Jul 18 Virus transforms hajj in Mecca and future of the pilgrimage By Amr Nabil, Aya Batrawy, Associated Press The pared down hajj of this year and last due to the COVID-19 outbreak not only impacts the ability of people outside Saudi Arabia to fulfill the Islamic obligation but also the billions of dollars annually that Saudi Arabia draws… Continue reading
Jul 18 In U-turn, UK's Johnson to quarantine after COVID-19 contact By Jill Lawless, Associated Press British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will spend 10 days self-isolating after contact with a confirmed coronavirus case, his office said Sunday — reversing an earlier announcement that he would not have to quarantine. Continue reading
Jul 17 France: Thousands protest against vaccination, COVID passes By Constantin Gouvy, Associated Press In Paris, separate protest marches by the far-right and the far-left wound through different parts of the city. Demonstrations were also held in Strasbourg in the east, Lille in the north, Montpellier in the south and elsewhere. Continue reading
Jul 17 Watch 6:34 COVID-19 update: the delta variant, school openings and more By PBS NewsHour The COVID-19 delta variant has been surging worldwide and in certain areas of the U.S. What will this mean for school openings, and for children not yet eligible for vaccines? And how are vaccine efforts going in America? ProPublica reporter… Continue watching
Jul 17 Finns push for younger people to get vaccines By Associated Press Health officials in Helsinki, a city of 631,000 inhabitants, urged all those aged 16 and above, and those 12 to 15 who belong to a risk group, to get vaccinated. Continue reading
Jul 16 Watch 7:49 Arkansas hospitals expect COVID admissions to double by August due to the unvaccinated The White House warned Friday about a surge of COVID cases in some states and the connection with low vaccination rates and misinformation. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported about 33,000 new cases Thursday — up from a… Continue watching
Jul 16 'Pandemic of the unvaccinated' burdens busy U.S. hospitals By Heather Hollingsworth, Josh Funk, Associated Press With the highly contagious delta variant spreading rapidly across the country, cases in the U.S. are up about 70% over the last week, hospital admissions are up about 36% and deaths rose by 26%, according to the Centers for Disease… Continue reading
Jul 16 Eiffel Tower reopens and now requires COVID passes By Deborah Gouffran The "Iron Lady" of Paris was ordered shut in October as France battled its second virus surge of the pandemic. It opened to the public Friday with "Welcome" messages flashing in multiple languages. Continue reading
Jul 14 Will an 18-year-old pop star convince young people that the COVID-19 vaccine is good 4 u? By Chloe Jones Youth vaccination rates are brutal out here. So the White House tapped Olivia Rodrigo to lend a hand. Continue reading
Jul 14 Domestic violence shelters are swamped. Experts worry surging gun sales could make things worse By Corey Meador Domestic violence increased across the country during the pandemic, studies show, and experts worry the concurrent explosion in gun ownership likely heightened the danger. Continue reading