Health News Roundup: Unvaccinated Belgian woman contracted two COVID variants simultaneously; Taiwan's Foxconn, TSMC ink $350 million COVID-19 vaccine deal and more

China denies the accusations. India reports 37,154 new COVID-19 cases in last 24 hours India reported on Monday 37,154 new COVID-19 cases and 724 new deaths in the last 24 hours, data from health ministry showed. Australia's COVID-19 Delta outbreak worsens despite Sydney lockdown The prospect of an extended lockdown in Sydney loomed on Monday as Australian health officials reported yet another record daily rise in COVID-19 cases for the year, fuelled by the highly infectious Delta variant.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Unvaccinated Belgian women contracted two COVID variants simultaneously

A 90-year-old Belgian woman who died from COVID-19 in March had contracted two variants of coronavirus at the same time, which is believed to be the first documented case of its kind, a scientific congress and Belgian media said on Sunday. The case, discussed at this year's European Congress on Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases (ECCMID), shows that it is possible to catch two COVID-19 variants simultaneously, the society that organized the congress said in a statement.

Taiwan's Foxconn, TSMC ink $350 million COVID-19 vaccine deal

Taiwan's Foxconn and TSMC said on Monday they had reached deals to buy 10 million doses of Germany's BioNTech SE's COVID-19 vaccine, putting the total cost of the highly politicized deal at around $350 million. Taiwan's government has tried for months to buy the vaccine directly from BioNTech and has blamed China, which claims the self-ruled island as its own territory, for nixing an agreement the two sides were due to sign earlier this year. China denies the accusations.

India reports 37,154 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours

India reported on Monday 37,154 new COVID-19 cases and 724 new deaths in the last 24 hours, data from the health ministry showed.

Australia's COVID-19 Delta outbreak worsens despite Sydney lockdown

The prospect of an extended lockdown in Sydney loomed on Monday as Australian health officials reported yet another record daily rise in COVID-19 cases for the year, fuelled by the highly infectious Delta variant. New South Wales state reported 112 new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases, almost all of them in Sydney, despite the country's biggest city entering its third week of lockdown. Case numbers have been at record levels for at least three days.

Pfizer, U.S. health officials to discuss COVID boosters on Monday -company

COVID-19 vaccine maker Pfizer Inc will meet with federal health officials as soon as Monday to discuss the need for a booster dose of the coronavirus vaccine as it prepares to seek authorization, the company said on Sunday. The meeting comes days after the drugmaker and its partner BioNTech SE announced plans to seek U.S. and European regulatory approval for a third dose of their COVID-19 shot amid the spread of variants and data they said showed a heightened risk of infection six months after initial inoculation.

Myanmar military says to ramp up oxygen supply as COVID-19 cases surge

Myanmar's military authorities will ensure that oxygen plants operate at full capacity to help treat COVID-19 patients as cases in the Southeast Asian country hit record highs, an army spokesman said on Monday. Zaw Min Tun told a news conference that vaccinations would be extended to those below the age of 18. He said Myanmar had an agreement with Russia for the production of five million vaccine doses a year.

S.Korea reports 1,100 new coronavirus cases, toughest curbs in force in Seoul

South Korea reported 1,100 new coronavirus cases for July 11, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said on Monday, as the country's toughest anti-COVID curbs take effect in Seoul in an attempt to quell its worst-ever outbreak. The number was the highest ever recorded on a Sunday, KDCA data showed, though below three consecutive days of peaks leading up to 1,378 on Friday.

Pandemic not over, Johnson warns as England set for rule easing

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will urge caution on Monday as he is expected to confirm plans to remove nearly all remaining COVID-19 restrictions in England from July 19, despite a surge of cases to levels unseen for months. Earlier this week Johnson set out proposals to eliminate rules on mask-wearing and social contact, and the instruction to work from home, on what he has called a "one-way road to freedom". He will announce his final decision at a news conference on Monday.

Hundreds of Thai medical workers infected despite Sinovac vaccinations

Thailand's health ministry said on Sunday more than 600 medical workers who received two doses of China's Sinovac vaccine have been infected with COVID-19, as authorities weigh giving booster doses to raise immunity. Of the 677,348 medical personnel who received two doses of Sinovac, 618 became infected, health ministry data from April to July showed. A nurse has died and another medical worker is in critical condition.

Germany's confirmed coronavirus cases rise by 324 - RKI

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 324 to 3,736,489, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Monday. The reported death toll rose by 2 to 91,233, the tally showed.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)