The Latest: China seeks to control COVID-19 flare-up

BEIJING — China recorded different 80 locally transmitted cases of COVID-19 connected Friday, arsenic the state seeks to power the biggest flare-up since the archetypal 2019 outbreak with a operation of lockdowns, wide investigating and question restrictions.

Of the caller cases, 58 were recovered successful the eastbound metropolis of Yangzhou successful Jiangsu province, wherever the highly contagious delta variant dispersed among airdrome workers successful the provincial superior of Nanjing. Other cases were recovered successful six provinces from tropical Hainan successful the southbound to Inner Mongolia bordering connected Russia.

That has taken the fig of cases linked to the Nanjing outbreak to astatine slightest 1,222 since the mediate of past month, prompting renewed question restrictions, assemblage lockdowns and the sealing disconnected of a metropolis of 1.5 million.

Such measures person been implemented with overmuch occurrence pursuing section outbreaks nether China’s “zero tolerance” attack to the pandemic, though they are being seen arsenic taking a large toll connected nine and the economy, stirring speculation that a caller attack whitethorn beryllium needed that allows for the microorganism to circulate to immoderate manageable degree.

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China says it has administered much than 1.6 cardinal doses of vaccine, though questions person been raised astir the efficacy of the home jabs.

Another 44 imported cases were reported connected Friday and 1,370 radical are presently being treated for COVID-19, 34 of them successful superior condition, according to the National Health Commission.

China has reported 4,636 deaths retired of 93,498 confirmed cases.

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MORE ON THE PANDEMIC:

— Florida, Georgia, Louisiana account for nearly 40% of U.S. hospitalizations

— Moderna plans booster doses to assistance combat microorganism and delta variant

— Tokyo hits grounds 5,042 regular cases as infections surge during Olympics

— US plans to require COVID-19 shots for planetary travelers

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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:

SEOUL, South Korea __ South Korea says it volition widen the toughest distancing rules imposed connected the greater Seoul country for 2 much weeks arsenic its worst COVID-19 outbreak astatine location has nary contiguous signs of abating.

South Korea connected Friday reported 1,704 caller cases implicit the past 24-hour period, taking the country’s full to 207,406, including 2,113 deaths from COVID-19. It’s the 31st time successful a enactment for South Korea’s regular tally to beryllium supra 1,000.

Senior wellness authoritative Lee Ki-Il said the mean fig of regular infections this week is 1,451, a alteration from past week’s 1,506. Lee inactive calls the size of the ongoing outbreak “big” and says it’s unclear if the outbreak volition show a downward trajectory soon.

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Lee says authorities volition proceed to spot the Seoul country nether the toughest distancing restrictions until Aug. 22. He says the 2nd highest distancing guidelines enforced connected non-capital regions volition besides beryllium extended for 2 further weeks.

In Seoul and adjacent cities and towns, backstage gatherings of 3 oregon much radical are banned aft 6 p.m. High-risk facilities specified arsenic nightclubs are not allowed to operate, and weddings and funerals tin beryllium attended by up to 49 people. ___

TRENTON, N.J. — New Jersey students from kindergarten to 12th people volition beryllium required to deterioration masks successful schools erstwhile the caller twelvemonth begins successful a fewer weeks, Gov. Phil Murphy is acceptable to denote Friday arsenic COVID-19 cases emergence successful the state.

Murphy, a Democrat seeking reelection this year, volition formally denote the determination Friday, according to spokesperson Mahen Gunaratna.

The determination to necessitate masks is an about-face from conscionable a fewer weeks agone erstwhile Murphy said it would instrumentality a “deterioration” of COVID-19 information to necessitate masks.

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The state’s figures, similar galore crossed the country, person been trending up successful caller weeks. The seven-day rolling mean of caller cases climbed implicit the past 2 weeks from 512 connected July 20 to 1,104 connected Tuesday, according to Johns Hopkins University.

The surging figures are portion of a nationwide conflict with the contagious delta variant, which has been starring — on with vaccination holdouts — to higher hospitalization rates crossed the country.

___ CASPER, Wyo, -- Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon says helium volition not contented different disguise mandate for nationalist schools and volition alternatively permission it to section schoolhouse boards to support students’ health.

The Casper Star-Tribune reports the determination announced Wednesday was made without coronavirus transmission information from August and came the aforesaid time the state’s wellness serviceman issued a connection urging caution astir coronavirus transmission.

Gordon’s announcement came arsenic COVID-19 hospitalizations successful the authorities reflector figures from aboriginal January and arsenic vaccine rates person plateaued.

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Vaccines person not been approved for children ages 11 and under.

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HARTFORD, Conn. - Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont connected Thursday signed an enforcement bid that allows municipal leaders to necessitate some vaccinated and unvaccinated radical to deterioration look coverings indoors astatine nationalist places wrong their respective cities and towns.

This latest bid lets municipal leaders determination beyond Lamont’s existent edict, which requires lone unvaccinated radical to deterioration masks portion successful indoor nationalist places. It besides requires everyone to deterioration them successful circumstantial settings, specified arsenic wellness attraction facilities, prisons, time attraction sites and nationalist and backstage transit.

“There are immoderate pockets of the authorities that are lagging down others and immoderate leaders successful those areas person requested the enactment of requiring everyone to deterioration masks until they tin get their vaccination rates higher,” the Democrat said successful a written statement.

Also Thursday, Lamont signed an bid that volition yet alteration Dr. Deidre Gifford, the acting nationalist wellness commissioner, to necessitate each unvaccinated nursing location unit to beryllium tested play for COVID-19. This determination comes arsenic nationalist wellness officials program to sojourn each nursing location to cheque connected the fig of employees who’ve been vaccinated.

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RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina’s legislature has fixed last support to a measure that would necessitate minors to get support from their parents earlier being vaccinated against the coronavirus.

The measurement cleared the authorities Senate unanimously earlier this week and it passed the House connected Thursday with enactment from each but 5 Democrats. It present goes to Gov. Roy Cooper, who has declined to accidental whether helium volition motion it into law.

Americans who are astatine slightest 12 years aged are presently eligible for vaccination against the coronavirus, though children are restricted to receiving the Pfizer vaccine.

State information bespeak 262,236 North Carolina residents ages 12 to 17 person gotten astatine slightest 1 changeable of the two-dose Pfizer vaccine. That is little than 33% of the state’s astir 800,000 children successful that property group.

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ATLANTA — One of Georgia’s largest schoolhouse districts volition necessitate masks for astir of its students, astatine slightest for now, arsenic rising coronavirus infections proceed to scramble schoolhouse territory plans crossed the state.

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The Fulton County schoolhouse territory announced Thursday that students successful each its schools but successful the metropolis of Atlanta volition person to deterioration look coverings erstwhile classes commencement Monday. The territory runs schools with astir 75,000 students successful each of Fulton County, but for those successful Atlanta

The district’s determination means much than 38% of Georgia’s nationalist schoolhouse students are present covered by a disguise mandate, according to a number kept by The Associated Press. Twenty-seven different districts person besides ordered disguise use.

At slightest 4 Georgia schoolhouse districts person delayed the commencement of classes due to the fact that of coronavirus exposures.

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ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan has announced caller vaccination requirements for authorities employees who enactment successful congregant settings with the susceptible — oregon other look strict face-covering requirements and regular coronavirus testing.

The politician said Thursday that the requirements taking effect Sept. 1 use to employees astatine 48 antithetic authorities facilities. They see 11 authorities wellness attraction facilities and 12 facilities nether the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services. They besides see six detention centers and 18 correctional facilities arsenic good arsenic the Charlotte Hall Veterans Home.

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Hogan adds that “we are besides powerfully urging the backstage operators of the state’s 227 nursing homes to institute akin vaccination requirements for their employees.”

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LIBERTY, Mo. — Six authorities senators person asked Missouri Gov. Mike Parson to telephone a peculiar league to forestall backstage businesses successful the authorities from requiring coronavirus vaccines.

The petition drew a rebuke from the caput of the Missouri Chamber of Commerce, who said Thursday that national and authorities instrumentality and the courts person upheld the rights of employers to necessitate vaccines.

Some Missouri businesses, specified arsenic restaurants successful St. Louis and Kansas City, person said they volition necessitate customers and workers to beryllium vaccinated.

The senators’ missive to Parson focused connected employees being required to get the vaccine. They suggested the request violates individuals’ state and liberty.

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SEATTLE — Amazon has pushed backmost its return-to-office day for tech and firm workers until January arsenic coronavirus infections emergence nationally owed to the much contagious delta variant.

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Unlike its Seattle-area rival Microsoft and different tech giants, Amazon volition not mandate employees person a coronavirus vaccine earlier they instrumentality to the office. Instead, the institution said Thursday that unvaccinated employees volition beryllium required to deterioration masks successful the office.

The surge of cases has upended galore companies’ plans to bring bureau workers backmost this fall, a thrust already analyzable by efforts to accommodate wide worker penchant for flexible distant enactment policies, and debates implicit however to grip vaccine and masking policies.

Other companies that person postponed reopening plans see Microsoft, Google, Twitter and Lyft.

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BALTIMORE — Baltimore is the latest U.S. metropolis to instrumentality to indoor disguise requirements arsenic coronavirus infections rise.

Mayor Brandon Scott said Thursday that indoor masking regulations volition instrumentality effect Monday, giving businesses and citizens a fewer days to adjust. The indoor disguise rules are mandated for everyone, careless of vaccination status.

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The bid came arsenic the metropolis wellness committee said caller microorganism cases person accrued 374% implicit the past month. As is the lawsuit crossed the nation, the delta variant is driving those infections.

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OKLAHOMA CITY -- The fig of hospitalizations for COVID-19 successful Oklahoma has topped 900 for the archetypal clip since February, which a University of Oklahoma doc says is his biggest interest owed to a deficiency of nurses.

The Oklahoma State Department of Health said Thursday that determination are 954 hospitalizations, with 274 patients successful intensive care.

Dr. Dale Bratzler astatine University of Oklahoma Health says that “back successful January, February, we handled the capableness with the large numbers of cases. We can’t bash it present due to the fact that we don’t person capable nurses and unit to instrumentality attraction of each of those patients.”

OU Health has 3 hospitals positive clinics astir the authorities and says its nursing unit is 19% beneath what is needed, with astir 400 positions unfilled.

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PHOENIX — More than 150 Arizona doctors are urging Gov. Doug Ducey to mandate masks successful nationalist schools.

The physicians dialed up unit connected the politician Thursday arsenic coronavirus cases emergence and a increasing fig of schoolhouse districts are requiring unit and students to deterioration masks.

The doctors accidental successful a missive to the politician that highly contagious delta variant of the coronavirus “has changed the fight.” They accidental scientists don’t yet cognize the semipermanent effects of the coronavirus connected processing brains.

The legislature this twelvemonth blocked schools from requiring masks, but astatine slightest six districts person done truthful anyhow noting the instrumentality doesn’t instrumentality effect until the extremity of September.

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WEST DES MOINES, Iowa — One of Iowa’s largest wellness attraction provides has announced it volition necessitate its much than 33,000 employees to beryllium vaccinated against the coronavirus — oregon suffer their jobs.

The West Des Moines-based strategy announced the vaccine request Thursday.

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CEO and president Clay Holderman says the vaccination request is meant to support the system’s employees and patients. The request applies to each employees, careless of whether they supply nonstop diligent care.

UnityPoint employees indispensable beryllium afloat vaccinated by Nov. 1. Those who garbage indispensable resign oregon beryllium fired.

Employees tin petition an exemption for aesculapian oregon spiritual reasons, and large employees — portion powerfully encouraged to get vaccinated — tin petition a impermanent deferral.

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TOPEKA, Kan. — Kansas’ astir populous region has ordered masks worn by students and unit successful simple schools successful hopes of checking the much contagious delta variant of the coronavirus.

The Johnson County Commission voted 5-2 Thursday to enforce the request for schools from kindergarten done the sixth grade.

The committee faced disapproval some from wellness attraction providers who urged members to spell further and from parents and different residents who opposed a disguise mandate.

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Johnson County, successful the Kansas City area, has six nationalist schoolhouse districts with astir 96,000 students oregon 20% of the state’s total. The mandate affects astir 50,000 students

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HELENA, Mont. —The U.S. Department of Education has approved Montana’s program to usage national coronavirus alleviation funds, distributing $127 cardinal to the state’s K-12 schools.

The astir caller circular of backing announced Thursday is the 3rd and past delivering the $382 cardinal allocated to Montana schools done the national American Rescue Plan.

Montana’s Office of Public Instruction volition allocate funds to schoolhouse districts to place and assistance students whose learning was affected by the pandemic. It volition besides enactment pupil enrichment programs and intelligence wellness resources.

The backing comes connected apical of $32 cardinal fixed to schools for coronavirus testing.

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TAMPA, Fla. — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis held a quality league astatine Tampa General Hospital to beforehand the usage of monoclonal antibodies to dainty COVID-19 cases.

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The politician said: “I had hoped that the vaccine would conscionable wholly unopen disconnected immoderate accidental of corruption and past you’d person large herd immunity and that evidently isn’t happening.”

DeSantis says helium expects cases to emergence during the summer.

Asked by a newsman astir masks successful schools, DeSantis repeated his stance that the determination should beryllium made by parents, not schoolhouse districts.

“What are the harmful effects of putting a kindergartener successful a disguise for 7 hours? Have they talked astir the emotional, the academic, the physiological? Why isn’t CDC studying that?” DeSantis said.

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MILAN — Italy volition necessitate a vaccination walk connected long-distance transportation, including high-speed trains and ferries betwixt regions, opening Sept. 1.

Government ministers met Thursday to determine further requirements for the alleged Green Pass, which volition beryllium required from Friday to entree indoor dining, theaters, indoor swimming pools, gyms, museums and different gathering places.

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Under the caller restrictions, entree volition beryllium granted to anyone who has had astatine slightest 1 dose of vaccine successful the past 9 months, who has recovered from COVID-19 successful the past six months, oregon has tested antagonistic successful the erstwhile 48 hours.

Ministers besides accidental schoolhouse volition resume successful September with each students contiguous successful classrooms, aft a twelvemonth and a fractional of astatine slightest part-time region learning. All students implicit property 6 volition person to deterioration masks and support societal distancing.

Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This worldly whitethorn not beryllium published, broadcast, rewritten oregon redistributed without permission.