Health News Roundup: India reports 15,906 new COVID-19 cases in last 24 hours; Britain reports highest weekly COVID-19 cases since July and more

Some 333,465 people in Britain tested positive for COVID-19 over the past seven days, up 15% on the previous week and the highest total since the seven days to July 21. COVID-19 cases recorded in eastern Europe hit 20 million The number of coronavirus infections recorded so far in eastern Europe surpassed 20 million on Sunday, according to a Reuters tally, as the region grapples with its worst outbreak since the pandemic started and inoculation efforts lag.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

China warns of further spread in latest COVID-19 flare-up

China's latest COVID-19 outbreak is increasingly likely to spread further, a health official said on Sunday, as authorities urged all regions to step up monitoring and called for a reduction in travel across provinces. China has largely contained the virus but it is determined to stamp out any sporadic local outbreaks, particularly in the run-up to the 2022 Winter Olympics in February.

India reports 15,906 new COVID-19 cases in last 24 hours

India reported 15,906 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, according to government data on Sunday. The nationwide tally of infections has reached 34.17 million since the start of the pandemic, according to the health ministry.

Britain reports highest weekly COVID-19 cases since July

Britain recorded the highest number of new cases of COVID-19 since July over the past week, government figures showed on Saturday, a day after Prime Minister Boris Johnson played down the prospect of a return to lockdown. Some 333,465 people in Britain tested positive for COVID-19 over the past seven days, up 15% on the previous week and the highest total since the seven days to July 21.

COVID-19 cases recorded in eastern Europe hit 20 million

The number of coronavirus infections recorded so far in eastern Europe surpassed 20 million on Sunday, according to a Reuters tally, as the region grapples with its worst outbreak since the pandemic started and inoculation efforts lag. Countries in the region have the lowest vaccination rates https://tmsnrt.rs/3tUM8ta in Europe, with less than half of the population having received a single dose.

FDA says benefits outweigh risks for Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in children

Scientists at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said on Friday that the likely benefits of giving the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to 5 to 11 year olds clearly outweigh the risks of rare cases of heart inflammation. Earlier on Friday, the vaccine makers said their shot showed 90.7% efficacy against the coronavirus in a clinical trial of children 5 to 11 years old.

Vaccinated and want to visit Israel? Read the fine print first

Tourists hoping to visit Jerusalem or Tel Aviv after Israel's announcement last week that it would open to some vaccinated foreign travellers should read the fine print before booking, local hoteliers say. The new rules https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-readmit-covid-vaccinated-foreign-tourists-next-month-2021-10-21, due to go into effect on Nov. 1 ahead of the Christmas season, permit individual tourists who have received COVID-19 vaccine boosters to enter but not if more than six months have lapsed since their last dose, with some exceptions.

U.S. has administered nearly 414 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines

The United States has administered 413,645,478 doses of COVID-19 vaccines in the country as of Sunday morning and distributed 503,493,015 doses, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. The number of doses administered is up from 412,856,169 vaccine doses the CDC said had gone into arms by Saturday.

S.Korea says it reaches goal of 70% vaccinations for COVID-19

South Korea said on Saturday that it has achieved its goal of vaccinating 70% of its 52 million people, paving the way for a planned return to normal next month. The target, set a month before the country kicked off its inoculation campaign in late February, was reached by 2 p.m. (0500 GMT), with some 36 million vaccinated, said the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).

Melbourne to ease more COVID curbs as 80% vaccination rate nears

Melbourne, the world's most locked-down city that emerged from its latest spate of COVID-19 restrictions on Friday, will see more curbs eased next week when Victoria state reaches an 80% full vaccination rate, officials said on Sunday.

Home to about five million people, Melbourne endured 262 days, or nearly nine months, of stay-at-home restrictions during six lockdowns since March 2020, longer than the 234-day continuous lockdown in Buenos Aires.

Fauci says vaccines for kids between 5-11 likely available in November

Vaccines for kids between the ages of 5 and 11 will likely be available in the first half of November, top U.S. infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci said on Sunday, predicting a timetable that could see many kids getting fully vaccinated before the end of the year. "If all goes well, and we get the regulatory approval and the recommendation from the CDC, it's entirely possible if not very likely that vaccines will be available for children from 5 to 11 within the first week or two of November," Fauci said in an interview with ABC's This Week.

(With inputs from agencies.)