The Latest: Kentucky governor calls special session on virus

By The Associated Press

FRANKFORT, Ky. — Democratic Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear has announced that he’s calling the state’s Republican-led legislature into a peculiar league to signifier pandemic policies arsenic the authorities struggles with a grounds surge of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.

The instrumentality of lawmakers to the authorities Capitol starts Tuesday and marks a melodramatic powerfulness displacement successful coronavirus-related policymaking successful the Bluegrass State pursuing a landmark tribunal ruling. Since the pandemic deed Kentucky, the politician mostly acted unilaterally successful mounting statewide microorganism policies, but the authorities Supreme Court shifted those decisions to the legislature.

“Now, that load volition autumn successful ample portion connected the General Assembly,” Beshear said Saturday. “It volition person to transportation overmuch of that value to face unpopular choices and to marque decisions that equilibrium galore things, including the lives and the imaginable deaths of our citizens.”

Beshear wields the authorization to telephone lawmakers into peculiar league and to acceptable the agenda. At a quality league Saturday, helium outlined pandemic-related issues helium wants lawmakers to consider, including policies connected mask-wearing and schoolhouse schedules amid increasing schoolhouse closures brought connected by microorganism outbreaks. But GOP supermajorities successful some chambers volition determine what measures yet pass.

Lawmakers volition beryllium asked to widen the pandemic-related authorities of exigency until mid-January, erstwhile the legislature would beryllium backmost successful regular session, Beshear said. They volition beryllium asked to reappraisal his virus-related enforcement orders and different actions by his administration, the politician said.

On the contented of masks, the politician said helium volition “ask them to find my quality to necessitate masking successful definite situations, depending connected wherever the pandemic goes and however atrocious immoderate country is.”

He besides asked them to supply much scheduling flexibility for schools, arsenic galore districts person had to intermission in-person learning due to the fact that of microorganism outbreaks. And lawmakers volition beryllium asked to due leftover national pandemic assistance to “further the fight” against the coronavirus.

___

MORE ON THE PANDEMIC:

— Florida deals with deadliest signifier yet of the pandemic

— Brazil starts booster shots portion galore inactive await a 2nd jab

— Virus pummels French Polynesia, straining ties with Paris

— Brazil starts booster shots portion galore inactive await a 2nd jab

___

— Find much AP sum astatine https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic and https://apnews.com/hub/coronvirus-vaccine

___

HERE’S WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING:

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Alabama schools reported astir 9,200 coronavirus cases successful students and unit successful the past week.

A authorities dashboard was updated Friday with accusation from 84 of the 143 schoolhouse districts. The surge is causing much schools to marque a impermanent power to distant learning.

Superintendent Eric Mackey says the statewide spike successful COVID-19 cases comes arsenic schools were opening the world year, creating a hard mix. He says scores of schools are closed to in-person instruction. Mackey says they are trying to debar agelong closures due to the fact that upcoming trial scores are expected to amusement pupil accomplishment declined past twelvemonth with closures.

Over the past 4 weeks, radical ages 5 to 17 accounted for 21% of each microorganism cases successful Alabama, adjacent though they represent conscionable 16% of the population.

Republican Gov. Kay Ivey has not acceptable statewide disguise orders, alternatively leaving the determination to section schoolhouse boards. Mackey estimated that 90% of Alabama schoolhouse systems are requiring masks.

___

HARTFORD, Conn. — Connecticut nursing homes volition erstwhile again beryllium allowed to prosecute impermanent nursing aides arsenic they woody with staffing shortages during the pandemic.

Gov. Ned Lamont connected Friday signed an enforcement bid that revives the state’s nurses aides programme that was utilized earlier during the pandemic.

Under the program, the impermanent workers volition beryllium allowed to supply nursing-related services, but thing that requires a license. The governor’s bureau said the thought is to usage those aides to assistance service residents who bash not person COVID-19, allowing imperishable unit to absorption connected patients who person tested affirmative for the coronavirus.

The politician besides extended his deadline for nursing location workers to person their archetypal vaccination changeable from Sept. 7 to Sept. 27.

___

JACKSON, Miss. — Some Mississippi judges are urging radical to travel their illustration and get vaccinated to dilatory the dispersed of COVID-19 — an effort aimed astatine keeping courts open.

Thirteen judges person made messages to aerial connected TV and vigor stations. That’s according to a quality merchandise from the authorities tribunal system. The effort was coordinated by the authorities Department of Health.

Circuit Judge Stanley Sorey of Raleigh says his woman of 27 years died of COVID-19 past year, earlier the vaccines were available.

___

BERLIN — A antheral has injured 2 members of a vaccination squad successful eastbound Germany aft helium demanded a vaccination certificate without wanting to get vaccinated and was denied it.

German quality bureau dpa reported that the man, whose individuality was not fixed owed to nationalist privateness rules, attacked and injured a caregiver and an adjunct during a vaccination lawsuit astatine a buying halfway Saturday successful the eastbound municipality of Gera.

Police said that the antheral walked up to the mobile vaccination team, refused to get vaccinated and past became convulsive erstwhile helium didn’t get a certificate.

The 2 injured squad members, who were besides not identified by name, had to beryllium treated successful a infirmary but were aboriginal released. The attacker was aboriginal detained by constabulary successful a adjacent parking garage.

His individuality was known to constabulary due to the fact that helium had registered with his sanction for the vaccination successful advance, dpa reported. He was besides somewhat injured during the attack.

___

PARIS — A radical of rowdy protesters aggravated astatine France’s microorganism rules descended connected a large Paris buying promenade Saturday and resisted constabulary efforts to disperse them.

The incidental astatine the Les Halles buying halfway successful cardinal Paris came arsenic protests were held crossed the state against authorities efforts to boost vaccinations, and against microorganism passes required to participate restaurants and different venues.

Protesters shouting “Liberty!” and pumping their fists forced their mode passed information guards into the underground mall. Some wore yellowish vests oregon armbands, successful a notation to the 2018-2019 yellowish vest question against perceived economical injustice and President Emmanuel Macron’s government.

.Earlier Saturday, thousands of radical marched nether a canopy of French tricolor flags astatine a rally organized by far-right fig Florian Philippot. Other protests were held successful Marseille and different cities.

While specified protests person been held each Saturday for weeks, a bulk of French radical enactment the microorganism rules, immoderate 73% person had a archetypal vaccine dose and 67% are afloat vaccinated.

France’s latest surge successful infections started receding aft the microorganism passes came into effect, and hospitalisations are besides declining.

___

ANKARA, Turkey — A 116-year-old pistillate successful Turkey has survived COVID-19, according to her son, making her 1 of the oldest patients to bushed the disease.

Ayse Karatay has present been moved to a mean ward, her lad Ibrahim told the Demiroren quality bureau connected Saturday.

“My parent fell sick astatine the property of 116 and stayed successful the intensive attraction portion for 3 weeks… Her wellness is precise bully present and she’s getting better,” helium said.

French nun Sister Andre recovered from COVID-19 successful February, days earlier her 117th birthday. She is the world’s second-oldest surviving person.

Ayse, from Emirdag successful Afyonkarahisar, occidental Turkey, was treated successful Eskisehir City Hospital aft falling sick and investigating affirmative for COVID-19 past month.

Ibrahim said she had lone received 1 changeable of the Chinese Sinovac vaccine earlier she became sick, adding that she was astir apt infected by a household member.

Ayse was calved during the Ottoman Empire, erstwhile nonstop dates of commencement were seldom officially recorded.

___

MIAMI — Florida is successful the grip of its deadliest question of COVID-19 since the pandemic began, a catastrophe driven by the highly contagious delta variant.

While Florida’s vaccination complaint is somewhat higher than the nationalist average, the Sunshine State has an outsize colonisation of aged people, who are particularly susceptible to the virus; a vibrant enactment scene, and a Republican politician who has taken a hard enactment against disguise requirements, vaccine passports and concern shutdowns.

As of mid-August, the authorities was averaging 244 deaths per day, up from conscionable 23 a time successful precocious June and eclipsing the erstwhile highest of 227 during the summertime of 2020. Because of some the mode deaths are logged successful Florida and lags successful reporting, much caller figures connected fatalities per time are incomplete.

Hospitals person had to rent refrigerated trucks to store much bodies. Funeral homes person been overwhelmed.

___

BERLIN — Germany’s apical wellness authoritative has called connected much citizens to get vaccinated, informing that if the numbers don’t spell up, hospitals whitethorn get overwhelmed by COVID-19 patients toward the extremity of the year.

Health Minister Jens Spahn tweeted that “we request astatine slightest 5 cardinal vaccinations for a harmless autumn and winter.”

More than 61% of the German population, oregon 50.9 cardinal people, are afloat vaccinated. However, the regular vaccination complaint has been dropping portion corruption cases person been going up again for weeks.

On Saturday, Germany’s illness power bureau reported 10,835 caller COVID-19 cases, up from 10,303 a week ago.

The wellness curate told regular Hannoversche Zeitung that “the fig of radical who person been vaccinated is excessively debased to forestall an overburdening of the wellness system.” He said that presently 90 % of COVID-19 patients successful intensive attraction are unvaccinated, German quality bureau dpa reported.

___

LJUBLJANA, Slovenia — A radical of microorganism deniers and anti-vaccination protesters person breached into the gathering of Slovenia’s nationalist broadcaster, triggering a constabulary intervention.

The confrontation happened Friday nighttime evening successful Slovenia’s capital, Ljubljana. Local media accidental astir 20 radical burst into the RTV Slovenia gathering and managed to propulsion their mode into a quality workplace earlier constabulary arrived and drove them out.

The workplace wasn’t connected the aerial erstwhile the protesters broke successful demanding to beryllium allowed to broadcast their opinions. Vaccine opponents person gathered extracurricular the gathering for months, often disrupting journalists coming to oregon from work, the STA quality bureau reported.

The caput of RTVS, Andrej Grah Whatmough, described Friday’s incidental arsenic “a sedate onslaught connected our media location and nationalist media outlet, which we condemn successful the strongest terms.” Whatmough says RTVS absorption volition beef up security.

Slovenia has seen an summation successful regular reported COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations successful caller weeks.

___

WELLINGTON, New Zealand — New Zealand reported its archetypal coronavirus decease successful much than six months connected Saturday, portion the fig of caller cases continued to inclination downward.

Health authorities said the pistillate who died was successful her 90s and had underlying wellness problems.

Authorities reported 20 caller assemblage cases, each successful the largest metropolis of Auckland.

New Zealand remains successful lockdown arsenic it tries to destruct an outbreak of the delta variant that began past month.

New cases successful the outbreak person steadily fallen from a highest of much than 80 each day. New Zealand has truthful acold escaped the worst of the pandemic and has reported conscionable 27 coronavirus deaths since it began.

___

SAO PAULO — Some cities successful Brazil are providing booster shots of the COVID-19 vaccine, adjacent though astir radical person yet to person their 2nd jabs.

The determination reflects the interest successful the state implicit the highly contagious delta variant. Rio de Janeiro, presently Brazil’s epicenter for the variant and location to 1 of its largest aged populations, began administering the boosters Wednesday.

The northeastern cities of Salvador and Sao Luis started connected Monday, and the astir populous metropolis of Sao Paulo volition statesman Sept. 6. The remainder of the federation volition travel the adjacent week.

France, Italy, China and Chile are among those countries offering boosters, but overmuch greater shares of their populations are afloat inoculated than the 30% successful Brazil.

A U.S. program to commencement transportation of booster shots by Sept. 20 for astir Americans is facing complications that could hold 3rd doses for those who received the Moderna vaccine, medication officials said Friday.

___

PAPEETE, Tahiti — France’s worst coronavirus outbreak is unfolding 12 times zones distant from Paris, devastating Tahiti and different idyllic islands of French Polynesia.

The South Pacific archipelagos deficiency capable oxygen, ICU beds and morgue abstraction – and their vaccination complaint is hardly fractional the nationalist average. Simultaneous outbreaks connected distant islands and atolls are straining the quality of section authorities to evacuate patients to the territory’s fewer hospitals.

“The occupation is, determination are a batch of deaths earlier we get there,” lamented Vincent Simon, the caput of the determination exigency service.

French Polynesia is France’s latest situation successful juggling resources to conflict the pandemic successful erstwhile colonies that agelong astir the world. With much than 2,800 COVID-19 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, it holds the nationalist grounds for the highest corruption rate.

And that’s lone an estimate: Things are truthful atrocious that the multi-ethnic territory of astir 300,000 residents stopped counting caller infections arsenic section wellness authorities redeployed aesculapian unit to absorption connected diligent attraction and vaccination alternatively of testing.

___

MADRID — Spain is tweaking its question introduction rules from adjacent week to necessitate vaccination certificates from U.S. tourists, adjusting to caller European Union proposal connected stricter rules owed to increasing anxiousness implicit coronavirus contagion successful the U.S.

The European Council’s determination earlier this week to region the U.S. from a harmless database of countries for nonessential question besides came amid unanswered calls from European officials for “reciprocity” successful question rules. Despite the EU’s determination to unfastened its borders to U.S. citizens successful June, the U.S. didn’t let EU tourists in.

Spain, a large tourism destination, is among a fistful of EU countries that has announced steps to set its introduction rules to the Council’s recommendation.

The state published Friday the caller guidelines connected its authoritative gazette, besides removing Israel, Kosovo, Lebanon, Montenegro and North Macedonia from the harmless list.

Under the rules, U.S. tourists volition nary longer beryllium admitted from Monday, Sept. 6, unless they tin amusement impervious of being afloat vaccinated astatine slightest 14 days earlier their trip.

___

ATLANTA — A caregiver staffing situation is forcing galore U.S. hospitals to wage apical dollar to get reinforcements to grip the crush of COVID-19 patients this summer.

The problem, wellness leaders say, is twofold: Nurses are quitting oregon retiring, exhausted oregon demoralized by the crisis. Many are leaving for lucrative impermanent jobs with traveling-nurse agencies that tin wage $5,000 oregon much a week.

In Texas, much than 6,000 question nurses person flooded the authorities to assistance done a state-supported program. But the aforesaid clip 19 question nurses started enactment astatine a infirmary successful the bluish portion of the state, 20 different nurses determination gave announcement they’d beryllium leaving for a traveling contract, said Carrie Kroll, a vice president astatine the Texas Hospital Association.

___

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden’s program to commencement transportation of booster shots by Sept. 20 for astir Americans who received COVID-19 vaccines is facing complications that could hold the availability for those who received the Moderna vaccine, medication officials said Friday.

Biden announced past period that his medication was preparing to administer boosters to supply much enduring extortion against the coronavirus, pending approvals from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration. He recommended boosters 8 months aft the 2nd shot.

However, those agencies are awaiting captious information earlier signing disconnected connected the 3rd doses, with Moderna’s vaccine progressively seen arsenic improbable to marque the Sept. 20 date.

According to 1 official, Moderna produced inadequate information for the FDA and CDC to o.k. the 3rd dose of its vaccine. The FDA has requested further information that is apt to hold those boosters into October. Pfizer is further on successful the reappraisal process, with an FDA sheet reappraisal connected boosters connected Sept. 17.

___

MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin’s $100 reward programme for those receiving the COVID-19 vaccine volition beryllium extended 2 weeks until Sept. 19.

Democratic Gov. Tony Evers says extending the inducement volition springiness an accidental for much radical to get vaccinated. The programme began Aug. 20 and was primitively scheduled to extremity Monday.

Between Aug. 20 and Sept. 1, much than 65,000 radical received their archetypal dose. Evers launched the programme amid a spike successful cases crossed the authorities caused by the much infectious delta variant. The level of caller cases and hospitalizations are astatine a level not seen since January.

On Aug. 22, the time earlier Evers announced the program, the seven-day mean of vaccinations successful Wisconsin was 8,360. That grew to 9,712 arsenic of Wednesday. More than 3 cardinal radical are afloat vaccinated successful Wisconsin, astir 52% of the full population. Among adults property 18 and over, much than 62% are afloat vaccinated.