Covid Outbreak Among Vaccinated Nevada Health Workers, Highlights Delta Variant Risks

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- 'Covid outbreak among vaccinated Vegas hospital workers underscores Delta risks.' Workers were not hospitalized themselves but incident comes amid rising case numbers in Nevada. The Guardian, July 13, 2021. - Ed.

An outbreak of Covid-19 among vaccinated staff at a Las Vegas hospital has highlighted the risks posed by the Delta variant in the US, as Nevada struggles with rising Covid cases and stagnating vaccination rates.

Eleven workers at the Sunrise hospital and medical center, only one of whom was unvaccinated, tested positive for coronavirus after attending a party in early June, hospital officials confirmed to the Guardian. None of the workers infected were hospitalized, nor were there any fatalities.

“The CDC has confirmed that 11 of our colleagues at Sunrise Hospital tested positive for the Covid-19 Delta variant,” Sunrise’s CEO, Todd P Sklamberg said. “All who tested positive are doing well and have returned to work.” “We want to acknowledge our colleagues recognized their own symptoms (similar to allergies or the common cold) and chose to get tested. There were no exposures to our patients as our staff complies with all PPE guidelines, masking at all times and wearing face shields with all patient encounters.”

The Delta variant is highly transmissible and authorities have said it’s all the more important for unvaccinated people to get their shots, both for personal immunity and to prevent spreading Covid-19 to others. While there have been breakthrough cases, health officials have repeatedly said that vaccinations provide strong protection, including against the Delta variant...

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https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/jul/13/coronavirus-delta-variant-nevada-outbreak-health-workers

- Surging Delta variant: France and Greece introduce mandatory vaccinations for healthcare workers.

- DW News, July 13, 2021. France and Greece are introducing mandatory vaccinations for healthcare workers in a bid to tackle increasing coronavirus infection rates. On Monday Greek Prime Minister Mitsotakis ordered all staff in hospitals and retirement homes to book an appointment before mid-August, saying: "The country is not going to close down because of the attitude of some people." In France, President Macron has announced a September deadline for a medical workers to be inoculated. And he said the option of a compulsory vaccination for every citizen is also on the table.

While many areas of Germany continue to roll back restrictions amid low case numbers, the incidence rate for the country rose for the fifth day in a row. Germany's public health body, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), reported 745 new domestic cases on Sunday and six more confirmed deaths. However, the incidence rate — the number of new infections per 100,000 inhabitants over a seven-day period — rose for a fifth day in a row, coming in at 6.2 compared to 5.8 on Saturday. While the figure remains low, the slight rise in cases comes amid concerns about the spread of the delta variant.

Travelers from Spain now face tougher restrictions when entering Germany after Berlin labeled it a COVID risk area. Starting Sunday, travelers will need to present a negative test or proof of vaccination or recover if they want to avoid quarantine.