Health News Roundup: UK COVID death toll reaches 94,580; Irish COVID-19 death rate at pandemic high and more

"The number of deaths confirmed per day over the last seven days, 44, is the highest we have seen at any point during the pandemic," Philip Nolan, head of the government's COVID-19 modelling unit, told a news conference. Pfizer cuts vaccine deliveries by as much as half to some EU countries Pfizer has slashed in half the volume of COVID-19 vaccines it will deliver to some EU countries this week, government officials said on Thursday, as frustration over the U.S. drugmaker's unexpected cut in supplies grows.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

France tells its citizens: Fabric masks not enough to protect from COVID

The French government is now recommending that people wear surgical masks in public because they offer better protection from COVID-19 transmission than fabric face coverings, Health Minister Olivier Veran said on Thursday. France already requires masks to be worn in public places, but until now has not made recommendations about the type of masks. French authorities are worried they could be hit by new, more contagious variants of the virus.

Canadian health officials take different tack to vaccinate wary care home workers

Health officials in the Canadian province of Ontario thought large, central clinics would be the most efficient way to get staff at long-term care homes vaccinated quickly, protecting elderly residents most at risk of severe COVID-19 and death. As it became clear that some staff could or would not travel to hospitals in large cities like Toronto, wary of the healthcare system or of the vaccines, officials have turned to new strategies, like bringing the shots directly to care homes. There, vaccine teams can speak informally with staff to address their concerns.

UK COVID death toll reaches 94,580, hits daily vaccination record

The death toll from COVID-19 in the United Kingdom hit 94,580 on Thursday after the country recorded another 1,290 fatalities, while official data showed medics had delivered a new high of 363,508 vaccines in the last 24 hours. Britain has been hit hard by the latest wave of the pandemic, with daily fatalities routinely over 1,000. It recorded on Wednesday a new daily high of 1,820 deaths of people who had tested positive for the disease within 28 days.

Exclusive: Pfizer-BioNTech agree to supply WHO co-led COVID-19 vaccine scheme - sources

Pfizer and BioNTech have agreed to supply their COVID-19 vaccine to the World Health Organization co-led COVAX vaccine access scheme, two sources familiar with the deal said, the latest in a series of shots to be included in the project aimed at lower-income countries. The deal is expected to be announced on Friday, according to the sources, who declined to be named due to the confidentiality of the agreement.

Irish COVID-19 death rate at pandemic high

Ireland's COVID-19 death rate is at its highest level since the start of the pandemic with an average of 44 deaths per day in the past week, a senior health official said on Thursday. "The number of deaths confirmed per day over the last seven days, 44, is the highest we have seen at any point during the pandemic," Philip Nolan, head of the government's COVID-19 modelling unit, told a news conference.

Pfizer cuts vaccine deliveries by as much as half to some EU countries Pfizer has slashed in half the volume of COVID-19 vaccines it will deliver to some EU countries this week, government officials said on Thursday, as frustration over the U.S. drugmaker's unexpected cut in supplies grows. Romania got only 50% of its planned volume for this week, the other half being allocated gradually by the end of March, with deliveries returning to normal starting next week, Deputy Health Minister Andrei Baciu told Reuters.

Exclusive: India to begin commercial vaccine exports with shipments to Brazil, Morocco India's government has cleared commercial exports of COVID-19 vaccines, with the first consignments to be shipped to Brazil and Morocco on Friday, the Indian foreign secretary told Reuters. The shots developed by UK-based drugmaker AstraZeneca and Oxford University are being manufactured at the Serum Institute of India, the world's biggest producer of vaccines, which has received orders from countries across the world.

EU leaders weigh travel curbs over virus variant fears European Union leaders were seeking on Thursday to address the coronavirus pandemic's mounting challenges, including increased calls to limit travel and tighten border controls to contain more infectious variants of the disease. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said before an evening leaders' video conference that European countries needed to take the new mutation found in Britain seriously to avoid a third wave.

Biden will order masks on planes and trains, increase disaster funds to fight coronavirus President Joe Biden will sign 10 executive orders on Thursday to fight the coronavirus pandemic, including directing that disaster funds be used to help reopen schools and requiring that people wear masks on planes and buses, officials said. Biden, a Democrat who took over from Republican President Donald Trump on Wednesday, has promised a fierce fight against the pandemic that killed 400,000 people in the United States under Trump's watch.

U.S., staying in WHO, to join COVID vaccine push for poor nations: Fauci The United States under President Joe Biden intends to join the COVAX vaccine facility that aims to deliver coronavirus vaccines to poor countries, his chief medical adviser, Anthony Fauci, told the World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday. Fauci, speaking to the WHO executive board, confirmed that the United States would remain a member of the U.N. agency and said it would work multilaterally on issues from the COVID-19 pandemic to HIV/AIDS.