The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases is about 216.9 million and the number of deaths is close to 4.5 million. The highest numbers of new cases were reported from the United States of America (8% decrease), India (17% increase), the Islamic Republic of Iran (similar to the previous week), the UK (8% increase), and Brazil (16% decrease).
According to Bloomberg, globally, the vaccination rate is about 41 million doses per day, having administered more than 5.26 billion doses across 183 countries. With 80% of its population fully vaccinated, Singapore has the world's highest rate of complete vaccinations. However “Less than 2% of adults are fully vaccinated in most low-income countries compared to almost 50% in high‑income countries”, it was stated during the third meeting of the Multilateral Leaders Taskforce on COVID-19 with the leaders of the African Vaccine Acquisition Trust (AVAT), Africa CDC, Gavi and UNICEF.
The necessity of a COVID-19 booster jab is under debate. Israel is allowing all citizens over the age of 12 and who received the second shot at least five months ago to receive a third dose of the vaccine. The US, with about 52% of the population fully vaccinated, approved the administration of a third dose of the Comirnaty/Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in some immunocompromised people. In the European Union there is not a consensus: Germany is going to offer boosters to immunocompromised patients, the very elderly and nursing home residents from September; Hungary already started giving a third dose to anyone who received full vaccination at least four months ago, while some other Member States are still waiting for recommendations from the EU.
In Australia, Melbourne is extending its four-week lockdown in order to stop the spread of the Delta variant. The government is yet to outline which restrictions will remain in place.
On August 30, the European Council updated the list of countries for which travel restrictions should be lifted. In particular, Israel, Kosovo, Lebanon, Montenegro, the Republic of North Macedonia and the United States of America were removed from the list. Member states should gradually lift the travel restrictions at the external borders for residents of the following third countries: Albania, Armenia, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Japan, Jordan, New Zealand, Qatar, Republic of Moldova, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Singapore, South Korea, Ukraine, and China (subject to confirmation of reciprocity). The same day, the US raised the travel risk alert for Puerto Rico, Switzerland, Canada, and other countries.
According to Bloomberg, globally, the vaccination rate is about 41 million doses per day, having administered more than 5.26 billion doses across 183 countries. With 80% of its population fully vaccinated, Singapore has the world's highest rate of complete vaccinations. However “Less than 2% of adults are fully vaccinated in most low-income countries compared to almost 50% in high‑income countries”, it was stated during the third meeting of the Multilateral Leaders Taskforce on COVID-19 with the leaders of the African Vaccine Acquisition Trust (AVAT), Africa CDC, Gavi and UNICEF.
The necessity of a COVID-19 booster jab is under debate. Israel is allowing all citizens over the age of 12 and who received the second shot at least five months ago to receive a third dose of the vaccine. The US, with about 52% of the population fully vaccinated, approved the administration of a third dose of the Comirnaty/Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in some immunocompromised people. In the European Union there is not a consensus: Germany is going to offer boosters to immunocompromised patients, the very elderly and nursing home residents from September; Hungary already started giving a third dose to anyone who received full vaccination at least four months ago, while some other Member States are still waiting for recommendations from the EU.
In Australia, Melbourne is extending its four-week lockdown in order to stop the spread of the Delta variant. The government is yet to outline which restrictions will remain in place.
On August 30, the European Council updated the list of countries for which travel restrictions should be lifted. In particular, Israel, Kosovo, Lebanon, Montenegro, the Republic of North Macedonia and the United States of America were removed from the list. Member states should gradually lift the travel restrictions at the external borders for residents of the following third countries: Albania, Armenia, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Japan, Jordan, New Zealand, Qatar, Republic of Moldova, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Singapore, South Korea, Ukraine, and China (subject to confirmation of reciprocity). The same day, the US raised the travel risk alert for Puerto Rico, Switzerland, Canada, and other countries.