Weekly news at a glance

(Worldwide) COVAX scheme delivers 1B vaccine

The COVAX scheme aimed at equitable global access to COVID-19 vaccines hit a “key milestone” on Saturday when it delivered its one billionth dose, one of its key backers said.

The COVAX facility was set up in 2020 by the World Health Organization, Gavi the Vaccine Alliance and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations to ensure that poorer countries can access the vaccines needed to battle the pandemic.

COVAX hit the one-billionth mark less than a year after delivering its first vaccine dose late last February – to Ghana. All countries have been permitted to order doses through the mechanism, but lower-income countries have received the jabs free of charge.

(Worldwide) France must now be vaccinated

France’s parliament has approved a law that will exclude unvaccinated people from all restaurants, sports arenas and other venues as the central measure of government efforts to protect hospitals amid record numbers of COVID-19 infections driven by the highly contagious Omicron variant.

The National Assembly adopted the law by a vote of 215-58. Centrist president Emmanuel Macron had hoped to push the bill through faster, but it was slightly delayed due to resistance from politicians both on the right and left and hundreds of proposed amendments.

More than 91 per cent of French adults are already fully vaccinated, and some critics have questioned whether the “vaccine pass” will make much of a difference.

(Worldwide) Italian nurse giving fake jabs to anti-vaxxers

Italian police have arrested a nurse in Palermo for allegedly pretending to give Covid vaccines to anti-vaxxer activists so they could benefit from official health certificates to travel and access bars, restaurants and public transport in the country.

Investigators used a hidden camera to film the nurse, a 58-year-old woman working at an inoculation centre in the Sicilian capital. The clip, released on Saturday on Twitter, shows the health worker apparently loading up a dose of Covid-19 vaccine and then emptying the syringe into a tissue before pretending to inject it into the arms of anti-vaxxers. Police said the woman’s own booster dose was fake and arrested her on charges of forgery and embezzlement.

(AUS) NSW COVID cases expected to plateau

COVID-19 hospitalisations in New South Wales are expected to plateau next week. The state’s current numbers track “better than the best case scenario” predicted by modelling, the Premier has said. Health authorities warn that although numbers are likely to stabilise, the health system will remain under pressure for weeks.

New South Wales recently recorded its deadliest day of the pandemic so far, with 29 deaths. The number of people in hospital with COVID-19 is now 2,525, of which 184 are in ICU. Modelling predicts these numbers will peak next week at 273 ICU patients and 4,700 hospitalisations.

(AUS) RAT supply caught up in transport delays

Rapid Antigen Tests are self-administered COVID-19 tests often referred to as RATs. Transport delays and staff shortages caused by the rapid spread of the Omicron strain are slowing the supply of Rapid Antigen Tests in Australia

Federal and state leaders are being pressured to act quickly to address the shortage. The government expects to distribute 10 million RATs nationwide in the next two weeks with another 80 million units on order. Victoria has ordered 44 million to be supplied during January. RATs are in high demand globally with other countries recently ordering at least a billion test kits.

(AUS) Temporary widening of telehealth

The Morrison government says it will provide additional funding to assist the temporary widening of telehealth consultations through GPs and other specialists due to the high infection rate from the Omicron outbreak.

The $24 million will also cover the continued supply of personal protective equipment, such as masks, respirators, face shields and gowns for face-to-face consultations including patients that have tested positive through a rapid antigen test.

The latter aligns with national cabinet’s 5 January decision that RAT tests no longer need to be confirmed by a PCR test. Health Minister Greg Hunt said telehealth had been a vital support during the pandemic, providing greater flexibility in healthcare delivery at the most critical time and continues to be a fundamental part of the pandemic response.