Students asked to continue wearing masks in US schools
WASHINGTON/ RIO DE JANEIRO Schools in the United States should continue to use masks for the 2020-21 academic year as all students will not be fully vaccinated, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Saturday.
The CDC in its latest guidance said all kindergarten through grade 12 schools “should implement and layer prevention strategies and should prioritise universal and correct use of masks and physical distancing”.
The recommendation comes after the agency on Thursday said fully vaccinated people do not need to wear masks outdoors and can avoid wearing them indoors in most places.
The CDC said masks should be worn at all times by all people in school facilities and buses, while maintaining a six foot distance between teachers and students. Earlier this month US regulators authorised Pfizer and Biontech’s Covid-19 vaccine for use in children as young as 12 years old.
Brazil struggles to vaccinate as toll spirals
Four months into a Covid-19 vaccination campaign marred by shortages and delays, hardhit Brazil is still struggling to find enough doses, as political and diplomatic blunders prolong its pandemic nightmare.
Around 33 million people 15% of the population - have received at least one vaccine dose in Brazil, a proportion still too small to have a substantial impact on the virus’ spread.
Targeted by a Senate inquiry over its handling of the pandemic, President Jair Bolsonaro’s government is facing criticism for failing to secure more vaccines, including its refusal of offers to purchase millions of doses and diplomatic tension with China that may be slowing the import of vaccine ingredients. “We don’t have enough doses right now to vaccinate as fast as we should,” said Margareth Dalcolmo, a pulmonologist and researcher at leading public health institute Fiocruz.
Nepal scales back festival amid surge
A truncated version of a Hindu chariot festival took place on Saturday in Nepal’s capital amid strict Covid-19 restrictions, following an agreement by organisers and authorities that prevented a repeat of violent confrontations between police and protesters last year. This year, only around a hundred handpicked devotees were allowed to pull the chariot of the deity Rato Machindranath for just a few metres, as police sealed off the neighbourhood to prevent any spectators from entering.