The Latest: Australia also records new COVID-19 highs

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CANBERRA, Australia — Australia’s 2 astir populous states connected Thursday recorded caller benchmark highs successful COVID-19 infections.

New South Wales reported a grounds 681 cases successful the latest 24-hour period, mostly successful Sydney. The erstwhile grounds for the astir populous authorities was 633 cases acceptable connected Wednesday.

Neighboring Victoria reported 57 caller cases successful its superior Melbourne. It was the highest regular tally since the last days of a 2nd question of infections successful aboriginal September past year.

Melbourne and the full authorities of New South Wales are successful lockdown arsenic authorities effort to stamp retired coronavirus dispersed arsenic Australia had successfully done passim the pandemic earlier the delta variant arrived connected its shores.

Melbourne is successful its 6th lockdown of the pandemic and Thursday marked the 200th time that Australia’s second-most populous metropolis has been locked down.

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MORE ON THE PANDEMIC:

— AP Source: Biden to necessitate vaccines for nursing location staff

— US wellness officials telephone for coronavirus booster shots for all

— WHO warns against boosters earlier 1st vaccines for different countries

— Mississippi opens 2nd field infirmary in Jackson amid surge

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— Find much AP sum astatine https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic and https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-vaccine

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HERE’S WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING:

WELLINGTON, New Zealand — New Zealand volition present let youths aged 12 to 15 to get vaccinated against the coronavirus. Previously, lone those aged 16 and implicit were eligible.

The authorities announcement Thursday came arsenic the federation remains successful a strict lockdown arsenic it deals with a caller outbreak of the fast-spreading delta variant, its archetypal microorganism outbreak successful six months.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said determination were 11 caller infections, bringing the full successful the outbreak to 21. She said the outbreak had been linked to a rider who returned from Sydney earlier this month.

On Tuesday, the authorities imposed a lockdown of astatine slightest 3 days crossed the state and of astatine slightest 7 days successful in Auckland and Coromandel. New Zealand wellness workers are utilizing lone the Pfizer vaccine successful their inoculation campaign.

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UNITED NATIONS — The United States is urging the much than 150 countries readying to nonstop their person oregon a authorities curate to New York to talk astatine the U.N. General Assembly adjacent period to see giving a video code alternatively to forestall the yearly high-level week from becoming “a super-spreader event.”

A enactment from the U.S. Mission sent to the 192 different U.N. subordinate nations besides called for each different U.N.-hosted meetings and broadside events to beryllium virtual, saying these parallel meetings that gully travelers to New York “needlessly summation hazard to our community, New Yorkers and the different travelers.”

The U.S. note, obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press, said the Biden medication is peculiarly acrophobic astir Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the incoming General Assembly President Abdulla Shahid hosting high-level in-person events connected clime change, vaccines, the 20th day of the U.N. World Conference Against Racism, nutrient systems and energy.

“The United States is consenting to marque each effort to marque these important events connected shared priorities palmy successful a virtual format,” the enactment said.

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SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California volition tighten its rules for indoor events adjacent month, requiring either impervious of vaccination oregon a antagonistic coronavirus trial for gatherings of 1,000 radical oregon much arsenic caller cases proceed to ascent due to the fact that of the delta variant.

California already requires these things for indoor gatherings of 5,000 radical oregon more, but that regularisation says radical don’t person to amusement proof. The caller rule, which takes effect Sept. 20, requires radical to amusement impervious of vaccination oregon a antagonistic coronavirus trial wrong 72 hours to be the event. The investigating request includes children nether 12 and others who are not allowed to get the vaccine.

The caller regularisation volition past until astatine slightest Nov. 1. State officials accidental they volition reevaluate it by Oct. 15 to determine whether to widen it.

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TAMPA, Fla. — The Hillsborough County schoolhouse board, which oversees the nation’s 8th-largest district, voted 5-2 Wednesday to follow a stricter, 30-day disguise mandate with a aesculapian opt-out for students, teachers and staff.

The ballot came a week aft classes began and amid a coronavirus outbreak successful which much than 10,000 students person been quarantined owed to microorganism exposure.

The determination could acceptable up a clash with the medication of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and authorities acquisition officials who reason specified mandates are amerciable and taxable to punishment, said Hillsborough schoolhouse committee lawyer Jim Porter. “There is simply a hazard they volition find america successful non-compliance,” Porter said astatine a astir five-hour meeting.

The main sponsor, committee subordinate Nadia Combs, said the microorganism outbreak poses “an contiguous danger” to the schoolhouse strategy and steps indispensable beryllium taken to incorporate it oregon the territory mightiness look a implicit shutdown. “I americium not connected the committee for governmental partisanship,” Combs said. “We person to support our schools open. That is my goal.”

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JACKSON, MISS. -- Mississippi wellness officials accidental astir 1,000 infirmary beds that could beryllium utilized to dainty patients during the latest surge of coronavirus successful the authorities are unstaffed due to the fact that of a shortage of healthcare workers.

That’s portion Mississippi is facing a grounds fig of radical hospitalized with the microorganism — 1,633 connected Tuesday, according to the authorities Department of Health.

“We’re inactive obscurity adjacent the unit we request for the beds we need,” said Jim Craig, elder lawman for the Mississippi Department of Health, during a virtual briefing with property Wednesday.

Craig said 73 hospitals successful Mississippi requested implicit 1,451 unit members to dainty patients. More than 250 radical were waiting successful Mississippi exigency rooms for beds Wednesday morning, according to wellness officials.

If those positions were filled, the authorities could unit 771 medical-surgical beds and 235 intensive attraction portion beds, Craig said.

Mississippi is 1 of the lowest-paying states for healthcare workers. State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs said that is 1 crushed wherefore healthcare workers person left.

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MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The wellness section successful Tennessee’s astir populous region reinstituted a look disguise request Wednesday for indoor nationalist places specified arsenic restaurants, bars and different businesses arsenic a surge successful COVID-19 cases strains infirmary resources and causes interest successful schools.

A quality merchandise from the wellness section successful Shelby County, which includes Memphis, said the disguise request begins Friday and besides applies to gyms, lawsuit venues and communal areas of hotels and multi-residential buildings. The bid besides includes businesses specified arsenic retail shops, market stores and laundries, Shelby County Health Department spokeswoman Joan Carr said.

The determination comes aft strained Memphis-area hospitals sent a missive to authorities officials asking Shelby County to reimpose a disguise mandate. Hospitals successful Memphis and passim Tennessee warned of a deficiency of staffing, and a dearth of intensive attraction and acute attraction beds, arsenic the delta variant led to a surge successful COVID-19 cases successful caller weeks, including among children.

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OLYMPIA, Wash. - Washington authorities is expanding its COVID-19 vaccine mandate to see each public, charter and backstage schoolhouse teachers and unit — positive those moving astatine the state’s colleges and universities.

Those who are not afloat vaccinated by Oct. 18 hazard losing their jobs, Gov. Jay Inslee announced Wednesday.

Inslee’s bureau said the latest mandate besides applies to assemblage coaches, including Washington State shot manager Nick Rolovich, who said helium has declined to beryllium vaccinated for idiosyncratic reasons. Rolovich is 1 of 2 authorities employees scheduled to marque much than $3 cardinal this twelvemonth on with Washington shot manager Jimmy Lake.

Inslee connected Wednesday besides expanded the statewide indoor disguise mandate successful spot for non-vaccinated individuals to see those who are vaccinated.

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LOS ANGELES -- The Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously Wednesday to necessitate metropolis workers to beryllium afloat vaccinated against COVID-19 unless they person a aesculapian oregon spiritual exemption.

The ordinance sets Sept. 7 arsenic the past time to person the archetypal dose of a two-dose vaccine and Oct. 5 for the 2nd dose successful bid to beryllium successful compliance. The past time to person the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine is Oct. 5.

Employees oregon contractors hired by the metropolis connected oregon aft Oct. 20 volition person a clause successful their contracts requiring vaccination if they volition beryllium doing in-person work.

Petitions for aesculapian oregon spiritual exemptions volition beryllium evaluated connected a case-by-case ground and those who person exemptions volition person to person play COVID-19 tests, according to a connection from the bureau of City Council President Nury Martinez.

“We are the largest leader successful the City of Los Angeles and we request to acceptable an example,” Martinez said. “How tin we impulse Angelenos to get vaccinated if we won’t request that of our ain employees? No nonmigratory should beryllium tense that the metropolis idiosyncratic helping them is unvaccinated and whitethorn get them sick.”

City employees volition besides beryllium required to get booster shots erstwhile they go available.

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ST.. LOUIS — St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones connected Wednesday ordered the city’s employees to beryllium vaccinated against COVID-19 oregon acquisition play testing.

Jones said successful a connection astir 6,000 civilian work employees volition beryllium expected to get the vaccine by Oct. 15 oregon they volition beryllium required to taxable to play investigating by the city’s wellness department. She said determination volition beryllium nary exceptions from the play investigating for radical who aren’t afloat vaccinated.

“St. Louis is joining the ranks of large nationalist and backstage assemblage employers crossed the state who are requiring vaccination to support nationalist health,” Jones said. “By encouraging vaccinations, we assistance support our hospitals running, support our children, and prevention lives.”

The politician cited a increasing fig of cases, peculiarly among those 19 and younger, which she said comprise astir a 4th of recently reported COVID-19 cases. She said children younger than 10 marque up astir 12% of each caller cases, which is greater than astatine immoderate constituent successful the pandemic.

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WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden said that coronavirus booster shots volition beryllium disposable starting the week of September 20, pending support by the FDA.

The shots volition beryllium escaped and volition beryllium provided to radical 8 months aft they received their 2nd changeable of the vaccine, the president said.

The president downplayed disapproval that Americans would beryllium getting further extortion against COVID-19 portion overmuch of the satellite inactive waits for their archetypal vaccination shots.

“There’s immoderate satellite leaders who accidental America shouldn’t get a 3rd changeable until different countries got their archetypal shot--I disagree,” Biden said successful Wednesday remarks astatine the White House. “We tin instrumentality attraction of America and assistance the satellite astatine the aforesaid time.”

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ANNAPOLIS, Md. — All workers astatine Maryland hospitals and nursing homes volition beryllium required to get vaccinated oregon taxable to regular coronavirus testing, Republican Gov. Larry Hogan announced Wednesday.

The request affects the state’s 227 nursing homes and each infirmary systems, though immoderate of the largest systems already imposed vaccine mandates.

Workers indispensable get their archetypal dose of the vaccine nary aboriginal than Sept. 1 oregon acquisition regular screening and investigating for the virus, Hogan said.

Nursing homes that don’t comply volition look doubled fines, higher civilian penalties and tougher enforcement actions, helium said.

About 2 weeks ago, Hogan announced that authorities employees astatine prisons, hospitals and different congregate settings would beryllium required to get vaccinated oregon get tested regularly.

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OKLAHOMA CITY - Just 61 of astir 30,000 Oklahoma City nationalist schoolhouse students person opted retired of a recently adopted disguise requirement, a territory spokeswoman said Wednesday.

Santa Fe South charter schoolhouse reported nary opt-outs among its astir 3,600 students.

Both districts announced masking policies past week with opt-out options for reasons specified arsenic aesculapian oregon spiritual restrictions.

Oklahoma City territory spokesperson Crystal Raymond said territory officials declined to speculate connected wherefore less than 1% of students person chosen to opt retired arsenic of the extremity of the time Tuesday.

Santa Fe South Superintendent Chris Brewster said much parents whitethorn yet take to exempt their children from masking, but they presently spot it arsenic a bully idea.

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LANSING, Mich. — Michigan’s apical doc said Wednesday she had told Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the authorities wellness manager that reinstating a disguise request successful K-12 schools would apt lessen the dispersed of COVID-19, but she added determination are different factors astatine play.

Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, the state’s main aesculapian enforcement and main lawman wellness director, reiterated that she is “concerned” astir the coronavirus’ imaginable interaction connected schools arsenic the delta variant takes hold.

The authorities Department of Health and Human Services past week powerfully recommended cosmopolitan masking successful schools careless of vaccination presumption but stopped abbreviated of requiring it.

Many region wellness departments are recommending masks, but conscionable 3 — Genesee, Kalamazoo and Allegan — person mandated them countywide, specifically for K-6 students, teachers and staff.

Republican lawmakers past week warned the wellness section successful Kent, the state’s fourth-largest region and location to Grand Rapids, that requiring masks could outgo it authorities funding.

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