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Monday, March 01, 2021, 22:23
UK's Johnson moves to reassure Britons over new virus strain
By Agencies
Monday, March 01, 2021, 22:23 By Agencies

Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson, wearing a face covering and making the 'thumbs-up' sign, joins joins Year 2 pupils in a maths lesson, during his visit to St Mary's CE Primary School in Stoke-on-Trent, central England on March 1, 2021. (CHRISTOPHER FURLONG / POOL / AFP)

LONDON / ACCRA / ADDIS ABABA / PARIS / BERLIN / ROME / PRAGUE / MEXICO CITY / RIO DE JANEIRO / HAVANA / BUDAPEST / / BUENOS AIRES / SANTIAGO / TUNIS / ALGIERS / MOSCOW / ABUJA / KYIV - UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson moved to reassure the public over the emergence of a Brazilian variant of the coronavirus in Britain, saying there is no reason to think vaccines will be ineffective against the mutation.

Six cases of the variant, which originated in the Amazonian city of Manaus, have been detected in the UK, according to Public Health England.

While five have been found, the identity of the final patient is still unknown because they failed to complete a test registration card. Ministers are now appealing to anyone who took a COVID-19 test on Feb 12 or 13 and hasn't yet had a result to contact the National Health Service.

Speaking to reporters on Monday, Johnson rejected claims that the UK’s quarantine policy - which was finally introduced on Feb 15 - had been too slow to prevent concerning variants from entering the country.

PHE said in a statement Sunday that the Brazilian variant, known as P1, has been designated “of concern” because it shares some “important mutations” with the variant first identified in South Africa. “It is possible that this variant may respond less well to current vaccines, but more work is needed to understand this,” it said.

ALSO READ: UK's trackers lead the way in fight against COVID-19 variants

Global tally

Coronavirus cases worlwide exceeded 114 million while the global death toll topped 2.52 million, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

Nigeria

Nigeria expects to take delivery of 3.92 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine on Tuesday, the third West African country to benefit from the COVAX facility after Ghana and Ivory Coast, the government’s coronavirus task force said on Sunday.

Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country with some 200 million people, has reported fewer than 1,900 COVID-19 deaths so far, much better than had been widely predicted early in the pandemic. More than 155,000 confirmed cases had been registered in the country.

Last week, Nigerian drug regulator approved the AstraZeneca-Oxford COVID-19 vaccine use in Nigeria.

The dispatch is part of an overall 16 million doses planned to be delivered to Nigeria in batches over the next months by the COVAX facility, the task force said in a tweet.

Nigeria plans to inoculate 40 percent of the population this year and 30 percent more in 2022. The country expects to receive vaccine donations that will cover one-fifth of its population and then procure an additional 50 percent of its requirement to achieve herd immunity, the budget head has said.

This Dec 2, 2020 file photo provided by Johnson & Johnson (J&J) shows vials of the COVID-19 vaccine developed by the company in the United States. (PHOTO / JOHNSON & JOHNSON VIA AP)

US

US President Joe Biden’s administration will start shipping almost 4 million doses of Johnson & Johnson’s (J&J) COVID-19 vaccine on Sunday after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) formally recommended the shot for adults ages 18 and up.

CDC Director Rochelle Walensky signed off on the recommendation Sunday following an unanimous decision from an advisory panel, a day after the Food and Drug Administration’s clearance late Saturday.

The US administration will begin on Sunday to ship 3.9 million doses that are already available, with the first deliveries arriving as early as Tuesday, according to senior administration officials 

The US administration will begin on Sunday to ship 3.9 million doses that are already available, with the first deliveries arriving as early as Tuesday, according to senior administration officials who held a briefing call on condition on anonymity. 

J&J plans to deliver 100 million doses overall to the US during the first half. 

Over 96 million vaccine doses have been distributed across the United States as of Sunday, and more than 75 million doses have been administered, according to CDC data.

The US has reported over 28.6 million confirmed infections and more than 512,000 deaths to date, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.

ALSO READ: Biden's US$1.9t COVID-19 relief bill passes House vote

Ghana

Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo urged citizens of the West African state on Sunday to ignore conspiracy theories surrounding coronavirus vaccines ahead of the launch of its nationwide inoculation campaign against the virus on Tuesday.

“Taking the vaccine will not alter your DNA, it will not embed a tracking device in your body, neither will it cause infertility in women or in men,” Akufo-Addo said in a nationwide address on Sunday night.

Ahead of the launch of its campaign after receiving 600,000 doses of AstraZeneca shots, health authorities in Ghana, like in other countries, are facing rumors and scepticism about vaccines, driven mostly by mistrust of pharmaceutical companies and other beliefs.

Akufo-Addo added that as president, and to reassure the public that the vaccine is safe, he and the first lady, together with the vice-president and second lady, would take the vaccine publicly on Monday.

He said other senior political, religious, judiciary and legislative leaders would take their shots in public on Tuesday.

Ghana has recorded 84,023 coronavirus cases and 607 deaths, with nearly 200 deaths in the past month alone, hit by a second wave of infections.

Africa tally

The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases recorded on the African continent reached 3,891,047 as of Sunday evening, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

The death toll related to the pandemic stood at 103,519, the Africa CDC said.

South Africa

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa eased coronavirus restrictions as the rate of new infections dropped, scrapping most limits on alcohol sales, shortening a night-time curfew and permitting larger public gatherings.

The move to virus alert level 1, from level 3, comes a year after the first Covid-19 case was detected in the country, and will remove most remaining shackles on the struggling economy, Ramaphosa said in a televised address to the nation on Sunday. 

“The country has now clearly emerged from the second wave,” Ramaphosa said. “Most people adhered to the together restrictions and adhered to the basic health protocols.”

The night-time curfew will run from midnight to 4 am and alcohol sales will be allowed outside the curfew hours. Gatherings will be limited to 100 people indoors, double the previous number.

The average daily number of new coronavirus cases has dropped to less than 1,500, from a peak of about 22,000 in early January. More than 1.5 million people in South Africa have been diagnosed with the disease, and almost 50,000 of them have died, according to health ministry data.

The country began a vaccination program on Feb 17 and more than 67,000 have been inoculated so far. 

France

France and Germany have agreed that people crossing the border between the French region of Moselle and Germany will have to have proof of a negative COVID-19 antigen test in the previous 48 hours, French Europe Minister Clement Beaune said on Sunday.

The French government was eager to keep travel restrictions limited at the border, which 16,000 French workers from Moselle cross each day.

France reported on Sunday 19,952 new cases in the past 24 hours, a low number compared to previous days, though weekend reporting is often incomplete.

The country also registered 122 more deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the toll to 86,454.

The cumulative number of coronavirus cases stood at 3,755,968.

READ MORE: Virus: EU regulator endorses Regeneron antibody cocktail

A hair stylist attends to his first customer at a barbershop in Berlin, Germany, on March 1, 2021, as hairdressers reopened their doors. (FABIAN SOMMER / DPA VIA AP)

Germany

Germany’s seven-day incidence rate inched up to 65.8 per 100,000 people, the highest in almost three weeks, as the nation allows hairdressers to reopen from Monday under strict hygiene rules.

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 4,732 to 2,447,068, while the toll rose by 60 to 70,105, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed. 

Chancellor Angela Merkel and state premiers are due to hold talks Wednesday on a possible further easing of lockdown restrictions. Helge Braun, Merkel’s chief of staff, said the government wants to ramp up testing to help prevent the risk of another wave of infections as curbs are lifted. 

The RKI on Sunday classified the French region of Moselle district as an area of concern due to the spread of a coronavirus variant first detected in South Africa, prompting Berlin to announce that Germany would impose restrictions on travel from the Moselle region from Tuesday.

Public transport between Moselle and the German states of Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland will be suspended, and commuters arriving from Moselle by car will need to produce a negative COVID-19 test. Police will not set up stationary border controls, but will make random checks, German authorities said.

In another development, Germany’s STIKO health authority will soon reconsider its decision not to recommend the AstraZeneca vaccine for people over 65. Last month, Germany decided to keep its recommendation for the vaccine to only be administered to people aged 18-64, saying there was no sufficient data for effectiveness for 65 and above.

Several German states on Sunday called for unused AstraZeneca vaccines to be given to younger people, as worries about side effects and efficacy, as well as a recommendation it be used only for under 65s, have meant low take-up of available doses.

Meanwhile, Saxony, Bavaria and Thuringia are sending 15,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine to the Czech Republic, German regional MDR television reported on Sunday, citing Saxony’s state premier, Michael Kretschmer.

Slovakia

The Slovak government will tighten anti-epidemic measures from March 3, including stricter limits on people’s movement, as the country struggles with the resurgent coronavirus.

As of Wednesday, people will be allowed to travel from 8:00 pm to 1:00 am only to work or to see a doctor, while all currently valid exceptions from the limits on movement will be effective only between 5:00 am and 8:00 pm People who can work from home should do so.

As of March 8, more effective respirators of FFP 2 grade will be required for people in shops or on public transport.

Pre-schooling and the lower grades at elementary schools will be open only for children of parents whose work cannot be done from home.

If the tougher restrictions do not curb infections by March 21, the government will prepare even stricter limits on movement, including closure of companies and borders, local media reported.

As of Sunday, the country of 5.5 million reported 308,083 COVID infection cases and 7,189 deaths.

Russia

Russia on Monday reported 11,571 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, including 2,097 in Moscow, taking the national tally to 4,257,650.

The country also reported another 333 deaths, raising the official toll to 86,455.

Mexico

Mexico registered another 458 coronavirus fatalities on Sunday, bringing its overall death toll to 185,715, according to health ministry data, as the country marks the one-year anniversary of its first confirmed infections.

The ministry’s data also showed an additional 2,810 confirmed cases, for a total of 2,086,938 cases. The government says the real number of infected people is likely significantly higher than the confirmed cases. 

Mexico’s coronavirus czar has been hospitalized over the past five days for COVID-19 treatment but is recovering well, a health official said.

Hugo Lopez-Gatell, the face of Mexico’s response to the pandemic, announced testing positive for COVID-19 on Feb 20, after experiencing light symptoms.

Brazil

Brazil registered 721 COVID-19 deaths on Sunday and 34,027 new confirmed cases, according to data released by the nation’s Health Ministry.

The numbers represent a slight decrease after five consecutive days of at least 1,300 daily deaths and 60,000 cases. But the South American country is nonetheless dealing with a severe and stubborn second wave that has now lasted well over three months.

Brazil has now registered 254,942 total coronavirus deaths and 10,551,259 total confirmed cases. 

Eurofins Scientific 

Eurofins Scientific announced on Monday the launch of a prescription-free at-home COVID-19 PCR test, as the French laboratories and diagnostics company eyed further growth.

The group, which has launched an array of COVID-19 testing products it sells to governments, airlines and transport hubs, said the nasal swab test could be ordered online for US$99 or bought at pharmacies across the United States.

It specified that although the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had authorised the at-home test under an emergency use authorisation, it had not cleared or approved the product.

“We are also working very closely with European authorities for the approval of similar direct-to-consumer products,” said the group’s chief executive Gilles Martin in a statement.

Norway

The Norwegian capital Oslo will close restaurants and shops from Monday to curb an acceleration of new cases caused by coronavirus strains, especially the one first found in the UK Exceptions will be allowed for pharmacies, groceries and take-away meals.

Norway has fared better during the pandemic than many other countries, including its neighbor Sweden. Still, cases in the capital have increased by about 50 percent in four days following a recent winter school break. The restrictions will be in place until March 15.

Senegal

Senegal will take delivery of its first tranche of 324,000 doses of vaccines offered under the COVAX initiative on March 3, Mamadou Ndiaye, spokesperson for the nation’s Ministry of Health, said by phone.

Italy 

Italy will tighten curbs in Milan, Turin and other areas starting Monday to counter an acceleration of the virus caused by new variants, particularly the strain first found in the UK. 

People in designated medium-risk and high-risk areas, known as orange and red zones, will be barred from leaving their city or town except for work or emergency reasons. Some areas will also close schools.

The country reported 17,455 new cases on Sunday and 192 daily deaths versus 280 the day before.

Italy has registered 97,699 deaths linked to COVID-19 and has reported 2.92 million cases to date.

Czech Republic 

Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis said on Sunday the country could use Russia’s Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine even without approval by European Union’s EMA drugs agency.

Prague had inoculated 649,868 people as of Saturday evening, most of them using the vaccine from Pfizer/BioNTech. The country has also used vaccines made by Moderna and AstraZeneca.

“We cannot wait for EMA, when Russia has not applied (for approval),” Babis said on CNN Prima News. He said the approval by Czech drugs authority, SUKL, would suffice.

Prague could adopt a similar approach with China’s Sinopharm, Babis said pointing to Hungary.

Argentina

Argentina registered 3,168 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday, bringing the tally to 2,107,365, the health ministry said.

The ministry also reported 19 more deaths from the disease, taking the toll to 51,965.

A total of 1,905,021 patients have recovered from the disease while 150,379 cases remained active, it said.

Having registered a total of 879,807 cases, the province of Buenos Aires remains the hardest-hit region in the South American country.

Earlier in the day, the government announced that anti-virus measure will be extended until March 12.

Ethiopia

Ethiopia registered 1,019 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, taking the nation's tally to 159,072 as of Sunday evening, the Ministry of Health said.

The ministry said 11 more deaths were reported during the same period, bringing the death toll to 2,365.

The also sawreported 122 new recoveries, taking the total recoveries to 134,858.

This photo taken from the Facebook page of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban shows him receiving China's Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine in Hungary on Feb 28, 2021. (PHOTO / VIKTOR ORBAN FACEBOOK VIA AP)

Hungary

Hungary is adjusting its COVID-19 vaccination drive to give as many first shots as possible in the face of fast-spreading infections, widening immunisation by providing at least some protection to recipients, authorities said on Monday.

Announcing the initiative, Surgeon General Cecilia Muller said she expected new coronavirus cases to surge in the coming weeks, and so Hungary would try to stretch supplies by extending the period between the two jabs, while maintaining safety.

The central European country of 10 million surpassed 15,000 deaths from coronavirus at the weekend, a death rate roughly on par with that seen in the United States. Hungarians who have fallen sick with the disease so far now number 432,925.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban received an injection of China's Sinopharm vaccine against COVID-19 on Sunday.

Orban received the shot two days after Hungarian President Janos Ader, who also opted for the Chinese vaccine.

Cuba

The Cuban Ministry of Public Health reported 618 new coronavirus cases,the lowest number of daily cases in the last three weeks, and four more deaths on Sunday.

The figures took the total number of confirmed cases to 49,779 and the death toll to 322, according to the ministry's national director of hygiene and epidemiology, Francisco Duran.

In his daily report, Duran said the lower number of cases shows that "the pandemic is being controlled, although the problem has not been resolved".

Meanwhile, Duran warned of the need to increase the protection of young people, after 84 children, adolescents and young people were diagnosed with the disease over the past day.

Chile

The Chilean Ministry of Health reported 4,208 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, with the country closing the week with a trend of more than 4,000 daily cases.

Sunday was the fourth consecutive day that Chile posted at least 4,000 new infections in a day.

The new figures took the cumulative tally to 825,625, of which 24,106 were active cases.

According to the health ministry, another 96 deaths were recorded in the last 24 hours, bringing the death toll to 20,572. 

Tunisia

The Tunisian health ministry on Sunday reported 662 new COVID-19 cases, raising the total number of infections in the country to 233,277.

The death toll rose by 27 to 8,001, the ministry said in a statement.

The number of COVID-19 patients in hospitals stood at 1,108, including 266 in intensive care units, while the total number of recoveries reached 198,006, it added.

Algeria

Algeria on Sunday reported 132 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of cases in the North African country to 122,092.

The death toll rose to 2,983 after four additional fatalities were added, the Ministry of Health said in a statement.

The total recoveries increased by 122 to 78,158, the ministry said.

Romania

Romania reported 2,830 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the country's tally to 801,994, the official data showed on Sunday.

The death toll rose by 63 to 20,350, according to the Strategic Communication Group (GCS), Romania's official COVID-19 communication task force.

The GCS reported that 8,064 people with COVID-19 were hospitalized in specialized health units, including 1,006 are in intensive care.

Meanwhile, a total of 740,352 people have recovered from COVID-19, GCS data showed.

Morocco

Morocco logged 244 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday, taking the tally in the North African country to 483,654, the health ministry said in a statement.

The total number of recoveries increased by 239 to 469,046 while the death toll rose by eight to 8,623, the ministry said.

South Sudan

South Sudan's health officials said Sunday that they planned to extend the month-long partial lockdown that was imposed recently, after a rapid rise in positive COVID-19 cases.

Richard Lako, incident manager for COVID-19 at the Ministry of Health, said that authorities were most likely to extend the lockdown after the country's cumulative caseload rose to 7,926 with 93 deaths as of Sunday.

"There is real community transmission, cases are still going up and the number of deaths is going up which calls for us to extend this partial lockdown in order to reduce transmission. Daily transmission cases are mostly being found among travelers," Lako told journalists in Juba during the weekly COVID-19 updates.

Lako warned that the authorities may soon start arresting and prosecuting people who violate COVID-19 guidelines.

He added that the government will soon prevent people without face masks from leaving their homes.

Travellers prepare their documents as they queue at the immigration desk of Charles-de-Gaulle international airport, in Paris, France, on Feb 1, 2021, as new COVID-19 border restrictions come into effect. (CHRISTOPHE ARCHAMBAULT / AFP)

The EU

The European Commission will present a proposal in March on creating an EU-wide digital vaccination passport, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Monday.

“As for the question of what the digital green passport could look like: we will submit a legislative proposal in March,” she said in a video conference with German conservative lawmakers. 

Malta

New COVID-19 cases in Malta continued rising as the island state on Sunday registered another record 263 fresh cases, compared with the previous high of 258 posted on Friday.

To date, the country has reported a total of 22,482 COVID-19 cases. Of them, 19,447 have recovered and 315 have died. Between Saturday and Sunday, 3,047 swab tests were taken.

Currently, Malta has 2,720 active cases, nearly 1,600 of which were registered since the beginning of the week. The doctors' union has expressed its concern that Malta's only state hospital, Mater Dei, risks becoming overwhelmed.

Superintendent of Public Health Charmaine Gauci told media on Friday that there were 61 cases involving the coronavirus variant that was first detected in the UK, and one case involving the South African strain.

Ukraine

Ukrainian medical facilities have thrown away some unused COVID-19 vaccines after doctors failed to show up for their own appointments to be vaccinated, ruling party lawmakers said on Monday.

Ukraine has just begun vaccinating its 41 million people against COVID-19 after receiving a first batch of 500,000 doses of Indian-made AstraZeneca shots last week, but faces a battle against vaccine scepticism that predates the pandemic.

The government has prioritised giving shots to frontline medical workers but cited statistics showing that 47 percent of Ukrainians do not want the vaccine.

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