The latest:
Iran has registered its highest single-day COVID-19 death toll of the pandemic, according to state media reports.
The country’s health ministry said Tuesday that 709 people with the disease had died since Monday and 7,727 patients were in critical condition. The ministry said 40,600 new cases were confirmed in the same 24-hour period.
The previous daily record for COVID-19 deaths in Iran was set Sunday. The country reported its highest daily tally of confirmed cases — more than 50,000 — a week ago.
The highly contagious delta variant is fuelling the surge in new cases. A five-day lockdown in the country that included a ban on the use of personal cars between provinces recently ended.
Only some eight per cent of Iranians have been fully vaccinated. Authorities have said that less than 40 per cent of the population follows measures such as wearing face masks and social distancing.
-From The Associated Press, last updated at 7:30 a.m. ET
What’s happening across Canada
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Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says proof of vaccination will be required for anyone who wants to attend a number of indoor activities. 1:42
What’s happening around the world
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Infectious diseases specialist Dr. Zain Chagla answers questions about COVID-19, including how concerned people should be about rising cases in Canada and whether there will be more lockdowns. 1:53
As of early Tuesday morning, more than 212.8 million cases of COVID-19 had been reported worldwide, according to a case-tracking tool from Johns Hopkins University. The reported global death toll stood at more than 4.4 million.
In Africa, the director of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is warning “we may never get to herd immunity” against COVID-19 given what is known about the coronavirus. John Nkengasong spoke to African health ministers on Tuesday about infections that occur in people despite vaccinations. The slow and limited flow of vaccines to African nations while richer nations secure supplies has complicated efforts to contain the pandemic.
In the Americas, U.S. President Joe Biden is celebrating the full FDA approval of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine and is urging the unvaccinated to go get their inoculations. Biden on Monday addressed those who were waiting on the full approval and declared “the moment you’ve been waiting for is here.” The FDA’s decision clears Pfizer to advertise the vaccine. Government data shows just under half the U.S. population remains unvaccinated.
In the Asia-Pacific region, the 2020 Paralympic Games opening ceremony took place in Tokyo amid Japan’s worst COVID-19 outbreak so far in the pandemic.
Pakistan will require all teachers, professors, school staff and students age 17 and older to be vaccinated against the coronavirus.
In Europe, Scotland said it will hold a public inquiry into the handling of the coronavirus pandemic by authorities, starting by the end of the year.
The Scottish government said the judge-led probe will “scrutinize decisions taken in the course of this pandemic and learn lessons for future pandemics.” It will look at deaths and other health impacts, along with the economic and social effects of the coronavirus outbreak.
Greece, meanwhile, said it would end free testing for unvaccinated people to boost inoculation rates and head off any renewed spike in delta variant infections of the coronavirus.
-From The Associated Press, Reuters and CBC News, last updated at 1:19 p.m. ET
