UNICEF is urging six Middle East counties to greenlight special polio and measles vaccination campaigns put on hold because of the coronavirus pandemic
May 3, 2020, 7:45 AM
4 min read
4 min read
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TOP OF THE HOUR:
— UNICEF urges six Middle East countries to greenlight special polio, measles vaccination campaigns.
— Indian Air Force uses flypasts, showers of petals to thanks health, safety personnel.
— Residents flocking to tourist sites in China during five-day holiday.
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AMMAN, Jordan — The U.N. children’s agency on Sunday urged six Middle East countries to greenlight special polio and measles vaccination campaigns put on hold because of the coronavirus pandemic.
UNICEF says the polio campaigns are on hold in Syria, Sudan, Yemen and Iraq, while measles vaccinations are suspended in Iraq, Lebanon, Yemen and Djibouti.
UNICEF says nearly 10.5 million children under the age of five risk missing their polio vaccinations. Nearly 4.5 million children under 15 could miss their measles vaccinations.
Routine vaccinations for other diseases like rubella and diphtheria are continuing, but special campaigns were put on hold because of overwhelmed health systems or governments wanting to avoid crowding at clinics.
UNICEF’s Ted Chaiban says immunization is “absolutely critical” and possible if safety measures are taken.
The agency says the needed vaccines are available and that it's providing protective equipment.
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NEW DELHI — The Indian Air Force on Sunday conducted flypasts and showered flower petals on hospitals across different cities including the national capital of New Delhi as part of the Armed Forces’ efforts to thank doctors, nurses and police personnel who have been at the forefront of the country’s battle against the pandemic.
The coronavirus cases in India have neared the 40,000 mark as the country of 1.3 billion enters the 40th day into a nationwide lockdown to contain the virus. The country’s official death toll has reached 1,301.
For almost six weeks, Indian officials have stringently enforced a nationwide lockdown to stem the spread of the coronavirus. They have sealed state borders, halted transportation and shut airspace and most businesses.
The six-week lockdown, which was supposed to end Monday, has been extended another two weeks, with a few relaxations. The lockdown has slowed the spread of the virus, but has come at the enormous cost of upending lives and millions of lost jobs.
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BEIJING — China residents are flocking to tourist sites, many newly reopened, during a five-day holiday that runs through Tuesday.
Nearly 1.7 million people visited Beijing parks on the first two days of the holiday, and Shanghai’s main tourist spots welcomed more than a million visitors, according to Chinese media reports.
The surge comes after a relaxation of domestic travel restrictions as the coronavirus outbreak slows in mainland China and the government tries to reboot the economy. China reported just three new cases in the last two days.
The number of people traveling and visiting sites remains lower than an average year. Many sites are requiring advance reservations and limiting the number of daily visitors to 30% of capacity or less. Popular destinations such as the Forbidden City, the ancient imperial palace in Beijing, are sold out.
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BEIJING — Chinese health authorities say two new coronavirus cases were confirmed Saturday, continuing a downward trend since the government took steps to cut the number of people arriving from overseas.
One new case was in the inland Shanxi province, west of Beijing, and the other was an imported one in Shanghai. China’s official confirmed case count stands at 82,877. Most of the patients have recovered and been discharged from hospitals.
China reported no new deaths Saturday and has recorded just one in the past two weeks. The country’s official death toll has reached 4,633.
The government has blocked virtually all foreigners from entering the country and sharply curtailed the number of international flights, making it difficult for Chinese citizens to return from overseas too.
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Follow AP news coverage of the coronavirus pandemic at https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak.
