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HEALTH-VIRUS-WORLD, FACTS
Coronavirus: latest global developments
PARIS, Sept 9, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – Here are the latest developments in the
coronavirus crisis:
– Greek migrant camp gutted –
Greece’s largest migrant camp on the island of Lesbos is gutted by a huge
fire early Wednesday, leaving more than 12,000 fleeing asylum seekers
homeless, with reports that the blaze was started by migrants revolting
against coronavirus isolation rules.
Government spokesman Stelios Petsas says authorities face a “titanic”
effort to shelter the homeless, as well as track down and isolate dozens of
confirmed coronavirus infections among them.
– EU snaps up 200 million vaccines –
The European Union executive announces it has reached a deal with a sixth
pharmaceutical firm, BioNTech-Pfizer, to reserve a further 200 million doses
of a potential coronavirus vaccine.
“Our chances to develop and deploy a safe and effective vaccine have never
been higher, both for Europeans here at home, or for the rest of the world,”
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen says.
– AstraZeneca ‘pauses’ vaccine trials –
Clinical trials on one of the most advanced experimental Covid-19 vaccine,
being developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University, are “paused” after a
volunteer develops an unexplained illness.
A worldwide race for a vaccine is underway, with nine companies already in
late-stage Phase 3 trials.
– More than 898,500 dead –
The pandemic has killed at least 898,503 people worldwide since surfacing
in China late last year, according to an AFP count at 1100 GMT on Wednesday
based on official sources.
More than 27.6 million cases have been confirmed.
The United States has the most deaths with 189,698, followed by Brazil with
127,464, India with 73,890, Mexico with 68,484 and Britain 41,586.
– Britain tightens restrictions –
The British government announces a tightening of rules on social gatherings
amid concern at rising infection rates, particularly among young people.
The law in England will change from next week to reduce the number of
people who can gather socially from 30 to six, with some exemptions.
– French PM tests negative –
French Prime Minister Jean Castex tests negative for the coronavirus in an
initial test, after spending part of the weekend with the boss of the Tour de
France who tested positive for Covid-19.
However, France’s cabinet Wednesday holds its weekly meeting remotely for
the first time since the end of the virus lockdown, and Castex is self-
isolating at his official Paris Matignon residence for seven days.
– US motorbike rally suspected –
A massive motorcycle rally held in the US state of South Dakota might have
been responsible for 260,000 new coronavirus cases, according to an analysis
published Tuesday.
If the paper published by the Institute of Labor Economics is confirmed,
the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, which drew an estimated 460,000 people from
August 7-16, would represent the biggest Covid-19 spreading event documented
in the US to date.
BSS/AFP/IJ/1743 hrs