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 Moderna's vaccine may be best against Delta
The mRNA vaccine from Pfizer and BioNTech may be less effective than
Moderna's against the Delta variant of the coronavirus, according to
two reports posted on medRxiv on Sunday ahead of peer review.
In a study of more than 50,000 patients in the Mayo Clinic Health
System, researchers found the effectiveness of Moderna's vaccine
against infection had dropped to 76% in July - when the Delta
variant was predominant - from 86% in early 2021. Over the same
period, the effectiveness of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine had fallen
to 42% from 76%, researchers said. While both vaccines remain
effective at preventing COVID hospitalisation, a Moderna booster
shot may be necessary soon for anyone who got the Pfizer or Moderna
vaccines earlier this year, said Dr. Venky Soundararajan of
Massachusetts data analytics company nference, who led the Mayo
study.
Sydney police to step up enforcement in Delta-divided city
Australian authorities vowed on Tuesday to crank up policing of
anti-COVID lockdown rules in Sydney, but dismissed suggestions that
tougher measures, including a curfew, were needed after the city
reported its biggest single-day new case number yet. Amid questions
about the effectiveness of Sydney's lockdown, under which residents
are supposed to stay at home bar essential movements, NSW
authorities said police have been asked to step up checks on how
many people were being allowed inside small shops at the same time
as they were still seeing "lots of unnecessary movement of people".
As Australia's largest city struggles to contain its worst outbreak
of the pandemic, the harsher restrictions and tougher policing in
its most-affected neighbourhoods have stoked resentment in its most
vulnerable people. Though the whole East Coast city of 5 million is
in lockdown, around 1.8 million in its ethnically diverse west are
banned from leaving their immediate surroundings and doing any
face-to-face work. Authorised workers must be tested every three
days, and masks are mandatory outside homes.
EPL to introduce random status checks for ticket holders
Fans attending Premier League games are set to face random spot
checks of their COVID-19 status at some stadiums in the opening
weeks of the new season. Ticket holders should be prepared to
provide proof of full vaccination or a negative lateral flow test
result within 48 hours before the game via the NHS COVID Pass, the
English Premier League said in a statement.
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 Supporters must also adhere to
a new code of conduct, the league said, which
includes wearing masks indoors, avoiding close
contact with people they do not know and
following one-way signage around stadiums.
Virus-free New Zealand plans border reopening
Under pressure from businesses and public
sectors facing a worker shortage that
policymakers fear will fuel inflation, New
Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is due to
unveil plans this week to reopen the country's
borders. Ardern has indicated she will remain
cautious when she outlines on Thursday her
government's six-month plan for public health
and border control.
 Businesses
are pressing for the plan to include the resumption of labour
imports, sooner rather than later. The country's unemployment rate
is at pre-COVID levels, with more jobs than skilled workers. The
underutilisation rate, a measure of how many people are working less
than they would like, is at a record low. The labour shortages are
pushing up costs as employers pay more to keep staff.
Canada extends ban on arriving passenger flights from India
Canada will extend its ban on arriving passenger flights from India
to Sept. 21 because of the risks posed by COVID-19, the federal
transport ministry said in a statement on Monday. The ban was first
imposed on April 22 and has already been rolled over several times.
Separately, long delays were reported at the border on Monday as
Canada finally opened to fully vaccinated American tourists for the
first time in 16 months, causing a rush of travelers during the busy
summer season - and bottlenecks for a desperate tourism industry.
(Compiled by Karishma Singh; Editing by Jacqueline Wong)
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