Health

Iraqi health officials: 58 dead in fire at coronavirus ward

BAGHDAD (AP) — The death toll from a catastrophic blaze that erupted at a coronavirus hospital ward in southern Iraq the previous day rose to 58 on Tuesday, Iraqi medical officials said.

Two health officials said more than 100 people were also injured in the fire that torched the coronavirus ward of al-Hussein Teaching Hospital in the city of Nasiriyah on Monday.

Russia sees record number of single-day coronavirus fatalities

11 July 2021; AA: For the fourth time in 10 days, Russia registered on Saturday a record number of single-day coronavirus fatalities, 752 people died over the past day, taking the death toll to 142,253.

The daily infections remain high as well, with 25,082 people testing positive for COVID-19 since Friday, taking the overall count to 5.75 million and active cases to 433,210, Russia's coronavirus emergency task force said.

Over the same period, recoveries went up by 17,750 to reach 5.18 million, it added.

Record COVID-19 cases registered in Bangladesh Rohingya camps

11 July 2021; AA: A record of 60 coronavirus cases were confirmed in Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh on Sunday, according to official data.

The new infections pushed the overall caseload among the persecuted minority community from Myanmar camped in Cox's Bazar to 2,040, including 21 related deaths, the Office of the Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner said.

As many as 831 refugees are under quarantine, 146 of whom were put under isolation in the last 24 hours.

Pakistan braces to fight 4th wave of coronavirus

Islamabad, Jul 11 (PTI) Pakistan is bracing to battle the fourth wave of the coronavirus pandemic as the country saw a three-fold increase in number of people being tested positive everyday in less than three weeks.

Health experts are blaming the reopening of businesses and tourism sector for the resurge in cases and have urged the government to announce a lockdown so that Eidul Azha is celebrated with the observance of strict health-related restrictions.

Myanmar caught off guard as cases surge, oxygen dwindles

BANGKOK (AP) — Soe Win stood in line at a plant to buy oxygen for his grandmother, who is struggling with COVID-19 symptoms.

“I have been waiting since 5 in the morning until 12 noon but I’m still in line. Oxygen is scarcer than money,” said the resident of Myanmar’s biggest city, Yangon.

Tunisia: Army takes charge of COVID-19 vaccination operations

10 July 2021; MEMO: Tunisian President Kais Saied on Friday decided that the armed forces, in coordination with civilian medical staff, would survey the entire country to vaccinate citizens against COVID-19 in light of the virus's rapid spread.

This came according to a statement issued on Friday by the Tunisian presidency, of which Anadolu Agency received a copy.

Mexico enters 3rd wave of coronavirus, infections up 29%

Mexico City, Jul 10 (AP-PTI) Mexico is entering its third wave of the coronavirus pandemic, as infections rose by 29% compared to the previous week.

But the country's health department said Friday the growth is largely coming from infections among younger, less vulnerable people. Case numbers are now as high as the beginning of the last surge in September; that wave peaked in January and steadily declined until June.

India: Unhygienic conditions at Kanpur's Hallet Hospital enrages commissioner

Kanpur: What caused the Divisional Commissioner to visit Hallett Hospital on Friday morning was clear. He wanted to check the administrative procedures of the hospital from every aspect.

He was utterly displeased with the lack of improvement here. This poor most absorbed him into surprise because his earlier instructions were not followed a bit more.

Though his Friday's 10.50 a.m.visit was not the first one, it was certainly his another visit to study the condition exactly.

India: Shortage of vaccines hits Kanpur once again

Kanpur: Shortage of the vaccine once again hits the city. Though the Health Department has informed of the problem to the state government, the vaccine has so far not reached here.

Kanpurites had to face similar problems at the end of June.

Perhaps the mega vaccination programme was postponed due to this cause from July.

As a result, the crowd at the vaccination centres has comparably increased. Queues are lengthening, the uproar is also on the rise. Discontented people are not able to understand the cause behind the delay.

Tunisia: healthcare sector on verge of collapse

09 July 2021; MEMO: A spokeswoman for the Tunisian Ministry of Health said on Thursday that the country's healthcare sector is on the verge of collapse, with intensive care units full and medical staff exhausted as the coronavirus continues to spread.

"We are witnessing a catastrophic situation," Nissaf Ben Alaya told Mosaique FM. "It requires a lot of effort to find a spare [hospital] bed… We are struggling to secure oxygen… Doctors are suffering from exhaustion to an unprecedented extent."

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