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“A Two-Track Pandemic”: Wealthy Nations Ease Restrictions as COVID Surges in Unvaccinated Countries

HeadlineJun 08, 2021

India has begun easing coronavirus restrictions after daily infections hit a two-month low. India is still reporting about 100,000 cases and 2,000 deaths from COVID-19 each day.

Uganda has ordered schools, churches and markets to close and will restrict travel amid a second wave of infections that’s disproportionately affecting young people. The World Health Organization says eight African nations have reported a 30% rise in cases in just one week. Only about 2% of people in Africa have been vaccinated against COVID-19.

Norway’s top coronavirus official has declared an end to the country’s COVID-19 crisis. More than 22% of people are fully vaccinated in Norway, where hospitals are experiencing their lowest level of admissions in a year.

Here in the United States, daily cases continue to fall — even as the pace of vaccinations has slowed to a trickle. The Biden administration now appears unlikely to hit its goal of getting at least one vaccine dose to 70% of U.S. adults by the Fourth of July.

In Geneva, World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Monday urged G7 leaders to commit immediately to sharing vaccine doses with the rest of the world.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus: “Increasingly, we see a two-track pandemic: Many countries still face an extremely dangerous situation while some of those with the highest vaccination rates are starting to talk about ending restrictions.”

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