Photographer: Octavio Jones / Getty Images
Photographer: Octavio Jones / Getty Images
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The AstraZeneca Plc-Oxford University vaccine has shown limited efficacy against mild illnesses caused by the South African variant of Covid-19, according to initial data in a small phase trial.
New cases in the US continued to signal a downward trend. Although deaths remain high, the average daily increase in infections has dropped 20% from the previous week. New cases in Brazil fell for the third consecutive week.
China has curbed an eruption in the north, with only one new infection in Jilin province. Australia has extended testing to quarantined travelers to prevent the virus from leaking into the community. Zimbabwe is in talks with Russia to acquire a supply of the Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine, state media reported on Sunday.
Main developments:
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Zimbabwe in talks with Russia on vaccines: (18h35 HK)
Zimbabwe is in talks with Russia to acquire a supply of the Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine, state media reported on Sunday. “We are working on the modalities,” Anastasia Samoylenko, an employee at the Russian embassy, told the Sunday Mail. No further details were provided on vaccine quantities and when deliveries can begin to the southern African country.
On Thursday, President Emmerson Mnangagwa said the country, which has been under strict blocking since January 5, will now adopt vaccines as “a second preventive measure”.
Hong Kong worries about the Lunar New Year (18h10 HK)
Hong Kong health officials expressed concern about large family gatherings and public celebratory markets ahead of the Lunar New Year festival in the coming days, as 27 new cases of coronavirus were reported on Sunday. “It is a source of concern for us because with all the festivities we know, people will want to get together, meet relatives or spend time in the New Year’s markets,” Chuang Shuk-kwan, head of the Department of Communicable Diseases at the Department of Health, he told reporters.
UK government is considering vaccinating some at work (17:45 HK)
UK ministers are considering proposals to vaccinate millions of people on the front lines – including teachers and emergency services – under 50 years of age at work since spring, the Telegraph reported, citing unidentified government sources.
According to the plan, delivery drivers, supermarkets and workers at food processing plants would jump forward in the job queue, according to the newspaper. Prison officials, police officers and even jurors can also be prioritized.
French Minister of Industry ‘Agnostic’ about Russian Vaccine (4:45 pm HK)
French Industry Minister Agnes Pannier-Runacher said she is “agnostic” about the Russian injection, adding that any injection “which is ready and presents the conditions of safety and efficacy is welcome in Europe”. During an interview on France Info TV on Sunday, Pannier-Runacher also said that the circulation of the virus in France is relatively low compared to other European countries.
“We have several cases that are stabilized, on a high plateau, but are stabilized, so we are lucky that we don’t have to enter another block.” France also plans to meet its goal of vaccinating the “vulnerable” population by June, which represents about 15 million, she added.
Indonesia approves Sinovac vaccine for the elderly (12h50 HK)
Indonesia has approved the Covid-19 vaccine from Sinovac Biotech Ltd. in China for use in the elderly and may start vaccines between March and April, according to the health ministry.
Indonesia started its mass inoculation campaign on January 13 with a Sinovac vaccine. More than 777,000 people received their first injection and about 137,000 a second, official data showed. The government plans to vaccinate 181.5 million people by March 2022.
Malaysia will host migrant workers in hotels (11:45 am HK)
The Malaysian government has initiated a plan to temporarily host migrant workers in nearly empty hotels across the country to deal with the worsening spread of Covid-19 cases due to clusters of workplaces.
The program will indirectly help hotel operators affected by the pandemic, the tourism ministry said. Overcrowded conditions in employees’ dorms have been a major source of infections, generating record cases and putting pressure on Malaysia’s healthcare system. The country has more than 1.5 million documented migrant workers, 91% of whom live in accommodations that do not meet minimum living standards, according to the Ministry of Human Resources.
Thailand’s Covax reluctance (9h35 HK)
The Thai government will not purchase Covid-19 vaccines through the Covax program supported by the World Health Organization for the time being because conditions are very strict. The move could put the country at risk of postponing vaccines at higher prices.
According to the program, Thailand would be charged extra for the reserve and would have limitations on producers and delivery times. Covax also requires a minimum purchase of 10% of a country’s population for a fast order with conditions and costs, said Nakorn Premsri, director of Thailand’s National Vaccine Institute.
China outbreak controlled (8:42 am, HK)
China has reported only one new local case in Jilin province, while the country controls the resurgence of coronavirus in its northern regions. The pending cases in the country totaled 1,176 as of yesterday, reported the National Health Commission.
Australian state tightens quarantine tests (7:48 am, HK)
Australia’s most populous state has tightened Covid-19’s quarantine testing rules in an attempt to prevent the virus from leaking into the community. Foreign travelers who have returned to New South Wales must now be tested two days after completing the 14-day hotel quarantine, NSW Health said in a statement.
Kentucky passes 4,000 deaths (07:02 HK)
Kentucky reported 49 new deaths, up from 4,000 since the pandemic began. “Despite the drop in cases, we are still losing our people at an alarming rate,” tweeted Governor Andy Beshear. “That’s why we mask and follow the guidelines. We must protect ourselves against the loss of those we love. ”Cases and hospitalizations have steadily declined in Kentucky over the past month, while deaths have fallen only slightly.
Astra vaccine shows less effect against South Africa variant (17:46, NY)
AstraZeneca Plc’s Covid-19 vaccine has shown limited effectiveness against mild disease caused by the variant first identified in South Africa, according to initial data in a small phase trial.
The effectiveness against serious cases of Covid-19, hospitalization and deaths has yet to be determined, “given that the subjects were predominantly healthy young adults,” an AstraZeneca spokesman said in a statement.
None of the study participants died or was hospitalized, according to the Financial Times, which first reported on the study’s findings.
The first vaccine target in the UK can be reached early (17:42, NY)
The UK’s vaccine distribution plan, which aims to inoculate nine priority groups by early May, is doing so well that the target can be reached by April, the Sunday Telegraph reported, citing unidentified government sources.
Ministers are also discussing a plan in which traveling teams would go to workplaces to help vaccinate people. aged under 50, the report said. The government is still evaluating whether to administer vaccines against those most at risk or to put emergency workers and teachers at the front of the line.
Australians must have proof of vaccination on phones, says SMH (17:24 NY)
Australians will be able to access their Covid-19 vaccination certificates on their cell phones, allowing them to access hospitals and high-risk areas and possibly cross state borders, reported the Sydney Morning Herald.
The plans are being considered by federal ministers before Australians start shooting later this month, the newspaper reported.
Weekly cases from Brazil, slow deaths (17:20 NY)
New cases in Brazil fell for the third consecutive week, with 50,630 infections reported on Saturday, Ministry of Health data show. Although the reductions show a slowdown in the country’s second wave, the cases remain as high as during the increase last summer. The total number of cases is almost 9.5 million, the highest after the United States and India.
Deaths remain at roughly the same level as last summer, although the weekly number has declined. Another 978 deaths were reported on Saturday, for a total of 231,012, most after the US
London Mosque seeks to overcome distrust of vaccines (4:43 pm NY)
A London mosque has become a vaccination center with the aim of overcoming mistrust among Muslims about vaccination, the Press Association reported. A London Muslim Center official said that only three of the 200 people recently contacted to receive the vaccine showed up for the AstraZeneca injection.
“We are telling people that it is wise for you to get the vaccine because you are not only helping yourself, but also the community and beyond,” said the mosque official, Asad Jaman, according to the quote.
Advice for Covid’s Super Bowl of the Year (3:18 pm, NY)
The Super Bowl may not be a real holiday, but public health experts are treating it like last year’s others: a time when Covid-19 could spread, now at a time when infections are finally falling again .
“Enjoy the Super Bowl, but don’t do it with a big crowd at home,” said Dr. Anthony Fauci on Friday on MSNBC. “It is a perfect setting to have a mini super spreader event in your home. Do not do it. “
The rate of weekly increase in cases in the USA drops 20%; Constant deaths (08:18 NY)
The US added 131,747 new cases on Friday, an increase from the previous day, but in line with the general downward trend in new infections, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University and Bloomberg. The number raises the daily average, measured in one week, to 126,283. This is a 20% drop from the previous week’s average.
The country added 3,625 new deaths on Friday, a substantial drop from 5,054 the previous day, which was one of the largest on record. The number is higher than the weekly average of 3,247. The daily average of deaths remained essentially unchanged this week from the last, the data show.
– With the help of Helen Robertson and Iain Marlow