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Coronavirus: Latest global developments
PARIS, May 14, 2021 (BSS/AFP) – Here are the latest developments in the coronavirus crisis:
– Pressure mounts in Japan –
Japan’s government expands a virus state of emergency just 10 weeks before the Tokyo Olympics, as campaigners submit a petition with more than 350,000 signatures urging the Games be scrapped.
– Keep calm –
Paralympics chief Andrew Parsons attempts to calm Japanese concerns over the Games, saying the chances of athletes spreading the virus are “really remote”.
– UK tracks Indian variant –
England remains on track for the latest easing of its lockdown next week but is taking no chances after a doubling of cases of an Indian variant, the government says.
– Sun, sand, sea –
Greece kickstarts its tourism season, with both the government and travel operators hoping the lure of sun, sand and sea will bring a sorely needed revenue boost after last year’s miserable holiday season.
– Italy welcomes some –
In its bid to woo back tourists, Italy says it is scrapping quarantine requirements for visitors from the European Union, Britain and Israel who test negative.
– In-person summit –
Britain still plans to hold an in-person global climate summit in Glasgow later this year despite the pandemic, the event’s president says, calling it the planet’s “last hope” of averting catastrophe.
– Singapore spike –
The city-state announces a ban on dine-ins and cuts group sizes to two people as it further toughens virus curbs to stem a rise in local transmissions, after reporting hardly any cases in recent months.
– Taiwan outbreak –
The self-ruled island hailed as a global leader in containing the virus announces an indefinite closure of entertainment venues in capital Taipei in the wake of a widening outbreak of local infections first detected among pilots.
– 3.3 million dead –
The pandemic has killed at least 3,346,813 people worldwide since the virus first emerged in late 2019, according to an AFP compilation of official data.
The US is the worst-affected country with 584,487 deaths, followed by Brazil with 430,417, India 262,317, Mexico 219,901 and Britain 127,651.
BSS/AFP/MMA/1808HRS