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Resurging COVID-19 events related to cold-chain food or packaging contamination

Study: Time course and epidemiological features of COVID-19 resurgence due to cold-chain food or packaging contamination. Image Credit: Sorn340 Studio Images/Shutterstock

In a recent study published in the latest issue of the Biomedical Journal, researchers reviewed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) resurgence events in China related to frozen food and packaging contaminated with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

Study: Time course and epidemiological features of COVID-19 resurgence due to cold-chain food or packaging contamination. Image Credit: Sorn340 Studio Images/Shutterstock
Study: Time course and epidemiological features of COVID-19 resurgence due to cold-chain food or packaging contamination. Image Credit: Sorn340 Studio Images/Shutterstock

They identified one of the weak links of the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic where patient zero often remained hidden and was hard to detect, such that the infectious disease outbreak was apparent only after a while and by that time had spread uncontrollably. The current review findings could help devise more effective COVID-19 mitigation and intervention strategies for the future.

Background

After the first COVID-19 outbreak of late 2019 in Wuhan, China, several incidences of COVID-19 resurgence events related to frozen food or packaging contamination have been reported as China imports frozen food from countries where the COVID-19 epidemic is ongoing.

Most of these events reported since July 2020 traced back to frozen shrimp imported from Ecuador. Later, in September 2020, the live SARS-CoV-2 virus was isolated from the outer packaging of imported frozen cod carried by the two stevedores found to be SARS-CoV-2-positive during a routine nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT) testing of the personnel in Qingdao Port, China. According to the authors, this event is the first known case where live SARS-CoV-2 was detected on cold-chain food in the world, confirming that it can survive on cold-chain food packaging and spread through cross-border transportation.

Perhaps SARS-CoV-2 itself is not responsible for the material surface contamination. In lieu, the enclosed and highly humid environment of food packaging and processing facilities and transportation favors the material-to-human SARS-CoV-2 spread. To date, epidemiological features of such COVID-19 outbreaks and the risk of this transmission route remain unclear.

In the present study, researchers conducted a literature search on the official website of the Centers for Disease Control of China and local authorities to identify COVID-19 resurgence events related to cold-chain food or packaging contamination. Additionally, they gathered the relevant epidemiological events and laboratory evidence to support their work.

Incidences of COVID-19 resurgence in China

On August 6th, 2020, in Yingkou, Liaoning Province, China, three packaged food samples were SARS-CoV-2-positive, whereas all 43 employees and 306 personnel of the enterprise tested SARS-CoV-2-negative in the NAAT and antibody tests. This finding led researchers to one of the most intriguing findings of this literature review that SARS-CoV-2 does not transmit via eating or buying cold-chain food products. Thus, it is evident that only the port staff, especially the stevedores, were at high risk of contracting SARS-CoV-2 as they came in direct contact with virus-contaminated materials and needed COVID-19 vaccination on priority.

Further, this finding led to the understanding that successful COVID-19 transmission to humans occurs through the material surface only when – i) a human (host) comes in direct contact with the SARS-CoV-2-contaminated material surface, including food packaging and ii) the human carrier sheds the virus to the surface.

Interestingly, SARS-CoV-2 stays viable (live) and stable on material surfaces, such as cardboard and plastic, for days, particularly under refrigerated (4°C) and frozen (-10 to -80°C) conditions; however, when it finds another human body through direct contact, it rapidly disseminates via human-to-human transmission.

Incidences of COVID-19 resurge in other countries

A rather popular COVID-19 resurgence event occurred in Auckland, New Zealand in August 2020. After 102 consecutive days of zero local cases of COVID-19 in Auckland, authorities reported four lab-confirmed COVID-19 cases in one Auckland household with no overseas travel history. Notably, one of the SARS-CoV-2-positive individuals in this household worked with a cold-chain company.

Within two days, three more employees tested SARS-CoV-2-positive, and seven family members of these cold-chain workers also tested positive. By October 2020, there were 179 origin-unknown cases with a C.12 lineage of SARS-CoV-2, designated as the outbreak of Auckland August Cluster.

Likewise, similar outbreaks have occurred in several other countries, including Australia, Japan, Germany, and the United States, among workers of food processing facilities.

Additionally, there have been multiple cruise ship outbreaks of norovirus in the United States between July and October 2019. The present food provisioning review traced this infection to imported frozen raspberries from China, which then had to be recalled. Workplace conditions, such as prolonged close contact with coworkers, shared workspace and transportation, and congregate housing, also add to the risk for SARS-CoV-2 infection.

According to the data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), United States, between March 1st and May 31st, 2020, there were 28,364 reported cases and 132 deaths among workers in 382 meat and poultry processing facilities in several US states. Often these workplaces were crowded and highly humid, overall, conducive for human-to-human, human-to-material, and material-to-human transmissions.

Conclusions

To conclude, the study highlights the significance of surveying materials and the entire territory where imported products arrive as frequent human testing alone does not suffice. Additionally, the study data suggest that regular sampling and proper disinfection of imported products are effective ways to detect SARS-CoV-2 and prevent its spread on material surfaces.

In 2021, the Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China issued a series of technical guidance for the prevention of COVID-19 transmission related to cold-chain food and controlled occurrence of several community-level outbreaks with the potential to turn into an epidemic.

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COVID-19 still poses “considerable challenges” to events in China, Coe warns

World Athletics President Sebastian Coe has warned that COVID-19 still poses "considerable challenges" to upcoming major events in China ©Getty Images

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What is an ‘adverse event?’ Inside the recently released report on Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine

What is an 'adverse event?' Inside the recently released report on Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine

A document circulating on social media and elsewhere is being cited as a smoking gun to suggest Pfizer knew its COVID-19 vaccine causes more “adverse events” than previously stated, a claim some experts say requires a more nuanced look.

Released by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as part of a recent U.S. court order, the one-year-old, 38-page report of post-marketing data from Pfizer includes an appendix listing hundreds of reported adverse events from its COVID-19 vaccine, all of which are defined as being of “special interest.”

Whether the data is being, or can be, accurately interpreted is a point some experts are flagging as an issue with the document, particularly given the amount of real-world data gathered since then.

Experts say not every adverse event cited in the report can be chalked up to the vaccine, while others are consistent with the vaccine’s known side-effects.

CTVNews.ca spoke to two infectious disease specialists about the report to better understand what the data does, and does not, show.

ADVERSE EVENTS

The document itself is an accumulation of post-authorization adverse event reports from Dec. 1, 2020, through to February 2021, taken from the U.S. and other countries, of which there were 42,086 cases in total.

An adverse event is defined as “any untoward medical occurrence that follows immunization,” including an unfavourable or unintended sign such as a skin rash, an abnormal lab finding, symptom or disease.

Dr. Dale Kalina, an infectious disease doctor at Joseph Brant Hospital in Burlington, Ont., told CTVNews.ca in a Zoom interview on Tuesday that Pfizer is required to report any adverse events.

However, just because someone reports an adverse event doesn’t mean it was caused by the vaccine itself.

As the document states, adverse event reports do not necessarily mean they were caused by the drug in question, but could be due to an underlying disease or other factor.

During the Pfizer vaccine trial for those between five and 11-years-old, Kalina says one participant swallowed a penny, which was reported as an adverse event.

“And I think we can all agree that swallowing a penny isn’t related to the vaccine itself,” he said.

“But of course, it highlights the fact that it needs to be reported and that’s what we’re seeing, and that’s the type of data that we’re getting.”

During Modern’s vaccine trials, a 72-year-old participant with arrhythmia, who died after being struck by lightning 28 days post-vaccination, was reported as experiencing a severe adverse event.

Dr. Martha Fulford, an associate professor of medicine at McMaster University, says it’s also unclear in the list whether the adverse events were actually linked to the vaccine or if it was by coincidence.

“I look at this document and I think I sort of come away thinking it’s a little uninterpretable to me,” she told CTVNews.ca in a phone interview on Wednesday.

One of the events listed is hantavirus pulmonary infection, which can occur after coming into contact with rodent urine, droppings or saliva.

“Product availability issue” also is another adverse event on the list.

“Some of that stuff strikes me as highly improbable as doing anything with the vaccine,” Fulford said.

Reporting of adverse events, generally, is underreported, Fulford says, which is something the Pfizer document notes, as well.

But she says it’s unclear how many actual cases of each adverse event were reported or if they appeared at higher rates than what you would see by random chance in the general population.

“The key is whether or not there’s a link and so people reporting something that’s happened, we would need to look at what the overall reported rates would be across a population in a normal period of time,” Fulford said.

THE DENOMINATOR

Both Kalina and Fulford pointed to the lack of a denominator in the document, or in this case how many people received the vaccine at that point in time.

Near the end of February 2021, the United States was vaccinating as many as 1.7 million Americans on average per day, with 63 million Modern and Pfizer vaccines administered.

Looking at the more common adverse events in the Pfizer document, seen in two per cent of cases or more, all are what one would expect after getting a vaccine and when the immune system is excited, namely sore arm, mild fatigue and headache, Kalina says.

The “heaps” of data produced since then around the world have underscored that, he says.

“But to label it as adverse, I think, is a bit of a misnomer because it is actually exactly what you would expect,” he said.

“You’re expecting that reaction and although it’s adverse, it’s not pleasant, it is what you would expect from the medication itself.”

Kalina says any suggestion of a cover-up by Pfizer is being made for “nefarious purposes.”

“It’s a pharmaceutical company, they’re here to make money and I recognize that, there’s no doubt in my mind about that, but the product works,” he said.

While the initial optimism around transmission, for example, has certainly waned as more vaccinated individuals became infected with the Omicron variant, that doesn’t take away from the power of the vaccine to prevent serious disease, hospitalization and death, Fulford says.

“I think most of us, myself included, feel very strongly that for vulnerable people who are at risk from COVID, the vaccines have fundamentally changed what we were dealing with,” she said.

“We saw a huge difference in hospital admissions and severe disease mortality in people who had been vaccinated, this is unquestioned. The risk-benefit conversation obviously changes very much depending on the baseline risk of the person receiving the vaccine, it’s just not an absolute answer.”

WHAT DO WE KNOW NOW?

The Public Health Agency of Canada says that as of Feb. 25, 2022, a total of 40,011 adverse events following immunization have been reported, out of nearly 80.8 million doses administered, for a rate of 0.05 per cent. Most of the adverse effects are classified as non-serious.

At the time the Pfizer report was made, many of those who got the vaccine initially were generally older and potentially vulnerable to COVID-19 infection.

Since then, vaccines have been administered to more, and younger, age groups, providing further evidence to back certain adverse events.

As Fulford says, what needs to be monitored with any medication or vaccine is whether certain signals present at a higher rate than what you would normally see.

This proved to be the case with blood clots and the AstraZeneca vaccine.

Although blood clots can emerge from sitting too long due to travel and certain birth control, their presence after receiving AstraZeneca, while rare, made it distinct, Fulford says.

A similar situation has played out with myocarditis and pericarditis, or inflammation of the heart muscle and lining around the heart respectively.

While also considered rare, people have reported cases after receiving a COVID-19 mRNA vaccine, with higher rates observed following a second dose, among young and adolescent males, and with the Moderna vaccine, the latter possibly due to it being a higher dose than Pfizer.

A report on adverse events from Public Health Ontario shows that rates of myocarditis and pericarditis in males 12-17 and 18-24 after receiving a second dose was 157.9 and 199.4 respectively per million doses, which is roughly two to 13 times higher compared to other age groups.

One recent study also points to the need for individual strategies for vaccinating adolescent boys, due to the elevated risks of myocarditis and pericarditis, and depending on their health and history of COVID-19 infection.

The National Advisory Committee on Immunization recommended in December 2021 that Pfizer be the preferred COVID-19 vaccine over Moderna for those 12 to 29-years-old.

Some studies also have looked into the potential effects of COVID-19 vaccines on women’s menstrual cycles.

Ultimately, Fulford says conversations around the risks and benefits of getting the vaccine will vary depending on the individual.

“It’s not to say that people should or should not be vaccinated, it’s simply acknowledging that yes, we have seen in some people adverse events, and acknowledging that there’s an adverse event is not an all or nothing, and we’ve sort of made it an all or nothing,” Fulford said.

“One can be in favour of vaccines while acknowledging this is the risk in this age group of this adverse outcome, and have that risk-benefit conversation.”

With files from CTV News

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Health events amongst pregnant females after COVID-19 vaccination

Study: Safety of COVID-19 vaccines in pregnancy: a Canadian National Vaccine Safety (CANVAS) Network study. Image Credit: Huseyin Eren Obuz/Shutterstock

In a recent study posted to the medRxiv* preprint server, researchers evidenced that messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA)-based coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines are safe in pregnancy, with lower rates of significant adverse event following immunization (AEFIs) in pregnant women than non-pregnant females.

Study: Safety of COVID-19 vaccines in pregnancy: a Canadian National Vaccine Safety (CANVAS) Network study. Image Credit: Huseyin Eren Obuz/Shutterstock
Study: Safety of COVID-19 vaccines in pregnancy: a Canadian National Vaccine Safety (CANVAS) Network study. Image Credit: Huseyin Eren Obuz/Shutterstock

Background

Multiple research works have published positive recommendations for mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines in pregnancy, based on the evidence of high efficacy in pre-authorization clinical trials. However, in the absence of a contemporaneous control group to enable comparison with background rates of AEFIs and comparisons based solely on historical rates of AEFIs, apprehensions surrounding the safety of mRNA vaccines during pregnancy are still lurking around.

The Canadian National Vaccine Safety (CANVAS) Network, established during the 2009 influenza pandemic, has been monitoring COVID-19 vaccine safety in Canada since the vaccine rollout in December 2020 to provide rapid, real-time safety data.

The CANVAS actively follow-up individuals with significant health events and actively enrolls control group(s) to enable comparisons with unvaccinated individuals in a similar time frame.

About the study

In the present study, researchers recruited pregnant and non-pregnant females aged 15-49 years, as of 4 November 2021, under the ‘vaccinated’ and ‘control’ cohorts in Canada to evaluate the safety profile of mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines.

The females in the vaccinated cohort had received the first dose of a vaccine within seven days before enrolling for the study. They had an active email address and telephone number and could communicate in English or French. They reported the occurrence of AEFIs over an email after seven days following each dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and at seven months after their first vaccine dose. The control group participants were unvaccinated and reported significant health events that occurred seven days, 28 days, and six months after enrolling in the study.

All the participants had to report injection site reactions; however, only those who indicated having a significant health event had to provide further details.

The researchers analyzed two types of exposures for the study analysis:

  1. vaccination status among pregnant people;
  2. pregnancy status among vaccinated people.

Two endpoints were analyzed, including ‘significant’ and ‘serious’ health events, including common and uncommon symptoms following the first and second doses of COVID-19 vaccines. The former is defined as a new or worsening of a health event sufficient to cause work/school absenteeism or medical consultation in the previous seven days, and the latter describes any event resulting in hospitalization.

Likewise, they analyzed three vaccine groups:

  1. BNT162b2,
  2. mRNA-1273, and
  3. any mRNA vaccine.

They also examined associations between the outcomes and the exposures, using two sets of univariate/multivariate (MV) logistic regression models. When fitting MV models, they adjusted known or expected covariates such as age group, prior COVID-19 infection, and trimester of pregnancy, as appropriate.

Lastly, they conducted two sensitivity analyses to evaluate the robustness of the findings.

Study findings

Significant health events were lower in pregnant people than in age-matched non-pregnant vaccine recipients. Among pregnant females, AEFI was higher in those who received the second dose of the mRNA-1273 vaccine. However, there was no difference in AEFIs after either dose of the BNT162b2 vaccine.

Initial clinical trials of the mRNA-1273 and BNT162b2 vaccines have reported relatively high rates of AEFIs compared with most routinely used vaccines, including higher rates for dose two than dose one.

The current study analysis revealed similar patterns among pregnant females. Although the analysis specifically quantified the significant and serious AEFI rates in this population for each of the mRNA vaccines, the lower rate of significant AEFIs among pregnant people, compared with vaccinated non-pregnant females, revealed interesting insights.

During pregnancy, dynamic immunologic adaptations occur, for instance, a skewed response towards a T helper cell 2 (Th2)-dominant state. Since mRNA vaccines have specifically elicited a Th1-biased immune response, the Th2-bias during pregnancy may be partially responsible for this lower rate of significant AEFIs.

Conclusions

Considering the high rate of complications related to COVID-19 in pregnancy, it is crucial to maximize vaccine coverage in this at-high risk population for the protection of both the pregnant female and her young infant. Immunized mothers pass on antigen-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 via placenta or breast milk.

Overall, the study data appropriately informed about the reactogenicity of COVID-19 vaccines during pregnancy. This information should be considered alongside effectiveness and immunogenicity data to make appropriate recommendations about the best use of COVID-19 vaccines in pregnancy. The long-term data from this cohort following a six-month follow-up, when available, could also prove quite useful.  Similar data from countries where the ChAdOx-S vaccines are used could provide a complete overview of the safety of COVID-19 vaccines in pregnancy.

In the future, research studies should identify whether the observed reduced reactogenicity of non-COVID-19 mRNA vaccines in pregnant people in this study is a feature of the vaccine platform or these specific vaccines.

*Important notice

medRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information.

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Sara Anvari, MD, MSc: Urticaria and Angioedema Events Following COVID-19 Vaccination

Sara Anvari, MD, MSc: Urticaria and Angioedema Events Following COVID-19 Vaccination

A new investigation into urticaria and angioedema following mRNA COVID-19 vaccination found that U/AE events comprised 13% of clinician reported COVID-19 vaccine allergy cases in the COVID-19 Vaccine Allergy Case Registry of Massachusetts General Hospital.

Events occurred between February 13, 2021 and October 22, 2021, with a majority occurring without underlying chronic U/AE. However, most cases had onset after 4 hours and were mild, which investigators noted should not contraindicate future COVID-19 vaccine doses.

The study will be presented at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Annual Meeting (AAAAI) 2022.

In an interview with HCPLive, Sara Anvari, MD, MSc, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital, spoke of the registry that was developed by Dr. Kimberly Blumenthal and the immediacy of U/AE reactions following vaccination.

“What was really surprising was to see the amount of reports in this registry with regards to urticaria and angioedema, and we saw that the majority of the cases occurred at 24 hours or beyond,” Anvari said. “We saw close to 50% of the cases that were in the registry during the initial evaluation that happened during that timeframe, and then we saw up to about 35%, occurring within the first 4 hours. What was interesting was the resolution took relatively more than 24 hours for more than about 50% of these individuals who reported these cases.”

Of the 455 cases studied, the amount of events for both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine were equal and no reported cases were observed for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Anvari and colleagues noted that 40% of patients in the cohort had an allergic disorder, which included nasal allergies, asthma, and eczema. The team believed these factors potentially predisposed patients to U/AE events following vaccination.

Interestingly, this and other studies have shown that female patients make up a majority of reported reactions.

“What we do see that these are resolving issues, some of them self-resolving, and to the extent that having a urticaria angioedema event can be treated appropriately with long acting antihistamines,” Anvari said. “So keeping that in mind, this could help alleviate the symptom, and one shouldn’t worry about the potential of having this go on into anaphylaxis.”

A majority of U/AE events occurred at home, with approximately 25% of individuals visiting the emergency room more out of concern rather than necessity.

“For those who did require treatment, we can see that a majority of the individuals, up to 70% of them, had been treated with some form of anti-histamine followed by oral steroids,” Anvari said. “So these are kind of an indication to us that the severity is not that significant. Most individuals would find themselves having resolution of this in a relatively short time, and this would not be a contraindication to receiving the second (COVID-19 vaccine) dose.”

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Maritimers looking forward to the return of big events once COVID-19 restrictions are gone

Maritimers looking forward to the return of big events once COVID-19 restrictions are gone


With Nova Scotia planning to lift all COVID-19 restrictions in less than a month, there is hope big events will make a comeback throughout the Maritimes.


One event that has been on hold for nearly three years, and has many anxiously awaiting its return, is the Cabot Trail Relay Race in Cape Breton.


“I mean, I’ve had this day circled in my calendar for quite a while,” said Dan Vassallo, who attended the race each year before the pandemic began.


Vassallo and his friends live in Massachusetts and Maine. Before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, they would load up their vehicles each May and make their way to Cape Breton – a weekend ritual they have missed out on over the past two years.


“It’s something we love,” said Rob Gomez, a relay participant and friend of Vassallo’s. “It’s something that has been a part of our lives for a big chunk of our adult lives.”


Katie Jerrett, of Halifax, says the return of the race would not only be a comeback from the pandemic, but also from a broken foot.


“It will mean the world to me and I think that ‘Cabot’ would be the most exciting comeback from this injury,” said Jerrett.


Terry Smith, the CEO of Destination Cape Breton, has his eyes on other spring and summer events that haven’t taken place since 2019.


“We’re hoping that events like Ribfest could come back,” he said.


He says the spinoffs would be a badly needed boost for accommodations and restaurants.         


“For the tourism operators that benefit when these events draw visitors to our area, they’re just going to see their cash registers ring again at a time of year when they really need it,” said Smith.


Organizers of the Cabot Trail Relay Race say a final decision on this year’s event has yet to be made, but if things stay on track, they’re optimistic they’ll be able to make a return.

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10 cases of serious adverse events reported in children aged 5 to 11 after COVID-19 vaccine jab: HSA

10 cases of serious adverse events reported in children aged 5 to 11 after COVID-19 vaccine jab: HSA

BOOSTER DOSES

Since the booster programme was rolled out on Sep 15, a total of 3,194,494 have received these jabs as of Jan 31, said HSA.

In this category, there were 553 adverse events reports (0.03 per cent of doses administered) associated with the use of the PfizerBioNTech/Comirnaty vaccine and 289 such reports (0.03 per cent of doses administered) with the Moderna/Spikevax vaccine.

There were also 73 serious adverse event reports (0.002 per cent of administered doses), of which 15 cases were myocarditis and pericarditis – inflammation of the heart muscles and outer lining of the heart respectively.

ADVERSE EVENTS OF SPECIAL INTEREST

HSA said that it is closely monitoring several adverse events of special interest, including anaphylaxis, myocarditis, pericarditis and cerebral venous thrombosis.

So far, the incidence rate of anaphylaxis reported locally with the vaccines has remained “low and stable” at about 0.89 per 100,000 doses administered, said HSA.

Of the 88 cases of anaphylaxis reported with the mRNA vaccines, all the patients recovered after medical treatment, said the authority.

It added that the number of cases of anaphylaxis associated with the second dose was lower than with the first dose of mRNA vaccines. To date, HSA has not received any cases of anaphylaxis associated with the booster dose.

For myocarditis and pericarditis, HSA said that it has as of end-January received 115 reports following the administration of mRNA vaccines. These cases happen more frequently in younger males below 30 years old, and more often with the second dose, said HSA.

One case of myocarditis with Sinovac-Coronavac vaccine has also been reported.

“Most cases are mild, with individuals reported to have recovered or are recovering,” said the authority.

“It should be noted that COVID-19 infection is also known to be associated with myocarditis,” HSA added.

There have been rare cases of cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT), or blood clots occurring in the veins of the brain, reported with the mRNA vaccines.

As of end-January, HSA has received 13 suspected reports of cerebral venous thrombosis with such vaccines.

“Vaccines are the best way to protect people from COVID-19 and have already saved many lives,” said HSA.

“HSA’s current assessment is that the overall benefits of the Pfizer-BioNTech/Comirnaty, Moderna/Spikevax and Sinovac-CoronaVac COVID-19 vaccines in preventing COVID-19 and serious complications associated with COVID-19 far outweigh any currently known adverse events,” it added.

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Weddings, funerals and other events to be permitted at full capacity as B.C. lifts some COVID-19 restrictions

Weddings, funerals and other events to be permitted at full capacity as B.C. lifts some COVID-19 restrictions


Weddings and other indoor and outdoor organized gatherings will be permitted to resume in B.C. this week, health officials announced Tuesday.


Changes to many restrictions come into effect at 11:59 p.m. on Feb. 16, though some limits will remain. For example, guests at organized events will need to show proof of vaccination through the B.C. Vaccine Card.


Masks will also be required, but there won’t be capacity limits and dancing will be allowed at the events.


“I’m just so excited. This is the right thing to do and this is the perfect timing,” Liting Chan, owner of Paradise Events, told CTV News Vancouver as the changes were announced. “This gives us a great hope and we can start to plan weddings.”


Organized events like wedding and funeral receptions were prohibited in December, when B.C. was dealing with a surge in cases due to the highly transmissible Omicron variant. Even small organized events weren’t permitted.


Chan said the frequent changes in restrictions impacted some couples for years.


“I have a couple with me since 2019, so this will be their third year and finally they can have their dream wedding,” she said.


While masks and proof of vaccination will still be required, Chan said she doesn’t think that’ll be a big issue.


“I don’t think that’s a big deal. Look, we’re here to follow whatever the health authority thinks is safe,” she said. “Personally I don’t have any issue, my clients don’t have issues.”


Chan expects the news means there will be a lot of weddings this summer.


“I think it’s probably going to be the busiest year for many, many years,” she said. 

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Czechia to Abolish COVID-19 Vaccination Certificate  Requirement for Access to Restaurants & Outdoor Events – SchengenVisaInfo.com

Czechia to Abolish COVID-19 Vaccination Certificate  Requirement for Access to Restaurants & Outdoor Events - SchengenVisaInfo.com

Authorities in the Czech Republic have decided to abolish the obligation to present a COVID-19 vaccination or recovery certificate for all persons who plan to access bars, restaurants, or participate in outdoor events.

In addition, according to the announcement published by the Ministry of Health, the country’s authorities are also attempting to increase the maximum number of people who wish to participate in mass events, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.

The same Ministry has announced that the new changes will become effective on Thursday. The recent changes applied by the Czech Republic’s Health Ministry come as part of the efforts to relax the rules imposed to stop the further spread of the Coronavirus and its new variants.

However, the requirement to wear face masks indoors, as well as the limited number of participants in specific events, will be kept in place.

Art performances, congresses and educational events, as well as sports events, will continue to be open to a maximum of 1000 spectators. At the same time, other mass events are permitted to host a maximum of 100 participants.

Starting from February 19, a maximum of 500 non-seated and 1,000 seated people will be permitted to attend the mass events, while other events such as cultural, sports, or traditional events will then be able to attend by a maximum of 500 participants.

“The omicron wave is culminating, and we expect the infection to have a declining trend soon. This gives us the opportunity to mitigate anti-epidemic measures. At the same time, I would like to ask everyone to continue to follow the hygienic recommendations, act responsibly, and thus avoid possible deterioration of the situation,” the Minister of Health Vlastimil Válek pointed out in this regard.

Authorities in the Czech Republic have also announced that the testing of employees, as well as social service providers, will also change starting from February 19.

“The scope of the emergency measure is narrowing from health and social service providers today and inpatient care providers in facilities for homes for the disabled, homes for the elderly or homes with a special regime, social service providers providing relief services in the residential form and social service providers in a weekly inpatient or sheltered housing facility,” the statement notes.

The same  clarifies that testing will continue to be performed by antigenic testing and healthcare professionals, while such requirements will no longer be compulsory for persons who have completed their immunization process.

Recently, the Prime Minister of Czechia, Petr Fiala, stressed that the country would remove all the requirements to present a vaccination or recovery document when accessing outdoor events, including restaurants and bars.