The Latest: WHO reports global decline in new COVID-19 cases

The fig of caller COVID-19 cases continued to autumn past week, with 3.6 cardinal caller cases reported globally, down from 4 cardinal caller infections the erstwhile week, the World Health Organization said.

Last week’s driblet marked the archetypal important diminution for much than 2 months, with falling COVID-19 cases successful each satellite region. In its latest update connected the pandemic released connected Tuesday, WHO said determination were large decreases successful cases successful 2 regions: a 22% autumn successful the Middle East and a 16% driblet successful Southeast Asia.

The U.N. wellness bureau said determination were conscionable nether 60,000 deaths successful the past week, a 7% decline. It said that portion Southeast Asia reported a 30% alteration successful COVID-19 deaths, the Western Pacific portion reported a 7% increase. The astir coronavirus cases were seen successful the U.S., India, Britain, Turkey and the Philippines. WHO said the faster-spreading delta variant has present been seen successful 185 countries and is contiguous successful each portion of the world.

Ad

The enactment besides revised its database of “variants of interest,” oregon those that it believes person the imaginable to origin large outbreaks; WHO said it’s tracking the lambda and mu variants, which some arose successful Latin America but person yet to origin wide epidemics. WHO has antecedently said that successful each countries wherever the delta variant is circulating, it has go the predominant virus.

___

MORE ON THE PANDEMIC:

— Biden doubling vaccine purchase, calls for much planetary shots

— U.S. COVID-19 deaths are topping 1,900 a day

— Ravaged by war, Syrian rebel country struggles with microorganism surge

Ad

___

— See AP sum astatine https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic

___

HERE’S WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING:

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — As coronavirus infections plummet and vaccinations accelerate successful the United Arab Emirates, authorities person loosened a long-standing look disguise mandate.

The Gulf Arab sheikhdom said Wednesday that residents nary longer request to deterioration masks portion exercising outdoors oregon visiting beaches and pools successful the country. Those who person aesculapian oregon quality treatments whitethorn besides forgo the mask. However, look masks volition inactive beryllium required successful indoor spaces similar buying malls and nationalist transportation.

It’s the archetypal clip the Emirati authorities has relaxed the strict nationwide disguise mandate, violations of which effect successful a hefty $800 fine.

Virus cases person steadily declined successful caller weeks, with wellness authorities present signaling immoderate 300-400 cases a day. Over 80% of the colonisation has been afloat vaccinated.

Ad

The determination comes conscionable a week earlier Dubai hosts the long-awaited World Expo, which was pushed backmost a twelvemonth due to the fact that of the pandemic.

___

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia — Coronavirus infections successful Slovakia are rising steeply, surpassing 1,000 radical investigating affirmative successful 1 time for the archetypal clip since April.

The Health Ministry says the day-to-day summation successful caller cases reached 1,180 connected Tuesday, the highest fig since April 7. It was 474 a week ago.

Nine much radical died of COVID-19 connected Tuesday for a full of 12,589 successful the federation of 5.5 million.

Some 2.3 cardinal radical successful Slovakia person been afloat vaccinated. The state has 1 of the slowest vaccination rates among the European Union countries.

___

BEIJING — Officials successful the northeast China metropolis of Harbin accidental nationalist level wellness officials person been sent to the metropolis to woody with what whitethorn beryllium a coronavirus outbreak.

The metropolis of 9.5 cardinal radical reported 3 corruption cases Wednesday, a time aft discovering a archetypal lawsuit of assemblage transmission.

Ad

After the archetypal finding, authorities started wide investigating and closed schools. The metropolis besides ordered businesses similar mahjong parlors, cinemas and gyms to shut. City authorities accidental residents indispensable show a antagonistic microorganism trial to beryllium capable to permission for lone indispensable travel. Otherwise, radical are being told to enactment home.

China has been capable to support the microorganism from transmitting wide wrong its borders done a costly and strict strategy that relies connected lockdowns and wide testing.

___

HONOLULU — A antheral who helped signifier a Hawaii radical that opposes coronavirus vaccines and pandemic restrictions says helium present has regrets aft contracting COVID-19.

Chris Wikoff told Hawaii News Now this week that helium helped commencement the Aloha Freedom Coalition past October. He says helium believed authorities shutdowns and different restrictions were threatening liberties and harming businesses.

But past helium and his woman contracted COVID-19, the illness that is sometimes caused by the virus. Wikoff says helium thought helium was going to dice and helium inactive has occupation breathing.

Ad

He is present considering getting vaccinated due to the fact that his household and doctors urge it.

Wikoff says helium nary longer wants to beryllium associated with the Aloha Freedom Coalition. He is informing others successful the radical not to gather.

___

LOS ANGELES — California is seeing little coronavirus transmission than different U.S. states arsenic microorganism cases and hospitalizations for COVID-19 diminution pursuing a summertime surge.

The authorities is presently the lone 1 experiencing “substantial” coronavirus transmission, the second-highest level connected the CDC’s color-coded map. So is Puerto Rico. In each different U.S. states, microorganism transmission is rated arsenic “high.”

State wellness experts accidental comparatively precocious vaccination rates successful California up of the accomplishment of the delta variant of the coronavirus made a difference. They accidental further measures, specified arsenic masking, besides helped stem the surge.

State information accidental astir 70% of eligible Californians are afloat vaccinated.

Ad

___

HONOLULU — Hawaii wellness attraction providers are receiving fractional the fig of monoclonal antibody treatments for COVID-19 that they requested amid a shortage of the drugs.

The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reports the national authorities has capped Hawaii’s play allocation astatine 680 treatments. The authorities volition person to spot whether it tin get much proviso successful the coming weeks.

There has been a spike successful request for the drugs successful states wherever surging hospitalizations among the unvaccinated person overwhelmed hospitals.

The treatments person been shown to trim decease and hospitalization if fixed early. The drugs are laboratory-made versions of virus-blocking antibodies that assistance combat infections.

___

CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Wyoming’s politician has activated the Wyoming National Guard to supply impermanent assistance to hospitals that are dealing with a surge of patients with COVID-19.

Gov. Mark Gordon activated 95 soldiers and airmen Tuesday to service astatine 24 sites successful 17 Wyoming cities.

Ad

The Guard members volition assistance with cleanup, nutrient service, coronavirus screening, absorption of idiosyncratic protective instrumentality and different enactment tasks.

Guard members volition service 14- to 30-day rotations, with the imaginable to widen done the extremity of the year.

On Tuesday, 190 radical were hospitalized successful Wyoming with COVID-19, the sometimes deadly illness that tin beryllium caused by the coronavirus. That is down from a caller precocious of 223 connected Sept. 8.

___

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — A North Carolina-based wellness attraction supplier says astir 400 of its workers look firings for failing to comply with a mandatory coronavirus vaccination program.

The Winston-Salem Journal reports that Novant Health said Tuesday that 1.4% of its wide workforce, oregon 375 employees, are not being allowed to work.

Novant announced its mandatory vaccination argumentation July 22, saying past that it would necessitate afloat compliance by Sept. 15.

In a quality release, Novant Health says the affected workers volition person 5 days to comply with the vaccine mandate. If they don’t get the changeable earlier the deadline, they volition beryllium fired.

Ad

___

NEW YORK — A caller survey of Texas situation inmates provides much grounds that coronavirus tin dispersed adjacent successful groups wherever astir radical are vaccinated.

A COVID-19 outbreak astatine a national situation successful July and August infected 172 antheral inmates successful 2 situation lodging units, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study released Tuesday.

About 80% of the inmates successful the units had been vaccinated. More than 90% of the unvaccinated inmates coiled up being infected, arsenic did 70% of the afloat vaccinated prisoners.

Severe illness, however, was much communal among the unvaccinated. The hospitalization complaint was astir 10 times higher for them compared with those who got the shots.

It echoes probe into a July outbreak successful Provincetown, Massachusetts, wherever respective 100 radical were infected -- astir three-quarters of whom were afloat vaccinated.

Such reports person prompted a renewed propulsion by wellness officials for adjacent vaccinated radical to deterioration masks and instrumentality different precautions. They judge the delta variant, a mentation of coronavirus that spreads much easily, and perchance waning immunity whitethorn beryllium playing a role.

Ad

The authors did not place the prison, but media reports successful July elaborate a similar-sized outbreak astatine the national situation successful Texarkana.

___

OKLAHOMA CITY — Fans of the NBA’s Oklahoma City Thunder volition beryllium required to supply impervious of a COVID-19 vaccination oregon a antagonistic coronavirus trial to be games successful person, the squad announced Tuesday.

“As we proceed to look superior wellness challenges from COVID-19, we indispensable stay committed to protecting the wellness and information of our community,” Thunder Chairman Clay Bennett said.

The argumentation volition beryllium successful effect for the archetypal 12 games of the preseason and continuing into the commencement of the regular season.

The Oklahoma State Department of Health connected Tuesday reported 484 caller microorganism cases and a seven-day mean of 1,834 caller cases daily, down from a seven-day mean of 2,114 caller regular cases 1 week ago.

The fig of hospitalizations has declined from a three-day mean of astir 1,600 connected Sept. 1 to 1,327 connected Tuesday, according to the wellness department, which announced a virtual vocation time connected Sept. 29 successful an effort to prosecute 70 nurses statewide.

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