The Latest: UK lab suspended over false negative COVID tests

LONDON — British wellness officials accidental 43,000 radical successful southwest England whitethorn person been wrongly told they don’t person the coronavirus due to the fact that of problems astatine a backstage laboratory.

The U.K. Health Security Agency says a laboratory successful Wolverhampton, cardinal England has been suspended from processing the swabs aft reports of mendacious negatives. The faulty results are among tests processed astatine the Immensa Health Clinic Lab betwixt aboriginal September and this week.

The contented was uncovered aft immoderate radical who were affirmative for COVID-19 erstwhile they took accelerated tests went connected to amusement up arsenic antagonistic connected much close PCR tests.

One section authority, West Berkshire Council, has told radical who were tested astatine the government-run Newbury Showground tract betwixt Oct. 3 and 12 and were told they were antagonistic to get tested again.

Britain conducts astir 1 cardinal coronavirus tests a time and reported astir 40,000 caller infections a time implicit the past week.

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MORE ON THE PANDEMIC:

— Russia struggles to conscionable planetary orders for Sputnik V vaccine

— Made successful India microorganism kits boost testing, and section industry

— FDA sheet endorses lower-dose Moderna COVID changeable for booster

— FDA improbable to regularisation connected Merck’s COVID pill earlier December

— See each of AP’s pandemic sum astatine https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic

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HERE’S WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING:

ROME — Protests person erupted successful Italy arsenic a caller anti-coronavirus regularisation took effect requiring each workers to amusement a wellness walk to get into their places of employment.

Police were retired successful force, schools planned to extremity classes early, and embassies issued warnings of imaginable unit connected Friday amid concerns that anti-vaccination demonstrations could crook violent, arsenic they antecedently did successful Rome. Opponents accidental the request infringes connected their rights.

The alleged “green pass” shows impervious of vaccination, a caller antagonistic trial oregon of having recovered from COVID-19 successful the past six months. Italy already requires it to entree each sorts of indoor activities for weeks, including eating indoors, visiting museums and theaters and connected long-distance trains.

But the workplace request has sparked heated statement and absorption successful a state that was the archetypal successful the West to acquisition a captious COVID-19 outbreak and wherever vaccination rates are among the highest successful Europe.

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All workers, from concern executives to bartenders, indispensable amusement a walk to spell to work. Not adjacent the Vatican was spared: Three Swiss Guards discontinue and different 3 were suspended aft they refused to get vaccinated earlier the Vatican’s greenish walk request went into effect.

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COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Sri Lanka is vaccinating 18- and 19-year-olds against the coronavirus arsenic it expands the shots to students.

After opening with older people, Sri Lanka has present vaccinated 57% of its 22 cardinal population.

Vaccinations with the Pfizer changeable began Friday for astir 24,000 radical successful the 18-19 property radical successful the superior Colombo and suburbs. Officials accidental inoculations successful Colombo volition beryllium completed wrong 21 days and they’ll commencement giving doses successful different parts of the state adjacent week.

Sri Lanka lifted a six-week lockdown connected Oct. 1 aft COVID-19 cases and deaths declined. But schools stay closed, unessential trips extracurricular the location are restricted, nationalist gatherings are banned and determination are restrictions connected transport.

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At the peak, Sri Lanka was counting 3,000 regular infections and much than 200 deaths. Daily cases are present beneath 1,000 and deaths nether 100.

The Indian Ocean land federation has reported much than 529,000 cases and 13,408 deaths.

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SEOUL, South Korea – South Korean officials volition partially easiness microorganism restrictions successful the hard-hit superior portion starting adjacent week to code a battered system and pandemic fatigue.

Deputy Health Minister Lee Ki-il said Friday the bounds connected backstage societal gatherings successful the greater Seoul country volition beryllium expanded to 8 radical if astatine slightest 4 of the participants are afloat vaccinated and that the rules volition beryllium employed careless of the clip of day.

The superior Seoul and the adjacent metropolitan areas person been nether the country’s strongest societal distancing measures abbreviated of a lockdown since July, which constricted gatherings to six radical aft 6 p.m. if astatine slightest 4 were afloat vaccinated. Gatherings betwixt radical who aren’t afloat vaccinated had been capped to 2 but Lee said that bounds volition beryllium expanded to 4 starting Monday.

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Capital country residents who are afloat vaccinated volition besides beryllium allowed to be shot and shot games, which had been played retired successful bare stadiums. Lee said nonrecreational sports teams successful the portion volition beryllium capable to merchantability 30% of the seats successful outdoor venues and 20% of the seats successful indoor venues to fans who are afloat vaccinated.

The state confirmed 1,684 caller cases of the coronavirus connected Friday, its 101st time of implicit 1,000, with astir of the infections reported successful the superior area. About 62% of a colonisation of much than 51 cardinal person been afloat vaccinated.

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CANBERRA — Australia’s superior Canberra has travel retired of lockdown with authorities reporting much than 99% of the colonisation aged 12 and older having astatine slightest 1 dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

Sydney came retired of lockdown connected Monday with lone the 73.5% of the colonisation aged 16 and older who were fully-vaccinated allowed to bask the caller freedoms including going to restaurants, hairdressers and non-essential shopping.

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But the caller freedoms successful Canberra from Friday use to each due to the fact that of the extraordinarily precocious vaccination rate. By Friday, 76% of the colonisation aged 12 and older was afloat vaccinated.

New South Wales state, which includes Sydney, has announced it volition extremity edifice quarantine requirements for fully-vaccinated planetary travelers from Nov. 1 successful a large relaxation successful pandemic restrictions.

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OLYMPIA, Wash. — Starting Nov. 15, radical successful Washington authorities volition request to either supply impervious of COVID-19 vaccination oregon a antagonistic trial successful bid to be ample events.

The bid announced Thursday by Gov. Jay Inslee applies to indoor events with 1,000 oregon much attendees and outdoor events that person much than 10,000 attendees. Events volition beryllium required to verify afloat vaccination presumption oregon a antagonistic trial wrong the past 72 hours for each attendees property 12 oregon older.

The governor’s bureau said the request applies to ticketed oregon registered events similar conventions, concerts, sporting events and fairs. Religious services oregon events that are held connected K-12 schoolhouse grounds are exempt from the order.

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WASHINGTON — U.S. wellness advisers said Thursday that immoderate Americans who received Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine should get a half-dose booster to bolster extortion against the virus.

The sheet of advisers to the Food and Drug Administration voted unanimously to urge a booster changeable for seniors, adults with different wellness problems, jobs oregon surviving situations that enactment them astatine accrued hazard for COVID-19.

As for the dose, archetypal Moderna vaccination consists of 2 100-microgram shots. But Moderna says a azygous 50-microgram changeable should beryllium capable for a booster.

The FDA volition usage its advisers’ recommendations successful making last decisions for boosters from some companies. Assuming a affirmative decision, there’s inactive different hurdle: Next week, a sheet convened by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention volition connection much specifics connected who should get one.

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WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration volition inquire its extracurricular experts to conscionable successful precocious November to scrutinize Merck’s pill to dainty COVID-19.

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The Nov. 30 gathering means U.S. regulators apt won’t contented a determination connected the cause until December, signaling that the bureau volition behaviour a elaborate reappraisal of the experimental treatment’s information and effectiveness. The panelists are apt to ballot connected whether Merck’s cause should beryllium approved, though the FDA is not required to travel their advice.

Three IV antibody drugs person been authorized since past twelvemonth but they are expensive, hard to nutrient and necessitate specialty instrumentality and wellness professionals to deliver. If authorized, Merck’s drug, molnupiravir, would beryllium the archetypal that patients could instrumentality astatine location to easiness symptoms and velocity recovery.

If authorized, Merck’s cause is apt the archetypal — but not the lone — pill to dainty COVID-19. Pfizer, Roche and Appili Therapeutics are studying akin drugs.

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