Hong Kong will start vaccinating children as young as 3 years old to combat a record rise in infections, authorities said Monday.
The decision came days after the death of a 4-year-old girl who tested positive there. The minimum age for vaccination in the United States is 5.
Hong Kong on Monday confirmed 2,071 new cases of coronavirus, the largest number in a single day since the epidemic began. That number could double on Tuesday as 4,500 people tested positive for initial tests.
The city’s medical and quarantine capacities have been overburdened, forcing hospitals to book isolation wards for children, the elderly and seriously ill patients. Hong Kong Free Press mentioned.
Hong Kong has adopted a “zero tolerance” approach in mainland China that requires quarantines, mask mandates, case tracing, and lock down entire buildings, neighborhoods and cities when few cases are detected.
Also in the news:
► Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker has signed a $101 million supplemental budget to boost coronavirus testing across the state, provide masks in a variety of settings and allocate additional funding for the COVID-19 emergency paid sick leave program.
► Duchess Camilla has tested positive for COVID-19, the palace has confirmed, just four days after her husband, Prince Charles, contracted the virus for the second time.
Japan is considering easing its strict border controls amid growing criticism that the measures, which have barred most foreign arrivals including students and business travelers, are hurting the country’s economy and international standing.
► Walmart will no longer require fully vaccinated workers to wear masks while working in stores unless required by local or state rules.
📈Today’s numbers: The United States has recorded more than 77.7 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 and more than 919,800 deaths, According to data from Johns Hopkins University. Global totals: over 412.4 million cases and over 5.8 million deaths. More than 213.8 million Americans – 64.4% – have been fully vaccinated, According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
📘What we read: What it’s like to be stuck in COVID isolation During the Olympics? Bobsledder Ilana Myers Taylor She explains how quarantine has been her biggest gaming opponent.
Keep updating this page for the latest news. do you want more? sign for The FREE Coronavirus Watch newsletter from USA TODAY To receive updates directly to your inbox and Join our Facebook group.
Siege Ontario to lift proof of vaccination law on March 1
Canadian authorities in protest-weary Ontario have announced that they will lift requirements for proof of COVID-19 vaccination within two weeks. Ontario Premier Doug Ford said the decision was not the result of protests that closed a major bridge from Windsor to Detroit for a week and paralyzed parts of the Canadian capital, Ottawa. Ford said the decision was made because “it’s safe to do so.”
a The “Freedom Caravan” led by a truck driver has finally been resolved Over the weekend after a judge ordered the protest on Friday to be dissolved. About a dozen protesters who defied the order were arrested on Sunday when the last vehicles blocking the bridge were towed away.
“Today, our national economic crisis is over at Ambassador Bridge,” said Drew Delkins, Mayor of Windsor, Canada.
Missouri woman returns after a month on life support
Missouri woman survived 108 days trip With coronavirus that included two rounds of double pneumonia, four collapsed lungs, bleeding ulcers, septic shock, hemorrhagic shock, induced coma and 34 days on life support.
When Janie Pendergraft fell into acute respiratory failure, conventional medical intervention was already exhausted. At 65, she was at the top of the age range for a return from life support devices, but since she was otherwise healthy, her medical team hoped for a good outcome. Today, she’s quick to pay tribute to her Mercy Springfield sponsorship, family’s support, and friends’ cards and invitations.
“I don’t know why she survived,” she said. “There is always hope.”
– linda yacht
New Jersey Police Consortium Fails to Block Vaccine Authorization
Governor Phil Murphy’s requirement that workers in high-risk environments get a COVID-19 vaccine — and a booster shot, when eligible — escaped legal challenge Friday when a state appeals court rejected An attempt by the largest police union in New Jersey to prevent delegation.
In a 34-page opinion, a three-judge panel ignored the New Jersey Police Charity Association’s claim that Murphy overstepped his bounds when he announced last month that some workers in crowded, high-risk environments such as hospitals and prisons — including about 11,000. County and state corrections officers — should Vaccinate them or they will lose their jobs.
The judges wrote that the executive order “represents a reasonable and considered response to our current circumstances,” adding that they found no merit in any of the PBA’s arguments.
Across the country, police unions from Chicago to Seattle own Backtracking on coronavirus vaccine mandates. New Jersey’s ruling follows a nationwide pattern of police unions losing bids to block vaccine mandates, including in some of the country’s most populous areas such as Los Angeles And New York State.
– Steve Janowski, NorthJersey.com
Contributing: The Associated Press
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