WHO Europe's top tips to prevent another Covid wave
Video content
Video caption: Vaccinations are helping lower cases, but could travel risk these well earned gains?Vaccinations are helping lower cases, but could travel risk these well earned gains?
The World Health Organisation has been emphasising that governments should not repeat the mistakes made in the summer 2020, with the high number of cases in the winter months.
The Delta variant, first seen in India, has delivered a “sting in the tail” to Solihull’s battle against Covid-19, Ruth Tennant, the district's director of public health says.
The strain is now accounting for the vast majority of new cases and officials say there are early signs that a fresh surge in infections is starting to translate into a “worrying” rise in people needing hospital treatment.
Solihull’s rate has now risen to 61 cases per 100,000 – the highest level since the end of March.
However, the figures are still very small compared with the figures seen in the North West of England, which has been at the centre of the Delta variant outbreak in the UK.
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images
Speaking at Solihull borough’s health and wellbeing board, Ms Tennant said: “I think we were hoping that by the time we got to this meeting we might really be into the final furlong of this very long race.
“But I think it’s very much showing – as with everything we’ve known about Covid so far – that it has a little bit of a sting in the tail."
About 125 new cases have been confirmed in the past week, with 95% being the Delta variant. However vaccination take-up was working well, she added.
“The vaccination is progressing incredibly well within Solihull; the second dose coverage in the over 50s is now the highest in the region – 89%.”
South Africa imposes new restrictions as cases rise
BBC Monitoring
The world through its media
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images
South Africa has fully vaccinated at least 480,000 peopleImage caption: South Africa has fully vaccinated at least 480,000 people
A nationwide curfew has been moved up
to 22:00 local time, while alcohol sales have been limited to Mondays to
Thursdays.
Public gatherings have also been limited to 50 people indoors and
100 people outdoors.
Mr Ramaphosa allayed fears over the slow
progress of the country’s vaccination programme, saying two million Johnson
& Johnson vaccines were expected by the end of this month.
He added that
South Africa had the capacity to vaccinate at least 150,000 people daily and
urged those aged over 60 years to register to get a jab.
South Africa has more than 80,000
active Covid-19 cases and has so far fully vaccinated at least 480,000 people.
President Hage Geingob restricted movement in and out of the capital WindhoekImage caption: President Hage Geingob restricted movement in and out of the capital Windhoek
Namibia has announced tight measures to
limit the spread of coronavirus after a recent spike in infections and deaths.
On Tuesday evening, President Hage Geingob announced a
two-week lockdown of the capital Windhoek, which has recorded more than half of
the Covid infections in the country.
He said no movement would be allowed in and out of the
capital for the duration. Physical learning in schools in affected areas was
also suspended up to 30 June.
The sale of alcohol has been restricted to between 09:00 and 18:00 local time from Monday to Saturday and only on "a take-away basis".
In a televised address to the nation, the president said the Covid
situation had taken “a turn for the worst” in the past four weeks, with record daily infections and deaths.
The president mentioned leaders, besides himself and his
wife, who had suffered from Covid - including the vice-president and several
cabinet ministers.
Namibia has recently experienced a surge in coronavirus cases including a
death rate that has been among the highest
per capita in the continent.
Namibian
infectious disease specialist Dr Gordon Cupido last week told the BBC's Newsday
programme last week that the health system was “close to collapse".
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Read moreWHO Europe's top tips to prevent another Covid wave
Video content
The World Health Organisation has been emphasising that governments should not repeat the mistakes made in the summer 2020, with the high number of cases in the winter months.
Delta variant presence a 'sting in the tail'
Local Democracy Reporting Service
The Delta variant, first seen in India, has delivered a “sting in the tail” to Solihull’s battle against Covid-19, Ruth Tennant, the district's director of public health says.
The strain is now accounting for the vast majority of new cases and officials say there are early signs that a fresh surge in infections is starting to translate into a “worrying” rise in people needing hospital treatment.
Solihull’s rate has now risen to 61 cases per 100,000 – the highest level since the end of March.
However, the figures are still very small compared with the figures seen in the North West of England, which has been at the centre of the Delta variant outbreak in the UK.
Speaking at Solihull borough’s health and wellbeing board, Ms Tennant said: “I think we were hoping that by the time we got to this meeting we might really be into the final furlong of this very long race.
“But I think it’s very much showing – as with everything we’ve known about Covid so far – that it has a little bit of a sting in the tail."
About 125 new cases have been confirmed in the past week, with 95% being the Delta variant. However vaccination take-up was working well, she added.
“The vaccination is progressing incredibly well within Solihull; the second dose coverage in the over 50s is now the highest in the region – 89%.”
South Africa imposes new restrictions as cases rise
BBC Monitoring
The world through its media
President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced new restrictions as South Africa faces a third wave of Covid-19.
A nationwide curfew has been moved up to 22:00 local time, while alcohol sales have been limited to Mondays to Thursdays.
Public gatherings have also been limited to 50 people indoors and 100 people outdoors.
Mr Ramaphosa allayed fears over the slow progress of the country’s vaccination programme, saying two million Johnson & Johnson vaccines were expected by the end of this month.
He added that South Africa had the capacity to vaccinate at least 150,000 people daily and urged those aged over 60 years to register to get a jab.
South Africa has more than 80,000 active Covid-19 cases and has so far fully vaccinated at least 480,000 people.
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Read moreNamibia tightens restrictions amid Covid spike
Namibia has announced tight measures to limit the spread of coronavirus after a recent spike in infections and deaths.
On Tuesday evening, President Hage Geingob announced a two-week lockdown of the capital Windhoek, which has recorded more than half of the Covid infections in the country.
He said no movement would be allowed in and out of the capital for the duration. Physical learning in schools in affected areas was also suspended up to 30 June.
The sale of alcohol has been restricted to between 09:00 and 18:00 local time from Monday to Saturday and only on "a take-away basis".
In a televised address to the nation, the president said the Covid situation had taken “a turn for the worst” in the past four weeks, with record daily infections and deaths.
The president mentioned leaders, besides himself and his wife, who had suffered from Covid - including the vice-president and several cabinet ministers.
Namibia has recently experienced a surge in coronavirus cases including a death rate that has been among the highest per capita in the continent.
Namibian infectious disease specialist Dr Gordon Cupido last week told the BBC's Newsday programme last week that the health system was “close to collapse".
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Video content
The Delta variant of Covid-19, first identified in India, has changed how the virus is spreading.