Worldwide COVID news at a glance

1  NZ Auckland outbreak spreads

New Zealand has recorded 21 new cases of COVID-19, as a Delta outbreak spreads beyond its largest city Auckland. Director of Public Health Caroline McElnay said 18 of the new cases were detected in Auckland and three were in Wellington, the capital.

The new infections brought the total number of coronavirus cases in New Zealand to 51, she said. Dr McElnay said COVID had also been detected in wastewater from Warkworth, a town 64 kilometres north of Auckland.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the additional cases were unsurprising given the infectiousness of the Delta variant. She said cases could be expected to increase into next week.

2 Antibody tests for young children in Israel

Israel launched antibody testing for children aged as young as three, seeking information on the number of unvaccinated youths who have developed protection against coronavirus ahead of the new school year.

Despite surging daily infections caused by the highly transmissible Delta variant, Israel’s government insists it wants to avoid the hardships and developmental setbacks caused by school closures. Israel has already begun vaccinating children aged 12 and above.

The national serological survey was focused on pupils between the ages of three and 12 who are not yet eligible for the jab, nearly 1.5 million children. It was aimed at discovering how many children developed strong antibody protection against coronavirus after having an unrecorded or latent case, according to the education ministry.

3 Iran coronavirus deaths set new daily record

Iran’s health ministry has reported more than 680 daily coronavirus deaths for the first time, as nationwide restrictions to contain the spread of the virus were lifted.

The ministry said on Sunday the deaths of 684 people in the past 24 hours brought the total number of fatalities to 102,038. Iran also registered 36,419 new infections, raising the total since the pandemic started to 4,677,114.

Iranian health officials have acknowledged that the ministry’s figures understate the real toll but even they make Iran the worst-hit Middle Eastern country.

4 UK scientists look at reducing boosters

Scientists in Britain are examining whether smaller doses of Covid vaccine could be used as part of booster programmes, amid hopes that the approach could also increase the supply of jabs across the world.

The use of so-called “fractional doses” has been proposed as a way of ensuring that precious supplies can immunise as many people as possible in parts of the world where there are shortages, while still providing high levels of protection from the virus.

Several members of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), which advises the UK government, are said to be interested in the idea. Lower doses of vaccines to tackle other diseases have been used in times of shortage.

5 Full FDA approval of Pfizer

Full federal approval of Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine will empower businesses and universities to require vaccinations and tip hesitant Americans toward getting the jab, the surgeon general, Vivek Murthy, said on Sunday.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is trying to finish its licensing process for the lifesaving drug as soon as Monday, the New York Times has reported. Until now, the Pfizer shot has been administered under an emergency use authorization, though experts continue to emphasize that it is safe and effective.

As the highly infectious Delta variant spreads, the US is experiencing a surge in Covid-19 cases. Many southern states are struggling for hospital capacity amid resistance from Republican leaders and the public to vaccinations and mask mandates.

6 World’s first DNA jab approved in India

India’s drug regulator has granted emergency use approval for Zydus Cadila’s COVID-19 vaccine, the world’s first DNA shot against the coronavirus, in adults and children aged 12 years and above.

The approval gives a boost to India’s vaccination programme, which aims to inoculate all eligible adults by December, and will provide the first shot for those below 18, as the country still struggles to contain the virus spread in some states.

The vaccine, ZyCoV-D, uses a section of genetic material from the virus that gives instructions as either DNA or RNA to make the specific protein that the immune system recognises and responds to. Unlike most COVID-19 vaccines, which need two doses or even a single dose, ZyCoV-D is administered in three doses.