PARIS Thousands march again in France against the COVID-19 health card that is required to be allowed into cafes and restaurants, as well as cultural and sporting venues.
Opponents decried what they consider a restriction on their freedom for the sixth consecutive Saturday. Many criticised the measure, saying that the French government impliedly made vaccines mandatory.
Four demonstrations were held in Paris by various groups. Over 200 protests took place elsewhere in the country.
Despite protests, polls show that the majority of French support the health pass. France has more than 40.5 million residents, which is 60% of the population, who are all fully vaccinated.
France has been experiencing a rise in infections since last month -- around 22,000 per day.
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READ MORE ABOUT THE PANDEMIC
AP-NORC poll: Biden sees dip in support amid new COVID-19 cases
In hard-hit areas, the demand for COVID-19 antibodies is on the rise
Although young and healthy, the U.S. has a higher rate of COVID-19-infected individuals.
New York City's Central Park Concert is expected to attract thousands of people despite the virus
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Find more AP coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic and https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-vaccine
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HERE'S WHAT ELSE HAPPENS:
MONTGOMERY (Ala.) U.S. Rep. Barry Moore, of Alabama, has revealed that he and his wife were diagnosed with coronavirus. In a social media post, the congressman revealed his diagnosis. He said that hell will continue to work as hard as he can, while he is in quarantine.
Representative for the Republican Party encouraged citizens to talk with their doctors about vaccines and treatment options. Alabama is experiencing an increase in viral cases and hospitalizations. This is due to the high-contagious delta variant of the virus and low vaccination rates.
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BERLIN Austria's government has stated that it could restrict access to nightclubs for people who have been vaccinated to prevent COVID-19 if there is an increase in fall-related infections.
As with many European countries, Austria is experiencing an increase in coronavirus infection, especially among young people who have not been fully vaccinated.
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To be allowed to enter nightclubs, you must have had a recent negative PCR test or been vaccinated.
A joint statement from the chancellery, the health ministry and the chancellery on Saturday said that a vaccinated only approach might be needed in the fall if the infection rate continues to rise and there is a low number of young people who have been vaccinated. The superpreader event is a risk that social life will move indoors in the fall, according to the statement.
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WASHINGTON -- Americans have a less favorable view of President Joe Biden's handling of the coronavirus pandemic. Their job approval rating has dropped to 58 percent.
According to a poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, this is according to a recent poll. According to the survey, Biden's overall approval rating for his job has fallen from 59% to 54% last month. His pandemic handling has been criticized by the public even more, with 66% of those polled supporting him in July and 54% now.
This coincides with an increase in COVID-19 cases and stagnant vaccination rates in the United States. Jeanette Ellis-Carter (69) wants Biden to push for more vaccine mandates in the country. The Cincinnati resident, who is fully vaccinated but has recently been diagnosed with COVID-19, worries that if there are no vaccine mandates, more Americans could get sick.
As a child, I had to have the measles and polio shots. She said that there was nothing different.
Republican officials led the opposition against the mask and vaccine measures that the Biden administration put in place this year. Some Republican governors oppose the use of masks in schools.
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MONTGOMERY (Ala.) Health officials in Alabama are reporting a rise in cases among children and young adults as the highly contagious delta variant spreads through unvaccinated people.
Christina Tidmore encouraged people to get vaccinated following the death of her husband, COVID-19. The 36-year old spouse of Christina Tidmore was healthy and young, but she died from the disease three weeks later. After hearing contradictory messages, the couple did not get vaccinated.
The state's COVID deaths have increased by 14% in the last month to include people aged 25-49. Between 50 and 64, 29% of all deaths occur.
Scott Harris, the State Health Officer said that there is no doubt that hospitalizations are decreasing in number. According to the Alabama Hospital Association, 85% of COVID-19 hospitalized patients are not vaccinated.
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EUGENE, Ore. Oregon State and Oregon State were the first Power Five schools that announced they would require proof of vaccination or a negative Coronavirus test to allow people over 12 years old to attend football games.
Oregon officials say the decision was reached with state public health officials and peer institutions. It comes after a week in which state officials warned that hospitals would be crowded as the daily number of reported cases rose to a record high.
The Oregon football team will open its season in Eugene's 54,000-seat Autzen stadium on Sept. 4, against Fresno State. Oregon State will open its home schedule against Hawaii at Reser Stadium in September.
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NEW YORK It will be a concert in Central Park with thousands of people expected to enjoy a star-laden concert that celebrates New York City's recovery from the coronavirus.
Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon and Jennifer Hudson are some of the performers at the Homecoming Concert.
The concert takes place despite the good intentions. However, there are concerns about the contagious delta version of COVID-19. New York City has seen an average of just under 2000 cases per day of coronavirus in the last week, according to statistics. All concert attendees must provide proof of vaccination.
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ORLANDO (Florida) - The mayor of Orlando has asked residents to stop watering their yards and washing their cars for a minimum of a week.
Mayor Buddy Dyer believes water consumption must be reduced due to the recent rise in COVID-19 hospitalizations. The Orlando Utility Commission treats city water with liquid oxygen. Supplies that normally go towards water treatment were diverted to hospitals for patients with the virus.
The city's utility normally uses 10 trucks of liquid oxygen per week. However, its supplier recently stated that it could use five to seven trucks per week to accommodate hospitals.
Officials from one of Orlando's largest health care systems stated this week that they had 1,620 COVID-19-positive patients, double the number at AdventHealth's peak.
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SYDNEY Authorities from Australia claim that more than 250 people were arrested during protests against coronavirus lockdowns. Many were fined for violating health orders.
Protests were held in many cities across the country on Saturday, with the largest and most violent demonstration taking place in Melbourne. After skirmishes at one of the protests, seven police officers sustained injuries.
Sydney was in lockdown for over two months while Melbourne and Canberra were placed into lockdown earlier this year. The lockdown rules restrict people's social interaction and confine them to their homes.
Protestors say lockdowns must end. Authorities however insist that they are needed to stop the spread of the virus.
Sydney's New South Wales reported a record 825 daily community infections on Saturday, despite the restrictions. Many cities are currently fighting the highly contagious delta variant.
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BERLIN The number of coronavirus infections has risen steadily in Germany, with the new strain reaching its highest point in just three months.
According to the Robert Koch Institute, 51.6 new cases per 100k residents have been reported in the past seven days. This is the highest infection rate since May 25, but it has been rising since the low of 4.9 in July.
According to the disease control center, 8,092 cases have been reported in the last 24 hours. This is an increase of 5,644 cases a week ago. As summer vacations wind down and some children return to school in Germany, more cases are being detected.
German authorities are trying to re-energize the country's vaccination drive which has been slowing down. Official data showed that 63% had received at least one dose of vaccines as of Thursday, while 58% were fully vaccinated.
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HANOI: The Vietnam Vietnam government has announced that it will send troops to Ho Chi Minh City in order to deliver food and assistance to the local population. This is amid a worsening coronavirus epidemic.
According to a report by the government, the army will be deployed to assist with logistics in the city of 10,000,000 people. Residents are asked to remain put for two weeks beginning Monday.
This comes as Vietnam, which has suffered from a lot of the pandemic, had more than 10,000 new cases and 390 deaths Friday. 3500 of these infections were in Ho Chi Minh City.
Since June, Ho Chi Minh City has been enacted strict coronavirus policies. This includes preventing more than two people from gathering in public places and allowing only essential activities like purchasing food or working in permitted businesses. People in high-risk areas are not allowed to leave their homes under the new measures.
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HONOLULU As a result of a high number of COVID-19-related cases, a hospital in Honolulu has been oversubscribed.
Jason Chang, CEO of The Queens Health Systems, stated that all 104 beds at The Queens Medical Center West Oahu have been filled.
Some patients were transferred from the Ewa Beach hospital to its sister facility in downtown Honolulu. It also requested assistance from staff from other parts the Queens system.
A triage tent has been set up outside the hospital. It has 25 cots. Although the hospital might add beds in hallways or other areas, not all patients will be able to get rooms.
Chang claims that the hospital saw 63 patients in its emergency department at once, which is quite a number considering the hospital has only 24 ER beds. 26 of the patients in the ER had COVID-19 infection.
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MONTGOMERY (Ala.) A federal team of health workers was deployed to a hospital in Alabama that is experiencing a spike of COVID-19 patient, according to the state health officer.
Scott Harris, the State Health Officer, says that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will send a task force team consisting of nurses and doctors to South Baldwin Regional Medical Center, Foley. Similar assistance was sent to Mississippi and Louisiana.
The recent COVID-19 surge has been especially devastating to coastal areas. Therefore, the team was dispatched to the most in need area, according state health officials.
Alabama is experiencing a rise in COVID-19-related cases. Medical officials believe this is due to low vaccination rates and the contagious delta variant.
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MIAMI Florida officials threaten to withhold funds equaling the salaries of school board member if two counties don't immediately remove strict mask mandates. The state is still struggling with high hospitalization rates.
The State Board of Education sent a warning to Broward and Alachua school boards. They were given 48 hours to rescind their decision to require masks for all students. Only those who have a doctor's note are exempted.
In an email statement, Richard Corcoran, Commissioner of Education said that government officials cannot pick and choose which laws they follow. These are the first consequences of their refusal to comply with state law or state rule that purposefully and willfully violates the rights parents.
Corcoran stated that the two districts violate the Parents Bill of Rights as well as a July executive order issued by Gov. Ron DeSantis was the one who prompted rules restricting districts' ability to comply with mask requirements. DeSantis believes that masks can have a negative impact on children's development.
However, the board members of both countries decided to not allow parents to opt out of the mandate because the surge cases caused by the delta variant put strain on hospitals.
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FRANKFORT, Ky. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshears campaign to get COVID-19 vaccines was given a new voice by a personal testimonial from a former vaccine skeptic who recounted his struggle against the virus.
Ethan Koehler (28 years old) spoke out in stark terms about his experience from downplaying the pandemic, to being laid low with excruciating pain and struggles to breathe, then learning to walk again without losing his breath after the coronavirus destroyed his health.
Koehler stated that I was very vocal about anti-COVID and anti-vaccine. I posted on Facebook, shared my views with the public, and talked to people about it. I made it a point not to wear a mask. I made it a point to stress that COVID was not important. It is a thing that I have experienced, and I am eating crow about it.
At Thursday's Beshears media briefing, Koehlers message was shown. After months of begging Kentuckians for COVID-19 shots over and over, the governor is now turning to other people to make the case.
Koehlers' ordeal revealed another alarming trend: rising infection rates in younger Kentuckians who are less likely than older Kentuckians to have been vaccinated.
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SAN FRANCISCO San Francisco is now the first major US city to require proof that they have been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus in order to eat in restaurants, exercise in gyms and attend indoor concerts.
Friday was the first day that restaurants and bars put up signs to inform customers they are now requiring proof of vaccination.
This new rule applies beyond New York City. It only requires that people be at least partially immunized for indoor activities.
Local business groups have supported the new mandate for vaccines in San Francisco, claiming it will protect employees and customers' health and prevent them from having to limit indoor capacity.
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