As Covid-19 returns to Wuhan, China, half of the EU is vaccinated

• After the new outbreak, all 11 million people in Wuhan will be tested for coronavirus.
• At the same time, half of the EU’s population has been fully vaccinated.
• Spain leads the larger EU countries, with 58.3% of its population vaccinated.

Statistics from AFP on Tuesday show that half of the EU’s population is now fully vaccinated against Covid-19, as Wuhan, China said it will test all 11 million residents after the virus returns to where it first appeared.

The highly contagious Delta variants have been driving a surge in infections around the world, even in places that have long touted their success in overcoming pandemics.

After the coronavirus first appeared in Wuhan in December 2019, China reduced the number of domestic cases to almost zero, causing the economy to rebound and life basically returning to normal.

However, the new outbreak put this record in jeopardy after the infection of Nanjing airport cleaners triggered a series of cases reported across the country, as the rapidly spreading Delta variant has spread to dozens of cities.

After Wuhan reported its first local case of infection in more than a year, the authorities said they were launching a large-scale testing program for all 11 million residents.

Mao, a 27-year-old Wuhan resident, told AFP that he was “not worried” about a new outbreak because “Wuhan has accumulated a wealth of experience” after the arduous lockdown in the first few months of the pandemic.

In recent days, in various parts of China, the authorities have restricted residents of entire cities to their homes, cut off domestic transportation links and conducted large-scale inspections.

Severely hit by the early pandemic wave, the European Union has now fully vaccinated more than 50% of its population.

According to statistics from Agence France-Presse, Spain ranks among the largest EU countries with 58.3% of the population fully vaccinated, followed by Italy (54.4%), France (52.9%) and Germany (52.2%).

U.S. through U.S.

The European Union has now surpassed the US vaccination rate-still at 49.7%-because the country is suffering from a new wave driven by the Delta variant, causing hospitalizations to soar to the highest level since last summer.

On Monday, US President Joe Biden (Joe Biden) proposed a goal of delaying the injection of at least 70% of adults for one month, which gave hope of victory over the worst period of the pandemic on July 4th. Shattered.

Officials blame the decline in vaccination rates—especially in areas where young people, lower incomes, and ethnic minorities are more hesitant—that have led to missed deadlines and a surge in the number of cases.

“These cases are concentrated in communities with low vaccination rates,” Jeff Zients, coordinator of the White House New Coronary Pneumonia Task Force, told reporters.

“Last week, one-third of the country’s cases occurred in Florida and Texas.”

The silver lining is that, based on the latest vaccination data, the previously lagging US states are catching up.

Forces deployed in Australia

In Australia, where only 15% of the 25 million people are vaccinated, the authorities are relying on the lockdown to stop the delta outbreak, and 3,600 cases have been recorded since mid-June.

There are still millions of people in the country subject to movement restrictions. On Monday, the army raided the streets of Sydney and surrounding areas. These areas are entering the sixth week of the lockdown period, which will last until the end of August.

Qantas, the Australian airline, said that since the blockade will stifle demand for flights, it will send 2,500 workers home free of charge for a period of two months starting in mid-August.

The number of Covid-19 deaths in nearby Indonesia has soared, with 1,568 deaths recorded on Monday, more than double the number of deaths in the country with the second highest number, Russia’s 788.

Bangladesh is also fighting a major surge in the delta. The country extended its lockdown on Tuesday and announced plans to vaccinate at least 10 million people within a week.

Iran, the Middle Eastern country most affected by the pandemic, registered more than 39,000 cases on Tuesday, the highest single-day number ever.

The new record comes the day after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ordered “necessary measures” to contain the government’s warning that it was the fifth wave of the country’s outbreak.