The Latest: Russia sees 800 daily virus deaths for 4th day

Daily coronavirus deaths in Russia exceeded 800 for fourth straight day on Sunday, with authorities reporting 816 new fatalities.

daily tally surpassed 800 for first time in pandemic on Thursday and has remained at that level ever since.

Russia faced a surge of infections last month that officials have blamed on spre of delta variant. New confirmed cases soared from around 9,000 a day in early June to 25,000 a day in mid-July.

New infections have since decreased slightly to about 21,000 daily this week, but daily death toll has remained high.

Officials are working to boost vaccine uptake, which has remained lower in Russia than in many Western countries. As of Aug. 6, more than 39 million Russians -- or 26.7% of 146-million population -- h received at least one dose, while over 30 million, or 20%, was said to be fully vaccinated.

Russia’s state coronavirus task force has reported over 6.6 million confirmed coronavirus cases in pandemic and 170,499 deaths. However, reports by Russia’s state statistical service Rosstat that look at coronavirus-linked deaths retroactively have revealed a much higher number.

MORE ON PANDEMIC:

— Coronavirus claims more young victims in U.S. as deaths climb

— Amid a limited supply of vaccines, tensions arise in Africa between those seeking first and second vaccine shots

— Protesters in France denounce COVID-19 health pass for 5th straight Saturday

— COVAX only goes so far as rich countries dominate global vaccine allotments

— Iran will impose 6-day ‘general lockdown’ against coronavirus

HERE’S WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING:

KAMPALA, Uganda — At a COVID-19 vaccination site in Ugandan capital, Kampala, tempers flared among those waiting for scarce AstraZeneca jabs, with some accusing ors of trying to jump queue.

Nurses intervened, telling m accused h been waiting since previous day and averting violence in what has become a tense atmosphere as Ugandans jostle for vaccinations.

In aftermath of a brutal wave of infections driven by delta variant, many Ugandans seeking a first dose of vaccine are competing with hundreds of thousands who have waited months for a second dose. But country now has only 285,000 shots donated by Norway.

delta surge has touched off a vaccination rush across Africa that slow trickle of donated doses can’t keep up with, compounding continent’s vaccine disvantage compared with rest of world.

urgency to obtain a second dose across much of world’s least vaccinated continent contrasts sharply with rich countries now beginning to authorize third doses.

Dr. Alfred Driwale, top official with Uganda’s immunization program, said small number of doses will do little to remedy situation as 5 million Ugandans eligible for vaccination — everyone from soldiers to health workers — scramble for shots under a first-come, first-serve system.

“You can’t make a policy when re is no certainty of supply,” Driwale said.

SYDNEY — Poland has sent 1 million COVID-19 vaccines to Sydney where delta variant continues to spre, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Sunday.

first of Pfizer vaccines left Warsaw via United Arab Emirates and will arrive in Sydney over Sunday night, Morrison said.

Australia bought vaccines after weeks of negotiations between Morrison and his Polish counterpart Mateusz Morawiecki. Morrison did not reveal price.

“A key factor in being able to secure se doses from our Polish friends has been that we have h a significant outbreak in our largest city,” Morrison said.

Sydney has been in lockdown since June 26 due to an outbreak first detected 10 days earlier. Surrounding New South Wales state was entirely locked down from Saturday because of recent infections detected in regional towns and virus found in wastewater in state’s north and west.

Residents aged 20-to-39 in Sydney’s worst-effected areas would be given 530,000 of new doses. This age group was responsible for most of virus spre, Morrison said.

remaining doses would be shared with or Australian states and territories.

Only 25% of Australians aged 16 and older h been fully vaccinated by Friday.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Anchorage Daily News reports that Foo Fighters rock band is requiring that people who attend ir upcoming shows in Alaska be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or receive a negative test result 48 hours before attending.

12-time Grammy-winning-band plans to perform in Anchorage on Aug. 17 and 19 at Dena’ina Center and in Fairbanks on Aug. 21 at Carlson Center.

Negative test results or proof of vaccination must be provided before entering — — eir original card or copy of card with an ID to match, according to a statement Saturday from Ticketmaster.

PHOENIX — Arizona on Saturday reported over 3,000 ditional COVID-19 cases for second straight day.

state’s seven-day rolling averages for cases and deaths also continued to rise along with virus-related hospitalizations. state’s coronavirus dashboard reported 1,601 hospitalizations as of Thursday, along with 3,418 ditional cases and 27 more deaths.

In anor development, superintendent of Scottsdale Unified School District said increased spre of COVID-19 threatens to end in-person learning.

Also, Salt-River Pima-Community Indian Community announced residents and visitors must help curb spre of COVID-19 by wearing masks while visiting government offices, businesses and schools on tribe’s Phoenix-area reservation.

OLYMPIA, Wash. — Washington Department of Health recommended a third dose of Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines for people with severely weakened immune systems.

recommendation Saturday comes as delta variant surges in country. U.S. Food and Drug ministration announced Thursday that immunocompromised Americans can get an extra dose of Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines for better protection.

FDA’s announcement applies to about 3% of U.S. ults who are especially vulnerable because of organ transplants, certain cancers or or disorders. Several or countries, including France and Israel, have similar recommendations.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — President Joe Biden has called school district superintendents in Florida and Arizona, praising m for doing what he called “ right thing” after ir respective boards implemented mask requirements in defiance of ir Republican governors amid growing COVID-19 infections.

White House said Saturday that Democratic president h spoken with interim Broward Superintendent Vickie Cartwright in Florida and Phoenix Union High School District Superintendent Ch Gestson in Arizona. Biden thanked m for ir leership and discussed ir shared commitment to getting all students back in safe, full-time in-person instruction this school year.

Biden’s phone calls of support come as tensions build over wher local school districts can and should require face coverings for students and school staff as in-person classes resume. In Texas, several school districts — along with state’s most populous county — won temporary legal victories Friday in seeking to override Republican Gov. Greg Abbott’s ban on mask mandates, which y argued is making COVID-19 pandemic worse.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — New Mexico health officials say an increase in hospitalizations across state has prompted m to put out an urgent call for volunteer nurses to help boost state’s medical work force.

New Mexico Department of Health has called on nurses or anyone with a medical license to volunteer to help because y believe hospitals could soon be overwhelmed with patients. y want recently retired health workers or anyone qualified to sign up for state’s Medical Reserve Corps.

Hospitals in New Mexico and across nation are seeing increased hospitalizations because of long-postponed surgeries and a surge in COVID-19 patients. delta variant of coronavirus is much more contagious than previous strains.

state Friday reported 798 ditional COVID-19 cases and five new deaths. y bring count of confirmed New Mexico virus cases since pandemic began in early 2020 to 218,569 and number of deaths to 4,446.

State officials said ir modeling predicts more than 1,000 new cases a day in next several weeks.

MINNEAPOLIS — University of Minnesota System will join hundreds of colleges nationwide in requiring a COVID-19 vaccination for students and staff at its five campuses.

mandate approved by Board of Regents on Friday will take effect once U.S. Food and Drug ministration gives final approval to a coronavirus vaccine and not just emergency use status. Full approval is expected in coming weeks.

Faculty and staff at Twin Cities, Duluth, Rochester, Crookston and Morris campuses must eir get vaccinated or undergo regular COVID-19 testing.

university will allow medical and religious exemptions to this mandate. University of Minnesota campuses educate about 67,000 students and employ 26,000 people.

System leers said y will soon share more details about vaccination requirement, including how much time students will have to get shots after FDA approval and any consequences for not complying with mandate.

OLA, Kan. — most populous county in Kansas is requiring its employees to submit to weekly COVID-19 testing if y aren’t vaccinated.

Johnson County Manager Penny Postoak Ferguson said that only 46% of county employees h reported being fully vaccinated as of Wednesday. Countywide, nearly 58% of eligible residents are fully vaccinated.

Beginning Aug. 23, government employees who are not fully vaccinated must get tested once a week. Kansas City Star reports that employees who work in departments providing direct care to residents are subject to tests up to twice weekly. Similar requirements alrey have taken effect in school districts, businesses and cities elsewhere.

PARIS — Thousands of people, from families to far-right sympathizers, marched in cities across France for a fifth straight Saturday to denounce a COVID-19 health pass needed to enter restaurants and long-distance trains.

Some 1,600 police were deployed for three separate marches in Paris, a week after health pass went into effect. “Liberty” was slogan, with protesters saying health pass limits ir freedom.

Polls show most French people support health pass.

marches came as France is facing soaring numbers of new infections, driven by more transmissible delta variant. In Montpellier, some 7,500 people marched. city is in region where infection rate is above 600 per 100,000 people, among highest in country.

On Friday, 46.1 million people in France, nearly 68% of population, h received at least one vaccine shot. More than 38.8 million, or 57%, h two shots.

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — number of COVID-19 deaths in Alabama are increasing after a case surge fueled by low vaccinations rates and highly contagious delta variant.

State Health Officer Scott Harris says Alabama is reporting double-digit death numbers for first time in months. seven-day rolling average of daily deaths in Alabama rose to 21 deaths per day on Aug. 11, according to Johns Hopkins University.

Harris says reported deaths were expected to rise as state experiences a surge in cases and hospitalizations.

“Deaths are a lagging indicator. Deaths happen last. We see case numbers go up, we see hospitalizations go up and n we see deaths go up,” Harris says.

On Friday, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey issued a limited state of emergency aimed at giving medical providers flexibility on staffing and capacity decisions and easier shipment of emergency equipment and supplies. Republican governor stressed she would not be issuing any closure orders or mask mandates.

DALLAS — Texas health officials reported 13,614 coronavirus cases and 144 deaths on Friday, most deaths since Feb. 26.

State health officials registered 11,261 COVID-19 hospitalizations in Texas.

state is quickly approaching its highest number of hospitalizations during pandemic — 14,218 on Jan. 11, when it was in throes of a winter surge.

Texas has totaled more than 2.7 million confirmed cases and 54,196 confirmed deaths since start of pandemic.

SEDALIA, Mo. — Mostly unmasked crowds packed into Missouri State Fair this week as it opened in Sedalia amid soaring COVID-19 numbers.

Fair officials decided in spring to bring back full fair after replacing it with a much smaller youth livestock show last year because of safety concerns, St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

State Fair Director Mark Wolfe says his staff anticipated up to 340,000 attendees before event ends Aug. 22.

Unlike state fair in neighboring Illinois, masks are optional. Among unmasked was Brian Eggers, a 55-year-old farmer who lives outside Chillico. He lost a close neighbor as well as aunts and uncles to COVID-19 but says he hasn’t gotten around to getting vaccinated.

“I’m not anti-vaccine, but I haven’t gotten it myself yet,” he says, watching a youth livestock show, ding: “If God wants to take me, that’s his choice.”

Jessica Miller, who helmed vaccination station at fair, say five patients were immunized in first 2.5 hours of operation. Some told Miller ir jobs were requiring vaccine.