‘Dangerous’ time as Delta variant is sweeping globe

THE head of the World Health Organisation has said the world is in “a very dangerous period” of the Covid-19 pandemic, noting that the more contagious Delta variant has been identified in nearly 100 countries.

At a press briefing, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the Delta variant, first found in India, is continuing to evolve and mutate, and it is becoming the predominant Covid19 virus in many countries.

“I have already urged leaders across the world to ensure that by this time next year, 70% of all people in every country are vaccinated,” he said, adding that would effectively end the acute phase of the pandemic.

He noted that three billion doses of vaccine have already been distributed and “it’s within the collective power of a few countries to step up and ensure that vaccines are shared”.

Of the vaccine doses given globally, fewer than 2% have been in poorer countries.

Although rich countries including Britain, the US, France and Canada have pledged to donate one billion Covid-19 vaccines, the WHO estimates 11 billion doses are needed to immunise the world.

Meanwhile India has confirmed 400,000 deaths from Covid-19 - half of them in the past two months alone, as the virulent Delta variant infects hundreds of thousands daily.

The grim figure announced on Friday is believed to be a fraction of the true total. It is behind only the United States and Brazil.

The health ministry said 853 people died in the past 24 hours, raising the total fatalities to 400,312 since the pandemic began.

The first known Covid-19 death in India happened on March 12 last year in southern Karnataka state.

India, a country of nearly 1.4 billion people, has confirmed more than 30.4 million infections with 46,617 new cases detected in the past 24 hours. That total also is believed to be an undercount.

New cases are on the decline after exceeding 400,000 a day in May.

But authorities are preparing for another possible wave of infection around September and are trying to ramp up vaccination

Australia plans to halve commercial passenger arrivals due to coronavirus risks as parts of the country emerge from lockdowns.

The country will reduce its cap on arrivals from 6,000 passengers a week to 3,000 by July 14 to reduce pressure on hotel quarantine, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said after a meeting with state and territory leaders. Australia already has some of the world’s tightest border restrictions aimed at keeping Covid-19 out of the country.

The new restrictions add to obstacles faced by 34,000 Australian citizens and permanent residents stranded overseas and registered with the government as wanting to come home. The government will charter more airliners to repatriate Australians, but the reduced limit on commercial passenger arrivals could continue until next year.

In one piece of hopeful news, for the first day in nine months, the northern Italian region hardest hit in the pandemic has registered no Covid-19 deaths. “Today zero deaths for Covid in Lombardy, hasn’t happened since October 6,” tweeted Lombardy vice governor Letizia Moratti on Friday.