Weekly news at a glance

(Worldwide) North Korea reports more COVID deaths

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un blasted officials over slow medicine deliveries and ordered his military to respond to the surging but largely undiagnosed COVID-19 crisis that has left 1.2 million people ill with fever and 50 dead in a matter of days, state media said Monday.

State media didn’t specify how many were confirmed as COVID-19, but North Korea is believed to lack sufficient testing supplies to confirm coronavirus infections in large numbers and is mostly relying on isolating people with symptoms at shelters.

Failing to slow the virus could have dire consequences for North Korea, considering its broken health care system and that its 26 million people are believed to be unvaccinated, with malnourishment and other conditions of poverty.

(Worldwide) U.S. licenses key Covid vaccine technology to WHO

President Joe Biden on Thursday said the U.S. has licensed a key technology used in the current Covid-19 vaccines to the World Health Organization, which would allow manufacturers around the world to work with the global health agency to develop their own shots against the virus.

The decision to share the vaccine technology comes ahead of a virtual global Covid-19 summit that the U.S. is co-hosting Thursday. The WHO, in a statement, said the license would make the crucial technology accessible to people in low- and middle-income countries and help end the pandemic.

(Worldwide) China’s retail sales lowest in two years 

China’s retail sales slumped to its lowest in over two years while factory output plunged, official data showed Monday, capturing the dismal economic fallout from Beijing’s zero-Covid policy.

The world’s second-largest economy has persisted with strict virus measures, choking up supply chains as dozens of Chinese cities — including key business hub Shanghai — grapple with restrictions.

Officials have vowed to support growth, lowering the mortgage rate for first-time homebuyers and announcing Shanghai’s gradual reopening last weekend but observers warn the zero-Covid strategy could mute any positive impact.

(AUS) Supporting Strong Multicultural Communities

The Victorian government has announced a new round of grants to help multicultural community organisations upgrade their facilities. The Multicultural Community Infrastructure Fund will provide grants of up to half a million dollars to organisations to help build or upgrade their facility needs. 

Community organisations provide safe and secure places for culturally diverse and multilingual Victorians to engage in traditional celebrations, religious events and help foster connections. This round of grants will be providing four and a half million dollars as announced in the Victorian Budget and grants will open soon. 

(AUS) Cold weather likely behind waning COVID immunity

Health experts say that changing weather is one of several factors behind rising COVID case numbers. University of Melbourne epidemiologist Nancy Baxter says that the relaxing of restrictions combined with the weather getting colder, is seeing more people are socialising indoors increasing the transmissibility of the virus.

Professor Baxter said waning immunity was another key factor. She noted that while there is some level of immunity after having COVID for up to three months, that immunity will wane, and those who tested positive during the Omicron wave at Christmas are now at risk again. People that got boosted had protection from transmission close to Christmas time, but the protection from transmission does wane or decrease faster than the protection from serious illness or death.

(AUS) Australian COVID numbers hit worldwide high

Australia has recorded the highest number of COVID cases per capita worldwide in the past week, with experts predicting another wave of Omicron.  

According to global data base, Our World in Data, this past week saw Australia rank only below Germany and the US for daily cases recorded, and came out on top as the country with the most cases per capita.

According to University of Melbourne epidemiologist Nancy Baxter, the numbers may get worse and a new variant of Omicron could already be further complicating the COVID situation. 

Omicron caused a considerable fluctuation in case numbers at the start of the year, peaking in January with tens of thousands of cases per day in Victoria alone.