune system [do] not need the vaccine."

According to public health experts, having a strong and healthy immune system does not offer the same protection as a COVID-19 vaccine, CNN reported.

Knight, who was not vaccinated, died after contracting the virus in the government office building where she worked as an IT Customer service supervisor.

Three other unvaccinated employees in her office where wearing face masks was not mandatory also contracted the virus and fell seriously ill, but survived. Another unvaccinated member of the IT department, a 53-year-old man called Alphonso Cox,also died last week after coming down with COVID-19.

The employees in the office that had been vaccinated however were not affected by the illness at all, Manatee County Administrator Dr. Scott Hopes said in a statement.

Hopes said at a news conference earlier this week that believes the outbreak that killed Knight could have involved the Delta variant of the coronavirus, which originates from India.

More than 600,00 people have died from the coronavirus in the United States since the start of the pandemic, according to a tracker by Johns Hopkins University.

The Daily Beast report comes one week after a Texas man who spent four months battling COVID-19 in hospital and almost died from the virus told CNN he regretted not getting a vaccine.

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The family of an unvaccinated woman who died from COVID-19 say they still refuse to get the jab, report says - Business Insider

With the vaccine behind me, I feel hopeful for the future for the first time in over a year.

Having an autoimmune disease is tough physically, mentally, and emotionally. Having an autoimmune disease during a pandemic? That is a completely new experience that I wasnt prepared for.

I have ulcerative colitis (UC), a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and have been fighting a flare-up off and on throughout all of 2020. I like to say that I was quarantining before quarantining was cool.

I finally felt a glimmer of hope mixed with a twinge of uncertainty when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that a COVID-19 vaccine was finally available.

Was it going to work? Was it going to make my disease worse? So many questions were living rent-free in my brain.

I did so much research about the effects of the vaccine on people with IBD and initially found very little. I want to share my experience in the hope that it will help you make an educated decision on COVID-19 vaccination for yourself.

Im not going to lie: I was hesitant about getting the vaccine at first. Like many people, I truly didnt know if I even wanted or should get the vaccine.

For a while, I was in the camp of absolutely not. My body had started heading into remission and was sensitive beyond belief. The last thing I needed was a foreign substance in my body.

However, I continued seeing more positive research coming out about trial participants with autoimmune diseases, as well as medical leaders encouraging people with IBD to get the vaccine.

Additionally, I did not want to suffer the effects of COVID-19 on top of my existing symptoms.

Ultimately, I chose to get vaccinated.

I did not make this decision lightly. People with an autoimmune disease, myself included, are at greater risk of having severe complications from COVID-19 and I did not want to risk it. On top of that, the chronic stress and fear of getting COVID-19 that I have felt for over a year now have wreaked havoc on my gut and my overall well-being.

On the other hand, the side effects of the vaccine on autoimmune patients are very minimal and provide me with peace of mind in knowing that I am protected.

I weighed all the pros and cons and decided that the reward outweighed the risk.

I was a ball of nerves driving up to the vaccination site on my appointment day, not knowing what to expect. However, the overall experience was a positive one.

I waited in line for no more than 10 minutes, and the injection was completely painless. I then waited in the car for 15 minutes in case of an allergic reaction and drove home.

In the hours after the first dose, I actually felt better than I have felt since the start of my flare-up. Coincidentally, my symptoms were less severe, and I had more energy than normal. (I am not sure yet if the vaccine caused the improvement of my symptoms, but I look forward to reading studies on the vaccine and IBD to see if this is related.)

I heard from friends that the second dose was far worse than the first, so I braced myself. My first dose went exceedingly well, but I feared this would be the moment I would feel the negative effects. I even prepped all my food for the next few days in case I didnt feel well enough to cook.

The overall experience again was very positive, and the actual injection was not painful. Later that evening, I felt run down and a little tired, so I drank a lot of water and went to bed early.

Fearing the worst, I woke up in the morning and did a quick mental scan of my body. But I felt normal.

I cautiously waited the rest of the day for the symptoms to set in and they never did. I feel extremely lucky to not have experienced more intense symptoms, especially when I already had symptoms from my UC flare-up.

With the vaccine behind me, I feel hopeful for the future for the first time in over a year. I feel like a huge weight has been lifted and that I can rest easy knowing that I am protected from this awful virus.

My vaccinated future feels bright. You will find me at a bar laughing with friends, playing beach volleyball, and singing my heart out at a country concert. These are all things that seemed so basic and normal in 2019, and yet these are the moments that I will cherish in 2021.

Every person is unique and, therefore, will have their own individual experience with the vaccine.

However, I hope my story and experience will help you to weigh your options regarding your health and the vaccine.

Holly Fowler is a Certified Health Coach and personal trainer in Los Angeles. She loves hiking, spending time at the beach, trying the latest gluten-free hot spot in town, and working out as much as her ulcerative colitis allows. When she isnt seeking out gluten-free vegan dessert, you can find her working behind the scenes of her website and Instagram, or curled up on the couch bingeing the latest true-crime documentary on Netflix.

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My Experience with the COVID-19 Vaccine and IBD - Healthline

(Update: Adding video, comments by Bend restaurant owner)

Sooner, if 70% vaccination goal met; school decisions return to local boards

SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) Gov. Kate Brown signed a recovery-focused executive order Friday lifting all remaining COVID-19 health and safety restrictions issued under Oregons emergency statutes. Restrictions will be lifted when Oregon achieves a 70% first dose adult vaccination rate or next Wednesday, June 30, whichever occurs first.

With restrictions lifted, the state will shift to a focus on helping Oregonians and communities recover from the impacts and the economic toll of the pandemic.

This means statewide mask mandates in most settings will be lifted and there will no longer be capacity limits, required physical distancing or county risk levels.

For more than a year, Oregon has faced some of the nations strictest COVID-19 related safety measures and restrictions county risk levels, mask requirements inside and outside, limited gatherings and restaurants closed for indoor dining.

The owner of Bend's Pine Tavern Restaurant says not having to wear masks will be nice, but capacity limits at his restaurant won't change -- not due to COVID-19, but because, like most businesses, he does not have enough employees.

"If they lift the capacity, great -- but we can't open the rest of the restaurant and spaces because we simply don't have the employees," Bill McCormick told NewsChannel 21 on Friday.

Here's the rest of the governor's news release:

Im proud of our collective efforts to vaccinate more than 2.3 million Oregonians. It is because of this success that we can move Oregon forward, and into the next chapter of this pandemic. We are ready, said Governor Brown.

We should all take pride in the work we have done to bring us to this moment. The efforts underway to close our vaccine equity gap and reach every Oregonian with information and a vaccine have definitely helped bring us this far. Thank you to all who are going the extra mile to vaccinate Oregonians.

The Governor signed the executive order today in a press conference with Oregon Health Authority Director Patrick Allen, state epidemiologist Dr. Dean Sidelinger, and Oregon Department of Education Director Colt Gill.

Recovery OrderThe Governors recovery order rescinds Executive Order 20-66, the successor to her original Stay Home, Save Lives order and subsequent Safe and Strong Oregon orders, which authorized Oregons statewide mask mandate and the county risk level system, including restrictions on businesses and other sectors for physical distancing, capacity limits, closing times, and more.

The recovery order also rescinds Executive Order Order 20-22 (Non-urgent Healthcare Procedures), Executive Order 21-06 (K-12 Schools), Executive Order 20-28 (Higher Education), and Executive Order 20-19 (Childcare Facilities).

With the repeal of the set of executive orders that placed COVID-19 related restrictions on Oregonians, the recovery order extends the emergency declaration for the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The Governors remaining emergency authority will be limited in focus to COVID-19 recovery efforts, similar to the recovery executive order currently in place for 2020 wildfire season recovery.

Emergency authority continues to be necessary to provide flexibility and resources for vaccination efforts, health system response to COVID-19 including staffing flexibility, Oregons access to FEMA, enhanced SNAP benefits, and other federal aid, to allow the continued operation of certain emergency child care providers through the summer, unemployment insurance claim processing, and more. The recovery order does not provide authorization for agencies to renew restrictions based on emergency authorities.

Continued Governor Brown: This is a pivotal moment for Oregon. We have endured a lot over the past several months. We must recognize that it has been exceptionally difficult for our Black, Indigenous, Latino, Latina, Latinx, Asian, Pacific Islander and Tribal communities. Disparities that existed before are even wider now. I am incredibly proud of the work that our local health partners and community-based organizations have done to reach Oregonians from communities of color and make progress toward closing the equity gaps in our vaccination efforts.

Brighter days are ahead. And, we are more determined than ever to make sure we ground our state in a strong recovery that reaches every single Oregonian as we turn a page on this chapter of the pandemic. Our work is not done, but we can all take a moment to celebrate that by next week, we will be moving forward together.

Some statewide mask requirements may stay in place in specialized settings following federal guidance, including airports, public transit, and health care settings. The Governors recovery order will remain in effect until December 31, 2021, unless terminated earlier.

K-12 Education, Higher Education, and ChildcareRescinding the Governors executive orders for K-12 schools, higher education, and child care will mean a shift to a more traditional, local decision-making model for communities when it comes to serving the health and safety needs of students and children.

In order to ensure a return to full-time, in-person instruction in the fall, the Oregon Department of Education and the Oregon Health Authority will be issuing updated, advisory guidance for the 2021-22 school year. Schools will still be expected to comply with longstanding regulations around the control of infectious diseases, and to have acommunicable disease management plan.

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Gov. Brown: Oregon to reopen, with COVID-19 restrictions lifted by next Wednesday - KTVZ