WDBD FOX 40 Jackson MS Local News, Weather and Sports

WDBD Television for Jackson, MS

    fox-news/science/wild-nature/viruses

    COVID cases in Beijing lead officials to suspend classes, conduct mass testing

    NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

    China’s capital city of Beijing is on alert after 10 middle school students tested positive for the coronavirus. 

    City officials suspended classes in the school for a week on Friday following the initial round of testing.

    SHANGHAI PLEDGES TO IMPROVE FOOD SUPPLIES, EASE VIRUS RESTRICTIONS

    Local media reported that, in Beijing’s Chaoyang district, the city government also ordered the suspension of in-person after-school activities. 

    Officials are conducting mass testing to look for more cases.

    Four other cases in Beijing were counted separately.

    • A worker in a protective takes a swab for a COVID-19 test at a coronavirus testing facility in Beijing, Saturday, April 23, 2022. Beijing is on alert after 10 middle school students tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday, in what city officials said was an initial round of testing.  (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

    • People stand in line for COVID-19 tests at a coronavirus testing facility in Beijing, Saturday, April 23, 2022.  (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

    • A worker in a protective takes a swab for a COVID-19 test at a coronavirus testing facility in Beijing, Saturday, April 23, 2022.  (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

    • People stand in line for COVID-19 tests at a coronavirus testing facility in Beijing, Saturday, April 23, 2022.  (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

    • People stand in line for COVID-19 tests at a coronavirus testing facility in Beijing, Saturday, April 23, 2022.  (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

    • FILE – Commuters wearing face masks walk in a subway station in Beijing, Friday, April 22, 2022.  (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File)

    On Saturday, mainland China reported 24,326 new cases, with the majority in Shanghai. 

    Shanghai’s lockdown and strict “zero-COVID” strategy have drawn global attention, though officials have recently taken steps to loosen restrictions for some residents. 

    On Friday, the city pledged to make “every effort” to resolve problems that prompted complaints about a lack of adequate food supplies.

    SHANGHAI ALLOWS 4M OUT OF HOMES AS COVID RULES EASE

    Truck drivers have been hindered by multiple checkpoints and virus tests, leading to long waits. 

    Under a new system, the drivers are allowed through if they had had a negative virus test within the past 48 hours, no fever and a “green health code” on their smartphone that shows they haven’t been to areas with outbreaks, according to Wu Chungeng, director of the Highway Bureau of the Ministry of Transportation.

    “All localities should directly release them,” Wu said, according to reports.

    Most offices and factories are still closed  – even as 12.3 million have been allowed out of their homes.

    Authorities are enforcing a three-tier system that allows residents out of their homes if their area has had no new infections in the past week. 

    They can leave the neighborhood after two weeks without a case.

    CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

    Shanghai officials reported 12 new deaths on Saturday, all of which were elderly patients with underlying illnesses.

    The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

    Tick bites on the rise: How to stay safe as you head outdoors

    NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

    Tick bites are on the rise in the U.S. with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reporting that the majority of cases typically occur in the warmer months. Among the most recent cases: a man in Maine who died from a rare virus spread by the bite of infected ticks, the state’s CDC reported in April 2022.

    Tick bites could lead to many dangerous illnesses in humans such as Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, ehrlichiosis and others. And while tick bites are typically a concern for hikers or those who spend time in wooded areas, certain species can be found in grassy areas or gardens. Pets that spend time outdoors are also at risk of picking them up. 

    Most bites are usually reported in children ages 0-9. 

    There are several prevention measures the CDC suggests that may help keep ticks away, such as applying pesticides in the yard, removing leaf litter, clearing tall grasses and brush, placing a 3-foot barrier of wood chips or gravel between lawns and wooded areas, mowing the lawn frequently, discouraging unwelcome animals from entering the yard, and removing old furniture, mattresses or trash from the yard. 

    TICK BITE LANDS BOY IN ICU WITH ROCKY MOUNTAIN SPOTTED FEVER DIAGNOSIS, MOM SAYS

    Knowing where to expect ticks can also help, as can treating clothing and gear with products containing 0.5% permethrin. EPA-registered insect repellents can also help keep you protected, as can avoiding wooded or brushy areas with high grass and leaf litter. Walking in the center of trails while in wooded or high grassy areas can also help lower your risk. 

    Once inside, check clothing for ticks any found quickly, the CDC advises. Tumble dry clothing on high heat for 10 minutes to kill off any you may have missed. Showering within two hours of coming indoors may also help wash off any unattached ticks and is a good chance to do a tick check. It is especially important to check under the arms, in and around the ears, inside the belly button, back of the knees, in and around the hair between the legs and around the waist. 

    If you do find a tick, don’t panic. Use fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the skin’s surface as possible, pull upward with stead, even pressure and don’t twist or jerk the tick. If you are unable to remove the mouth of the tick easily leave it alone and let the skin heal. Wash the bite area thoroughly and your hands with rubbing alcohol, soap and water. 

    CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

    Once removed, do not squish the tick with your fingers, the CDC warned. Dispose of it by putting it in alcohol, placing it in a sealed bag, wrapping it tightly in tape, or flushing it down the toilet. If a rash or fever develops within several weeks of removing the tick, see a doctor and mention the bite. 

    Dogs are also susceptible to tick bites and they may be hard to detect. Checking for ticks daily, especially after time outdoors can help, the CDC advises. 

    Maine resident dies from rare tick virus

    NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

    A person in eastern Maine has died from a rare virus spread by an infected tick. 

    The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday that the person from Waldo County contracted the Powassan virus. 

    TICK BITES ON THE RISE: HOW TO STAY SAFE AS YOU HEAD OUTDOORS

    They developed neurologic symptoms and died while in the hospital.

    The person likely became infected in Maine, the agency said.

    Main has identified 14 cases of the Powassan virus since 2010. Cases of the virus are rare in the U.S., with about 25 cases reported each year since 2015.

    Humans become infected with the Powassan virus through the bite of an infected deer or woodchuck tick.

    According to the center, Powassan is a flavivirus and currently the only well-documented tick-borne transmitted arbovirus occurring in America and Canada. 

    It was first recognized in the town of Powassan, Ontario, in 1958. 

    People who spend time outdoors are at the highest risk of getting Powassan encephalitis.

    SINGLE TICK BITE CAN CAUSE A LIFE-THREATENING MEAT ALLERGY: REPORT

    Signs and symptoms of the Powassan virus infection usually start one week to one month after the tick bite.

    Those can include fever, headache, neck pain, weakness, confusion, speech difficulties, loss of coordination and seizures. Many do not develop any symptoms. 

    The Powassan virus can cause brain swelling and about half of survivors have permanent brain damage. 

    About one out of every 10 cases ends in death. 

    The center advises that people talk to their doctor if they have any signs or symptoms after being bitten by a tick. The virus is diagnosed based on those indicators and confirmed through spinal fluid or blood tests. 

    CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

    There is no specific treatment for Powassan and severe illness may include supportive treatment in the hospital. 

    The best way to prevent Powassan is to prevent tick bites by using an EPA-approved repellent, wearing tucked long-sleeved shirts and pants when outside, keeping any lawns mowed and leaves raked, and doing daily tick checks on people and pets. 

    The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

    East Coast COVID-19 cases on the rise

    NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

    As sub-variants of omicron continue to spread in the U.S. and abroad, infections are rising in East Coast states and cities. 

    There were 54,543 new cases in the US. in the past day, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center.

    PFIZER, BIONTECH WILL ASK FDA TO AUTHORIZE COVID BOOSTER FOR HEALTHY KIDS AGES 5-11

    There were also 778 new deaths. 

    12,736 of those infections were in New York, Virginia reported nearly 1,100, 775 were in Maryland and the COVID-19 level in the District of Columbia was raised to “Medium” at the beginning of the month. 

    Reports in the nation’s capital showed people who visited – or ate dinner – there tested positive for the coronavirus.

    The U.S. Capitol reflected in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Sunday, Oct. 3, 2021.  (Samuel Corum/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

    D.C. health officials no longer publish daily COVID-19 data. 

    According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the highly transmissible BA.2 accounts for nearly 86% of U.S. coronavirus cases.

    Mask-wearing is at its lowest level since April 2020 and for every 100 infections Ali Mokdad, a professor of health metrics sciences at the University of Washington, told The Associated Press that seven are recorded in official tallies. 

    HONG KONG TO LOOSEN COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS

    That means cities like New York that are averaging 1,600 daily cases likely have a much higher number of infections.

    In the Big Apple, the COVID-19 alert level was shown as “Low.” 

    For now, COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths are still trending down nationally.

    Experts advise residents to take the same precautions as before, including staying up to date with vaccinations and masking. 

    A mask mandate on public transit has been extended by the CDC, despite protests from airlines.

    CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

    “If cases start going up in your community, think about assessing your risk level,” Dr. Wesley Long, a pathologist at Houston Methodist in Texas, advised last week. “If you stopped masking and stopped worrying about distancing and things … that’s the time to reinstitute those protective measures.”

    The Associated Press contributed to this report.

    Chinese cities restrict access as COVID-19 infections rise; South Korea moves to lift most regulations

    NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

    While Shanghai is easing COVID-19 rules for some of its 25 million residents, anti-virus controls in the country are spreading as infections rise. 

    Access to Guangzhou – an industrial center that is home to 19 million people – was suspended this week and other cities are following suit. 

    HONG KONG TO LOOSEN COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS

    Suzhou’s government told its population of 18 million to stay home when possible, and the smaller city of Taiyuan suspended its inter-city bus service, according to the official China News Service. 

    Ningde stopped residents from leaving. 

    Spring planting by Chinese farmers could be impacted, with the government reporting 29,411 new cases on Thursday. The majority of those cases (95%) were in Shanghai. 

    People wearing face masks walk near blossoming trees at a public park in Beijing, Thursday, April 14, 2022. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

    Videos shared widely on social media showed Shanghai city-dwellers shouting from their balconies in protest, with some saying they had not received government-distributed food packages. 

    Those who test positive for COVID-19 are forced into temporary quarantine facilities that have been criticized by some as crowded and unsanitary.

    “Prevention and control work cannot be relaxed,” President Xi Jinping said, according to the official Xinhua News Agency. “Persistence is victory.”

    Meanwhile, South Korea is set to remove most pandemic restrictions, including indoor gathering limits. 

    6 US LAWMAKERS ARRIVE IN TAIWAN FOR SURPRISE VISIT, CHINA ISSUES WARNING

    Health Minister Kwon Deok-cheol said Friday that while people will still be required to wear masks indoors, an outdoor mask mandate could be lifted if infections slow more over the next couple of weeks. 

    Beginning next week, a midnight curfew at restaurants, coffee shops and other indoor businesses will be removed, as well as a 10-person limit on private social gatherings. 

    A ban on large political rallies and events involving 300 or more people will also be reversed. 

    People wearing face masks walk along the public area of the Cheonggye Stream in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, April 15, 2022. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

    On April 25, South Koreans will be allowed to eat inside movie theaters, religious facilities, bus terminals and train stations.

    In May, officials will remove a mandatory seven-day quarantine period for COVID-19 patients and allow them to receive treatment at hospitals and local clinics.

    Kwon asked that people remain vigilant, noting it has become difficult to prolong social distancing rules.

    CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

    Cases there have fallen since March and more than half of the country’s 2,800 COVID-19 intensive care units remained available over the last day.

    The country reported more than 125,800 new cases in the last day and 264 virus-related deaths.

    The Associated Press contributed to this report.

    Pfizer, BioNTech will ask FDA to authorize COVID booster for healthy kids ages 5-11

    NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

    Pfizer and BioNTech said Tuesday that they would ask the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to authorize a booster dose of their coronavirus vaccine for emergency use in healthy kids ages 5 to 11. 

    The vaccine makers said new data shows children in that age group could benefit from another shot. 

    WHO TRACKING NEW OMICRON SUB-VARIANTS AMID US BA.2 SURGE

    In a study, Pfizer and BioNTech gave 140 children a third dose six months after they received their second shot. Researchers found the extra shot generally revved up their immune response. 

    A syringe is prepared with the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at a clinic in Chester, Pennsylvania, on Dec. 15, 2021. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)

    In a sub-analysis of 30 of the children, there was a 36-fold increase in neutralizing antibody titers compared to levels seen after two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. 

    “A robust response was observed regardless of prior SARS-CoV-2 infection,” the statement notes. 

    COVID-19 SUBVARIANT XE: WHAT TO KNOW

    The data has not been published or vetted by independent experts. 

    Health officials already urge everyone 12 years and older to receive a booster dose and recently recommended a second booster for U.S. adults ages 50 years old and older.

    Pfizer and BioNTech also plan to share the data with the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and other regulatory agencies around the world.

    Pfizer tested the kid booster during the winter omicron surge. 

    Vaccinations are largely less effective against the variant than earlier versions of the coronavirus, but they still offer strong protection against severe disease. 

    Children ages 5 to 11 receive one-third of the dose given to those 12 and older. 

    CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

    Pfizer shots are only available to children in the U.S. and just over a quarter of the younger age group have gotten two doses. 

    The U.S. has not yet allowed the shots for children under 5.

    The Associated Press contributed to this report.

    COVID cases, deaths fall for third consecutive week, World Health Organization says

    NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

    The number of new coronavirus cases and deaths reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) fell for a third consecutive week, a trend likely helped by the dismantling of testing and surveillance programs.

    In its latest weekly report on the pandemic, issued late Tuesday, the U.N. health agency said the more than 7 million new cases reported represented a 24% decline from a week earlier. The weekly worldwide number of COVID-19 deaths, was down 18%, at over 22,000.

    2021 DEADLIEST YEAR IN US HISTORY DUE TO COVID-19, DRUG OVERDOSES

    WHO said the decreases “should be interpreted with caution” as numerous countries where the virus is starting to subside have changed their testing strategies, meaning far fewer cases are being identified.

    New cases and deaths are falling in every region of the world, including the Western Pacific, where a surge of infections has triggered severe lockdown measures in China.

    In this photo released by China’s Xinhua News Agency, a volunteer uses a megaphone to talk to residents at an apartment building in Shanghai, China, Tuesday, April 12, 2022. Shanghai has released more than 6,000 more people from medical observation amid a COVID-19 outbreak, the government said Wednesday, but moves to further ease the lockdown on China’s largest city appeared to have stalled.  (Chen Jianli/Xinhua via AP)

    WHO said it was monitoring several mutants of the virus descended from the omicron variant, including some recombined forms of existing omicron subvariants.

    In a separate statement, the health organization said scientists in Botswana and South Africa have detected new forms of the omicron variant, labeled as BA.4 and BA.5, but aren’t sure yet if they might be more transmissible or dangerous.

    To date, the new versions of omicron have been detected in four people in Botswana and 23 people in South Africa. Beyond Africa, scientists have confirmed cases in Belgium, Denmark, Germany and the United Kingdom.

    COVID-19 SUBVARIANT XE: WHAT TO KNOW

    WHO said there was so far no evidence the new sub-variants spread any differently than the original omicron variant.

    “There is no cause for alarm with the emergence of the new sub-variants,” Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO’s Africa director, said in a statement. “We are not yet observing a major spike in cases, hospitalizations or deaths.”

    The agency called on all countries to sequence at least 5% of their COVID-19 samples; many countries, including Britain, Sweden and the United States, recently scrapped their widespread testing programs as the number of severe cases dramatically declined.

    Still, the U.S. will soon mark 1 million COVID-19 deaths, and the virus is continuing to cause concern in China.

    Officials warn Shanghai still doesn’t have its latest surge in omicron-involved cases under control despite a “zero-tolerance” approach that has seen some residents confined to their homes for three weeks or longer.

    CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

    The lockdown has led to frustration among Shanghai residents about running out of food and unable to get deliveries. Censors have diligently scrubbed complaints from social media.

    State-controlled outlets describe a successful campaign to provide food and other supplies and counseled residents that “persistence is victory.”

    What to do if a rabies-infected animal bites you?

    NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

    The fox that bit Rep. Ami Bera, a reporter, and at least 7 other people in Washington, D.C. Tuesday was euthanized and tested positive for having the rabies virus, Fox News reported.  

    Health experts told Fox News it is vital that a person who is bitten by an animal immediately seek medical treatment and try to get the animal tested for rabies, if possible.  

    DC Animal Control “captured” a rogue fox hounding lawmakers and other visitors to Capitol Hill this week. (US Capitol Police)

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated on its website that rabies is a deadly disease caused by a virus. It affects the central nervous system, which consists of the brain and spinal cord. The Federal Health Agency said once symptoms of rabies appear, the disease is “nearly always fatal.”  

    FLORIDA MAN ALLEGEDLY CAUGHT PUNCHING DOG ON VIDEO

    Dr. Fred Davis is the Associate chair, emergency medicine at Northwell Health System on Long Island in New York and told Fox News that rabies is a fatal disease and individuals should seek treatment immediately after getting bit or scratched by a wild animal. Davis said bite victims should receive treatment prior to showing symptoms of the disease, which can include fever, headaches, and excessive salivation. 

    According to the CDC, early symptoms of the virus besides fever and headache can also include weakness or discomfort and a prickling or itching sensation at the place of the bite. The health organization also said the disease can progress and “Within days, an infected person may become anxious, confused, and agitated. As a person gets sicker, they may become delirious, hallucinate, be unable to sleep, and unable to swallow or quench their thirst.”  

    DC Animal Control “captured” a rogue fox hounding lawmakers and other visitors to Capitol Hill this week. (US Capitol Police)

    Some health experts told Fox News that in severe cases, an individual may exhibit hydrophobia, a “fear of water,” which is triggered by extreme pain the patient experiences when making attempts to swallow fluids, including water and saliva. 

    Davis told Fox News, “Rabies is a virus that is spread by the saliva of infected animals. Usually this will occur from a bite or saliva of the infected animal coming in contact with an open wound”. 

    Davis also said, “If you get bit by an unknown animal, especially if that animal is acting odd (a nocturnal animal out during the day) or a dog that cannot be watched for unusual behavior, then you should seek emergency care.” 

    POLICE TRACK AND NAB SENATE FOX AFTER IT HOUNDS DEMOCRAT ON CAPITOL GROUNDS

    The CDC said the virus is predominately found in wild animals like raccoons, skunks, bats, and foxes. Globally, people are typically infected with rabies from bites from dogs, the CDC said on its website.   

    Davis said initial treatment typically includes cleaning the wound, and then treating the individual with PEP, Postexposure prophylaxis (PEP). 

    Postexposure prophylaxis consists of a dose of human rabies immune globulin (HRIG) and rabies vaccine given on the day of the rabies exposure. Another dose of vaccine is then given again on days three, seven, and 14-post bite, according to the CDC website.  

    “For people who have never been vaccinated against rabies previously, post exposure prophylaxis (PEP) should always include administration of both HRIG and rabies vaccine,” the CDC stated and also noted the “combination of HRIG and vaccine is recommended for both bite and non-bite exposures, regardless of the interval between exposure and initiation of treatment.” 

    The CDC also cautioned travelers who are bitten by an animal while overseas to get back to the United States or to another area to receive treatment since vaccination and medicines for rabies exposure are not available everywhere in the world. 

    Dr. Robin Sturtz, a veterinarian and Director of the Vet Tech program at Long Island University in New York, told Fox News, that rabies is a serious concern when it comes to animal bites. “There are less than a handful of survivors of rabies when left untreated.”  

    Sturtz told Fox News that an animal with late stage rabies usually appears agitated and disoriented. Sturtz also said that nocturnal animals such as raccoons, who have the virus, will appear in the daytime hours and even approach humans. Sturtz said the best advice is to stay away from wild animals, call animal control, and admire them from afar. She also stressed the need for pet owners to get their dogs and cats vaccinated against rabies.  

    Sturtz also addressed the notion that animals with rabies “foam at the mouth.” The veterinarian explained to Fox News that the animals do not necessarily “foam at the mouth” but are rather drooling. Sturtz said the virus attacks the animal’s nervous system, and it cannot swallow its saliva, so the animal begins to drool, which created this description.

    CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

    To protect yourself from rabies the CDC offered the following tips on their website:  

    Avoid animals when traveling 

    • Do not touch dogs, puppies, or other animals. This goes for strays as well as pets. Not all countries require pets to be vaccinated against rabies. Even animals that appear healthy can spread rabies.
    • Supervise children closely, especially around dogs and puppies, cats and kittens, and wildlife.
    • If you travel with your pet, watch it closely. Do not allow it around other local pets or wild animals.
    • Avoid bringing animals home to the United States. Dogs and cats may be infected with rabies but not show signs until several days or months later. If you do decide to bring an animal with you to the United States, be aware of CDC’s and USDA’s animal importation regulations.
    • If you are traveling to work with animals, bring and wear appropriate protective gear.

    Shanghai extends COVID-19 lockdown, outbreak remains ‘extremely grim’

    NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

    The COVID-19 outbreak in China’s largest metropolis of Shanghai remains “extremely grim” amid an ongoing lockdown confining around 26 million people to their homes, a city official said Tuesday.

    Director of Shanghai’s working group on epidemic control, Gu Honghui, was quoted by state media as saying that the outbreak in the city was “still running at a high level.”

    “The situation is extremely grim,” Gu said.

    China has sent more than 10,000 health workers from around the country to aid the city, including 2,000 from the military, and is mass testing residents, some of whom have been locked down for weeks.

    CHINA SENDS HEALTH WORKERS, MILITARY TO SHANGHAI TO HELP CURB COVID-19 WAVE

    Most of eastern Shanghai, which was supposed to reopen last Friday, remained locked down along with the western half of the city.

    Officials would reevaluate preventative measures after the results of tests on all city residents are analyzed, Gu said.

    “Before that, citizens are asked to continue following the current lockdown measures and stay in their homes except for medical and other emergency situations,” Gu said.

    Shanghai has reported more than 73,000 positive COVID-19 infections since the resurgence of the highly contagious omicron variant in March.

    Women wearing face masks to help protect from the coronavirus walk by a barricaded Galaxy Soho commercial office building which was locked down for health monitoring following a COVID-19 case detected in the area, Tuesday, April 5, 2022, in Beijing. China has sent more than 10,000 health workers from across the country to Shanghai, including 2,000 military medical staff, as it struggles to stamp out a rapidly spreading COVID-19 outbreak in China’s largest city.  (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

    Shanghai recorded another 13,354 cases on Monday — the vast majority of them asymptomatic — bringing the city’s total to more than 73,000 since the latest wave of infections began last month. No deaths have been ascribed to the outbreak driven by the omicron BA.2 variant, which is much more infectious but also less lethal than the previous delta strain.

    A separate outbreak continues to rage in the northeastern province of Jilin and the capital Beijing also saw an additional nine cases, just one of them asymptomatic. Workers shut down an entire shopping center in the city where a case had been detected.

    While China’s vaccination rate hovers around 90%, its domestically produced inactivated virus vaccines are seen as weaker than the mRNA vaccines such as those produced by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna that are used abroad, as well as in the Chinese territories of Hong Kong and Macao. Vaccination rates among the elderly are also much lower than the population at large, with only around half of those over 80 fully vaccinated.

    SHANGHAI MOVES TO 2ND STAGE OF LOCKDOWN AS TESTING LINES GROW

    Meanwhile, complaints have arisen in Shanghai over difficulties obtaining food and daily necessities, and shortages of medical workers, volunteers and beds in isolation wards where tens of thousands are being kept for observation.

    Shanghai has converted an exhibition hall and other facilities into massive isolation centers where people with mild or no symptoms are housed in a sea of beds separated by temporary partitions.

    Gu said about 47,700 beds are available for COVID-19 patients, with another 30,000 beds to be ready soon. It wasn’t clear how many beds were available for patients placed under observation, who number more than 100,000 according to city health authorities.

    Public outrage has been fueled by reports and video clips posted on the internet documenting the death of a nurse who was denied admittance to her own hospital under COVID-19 restrictions, and infant children separated from their parents.

    Residents wearing face masks walk by a masked security watch over a barricaded Galaxy Soho commercial office building which was locked down for health monitoring following a COVID-19 case detected in the area, Tuesday, April 5, 2022, in Beijing. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

    Circulation of footage showing multiple infants kept in cots prompted the city’s Public Health Clinical Center to issue a statement saying the children were being well looked after and had been in the process of being moved to a new facility when the footage was taken.

    At a virtual town hall Monday, the U.S. Consulate in Shanghai warned of possible family separations amid the lockdown, but said it had an “extremely limited ability” to intervene in such cases.

    Concern is growing about the potential economic impact on China’s financial capital, also a major shipping and manufacturing center. Most public transport has been suspended and non-essential businesses closed, although airports and train stations remain open and the city’s port and some major industries such as car plants continue to operate.

    CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

    International events in the city have been canceled and three out of five foreign companies with operations in Shanghai say they have cut this year’s sales forecasts, according to a survey conducted last week by the American Chamber of Commerce. One-third of the 120 companies that responded to the survey said they have delayed investments.

    Despite those concerns and growing public frustration, China says it is sticking to its hardline “zero-tolerance” approach mandating lockdowns, mass testing and the compulsory isolation of all suspected cases and close contacts.

    UK reaches record COVID levels; nearly 5 million infected

    NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

    The prevalence of COVID-19 in the U.K. has reached record levels, with about 1 in 13 people estimated to be infected with the virus in the past week, according to the latest figures from Britain’s official statistics agency.

    FAUCI SAYS HE DOES NOT ANTICIPATE MAJOR COVID-19 SURGE IN US

    Some 4.9 million people were estimated to have the coronavirus in the week ending March 26, up from 4.3 million recorded in the previous week, the Office for National Statistics said Friday. The latest surge is driven by the more transmissible omicron variant BA.2, which is the dominant variant across the U.K.

    FILE – Family members write a message to two sisters who died of COVID on the National Covid Memorial wall in London, Tuesday, March 29, 2022. Latest figures from Britain’s statistics agency show the prevalence of COVID-19 in the U.K. has reached record levels, with about 1 in 13 people estimated to be infected with the virus in the past week. Some 4.9 million people were estimated to have the virus in the week ending March 26, up from 4.3 million recorded in the previous week, the Office for National Statistics said Friday, April 1, 2022.  (AP Photo/Alastair Grant, File)

    Hospitalizations and death rates are again rising, although the number of people dying with COVID-19 is still relatively low compared with earlier this year. Nonetheless, the latest estimates suggest that the steep climb in new infections since late February, when British Prime Minister Boris Johnson scrapped all remaining coronavirus restrictions in England, has continued well into March.

    The figures came on the same day the government ended free rapid COVID-19 tests for most people in England, under Johnson’s “living with COVID” plan. People who do not have health conditions that make them more vulnerable to the virus now need to pay for tests to find out if they are infected.

    COVID VACCINE IN KIDS LESS EFFECTIVE AGAINST OMICRON VS DELTA, BUT WARD OFF SEVERE ILLNESS FROM BOTH: STUDY

    “The government’s ‘living with COVID’ strategy of removing any mitigations, isolation, free testing and a considerable slice of our surveillance amounts to nothing more than ignoring this virus going forwards,” said Stephen Griffin, associate professor at the University of Leeds’ medical school.

    “Such unchecked prevalence endangers the protection afforded by our vaccines,” he said. “Our vaccines are excellent, but they are not silver bullets and ought not to be left to bear the brunt of COVID in isolation.”

    FILE – Family members of those who died of COVID walk past the National Covid Memorial wall in London, Tuesday, March 29, 2022.  (AP Photo/Alastair Grant, File)

    More than 67% of people 12 years old and above in the U.K. have been vaccinated and had their booster or a third dose of the coronavirus vaccine. Beginning Saturday, parents can also book a low-dose vaccine for children between 5 to 12 years old in England.

    CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

    James Naismith, a biology professor at the University of Oxford, said he believed that except for those who are completely shielded or not susceptible to the virus, most people in the country would likely be infected with the BA.2 variant by the summer.

    “This is literally living with the virus by being infected with it,” he said.