PARIS (AP) — French Prime Minister Jean Castex said Thursday that COVID-19 vaccines will go to nursing homes residents first when doses become available in France, which is not expected before the end of the month.
France has purchased vaccines through agreements the European Union reached with drugmakers to secure shots for the EU’s 27 member nations.
“France will have a potential 200 millions doses, which means 100 million people” since each vaccine requires two doses, Castex said while outlining the government’s plans to immunize the country of 67 million people against the coronavirus.
The government has set aside 1.5 billion euros ($1.8 billion) for next year to make the vaccines available for free, he said. But Castex reaffirmed that vaccinations won’t be mandatory.
Health Minister Olivier Veran said the vaccine developed by U.S. pharmaceutical company Pfizer and German company BioNTech, which is expected to arrive first, will go to
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SEOUL, South Korea — South Korean officials are urging people to remain at home if possible and cancel gatherings large and small as around half a million students prepared for a crucial national college exam.
Vice Education Minister Park Baeg-beom says the 490,000 applicants so far include 35 virus carriers who will take exams Thursday at hospitals or treatment shelters. Education authorities have also prepared separate venues for some 400 applicants currently under self-quarantine.
Applicants will be required to wear masks and maintain distance from each other. They will be screened for fever and take exams separately if they have symptoms.
Park Yu-mi, an anti-virus official in Seoul, pleaded with people to cancel all gatherings of more than 10, and for companies to half at least one-third of their employees work from home to ensure a safe environment for Thursday’s examination.
A recent spike in coronavirus infections has made this
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COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Seven of Ohio’s biggest counties on Wednesday urged residents to stay home and follow guidelines on social gatherings and wearing masks.
The counties said in a joint statement they want people to only leave home for work, school, medical appointments, or buying essential items such as groceries.
“Cases and hospital admissions are at the highest levels we have seen during this pandemic, by far. These county health advisories reflect the urgent need for all of us to protect ourselves and our families to stop the spread of this virus,” said Denise Driehaus, president of the Hamilton County Board of Commissioners.
The counties are Franklin, Cuyahoga, Hamilton, Summit, Montgomery, Lucas and Mahoning.
Cases in Ohio continue to spike. The state’s seven-day rolling average of daily new cases has risen over the past two weeks from 5,049 new cases per day on Nov. 10 to 8,495 new cases
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MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A current surge of COVID-19 cases throughout Minnesota is affecting staffing levels at many nursing homes and assisted-living facilities.
That’s forcing the state to send the National Guard to help out in some homes, while the administration is also asking state employees to consider volunteering in facilities with critical staff shortages.
The Star Tribune reports Wednesday that Minnesota Department of Health data shows 90% of the state’s nursing homes and 58% of assisted-living facilities have active outbreaks.
Minnesota Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm said Tuesday that 47 long-term care facilities are in “a crisis staffing situation” and are receiving active support from the state, including help from federal health nurses.
Gov. Tim Walz’s administration is also taking the unusual step of e-mailing all state employees and asking them to consider volunteering for two-week stints in long-term care facilities, particularly in greater Minnesota.
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