Worldwide news

1 Germany is ending quarantine pay for unvaccinated

Germany will stop paying compensation to unvaccinated workers who are forced into quarantine by coronavirus measures as it is unfair to ask taxpayers to subsidise those who refuse to get inoculated, Health Minister Jens Spahn says. The rules, which will be implemented by the governments of Germany’s 16 federal states, will take effect by 11 October at the latest, Mr Spahn said on Wednesday.

The rules will affect people who test positive for the virus and those returning from trips to countries designated “high risk” for COVID-19, which now include Britain, Turkey and parts of France, among others. Unvaccinated travellers from such countries are required to quarantine for at least five days. Those who have been vaccinated or have recently recovered are not required to do so.

2Singapore to expand booster shots

Singapore will expand its COVID-19 booster shot program early next month, the government announced on Friday, after new infections in the city-state surged to a record high this week. The authorities will also reimpose some restrictions on eateries and workplaces next week, warning that daily cases could soon exceed 3,000 if the spread continues at the current pace — double Thursday’s all-time high of 1,504.

Beginning Oct. 4, residents aged 50 to 59 will be eligible for a third vaccine dose, with the government saying people in their 50s “have a higher risk of underlying comorbidities and hence a risk of severe illness as compared to younger persons.”

3Replacing unvaccinated health workers

The governor of New York, Kathy Hochul, is considering using the national guard and out-of-state medical workers to fill hospital staffing shortages, as tens of thousands of workers are unlikely to meet a Monday deadline for mandated Covid-19 vaccination.

The plan, outlined in a statement, would allow the governor to declare a state of emergency and thereby increase the supply of healthcare workers to include licensed professionals from other states and countries as well as retired nurses.

Hochul said the state was also looking at using national guard officers with medical training to keep hospitals and other medical facilities adequately staffed. Some 16% of the state’s 450,000 hospital staff, or roughly 70,000 workers, have not been fully vaccinated, the governor’s office said.

4Unvaccinated Brazil President eats pizza on NY sidewalk

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has been pictured eating pizza on the sidewalk in New York ahead of the UN General Assembly, likely because he doesn’t meet the city’s COVID-19 vaccine requirements for indoor dining.

The city began enforcing a vaccine mandate last week, requiring proof of at least one shot for many indoor activities, including dining, entertainment venues and gyms. The local government wrote to the president of the United National General Assembly stressing that the debate hall for this week’s high-level meeting was a convention center, meaning all delegates must be vaccinated.

The UNGA president, Abdulla Shahid, initially backed the requirement but then backtracked, ruling that entry to the UN headquarters for the debate will be run on an “honor system”, with no proof of vaccination required.

5Italy backs shots for pregnant women from second trimester

Italy’s National Health Institute (ISS) recommended on Friday (Sep 24) that pregnant women should get COVID-19 vaccines after the first three months of their pregnancy. The health authority said in a statement that it was advising women to receive two mRNA-based shots in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. It said its decision was due to growing evidence on the safety of vaccines during pregnancies for both the foetus and the mother.

Women who are breastfeeding can safely get vaccinated, ISS said, adding that infants can safely absorb antibodies via milk. Numerous countries have this year recommended that pregnant women have COVID-19 vaccinations after finding them to be safe.

6Ireland ends hotel quarantine for inbound travelers

Ireland on Saturday stopped its system of mandatory hotel quarantine for travelers arriving in the country, as coronavirus curbs continue to wind down in the Republic. On Saturday the Irish government said health minister Stephen Donnelly “announced the removal of all remaining states from the list of states designated for the purposes of mandatory hotel quarantine with effect from today.” In a statement the health ministry said the decision was “based on the latest advice received from the chief medical officer.” 

As well as arrivals from “designated states” with high COVID-19 rates, travelers who failed to comply with entry requirements such as negative PCR tests have also been subject to hotel quarantine since March.