Epidemics Tracker

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Ministry of Health had set to have vaccinated 22million people against COVID-19 by end of March, but now two weeks to that deadline, officials admit it is unachievable. Dr. Daniel Kyabayinze, the COVID-19 incident commander in the ministry revealed to URN that they have …

“Deltacron,” recombinant form of the Delta and Omicron variants has emerged Beijing, China | Xinhua | As the Delta and Omicron variants of the novel coronavirus are rampant around the world, scientific researchers have proven that the so-called “Deltacron,” a hybrid form of the two variants, has emerged and the global anti-pandemic …

Paris, France | Xinhua | France will start offering on Monday a fourth COVID-19 vaccination shot to people over 80 years old who have received their booster dose, French Prime Minister Jean Castex told daily Le Parisien in an interview published on Saturday. The vaccination campaign will also be extended to …

Washington, U.S. | Xinhua | Former U.S. President Barack Obama said on Sunday that he had tested positive for COVID-19. “I’ve had a scratchy throat for a couple days, but am feeling fine otherwise,” Obama tweeted. He also wrote that he and his wife, Michelle, “are grateful to be vaccinated and …

Shanghai on Saturday required citizens not to leave the city if not necessary and those who do must hold a certificate for a negative nucleic acid test results taken 48 hours before departure. Beijing, China | Xinhua | China is taking strict and swift measures to stem new COVID-19 infections …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The High Court in Kampala has upheld the decision to dismiss Muzamil Siiku the Senior Administration and Estates Officer at Uganda Civil Aviation Authority for causing loss of more than sh20 million while purchasing COVID-19 Personal Protective Equipment. According to the Judgment issued by …

Washington, U.S. | Xinhua | Two doses of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine greatly reduced the risk of Omicron infection among children aged 5 to 15, according to a study published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Friday. Children and adolescents aged 5 to 15 were tested for …

Gulu, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The State Minister for Health in charge of General Duties, Anifa Kawooya has asked leaders in Acholi sub-region to rally the masses to get vaccinated against Covid-19. The minister says misinformation on the efficacy and alleged dangers of the Covid-19 vaccine remains a big hurdle for …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | As Parliament processes the Public Health (Amendment) Bill, 2021, the ECASA Group of Consultants Ltd wants the proposal for punitive measures for persons who have not been vaccinated, to be reconsidered. Section 47(1) of the bill mandates a local government council to require persons in the …

SARS-CoV-2 emergence very likely resulted from at least two zoonotic events Beijing, China | Xinhua | Three reports newly published by different research teams from different countries have revealed more evidence that some zoonotic origins were behind the spread of SARS-CoV-2, which caused the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. The studies were conducted …