The Dutch health council advised the government Tuesday to begin giving COVID-19 vaccine booster shots to everybody 60 and older and residents of nursing homes, saying it was seeing indications that COVID-19 protection was waning among older people.
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The Dutch health council advised the government Tuesday to begin giving COVID-19 vaccine booster shots to residents of nursing homes and everybody 60 and older, saying it was seeing indications that COVID-19 protection was waning among older people.
“To get ahead of an increase in serious illness, the council advises the health minister to start offering boosters now,” the council said. The government, which was set to reimpose some COVID-19 preventive measures later Tuesday, usually follows the health council’s advice.
Other European countries already have begun giving booster shots. France started giving boosters to people over 65 two months ago.
Just under 80 per cent of adults in the Netherlands are fully vaccinated. The government already has begun giving booster shots to people with severely compromised immune systems.
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COVID-19 cases have been rising sharply for weeks in the Netherlands. The country’s public health institute reported Tuesday that infections rose 39 per cent compared to the week earlier and hospital admissions were up 31 per cent amid a weeks-long rise that began soon after the government ended most remaining lockdown restrictions in late September.
Infections among nursing home residents rose to the highest level since the start of February, the public health institute said.
The COVID-19 pandemic has killed more than 18,800 people in the Netherlands, according to the Johns Hopkins coronavirus tracker.
A week ago, neighbouring Belgium also ratcheted up its COVID-19 restrictions amid a spike in infections.
-From The Associated Press, last updated at 12:40 p.m. ET
What’s happening in Canada
WATCH | School staff face looming COVID-19 vaccination deadline:
School staff face looming COVID-19 vaccination deadline
Staff in Canada’s largest school board who don’t declare their COVID-19 vaccination status by the deadline could face unpaid leave within a few weeks. And though the details of vaccine mandates vary across the country, proponents say they can help convince holdouts to get their shots. 2:00
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What’s happening around the world
As of early Tuesday afternoon, more than 247.3 million cases of COVID-19 had been reported worldwide, according to Johns Hopkins University’s COVID-19 tracker. The reported global death toll stood at more than five million.
In the Americas, Brazil registered 98 new COVID-19 deaths on Monday, according to data released by the Health Ministry, the lowest daily number since April 2020.
The United States is rolling out Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines for children aged 5 to 11 this week, but most of the 15 million shots being shipped initially are unlikely to be available before next week, the White House said.
Canadian decision on Pfizer-BioNTech vaccne for children ‘still at least a few weeks away,’ official says
In the Middle East, the United Arab Emirates has approved for emergency use the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for children aged 5-11, the health ministry said in a statement carried by state media.
In the Asia-Pacific region, Australia’s biggest city will lift more COVID-19 curbs for vaccinated residents ahead of schedule next week, while delaying freedoms it has promised for unvaccinated Sydneysiders as officials aim to boost inoculations. Vaccinated people in the harbour city of around five million will be allowed unlimited numbers of guests in their homes from Nov. 8. Pubs and clubs will also be able to accommodate more guests and reopen dance floors, in changes that were initially planned to come into force on Dec. 1.
In Africa, South Africa on Monday reported 106 new cases of COVID-19 and two additional deaths.
In Europe, Russia’s daily COVID-19 death toll rose to a record high of 1,178 on Tuesday amid a surge that has forced officials to re-impose a partial lockdown nationwide. The government coronavirus task force also reported 39,008 new infections in the last 24 hours, including 5,736 in Moscow.
Romania, meanwhile, reported a record daily number of 591 COVID-19 deaths amid a persistently low vaccination rate. Roughly 37 per cent of Romania’s adults have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, compared to the European Union average of 75 per cent. Within the 27-nation EU, only Bulgaria has a smaller share of its population vaccinated.
Romanian authorities said Tuesday that 541 of the 591 people who had died of COVID-19 since the day before were unvaccinated. A recent wave of coronavirus infections has overwhelmed the country’s ailing health-care system. The unfolding disaster prompted authorities to impose tighter restrictions starting last week. Vaccination certificates are required for many day-to-day activities.
-From Reuters, The Associated Press and CBC News, last updated at 12:45 p.m. ET