The European Medical Agency on Thursday gave go-ahead for emergency use of Pfizer's Covid pill. Formal approval is still pending. The initial go-ahead has been given to curb Omicron infection.

Pills made by Pfizer and Merck are being hailed as groundbreaking because as compared to injections, they can be made accessible readily.

Pfizer said this week that its Paxlovid pill reduced hospitalisations and deaths in vulnerable people by almost 90 percent.

"The medicine, which is not yet authorised in the EU, can be used to treat adults with Covid-19 who do not require supplemental oxygen and who are at increased risk of progressing to severe disease," the EMA said in a statement.

"EMA issued this advice to support national authorities who may decide on possible early use of the medicine... for example in emergency use settings, in the light of rising rates of infection and deaths due to Covid-19 across the EU."

Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla welcomed the development. He said that the decision "signifies the strength of our data for Paxlovid in the treatment of high-risk adults diagnosed with Covid-19."

"If authorised, Paxlovid has the potential to help save lives and reduce hospitalisations," he said in a statement.

The Pfizer pill is a combination of a new molecule, PF-07321332, and HIV antiviral ritonavir, that are taken as separate tablets.

The Amsterdam-based EMA said it should be taken as soon as possible after a diagnosis and within five days of the start of symptoms, with the treatment lasting five days.

'Combined effect'

Possible side effects were taste changes, diarrhoea and vomiting. Pregnant women should not use the drug.

The EMA said it also launching a "rolling review" of the Pfizer pill that could lead to its full approval in months.&nbsp;

Merck's pill received EMA emergency approval in November. It is already authorised in Britain and is in the process of being approved in the United States.

Denmark on Thursday became the first EU country to approve its use.

However the full results of a clinical trial released by Merck were disappointing as they showed a much lower efficacy than earlier reports based on interim data.

(With inputs from agencies)

The European Medical Agency on Thursday gave go-ahead for emergency use of Pfizer's Covid pill. Formal approval is still pending. The initial go-ahead has been given to curb Omicron infection.

The European Medical Agency on Thursday gave go-ahead for emergency use of Pfizer's Covid pill. Formal approval is still pending. The initial go-ahead has been given to curb Omicron infection. Pills made by Pfizer and Merck are being hailed as groundbreaking because as compared to injections, they can be made accessible readily. Pfizer said this week that its Paxlovid pill reduced hospitalisations and deaths in vulnerable people by almost 90 percent. "The medicine, which is not yet authorised in the EU, can be used to treat adults with Covid-19 who do not require supplemental oxygen and who are at increased risk of progressing to severe disease," the EMA said in a statement. "EMA issued this advice to support national authorities who may decide on possible early use of the medicine... for example in emergency use settings, in the light of rising rates of infection and deaths due to Covid-19 across the EU." Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla welcomed the development. He said that the decision "signifies the strength of our data for Paxlovid in the treatment of high-risk adults diagnosed with Covid-19." "If authorised, Paxlovid has the potential to help save lives and reduce hospitalisations," he said in a statement. The Pfizer pill is a combination of a new molecule, PF-07321332, and HIV antiviral ritonavir, that are taken as separate tablets. The Amsterdam-based EMA said it should be taken as soon as possible after a diagnosis and within five days of the start of symptoms, with the treatment lasting five days. 'Combined effect' Possible side effects were taste changes, diarrhoea and vomiting. Pregnant women should not use the drug. The EMA said it also launching a "rolling review" of the Pfizer pill that could lead to its full approval in months. Merck's pill received EMA emergency approval in November. It is already authorised in Britain and is in the process of being approved in the United States. Denmark on Thursday became the first EU country to approve its use. However the full results of a clinical trial released by Merck were disappointing as they showed a much lower efficacy than earlier reports based on interim data. (With inputs from agencies)

EU drug regulator gives go-ahead for Pfizer Covid pill's emergency use

Following a spike in Omicron cases in Indian State of Maharashtra and Mumdai city, the police have announced that prohibitory orders under CrPC section 144 will be imposed in the city from December 16 to December 31, covering Christmas and New Year's Eve, to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

An order requiring all employees of all stores and commercial businesses, including those in malls, to be completely (twice) vaccinated will stay in effect.&nbsp;

They also stated that only up to 50% of a venue's capacity will be allowed to attend any event, and that programme organisers should be completely vaccinated against the coronavirus.

On Monday, the deputy commissioner of police (operations) issued an order implementing section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) within the Mumbai commissionerate limits as of Thursday.

The clause forbids, among other things, gatherings of five or more people in one place and holding public meetings.&nbsp;

According to the new orders, only fully vaccinated people should use public transportation, and all visitors to Maharashtra must be fully vaccinated or carry a 72-hour RT-PCR test.&nbsp;

The order will take effect on December 16, 2021, in the areas under the supervision of the Mumbai Commissioner of Police, and will remain in effect until December 31, at 24.00 hours.

Mumbai reported 238 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, bringing the total number of infections to 7,65,934, according to the city's civic body.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Following a spike in Omicron cases in Indian State of Maharashtra and Mumdai city, the police have announced that prohibitory orders under CrPC section 144 will be imposed in the city from December 16 to December 31, covering Christmas and New Year's Eve, to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

Following a spike in Omicron cases in Indian State of Maharashtra and Mumdai city, the police have announced that prohibitory orders under CrPC section 144 will be imposed in the city from December 16 to December 31, covering Christmas and New Year's Eve, to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. An order requiring all employees of all stores and commercial businesses, including those in malls, to be completely (twice) vaccinated will stay in effect. They also stated that only up to 50% of a venue's capacity will be allowed to attend any event, and that programme organisers should be completely vaccinated against the coronavirus. On Monday, the deputy commissioner of police (operations) issued an order implementing section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) within the Mumbai commissionerate limits as of Thursday. The clause forbids, among other things, gatherings of five or more people in one place and holding public meetings. According to the new orders, only fully vaccinated people should use public transportation, and all visitors to Maharashtra must be fully vaccinated or carry a 72-hour RT-PCR test. The order will take effect on December 16, 2021, in the areas under the supervision of the Mumbai Commissioner of Police, and will remain in effect until December 31, at 24.00 hours. Mumbai reported 238 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, bringing the total number of infections to 7,65,934, according to the city's civic body. (With inputs from agencies)

Omicron in Mumbai: Section 144 imposed in the city from December 16 to December 31

A court in Holland has banned a right-wing political leader from comparing coronavirus restrictions to the Holocaust on social media. The ban came after legal action by World War 2 survivors and Jewish organisations. Thierry Baudet, the MP who drew court's ire heads the populist Forum for Democracy Party.

He had said on Twitter that "the unvaccinated are the new Jews, those who look away from the exclusions are the new Nazis".

He also posted side-by-side a photo of a young Dutch boy prevented from attending a festive St Nicholas party and one of a Jewish boy from a Polish ghetto before his deportation during World War II.

Baudet, 38, must delete the relevant social media posts within 48 hours and can no longer use pictures of the Holocaust in debates over Dutch health restrictions, local media reported.

He risks incurring a daily fine of 25,000 euros ($28,000) for breaking the court order.

A judge ruled against Baudet for "pointlessly offending Holocaust victims and their relatives".

"The right to freedom of expression is not unlimited for a representative of the people," Dutch press agency ANP quoted the judge as saying. 
Baudet had also shared a photo of the Buchenwald concentration camp in Germany with the comment: "How is it POSSIBLE to not see how history is repeating itself."

Four Jewish World War II survivors, Dutch Jewish organisations and an anti-Semitism monitoring group had initiated proceedings.

"Incomprehensible, crazy ruling. We are angry and ready to fight. And of course, we will appeal," Baudet wrote on Twitter afterwards.

Baudet, who is well-known for his opposition to Covid-19 vaccinations and health measures, received a warning from Twitter in March 2021, one week before legislative elections.

(With inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

A court in Holland has banned a right-wing political leader from comparing coronavirus restrictions to the Holocaust on social media. The ban came after legal action by World War 2 survivors and Jewish organisations.

A court in Holland has banned a right-wing political leader from comparing coronavirus restrictions to the Holocaust on social media. The ban came after legal action by World War 2 survivors and Jewish organisations. Thierry Baudet, the MP who drew court's ire heads the populist Forum for Democracy Party. He had said on Twitter that "the unvaccinated are the new Jews, those who look away from the exclusions are the new Nazis". He also posted side-by-side a photo of a young Dutch boy prevented from attending a festive St Nicholas party and one of a Jewish boy from a Polish ghetto before his deportation during World War II. Baudet, 38, must delete the relevant social media posts within 48 hours and can no longer use pictures of the Holocaust in debates over Dutch health restrictions, local media reported. He risks incurring a daily fine of 25,000 euros ($28,000) for breaking the court order. A judge ruled against Baudet for "pointlessly offending Holocaust victims and their relatives". "The right to freedom of expression is not unlimited for a representative of the people," Dutch press agency ANP quoted the judge as saying. Baudet had also shared a photo of the Buchenwald concentration camp in Germany with the comment: "How is it POSSIBLE to not see how history is repeating itself." Four Jewish World War II survivors, Dutch Jewish organisations and an anti-Semitism monitoring group had initiated proceedings. "Incomprehensible, crazy ruling. We are angry and ready to fight. And of course, we will appeal," Baudet wrote on Twitter afterwards. Baudet, who is well-known for his opposition to Covid-19 vaccinations and health measures, received a warning from Twitter in March 2021, one week before legislative elections. (With inputs from agencies)

Court punishes Dutch MP for comparing Covid restrictions to Holocaust

Pharma major Pfizer said on Tuesday that clinical trials showed that its Covid pill drastically reduces probability of hospitalisation and death among at-risk people. The reduction was pegged by the company to be at 90 per cent.

The announcement came as a real-world study from South Africa showed two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was 70 percent effective in stopping severe illness from the new variant, a result called encouraging by researchers, though it represents a drop compared to earlier strains.

Data for the new pill, which hasn't yet been authorised anywhere in the world, came from more than 2,200 volunteers, and backed up preliminary findings announced last month.

The American drugmaker said its treatment, called Paxlovid, also held up against the Omicron variant in lab-testing. 
Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla told CBS News the drug was a "game changer," and he expected the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to give its green light as soon as this month.

The trial showed that the pill reduced the need for hospitalisation in high-risk adults with Covid-19 by 89 percent if the treatment was given within three days of symptom onset and by 88 percent if given within five days.

Overall, there were 12 deaths in the placebo group, and none in the drug group.

Side-effects were found at comparable rates between the treatment and placebo groups (23 percent and 24 percent, respectively), and were mostly mild.&nbsp;

Paxlovid also reduced the risk of severe disease, as well as the amount of virus detected, in a separate study of people at normal risk -- but the results were on the edge of statistical significance and need further confirmation.

(With inputs from agencies)

Pharma major Pfizer said on Tuesday that clinical trials showed that its Covid pill drastically reduces probability of hospitalisation and death among at-risk people.

Pharma major Pfizer said on Tuesday that clinical trials showed that its Covid pill drastically reduces probability of hospitalisation and death among at-risk people. The reduction was pegged by the company to be at 90 per cent. The announcement came as a real-world study from South Africa showed two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was 70 percent effective in stopping severe illness from the new variant, a result called encouraging by researchers, though it represents a drop compared to earlier strains. Data for the new pill, which hasn't yet been authorised anywhere in the world, came from more than 2,200 volunteers, and backed up preliminary findings announced last month. The American drugmaker said its treatment, called Paxlovid, also held up against the Omicron variant in lab-testing. Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla told CBS News the drug was a "game changer," and he expected the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to give its green light as soon as this month. The trial showed that the pill reduced the need for hospitalisation in high-risk adults with Covid-19 by 89 percent if the treatment was given within three days of symptom onset and by 88 percent if given within five days. Overall, there were 12 deaths in the placebo group, and none in the drug group. Side-effects were found at comparable rates between the treatment and placebo groups (23 percent and 24 percent, respectively), and were mostly mild. Paxlovid also reduced the risk of severe disease, as well as the amount of virus detected, in a separate study of people at normal risk -- but the results were on the edge of statistical significance and need further confirmation. (With inputs from agencies)

Pfizer claims Covid pill drastically reduces severe infection

Health authorities in Denmark said on Monday that third dose of Covid vaccine will soon be offered to citizens over 40 in order to curb spread of Omicron variant.&nbsp;

"Due to the new and more contagious Omicron variant the Danish Health Authority has decided to push the third jab for everyone aged 40 and above, so they get the vaccine four and half months after the second jab," the health authority said in a statement.

By reducing the interval of the doses, "we will be able to enter the winter with better protection for those at increased risk of severe disease and increased immunity in the population," director Soren Brostrom said.

European Medicines Agenmcy (EMA) said last week that a third dose was 'safe and effective' as soon as three months after the initial vaccine course.

Denmark also recorded a record number of new cases of Covid-19 on Monday, with 7,799 confirmed infections in the previous 24 hours.&nbsp; 
Over a week, the number of cases is also at its highest since the start of the pandemic at 46,189 cases, a jump of more than 50 percent compared to the previous week, according to data from Danish health authorities compiled by AFP.

Danish health authorities on Monday also said they expect the new strain, which was first detected in South Africa last month, to become dominant in the capital Copenhagen from this week.

The UK announced on Sunday evening that it would accelerate the rollout of booster doses, opening them up to all over-18s before next year.&nbsp;

Denmark is second worldwide only to Britain in confirmed cases of Omicron, with both countries having extensive sequencing of samples to detect variants quickly.

As of Monday, 3,473 cases of Omicron had been identified in the Nordic country of 5.8 million people, where 80.6 percent of the population over five years old has already received two doses of the vaccine.

(With inputs from agencies)

Health authorities in Denmark said on Monday that third dose of Covid vaccine will soon be offered to citizens over 40 in order to curb spread of Omicron variant.

Health authorities in Denmark said on Monday that third dose of Covid vaccine will soon be offered to citizens over 40 in order to curb spread of Omicron variant. "Due to the new and more contagious Omicron variant the Danish Health Authority has decided to push the third jab for everyone aged 40 and above, so they get the vaccine four and half months after the second jab," the health authority said in a statement. By reducing the interval of the doses, "we will be able to enter the winter with better protection for those at increased risk of severe disease and increased immunity in the population," director Soren Brostrom said. European Medicines Agenmcy (EMA) said last week that a third dose was 'safe and effective' as soon as three months after the initial vaccine course. Denmark also recorded a record number of new cases of Covid-19 on Monday, with 7,799 confirmed infections in the previous 24 hours. Over a week, the number of cases is also at its highest since the start of the pandemic at 46,189 cases, a jump of more than 50 percent compared to the previous week, according to data from Danish health authorities compiled by AFP. Danish health authorities on Monday also said they expect the new strain, which was first detected in South Africa last month, to become dominant in the capital Copenhagen from this week. The UK announced on Sunday evening that it would accelerate the rollout of booster doses, opening them up to all over-18s before next year. Denmark is second worldwide only to Britain in confirmed cases of Omicron, with both countries having extensive sequencing of samples to detect variants quickly. As of Monday, 3,473 cases of Omicron had been identified in the Nordic country of 5.8 million people, where 80.6 percent of the population over five years old has already received two doses of the vaccine. (With inputs from agencies)

Denmark mulls third Covid vaccine dose to combat Omicron

As nations severed air links from southern Africa amid fears of another global surge of the coronavirus, scientists scrambled Sunday to gather data on the new omicron variant, its capabilities and — perhaps most important — how effectively the current vaccines will protect against it.

The early findings are a mixed picture. The variant may be more transmissible and better able to evade the body’s immune responses, both to vaccination and to natural infection, than prior versions of the virus, experts said.

The vaccines may well continue to ward off severe illness and death, although booster doses may be needed to protect most people. Still, the makers of the two most effective vaccines, Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, are preparing to reformulate their shots if necessary.

Even as scientists began vigorous scrutiny of the new variant, countries around the world curtailed travel to and from nations in southern Africa, where omicron was first identified. Despite the restrictions, the virus has been found in a half-dozen European countries, including the United Kingdom, as well as Australia, Israel and Hong Kong.

Already, omicron accounts for most of the 2,300 new daily cases in the province of Gauteng, South Africa, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced Sunday. Nationally, new infections have more than tripled in the past week, and test positivity has increased to 9% from 2%.

Scientists have reacted more quickly to omicron than to any other variant. In just 36 hours from the first signs of trouble in South Africa on Tuesday, researchers analyzed samples from 100 infected patients, collated the data and alerted the world, said Tulio de Oliveira, a geneticist at the Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine in Durban.

Within an hour of the first alarm, scientists in South Africa also rushed to test coronavirus vaccines against the new variant. Now, dozens of teams worldwide — including researchers at Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna — have joined the chase.

They won’t know the results for two weeks, at the earliest. But the mutations that omicron carries suggest that the vaccines most likely will be less effective, to some unknown degree, than they were against any previous variant.

South African doctors are seeing an increase in reinfections in people who already had a bout of COVID-19, suggesting that the variant can overcome natural immunity, said Dr. Richard Lessells, an infectious diseases physician at the University of KwaZulu-Natal.

As nations severed air links from southern Africa amid fears of another global surge of the coronavirus, scientists scrambled Sunday to gather data on the new omicron variant, its capabilities and — perhaps most important — how effectively the current vaccines will protect against it.

As nations severed air links from southern Africa amid fears of another global surge of the coronavirus, scientists scrambled Sunday to gather data on the new omicron variant, its capabilities and — perhaps most important — how effectively the current vaccines will protect against it. The early findings are a mixed picture. The variant may be more transmissible and better able to evade the body’s immune responses, both to vaccination and to natural infection, than prior versions of the virus, experts said. The vaccines may well continue to ward off severe illness and death, although booster doses may be needed to protect most people. Still, the makers of the two most effective vaccines, Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, are preparing to reformulate their shots if necessary. Even as scientists began vigorous scrutiny of the new variant, countries around the world curtailed travel to and from nations in southern Africa, where omicron was first identified. Despite the restrictions, the virus has been found in a half-dozen European countries, including the United Kingdom, as well as Australia, Israel and Hong Kong. Already, omicron accounts for most of the 2,300 new daily cases in the province of Gauteng, South Africa, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced Sunday. Nationally, new infections have more than tripled in the past week, and test positivity has increased to 9% from 2%. Scientists have reacted more quickly to omicron than to any other variant. In just 36 hours from the first signs of trouble in South Africa on Tuesday, researchers analyzed samples from 100 infected patients, collated the data and alerted the world, said Tulio de Oliveira, a geneticist at the Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine in Durban. Within an hour of the first alarm, scientists in South Africa also rushed to test coronavirus vaccines against the new variant. Now, dozens of teams worldwide — including researchers at Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna — have joined the chase. They won’t know the results for two weeks, at the earliest. But the mutations that omicron carries suggest that the vaccines most likely will be less effective, to some unknown degree, than they were against any previous variant. South African doctors are seeing an increase in reinfections in people who already had a bout of COVID-19, suggesting that the variant can overcome natural immunity, said Dr. Richard Lessells, an infectious diseases physician at the University of KwaZulu-Natal.

Will the vaccines stop Omicron? Scientists are racing to find out.

European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen on Sunday, said that the world was in "race against time", to understand the new Covid variant. She hinted that if situation required, vaccines would need to be modified to counter the threat of Omicron variant.

"We know we are now in a race against time," von der Leyen said. She was on a visit to Riga, Latvia. She called for the public to take precautions in order to give scientists time to understand the new variant.

"The scientists and manufacturers need two to three weeks to have a full picture about the quality of the mutations of this Omicron variant," she said.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/omicron-variant-is-causing-mild-disease-says-south-african-medical-association-432552">Omicron variant is causing mild disease, says South African Medical Association&nbsp;</a>

"We need to buy time," she added, urging people to vaccinate, wear masks and practise social distancing.

She said that a contract struck in the summer by the European Commission with BioNTech-Pfizer for 1.8 billion vaccine doses included a clause in case of an "escape variant" -- a strain that can evade vaccine immunity.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-praises-south-africa-for-quick-transparent-reporting-of-new-covid-variant-omicron-432491">US praises South Africa for quick, transparent reporting of new Covid variant Omicron</a>

A clause in the contract states "that if a variant turns into an escape variant... BioNTech-Pfizer is able to adapt its vaccine within 100 days," she said.

The new, heavily mutated Covid-19 variant has spread across the globe, shutting borders, renewing curbs and sparking fears for the fight against the nearly two-year-old coronavirus pandemic.

(With inputs from agencies)

European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen on Sunday, said that the world was in "race against time", to understand the new Covid variant. She hinted that if situation required, vaccines would need to be modified to counter the threat of Omicron variant.

European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen on Sunday, said that the world was in "race against time", to understand the new Covid variant. She hinted that if situation required, vaccines would need to be modified to counter the threat of Omicron variant. "We know we are now in a race against time," von der Leyen said. She was on a visit to Riga, Latvia. She called for the public to take precautions in order to give scientists time to understand the new variant. "The scientists and manufacturers need two to three weeks to have a full picture about the quality of the mutations of this Omicron variant," she said. Also Read | Omicron variant is causing mild disease, says South African Medical Association "We need to buy time," she added, urging people to vaccinate, wear masks and practise social distancing. She said that a contract struck in the summer by the European Commission with BioNTech-Pfizer for 1.8 billion vaccine doses included a clause in case of an "escape variant" -- a strain that can evade vaccine immunity. Also Read | US praises South Africa for quick, transparent reporting of new Covid variant Omicron A clause in the contract states "that if a variant turns into an escape variant... BioNTech-Pfizer is able to adapt its vaccine within 100 days," she said. The new, heavily mutated Covid-19 variant has spread across the globe, shutting borders, renewing curbs and sparking fears for the fight against the nearly two-year-old coronavirus pandemic. (With inputs from agencies)

World in 'race against time' to tackle Omicron Covid variant, says EU chief

If Israel's plan gets a nod from its government, it may become the first country to ban entry of all foreigners into the country in light of spread of Omicron variant of coronavirus. Israel also said that it would use counter-terrorism phone-tracking technology in order to contain the spread of the Omicron variant.

Israel Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said that the ban would last 14 days of approval by the government. Officials are hoping for more information on Omicron variant to trickle in during this period.

Omicron variant, a new variant of Covid-19, was first detected in Sourth Africa and has been dubbed a 'variant of concern' by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/omicron-variant-is-causing-mild-disease-says-south-african-medical-association-432552">Omicron variant is causing mild disease, says South African Medical Association&nbsp;</a>

Israelis entering the country, including those who are vaccinated, will be required to quarantine, Bennett said. The ban will come into effect at midnight between Sunday and Monday (November 29). A travel ban on foreigners coming from most African states was imposed on Friday (November 26).

The Shin Bet counter-terrorism agency's phone-tracking technology will be used to locate carriers of the new variant in order to curb its transmission to others, Bennett said.

Israel will host the Miss Universe beauty pageant on Dec 12 despite imposing travel restrictions, Tourism Minister Yoel Razvozov said on Sunday.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-praises-south-africa-for-quick-transparent-reporting-of-new-covid-variant-omicron-432491">US praises South Africa for quick, transparent reporting of new Covid variant Omicron</a>

He said participants in the contest, to be held in the Red Sea resort of Eilat, will be granted waivers from the curbs while possibly being subject to PCR testing every 48 hours and other precautionary measures.

Israel has so far confirmed one case of Omicron, with seven suspected cases. The Health Ministry has not said whether the confirmed case was vaccinated. Three of the seven suspected cases were fully vaccinated, the ministry said on Saturday, and three had not returned from travel abroad recently.

Around 57% of Israel's 9.4 million population is fully vaccinated, according to the Health Ministry, which means they have either received a third shot of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine or it has not yet been five months since they received their second dose. Israel has recorded 1.3 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 and more than 8,000 fatalities since the pandemic began.

(With inputs from agencies)

If Israel's plan gets a nod from its government, it may become the first country to ban entry of all foreigners into the country in light of spread of Omicron variant of coronavirus.

If Israel's plan gets a nod from its government, it may become the first country to ban entry of all foreigners into the country in light of spread of Omicron variant of coronavirus. Israel also said that it would use counter-terrorism phone-tracking technology in order to contain the spread of the Omicron variant. Israel Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said that the ban would last 14 days of approval by the government. Officials are hoping for more information on Omicron variant to trickle in during this period. Omicron variant, a new variant of Covid-19, was first detected in Sourth Africa and has been dubbed a 'variant of concern' by the World Health Organisation (WHO). Also Read | Omicron variant is causing mild disease, says South African Medical Association Israelis entering the country, including those who are vaccinated, will be required to quarantine, Bennett said. The ban will come into effect at midnight between Sunday and Monday (November 29). A travel ban on foreigners coming from most African states was imposed on Friday (November 26). The Shin Bet counter-terrorism agency's phone-tracking technology will be used to locate carriers of the new variant in order to curb its transmission to others, Bennett said. Israel will host the Miss Universe beauty pageant on Dec 12 despite imposing travel restrictions, Tourism Minister Yoel Razvozov said on Sunday. Also Read | US praises South Africa for quick, transparent reporting of new Covid variant Omicron He said participants in the contest, to be held in the Red Sea resort of Eilat, will be granted waivers from the curbs while possibly being subject to PCR testing every 48 hours and other precautionary measures. Israel has so far confirmed one case of Omicron, with seven suspected cases. The Health Ministry has not said whether the confirmed case was vaccinated. Three of the seven suspected cases were fully vaccinated, the ministry said on Saturday, and three had not returned from travel abroad recently. Around 57% of Israel's 9.4 million population is fully vaccinated, according to the Health Ministry, which means they have either received a third shot of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine or it has not yet been five months since they received their second dose. Israel has recorded 1.3 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 and more than 8,000 fatalities since the pandemic began. (With inputs from agencies)

Omicron variant: Israel may become first country to ban entry of all foreigners

The United States has reopened its borders to fully vaccinated overseas travellers, accepting people who had been barred from entering the country for the last 20 months, which is considered as a relief for the tourism sector and families who have been separated due to prior COVID-19 laws.

According to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, foreign flight arrivals at Newark Liberty and John F. Kennedy international airports are likely to increase 11% on Monday compared to a same day in October, with 253 planes planned to arrive, according to Xinhua news agency.

Bookings have increased since the Joe Biden administration said it will eliminate the limitations, according to airline officials.&nbsp; 
 
Watch :

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/us-reopens-borders-for-fully-vaccinated-international-visitors-427613/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

"Shares of United Airlines, Delta Air Lines and American Airlines were each up more than 1 per cent in morning trading. Those carriers have the most international service of the US airlines and stand to benefit from the resumption of US-bound travel, " reported CNBC.

The ban, which was implemented by former US President Donald Trump in early 2020 and increased by Vice President Joe Biden earlier this year, barred travellers from 33 nations, including the United Kingdom, much of Europe, China, Brazil, and South Africa. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/covid-lottery-25-year-old-australian-woman-wins-1mn-for-getting-vaccinated-427838">Also read | Covid lottery: 25-year-old Australian woman wins $1mn for getting vaccinated</a>

Visitors can now travel into the US with documentation of complete COVID-19 vaccination.

A paper certificate, a photograph of the document, or a computerised version of the document can all be used to provide documentation.

Travelers under the age of 18 and travellers from countries with limited vaccination availability are excluded.&nbsp;

Accepted vaccines are those approved or authorised by the Food and Drug Administration and those listed for use by the World Health Organization: Johnson &amp; Johnson, Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca, Covishield, Sinopharm and Sinovac.

The United States will also require proof of a negative COVID-19 test from within the past three days for all vaccinated travellers. The country has required that since January for all arrivals, including US citizens. If a traveller is not vaccinated, the COVID-19 test must have been taken within one day of departure.

(With inputs from agencies)

The United States has reopened its borders to fully vaccinated overseas travellers, accepting people who had been barred from entering the country for the last 20 months, which is considered as a relief for the tourism sector and families who have been separated due to prior COVID-19 laws.

The United States has reopened its borders to fully vaccinated overseas travellers, accepting people who had been barred from entering the country for the last 20 months, which is considered as a relief for the tourism sector and families who have been separated due to prior COVID-19 laws. According to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, foreign flight arrivals at Newark Liberty and John F. Kennedy international airports are likely to increase 11% on Monday compared to a same day in October, with 253 planes planned to arrive, according to Xinhua news agency. Bookings have increased since the Joe Biden administration said it will eliminate the limitations, according to airline officials. Watch : "Shares of United Airlines, Delta Air Lines and American Airlines were each up more than 1 per cent in morning trading. Those carriers have the most international service of the US airlines and stand to benefit from the resumption of US-bound travel, " reported CNBC. The ban, which was implemented by former US President Donald Trump in early 2020 and increased by Vice President Joe Biden earlier this year, barred travellers from 33 nations, including the United Kingdom, much of Europe, China, Brazil, and South Africa. Also read | Covid lottery: 25-year-old Australian woman wins $1mn for getting vaccinated Visitors can now travel into the US with documentation of complete COVID-19 vaccination. A paper certificate, a photograph of the document, or a computerised version of the document can all be used to provide documentation. Travelers under the age of 18 and travellers from countries with limited vaccination availability are excluded. Accepted vaccines are those approved or authorised by the Food and Drug Administration and those listed for use by the World Health Organization: Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca, Covishield, Sinopharm and Sinovac. The United States will also require proof of a negative COVID-19 test from within the past three days for all vaccinated travellers. The country has required that since January for all arrivals, including US citizens. If a traveller is not vaccinated, the COVID-19 test must have been taken within one day of departure. (With inputs from agencies)

US opens border to fully vaccinated international travellers, benefiting airlines

During the COVID-19 pandemic, at least 18 billionaires and more than 200 ultra-wealthy people allegedly received emergency federal stimulus cheques intended to support suffering American families.

According to ProPublica, which relied on stolen IRS information, billionaires such as corporate raider Ira Rennert, George Soros, and departing Minnesota Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor got reimbursements in the first wave of stimulus cheques. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/europe-once-again-at-epicentre-of-coronavirus-pandemic-who-426681">Also Read|&nbsp;Europe once again at epicentre of coronavirus pandemic: WHO</a>

According to ProPublica, Soros' office confirmed he returned the money, while Rennert did not reply to queries.&nbsp;

The majority of the billionaires featured in the article did not reply to ProPublica's requests for comment, while Soros' spokesman stated that the billionaire "definitely did not request" a cheque. 
 
Watch | Here are all latest updates on COVID-19 pandemic

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/here-are-all-latest-updates-on-covid-19-pandemic-426748/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

According to ProPublica, billionaires got government payments as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act because they were qualified for the automatically dispensed funds after declaring their taxable income as business costs.&nbsp; 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/vaccines-against-coronavirus-more-protective-than-prior-infection-study-425660">Also Read|&nbsp;Vaccines against coronavirus more protective than prior infection: Study</a>

Because the government assessed eligibility primarily on taxable income, the ultra-rich qualified for the stimulus cheques, which were distributed as part of a $2.2 trillion relief package known as the CARES Act.

However, because to company write-offs, many of the mega-rich who received the cheques fell below the yearly income threshold, which was $75,000 for singles and $150,000 for couples.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

During the COVID-19 pandemic, at least 18 billionaires and more than 200 ultra-wealthy people allegedly received emergency federal stimulus cheques intended to support suffering American families.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, at least 18 billionaires and more than 200 ultra-wealthy people allegedly received emergency federal stimulus cheques intended to support suffering American families. According to ProPublica, which relied on stolen IRS information, billionaires such as corporate raider Ira Rennert, George Soros, and departing Minnesota Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor got reimbursements in the first wave of stimulus cheques. Also Read| Europe once again at epicentre of coronavirus pandemic: WHO According to ProPublica, Soros' office confirmed he returned the money, while Rennert did not reply to queries. The majority of the billionaires featured in the article did not reply to ProPublica's requests for comment, while Soros' spokesman stated that the billionaire "definitely did not request" a cheque. Watch | Here are all latest updates on COVID-19 pandemic According to ProPublica, billionaires got government payments as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act because they were qualified for the automatically dispensed funds after declaring their taxable income as business costs. Also Read| Vaccines against coronavirus more protective than prior infection: Study Because the government assessed eligibility primarily on taxable income, the ultra-rich qualified for the stimulus cheques, which were distributed as part of a $2.2 trillion relief package known as the CARES Act. However, because to company write-offs, many of the mega-rich who received the cheques fell below the yearly income threshold, which was $75,000 for singles and $150,000 for couples. (With inputs from agencies)

US: 18 billionaires received COVID stimulus cheques meant for financially weak people

The trip began in Shanghai, where the couple, both former professors, joined a tour group of other retirees. They traveled through Gansu province and Inner Mongolia, staying at a bed-and-breakfast and eating three times at the same lamb chop restaurant. Flying south to Xi’an, they dropped into a 1,300-year-old temple. Their fellow tour group members checked out an art museum, strolled through parks and visited friends.

Then, on Oct. 16, the day they had planned to visit the Terracotta Warriors, the couple tested positive for the coronavirus.

Since then, China has locked down a city of 4 million, as well as several smaller cities and parts of Beijing, to contain a fresh outbreak that has infected more than 240 people in at least 11 provinces and regions. The authorities have shuttered schools and tourist sites. Government websites have detailed every movement of the unlucky couple and their sprawling web of contacts, including what time they checked into hotels and on which floors of restaurants they sat.

The no-holds-barred response is emblematic of China’s “zero COVID” policy, which has served the country remarkably well: China has reported fewer than 5,000 deaths since the pandemic began. The scale of the new outbreak, while tiny compared to many other countries, is large for China.

But the policy has also, increasingly, made China an outlier. The rest of the world is reopening, including New Zealand and Australia, which also once embraced zero tolerance. China is now the only country still chasing full eradication of the virus.

“Every locality should firmly adhere to the policy of ‘Defend externally against importation, defend internally against rebound,’ ” Mi Feng, a spokesperson for the National Health Commission, said at a news conference Sunday. “The current control measures cannot be relaxed.”

The government’s strict strategy is the product of a uniquely Chinese set of calculations. Its thriving exports have helped to keep the economy afloat. The ruling Communist Party’s tight grip on power enables lockdowns and testing to be carried out with astonishing efficiency. Beijing is set to host the Winter Olympics in February.

For many Chinese, the low case numbers have become a source of national pride. Xi Jinping, China’s leader, has repeatedly pointed to the country’s success in containment as proof of the superiority of its governance model.

But experts — both in China and abroad — have warned that the approach is unsustainable. China may find itself increasingly isolated, diplomatically and economically, at a time when global public opinion is hardening against it.

“The regime thinks it needs to maintain a ‘zero COVID’ policy to maintain its legitimacy,” said Lynette Ong, a political scientist at the University of Toronto. “At a huge cost, though.”

In the early phase of the pandemic, the Chinese Communist Party’s very hold on power seemed to hinge on its ability to control the virus. Its initial attempts to cover up the outbreak in Wuhan gave rise to a stunning outpouring of public anger. Images of overwhelmed hospitals and patients begging for help flooded the Chinese internet.

As the virus barreled across the rest of the world, that narrative changed. China’s strict lockdowns and mass testing campaigns, once criticized as heavy handed, became models for other countries. As deaths mounted in western democracies, Xi repeatedly emphasized how quickly China had flattened its caseload. Outrage about the initial response to Wuhan gave way to at-times strident nationalism.

Other countries that adopted “zero COVID” policies were hailed as models of competent governance that prioritized saving lives over convenience and economic growth.

As the virus has dragged into its second year, and with the onset of the far more contagious delta variant, countries are again reconsidering their strategies. Australia, which was home to the world’s longest lockdown, is scrapping quarantine requirements for vaccinated residents returning from overseas. New Zealand formally abandoned its quest for zero this month. Singapore is offering quarantine-free travel to vaccinated tourists from Germany, the United States, France and several other countries.

China has refused to change tack. When Zhang Wenhong, a prominent infectious disease expert from Shanghai, suggested this summer that China learn to live with the virus, he was attacked viciously online as a lackey of foreigners. A former Chinese health minister called such a mindset reckless.

Ong said the government was afraid of any challenge to its narrative of pandemic triumph.

“Outbreaks have become so commonplace that it’s really a nonevent,” she said. “But the Chinese authorities want to control any small potential source of instability.”

There are also more practical reasons for China’s hesitation. Medical resources are highly concentrated in big cities, and more remote areas could quickly be overwhelmed by an uptick in cases, said Zhang Jun, an urban studies scholar at the City University of Hong Kong.

In addition, though China has achieved a relatively high full inoculation rate, at 75% of its population, questions have emerged about the efficacy of its homegrown vaccines.

And, at least for now, the elimination strategy appears to enjoy public support. While residents in locked-down areas have complained about seemingly arbitrary or overly harsh restrictions on social media, travel is relatively unconstrained in areas without cases. Wealthy consumers have poured money into luxury goods and fancy cars since they’re not spending on trips abroad.

“As long as they can still feel a certain level of freedom of mobility, I think that kind of COVID-zero policy doesn’t strike the domestic audience as too severe,” Zhang said.

Other governments that have chosen to live with the virus may yet lose their nerve. After lifting many restrictions this summer, Singapore reinstated them in September amid a spike in infections. (Still, the government is moving forward with travel lanes.)

But experts agree that the costs of expecting zero cases will hit eventually. China’s economic growth is slowing, and domestic travel during a weeklong holiday earlier this month fell below last year’s levels, as a cluster of new cases spooked tourists. Retail sales have proven fitful, recovering and ebbing with waves of the virus.

The country may also suffer diplomatically. Xi has not left China or received foreign visitors since early 2020, even as other world leaders prepare to gather in Rome for a Group of 20 summit and Glasgow for climate talks.

China’s hard-nosed approach is also trickling down to Hong Kong, the semi-autonomous territory and global financial hub. In trying to align their own COVID prevention policies with the mainland’s, Hong Kong’s leaders have introduced the world’s longest quarantine, ignoring escalating warnings from business leaders about an exodus of foreign firms.

And even those supportive of the restrictions wonder whether there is an exit strategy.

“I think the current policies are still in the right direction,” said Jason Qiu, 27, who grew up in Gansu province, not far from Lanzhou, the city of 4 million now under lockdown. “But if things go on like this for a long time — for example if the pandemic is going to continue for another five or 10 years, or become endemic — maybe it would be time to consider changing some measures.”

In a potential nod to those concerns, some officials have broached the idea of loosening restrictions, though cautiously. Gao Fu, the head of China’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said in a recent interview with Chinese media that once the country reached an 85% vaccination rate, “why shouldn’t we open up?”

But he prefaced his question with a warning: “This is a very good question. But it’s also a very sensitive question.”

Until then, those stranded by the lockdowns have tried to make the best of their situations. State news outlets have reported that roughly 10,000 tourists are trapped in Ejin Banner, a region of Inner Mongolia, after the emergence of cases led to a lockdown. As consolation, the local tourism association has promised them free entry to three popular tourist attractions, redeemable within the next three years.

The trip began in Shanghai, where the couple, both former professors, joined a tour group of other retirees. They traveled through Gansu province and Inner Mongolia, staying at a bed-and-breakfast and eating three times at the same lamb chop restaurant.

The trip began in Shanghai, where the couple, both former professors, joined a tour group of other retirees. They traveled through Gansu province and Inner Mongolia, staying at a bed-and-breakfast and eating three times at the same lamb chop restaurant. Flying south to Xi’an, they dropped into a 1,300-year-old temple. Their fellow tour group members checked out an art museum, strolled through parks and visited friends. Then, on Oct. 16, the day they had planned to visit the Terracotta Warriors, the couple tested positive for the coronavirus. Since then, China has locked down a city of 4 million, as well as several smaller cities and parts of Beijing, to contain a fresh outbreak that has infected more than 240 people in at least 11 provinces and regions. The authorities have shuttered schools and tourist sites. Government websites have detailed every movement of the unlucky couple and their sprawling web of contacts, including what time they checked into hotels and on which floors of restaurants they sat. The no-holds-barred response is emblematic of China’s “zero COVID” policy, which has served the country remarkably well: China has reported fewer than 5,000 deaths since the pandemic began. The scale of the new outbreak, while tiny compared to many other countries, is large for China. But the policy has also, increasingly, made China an outlier. The rest of the world is reopening, including New Zealand and Australia, which also once embraced zero tolerance. China is now the only country still chasing full eradication of the virus. “Every locality should firmly adhere to the policy of ‘Defend externally against importation, defend internally against rebound,’ ” Mi Feng, a spokesperson for the National Health Commission, said at a news conference Sunday. “The current control measures cannot be relaxed.” The government’s strict strategy is the product of a uniquely Chinese set of calculations. Its thriving exports have helped to keep the economy afloat. The ruling Communist Party’s tight grip on power enables lockdowns and testing to be carried out with astonishing efficiency. Beijing is set to host the Winter Olympics in February. For many Chinese, the low case numbers have become a source of national pride. Xi Jinping, China’s leader, has repeatedly pointed to the country’s success in containment as proof of the superiority of its governance model. But experts — both in China and abroad — have warned that the approach is unsustainable. China may find itself increasingly isolated, diplomatically and economically, at a time when global public opinion is hardening against it. “The regime thinks it needs to maintain a ‘zero COVID’ policy to maintain its legitimacy,” said Lynette Ong, a political scientist at the University of Toronto. “At a huge cost, though.” In the early phase of the pandemic, the Chinese Communist Party’s very hold on power seemed to hinge on its ability to control the virus. Its initial attempts to cover up the outbreak in Wuhan gave rise to a stunning outpouring of public anger. Images of overwhelmed hospitals and patients begging for help flooded the Chinese internet. As the virus barreled across the rest of the world, that narrative changed. China’s strict lockdowns and mass testing campaigns, once criticized as heavy handed, became models for other countries. As deaths mounted in western democracies, Xi repeatedly emphasized how quickly China had flattened its caseload. Outrage about the initial response to Wuhan gave way to at-times strident nationalism. Other countries that adopted “zero COVID” policies were hailed as models of competent governance that prioritized saving lives over convenience and economic growth. As the virus has dragged into its second year, and with the onset of the far more contagious delta variant, countries are again reconsidering their strategies. Australia, which was home to the world’s longest lockdown, is scrapping quarantine requirements for vaccinated residents returning from overseas. New Zealand formally abandoned its quest for zero this month. Singapore is offering quarantine-free travel to vaccinated tourists from Germany, the United States, France and several other countries. China has refused to change tack. When Zhang Wenhong, a prominent infectious disease expert from Shanghai, suggested this summer that China learn to live with the virus, he was attacked viciously online as a lackey of foreigners. A former Chinese health minister called such a mindset reckless. Ong said the government was afraid of any challenge to its narrative of pandemic triumph. “Outbreaks have become so commonplace that it’s really a nonevent,” she said. “But the Chinese authorities want to control any small potential source of instability.” There are also more practical reasons for China’s hesitation. Medical resources are highly concentrated in big cities, and more remote areas could quickly be overwhelmed by an uptick in cases, said Zhang Jun, an urban studies scholar at the City University of Hong Kong. In addition, though China has achieved a relatively high full inoculation rate, at 75% of its population, questions have emerged about the efficacy of its homegrown vaccines. And, at least for now, the elimination strategy appears to enjoy public support. While residents in locked-down areas have complained about seemingly arbitrary or overly harsh restrictions on social media, travel is relatively unconstrained in areas without cases. Wealthy consumers have poured money into luxury goods and fancy cars since they’re not spending on trips abroad. “As long as they can still feel a certain level of freedom of mobility, I think that kind of COVID-zero policy doesn’t strike the domestic audience as too severe,” Zhang said. Other governments that have chosen to live with the virus may yet lose their nerve. After lifting many restrictions this summer, Singapore reinstated them in September amid a spike in infections. (Still, the government is moving forward with travel lanes.) But experts agree that the costs of expecting zero cases will hit eventually. China’s economic growth is slowing, and domestic travel during a weeklong holiday earlier this month fell below last year’s levels, as a cluster of new cases spooked tourists. Retail sales have proven fitful, recovering and ebbing with waves of the virus. The country may also suffer diplomatically. Xi has not left China or received foreign visitors since early 2020, even as other world leaders prepare to gather in Rome for a Group of 20 summit and Glasgow for climate talks. China’s hard-nosed approach is also trickling down to Hong Kong, the semi-autonomous territory and global financial hub. In trying to align their own COVID prevention policies with the mainland’s, Hong Kong’s leaders have introduced the world’s longest quarantine, ignoring escalating warnings from business leaders about an exodus of foreign firms. And even those supportive of the restrictions wonder whether there is an exit strategy. “I think the current policies are still in the right direction,” said Jason Qiu, 27, who grew up in Gansu province, not far from Lanzhou, the city of 4 million now under lockdown. “But if things go on like this for a long time — for example if the pandemic is going to continue for another five or 10 years, or become endemic — maybe it would be time to consider changing some measures.” In a potential nod to those concerns, some officials have broached the idea of loosening restrictions, though cautiously. Gao Fu, the head of China’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said in a recent interview with Chinese media that once the country reached an 85% vaccination rate, “why shouldn’t we open up?” But he prefaced his question with a warning: “This is a very good question. But it’s also a very sensitive question.” Until then, those stranded by the lockdowns have tried to make the best of their situations. State news outlets have reported that roughly 10,000 tourists are trapped in Ejin Banner, a region of Inner Mongolia, after the emergence of cases led to a lockdown. As consolation, the local tourism association has promised them free entry to three popular tourist attractions, redeemable within the next three years.

Why China is the world’s last ‘zero Covid’ holdout

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned that the Covid pandemic will “easily drag on deep into 2022” because poorer countries are not getting the required vaccines.

Less than 5 per cent of Africa’s population have been vaccinated, compared to 40% on most other continents.

Aylward asked the developed countries to give up their places in the queue for vaccines so that pharmaceutical companies can prioritise the lowest-income countries instead.

He said wealthy countries needed to “stocktake” where they were with their donation commitments made at summits such as the G7 meeting in St Ives this summer.

"I can tell you we're not on track. We really need to speed it up or you know what? This pandemic is going to go on for a year longer than it needs to,” BBC quoted Aylward as saying.

Also read |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-crosses-historic-one-billion-covid-19-vaccine-milestone-422530">&nbsp;India crosses historic one billion COVID-19 vaccine milestone</a>

The COVID-19 pandemic, which has killed more than 4.6 million people and infected over 228 million people globally, has exposed glaring inequalities among nations over vaccine access and affordability.

Watch

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According to WHO research, enough vaccines will be produced in 2021 to cover 70 per cent of the global population of 7.8 billion. However, most vaccines are being reserved for wealthy countries, while other vaccine-producing countries are restricting the export of doses so they can ensure that their own citizens get vaccinated first, an approach which has been dubbed “vaccine nationalism”.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/fda-approves-mix-and-match-strategy-for-all-covid-19-vaccines-approved-in-us-422505">FDA approves 'mix and match' strategy for all COVID-19 vaccines approved in US</a>

The decision by some nations to give already inoculated citizens a booster vaccine, rather than prioritizing doses for unvaccinated people in poorer countries has been highlighted as one example of this trend.

According to the Global Dashboard for Vaccine Equity (established by UNDP, WHO and Oxford University) as of October 20, only 4.51 per cent of people in low-income countries have been vaccinated with at least one dose, compared to 62.79 per cent in high-income countries.

(With inputs from agencies)

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned that the Covid pandemic will “easily drag on deep into 2022” because poorer countries are not getting the required vaccines.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned that the Covid pandemic will “easily drag on deep into 2022” because poorer countries are not getting the required vaccines. Less than 5 per cent of Africa’s population have been vaccinated, compared to 40% on most other continents. Aylward asked the developed countries to give up their places in the queue for vaccines so that pharmaceutical companies can prioritise the lowest-income countries instead. He said wealthy countries needed to “stocktake” where they were with their donation commitments made at summits such as the G7 meeting in St Ives this summer. "I can tell you we're not on track. We really need to speed it up or you know what? This pandemic is going to go on for a year longer than it needs to,” BBC quoted Aylward as saying. Also read | India crosses historic one billion COVID-19 vaccine milestone The COVID-19 pandemic, which has killed more than 4.6 million people and infected over 228 million people globally, has exposed glaring inequalities among nations over vaccine access and affordability. Watch According to WHO research, enough vaccines will be produced in 2021 to cover 70 per cent of the global population of 7.8 billion. However, most vaccines are being reserved for wealthy countries, while other vaccine-producing countries are restricting the export of doses so they can ensure that their own citizens get vaccinated first, an approach which has been dubbed “vaccine nationalism”. Also read | FDA approves 'mix and match' strategy for all COVID-19 vaccines approved in US The decision by some nations to give already inoculated citizens a booster vaccine, rather than prioritizing doses for unvaccinated people in poorer countries has been highlighted as one example of this trend. According to the Global Dashboard for Vaccine Equity (established by UNDP, WHO and Oxford University) as of October 20, only 4.51 per cent of people in low-income countries have been vaccinated with at least one dose, compared to 62.79 per cent in high-income countries. (With inputs from agencies)

Covid pandemic will easily drag on deep into 2022, warns WHO

As India scripted history on Thursday for administering a billion COVID-19 doses, prominent leaders and key personalities in India and the world congratulated the country for reaching the significant milestone.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the first to congratulate the “collective spirit of 1.3 billion people" and express gratitude to the medical practitioners for their effort.

"India scripts history. We are witnessing the triumph of Indian science, enterprise and collective spirit of 130 crore Indians. Congrats India on crossing 100 crore vaccinations. Gratitude to our doctors, nurses and all those who worked to achieve this feat. #VaccineCentury," he tweeted.

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India scripts history. 
 
We are witnessing the triumph of Indian science, enterprise and collective spirit of 130 crore Indians. 
 
Congrats India on crossing 100 crore vaccinations. Gratitude to our doctors, nurses and all those who worked to achieve this feat. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VaccineCentury?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VaccineCentury</a>
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/1451051712387731458?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 21, 2021</a></blockquote>
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WHO’s regional director of South Asia Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh also congratulated the Indian people for the historic feat.

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.<a href="https://twitter.com/WHOSEARO?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WHOSEARO</a>’s Regional Director Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh congratulates <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/India?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#India</a> for crossing <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/100CroreVaccination?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#100CroreVaccination</a>.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VaccineCentury?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VaccineCentury</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/COVID19?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#COVID19</a> <a href="https://t.co/AcPhv5u3o8">pic.twitter.com/AcPhv5u3o8</a>
— WHO South-East Asia (@WHOSEARO) <a href="https://twitter.com/WHOSEARO/status/1451052218660966401?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 21, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Among the first foreign dignitaries to laud India was Bhutan’s foreign minister Tandi Dorji,&nbsp;along with country's Prime Minister Lotay Tshering.&nbsp;

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In what is a huge accomplishment not just for your country but the world, India hit the one billion mark of COVID-19 vaccination doses. On behalf of the people of Bhutan, I congratulate India! <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@narendramodi</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/PMOIndia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PMOIndia</a> <a href="https://t.co/1Af27xKOOF">https://t.co/1Af27xKOOF</a> <a href="https://t.co/zVcRRECc6S">pic.twitter.com/zVcRRECc6S</a>
— PM Bhutan (@PMBhutan) <a href="https://twitter.com/PMBhutan/status/1451055499701489669?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 21, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Congratulations India 🇮🇳 for administering 1 billion COVID-19 vaccinations - a historic milestone!
— ForeignMinisterBhutan (@FMBhutan) <a href="https://twitter.com/FMBhutan/status/1451046204704313354?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 21, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Israeli Prime Minister Neftali Bennett&nbsp;also extended his wishes to the Indian people.

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Congratulations to <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@narendramodi</a> on leading India's successful COVID-19 vaccination campaign that has now administered more than 1 billion vaccines to the Indian people. 
 
These life-saving vaccines are helping us all defeat the global pandemic. 
🇮🇱💉🇮🇳
— Naftali Bennett בנט (@naftalibennett) <a href="https://twitter.com/naftalibennett/status/1451119609843752963?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 21, 2021</a></blockquote>
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India’s health minister Mansukh Mandaviya visited the COVID-19 War Room in national capital Delhi and interacted with staff to mark the historic achievement.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a> Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya visits COVID19 War Room in Delhi, interacts with staff and distributes sweets to mark India achieving one billion COVID19 vaccinations. Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan also present <a href="https://t.co/WlaTi76dJJ">pic.twitter.com/WlaTi76dJJ</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1451051452458160128?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 21, 2021</a></blockquote>
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India’s home minister Amit Shah also joined his peers and tweeted in Hindi saying, "I thank all the scientists, researchers and health workers who have contributed in this Mahayagya (feat) by overcoming many challenges and congratulate Modi ji who is determined for the safety and health of every person. Jai Hind!"

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इस ऐतिहासिक उपलब्धि पर पूरे देश को बधाई देता हूँ। 
 
अनेकों चुनौतियों को पार कर इस महायज्ञ में अपना योगदान देने वाले सभी वैज्ञानिकों, शोधकर्ताओं व स्वास्थ्यकर्मियों का आभार व हर व्यक्ति की सुरक्षा व स्वास्थ्य हेतु संकल्पित मोदी जी का अभिनन्दन करता हूँ। 
 
जय हिन्द! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VaccineCentury?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VaccineCentury</a> <a href="https://t.co/YDB0fxlTJN">pic.twitter.com/YDB0fxlTJN</a>
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) <a href="https://twitter.com/AmitShah/status/1451053676009639941?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 21, 2021</a></blockquote>
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As India scripted history on Thursday for administering a billion COVID-19 doses, prominent leaders and key personalities in India and the world congratulated the country for reaching the significant milestone.

As India scripted history on Thursday for administering a billion COVID-19 doses, prominent leaders and key personalities in India and the world congratulated the country for reaching the significant milestone. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the first to congratulate the “collective spirit of 1.3 billion people" and express gratitude to the medical practitioners for their effort. "India scripts history. We are witnessing the triumph of Indian science, enterprise and collective spirit of 130 crore Indians. Congrats India on crossing 100 crore vaccinations. Gratitude to our doctors, nurses and all those who worked to achieve this feat. #VaccineCentury," he tweeted. India scripts history. We are witnessing the triumph of Indian science, enterprise and collective spirit of 130 crore Indians. Congrats India on crossing 100 crore vaccinations. Gratitude to our doctors, nurses and all those who worked to achieve this feat. #VaccineCentury — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 21, 2021 × WHO’s regional director of South Asia Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh also congratulated the Indian people for the historic feat. .@WHOSEARO’s Regional Director Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh congratulates #India for crossing #100CroreVaccination.#VaccineCentury #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/AcPhv5u3o8 — WHO South-East Asia (@WHOSEARO) October 21, 2021 × Among the first foreign dignitaries to laud India was Bhutan’s foreign minister Tandi Dorji, along with country's Prime Minister Lotay Tshering. In what is a huge accomplishment not just for your country but the world, India hit the one billion mark of COVID-19 vaccination doses. On behalf of the people of Bhutan, I congratulate India! @narendramodi @PMOIndia https://t.co/1Af27xKOOF pic.twitter.com/zVcRRECc6S — PM Bhutan (@PMBhutan) October 21, 2021 × Congratulations India 🇮🇳 for administering 1 billion COVID-19 vaccinations - a historic milestone! — ForeignMinisterBhutan (@FMBhutan) October 21, 2021 × Israeli Prime Minister Neftali Bennett also extended his wishes to the Indian people. Congratulations to @narendramodi on leading India's successful COVID-19 vaccination campaign that has now administered more than 1 billion vaccines to the Indian people. These life-saving vaccines are helping us all defeat the global pandemic. 🇮🇱💉🇮🇳 — Naftali Bennett בנט (@naftalibennett) October 21, 2021 × India’s health minister Mansukh Mandaviya visited the COVID-19 War Room in national capital Delhi and interacted with staff to mark the historic achievement. #WATCH Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya visits COVID19 War Room in Delhi, interacts with staff and distributes sweets to mark India achieving one billion COVID19 vaccinations. Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan also present pic.twitter.com/WlaTi76dJJ — ANI (@ANI) October 21, 2021 × India’s home minister Amit Shah also joined his peers and tweeted in Hindi saying, "I thank all the scientists, researchers and health workers who have contributed in this Mahayagya (feat) by overcoming many challenges and congratulate Modi ji who is determined for the safety and health of every person. Jai Hind!" इस ऐतिहासिक उपलब्धि पर पूरे देश को बधाई देता हूँ। अनेकों चुनौतियों को पार कर इस महायज्ञ में अपना योगदान देने वाले सभी वैज्ञानिकों, शोधकर्ताओं व स्वास्थ्यकर्मियों का आभार व हर व्यक्ति की सुरक्षा व स्वास्थ्य हेतु संकल्पित मोदी जी का अभिनन्दन करता हूँ। जय हिन्द! #VaccineCentury pic.twitter.com/YDB0fxlTJN — Amit Shah (@AmitShah) October 21, 2021 ×

‘Historic milestone’: PM Modi, world leaders congratulate India for administering one billion COVID-19 doses

In a study conducted by researchers in South Africa, it was found that tuberculosis (TB) is also spread by inhaling virus-laden aerosols more than coughing, as was previously believed.

A team from the University of Cape Town presented the study at the 52nd Union World Conference on Lung Health, which is being held online from October 19-22.

Also read |&nbsp;<a data-ctorig="https://www.wionews.com/science/drinking-coffee-reduces-risk-of-contracting-coronavirus-study-397490" data-cturl="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-element-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/science/drinking-coffee-reduces-risk-of-contracting-coronavirus-study-397490&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiywayZitnzAhXlmeYKHVrwDcsQFnoECAMQAg&amp;usg=AOvVaw06qqXp-otJBp_EEKbe3Pqp" dir="ltr" href="https://www.wionews.com/science/drinking-coffee-reduces-risk-of-contracting-coronavirus-study-397490" target="_blank">Drinking coffee reduces risk of contracting&nbsp;coronavirus:&nbsp;Study</a>

As per a New York Times report, researchers found that about 90 per cent of TB bacteria are carried in tiny droplets known as aerosols, which are expelled by an infected person as they exhale deeply.

The study confirms recent findings that SARS-CoV-2, the virus cause of COVID-19, as well as MERS-CoV, influenza, measles, and the rhinoviruses that cause the common cold all spread via aerosols that linger in indoor air. 
Ryan Dinkele, a graduate student at the University of Cape Town who presented the findings, was quoted by the NYT as saying that their model suggests that aerosol generation and TB can happen independently of symptoms.

Despite this, the new study does not change the fact that TB is in fact transmitted through droplets; and that a single cough is capable of expelling more bacteria than a single breath.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/british-study-finds-fully-vaccinated-are-60-less-likely-to-get-covid-19-402779">British study finds fully vaccinated are 60% less likely to get COVID-19</a>

"But if an infected person breathes 22,000 times per day while coughing up to 500 times, then coughing accounts for as little as 7 per cent of the total bacteria emitted by an infected patient," Dinkele said.

These findings explain why cramped indoor spaces, like prisons, are breeding grounds for diseases like TB and Covid.

Furthermore, the study also suggests that measures such as masks, open windows and open doors, which are important to curb Covid transmission, can also contribute to limiting TB.

The bacterium responsible for TB, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, typically attacks the lungs.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/study-claiming-smokers-less-vulnerable-to-covid-19-retracted-as-authors-linked-to-tobacco-industry-379255">Study claiming smokers less vulnerable to COVID-19 retracted as authors linked to tobacco industry</a>

The World Health Organization's 2021 Global TB report published last week shows that it is the world's deadliest infectious disease after Covid-19, claiming over 1.5 million lives in 2020.

As the pandemic disrupted healthcare and supply chains around the world, COVID-19 has also halted progress made on TB. More than 5.8 million people were diagnosed with TB in 2020, but according to the WHO, about 10 million people could have been infected.

(With inputs from agencies)

In a study conducted by researchers in South Africa, it was found that tuberculosis (TB) is also spread by inhaling virus-laden aerosols more than coughing, as was previously believed.

In a study conducted by researchers in South Africa, it was found that tuberculosis (TB) is also spread by inhaling virus-laden aerosols more than coughing, as was previously believed. A team from the University of Cape Town presented the study at the 52nd Union World Conference on Lung Health, which is being held online from October 19-22. Also read | Drinking coffee reduces risk of contracting coronavirus: Study As per a New York Times report, researchers found that about 90 per cent of TB bacteria are carried in tiny droplets known as aerosols, which are expelled by an infected person as they exhale deeply. The study confirms recent findings that SARS-CoV-2, the virus cause of COVID-19, as well as MERS-CoV, influenza, measles, and the rhinoviruses that cause the common cold all spread via aerosols that linger in indoor air. Ryan Dinkele, a graduate student at the University of Cape Town who presented the findings, was quoted by the NYT as saying that their model suggests that aerosol generation and TB can happen independently of symptoms. Despite this, the new study does not change the fact that TB is in fact transmitted through droplets; and that a single cough is capable of expelling more bacteria than a single breath. Also read | British study finds fully vaccinated are 60% less likely to get COVID-19 "But if an infected person breathes 22,000 times per day while coughing up to 500 times, then coughing accounts for as little as 7 per cent of the total bacteria emitted by an infected patient," Dinkele said. These findings explain why cramped indoor spaces, like prisons, are breeding grounds for diseases like TB and Covid. Furthermore, the study also suggests that measures such as masks, open windows and open doors, which are important to curb Covid transmission, can also contribute to limiting TB. The bacterium responsible for TB, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, typically attacks the lungs. Also read | Study claiming smokers less vulnerable to COVID-19 retracted as authors linked to tobacco industry The World Health Organization's 2021 Global TB report published last week shows that it is the world's deadliest infectious disease after Covid-19, claiming over 1.5 million lives in 2020. As the pandemic disrupted healthcare and supply chains around the world, COVID-19 has also halted progress made on TB. More than 5.8 million people were diagnosed with TB in 2020, but according to the WHO, about 10 million people could have been infected. (With inputs from agencies)

Study suggests that Tuberculosis, like Covid, spreads through aerosols

The Kerala High Court issued a notice to the Centre and the state government on October 8, 2021, in response to a suit filed by Peter M demanding Covid-19 certificates devoid of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's photograph.

Peter M stated that the vaccination certificates that are now being distributed violate a citizen's basic rights.

The petitioner requested a certificate that did not include the prime minister's photograph. 
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<h5>Peter M, 62, is a member of India's main opposition Congress party and a right to information campaigner.</h5>
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Both governments have two weeks to submit their positions.

Peter M is particularly irritated since he had to pay for his own vaccination at a private hospital because "there was a huge line for appointments at government facilities" that provided free vaccinations.

"I spent Rs 750 for each jab, so why should PM Modi's picture be on my certificate?" he questions.&nbsp; 
 
Peter M, 62, is a member of India's main opposition Congress party and a right to information campaigner.

Political opponents have also criticised the prime minister's photo on the vaccination certificate.

Several opposition-ruled states have even replaced his photograph with those of their own chief ministers.&nbsp;

Previously, the Union government justified its choice to include the photograph in the certificate, claiming that the image of the Prime Minister, together with his remarks, helps to raise general awareness and Covid-appropriate behaviour.

When an issue was raised in the upper chamber two months ago, Minister of State for Health BP Pawar stated the Prime Minister's portrait was perfect for raising awareness.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

The Kerala High Court issued a notice to the Centre and the state government on October 8, 2021, in response to a suit filed by Peter M demanding Covid-19 certificates devoid of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's photograph.

The Kerala High Court issued a notice to the Centre and the state government on October 8, 2021, in response to a suit filed by Peter M demanding Covid-19 certificates devoid of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's photograph. Peter M stated that the vaccination certificates that are now being distributed violate a citizen's basic rights. The petitioner requested a certificate that did not include the prime minister's photograph. Peter M, 62, is a member of India's main opposition Congress party and a right to information campaigner. × Both governments have two weeks to submit their positions. Peter M is particularly irritated since he had to pay for his own vaccination at a private hospital because "there was a huge line for appointments at government facilities" that provided free vaccinations. "I spent Rs 750 for each jab, so why should PM Modi's picture be on my certificate?" he questions. Peter M, 62, is a member of India's main opposition Congress party and a right to information campaigner. Political opponents have also criticised the prime minister's photo on the vaccination certificate. Several opposition-ruled states have even replaced his photograph with those of their own chief ministers. Previously, the Union government justified its choice to include the photograph in the certificate, claiming that the image of the Prime Minister, together with his remarks, helps to raise general awareness and Covid-appropriate behaviour. When an issue was raised in the upper chamber two months ago, Minister of State for Health BP Pawar stated the Prime Minister's portrait was perfect for raising awareness. (With inputs from agencies)

Indian man wants Covid certificate without PM Modi's picture

For the first time since the pandemic began in March last year, Mumbai did not register any COVID-19 deaths in 24 hours on Sunday.

Mumbai civic commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal stated in a tweet that the city had zero deaths from the virus on Sunday, the first time since March 26, 2020.&nbsp;

"This is great news for all of us in Mumbai. As Municipal Commissioner, Municipal Commissioner, Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai, I salute Team MCGM for their spectacular performance, " he Tweeted.

According to Iqbal Singh Chahal, at least 97% of Mumbai residents have gotten their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, with 55% completely vaccinated.&nbsp;

Maharashtra minister Aaditya Thackeray said, "The good news. Mumbai today has recorded zero Covid deaths, the first time since March 26, 2020. Keep the mask on the face and get yourself vaccinated if you haven’t yet. Help us keep Mumbai safe, we’re here to serve you."

There are no operational containment zones in Mumbai.

There are, nevertheless, 50 active sealed structures.

In the Covid care centres, there are presently 538 high-risk contacts.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

For the first time since the pandemic began in March last year, Mumbai did not register any COVID-19 deaths in 24 hours on Sunday. Mumbai civic commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal stated in a tweet that the city had zero deaths from the virus on Sunday, the first time since March 26, 2020.

For the first time since the pandemic began in March last year, Mumbai did not register any COVID-19 deaths in 24 hours on Sunday. Mumbai civic commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal stated in a tweet that the city had zero deaths from the virus on Sunday, the first time since March 26, 2020. "This is great news for all of us in Mumbai. As Municipal Commissioner, Municipal Commissioner, Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai, I salute Team MCGM for their spectacular performance, " he Tweeted. According to Iqbal Singh Chahal, at least 97% of Mumbai residents have gotten their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, with 55% completely vaccinated. Maharashtra minister Aaditya Thackeray said, "The good news. Mumbai today has recorded zero Covid deaths, the first time since March 26, 2020. Keep the mask on the face and get yourself vaccinated if you haven’t yet. Help us keep Mumbai safe, we’re here to serve you." There are no operational containment zones in Mumbai. There are, nevertheless, 50 active sealed structures. In the Covid care centres, there are presently 538 high-risk contacts. (With inputs from agencies)

In a first, Mumbai records zero deaths in single day since beginning of pandemic

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro might face 11 criminal charges with regards to his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country, a Senator who is in charge of an investigative panel has revealed.&nbsp;

Renan Calheiros in a radio interview said the probe will recommend charges such as genocide against the country's indigenous population, malfeasance, irregular use of public funds, violation of sanitary measures, incitement to crime and forgery of private documents, Reuters&nbsp;reported.&nbsp;

Along with Bolsonaro, the President’s sons and his former health minister Eduardo Pazuello are also likely to&nbsp;be charged, Calheiros said.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/former-brazilian-president-zula-blasts-imbecile-bolsonaro-for-mishandling-pandemic-369525">Former Brazilian President Zula blasts 'imbecile' Bolsonaro for mishandling pandemic</a>

The report is scheduled to be released by the Senate investigative panel next Tuesday. And on the next day, the panel's members would vote on approving the text before sending it on the attorney general’s office on Thursday to decide if Bolsonaro and others should be charged.

The attorney general's office can charge the president, but the Supreme Court, which would try him, must request authorization from the lower house to proceed. Experts say the lower house is highly unlikely to sign off on such a request.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/bolsonaro-booed-on-plane-tells-critics-to-take-a-donkey-391010">Bolsonaro booed on plane, tells critics to 'take a donkey'</a>

The far-right president, who himself was infected with the coronavirus in July 2020, has spoken against lockdown measures, pushed unproven cures, sowed vaccine doubts and downplayed the severity of COVID-19.

Bolsonaro's approval ratings have fallen in public opinion polls over his handling of the public health crisis. More than 600,000 people have died from COVID-19 in Brazil, second only to the United States.

When asked about the country’s death toll, Bolsonaro said he did not want to be “bored” with questions about it.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro might face 11 criminal charges with regards to his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country, a Senator who is in charge of an investigative panel has revealed.

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro might face 11 criminal charges with regards to his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country, a Senator who is in charge of an investigative panel has revealed. Renan Calheiros in a radio interview said the probe will recommend charges such as genocide against the country's indigenous population, malfeasance, irregular use of public funds, violation of sanitary measures, incitement to crime and forgery of private documents, Reuters reported. Along with Bolsonaro, the President’s sons and his former health minister Eduardo Pazuello are also likely to be charged, Calheiros said. Also read | Former Brazilian President Zula blasts 'imbecile' Bolsonaro for mishandling pandemic The report is scheduled to be released by the Senate investigative panel next Tuesday. And on the next day, the panel's members would vote on approving the text before sending it on the attorney general’s office on Thursday to decide if Bolsonaro and others should be charged. The attorney general's office can charge the president, but the Supreme Court, which would try him, must request authorization from the lower house to proceed. Experts say the lower house is highly unlikely to sign off on such a request. Also read | Bolsonaro booed on plane, tells critics to 'take a donkey' The far-right president, who himself was infected with the coronavirus in July 2020, has spoken against lockdown measures, pushed unproven cures, sowed vaccine doubts and downplayed the severity of COVID-19. Bolsonaro's approval ratings have fallen in public opinion polls over his handling of the public health crisis. More than 600,000 people have died from COVID-19 in Brazil, second only to the United States. When asked about the country’s death toll, Bolsonaro said he did not want to be “bored” with questions about it. (With inputs from agencies)

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro may face criminal charges for Covid deaths

In a bid to motivate people to get vaccinated, a German state has allowed all businesses to deny service to unvaccinated people.<o:p></o:p>

The state of Hesse in Germany has allowed its supermarkets and other businesses to turn back customers who have not been vaccinated.

<o:p>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/as-schools-shift-back-to-classroom-teaching-are-students-ready-to-be-reintroduced-to-outer-world-421087">As schools shift back to classroom teaching, are students ready to be reintroduced to outer world?</a></o:p>

As per the new rule, stores now have the option to adopt either the '2G rule' or the '3G rule' with their customers. Under the '2G rule' stores can allow vaccinated and recovered customers to enter and shop. The other option is ‘3G rule’ under which all the people who have tested negative for coronavirus can be allowed to enter.<o:p></o:p>

"We expect that this option will only be used on some days and that businesses which cater to everyday needs will not make use of it,"&nbsp;Minister-President Volker Bouffier told a local magazine, BILD. "The greatest protection is provided by vaccination. And still it is uncomplicated, unbureaucratic and free to get."<o:p></o:p>

This decision is expected to force and/or motivate locals to get vaccinated against the deadly coronavirus as soon as possible.

<o:p>Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/who-says-it-is-last-chance-to-find-origin-of-covid-19-420559">WHO says it is 'last chance' to find origin of COVID-19</a></o:p>

Germany has been struggling to remove vaccine hesitancy from the country. Even though the government has been trying to provide all necessary situations to the locals to make the vaccination process convenient for people, vaccine hesitancy has been a growing concern in the country.<o:p></o:p>

It has also been stressed that even though vaccinations are being made informally compulsory, wearing face masks and maintaining social distance will still stay in place.<o:p></o:p>

The decision has been taken keeping in mind the wide spread of the Delta variant, which has been declared to be one of the most transmissible variants of COVID-19.<o:p></o:p>

In a bid to motivate people to get vaccinated, a German state has allowed all businesses to deny service to unvaccinated people. The state of Hesse in Germany has allowed its supermarkets and other businesses to turn back customers who have not been vaccinated.

In a bid to motivate people to get vaccinated, a German state has allowed all businesses to deny service to unvaccinated people. The state of Hesse in Germany has allowed its supermarkets and other businesses to turn back customers who have not been vaccinated. Also read | As schools shift back to classroom teaching, are students ready to be reintroduced to outer world? As per the new rule, stores now have the option to adopt either the '2G rule' or the '3G rule' with their customers. Under the '2G rule' stores can allow vaccinated and recovered customers to enter and shop. The other option is ‘3G rule’ under which all the people who have tested negative for coronavirus can be allowed to enter. "We expect that this option will only be used on some days and that businesses which cater to everyday needs will not make use of it," Minister-President Volker Bouffier told a local magazine, BILD. "The greatest protection is provided by vaccination. And still it is uncomplicated, unbureaucratic and free to get." This decision is expected to force and/or motivate locals to get vaccinated against the deadly coronavirus as soon as possible. Also read | WHO says it is 'last chance' to find origin of COVID-19 Germany has been struggling to remove vaccine hesitancy from the country. Even though the government has been trying to provide all necessary situations to the locals to make the vaccination process convenient for people, vaccine hesitancy has been a growing concern in the country. It has also been stressed that even though vaccinations are being made informally compulsory, wearing face masks and maintaining social distance will still stay in place. The decision has been taken keeping in mind the wide spread of the Delta variant, which has been declared to be one of the most transmissible variants of COVID-19.

German state allows businesses to turn back unvaccinated people

In the summer of 2020, half a year into the coronavirus pandemic, scientists traveled into the forests of northern Laos to catch bats that might harbor close cousins of the pathogen.

In the dead of night, they used mist nets and canvas traps to snag the animals as they emerged from nearby caves, gathered samples of saliva, urine and feces, then released them back into the darkness.

The fecal samples turned out to contain coronaviruses, which the scientists studied in high-security biosafety labs, known as BSL-3, using specialized protective gear and air filters.

Three of the Laos coronaviruses were unusual: They carried a molecular hook on their surface that was very similar to the hook on the virus that causes COVID-19, called SARS-CoV-2. Like SARS-CoV-2, their hook allowed them to latch onto human cells.

"It is even better than early strains of SARS-CoV-2," said Marc Eloit, a virus expert at the Pasteur Institute in Paris who led the study, referring to how well the hook on the Laos coronaviruses binds to human cells. The study was posted online last month and has not yet been published in a scientific journal.

Virus experts are buzzing about the discovery. Some suspect that these SARS-CoV-2-like viruses may already be infecting people from time to time, causing only mild and limited outbreaks. But under the right circumstances, the pathogens could give rise to a COVID-19-like pandemic, they say.

The findings also have significant implications for the charged debate over COVID’s origins, experts say. Some people have speculated that SARS-CoV-2’s impressive ability to infect human cells could not have evolved through a natural spillover from an animal. But the new findings seem to suggest otherwise.

"That really puts to bed any notion that this virus had to have been concocted or somehow manipulated in a lab to be so good at infecting humans," said Michael Worobey, a University of Arizona virus expert who was not involved in the work.

These bat viruses, along with more than a dozen others discovered in recent months in Laos, Cambodia, China and Thailand, may also help researchers better anticipate future pandemics. The viruses’ family trees offer hints about where potentially dangerous strains are lurking and which animals scientists should look at to find them.

Last week, the U.S. government announced a $125 million project to identify thousands of wild viruses in Asia, Latin America and Africa to determine their risk of spillover. Eloit predicted that there were many more relatives of SARS-CoV-2 left to find.

"I am a fly fisherman," he said. "When I am unable to catch a trout, that doesn’t mean there are no trout in the river."

When SARS-CoV-2 first came to light, its closest known relative was a bat coronavirus that Chinese researchers found in 2016 in a mine in southern China’s Yunnan province. RaTG13, as it is known, shares 96% of its genome with SARS-CoV-2. Based on the mutations carried by each virus, scientists have estimated that RaTG13 and SARS-CoV-2 share a common ancestor that infected bats about 40 years ago.

Both viruses infect cells by using a molecular hook, called the "receptor-binding domain," to latch onto their surface. RaTG13’s hook, adapted for attaching to bat cells, can only cling weakly to human cells. SARS-CoV-2’s hook, by contrast, can clasp cells in the human airway, the first step toward a potentially lethal case of COVID-19.

To find other close relatives of SARS-CoV-2, wildlife virus experts checked their freezers full of old samples from across the world. They identified several similar coronaviruses from southern China, Cambodia and Thailand. Most came from bats, while a few came from scaly mammals known as pangolins. None were closer to RaTG13 than RaTG12.

Eloit and his colleagues instead set out to find new coronaviruses.

They travelled to northern Laos, about 150 miles from the mine where Chinese researchers had found RaTG13. Over six months, they caught 645 bats belonging to 45 different species. The bats harboured two dozen kinds of coronaviruses, three of which were strikingly similar to SARS-CoV-2 — especially in the receptor-binding domain.

In RaTG13, 11 of the 17 key building blocks of the domain are identical to those of SARS-CoV-2. But in the three viruses from Laos, as many as 16 were identical — the closest match to date.

Eloit speculated that one or more of the coronaviruses might be able to infect humans and cause mild disease. In a separate study, he and colleagues took blood samples from people in Laos who collect bat guano for a living. Although the Laotians did not show signs of having been infected with SARS-CoV-2, they carried immune markers, called antibodies, that appeared to be caused by a similar virus.

Linfa Wang, a molecular virus expert at the Duke-NUS Medical School in Singapore who was not involved in the study, agreed that such an infection was possible, since the newly discovered viruses can attach tightly to a protein on human cells called ACE2.

"If the receptor-binding domain is ready to use ACE2, these guys are dangerous," Wang said.

Paradoxically, some other genes in the three Laotian viruses are more distantly related to SARS-CoV-2 than other bat viruses. The cause of this genetic patchwork is the complex evolution of coronaviruses.

If a bat infected with one coronavirus catches a second one, the two different viruses may end up in a single cell at once. As that cell begins to replicate each of those viruses, their genes get shuffled together, producing new virus hybrids.

In the Laotian coronaviruses, this gene shuffling has given them a receptor-binding domain that is very similar to that of SARS-CoV-2. The original genetic swap took place about a decade ago, according to a preliminary analysis by Spyros Lytras, a graduate student at the University of Glasgow in Scotland.

Lytras and his colleagues are now comparing SARS-CoV-2 not just to the new viruses from Laos, but to other close relatives that have been found in recent months. They are finding even more evidence of gene shuffling. This process, known as recombination, may be reshaping the viruses from year to year.

"It’s becoming more and more obvious how important recombination is," Lytras said.

He and his colleagues are now drawing the messy evolutionary trees of SARS-CoV-2-like viruses based on these new insights. Finding more viruses could help clear up the picture. But scientists are divided as to where to look for them.

Eloit believes the best bet is a zone of Southeast Asia that includes the site where his colleagues found their coronaviruses, as well as the nearby mine in Yunnan where RaTG13 was found.

"I think the main landscape corresponds to north Vietnam, north Laos and south China," Eloit said.

The U.S. government’s new virus-hunting project, called DEEP VZN, may turn up one or more SARS-CoV-2-like viruses in that region. A spokesperson for USAID, the agency funding the effort, named Vietnam as one of the countries where researchers will be searching and said that new coronaviruses are one of their top priorities.

Other scientists think it is worth looking for relatives of SARS-CoV-2 farther afield. Worobey of the University of Arizona said that some bat coronaviruses carrying SARS-CoV-2-like segments have been found in eastern China and Thailand.

"Clearly, the recombination is showing us that these viruses are part of a single gene pool over hundreds and hundreds of miles, if not thousands of miles," Worobey said.

Colin Carlson, a biologist at Georgetown University, suspects that a virus capable of producing a COVID-like outbreak might be lurking even farther away. Bats as far east as Indonesia and as far west as India, he noted, share many biological features with the animals known to carry SARS-CoV-2-like viruses.

"This is not just a Southeast Asia problem," Carlson said. "These viruses are diverse, and they are more cosmopolitan than we have thought."

The interest in the origins of the pandemic has put renewed attention on the safety measures researchers are using when studying potentially dangerous viruses. To secure DEEP VZN grants, scientists will have to provide a biosafety and biosecurity plan, according to a USAID spokesperson, including training for staff, guidelines on protective equipment to be worn in the field and safety measures for lab work.

If scientists find more close cousins of SARS-CoV-2, it does not necessarily mean they pose a deadly threat. They might fail to spread in humans or, as some scientists speculate, cause only small outbreaks. Just seven coronaviruses are known to have jumped the species barrier to become well-established human pathogens.

"There’s probably a vast range of other coronaviruses that end up going nowhere," said Jessica Metcalf, an evolutionary ecologist at Princeton University.

Still, recombination may be able to turn a virus going nowhere into a new threat. In May, researchers reported that two coronaviruses in dogs recombined in Indonesia. The result was a hybrid that infected eight children.

"When a coronavirus that we have monitored for decades, that we think of as just something our pets can get, can make the jump, we should have seen that coming, right?" Carlson said.

In the summer of 2020, half a year into the coronavirus pandemic, scientists traveled into the forests of northern Laos to catch bats that might harbor close cousins of the pathogen.

In the summer of 2020, half a year into the coronavirus pandemic, scientists traveled into the forests of northern Laos to catch bats that might harbor close cousins of the pathogen. In the dead of night, they used mist nets and canvas traps to snag the animals as they emerged from nearby caves, gathered samples of saliva, urine and feces, then released them back into the darkness. The fecal samples turned out to contain coronaviruses, which the scientists studied in high-security biosafety labs, known as BSL-3, using specialized protective gear and air filters. Three of the Laos coronaviruses were unusual: They carried a molecular hook on their surface that was very similar to the hook on the virus that causes COVID-19, called SARS-CoV-2. Like SARS-CoV-2, their hook allowed them to latch onto human cells. "It is even better than early strains of SARS-CoV-2," said Marc Eloit, a virus expert at the Pasteur Institute in Paris who led the study, referring to how well the hook on the Laos coronaviruses binds to human cells. The study was posted online last month and has not yet been published in a scientific journal. Virus experts are buzzing about the discovery. Some suspect that these SARS-CoV-2-like viruses may already be infecting people from time to time, causing only mild and limited outbreaks. But under the right circumstances, the pathogens could give rise to a COVID-19-like pandemic, they say. The findings also have significant implications for the charged debate over COVID’s origins, experts say. Some people have speculated that SARS-CoV-2’s impressive ability to infect human cells could not have evolved through a natural spillover from an animal. But the new findings seem to suggest otherwise. "That really puts to bed any notion that this virus had to have been concocted or somehow manipulated in a lab to be so good at infecting humans," said Michael Worobey, a University of Arizona virus expert who was not involved in the work. These bat viruses, along with more than a dozen others discovered in recent months in Laos, Cambodia, China and Thailand, may also help researchers better anticipate future pandemics. The viruses’ family trees offer hints about where potentially dangerous strains are lurking and which animals scientists should look at to find them. Last week, the U.S. government announced a $125 million project to identify thousands of wild viruses in Asia, Latin America and Africa to determine their risk of spillover. Eloit predicted that there were many more relatives of SARS-CoV-2 left to find. "I am a fly fisherman," he said. "When I am unable to catch a trout, that doesn’t mean there are no trout in the river." When SARS-CoV-2 first came to light, its closest known relative was a bat coronavirus that Chinese researchers found in 2016 in a mine in southern China’s Yunnan province. RaTG13, as it is known, shares 96% of its genome with SARS-CoV-2. Based on the mutations carried by each virus, scientists have estimated that RaTG13 and SARS-CoV-2 share a common ancestor that infected bats about 40 years ago. Both viruses infect cells by using a molecular hook, called the "receptor-binding domain," to latch onto their surface. RaTG13’s hook, adapted for attaching to bat cells, can only cling weakly to human cells. SARS-CoV-2’s hook, by contrast, can clasp cells in the human airway, the first step toward a potentially lethal case of COVID-19. To find other close relatives of SARS-CoV-2, wildlife virus experts checked their freezers full of old samples from across the world. They identified several similar coronaviruses from southern China, Cambodia and Thailand. Most came from bats, while a few came from scaly mammals known as pangolins. None were closer to RaTG13 than RaTG12. Eloit and his colleagues instead set out to find new coronaviruses. They travelled to northern Laos, about 150 miles from the mine where Chinese researchers had found RaTG13. Over six months, they caught 645 bats belonging to 45 different species. The bats harboured two dozen kinds of coronaviruses, three of which were strikingly similar to SARS-CoV-2 — especially in the receptor-binding domain. In RaTG13, 11 of the 17 key building blocks of the domain are identical to those of SARS-CoV-2. But in the three viruses from Laos, as many as 16 were identical — the closest match to date. Eloit speculated that one or more of the coronaviruses might be able to infect humans and cause mild disease. In a separate study, he and colleagues took blood samples from people in Laos who collect bat guano for a living. Although the Laotians did not show signs of having been infected with SARS-CoV-2, they carried immune markers, called antibodies, that appeared to be caused by a similar virus. Linfa Wang, a molecular virus expert at the Duke-NUS Medical School in Singapore who was not involved in the study, agreed that such an infection was possible, since the newly discovered viruses can attach tightly to a protein on human cells called ACE2. "If the receptor-binding domain is ready to use ACE2, these guys are dangerous," Wang said. Paradoxically, some other genes in the three Laotian viruses are more distantly related to SARS-CoV-2 than other bat viruses. The cause of this genetic patchwork is the complex evolution of coronaviruses. If a bat infected with one coronavirus catches a second one, the two different viruses may end up in a single cell at once. As that cell begins to replicate each of those viruses, their genes get shuffled together, producing new virus hybrids. In the Laotian coronaviruses, this gene shuffling has given them a receptor-binding domain that is very similar to that of SARS-CoV-2. The original genetic swap took place about a decade ago, according to a preliminary analysis by Spyros Lytras, a graduate student at the University of Glasgow in Scotland. Lytras and his colleagues are now comparing SARS-CoV-2 not just to the new viruses from Laos, but to other close relatives that have been found in recent months. They are finding even more evidence of gene shuffling. This process, known as recombination, may be reshaping the viruses from year to year. "It’s becoming more and more obvious how important recombination is," Lytras said. He and his colleagues are now drawing the messy evolutionary trees of SARS-CoV-2-like viruses based on these new insights. Finding more viruses could help clear up the picture. But scientists are divided as to where to look for them. Eloit believes the best bet is a zone of Southeast Asia that includes the site where his colleagues found their coronaviruses, as well as the nearby mine in Yunnan where RaTG13 was found. "I think the main landscape corresponds to north Vietnam, north Laos and south China," Eloit said. The U.S. government’s new virus-hunting project, called DEEP VZN, may turn up one or more SARS-CoV-2-like viruses in that region. A spokesperson for USAID, the agency funding the effort, named Vietnam as one of the countries where researchers will be searching and said that new coronaviruses are one of their top priorities. Other scientists think it is worth looking for relatives of SARS-CoV-2 farther afield. Worobey of the University of Arizona said that some bat coronaviruses carrying SARS-CoV-2-like segments have been found in eastern China and Thailand. "Clearly, the recombination is showing us that these viruses are part of a single gene pool over hundreds and hundreds of miles, if not thousands of miles," Worobey said. Colin Carlson, a biologist at Georgetown University, suspects that a virus capable of producing a COVID-like outbreak might be lurking even farther away. Bats as far east as Indonesia and as far west as India, he noted, share many biological features with the animals known to carry SARS-CoV-2-like viruses. "This is not just a Southeast Asia problem," Carlson said. "These viruses are diverse, and they are more cosmopolitan than we have thought." The interest in the origins of the pandemic has put renewed attention on the safety measures researchers are using when studying potentially dangerous viruses. To secure DEEP VZN grants, scientists will have to provide a biosafety and biosecurity plan, according to a USAID spokesperson, including training for staff, guidelines on protective equipment to be worn in the field and safety measures for lab work. If scientists find more close cousins of SARS-CoV-2, it does not necessarily mean they pose a deadly threat. They might fail to spread in humans or, as some scientists speculate, cause only small outbreaks. Just seven coronaviruses are known to have jumped the species barrier to become well-established human pathogens. "There’s probably a vast range of other coronaviruses that end up going nowhere," said Jessica Metcalf, an evolutionary ecologist at Princeton University. Still, recombination may be able to turn a virus going nowhere into a new threat. In May, researchers reported that two coronaviruses in dogs recombined in Indonesia. The result was a hybrid that infected eight children. "When a coronavirus that we have monitored for decades, that we think of as just something our pets can get, can make the jump, we should have seen that coming, right?" Carlson said.

Newly discovered bat viruses give hints to Covid’s origins

Doctors scale rockslides, invoke gods to vaccinate Himalayan villages

A UNICEF report has again brought the glaring issue of malnutrition to the fore. In a report published on Wednesday, the UN’s children’s agency, said around one third of children under the age of two years in many developing countries are given diet, which is needed for healthy growth. &nbsp;&nbsp;

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In the last decade, no progress has been made on improving their nutrition, the report said. The revelation has come as the UN’s food security summit is going to start on Thursday. &nbsp;

For deplorable condition of children’s nutrition in 91 countries, it holds several issues, such as conflict, COVID-19 and climate breakdown, responsible.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/put-uk-on-covid-high-alert-as-over-100000-kids-go-absent-from-school-warn-headteachers-415010" hreflang="en">Put UK on Covid 'high alert' as over 100,000 kids go absent from school, warn headteachers</a>&nbsp;

Around 50% children aged between six and 23 months in several developing countries were not given the minimum number of meals daily and even fewer had a diet that met least requirement, said the report. &nbsp;

The UNICEF UK said the British government can help tackle the problem by investing in nutrition. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/some-rich-people-are-counting-their-antibodies-like-calories-415009" hreflang="en">Some rich people are counting their antibodies ‘like calories’</a>

UNICEF UK’s senior policy adviser on child health, Jenny Vaughan, said, “Millions of children around the world are affected by the life-limiting outcomes of poor nutrition.” &nbsp;

“By investing £600m to reach 50 million children over the next five years with nutrition-relevant programmes, the UK government would be making a significant contribution to addressing this problem and put millions of children on a path to healthier and brighter futures,” added Vaughan. &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

A UNICEF report has again brought the glaring issue of malnutrition to the fore. In a report published on Wednesday, the UN’s children’s agency, said around one third of children under the age of two years in many developing countries are given diet, which is needed for healthy growth.

A UNICEF report has again brought the glaring issue of malnutrition to the fore. In a report published on Wednesday, the UN’s children’s agency, said around one third of children under the age of two years in many developing countries are given diet, which is needed for healthy growth. Watch: × In the last decade, no progress has been made on improving their nutrition, the report said. The revelation has come as the UN’s food security summit is going to start on Thursday. For deplorable condition of children’s nutrition in 91 countries, it holds several issues, such as conflict, COVID-19 and climate breakdown, responsible. Also Read: Put UK on Covid 'high alert' as over 100,000 kids go absent from school, warn headteachers Around 50% children aged between six and 23 months in several developing countries were not given the minimum number of meals daily and even fewer had a diet that met least requirement, said the report. The UNICEF UK said the British government can help tackle the problem by investing in nutrition. Also Read: Some rich people are counting their antibodies ‘like calories’ UNICEF UK’s senior policy adviser on child health, Jenny Vaughan, said, “Millions of children around the world are affected by the life-limiting outcomes of poor nutrition.” “By investing £600m to reach 50 million children over the next five years with nutrition-relevant programmes, the UK government would be making a significant contribution to addressing this problem and put millions of children on a path to healthier and brighter futures,” added Vaughan. (With inputs from agencies)

One third kids under two years of age in developing countries are nourished, says UNICEF

United States President Joe Biden has pledged to buy 500 million doses of Pfizer and BioNTech vaccines and donate it lower-income countries.

The announcement from Biden came during a COVID-19 summit of world leaders that was held virtually from the White House.

“This is an all-hands-on-deck crisis. America will become the arsenal for vaccines as we were the arsenal for democracy in World War II,” Biden said

“The US has already shipped 160 million of these doses to 100 countries. For every one shot we’ve put in an American arm to date, we are now donating three shots globally,” the White House said in a statement. "

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-engaged-in-new-cold-war-with-rivals-china-and-russia-say-most-europeans-in-poll-414905">US engaged in new cold war with rivals China and Russia, say most Europeans in poll &nbsp;</a>

The US and other wealthy countries have been criticized by the World Health Organization for their plans to roll out booster shots for elderly and high-risk populations, while much of the world faces a severe shortage in doses.

On Tuesday, in his first speech to the UN as president, Biden told delegates that the United States had put more than $15 billion towards the global Covid response and shipped more than 160 million doses to other countries.

The summit, held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, saw Biden and US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield hosting a wide variety of health and foreign leaders.

They included UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, and the heads of Britain, Canada, the European Union, Indonesia, and South Africa.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/changing-a-lot-of-nappies-uk-pm-boris-johnson-admits-he-has-6-children-414871">'Changing a lot of nappies': UK PM Boris Johnson admits he has 6 children</a>

Washington will seek to rally the world around three goals, the administration official said.

These are: increasing vaccine supply; saving lives now by resolving the oxygen crisis and access to testing, medicine and therapeutics; and lastly improving future preparedness.

(With inputs from agencies)

United States President Joe Biden has pledged to buy 500 million doses of Pfizer and BioNTech vaccines and donate it lower-income countries. The announcement from Biden came during a COVID-19 summit of world leaders that was held virtually from the White House.

United States President Joe Biden has pledged to buy 500 million doses of Pfizer and BioNTech vaccines and donate it lower-income countries. The announcement from Biden came during a COVID-19 summit of world leaders that was held virtually from the White House. “This is an all-hands-on-deck crisis. America will become the arsenal for vaccines as we were the arsenal for democracy in World War II,” Biden said “The US has already shipped 160 million of these doses to 100 countries. For every one shot we’ve put in an American arm to date, we are now donating three shots globally,” the White House said in a statement. " Also read | US engaged in new cold war with rivals China and Russia, say most Europeans in poll The US and other wealthy countries have been criticized by the World Health Organization for their plans to roll out booster shots for elderly and high-risk populations, while much of the world faces a severe shortage in doses. On Tuesday, in his first speech to the UN as president, Biden told delegates that the United States had put more than $15 billion towards the global Covid response and shipped more than 160 million doses to other countries. The summit, held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, saw Biden and US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield hosting a wide variety of health and foreign leaders. They included UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, and the heads of Britain, Canada, the European Union, Indonesia, and South Africa. Also read | 'Changing a lot of nappies': UK PM Boris Johnson admits he has 6 children Washington will seek to rally the world around three goals, the administration official said. These are: increasing vaccine supply; saving lives now by resolving the oxygen crisis and access to testing, medicine and therapeutics; and lastly improving future preparedness. (With inputs from agencies)

Biden pledges to donate 500 million vaccines to other nations

United States President Joe Biden has pledged to buy 500 million Pfizer and BioNTech vaccines and donate it lower-income countries.

The announcement from Biden came during a COVID-19 summit of world leaders that was held virtually from the White House.

“This is an all-hands-on-deck crisis. America will become the arsenal for vaccines as we were the arsenal for democracy in World War II,” Biden said

“The US has already shipped 160 million of these doses to 100 countries. For every one shot we’ve put in an American arm to date, we are now donating three shots globally,” the White House said in a statement. "

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-engaged-in-new-cold-war-with-rivals-china-and-russia-say-most-europeans-in-poll-414905">US engaged in new cold war with rivals China and Russia, say most Europeans in poll &nbsp;</a>

The US and other wealthy countries have been criticized by the World Health Organization for their plans to roll out booster shots for elderly and high-risk populations, while much of the world faces a severe shortage in doses.

On Tuesday, in his first speech to the UN as president, Biden told delegates that the United States had put more than $15 billion towards the global Covid response and shipped more than 160 million doses to other countries.

The summit, held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, saw Biden and US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield hosting a wide variety of health and foreign leaders.

They included UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, and the heads of Britain, Canada, the European Union, Indonesia, and South Africa.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/changing-a-lot-of-nappies-uk-pm-boris-johnson-admits-he-has-6-children-414871">'Changing a lot of nappies': UK PM Boris Johnson admits he has 6 children</a>

Washington will seek to rally the world around three goals, the administration official said.

These are: increasing vaccine supply; saving lives now by resolving the oxygen crisis and access to testing, medicine and therapeutics; and lastly improving future preparedness.

(With inputs from agencies)

United States President Joe Biden has pledged to buy 500 million Pfizer and BioNTech vaccines and donate it lower-income countries. The announcement from Biden came during a COVID-19 summit of world leaders that was held virtually from the White House.

United States President Joe Biden has pledged to buy 500 million Pfizer and BioNTech vaccines and donate it lower-income countries. The announcement from Biden came during a COVID-19 summit of world leaders that was held virtually from the White House. “This is an all-hands-on-deck crisis. America will become the arsenal for vaccines as we were the arsenal for democracy in World War II,” Biden said “The US has already shipped 160 million of these doses to 100 countries. For every one shot we’ve put in an American arm to date, we are now donating three shots globally,” the White House said in a statement. " Also read | US engaged in new cold war with rivals China and Russia, say most Europeans in poll The US and other wealthy countries have been criticized by the World Health Organization for their plans to roll out booster shots for elderly and high-risk populations, while much of the world faces a severe shortage in doses. On Tuesday, in his first speech to the UN as president, Biden told delegates that the United States had put more than $15 billion towards the global Covid response and shipped more than 160 million doses to other countries. The summit, held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, saw Biden and US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield hosting a wide variety of health and foreign leaders. They included UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, and the heads of Britain, Canada, the European Union, Indonesia, and South Africa. Also read | 'Changing a lot of nappies': UK PM Boris Johnson admits he has 6 children Washington will seek to rally the world around three goals, the administration official said. These are: increasing vaccine supply; saving lives now by resolving the oxygen crisis and access to testing, medicine and therapeutics; and lastly improving future preparedness. (With inputs from agencies)

US President Biden pledges to donate 500 million vaccines to 'low-income nations'

India set a record on Friday by administering over 20 million COVID-19 vaccine doses, in a major push to the inoculation drive on the occasion of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's birthday.

The cumulative doses administered in the country reached 2,03,68,343 at 5.27 pm, according to data on the Co-WIN portal.

The total number of doses administered in the country has crossed 787 million.

"A gift to the prime minister on behalf of health workers and the people of the country. On the birthday of Prime Minister Narendra Modi today, India has crossed the historic figure of administering 20 million vaccine doses in a day, setting a new record. Well done India! " Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya tweeted in Hindi.

The daily vaccinations crossed the 10 million mark for the fourth time in less than a month.

Mandaviya said this is the fastest pace at which 10 million doses have been administered.

"On PM @Narendra Modi Ji's birthday, till 1:30 pm, the country has crossed the mark of 10 million vaccines, the fastest so far, and we are continuously moving forward. I believe that today we will all make a new record of vaccination and give it as a gift to the prime minister," he said in a tweet in Hindi earlier along with the hashtags "VaccineSeva" and "HappyBdayModiji".

The daily COVID-19 vaccinations in the country were over 10 million on September 6, August 31 and August 27.

Mandaviya, on Thursday, had called for a major push to the COVID-19 vaccination drive during Prime Minister Modi's birthday on Friday, saying it would be the perfect gift for him.

The BJP has asked its units across the country to help get a large number of people vaccinated on the occasion.

India took 85 days to touch the 100 million vaccination mark, 45 more days to cross the 200 million mark and 29 more days to reach the 300 million mark, according to the ministry.

The country took 24 days to reach 400 million from 300 million doses and then 20 more days to cross the 500 million vaccination mark on August 6, it said.

It took 19 more days to go past the 600 million mark and took only 13 days to reach 700 million from 600 million on September 7, the ministry said.

The total number of doses administered crossed the 750 million mark on September 13.

The countrywide vaccination drive was rolled out on January 16 with healthcare workers (HCWs) getting inoculated in the first phase. The vaccination of frontline workers (FLWs) started from February 2.

The next phase of COVID-19 vaccination commenced from March 1 for people over 60 years of age and those aged 45 and above with specified co-morbid conditions.

The country launched vaccination for all people aged more than 45 years from April 1.

The government then decided to expand its vaccination drive by allowing everyone above 18 to be vaccinated from May 1.

India set a record on Friday by administering over 20 million COVID-19 vaccine doses, in a major push to the inoculation drive on the occasion of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's birthday.

India set a record on Friday by administering over 20 million COVID-19 vaccine doses, in a major push to the inoculation drive on the occasion of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's birthday. The cumulative doses administered in the country reached 2,03,68,343 at 5.27 pm, according to data on the Co-WIN portal. The total number of doses administered in the country has crossed 787 million. "A gift to the prime minister on behalf of health workers and the people of the country. On the birthday of Prime Minister Narendra Modi today, India has crossed the historic figure of administering 20 million vaccine doses in a day, setting a new record. Well done India! " Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya tweeted in Hindi. The daily vaccinations crossed the 10 million mark for the fourth time in less than a month. Mandaviya said this is the fastest pace at which 10 million doses have been administered. "On PM @Narendra Modi Ji's birthday, till 1:30 pm, the country has crossed the mark of 10 million vaccines, the fastest so far, and we are continuously moving forward. I believe that today we will all make a new record of vaccination and give it as a gift to the prime minister," he said in a tweet in Hindi earlier along with the hashtags "VaccineSeva" and "HappyBdayModiji". The daily COVID-19 vaccinations in the country were over 10 million on September 6, August 31 and August 27. Mandaviya, on Thursday, had called for a major push to the COVID-19 vaccination drive during Prime Minister Modi's birthday on Friday, saying it would be the perfect gift for him. The BJP has asked its units across the country to help get a large number of people vaccinated on the occasion. India took 85 days to touch the 100 million vaccination mark, 45 more days to cross the 200 million mark and 29 more days to reach the 300 million mark, according to the ministry. The country took 24 days to reach 400 million from 300 million doses and then 20 more days to cross the 500 million vaccination mark on August 6, it said. It took 19 more days to go past the 600 million mark and took only 13 days to reach 700 million from 600 million on September 7, the ministry said. The total number of doses administered crossed the 750 million mark on September 13. The countrywide vaccination drive was rolled out on January 16 with healthcare workers (HCWs) getting inoculated in the first phase. The vaccination of frontline workers (FLWs) started from February 2. The next phase of COVID-19 vaccination commenced from March 1 for people over 60 years of age and those aged 45 and above with specified co-morbid conditions. The country launched vaccination for all people aged more than 45 years from April 1. The government then decided to expand its vaccination drive by allowing everyone above 18 to be vaccinated from May 1.

Setting a record, India administers over 20 million vaccine doses on PM Modi's birthday

A 73-year-old man from Alabama, US, died due to cardiac arrest after he couldn’t secure an ICU bed in 43 hospitals across three states as they were already filled up by Covid patients.

Ray DeMonia, an antique dealer, died on September 1 in a Mississippi hospital, about 322 kilometres from his home because there were no cardiac ICU beds nearby, his daughter Raven DeMonia told The Washington Post.

DeMonia went to Cullman Regional Medical Center on August 23 because he was having heart problems, she said.

Raven said her mother got a call from the hospital staff about 12 hours after he was admitted, saying that the staff had called 43 hospitals and were unable to find a “specialized cardiac ICU bed.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that Alabama has one of the highest rates of new cases, with 541 per 100,000 testing positive&nbsp;in the last week.

In DeMonia’s obituary, the family urged everyone to get vaccinated to prevent others from being denied facilities due to a lack of resources.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/5-us-states-nearly-out-of-icu-beds-as-fresh-surge-of-covid-19-cases-stretch-hospitals-409717">5 US states nearly out of ICU beds as fresh surge of COVID-19 cases stretch hospitals</a>

“In honour of Ray, please get vaccinated if you have not, in an effort to free up resources for non-Covid related emergencies,” the obituary read.

According to Johns Hopkins University, the ICU capacity in Alabama has been at maximum in recent weeks, with COVID-19 patients occupying about half of the intensive care beds.

Dr Scott Harris, the head of the Alabama Department of Public Health, last week said the state was continuing to experience “a real crisis” with ICU bed capacity.

“The numbers aren’t great. But the numbers at least have not continued to go up,” he was quoted as saying by local media.

(With inputs from agencies)

A 73-year-old man from Alabama, US, died due to cardiac arrest after he couldn’t secure an ICU bed in 43 hospitals across three states as they were already filled up by Covid patients.

A 73-year-old man from Alabama, US, died due to cardiac arrest after he couldn’t secure an ICU bed in 43 hospitals across three states as they were already filled up by Covid patients. Ray DeMonia, an antique dealer, died on September 1 in a Mississippi hospital, about 322 kilometres from his home because there were no cardiac ICU beds nearby, his daughter Raven DeMonia told The Washington Post. DeMonia went to Cullman Regional Medical Center on August 23 because he was having heart problems, she said. Raven said her mother got a call from the hospital staff about 12 hours after he was admitted, saying that the staff had called 43 hospitals and were unable to find a “specialized cardiac ICU bed.” The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that Alabama has one of the highest rates of new cases, with 541 per 100,000 testing positive in the last week. In DeMonia’s obituary, the family urged everyone to get vaccinated to prevent others from being denied facilities due to a lack of resources. Also read | 5 US states nearly out of ICU beds as fresh surge of COVID-19 cases stretch hospitals “In honour of Ray, please get vaccinated if you have not, in an effort to free up resources for non-Covid related emergencies,” the obituary read. According to Johns Hopkins University, the ICU capacity in Alabama has been at maximum in recent weeks, with COVID-19 patients occupying about half of the intensive care beds. Dr Scott Harris, the head of the Alabama Department of Public Health, last week said the state was continuing to experience “a real crisis” with ICU bed capacity. “The numbers aren’t great. But the numbers at least have not continued to go up,” he was quoted as saying by local media. (With inputs from agencies)

Cardiac patient dies after failing to get ICU bed in 43 US hospitals occupied by COVID patients

Britain on Tuesday said it would push back its implementation of full post-Brexit&nbsp;borders checks on goods from the European Union, as the pandemic, red tape and new immigration rules fuel supply problems.

Plans to introduce full controls in areas such as the import of food and animal products had been due from next month but would now start from January next year under a "pragmatic new timetable", the government said.

Britain will still introduce full customs declarations and controls on January 1, 2022, as planned.

Certification and physical checks on food and animal goods designed to protect against diseases, pests and contaminants — due to be introduced on January 1 — will now be introduced in July 2022.

Requirements for safety and security declarations will be also be pushed back to July.

"We want businesses to focus on their recovery from the pandemic rather than have to deal with new requirements at the border, which is why we've set out a pragmatic new timetable for introducing full border controls," said minister David Frost.

"Businesses will now have more time to prepare for these controls which will be phased in throughout 2022.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/shortage-of-lorry-drivers-covid-induced-supply-disruptions-driving-inflation-in-uk-410004">Shortage of lorry drivers, Covid-induced supply disruptions driving inflation in UK</a>

"We remain on track to deliver new systems, infrastructure and resourcing needed for these controls," he added.

The pandemic and&nbsp;Brexit&nbsp;have left Britain short of some 90,000 truck drivers, many of whom returned to eastern Europe, causing supply chain problems, particularly in the food and drink sector.

The UK has similarly postponed the full implementation of post-Brexit&nbsp;rules governing trade from mainland Great Britain (England, Scotland, Wales) to Northern Ireland.

London is in talks with Brussels about how to put into practice the Northern Ireland Protocol, which is designed to prevent unchecked goods heading into the EU single market via the UK's only land border with the EU to Ireland.

But on Monday night, Frost warned ministers could unilaterally suspend the protocol unless progress is made, with opposition strong from pro-British parties in Northern Ireland.

That, however, could trigger countermeasures from the EU, which insists the protocol is not up for renegotiation.

<h2>Christmas pressure&nbsp;</h2>

Fears are growing that supply problems will hit Christmas. Fastfood outlets KFC and McDonald's have already reported shortages of some menu items, while the JD Wetherspoon chain of pubs, owned by&nbsp;Brexit-supporting Tim Martin, had run out of some beer brands

Trade Secretary Liz Truss said there was a need to be "as flexible as possible" given current problems.

"It's very important that we don't exacerbate disruptions by putting in extra controls at this stage," she told an online conference at the Policy Exchange think-tank.

"Now would be the wrong place to put those controls in," she added, blaming the pandemic rather than Britain's exit from the EU single market and customs union.

Employers group the CBI said the extra time would "relieve pressure in supply chains ahead of the traditionally busy Christmas period for retailers".

But the industry body's Europe director, Sean McGuire, said progress was still needed to eradicate most checks, particularly for agri-foods.

"And where supply bottlenecks are caused by labour shortages, the UK should use the immigration levers within its gift to alleviate short-term pressures," he added.

Britain is set for the strongest growth since official records began over 2021, with gross domestic product (GDP) set to expand by 7.1 percent, according to the British Chambers of Commerce.

But it said the acute driver shortage, global supply issues and recruitment troubles could hamper the recovery.

Recent data "point to a loss of momentum in the coming months as staff shortages, supply chain disruption and rising cost pressures limit output from many sectors," said Suren Thiru, head of economics at the BCC.

London's mayor Sadiq Khan on Tuesday called for a time-limited "Covid recovery visa" to help recruit and train EU workers to alleviate labour shortages after&nbsp;Brexit&nbsp;and the pandemic.

Britain on Tuesday said it would push back its implementation of full post-Brexit borders checks on goods from the European Union, as the pandemic, red tape and new immigration rules fuel supply problems.

Britain on Tuesday said it would push back its implementation of full post-Brexit borders checks on goods from the European Union, as the pandemic, red tape and new immigration rules fuel supply problems. Plans to introduce full controls in areas such as the import of food and animal products had been due from next month but would now start from January next year under a "pragmatic new timetable", the government said. Britain will still introduce full customs declarations and controls on January 1, 2022, as planned. Certification and physical checks on food and animal goods designed to protect against diseases, pests and contaminants — due to be introduced on January 1 — will now be introduced in July 2022. Requirements for safety and security declarations will be also be pushed back to July. "We want businesses to focus on their recovery from the pandemic rather than have to deal with new requirements at the border, which is why we've set out a pragmatic new timetable for introducing full border controls," said minister David Frost. "Businesses will now have more time to prepare for these controls which will be phased in throughout 2022. Also read | Shortage of lorry drivers, Covid-induced supply disruptions driving inflation in UK "We remain on track to deliver new systems, infrastructure and resourcing needed for these controls," he added. The pandemic and Brexit have left Britain short of some 90,000 truck drivers, many of whom returned to eastern Europe, causing supply chain problems, particularly in the food and drink sector. The UK has similarly postponed the full implementation of post-Brexit rules governing trade from mainland Great Britain (England, Scotland, Wales) to Northern Ireland. London is in talks with Brussels about how to put into practice the Northern Ireland Protocol, which is designed to prevent unchecked goods heading into the EU single market via the UK's only land border with the EU to Ireland. But on Monday night, Frost warned ministers could unilaterally suspend the protocol unless progress is made, with opposition strong from pro-British parties in Northern Ireland. That, however, could trigger countermeasures from the EU, which insists the protocol is not up for renegotiation. Christmas pressure Fears are growing that supply problems will hit Christmas. Fastfood outlets KFC and McDonald's have already reported shortages of some menu items, while the JD Wetherspoon chain of pubs, owned by Brexit-supporting Tim Martin, had run out of some beer brands Trade Secretary Liz Truss said there was a need to be "as flexible as possible" given current problems. "It's very important that we don't exacerbate disruptions by putting in extra controls at this stage," she told an online conference at the Policy Exchange think-tank. "Now would be the wrong place to put those controls in," she added, blaming the pandemic rather than Britain's exit from the EU single market and customs union. Employers group the CBI said the extra time would "relieve pressure in supply chains ahead of the traditionally busy Christmas period for retailers". But the industry body's Europe director, Sean McGuire, said progress was still needed to eradicate most checks, particularly for agri-foods. "And where supply bottlenecks are caused by labour shortages, the UK should use the immigration levers within its gift to alleviate short-term pressures," he added. Britain is set for the strongest growth since official records began over 2021, with gross domestic product (GDP) set to expand by 7.1 percent, according to the British Chambers of Commerce. But it said the acute driver shortage, global supply issues and recruitment troubles could hamper the recovery. Recent data "point to a loss of momentum in the coming months as staff shortages, supply chain disruption and rising cost pressures limit output from many sectors," said Suren Thiru, head of economics at the BCC. London's mayor Sadiq Khan on Tuesday called for a time-limited "Covid recovery visa" to help recruit and train EU workers to alleviate labour shortages after Brexit and the pandemic.

UK delays full post-Brexit border checks from EU, citing COVID-19 impacts

New local COVID-19 infections more than doubled in China`s southeastern province of Fujian, health authorities said on Tuesday, prompting officials to quickly roll out measures including travel restrictions to halt the spread of the virus.

The National Health Commission said 59 new locally transmitted cases were reported for Sept. 13, up from 22 infections a day earlier. All of them were in Fujian, a province bordered by Zhejiang to the north and Guangdong to the south.

In just four days, a total of 102 community infections have been reported in three Fujian cities, including Xiamen, a tourist and transport hub with a population of 5 million.

The infections come ahead of the week-long National Day holiday starting on Oct. 1, a major tourist season. The last domestic outbreak in late July to August disrupted travel, hitting the tourism, hospitality and transportion sectors.

China`s air passenger traffic plunged 51.5% in August from a year earlier, data released on Tuesday showed, highlighting the vulnerability of Chinese airlines to repeated outbreaks even though

COVID-19 is largely under control in the country.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-faces-worst-covid-19-outbreak-since-wuhan-surge-of-delta-variant-in-15-cities-401972">China faces worst COVID-19 outbreak since Wuhan; surge of Delta variant in 15 cities</a>

Fujian`s outbreak began in Putian, a city of 3.2 million, with the first case reported on Sept. 10. Preliminary tests on samples from some Putian cases showed patients had contracted the highly transmissible Delta variant.

The outbreak has since spread south to Xiamen, which reported 32 new cases of community transmission for Sept. 13 compared with just one infection a day earlier.

"The Putian government is a big client of ours," said a staff at a Xiamen building survey firm, declining to be named.

"About half of our company went to Putian last week. They are now isolated at home, while the rest have gone to do their Covid tests."

<h3>Lockdown</h3>

Like Putian, Xiamen has locked down some areas of higher virus risk, cut offline classes at kindergartens, primary schools and high schools, closed public venues such as cinemas, gyms and bars, and told residents not to leave the city for non-essential reasons.

The first patient in the Xiamen cluster was a close contact of a case in Putian, Xiamen authorities said late on Monday.

Known for its mild weather and a laid-back lifestyle, Xiamen is a popular tourist destination domestically.

The Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport is also a key transportation hub linking the Yangtze and Pearl River Delta. About 60% of flights to and from Xiamen were cancelled on Tuesday, according to aviation data provider Variflight.

Both Putian and Xiamen began city-wide testing for the coronavirus on Tuesday. The cities, however, are yet to announce tough city-wide lockdowns as seen in early 2020 in China.

Three new cases of community transmission were also reported in nearby Quanzhou city, versus six infections a day earlier. Variflight data showed 70% of Quanzhou`s flights were cancelled.

"One wave after another," said a bank manager in Xiamen. "It feels like the new normal now."

New local COVID-19 infections more than doubled in China`s southeastern province of Fujian, health authorities said on Tuesday, prompting officials to quickly roll out measures including travel restrictions to halt the spread of the virus.

New local COVID-19 infections more than doubled in China`s southeastern province of Fujian, health authorities said on Tuesday, prompting officials to quickly roll out measures including travel restrictions to halt the spread of the virus. The National Health Commission said 59 new locally transmitted cases were reported for Sept. 13, up from 22 infections a day earlier. All of them were in Fujian, a province bordered by Zhejiang to the north and Guangdong to the south. In just four days, a total of 102 community infections have been reported in three Fujian cities, including Xiamen, a tourist and transport hub with a population of 5 million. The infections come ahead of the week-long National Day holiday starting on Oct. 1, a major tourist season. The last domestic outbreak in late July to August disrupted travel, hitting the tourism, hospitality and transportion sectors. China`s air passenger traffic plunged 51.5% in August from a year earlier, data released on Tuesday showed, highlighting the vulnerability of Chinese airlines to repeated outbreaks even though COVID-19 is largely under control in the country. Also read | China faces worst COVID-19 outbreak since Wuhan; surge of Delta variant in 15 cities Fujian`s outbreak began in Putian, a city of 3.2 million, with the first case reported on Sept. 10. Preliminary tests on samples from some Putian cases showed patients had contracted the highly transmissible Delta variant. The outbreak has since spread south to Xiamen, which reported 32 new cases of community transmission for Sept. 13 compared with just one infection a day earlier. "The Putian government is a big client of ours," said a staff at a Xiamen building survey firm, declining to be named. "About half of our company went to Putian last week. They are now isolated at home, while the rest have gone to do their Covid tests." Lockdown Like Putian, Xiamen has locked down some areas of higher virus risk, cut offline classes at kindergartens, primary schools and high schools, closed public venues such as cinemas, gyms and bars, and told residents not to leave the city for non-essential reasons. The first patient in the Xiamen cluster was a close contact of a case in Putian, Xiamen authorities said late on Monday. Known for its mild weather and a laid-back lifestyle, Xiamen is a popular tourist destination domestically. The Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport is also a key transportation hub linking the Yangtze and Pearl River Delta. About 60% of flights to and from Xiamen were cancelled on Tuesday, according to aviation data provider Variflight. Both Putian and Xiamen began city-wide testing for the coronavirus on Tuesday. The cities, however, are yet to announce tough city-wide lockdowns as seen in early 2020 in China. Three new cases of community transmission were also reported in nearby Quanzhou city, versus six infections a day earlier. Variflight data showed 70% of Quanzhou`s flights were cancelled. "One wave after another," said a bank manager in Xiamen. "It feels like the new normal now."

COVID-19 cases in southeast China more than double as Delta spreads

Convalescent plasma does not reduce the risk of intubation or death in COVID-19 patients, according to a study that found that people receiving the therapy experienced more serious adverse events than those getting standard care.

Intubation is a procedure where a tube is inserted into the windpipe to make it easier to breathe.

The research, published in the journal Nature Medicine, also found that the antibody profile in the blood of people who have had the virus is extremely variable and this may modify the response to the treatment.

Convalescent plasma therapy uses blood from people who have recovered from an illness to help others recover.

"It has been thought that the blood plasma of COVID-19 survivors would help those seriously ill from the virus but, unfortunately, it does not," said co-principal investigator of the study, Donald Arnold, a professor at McMaster University in Canada.

"We are cautioning against using convalescent plasma to treat COVID-19 hospitalised patients unless they are in a closely monitored clinical trial," Arnold said.

The research team also found that patients receiving convalescent plasma experienced significantly more serious adverse events than those receiving standard care.

The majority of those events were an increased need for oxygen and worsening respiratory failure, they said.

However, the rate of fatal incidents was not significantly different from the control group of patients who did not receive the blood.

The clinical trial, called CONCOR-1, included 940 patients at 72 hospitals in Canada, the US, and Brazil.

The trial found that convalescent plasma had highly variable donor antibody content due to the highly variable immune response to the virus.

Different antibody profiles in the convalescent plasma were observed to significantly impact whether or not patients experienced intubation or death.

Unfavourable antibody profiles, meaning low antibody titres, non-functional antibodies or both, was associated with a higher risk of intubation or death.

“These findings may explain the conflicting results between randomised trials showing no benefit and observational studies showing better outcomes with higher titre products relative to low titre products," said study co-principal investigator Jeannie Callum, an associate scientist at the Sunnybrook Research Institute in Canada.

"It appears that it may not be that high-titre convalescent plasma is helpful, but rather that low-titre convalescent plasma is harmful," Callum said.

The researchers noted that the harm may come from the transfusion of convalescent plasma containing poorly functioning antibodies.

"One hypothesis is that those dysfunctional antibodies could compete with the patient's antibodies and could disrupt the mounting immune response,” said study co-principal investigator Philippe Begin, an associate professor at the University of Montreal in Canada.

"This phenomenon has been observed previously in animal models and human studies of HIV vaccines," Begin said.

He added that the CONCOR-1 investigators are expecting to collaborate with other international study investigators to understand the potential risks and benefits of convalescent plasma.

"This information from Canada's largest clinical trial on convalescent plasma and COVID-19 may be analysed together with the results of several similar studies going on in the world to provide more robust information and insight that will guide clinical practice and health policy globally," Begin added.&nbsp;

Convalescent plasma does not reduce the risk of intubation or death in COVID-19 patients, according to a study that found that people receiving the therapy experienced more serious adverse events than those getting standard care.

Convalescent plasma does not reduce the risk of intubation or death in COVID-19 patients, according to a study that found that people receiving the therapy experienced more serious adverse events than those getting standard care. Intubation is a procedure where a tube is inserted into the windpipe to make it easier to breathe. The research, published in the journal Nature Medicine, also found that the antibody profile in the blood of people who have had the virus is extremely variable and this may modify the response to the treatment. Convalescent plasma therapy uses blood from people who have recovered from an illness to help others recover. "It has been thought that the blood plasma of COVID-19 survivors would help those seriously ill from the virus but, unfortunately, it does not," said co-principal investigator of the study, Donald Arnold, a professor at McMaster University in Canada. "We are cautioning against using convalescent plasma to treat COVID-19 hospitalised patients unless they are in a closely monitored clinical trial," Arnold said. The research team also found that patients receiving convalescent plasma experienced significantly more serious adverse events than those receiving standard care. The majority of those events were an increased need for oxygen and worsening respiratory failure, they said. However, the rate of fatal incidents was not significantly different from the control group of patients who did not receive the blood. The clinical trial, called CONCOR-1, included 940 patients at 72 hospitals in Canada, the US, and Brazil. The trial found that convalescent plasma had highly variable donor antibody content due to the highly variable immune response to the virus. Different antibody profiles in the convalescent plasma were observed to significantly impact whether or not patients experienced intubation or death. Unfavourable antibody profiles, meaning low antibody titres, non-functional antibodies or both, was associated with a higher risk of intubation or death. “These findings may explain the conflicting results between randomised trials showing no benefit and observational studies showing better outcomes with higher titre products relative to low titre products," said study co-principal investigator Jeannie Callum, an associate scientist at the Sunnybrook Research Institute in Canada. "It appears that it may not be that high-titre convalescent plasma is helpful, but rather that low-titre convalescent plasma is harmful," Callum said. The researchers noted that the harm may come from the transfusion of convalescent plasma containing poorly functioning antibodies. "One hypothesis is that those dysfunctional antibodies could compete with the patient's antibodies and could disrupt the mounting immune response,” said study co-principal investigator Philippe Begin, an associate professor at the University of Montreal in Canada. "This phenomenon has been observed previously in animal models and human studies of HIV vaccines," Begin said. He added that the CONCOR-1 investigators are expecting to collaborate with other international study investigators to understand the potential risks and benefits of convalescent plasma. "This information from Canada's largest clinical trial on convalescent plasma and COVID-19 may be analysed together with the results of several similar studies going on in the world to provide more robust information and insight that will guide clinical practice and health policy globally," Begin added.

Blood plasma therapy doesn't help seriously ill COVID-19 patients: Study 

Michael Vaughan, England's former captain, never shies away from expressing his views on the gentlemen's game. At times, he makes heads turn with his glaring remarks and did the same with his tweet slamming Indian cricket after the fifth and final Test versus England got cancelled, at Manchester, on Friday (September 10).

India and England were to take on each other in the fifth and final Test at Old Trafford, Manchester from Friday, however, the Covid cases in Indian camp meant that the visitors couldn't field a team. Hence, England Cricket Board (ECB) released an official statement saying, "Following ongoing conversations with the BCCI, the ECB can confirm that the fifth LV= Insurance Test between England and India Men due to start today at Emirates Old Trafford, will be cancelled."

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/fifth-test-between-india-and-england-called-off-over-covid-19-concerns-412051">Fifth Test between India and England called off over COVID-19 concerns</a>

"Due to fears of a further increase in the number of COVID cases inside the camp, India are regrettably unable to field a team," the statement added. While nothing is finalised as to when the final Test can be played, either next year when India are already scheduled to tour England for a limited-overs tour, Vaughan raised eyebrows by slamming Indian cricket for not going on with the tour.

"India have let English Cricket down !!! But England did let South African Cricket down," Vaughan wrote in a tweet.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
India have let English Cricket down !!! But England did let South African Cricket down !!!
— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) <a href="https://twitter.com/MichaelVaughan/status/1436237962556149762?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 10, 2021</a></blockquote>
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The fifth Test could've been rescheduled by a day or two, however, that isn't possible as IPL 14's second and final leg is set to commence from September 19, not giving any window for accommodating the final Test immediately.&nbsp;

As of now, the series is 2-1 in Virat Kohli &amp; Co.'s favour after their 157-run win in the fourth and penultimate Test at The Oval, London.

Michael Vaughan, England's former captain, never shies away from expressing his views on the gentlemen's game. At times, he makes heads turn with his glaring remarks and did the same with his tweet slamming Indian cricket after the fifth and final Test versus England got cancelled, at Manchester, on Friday (September 10).

Michael Vaughan, England's former captain, never shies away from expressing his views on the gentlemen's game. At times, he makes heads turn with his glaring remarks and did the same with his tweet slamming Indian cricket after the fifth and final Test versus England got cancelled, at Manchester, on Friday (September 10). India and England were to take on each other in the fifth and final Test at Old Trafford, Manchester from Friday, however, the Covid cases in Indian camp meant that the visitors couldn't field a team. Hence, England Cricket Board (ECB) released an official statement saying, "Following ongoing conversations with the BCCI, the ECB can confirm that the fifth LV= Insurance Test between England and India Men due to start today at Emirates Old Trafford, will be cancelled." ALSO READ | Fifth Test between India and England called off over COVID-19 concerns "Due to fears of a further increase in the number of COVID cases inside the camp, India are regrettably unable to field a team," the statement added. While nothing is finalised as to when the final Test can be played, either next year when India are already scheduled to tour England for a limited-overs tour, Vaughan raised eyebrows by slamming Indian cricket for not going on with the tour. "India have let English Cricket down !!! But England did let South African Cricket down," Vaughan wrote in a tweet. India have let English Cricket down !!! But England did let South African Cricket down !!! — Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) September 10, 2021 × The fifth Test could've been rescheduled by a day or two, however, that isn't possible as IPL 14's second and final leg is set to commence from September 19, not giving any window for accommodating the final Test immediately. As of now, the series is 2-1 in Virat Kohli & Co.'s favour after their 157-run win in the fourth and penultimate Test at The Oval, London.

India have let English cricket down, says Michael Vaughan after Manchester Test called off

With 46,759 people testing positive for COVID-19 in a span of 24 hours, India's infection tally rose to 3,26,49,947 on Saturday, while the count of active cases registered an increase for the fourth consecutive day, according to Union Health Ministry data.

The death toll has climbed to 4,37,370 with 509 more fatalities being recorded, according to the data updated at 8 am.&nbsp;The number of active cases has now increased to 3,59,775 which comprises 1.10 per cent of the total infections. The national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 97.56 per cent, the ministry said.

Watch:&nbsp;Rate of inoculation in South Africa remains 20 per cent

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An increase of 14,876 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours. 
The count of daily new cases has stayed below 50,000 for 62 consecutive days now, the ministry said.

Also, 17,61,110 coronavirus tests were conducted in the country on Friday, taking the cumulative number of such examinations done so far to 51,68,87,602.&nbsp;

The daily positivity rate was recorded at 2.66 per cent. It has been below three per cent for the last 33 days.&nbsp;The weekly positivity rate was recorded at 2.19 per cent. This has been below three per cent for 64 days now, according to the Health Ministry.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/covid-19-virus-origins-us-intelligence-community-says-it-was-not-developed-as-biological-weapon-408909" hreflang="en">COVID-19 virus&nbsp;origins:&nbsp;US intelligence community says it was 'not developed' as biological weapon</a>

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 3,18,52,802, while the case fatality rate stands at 1.34 per cent, the data stated. India administered a record 1,03,35,290 COVID-19 vaccine doses on Friday.

The 509 new fatalities include 179 from Kerala and 170 from Maharashtra.&nbsp;A total of 4,37,370 deaths due to the disease have been reported so far in the country, including 1,36,900 from Maharashtra, 37,248 from Karnataka, 34,835 from Tamil Nadu, 25,080 from Delhi, 22,796 from Uttar Pradesh, 20,313 from Kerala and 18,410 from West Bengal.

With 46,759 people testing positive for COVID-19 in a span of 24 hours, India's infection tally rose to 3,26,49,947 on Saturday, while the count of active cases registered an increase for the fourth consecutive day, according to Union Health Ministry data.

With 46,759 people testing positive for COVID-19 in a span of 24 hours, India's infection tally rose to 3,26,49,947 on Saturday, while the count of active cases registered an increase for the fourth consecutive day, according to Union Health Ministry data. The death toll has climbed to 4,37,370 with 509 more fatalities being recorded, according to the data updated at 8 am. The number of active cases has now increased to 3,59,775 which comprises 1.10 per cent of the total infections. The national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 97.56 per cent, the ministry said. Watch: Rate of inoculation in South Africa remains 20 per cent × An increase of 14,876 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours. The count of daily new cases has stayed below 50,000 for 62 consecutive days now, the ministry said. Also, 17,61,110 coronavirus tests were conducted in the country on Friday, taking the cumulative number of such examinations done so far to 51,68,87,602. The daily positivity rate was recorded at 2.66 per cent. It has been below three per cent for the last 33 days. The weekly positivity rate was recorded at 2.19 per cent. This has been below three per cent for 64 days now, according to the Health Ministry. Also Read | COVID-19 virus origins: US intelligence community says it was 'not developed' as biological weapon The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 3,18,52,802, while the case fatality rate stands at 1.34 per cent, the data stated. India administered a record 1,03,35,290 COVID-19 vaccine doses on Friday. The 509 new fatalities include 179 from Kerala and 170 from Maharashtra. A total of 4,37,370 deaths due to the disease have been reported so far in the country, including 1,36,900 from Maharashtra, 37,248 from Karnataka, 34,835 from Tamil Nadu, 25,080 from Delhi, 22,796 from Uttar Pradesh, 20,313 from Kerala and 18,410 from West Bengal.

India records 46,759 COVID-19 cases, 509 deaths

Thousands of protesters clashed with the Berlin police on Saturday against COVID-19 restrictions imposed by the government.

Four officers were injured while 50 demonstrators were detained for injuring cops, the police said.

Some people tried to get past barricades to the government district around the Reichstag parliament building and clashed with officers, police said.

The protesters, few of whom wore masks, waved banners marked with the messages ‘I have my own opinion’ and ‘Covid-84’—a reference to George Orwell’s book “1984” about a totalitarian state, Reuters reported.

The marches came a month before a federal election. The leading candidates vying to replace Chancellor Angela Merkel have promised to dispense with strict lockdowns on the country.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/unvaccinated-travellers-to-undergo-covid-19-tests-declares-germany-amid-rise-coronavirus-cases-401833">Unvaccinated travellers to undergo COVID-19 tests, declares Germany amid rise coronavirus cases</a>

Germany has reported more than 3.9 million Coronavirus cases and is believed to be facing a fourth wave of infections. It reported 10,303 new cases and 22 fatalities on Saturday, bringing the death toll to 92,096.

To exhort more people to get vaccinated, the government has said it will stop offering free tests from October 11, except for those for whom vaccination is not recommended, such as children and pregnant women.

The government will require people to be vaccinated, test negative or have a recovery certificate to enter indoor restaurants, participate in religious ceremonies or do indoor sport.

(With inputs from agencies)

Thousands of protesters clashed with the Berlin police on Saturday against COVID-19 restrictions imposed by the government. Four officers were injured while 50 demonstrators were detained for injuring cops, the police said.

Thousands of protesters clashed with the Berlin police on Saturday against COVID-19 restrictions imposed by the government. Four officers were injured while 50 demonstrators were detained for injuring cops, the police said. Some people tried to get past barricades to the government district around the Reichstag parliament building and clashed with officers, police said. The protesters, few of whom wore masks, waved banners marked with the messages ‘I have my own opinion’ and ‘Covid-84’—a reference to George Orwell’s book “1984” about a totalitarian state, Reuters reported. The marches came a month before a federal election. The leading candidates vying to replace Chancellor Angela Merkel have promised to dispense with strict lockdowns on the country. Also read | Unvaccinated travellers to undergo COVID-19 tests, declares Germany amid rise coronavirus cases Germany has reported more than 3.9 million Coronavirus cases and is believed to be facing a fourth wave of infections. It reported 10,303 new cases and 22 fatalities on Saturday, bringing the death toll to 92,096. To exhort more people to get vaccinated, the government has said it will stop offering free tests from October 11, except for those for whom vaccination is not recommended, such as children and pregnant women. The government will require people to be vaccinated, test negative or have a recovery certificate to enter indoor restaurants, participate in religious ceremonies or do indoor sport. (With inputs from agencies)

Thousands of protesters clash with Berlin police against COVID-19 curbs

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