Islamabad-Pakistan authorities have imposed a blockade in southern Sindh, including the commercial center of Karachi and other urban centers, with a surprising increase in cases of COVID-19.

The blockade begins on Saturday and will continue until August 8, despite opposition from the federal government and the local business community.

Sindh’s Prime Minister Murad Ali Shah said Friday that a surge in virus cases flooded hospitals in the capital city of Karachi. The new surge seems to be related to activities that attract a large crowd during Eid al-Adha’s Muslim vacation earlier this month.

The Sindh government has closed all markets except pharmacies, bakeries, gas stations and grocery stores. These markets must be closed by 6 pm. All transportation between cities has been suspended and public buses are not in service. Private cars and taxis are limited to 2 people.

Exams in progress at school or university will also be postponed until after the blockade.

Nationally, Pakistan reported 65 deaths and 4,950 new virus cases in the last 24 hours on Saturday. South Asian countries have reported 1,029,811 confirmed cases and 23,360 virus-related deaths since the outbreak of the pandemic.

___

Pandemic Details:

— Studies show that vaccinated people can carry as much virus as others

— CDC Team: “War has changed” due to the emergence of the danger of delta variants

— Biden’s land wins, but the virus surge can upset the agenda

— Canadian officials warn that a fourth virus wave could occur if no action is taken

— US passport delays lead to long lines of travelers

— Https: //apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic and https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-vaccine for AP coverage details

___

What else is happening:

Dallas — A judge in the Administrative Court has ordered that anyone entering the Dallas Courthouse must wear a mask to enter.

A Friday order by Judge Maricella Moore of the province requires that a mask be worn in the common area of ​​the George Allen Courthouse, which houses the county’s civil court. Frank Crawley Court, which houses the Criminal Court. Henry Wadeville has a juvenile court. Those who refuse may be barred from entering the building.

This order is issued after Governor Greg Abbott has repeated orders banning mask orders by states, counties, or local governments. However, it cites the Supreme Court of Texas order as its authority to “verify the proceedings and the judicial authority to take reasonable action to avoid exposing participants to the threat of COVID-19.”

It is also cited that the Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office supports a wide range of judicial powers to manage orderly proceedings.

The order will be valid from Monday. The message to Abbott’s office for comment was not immediately returned.

The order was raised as COVID-19 was rampaging anew throughout the state, backed by a highly contagious delta variant. The Texas Department of Health reported 15,893 new cases on Friday. This is the highest since February 3rd. Of these, 726 new cases were from Dallas County. Over the past two weeks, the daily moving average of new cases has increased by 183% to 5,100.

As of Thursday, the latest date reported by state health officials, 5,846 people were at COVID-19’s Texas Hospital, the highest since February 26. Fifty-seven new COVID-19 deaths were reported on Friday, five of which died in Dallas County. ..

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as of Friday, nearly 44% of the population in Texas was completely vaccinated against COVID-19. This is well below the national average of 57.2%.

___

Honolulu — Hawaii authorities have announced 622 new COVID-19 cases. This is the highest number of confirmed infections since the onset of the pandemic.

According to authorities, this total includes cases due to delays in lab reporting over the past three days, but the number remains a significant surge for approximately 1.4 million states. The 7-day positive rate is currently 5.1%, and officials said the average daily number of cases over the last three days is now over 300.

Previously, the daily record high total for cases confirmed in August 2020 was 355 sets.

Authorities said the epidemic was associated with a highly contagious delta mutant. Over 60% of Hawaii’s population is fully vaccinated.

___

Atlanta-Georgia local authorities raise vaccination rates in the face of rising COVID-19 infection rates, even though more schools continue to tell students and employees to wear masks I am struggling to raise it.

There are at least 23 districts throughout the state, covering almost one-third of the public school population, and now all are required to wear masks. Dooly County has already begun classes on Wednesday, and some of the 1,200 high school students in the student district tested positive for respiratory illness, urging them to require masks.

The Montgomery County School District on Friday delayed its start date by a week until August 10 due to a shortage of staff due to too many teachers being quarantined after being exposed to COVID-19.

The district has changed policy after the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advised the use of universal masks in schools this week.

Some parents are protesting Mask’s obligations. Dozens of opponents gathered outside the administration building in Gwinnett County, Georgia’s largest school district, on Friday.

___

Mayor of New Orleans — Mayor of New Orleans LaToya Cantrell has a mandatory indoor masking requirement, regardless of vaccination status, requiring all city officials and city contractors to be vaccinated against the coronavirus.

The mayor and senior officials sounded a warning at a press conference on Friday afternoon, noting the surprising surge in coronavirus infections in the city, which was an early hotspot for the pandemic.

“All of us need to wear a mask when we are indoors,” Cantrell said.

She said the city has more than 4,000 employees, all of whom need to be vaccinated and will be effective soon. Contractors who want to work in the city also need to be vaccinated.

According to officials, the average daily number of cases in the city has almost tripled, killing six people last week. Of particular concern was the number of children who became ill.

“This affects everyone in our community,” Cantrell said. “Our children are dying.”

___

Chicago — Chicago has an indoor mask advisory for everyone over the age of two.

The action taken on Friday is that the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends wearing masks indoors in areas with high COVID-19 infections, even if vaccinated.

The Chicago Department of Health announced on Friday that the city has surpassed 200 new coronavirus cases per day.

Dr. Allison Arwadi, a public health commissioner, said the measures recommending the use of indoor masks were taken to prevent further spread of the highly contagious delta mutant.

The Illinois Public Health Service has reported 2,348 newly identified or possible cases of COVID-19. This exceeded 2,000 in the second tally in three days.

___

Toronto — According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, two travelers arriving in Toronto from the United States provided proof of fake COVID-19 vaccination documents and lied about pre-departure testing, alleging CDN $ 20,000. (US $ 16,029.37) I was fined nearby.

The pair also did not comply with the requirement to stay in a government-approved hotel or take a test on arrival, officials said in a new release on Friday.

Travelers arrived last week and were fined four totals of $ 19,720 (US $ 15,804.96) each.

“It’s important for all travelers coming to Canada to be informed and planned in advance,” said the release. “It is the traveler’s responsibility to ensure that they are eligible to enter Canada and meet all mandatory requirements.”

Canada relaxed quarantine requirements for fully vaccinated Canadians and foreigners and exempted them from entering the country on July 5, but the vaccination certificate must be uploaded to the ArriveCAN app before entering the country. ..

Those who have not been fully vaccinated must stay in a government-approved hotel for 3 days, be quarantined for 14 days, and be tested before departure, after arrival, and 8 days later.