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by Martine PAUWELS with Agence France Presse bureaus LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — Europe on Wednesday began lifting travel bans on Britain put in place to contain a new fast-spreading Covid strain while WHO experts were set to meet on a response to it. Meanwhile, in the United States, President Donald Trump rejected a massive Covid economic relief package passed by Congress, branding it “a disgrace” as millions of Americans are suffering fallout from […]
LYON, France (AFP) — Three police were shot dead and a fourth wounded in Puy-de-Dome in central France on Wednesday, sources in the public prosecutor’s office told AFP. The police officers, who were responding to a call over domestic violence, were shot by a 48-year-old man as they attempted to rescue a woman. © Agence France-Presse
by Marlowe HOOD Agence France Presse PARIS, France (AFP) — As dozens of countries blocked the flow of people and goods from Britain to avoid a new and more contagious strain of coronavirus, scientists raced to understand how it emerged and the scope of its threat. Here are some of the key questions they are asking, and the answers that have emerged so far. – How often do viruses mutate? – All the time, but […]
PARIS, France (AFP) — Hundreds of foreigners in France whose jobs expose them to high Covid-19 risks will be naturalised quickly for their commitment during the health crisis, the interior ministry said Tuesday. The ministry had in September invited people who “actively contributed” to the fight against the novel coronavirus to apply for fast-track naturalization. Of the nearly 3,000 people who responded, 74 had already obtained citizenship and 693 more were in the final stage […]
BERLIN, Germany (AFP) — The co-founder of BioNTech said Tuesday it was “highly likely” that its vaccine against the coronavirus works against the mutated strain detected in Britain, but it could also adapt the vaccine if necessary in six weeks. “Scientifically, it is highly likely that the immune response by this vaccine also can deal with the new virus variant,” said Ugur Sahin. But if needed, “in principle the beauty of the messenger technology is […]
by James Pheby with Agence France Presse Bureaus LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — Travellers were facing a nightmare holiday season on Monday with governments banning flights from Britain to contain a fast-spreading variant of the coronavirus, as the European Union approves its first vaccine and readies a mass rollout. More than two dozen countries from India to Argentina suspended flights from the UK offering a bleak reminder that the pandemic is far from over. […]
COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AFP) — The World Health Organization is calling on its members in Europe to step up measures against coronavirus in the face of the new variant circulating in Britain, its European branch said Sunday. Outside Britain, nine cases of the new strain have been reported in Denmark, as well as one case in the Netherlands and another in Australia, according to the WHO. “Across Europe, where transmission is intense and widespread, countries […]
by Agence France Presse Bureaus LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — European countries started banning flights coming from the UK on Sunday as government in London warned that a potent new strain of the virus was “out of control”. Following the example of the Netherlands, where a ban on all UK passenger flights came into effect on Sunday, a German government source said Berlin, too, was considering a similar move as “a serious option” for […]
LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — British Health Secretary Matt Hancock said Sunday that the government has imposed a strict lockdown in London and southeast England because a new strain of the coronavirus was “out of control”. Hancock warned that the strict measures that affect almost a third of England’s population could stay in place until the virus vaccine is fully rolled out. “We acted very quickly and decisively,” Hancock told Sky News, justifying the […]
by Robin MILLARD Agence France Presse GENEVA, Switzerland (AFP) — The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine has been authorized for use in Switzerland, regulators announced Saturday, with immunisation set to start within days as the country battles rising coronavirus cases and deaths. The Swissmedic regulatory authority said it had given the green light following a two-month rolling review. It is the first Covid-19 vaccine approved in the wealthy Alpine nation, with rivals being assessed. “After a meticulous […]
BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (AFP) — Slovak Prime Minister Igor Matovic said Friday he had tested positive for Covid-19, a week after he attended an EU summit in Brussels. The summit is believed to be where French President Emmanuel Macron caught the virus, leading a host of European leaders and top French officials to go into self-isolation. “Today, I am one of you,” Matovic wrote on his Facebook page, attaching a screenshot of a text message […]
PARIS, France (AFP) — French President Emmanuel Macron has tested positive for Covid-19 on Thursday, the presidency said, adding that he would now self-isolate for the next week. “The president tested positive for Covid-19 today,” it said in a statement, adding that he had been tested after the “onset of the first symptoms”. Macron will now, in accordance with national regulations, “self isolate for seven days. He will continue to work and carry out […]
