Health News Roundup: Philips in talks with FDA after new ventilator findings - statement; Austria brings back COVID-19 lockdown, this time for the unvaccinated and more

A total of 1,308 domestically transmitted infections with confirmed symptoms were reported in the mainland between Oct. 17 and Nov. 14, surpassing the 1,280 local cases from a summer Delta outbreak, Reuters calculations based on official data showed. Australia aims to vaccinate children under 12 against COVID-19 from January Australia, quickly becoming one of most-vaccinated nations against COVID-19, will likely start administering the shots for children under the age of 12 in January, officials said on Sunday.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Philips in talks with FDA after new ventilator findings - statement

Philips, the medical equipment maker that is recalling ventilators due to use of parts containing a potentially hazardous foam, said on Sunday it is in dicussions with U.S. regulators after a new inspection of one of the company's facilities. Philips in September estimated it will replace up to 4 million vetilators and respiratory devices because of a polyurethane foam part that might degrade and become toxic.

Austria brings back COVID-19 lockdown, this time for the unvaccinated

Austria is placing millions of people not fully vaccinated against the coronavirus in lockdown as of Monday to deal with a surge in infections to record levels and the growing strain on intensive-care units, the government said on Sunday. Europe is the epicentre of the COVID-19 pandemic again, prompting some governments to consider re-imposing unpopular lockdowns. Austria has one of the continent's highest infection rates, with a seven-day incidence of 815 per 100,000 people.

Cambodia to end quarantine for vaccinated travellers from Nov. 15 - PM Hun Sen

Cambodia will stop requiring quarantine for travellers who have been vaccinated for COVID-19 starting on Monday, Prime Minister Hun Sen said on Sunday. The prime minister made the announcement in a voice message on social media after the Southeast Asian country has required lengthy quarantine for more than 18 months.

Israel says children aged 5-11 can receive COVID-19 vaccine

Israel said on Sunday that children aged five to 11 would be eligible for vaccination against COVID-19, and that a starting date for the campaign would be made public within days.

The decision, announced by the Health Ministry, followed approval by its expert panel on vaccinations last week, after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted emergency use of Pfizer's and BioNTech's vaccine for the age group at a 10-microgram dose.

Japan prepares beds, booster shots in COVID-19 lull before winter

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida outlined on Friday an urgent plan to increase hospital beds and medical resources in preparation for a possible resurgence of COVID-19 infections this winter. After a deadly fifth wave of infections almost overwhelmed the medical system during the summer, infections and deaths have fallen dramatically as vaccinations have increased to cover more than 70% of the population.

Kaiser Permanente averts strike, reaches deal with U.S. healthcare workers

Union leaders representing 50,000 nurses and other U.S. medical staff reached a tentative agreement with Kaiser Permanente on Saturday, averting a strike that could have disrupted patient care at hospitals. Thousands of employees at Kaiser Permanente in Oregon, California, Colorado and other states had threatened to walkout on Monday over the medical network's plan to create a two-tiered wage system with lower pay for new hires.

China faces biggest Delta outbreak as infections grow in northeastern city

China is battling its biggest COVID-19 outbreak caused by the highly transmissible Delta variant, with some areas restricting entry by people from a northeastern city where infections have grown faster than elsewhere in the country in the past week. A total of 1,308 domestically transmitted infections with confirmed symptoms were reported in the mainland between Oct. 17 and Nov. 14, surpassing the 1,280 local cases from a summer Delta outbreak, Reuters calculations based on official data showed.

Australia aims to vaccinate children under 12 against COVID-19 from January

Australia, quickly becoming one of most-vaccinated nations against COVID-19, will likely start administering the shots for children under the age of 12 in January, officials said on Sunday. Health Minister Greg Hunt said medical regulators are still reviewing the health and safety data for the vaccinations to be administered for children between the ages of five and 11 and are unlikely to decide this year.

U.S. administers over 440 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines - CDC

The United States had administered 440,559,613 doses of COVID-19 vaccines in the country as of Sunday morning, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. Those figures are up from the 439,034,461 vaccine doses the CDC said had gone into arms by Nov. 13.

Beijing city tightens COVID guidance for travel from Chinese areas with overland ports

Beijing city said individuals who recently visited overland ports of entry on China's borders should avoid the Chinese capital, with national authorities concerned over the risk of Covid transmission from abroad as they battle a month-long outbreak. The small northern administrative divisions of Heihe, Erenhot and Ejina, along China's borders with Russia and Mongolia, were among the hardest-hit areas in a nationwide outbreak since mid-October that resulted in more than 1,200 domestically transmitted cases showing confirmed symptoms.

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