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Coronavirus: Latest global developments
PARIS, Jan 11, 2021 (BSS/AFP) – Here are the latest developments in the coronavirus crisis:
– Beijing lockdown –
More than half a million people are under lockdown in Beijing as the government tries to avoid an outbreak in the city of 20 million ahead of the Chinese New Year holiday next month.
– UK mass vaccination –
Britain opens seven mass vaccination sites across England where thousands of people a week with gets shots with more sites to follow.
– Grim anniversary –
Monday marks a year since China announced the first Covid-19 death in Wuhan. The virus has gone on to claim more than 1.9 million lives.
– Origins team –
A World Health Organization team of 10 scientists will visit China from Thursday to investigate the origins of the pandemic after a last-minute delay earned Beijing a rare rebuke from the head of the WHO.
– Biden’s second shot –
US President-elect Joe Biden is set to receive his second vaccine dose three weeks after his first injection was broadcast live on television to boost public confidence in the jab.
– More than 1.9 million dead –
The pandemic has killed more than 1,934,693 million people worldwide, according to a tally compiled by AFP using official sources and information from the WHO at 1100GMT.
The US is the country most affected with more than 374,341 deaths, followed by Brazil (203,100), India (over 151,160), Mexico (133,706) and the UK (81,431).
– Malaysia gets tough –
Malaysia says it will impose strict new curbs in over half the country, joining other Asian nations that have been forced to introduce new measures in recent days.
– Island infiltration –
Remote Pacific Micronesia, whose 100,000 population is spread over 600 islands, records a first case ending its run as one of the few places on Earth without the virus.
– 1.5 million Sputniked –
Russia says 1.5 million people around the world have been given its Sputnik V vaccine, although the shot has yet to be officially approved by Russian medical authorities.
– Greek schools reopen –
Greece reopens thousands of primary schools and nurseries for the first time since a nationwide lockdown in November.
– Brisbane lockdown over –
Mass testing and tracing found no new cases in Australia’s third largest city, which lifted a weekend lockdown after a cleaner at a hotel where travellers were quarantined contracted the Britain variant.
– Japan parties subdued –
Young adults celebrate turning 20 at the country’s traditional “Coming of Age Day” dress to the nines in kimonos and suits for socially distanced ceremonies. But traditional raucous drinking sprees are out this year.
BSS/AFP/IJ/1857 hrs