The Latest: S Korea prepares for surge with upcoming holiday

SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea’s regular summation successful coronavirus infections has exceeded 1,000 for the 62nd consecutive time arsenic officials are raising concerns astir different viral spike during this month’s Chuseok holidays, the Korean mentation of Thanksgiving.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said much than 940 of the 1,375 caller cases reported Monday were from Seoul and the adjacent metropolitan region, wherever a emergence successful infections person been linked to the reopening of schools and radical returning from summertime vacations.

While the microorganism has slowed extracurricular the superior country successful caller weeks, KDCA authoritative Kim Ki-nam said transmissions could worsen nationwide during the Chuseok break, which starts connected Sept. 20, a clip erstwhile millions usually question crossed the state to conscionable relatives.

Officials are enforcing the country’s strongest societal distancing rules abbreviated of a lockdown successful the greater superior area, wherever backstage societal gatherings of 3 oregon much radical are banned aft 6 p.m. unless participants are afloat vaccinated.

A dilatory vaccine rollout has near little than 35% of South Koreans afloat vaccinated arsenic of Monday. Kim said the state hopes to accelerate injections implicit the adjacent fewer weeks truthful that 70% of a colonisation of much than 51 cardinal is vaccinated by the extremity of October.

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MORE ON THE PANDEMIC:

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— Hospitals successful situation successful Mississippi, the least-vaccinated US authorities

— Want to be Hamilton? Not unless you conscionable virus protocols

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— Find much AP sum astatine https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic and https://apnews.com/hub/coronvirus-vaccine

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HERE’S WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING:

HANOI — About 23 cardinal Vietnamese students person started a caller schoolhouse year, astir of them successful virtual classrooms, amid a COVID-19 lockdown to incorporate a microorganism surge successful the country.

Since April, erstwhile the latest question of the microorganism dispersed successful the country, Vietnam closed down schools and acquisition institutes successful pandemic areas and determination learning activities to online platforms.

Millions of students spent their summertime interruption astatine location arsenic much than fractional of the state is successful lockdown. In hard-hit provinces, schools person been converted into quarantine facilities and tract hospitals.

In Ho Chi Minh city, the epicenter of Vietnam’s worst microorganism outbreak, teachers and students observed a infinitesimal of soundlessness to wage tribute to those who died of COVID-19 and grant front-liners earlier opening classes Monday.

In this latest wave, Vietnam has reported 520,000 confirmed cases with implicit 13,000 deaths. Ho Chi Minh city, a metropolis of 10 cardinal population, accounts for astir of the toll.

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WELLINGTON, New Zealand — Most of New Zealand volition determination retired of lockdown Tuesday but for the largest metropolis of Auckland, which volition stay successful the strictest benignant of lockdown until astatine slightest adjacent week, the authorities announced Monday.

The federation has been battling an outbreak of the delta variant of the coronavirus since past month. All caller cases person been recovered successful Auckland, including 20 that were recovered connected Monday.

There person been a full of 821 cases recovered successful the outbreak. The authorities is pursuing an antithetic strategy of trying to destruct the microorganism entirely.

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JERUSALEM — Israel says it volition soon reopen its gates to overseas circuit groups — adjacent arsenic it battles 1 of the world’s highest rates of coronavirus infections.

The country’s Tourism Ministry connected Sunday said it volition statesman allowing organized circuit groups into the state opening Sept. 19.

Tourists volition person to beryllium vaccinated against the coronavirus, contiguous a antagonistic PCR trial earlier their formation and acquisition some PCR and serological investigating upon arrival. Visitors would person to quarantine successful their hotels until the trial results travel backmost — a process expected to instrumentality nary much than 24 hours.

Tourists from a fistful of “red” countries with precocious corruption rates — including Turkey and Brazil — volition not beryllium permitted to sojourn for the clip being.

Israel launched a akin programme successful May aft vaccinating astir of its colonisation aboriginal this year. But the programme was suspended successful August arsenic the delta variant began to spread.

In caller weeks, the state has begun administering booster shots to anyone who was vaccinated implicit 5 months ago. The run has shown signs of controlling the delta outbreak, allowing the authorities to statesman allowing tourists to return.

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WASHINGTON — The U.S. government’s apical infectious illness adept says helium believes transportation of COVID-19 vaccine booster shots volition beryllium capable to commencement Sept. 20 for Americans who received Pfizer doses, portion Moderna’s whitethorn extremity up rolling retired a mates weeks later.

Dr. Anthony Fauci told CBS’ “Face the Nation” Sunday that it is inactive the Biden administration’s program “in immoderate respects” to statesman the 3rd doses the week of Sept. 20, pending support by the Food and Drug Administration.

The medication had hoped that some Pfizer and Moderna booster shots would beryllium rolled retired astatine that time. But Fauci said it is “conceivable” that for Moderna’s, determination mightiness beryllium “at astir a mates of weeks, a fewer weeks delay, if any,” portion the institution provides much information to the FDA connected the booster’s efficacy.

President Joe Biden connected Aug. 18 touted boosters arsenic a extortion against the virus’ much transmissible delta variant, and said Americans should see getting a booster 8 months aft their 2nd shot.

Ron Klain, Biden’s main of staff, said Sunday the medication had ever made wide that Sept. 20 was a people date, and “No one’s going to get boosters until the FDA says they’re approved.”

Klain told CNN: “We’re acceptable to spell erstwhile the subject says go.”

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ROME — The Italian wellness curate has indicated that a gathering of his G-20 counterparts could output a pledge astir ensuring COVID-19 vaccines scope everyone successful mediocre countries.

Minister Roberto Speranza told reporters connected Sunday, aft the opening league of the two-day gathering successful Rome, that helium hopes the gathering would output a “pact” astir the situation to bring vaccines to everyone, including the much fragile” populations.

Speranza lamented that determination is simply a heavy spread betwixt wealthier countries and poorer ones regarding vaccine distribution. He expressed optimism the Group of 20 nations’ gathering would effect successful resoluteness “so that the vaccine is the close of everybody and not conscionable a privilege for few.”

Italy presently holds the rotating G-20 presidency. Speranza besides held abstracted meetings with the wellness ministers of Britain, India and Russia. On the eve of the gathering Speranza tweeted that “only by moving unneurotic tin we warrant a fairer organisation of COVID-19 vaccines.”

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LONDON — Britain’s authorities has confirmed that it plans to present vaccine passports for nightclubs and large-scale gatherings from adjacent month.

Vaccines curate Nadhim Zahawi said Sunday that officials are looking to statesman the certification measures from the extremity of September, erstwhile the full over-18 colonisation would person been offered 2 COVID-19 vaccine doses.

Zahawi told Sky News that this was the “right happening to do” to guarantee the system remains open. Lawmakers and businesses, however, person criticized the measurement arsenic divisive and accidental they could embroil nightclubs successful favoritism cases.

“The champion happening to bash is to enactment with the manufacture to marque definite that they tin unfastened safely and sustainably successful the agelong term, and the champion mode to bash that is to cheque vaccine status,” helium said.

The plans mean that radical who privation to participate nightclubs and different large-scale events volition beryllium required to amusement impervious they person had 2 doses of a coronavirus vaccine.

Scottish person Nicola Sturgeon said earlier this week vaccine passports volition beryllium required for nightclubs and ample events from aboriginal this period arsenic Scotland faces a spike successful infections.