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HEALTH-VIRUS-WORLD
Coronavirus: Latest global developments
PARIS, Jan 27, 2021 (BSS/AFP) – Here are the latest developments in the
coronavirus crisis:
– Cases top 100 million –
At least 2,159,155 people have died of coronavirus since the outbreak
emerged in China in December 2019, according to an AFP tally from official
sources.
More than 100,236,603 cases have been registered.
The US has suffered the highest toll with 425,227 deaths, followed by
Brazil with 218,878 and India with 153,724.
The number of deaths globally is underestimated. The toll is calculated
from daily figures published by national health authorities and does not
include later revisions by statistics agencies.
– EU-AstraZeneca row –
Pharmaceutical group AstraZeneca says it will attend a meeting with EU
representatives to discuss delays of its vaccine, contradicting earlier
claims from Brussels.
– Sanofi solidarity –
French pharma group Sanofi agrees to help produce 125 million doses of the
Pfizer-BioNTech jab at its factory in Frankfurt after abandoning development
of its own vaccine.
– Pricy quarantine –
British citizens returning from roughly 30 “high risk” countries must
quarantine in hotels near airports for 10 days with in-room meals and
security guard supervision costing o1,500 ($2,060, 1,697 euros).
– Ambush lockdowns –
A spike in cases spurs Hong Kong to try “ambush lockdowns” where
neighbourhoods are closed off without warning and everyone inside subjected
to tests.
– Peru restricted –
Half of Peru’s population, including residents of the capital Lima, will
enter a two-week lockdown at the end of January with authorities reporting a
spike in deaths.
– Worse than nasal swab –
China is using rectal swabs to test those it deems at “high risk” of
infection with doctors citing higher efficacy as virus traces “linger longer”
in the anus.
– Covid passports –
Iceland issues its first digital certificates to ease international
movement for vaccinated travellers, including 4,800 Icelanders who’ve already
received two doses.
– 300 million Americans –
The Biden administration says the US government is purchasing an
additional 200 million Pfizer and Moderna jabs and will have enough to
vaccinate 300 million Americans by the end of the summer.
– Microsoft boon –
The US technology stalwart says its profits rose 17 percent from a year
ago to $43.1 billion as the pandemic pushed work, play and socialising on to
the cloud.
– Trujillo dies –
Colombian Defence Minister Carlos Holmes Trujillo, who had overseen the
government’s fight against drug gangs and guerrillas, dies of coronavirus at
69.
– Lebanon riots –
Clashes between lockdown protesters and police in northern Lebanese city
Tripoli — one of the country’s poorest — injure at least 45 as frustration
with tight restrictions boils over.
– Moscow eased –
Russia’s capital announces further easing of restrictions citing the
improving health situation, even as many countries tighten anti-virus
measures.
– Olympics test delayed –
The first Tokyo Olympics test of 2021 — an artistic swimming event set
for early March — is postponed due to travel restrictions under Japan’s
state of emergency.
BSS/AFP/FI/ 1833 hrs