International

French primary schools reopen as Covid 3rd wave eases

by Romain FONSEGRIVES PARIS, France (AFP) — Millions of French children returned to the classroom on Monday as primary schools reopened after a three-week shutdown ordered to combat a severe third wave of Covid-19 infections. Kindergartens also reopened as President Emmanuel Macron’s government began easing restrictions imposed when France entered its third nationwide lockdown on April 3. Secondary schools will reopen in a week’s time and restrictions on people travelling beyond a 10-kilometre (six-mile) radius […]

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France’s Sanofi to help produce Moderna vaccines in US

PARIS, France (AFP) — French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi said Monday that it would help Moderna produce its cutting-edge Covid-19 vaccine in the United States, as it pursues development of its own jab for the virus at home. The company’s production site in Ridgefield, New Jersey, just outside New York City, will carry out “fill and finish” operations for up to 200 million doses starting in September for distribution worldwide. “We are one of the few […]

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More than 500 Venezuelan healthcare workers have died during pandemic: NGO

CARACAS, Venezuela (AFP) — More than 500 health workers have died in Venezuela since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, a nongovernmental organization said Monday. “The number of deaths in the health sector with criteria for Covid-19 is accelerating. Information is received of 14 new deaths to reach 513,” Medicos Unidos de Venezuela said on Twitter. Since the first cases were reported in March 2020, health care unions and NGOs have decried precarious conditions in […]

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Fiji fears virus ‘tsunami’ after outbreak found to be Indian variant

SUVA, Fiji (AFP) — A Covid-19 outbreak that forced Fiji’s capital into lockdown after the island nation avoided transmission for a year was confirmed as the Indian variant Tuesday, with health officials saying they feared a “tsunami” of cases. The Pacific country had largely dodged community transmission before a cluster emerged this month centred on a quarantine facility in Nadi, the city that is home to Fiji’s international airport. The permanent secretary for health and […]

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California to hold recall vote as anti-governor campaign hits goal

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — A Republican-backed petition to recall California’s governor has achieved its goal of forcing a special election, which is set to be held later this year, officials said Monday. The vote on Democratic governor Gavin Newsom’s tenure will be only the second ever held in California, after the 2003 election that brought Arnold Schwarzenegger to power — and the fourth in the nation’s history. As of Monday, “the requisite number […]

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First shipment of UK Covid medical aid arrives in India

NEW DELHI, India (AFP) — The first shipment of Covid medical supplies from Britain to India, including 100 ventilators and 95 oxygen concentrators, arrived early Tuesday, the foreign ministry said. Foreign ministry spokesman Arindam Bagchi tweeted photos of the equipment being unloaded from a German Lufthansa aircraft in New Delhi, calling it “international cooperation at work”. Britain, one of several countries to announce sending help as India’s health care system buckles under a huge surge […]

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Brazilian regulator denies permission to import Russian Covid vaccine

BRASILIA, Brazil (AFP) — Brazil’s health regulator on Monday denied a request from several states to import Russia’s Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine, saying it did not have the data needed to verify the jab’s safety and efficacy. “We will never allow millions of Brazilians to be exposed to products without due verification of quality, safety and efficacy, or at minimum, facing the grave situation we are now going through, that the benefits will outweigh the […]

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Australia bans passenger flights from India until May 15

SYDNEY, Australia (AFP) — Australia on Tuesday announced a temporary ban on direct passenger flights from India, as the South Asian nation grapples with a massive surge in coronavirus infections. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the suspension would remain in place until at least May 15 due to “clearly present” risks of travel from India, leaving thousands of Australians — including high-profile cricketers — stranded. It follows similar moves by countries including Canada, the United […]

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Foreign aid arrives in Covid-stricken India

  NEW DELHI, India (AFP) — The first emergency medical supplies trickled into Covid-stricken India on Tuesday as part of a global campaign to staunch a catastrophic wave in the latest pandemic hotspot, with the United States also pledging to export millions of AstraZeneca vaccines. India’s infection and death rates are growing exponentially, overwhelming hospitals, in contrast to some wealthier Western nations that are starting to ease restrictions. The virus has now killed over 3.1 […]

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Japan rolls out vaccine slowly, despite looming Olympics

by Katie Forster / Natsuko FUKUE TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Three months before it hosts the Olympics — the biggest international event since the pandemic began — Japan has fully vaccinated less than one percent of its population in a cautious, slow-moving programme. Olympic organisers and local officials stress vaccines are not a prerequisite for the Games. Participants will not have to be inoculated before arrival and there are no plans to prioritise vaccination of […]

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Covid-19 situation in India ‘beyond heartbreaking’: WHO chief

  by Nina LARSON Agence France Presse GENEVA, Switzerland (AFP) — The World Health Organization chief voiced alarm Monday at India’s record-breaking wave of Covid-19 cases and deaths, saying the organisation was rushing to help address the crisis. “The situation in India is beyond heartbreaking,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters. He spoke as India battles a catastrophic coronavirus wave that has overwhelmed hospitals, with crematoriums working at full capacity. A surge in recent days has […]

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Turkey to enter full lockdown April 29 to May 17

ANKARA, Turkey (AFP) — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday announced a full lockdown from April 29 to May 17 to fight a surging third wave of coronavirus infections. The nation of 84 million has seen daily Covid-19 death tolls rise to around 350 — higher than during two previous spikes last year. Turkey’s 37,312 new infections reported on Monday were the highest in Europe but still down from the peak of nearly 60,000 […]

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