The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Turkey reached 14,230 on Sunday, more than triple the amount at the beginning of the month, the country's health ministry said.
The daily death toll stood at 55 people on Sunday, the ministry added.
Ukraine's Health Ministry considers mixing different COVID-19 vaccines in case the second injection of the same drug can not be administered for some reason, Chief Sanitary Doctor Ihor Kuzin said on Sunday.
"The Health Ministry of Ukraine makes such decisions based on the international studies results, the vaccine producer's recommendations and the analysis of a similar experience of other states. The national technical expert group on immunization as the main deliberative body of the Health Ministry recommended to allow so-called mixing vaccines provided certain conditions are strictly followed," Kuzin told the Ukrainian Apostrophe news outlet.
The second dose of the Pfizer vaccine can be injected after the Moderna shot in case vaccination can not be completed with the same product, according to the official.
Kuzin added that if a person develops a severe allergic reaction to the first shot of the AstraZeneca vaccine, the second injection can be Pfizer.
"The corresponding ruling of the expert group has already been made, thus now the question of issuing a corresponding decree and development of detailed step-by-step instructions for such cases is being considered," Kuzin concluded.
The vaccination drive in Ukraine began on February 24. The Eastern European country's vaccine portfolio includes Covishield (produced by AstraZeneca in India), CoronaVac (produced by the Chinese Sinovac), AstraZeneca, Comirnaty (produced by Pfizer), and Moderna. Only 1,702,884 people are fully vaccinated in the 41-million nation.
The French who support the protests against sanitary passes make up 35%, according to the opinion poll conducted for Le Journal du Dimanche.
Anti-health-passes protests have been underway in France since July 12, when President Emmanuel Macron announced the introduction of a new system of containment measures.
The international research group IFOP carried out a study that has shown that 35% of the French support or feel sympathy for protesters; 16% said they were "indifferent" and 49% of people are "opposed" or "hostile" to the demonstrations.
The sanitary passes indicate if a bearer is immune to COVID-19 or has a negative test result. According to the bill, the passes are to be mandatory for public catering, medical organizations, aboard planes and long-distance trains.
The French Senate adopted a milder version of a draft law on a wider use of the sanitary passes amid countrywide rallies against COVID restrictions.
More than 160,000 people took to the streets across France on Saturday, protesting the draft law. The bill initially suggested that, starting in August, sanitary passes, which show proof of complete vaccination or a recent negative test, should be required in cafes, restaurants, medical organizations, at planes and long-distance trains. The draft regulation envisages mandatory vaccination against COVID-19 for medical staff, firefighters, and those taking care of the elderly people.
The senators limited obligatory sanitary passes to adults, while the earlier draft made them mandatory for people over 12, and excluded terraces and supermarkets from the list of places, where sanitary passes are required. The Senate has also proposed to postpone the date when the new rules go into force from August 30 to September 15 to give people more time to make the preparations.
The bill was passed by the National Assembly, the lower chamber of the French Parliament, two days ago, and the Senate approved the draft law late on Saturday. However, it will also be reviewed by a mixed parliamentary commission on Sunday afternoon.
The initiative enables people aged 16 or 17 to get vaccinated without parents' permission and obligates people with COVID-19 to self-isolate.
Seventy-one people protesting against COVID-19 restrictions were detained in France on Saturday, media reported, citing the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
About a third of them, 24 people, were detained in the French capital, LCI broadcaster said.
About 160,000 people country-wide joined the rallies against COVID restrictions and sanitary passes in France on Saturday. The number of protesters in Paris is estimated at 11,000.
On July 12, President Emmanuel Macron announced new containment measures, including the introduction of mandatory sanitary passes, which would be required in restaurants, shopping centres, aboard planes and long-distance trains. A sanitary pass will indicate if a person is immune to COVID-19 or recently tested negative for the virus. The bill on the measures was approved by the parliament earlier in the week.
Since July 21, sanitary passes are mandatory for visiting museums, theatres, movies, festivals, performances and amusement parks.
MOSCOW (Sputnik) - UK Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Sajid Javid apologized on 25 July for a tweet telling people not to "cower" from COVID-19, which sparked strong reaction on social and regular media.
On 24 July, Javid took to Twitter to announce that he had recovered from the virus, adding that the government's ease of COVID-19 restrictions in the UK was a learning step to "live with, rather than cower from, this virus." On July 19, most coronavirus restrictions were eased across England, although the opposition has been wary of the government's plan to do so. Labour leader Keir Starmer said lifting all restrictions at the same time was "reckless."
"I've deleted a tweet which used the word "cower". I was expressing gratitude that the vaccines help us fight back as a society, but it was a poor choice of word and I sincerely apologise. Like many, I have lost loved ones to this awful virus and would never minimise its impact," Javid said in a new tweet.
A number of Labour parliament members have criticized the Conservative health minister's word choice. Labour's Shadow Justice Secretary David Lammy said Javid should not "denigrate people for trying to keep themselves and their families safe."
"NHS and social care heroes & all of our key workers did not "cower". They risked their lives to keep us all safe," Deputy Leader of the Labour Party Angela Rayner tweeted.
In response to Javid deleting the tweet, Shadow Health & Social Care Secretary Jonathan Ashworth suggested "u-turns on mask wearing, work from home, sick pay and fresh air support" in a reference to the government's easing of restrictions.
PARIS (Sputnik) - The French Senate adopted a milder version of a draft law on a wider use of the sanitary passes amid countrywide rallies against COVID restrictions.
More than 160,000 people took to the streets across France on 24 July, protesting the draft law. The bill initially suggested that, starting in August, sanitary passes, which show proof of complete vaccination or a recent negative test, should be required in cafes, restaurants, medical organizations, at planes and long-distance trains. The draft regulation envisages mandatory vaccination against COVID-19 for medical staff, firefighters, and those taking care of the elderly people.
The senators limited obligatory sanitary passes to adults, while the earlier draft made them mandatory for people over 12, and excluded terraces and supermarkets from the list of places, where sanitary passes are required. The Senate has also proposed to postpone the date when the new rules go into force from August 30 to September 15 to give people more time to make the preparations.
The bill was passed by the National Assembly, the lower chamber of the French Parliament, two days ago, and the Senate approved the draft law late on Saturday. However, it will also be reviewed by a mixed parliamentary commission on Sunday afternoon.
The initiative enables people aged 16 or 17 to get vaccinated without parents' permission and obligates people with COVID-19 to self-isolate.
