Health News Roundup: Vietnam's capital Hanoi to extend COVID-19 curbs until Aug. 22; U.S. COVID-19 cases reach six-month high, Florida grapples with surge and more

The nursing assistant, who has not been publicly named, received AstraZeneca's shot on March 12 and later suffered from double vision and paralysis and was diagnosed with acute encephalomyelitis, according to a statement by the state-run Korea Workers' Compensation & Welfare Service on Friday. Delta spreads in Sydney as Australia widens COVID-19 restrictions Australian officials warned Sydney residents on Friday to brace for a surge in COVID-19 cases after the country's largest city logged record infections for the second straight day despite a weeks-long lockdown to stamp out an outbreak of Delta variant.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Vietnam's capital Hanoi to extend COVID-19 curbs until Aug. 22

Vietnam's capital Hanoi will extend its coronavirus restrictions for another 15 days until Aug. 22, the state Vietnam News Agency reported on Friday, following the discovery of new clusters of infections in the city over recent days.

U.S. COVID-19 cases reach six-month high, Florida grapples with surge

Daily new COVID-19 cases have climbed to a six-month high in the United States, with more than 100,000 infections reported nationwide as the Delta variant ravaged Florida and other states with lower vaccination rates. The seven-day average of new reported cases reached nearly 95,000, a five-fold increase in less than a month, Reuters data through Wednesday showed. (Graphic on U.S. cases and deaths) https://tmsnrt.rs/2WTOZDR

South Korea nurse eligible for gov't benefit after a COVID-19 vaccine reaction

For the first time in South Korea, a nursing assistant who suffered paralysis after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine was recognized as a victim of an industrial accident, making her eligible for government benefits and financial compensation. The nursing assistant, who has not been publicly named, received AstraZeneca's shot on March 12 and later suffered from double vision and paralysis and was diagnosed with acute encephalomyelitis, according to a statement by the state-run Korea Workers' Compensation & Welfare Service on Friday.

Delta spreads in Sydney as Australia widens COVID-19 restrictions

Australian officials warned Sydney residents on Friday to brace for a surge in COVID-19 cases after the country's largest city logged record infections for the second straight day despite a weeks-long lockdown to stamp out an outbreak of Delta variant. "Just based on the trend in the last few days and where things are going, I am expecting higher case numbers in the next few days and I just want everyone to be prepared for that," New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian told reporters in Sydney, the state capital.

CNN fires three employees who came to office unvaccinated - memo

News media company CNN has terminated three of its employees for coming to the office unvaccinated against the COVID-19 last week, according to a memo sent to staff internally on Thursday. In the note seen by Reuters, President Jeff Zucker told employees that the company has a zero-tolerance policy on such instances and required its employees to be vaccinated to come to the office or to work on the field with other employees.

'A cautionary tale': Louisiana doctors face a different COVID-19 surge

Doctors in Louisiana have been through it before: the exhaustion, the grief, and the overflowing intensive care units. But this new surge of COVID-19 cases driven by the Delta variant is different, not least because it did not have to be. “Where we are now was preventable, and that’s what is so hard for my colleagues in hospitals to stomach,” said Rebekah Gee, who until last year was the health secretary for Louisiana and now heads Louisiana State University’s healthcare services division. “It’s very frustrating and unfair for doctors to see preventable suffering.”

India reports 44,643 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours

India reported 44,643 new cases of the coronavirus in the last 24 hours, the federal health ministry said on Friday, taking its tally to 31.86 million cases. Deaths rose by 464, taking total fatalities to 426,754.

Moderna says its COVID-19 shot maintains high efficacy through 6 months

Moderna Inc said on Thursday its COVID-19 vaccine was about 93% effective through six months after the second dose, showing hardly any change from the 94% efficacy reported in its original clinical trial. However, the company said it still expects booster shots to be necessary ahead of the winter season as antibody levels are expected to wane.

U.S. plans to give extra COVID-19 shots to at-risk Americans - Fauci

The United States is working to give additional COVID-19 booster shots to Americans with compromised immune systems as quickly as possible, as cases of the novel coronavirus continue to rise, top U.S. infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci said Thursday. The United States is joining Germany, France and Israel in giving booster shots, ignoring a plea by the World Health Organisation to hold off until more people around the world can get their first shot.

Novavax again delays seeking U.S. approval for COVID-19 vaccine

Novavax Inc on Thursday again delayed its timeline for seeking U.S. authorization for its two-dose COVID-19 vaccine but expects to become a major distributor to lower and middle-income countries this year. It had previously said it would seek emergency use authorization (EUA) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in the third quarter of 2021 but now expects to file in the fourth quarter.

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