Health News Roundup: U.S. appeals court lifts CDC cruise ship restrictions in a win for Florida; Tokyo daily Covid-19 cases total 1,763 on Sunday and more

The comments come after leaked letters https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/leaked-letters-show-astrazeneca-vaccine-commitment-not-thailand-claimed-2021-07-19 showed last week that the drugmaker had offered to supply 5-6 million vaccine doses a month to Thailand, contradicting assertions by Thai officials that the government is owed 10 million a month and 61 million doses by end-2021. Malaysia's total coronavirus infections rise above 1 million Malaysia's total coronavirus cases since the start of the pandemic surpasssed 1 million on Sunday after the country's health ministry reported a record 17,045 new coronavirus cases.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

U.S. appeals court lifts CDC cruise ship restrictions in a win for Florida

A federal appeals court late on Friday reversed course and let stand a lower court order prohibiting the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) from enforcing coronavirus-related cruise ship rules in Florida. The decision is a win for Florida that had filed a lawsuit arguing the CDC curbs made it tough for the cruise industry to recover from the pandemic.

Tokyo daily Covid-19 cases total 1,763 on Sunday

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government reported 1,763 COVID-19 cases on Sunday, the third day since the Olympic Games began in the Japanese capital. Infections have been on the rise in recent weeks, reaching 1,979 on Thursday, the highest since January.

Vietnam says more U.S. vaccine donations are expected after the first 5 million doses

Vietnam may get more COVID-19 vaccine donations from the United States as it struggles to control outbreaks of the fast-spreading Delta variant, the country's ambassador to the United States said on Sunday. Vietnam took delivery of a shipment of 3 million Moderna doses from the United States on Sunday, which brought the amount given by the United States, via the global COVAX vaccine scheme, to 5 million doses.

India reports 39,742 new COVID-19 cases in last 24 hours: government

India reported 39,742 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, a government statement said on Sunday. The COVID-19 death toll rose by 535 deaths in the last 24 hours, with the total reaching 420,551, health ministry data showed.

South Korea steps up COVID-19 curbs ahead of peak holiday season

South Korea said on Sunday it will tighten social distancing rules across most of the country this week, warning that its worst-ever COVID-19 wave might spread further in the summer holiday season. The curbs will be increased to Level 3 on a four-level scale, which will mean a 10 p.m. dining curfew and ban on gatherings of more than four people, from Tuesday for two weeks for most areas except for some small counties.

Indonesia, Asia's COVID epicentre, extends curbs by a week

Indonesia extended its COVID-19 restrictions by a week to Aug. 2 to try to curb infections, President Joko Widodo announced on Sunday, after the government said it would add more intensive care units amid a rise in deaths. Indonesia has become Asia's COVID-19 epicentre with hospitals deluged, particularly on the densely populated island of Java and on Bali, where oxygen supplies are running thin.

Merkel aide warns virus surge in Germany may mean curbs for unvaccinated

Chancellor Angela Merkel's chief of staff said on Sunday he fears the number of new coronavirus cases in Germany could soar to 100,000 a day in about two months unless many more people get vaccinated and those who refuse may face restrictions. His suggestion quickly hit resistance from several senior politicians including Armin Laschet, conservative candidate to succeed Merkel as chancellor in a Sept. 26 election.

U.S. will not investigate nursing home deaths in New York, two other states -letter

The U.S. Justice Department has decided not to open a civil rights investigation into nursing homes in New York and two other states regarding their COVID-19 response, dealing a blow to several Republican lawmakers who had demanded a probe. One underlying issue is whether three states with Democratic governors - New York, Michigan and Pennsylvania - inadvertently added to the coronavirus death toll in the early stages of the pandemic by allowing nursing homes to take in residents who had been hospitalized for COVID-19.

AstraZeneca scours supply chain for more vaccine doses for Thailand, SE Asia

AstraZeneca Plc is "scouring" its global supply chain to try and boost COVID-19 vaccine supplies to Thailand and Southeast Asia, its representative for the country said on Saturday, amidst speculations of local production shortfalls. The comments come after leaked letters https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/leaked-letters-show-astrazeneca-vaccine-commitment-not-thailand-claimed-2021-07-19 showed last week that the drugmaker had offered to supply 5-6 million vaccine doses a month to Thailand, contradicting assertions by Thai officials that the government is owed 10 million a month and 61 million doses by end-2021.

Malaysia's total coronavirus infections rise above 1 million

Malaysia's total coronavirus cases since the start of the pandemic surpasssed 1 million on Sunday after the country's health ministry reported a record 17,045 new coronavirus cases. The total number of infections in the country stood at 1,013,438.