Anthony Fauci, President Joe Biden’s chief medical adviser, said the US will be “absolutely prepared” to distribute a third shot of the coronavirus vaccine quickly to a wider population if needed. He gave no timeline.

Incoming New York Governor Kathy Hochul said she will be looking at the possibility of a statewide vaccine mandate for indoor activities, as she formulates her pandemic policy after taking over from Governor Andrew Cuomo at the end of the month.

Iran set a record for daily deaths from Covid-19 while the Delta variant found new routes into Asia, despite stringent efforts to curb the pandemic. Cases were at or near records in Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines. 

Key developments

• Global Tracker: Cases top 207 million; deaths pass 4.3 million
• Vaccine Tracker: More than 4.68 billion doses administered
• Deadly Covid-linked condition in kids poised for a comeback
• Australia’s indigenous people face biggest pandemic threat
• School mask rule clash puts heat on courts to steer policy
• Understanding the debate over booster shots: QuickTake

Fauci says US will be ready for boosters

Anthony Fauci, President Joe Biden’s chief medical adviser, said the US will be “absolutely prepared” to distribute a third shot of the coronavirus vaccine quickly to a wider population if needed.

He gave no timeline but said health officials are evaluating various groups “on a daily and weekly basis”.

“So if it turns out, as the data come in, we see we do need to give an additional dose to people in nursing homes, actually, or people who are elderly we will be absolutely prepared to do that very quickly,” he said on CBS’s Face the Nation.

Next New York governor ‘open’ to shot mandates

Incoming New York Governor Kathy Hochul said she will be looking at the possibility of a statewide vaccine mandate for indoor activities, as she formulates her pandemic policy after taking over from Governor Andrew Cuomo at the end of the month.

“I’m open to all options,” she said on Sunday on CNN’s State of the Union. “I will be looking at the possibility of mandates, but not saying they’re in or out until I know all the facts.”

Hochul( 62), who is lieutenant-governor, went on national talk shows on Sunday to signal a change of tone and atmosphere when she serves the remainder of Cuomo’s term, starting next week.

Iran deaths hit another record

Covid-19 fatalities in Iran surged to an all-time high of 620 in 24 hours on Sunday – the third time this month a record has been set. New cases rose by 36,736 overnight. Iran now has more than 4.4 million infections and 97,828 deaths from coronavirus.

Uganda eyes imports of reagents

Uganda plans to import reagents of Covid-19 vaccines to start its own production and accelerate an inoculation campaign dogged by supply delays.

The arrival of chemicals would fast-track output of shots in the East African country, President Yoweri Museveni said late on Saturday. Uganda has only administered 1.17 million of the 21 million jabs it’s targeted before fully removing restrictions imposed to stem the spread of the virus, according to the Ministry of Health.

“My appeal to partners abroad is to sell us reagents,” Museveni said. “Because of speed, for the first production we’d want to buy from people who have established lines abroad.”

Russian deaths stay near record

Russia reported 816 deaths from Covid-19 on Sunday, just short of the record set the day before. The Delta strain has spread widely across the country, where vaccination levels remain relatively low. Authorities reported 21,624 new cases on Sunday, down 2.3% from Saturday.

Malaysia relaxes curbs for the vaccinated

Malaysia will open up more sectors to individuals who have been fully vaccinated in an effort to rebuild parts of the economy which have been shut due to the virus outbreak, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said on Sunday.

Under the new guidelines which will take effect on Monday, hair salons, shops selling electrical goods, furniture, sporting equipment and car accessories will be allowed to operate in states under the first phase of the national recovery plan, Muhyiddin said in a statement. Stores offering used clothes, antiques and toys can resume business under the second phase.

Sinovac to seek approval to test anti-Delta shot

Beijing-based Sinovac, manufacturer of an inactivated Covid-19 vaccine, will seek approval to do further testing on a shot specifically targeting the Delta variant of the coronavirus before October this year, state-backed Global Times reported on Sunday, citing the company’s general manager, Gao Qiang, in a recent interview.

Two shots of Sinovac’s current vaccine that has been widely used in China and across much of the developing world can “remarkably” reduce the risks of developing symptoms and critical illness from infection by the Delta variant, Gao was cited as saying by the Global Times.

Gao added that the results of real-world research on using the Sinovac vaccine as a booster shot, following full immunisation, conducted in China, Turkey, Chile and other countries, will be obtained soon.

Vietnam deaths surge

Vietnam reported 9,710 new local Covid-19 cases on Saturday, an increase of 560 from a day earlier and a new single-day record. Deaths were 349, up 74 from Friday. The country’s daily local case average has more than doubled to 8,500 this month compared with last month. Daily fatalities in August have surged to 295 on average, from 40 in July.

Ho Chi Minh City, the nation’s Covid-19 epicentre, is extending its stay-home order, which began on July 9 and expires on Sunday, by one more month, newspaper Tuoi Tre reported, citing the city’s party deputy chief Phan Van Mai. Danang, a major city in Vietnam’s central coastal region, ordered residents to stay home for a week starting at 8am on August 16, amid a virus resurgence.

Philippine cases near record

The Philippines registered 14,749 infections on Sunday, the highest since April 2, when daily cases reached a record of 15,298. Another 270 deaths were recorded.

The Delta variant has been detected in all cities in the capital region, and 70% of all intensive care unit beds in the country were already occupied, the Department of Health said.

The Philippines has the second highest infection in Southeast Asia, at about 1.74 million. Cases continued to surge despite the lockdown imposed in the capital region and other parts of the country. The positivity rate of 23.5% as of August 15 means nearly one in four people tested positive, according to the health department.

Thailand cases surpass 20,000 for fifth day

Thailand reported more than 20,000 new daily Covid cases for a fifth straight day as about a month of quasi-lockdown measures in areas covering around 40% of the population including the greater Bangkok area failed to ease an outbreak.

The Southeast Asian nation also reported 209 new Covid deaths. Cumulative fatalities have more than doubled to 7,500 in the past month alone.

Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha is scheduled to hold a meeting of the nation’s main Covid task force on Monday to review the containment measures amid warnings from health officials that new cases may double by the middle of next month if the current trend continues. Anti-government groups have held near-daily protests over the past couple of weeks, calling for Prayuth’s resignation and greater access to vaccines.

Australia secures one million more Pfizer doses

Australia secured an extra one million Pfizer coronavirus vaccine doses as the nation battles an outbreak of the Delta variant that’s placed Sydney in lockdown for more than seven weeks.

The doses were secured in a deal with Poland and were due to arrive on Sunday, adding to the 40 million that Australia had already contracted to be delivered by Pfizer, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said. More than half will be sent directly to areas of Sydney hardest-hit by the outbreak, in a bid to boost inoculation rates among people aged between 20 and 39.

New US vaccinations near one million

The US reported almost one million Covid-19 vaccine doses on Saturday, the most for a single day since early July, reflecting a faster pace of inoculation as the Delta variant spreads.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported almost 991,000 doses given nationwide. That is more than double a low point of less than 400,000 in mid-July.

Several states hit hardest by the recent surge in infections have reported increased vaccinations, including Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana. However, Florida, which broke a record for weekly cases on Friday, reported vaccinations falling week over week.

Israel expands booster eligibility

Israel administered 70,000 booster shots this weekend, as people between the ages of 50 and 59 became eligible, according to the Haaretz newspaper. Almost 846,000 booster shots have been given so far and another 100,000 people have signed up, the newspaper reported.

Infections are rising quickly in a nation where 80% of adults are fully vaccinated. Experts are divided about who would benefit most from a third shot – and even about the efficacy of boosters themselves. It is the first nation to widely distribute third doses, beginning last month to administer shots to people over 60 years old after a sharp rise in cases among the fully vaccinated.

–With assistance from Jason Scott, Mai Ngoc Chau, Thomas Kutty Abraham, Ditas Lopez and Arsalan Shahla.