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US cases continue to signal back, as another 78,560 were added on Friday.
The reversal of direction after falling months lends more urgency in the race for vaccination, as a wave of variants of the virus spreads across the world and threatens to overwhelm economies’ reopening plans.
Kansas, Minnesota and South Carolina will open vaccination for all adults next week, the last of about 40 states to say they would do so in accordance with President Joe Biden’s goal on May 1. In Britain, there are plans for a third dose for people over 70, including a treatment that covers three different variants of the virus, according to the Telegraph citing the UK vaccine minister.
Main developments:
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China expects UAE for production (10:52 NY)
China wants to accelerate the joint production of Covid-19 vaccines with the United Arab Emirates, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told the Emirates state news agency WAM.
The two countries will also work on an international mechanism to exchange vaccine certificates, Yi said, without giving further details. The United Arab Emirates was the first country to approve China’s Sinopharm vaccine in December 2020.
Ireland Diverted Vaccines (10:28 NY)
Ireland suspended vaccination at one of its largest private hospitals, after doses for patients were given to teachers at a school. The move from Beacon Hospital was “totally inadequate and completely unacceptable,” said health minister Stephen Donnelly. The issue touched a nerve in Ireland amid slow implementation of vaccination and wear and tear on support for a blockade that has been in place since Christmas.
Kenya suspends domestic flights (9:07 am NY)
Kenya Airways has suspended all domestic flights from noon, March 29, while international operations continue. The move was taken after President Uhuru Kenyatta announced new restrictions on Friday for the movement into and out of the capital, Nairobi, to stem a wave of cases.
Indonesia faces vaccination delay (9:02 am, NY)
Indonesia has been informed that the delivery of AstraZeneca Plc’s Covax vaccine will be postponed to March and April as India has suspended shipments for domestic use. The government is in negotiations to see if at least some of the more than 10 million missed doses can still be delivered.
US infections increase (8:01, NY)
The U.S. registered 78,560 cases on Friday as new infections continue to increase, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University and Bloomberg. The average number of daily cases in the past week is now almost 61,000, an increase of more than 11% over the previous week.
This is a fraction of the peak during the peak of the holiday, in which daily cases have risen to over 300,000, but what health officials say is a worrying trend as states reopen and virus variants increase across the globe. parents.
Another 1,560 deaths were recorded, most in more than a week, but the long-term trend continues to decline.
Philippines Renova Capital Lockdown (7:47 am NY)
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has put the capital region and nearby provinces under a blockade for about a week from Monday to contain the increase in cases. The metropolitan area of Manila and the provinces of Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal will be under the country’s most stringent motion brake classification from March 29 to April 4, and where a 6 pm to 5 pm curfew will be imposed, said presidential spokesman Harry Roque at a televised briefing on Saturday.
UK plans third dose (6:32 am New York)
People aged more than 70 in the UK will begin receiving a third dose of the Covid-19 vaccine from September to protect against variants, reported the Telegraph. Up to eight vaccines are expected to be available by autumn, with a number manufactured in the UK, including one that could protect from three different variants of Covid in a single injection, Nadhim Zahawi, the vaccine minister told the newspaper.
The UK government also wants its people to start going out and spending money when restrictions are eased on April 12. The stores will remain open until 10 pm to spur economic recovery, according to the Times.
Airlines get ready to travel (6:17 am, NY)
The $ 800 billion airline industry is gearing up until mass return trip this summer, FT reports. British Airways Plc and Easyjet Plc pilots are training in flight simulators to ensure that they have worked the minimum number of hours to maintain licenses. American Airlines Group Inc has adjusted its pilot training schedule and has now recruited 2,000 licensed pilots, FT said.
“Sizing until suddenly, handling more than a million passengers a month this summer is an important operation that will take many weeks, ”Stewart Wingate, executive director of London Gatwick Airport, told the newspaper.
French Minister calls for an end to vaccine nationalism (17:10 HK)
French Industry Minister Agnes Pannier-Runacher called on countries with a high vaccination capacity to join the EU in transporting vaccines to the rest of the world to limit the spread of new variants. France is aiming vaccinate 30 million citizens by the end of June.
Czech Block Prolonged (17h04 HK)
The Czech Republic announced on Friday a two-week extension to restrictions that include closing stores and restrictions on internal travel. The country has the highest number of coronavirus-related deaths per capita in the world, according to data from Johns Hopkins University, but the daily number of new infections has gradually decreased since the government announced restrictions to what was announced four weeks ago.
The tests showed 7,654 new cases on Friday, about 20% less than a week ago, and Prime Minister Andrej Babis said he would give details on lifting restrictions after Easter.
Poland weighs in curfew (4:23 pm HK)
Poland expects new cases to peak in a week after a record increase, Health Minister Adam Niedzielski said in an interview with RMF FM. If infections continue to multiply, the bureau will consider curfew among new measures to suppress the virus. The country registered 31,757 new infections, 20% more than a week ago.
German Ebb infections (4:17 pm HK)
New cases in Germany dropped to 9,411, the lowest number in four days, although the trend for infections in seven days has risen to the highest since January 19, or almost 10 weeks.
In what is effectively a small-scale precursor to planned vaccine passports, the city of Tuebingen is offering free quick tests and anyone who is negative can stroll through the boutiques, attend a theater performance or go to a cafe.
No new local cases in Hong Kong (14h32 HK)
Hong Kong reported six new cases imported until midnight, the government said in a statement. It was the first time in more than four months that there were no new cases broadcast locally in the daily count, Hong Kong Radio Television said in a report on its website. The city is looking to make it easier for vaccinated residents travel to encourage more people to be vaccinated, Chief Executive Carrie Lam said in a statement on Saturday.
Preliminary discoveries of an investigation into the packaging defects that suspended the BioNTech SE Covid-19 vaccine will take place as early as next week, reported the South China Morning Post.
Facebook freezes Venezuelan president (13h08 HK)
Facebook has The frozen page of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro for violating disinformation policies on a drug he claims will cure the coronavirus, Reuters reported, citing a spokesman for the social media company.
A video in which Maduro promotes a drug called Carvativir, an oral solution derived from thyme, was taken down by Facebook. Due to repeated violations, Facebook has also decided to freeze Maduro’s page for 30 days, during which time it will be read-only, the company’s spokesman told the news agency.
Sinopharm delivers 100 million doses (10:25 HK)
China’s Sinopharm said it has provided a total of 100 million doses of its vaccine worldwide, which were used to inoculate people in 50 countries and regions. The company said in its official WeChat account that it expects its annual capacity to reach 1 billion doses in 2021 and, eventually, to reach 3 billion.
Australia’s Queensland search limits (09:21 HK)
The state of Queensland, Australia, reported a new case of the virus transmitted locally on Saturday. Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said reporters that she asked Prime Minister Scott Morrison to halve state arrivals abroad in the next two weeks, amid concern about the high positive rates among returning travelers. Queensland currently receives 1,300 international arrivals a week.
The state was trying to halve the number of arrivals abroad after a new case raised concerns about the emergence of new settlements.
Brazil breaks record of fatalities (17:25 NY)
Brazil recorded 3,650 new deaths, breaking a record of fatalities for the second day of this week as the the nation’s outbreak continues to worsen. A record was set for new cases on Thursday, when more than 100,000 daily infections were reported. The occupancy of intensive care beds in 17 of the 27 states rose above 90%.
The country’s richest state, São Paulo, has extended the restrictions, while tests in the city of São Paulo have shown that 71% of new cases come from new variants, local media reported.
States Open Vaccines to All Adults (14h45 NY)
Kansas, Minnesota and South Carolina have become the last states to say they will open vaccination for all adults ahead of President Joe Biden’s May 1 target. About 40 states have announced dates or are already administering vaccines to all adults.
Kansas will start on Monday, Minnesota on Tuesday and South Carolina on Wednesday, their governors announced on Twitter. Eligibility for the three states is 16 years or older.
WHO Concerned About Vaccine Crimes (14h NY)
The World Health Organization has expressed concern about criminal groups that exploit unmet demand for vaccines amid reports of suspicious offers to supply vaccines. WHO is also aware of vaccines being diverted and reintroduced into the supply chain, with no guarantee that the cold chain has been maintained. Other reports include counterfeit products sold online, especially on the dark web, as well as the reuse of empty bottles.
– With the help of Ian Fisher, Niluksi Koswanage, Richard Weiss, Konrad Krasuski, François De Beaupuy, Peter Laca, Rachel Morison, Clarissa Batino, David Herbling, Yudith Ho, Peter Flanagan and Patrick Sykes