Covid Scotland LIVE: Patients in hospital with Indian variant after despite vaccine
While large parts of Scotland will move to level two next week, the First Minister did confirm that Glasgow and Moray would remain at level three due to a rise in cases
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Welcome to Edinburgh Live s coronavirus in Scotland live blog on Saturday, May 15.
Nicola Sturgeon yesterday gave an important update to the Scottish Parliament regarding the easing of lockdown restrictions amid fears about the Indian variant. The First Minister confirmed that while large parts of Scotland would move down to level two from Monday, Glasgow and Moray would remain in level three due to a rise in cases. This will be for at least a week.
High-rise apartment towers are hotbeds of infections, whereas some slums are proving resilient after enduring the first wave of the virus last year.
The World Health Organization says nearly a dozen countries many of them in Africa are still waiting to get vaccines. Those last in line on the continent along with Chad are Burkina Faso, Burundi, Eritrea and Tanzania.
“Delays and shortages of vaccine supplies are driving African countries to slip further behind the rest of the world in the COVID-19 vaccine rollout, and the continent now accounts for only 1% of the vaccines administered worldwide,” WHO warned Thursday.
And in places where there are no vaccines, there’s also the chance that new and concerning variants could emerge, said Gian Gandhi, UNICEF’s COVAX coordinator for supply division.
Vaccine deserts: Some countries have no COVID-19 vaccines at all
While the world s wealthier nations have stockpiled coronavirus vaccines for their citizens, many other poorer countries are still scrambling to secure doses.
By KRISTA LARSONAssociated Press
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Doctors caring with COVID-19 patients ferry medical equipment, at the Farcha provincial hospital in N Djamena, Chad, on Friday. Sunday Alamba/Associated Press
N’DJAMENA, Chad – At the small hospital where Dr. Oumaima Djarma works in Chad’s capital, there are no debates over which coronavirus vaccine is the best.
There are simply no vaccines at all.
Not even for the doctors and nurses like her, who care for COVID-19 patients in Chad, one of the least-developed nations in the world where about one third of the country is engulfed by the Sahara desert.
“I find it unfair and unjust, and it is something that saddens me,” the 33-year-old infectious diseases doctor said. “I don’t even have that choice. The first vaccine that comes along that has authorisation, I will take it.”
“Delays and shortages of vaccine supplies are driving African countries to slip further behind the rest of the world in the Covid-19 vaccine rollout and the continent now accounts for only 1% of the vaccines administered worldwide,” the WHO warned on Thursday.
And in places where there are no vaccines, there is also the chance that new and concerning variants could emerge, said Gian Gandhi, Unicef’s Covax co-ordinator for supply division.
. N DJAMENA, Chad At the small hospital where Dr. Oumaima Djarma works in Chad s capital, there are no debates over which coronavirus vaccine is the best. There are simply no vaccines at all. Not even for the doctors and nurses like her, who care for COVID-19 patients in Chad, one of the least-developed nations in the world where about one third of the country is engulfed by the Sahara Desert. I find it unfair and unjust, and it is something that saddens me, the 33-year-old infectious diseases doctor says. I don t even have that choice. The first vaccine that comes along that has authorization, I will take it.