Health News Roundup: France reports over 10,000 new coronavirus cases for third day; Hanoi tightens restrictions as COVID clusters spread in Vietnam and more

A total of 114 doctors died during July 1-17, the highest number reported for any period of similar length and more than 20% of the 545 total doctor deaths from COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic, officials from Indonesia's doctors association (IDI) said during a virtual news conference. 'Please, please be cautious' as we lift COVID rules, says UK PM Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged the British public to be cautious and said they must self-isolate when told to do so as COVID-19 restrictions are lifted in England on Monday.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Indonesia reports record number of doctor deaths from COVID-19 in July

Deaths of doctors from COVID-19 in Indonesia rose sharply in the first half of July, according to the profession's association, as the Delta variant of the coronavirus fuelled a surge in infections across the country. A total of 114 doctors died during July 1-17, the highest number reported for any period of similar length and more than 20% of the 545 total doctor deaths from COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic, officials from Indonesia's doctors association (IDI) said during a virtual news conference.

'Please, please be cautious' as we lift COVID rules, says UK PM

Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged the British public to be cautious and said they must self-isolate when told to do so as COVID-19 restrictions are lifted in England on Monday. "Please, please, please, be cautious," Johnson said in a video from his own period of self-isolation, which was announced earlier on Sunday.

France reports over 10,000 new coronavirus cases for third day

France reported more than 12,500 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, the third day that the tally has held above 10,000, as the quick spread of the more contagious Delta variant of COVID-19 led to a jump in new infections. The health ministry, however, said that the 12,532 new cases reported on Sunday, which took the total to 5.87 million, included data not published the day before.

COVID deaths dip in Italy, but cases climb, lifted by soccer parties

Italy reported just three coronavirus-related deaths on Sunday against 13 the day before, the lowest toll since last August, however, the daily tally of new infections edged up to 3,127 from 3,121. Sundays normally see a fall in cases because only limited testing is done at weekends, so although the rise in infections was minimal it still represented a sixth consecutive daily increase, underscoring concerns of a fresh wave of contagion.

Exclusive: J&J exploring putting talc liabilities into bankruptcy, sources say

Johnson & Johnson is exploring a plan to offload liabilities from widespread Baby Powder litigation into a newly created business that would then seek bankruptcy protection, according to seven people familiar with the matter. During settlement discussions, one of the healthcare conglomerate's attorneys has told plaintiffs' lawyers that J&J could pursue the bankruptcy plan, which could result in lower payouts for cases that do not settle beforehand, some of the people said. Plaintiffs' lawyers would initially be unable to stop J&J from taking such a step, though could pursue legal avenues to challenge it later.

Hanoi tightens restrictions as COVID clusters spread in Vietnam

Vietnam's capital Hanoi urged its citizens to stay at home from Monday and ordered a halt to all non-essential services due to new clusters of COVID-19 infections in recent days, the authorities said on Sunday. The city, which had already halted indoor restaurant service and closed salons as well as gyms, also stopped rail and bus passenger services to and from provinces in the south which have seen the biggest increases.

COVID-19 response runs underground in junta-ruled Myanmar

For a week, 21-year-old student Phoe Thar has been out by dawn to gather oxygen cylinders from the homes of coronavirus sufferers in Myanmar's second city of Mandalay. He and fellow volunteers line the tanks up outside charities for filling and returning, trying to save lives in a country whose health system has largely collapsed since a Feb. 1 coup and which now faces its worst surge of COVID-19 infections.

Nigeria puts six states on COVID-19 red alert, curbs gatherings

Nigeria has put six states on red alert after seeing a "worrisome" rise in COVID-19 infections, a government official said, urging people to curb gatherings and hold prayers outside mosques during this week's Muslim festival Eid-el-Kabir. Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation, is like most parts of the continent now facing a COVID-19 third wave after detecting the more transmissible Delta variant.

U.S. surgeon general defends CDC mask change, blames tech companies for COVID deaths

U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy stood by federal guidance that those fully vaccinated against COVID-19 no longer needed to wear masks, while blaming social media companies for fueling vaccine misinformation. Murthy told CNN's "State of the Union" that allowing vaccinated individuals to forgo masks also gives communities the flexibility to revert to mask mandates based on new infections and vaccination rates, as Los Angeles https://www.reuters.com/world/us/mask-mandate-returns-los-angeles-coronavirus-cases-rise-2021-07-15 has done.

India's daily COVID-19 infections rise by 41,157 - health ministry

India on Sunday reported 41,157 new coronavirus cases over the last 24 hours, taking the nationwide tally to 31.1 million, health ministry data showed. The number of deaths rose by 518, taking the total to 413,609, according to ministry data.