NY to ask state employees to get Covid-19 vaccines or get tested
ALBANY, US: New York will require all state employees to get vaccinated against the coronavirus by Labour Day or undergo weekly tests for Covid-19, governor Andrew Cuomo said on Wednesday. “It’s smart, it’s fair and it’s in everyone’s interest,” Cuomo said.
In mandating either the shots, or frequent testing for government workers, Cuomo is following on the heels of California and NYC, which announced similar policies for employees earlier this week. New York, like other US states, has seen a rising number of coronavirus cases linked to the Delta variant.
England skips quarantine of vaccinated visitors
Fully vaccinated travellers from the US and much of Europe can enter England without quarantining starting next week. The British government said people who have received both doses of a vaccine approved by the FDA in the US or the European Medicines Agency, can take pre and post-arrival coronavirus tests instead of self-isolating.
There is one exception: France, which Britain has dubbed a higher risk because of the presence of the Beta variant of the coronavirus. Visitors from France will continue to face a British quarantine. Currently only people who have been vaccinated in Britain can skip 10 days of quarantine when arriving from most of Europe or North America. The rule change takes effect on Monday and only applies to England.
Pfizer: 3rd dose boosts protection against Delta
A third dose of the Pfizer jab can increase protection against the Delta variant of Covid-19 - as compared with the protection given by two doses - according to data posted online by Pfizer, the CNN reports.
The data reportedly shows that antibody levels against Delta in the 18-55 age group who receive a third dose are more than five-fold than after a second dose. In the 65-85 age group, antibody levels against Delta after a third dose are more than 11-fold, the report says.
France to start anti-Covid passes for cafes, trains
France will from August 9 enforce new legislation that will make a health pass compulsory to visit a cafe, board a plane or travel on an intercity train, a government spokesman said. The legislation was passed by parliament during the weekend.