16 November,2021 08:01 AM IST | Washington | Agencies
Workers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and their supporters protest outside JPL in Pasadena, California, against a US govt mandate requiring all federal employees to receive the COVID vaccine. Pic/AFP
United States (US) Democrats are urging President Joe Biden to issue a mandate for all airline passengers to either show proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 or a negative test before boarding a domestic flight, according to local media reports.
"This is a necessary and long overdue step toward ensuring all Americans feel safe and confident while travelling and reduce the chances of yet another devastating winter surge," Xinhua news agency quoted the reports on Sunday citing a letter signed by over 30 Democrats as saying.
According to the media reports, the letter was sent to Biden on November 11 and comes as millions across the US are planning to travel during the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, which will be celebrated on November 25 this year.
An estimate from the American Automobile Association said over 53 million people were planning to travel to see their loved ones for Thanksgiving this year. Of that, about 4.2 million people were expected to travel by air.
Starting from Monday, unvaccinated people in Austria will be placed under a lockdown in an effort to stop the further spread of COVID-19, the government announced. "We have decided with a heavy heart to take this step," Xinhua news agency quoted Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg as saying.
Britain's government extended its COVID-19 booster programmes to younger people on Monday, hoping to stave off a fresh wave of infections. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation said people aged 40 to 49 would also be eligible for a vaccine booster shot six months after their initial shot. People 50 and over had previously been eligible. The decision comes after a UK official told Sky News that the vaccination programme offered the best opportunity to prevent re-imposition of curbs.
New Zealand will start administering COVID-19 booster doses of the Pfizer vaccine from November 29, a minister said. The country's regulatory authority Medsafe has already approved the use of Pfizer as a booster for people above 18, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins told a press meet. The decision followed further advice to the cabinet from the vaccine technical advisory group, reports Xinhua news agency.
South Korea on Monday reported more than 2,000 daily Coronavirus cases for six days in a row, fueling worries of a surge in COVID-19 infections, after the country relaxed its restrictions early this month. The country reported 2,006 new cases, including 1,986 local infections, raising the total caseload to 397,466, Yonhap news agency reported, citing the Korea Disease
Control and Prevention Agency.
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