The Netherlands: Dutch streets deserted as snap Christmas COVID lockdown starts

Dutch urban centres were largely deserted on Sunday as the country bega a snap lockdown that, aimed at stemming an expected COVID-19 surge caused by the fast-spreading Omicron variant, left people's Christmas plans in disarray.

Read more at: Dutch streets deserted as snap Christmas COVID lockdown starts | Reuters

The Netherlands: Former Dutch queen Beatrix tests positive for coronavirus

Princess Beatrix, the 83-year-old former Dutch queen, has tested positive for the coronavirus, the royal house announced Saturday.

In a statement, the royal house said Beatrix got tested after feeling “mild cold symptoms.” It said she is in isolation at home and abiding by rules for people who have tested positive. The princess lives in a castle in the central Netherlands.

Read more at: Former Dutch queen Beatrix tests positive for coronavirus - ABC News

The Netherlands aims to keep its schools open, even as cases soar among young people - by Claire Moses-

The coronavirus’s rapid spread through schools in the Netherlands has prompted some experts to call for extending this winter’s Christmas break. In an article on Thursday, one immunologist, Ger Rijkers, told the newspaper Algemeen Dagblad, “Children are little virus factories and infect each other as well as adults.”

Read more at: The Netherlands aims to keep its schools open, even as cases soar among young people. - The New York Times

Europe: Covid-19 surge: Morocco suspends flights from the UK over fears of Covid surge

Morocco is suspending until further notice all flights to and from the United Kingdom, Germany and the Netherlands amid rising coronavirus infections in those countries.

The new restriction will come into force just before midnight Wednesday, the North African kingdom's airports authority said.

In a tweet, national carrier Royal Air Maroc said the move was due to "the pandemic situation." It did not provide further detail.

Read more at: Morocco suspends flights from the UK over fears of Covid surge

Covid-19: The best- and worst-case scenarios for Covid-19 this winter

Last December and January, the United States and much of the world experienced the deadliest surges of the pandemic. At one point, more than 3,000 Americans were dying every day of Covid-19. Nearly 250,000 people died in the United States over December, January, and February.

But this winter may be different, at least in America. Last year, almost nobody was vaccinated against Covid-19. As of October 7, 56 percent of the US population is fully vaccinated, according to the New York Times’s tracker. That includes 84 percent of people over 65, who are generally the most vulnerable to dying from the virus. The Food and Drug Administration will soon consider whether to authorize a vaccine for children as young as 5, which would push vaccination rates higher.

Read more at: The best- and worst-case scenarios for Covid-19 this winter

The Netherlands: Dutch Covid hospital total up 6% in a day; New patients near 4-week high

Hospitals in the Netherlands were treating 483 people with Covid-19 on Tuesday. The figure rose 6 percent since Monday afternoon, the third straight daily increase. It was caused in part by 82 patient admissions during the preceding 24 hours, the most in a day since September 9.

Seventeen of the new patients were sent directly to intensive care, a two-week high. Hospitals took on an average of 47 new Covid-19 patients each of the past seven days, including nine sent to an ICU.

Read more at: Dutch Covid hospital total up 6% in a day; New patients near 4-week high | NL Times

COVID-19 vaccine inequity: Inside the cutthroat race to secure doses

No one disputes that the world is unfair. But no one expected a vaccine gap between the global rich and poor that was this bad, this far into the pandemic.

Inequity is everywhere: Inoculations go begging in the United States while Haiti, a short plane ride away, received its first delivery July 15 after months of promises - 500,000 doses for a population over 11 million. Canada has procured more than 10 doses for every resident; Sierra Leone's vaccination rate just cracked 1% on June 20.

It's like a famine in which “the richest guys grab the baker,” said Strive Masiyiwa, the African Union's envoy for vaccine acquisition.

In fact, European and American officials deeply involved in bankrolling and distributing the vaccines against coronavirus have told The Associated Press there was no thought of how to handle the situation globally. Instead, they jostled for their own domestic use.

For the complete detailed report go to: COVID-19 vaccine inequity: Inside the cutthroat race to secure doses | CP24.com

Covid-19 not over yet: Surgeon General on Unvaccinated: 'I Am Worried About What Is to Come'

US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said that he is "worried about what is come" and the COVID-19 "pandemic is not over" amid a surge in cases, particularly among individuals who have yet to get the vaccine.

"I am worried about what is to come because we are seeing increasing cases among the unvaccinated in particular," Murthy said on CNN's "State of the Union" Sunday, the Hill reported. "And while if you are vaccinated you are very well protected against hospitalization and death, unfortunately, that is not true if you are not vaccinated."

Read more at: https://www.businessinsider.com/surgeon-general-on-unvaccinated-i-am-worried-about-what-come-2021-7?international=true&r=US&IR=T

USA: Covid-19 - another Biden heritage from Donald Trump: : US tops 25 million coronavirus cases

More than 25 million cases of coronavirus have now been confirmed across the United States. Experts say the true number is likely to be higher. More than 417,500 in the US have died with the virus.

The daily number of deaths has exceeded 4,000 in recent weeks - including on Wednesday when Joe Biden was sworn into office.

President Biden signed a raft of new measures last week, including boosting vaccinations and testing.

Read more at: Covid-19: US tops 25 million coronavirus cases - BBC News

Coronavirus: Humidity key to minimize virus transmission — study

Relative humidity "strongly influences" the spread of viruses among people indoors, especially in dry rooms. That's the conclusion reached by an Indian-German research team which evaluated 10 mostly recent international studies.

"The role of humidity seems to be extremely important to the airborne spreadof COVID-19 in indoor environments," according to the report, which was also based on findings derived from past tests with similar viruses, H1N1 for influenza and MERS-CoV.

Read more at:
Coronavirus: Humidity key to minimize virus transmission — study | News | DW | 20.08.2020

Netherlands: Dutch Ambassador to US Defends Netherlands' Tough EU Stance - by Natalie Liu

Despite acquiescing to a compromise solution at last week’s rancorous but ultimately successful EU summit, Dutch diplomats are offering no apology for their country’s tough stand on financial assistance to the members worst hit by the global pandemic.

Netherlands Prime Minister Mark Rutte and other leaders of what became known as “the frugal four” argued against a more generous relief offer promoted by France and Germany before settling on a package comprising $460 billion in grants and $424 billion in loans.

In an interview with VOA, Andre Haspels, the Netherlands’ ambassador to the United States, maintained that the tough medicine that Dutch officials prescribed for the suffering EU countries was no worse than what his government had delivered to its own citizens.

Ambassador to US Defends Netherlands' Tough EU Stance | Voice of America - English

The Netherlands: Amid COVID-Related Cyber Threats, the Netherlands Leads UN Efforts

In light of growing concern about malicious cyber disruption during the COVID-19 outbreak, the United Nations’ Open-Ended Working Group should play a leading role in further developing a global framework to ensure responsible behavior in cyberspace.

Read more at:
https://www.cfr.org/blog/amid-covid-related-cyber-threats-netherlands-leads-un-efforts

Netherlands: coronavirus total rises to 24 with new Covid-19 cases confirmed

 Public health institute RIVM confirmed six new coronavirus diagnoses in the Netherlands. These patients were reported to the RIVM on Monday and are all currently quarantined at home, the health service said.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also updated its travel advice for Japan due to the virus.

According to the RIVM, a total of 24 people have now been diagnosed with Covid-19 in the Netherlands. "Almost all persons diagnosed with the coronavirus are travelers from northern Italy or are family contacts of a previous patient," the health service said. "The source of the infection is still unknown for a few patients. This is still under investigation."

Local departments of municipal health service GGD are currently investigating who the new patients were in contact with.

A spokesperson for the RIVM told NL Times that around 200 people have been tested for Covid-19 in the country so far. The service is working on an interactive map so that Netherlands residents can better track affected areas.

 Read more at: Netherlands coronavirus total rises to 24 with new Covid-19 cases confirmed | NL Times