Coronavirus live news: Tokyo cases hit all-time high; Tanzanian president gets jabbed after predecessor’s death

Tokyo reports 3,177 new cases; Samia Suluhu Hassan vaccinated after John Magufuli, who heavily played down pandemic, died of Covid in March

3.56pm BST

Several government agencies in the US have mandated that all employees will need to wear a mask indoors and physically distance in the office, regardless of their vaccination status.

The move is in response to the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant in the country, which is resulting in rapidly increasing Covid rates.

Reuters reports:

The US Homeland Security Department, which has more than 240,000 employees, cited White House Office of Management and Budget “instructions to ensure the safety of our workforce” and other agencies including the Energy Department are also following suit.

DHS noted the change was sparked by new mask guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued Tuesday in explaining the new requirements.

3.39pm BST

Tanzania’s new president has begun its vaccination campaign in a major breakthrough for the country after his predecessor had recommended that the public use prayer to defeat the virus instead.

Associated Press reports:

The East African country’s government under former President John Magufuli had long worried African health officials by denying the pandemic. Magufuli, who insisted the coronavirus could be defeated with prayer, died in March. The presidency went to his deputy, Samia Suluhu Hassan, who has since changed Tanzania’s course on COVID-19.

Hassan, who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, expressed confidence in the safety of vaccines and said the country of more than 58 million people will pursue more. The United States on Saturday announced the delivery of more than 1 million doses via the COVAX global initiative aimed at supplying low- and middle-income countries.

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Source: The Guardian