ISLAMABAD – Pakistan banned flights to unvaccinated adults Friday as it tries to push vaccinations and avoid further lockdowns to contain the coronavirus.
Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan announced the ban on Twitter, saying: “Only fully vaccinated passengers over the age of 18 are allowed to make domestic flights within Pakistan”.
The government said last week that unvaccinated people will no longer be allowed to work in offices and will be banned from entering shopping malls as of Friday. However, it was unclear how they should be prevented from entering such places.
The bans do not apply to children who are not yet eligible for the Pakistani vaccination campaign.
In the 220 million country, almost 30 million people are fully vaccinated. There is no shortage of vaccines, but many people have hesitated and the new measures are aimed at getting them to get the injections.
Pakistan has reported 1.2 million COVID-19 cases and 27,785 deaths since the pandemic started last year.
___
MORE ABOUT PANDEMIC:
– school authorities Ask Biden to help them investigate any threats increasing due to masking requirements and race guidelines
– Trains full of commuters like Japan Completely ends the emergency for the first time in more than six months
– It’s time to get vaccinated against the flu season, even if you have had your COVID-19 vaccinations
– anchorage Mayor apologizes for comments supporting the use of Holocaust imagery compared to the masking mandate
– Check out all of AP’s pandemic coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic
___
HERE STILL HAPPEN:
PORTLAND, Maine – The rural areas of Maine need better access to COVID-19 testing, said the director of the state Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
The percent positivity rate in some rural counties of Maine is much higher than in more densely populated areas like Cumberland County. Federal data shows that the percentage positivity rate in Cumberland is around 2%, while in rural Somerset County it is greater than 9%.
The director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Nirav Shah said Thursday this was a product of lack of testing. He said the state is working to bring more tests to rural corners of the state. Maine has the lowest population density in New England.
The Maine Department of Health announced Thursday that childcare facilities in Maine can now access shared tests for children and employees through a federal program that makes the tests available to some community organizations and schools free of charge. The agency said Walgreen is also expanding testing capabilities to almost all of its locations in Maine.
“There aren’t enough tests going on in these parts of the state. We’re focused on making testing more accessible at the community level, â€said Shah.
___
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The Arkansas Supreme Court said Thursday it will not allow the state to enforce its ban on mask mandates by schools and other government agencies and uphold a judge’s ruling that temporarily suspends the law.
The judges denied the state’s motion to suspend the August ruling that blocked enforcement of Arkansas’ ban on mandates.
More than 100 school districts and charter schools have approved the mask requirement since the illegal ruling. The requirements cover more than half of the state’s public school students.
Republican Governor Asa Hutchinson, who signed the bill but later said he regretted the decision, had separately asked the court to deny the motion to stay the sentence.
___
ATLANTA – Governor Brian Kemp on Thursday warned unvaccinated Georgians not to assume COVID-19 is over, saying the state could risk a fifth spike in respiratory disease in the winter, even if cases of a fourth spike peak reached a sharp decline last month.
“Today I want to emphasize the importance of not waiting until the next wave of COVID cases to get vaccinated,” said Kemp. “Since our increase in cases and hospital admissions in 2021 was similar in time to the increases in 2020, we can only assume that a winter increase is also possible.”
Kemp says he is still against federal plans to require employers with 100 or more workers to require vaccinations and will review legal action with Attorney General Chris Carr.
The vaccination rate in Georgia has improved somewhat, with state data showing that 47% of all residents are now fully vaccinated. Kemp and Public Health Commissioner Kathleen Toomey said there is no shortage of monoclonal antibodies for COVID-19 therapy in Georgia as demand declines.
___
HAVANA – Beaches and recreation centers reopened in Cuba’s capital after authorities announced it was time to resume outdoor activities, including a stroll on the Malecon coastal promenade, which has long been a hangout for Havana.
Officials say the reopening on Thursday was possible because 90% of the city’s residents are vaccinated against the coronavirus and the number of new cases has decreased. Some people quickly took advantage of the announcement and went to the beach to enjoy the sun and sand.
The Malecon filled with people Wednesday night, with groups of young people with guitars and even street vendors for the first time since access was closed earlier this year. The city announced last week that restaurants and bars will be able to let customers in again.
