Health News Roundup: U.S. judge blocks N.Y. vaccine mandate for healthcare workers; Factbox-Latest on the worldwide spread of the coronavirus and more

The three-page outline is addressed to countries, international organizations, and private sector groups invited to a virtual COVID-19 summit planned by the United States on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly beginning this week. U.S. says federal employees must be vaccinated by Nov. 22 The Biden administration said most federal employees must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 no later than Nov. 22 as it drafts rules to require large employers to have their workers inoculated or tested weekly.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

U.S. judge blocks N.Y. vaccine mandate for healthcare workers

A U.S. judge in New York on Tuesday temporarily blocked the state from enforcing a requirement that healthcare workers receive COVID-19 vaccines against the wishes of employees with religious objections. U.S. District Judge David Hurd in Utica, New York in a written order said he was blocking the mandate from taking effect on Sept. 27 because it does not allow for exemptions based on workers' religious beliefs.

Factbox-Latest on the worldwide spread of the coronavirus

The Biden administration said most federal employees must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 no later than Nov. 22 as it drafts rules to require large employers to have their workers inoculated or tested weekly. DEATHS AND INFECTIONS

Sydney nightly curfew to end as COVID-19 vaccinations hit fresh milestone

A curfew imposed on more than two million people in the 12 Sydney suburbs hardest hit by the spread of the coronavirus Delta variant will end on Wednesday night, authorities said, stopping short of easing more lockdown restrictions. Officials said first-dose COVID-19 vaccination levels have reached 80% of the New South Wales (NSW) adult population, while the dual-dose rate in Sydney's home state stands at 48% now. That's above the national average of 43%, but well below the 70% level that will trigger the easing of other curbs first imposed three months ago.

U.S. pushes world leaders to embrace 70% global COVID-19 vaccination target

The United States is pushing global leaders to endorse what it calls ambitious targets for ending the COVID-19 pandemic, including ensuring 70% of the world's population is vaccinated against the virus by 2022, according to a draft U.S. document viewed by Reuters on Tuesday. The three-page outline is addressed to countries, international organizations, and private sector groups invited to a virtual COVID-19 summit planned by the United States on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly beginning this week.

U.S. says federal employees must be vaccinated by Nov. 22

The Biden administration said most federal employees must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 no later than Nov. 22 as it drafts rules to require large employers to have their workers inoculated or tested weekly. President Joe Biden last week signed an executive order requiring federal employees who work in the Executive Branch to be fully vaccinated with certain limited exceptions.

U.S. to buy 1.4 million additional doses of Regeneron's COVID-19 therapy

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc said on Tuesday the U.S. government will buy 1.4 million additional doses of its COVID-19 antibody cocktail, REGEN-COV. The cocktail, a combination of antibodies casirivimab and imdevimab, was authorized in November for emergency use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

White House encouraging state, local COVID-19 vaccine mandates

The Biden administration is advocating for state and local leaders to enact COVID-19 vaccine mandates, White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on Tuesday. "We're encouraging everyone ... from the private and public sector to take actions to require vaccination," she said when asked if the White House was encouraging states to enact their own vaccine mandates.

U.S. administers 381.5 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines -CDC

The United States has administered 381,453,265 doses of COVID-19 vaccines in the country as of Tuesday morning and distributed 458,771,465 doses, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. Those figures are up from the 380,831,725 vaccine doses the CDC said had gone into arms by Monday.

Exclusive: WHO-backed vaccine hub for Africa to copy Moderna COVID-19 shot

Efforts to develop an African base for COVID-19 vaccine production will focus on trying to replicate Moderna's shot, but a lack of progress in talks with the U.S. company means the project will take time, a senior WHO official told Reuters. The drive to produce vaccines in Africa is designed to help more developing countries access COVID-19 shots after rich nations bought up most of this year's supply.

UK would not have approved Valneva COVID vaccine, health secretary says

Britain canceled its contract for about 100 million doses of a COVID-19 vaccine being developed by France's Valneva in part because it was clear it would not be approved for use in the country, UK Health Secretary Sajid Javid said on Tuesday. "There are commercial reasons that we have canceled the contract, but what I can tell her is that it was also clear to us that the vaccine in question that the company was developing would not get approval by the MHRA here in the UK," he said in response to a question from a Scottish lawmaker.

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