BEIJING, China (AFP) — Chinese authorities sealed off a city of almost five million people and imposed strict travel restrictions on several others on Tuesday as they worked to quash a number of Covid-19 clusters near Beijing. The country had largely curbed the spread of the coronavirus, which first emerged in Wuhan in late 2019, with small outbreaks swiftly snuffed out using mass testing, local lockdowns and travel restrictions. But Hebei province in northern China […]
Tag: china
Sinovac’s CoronaVac vaccine 78% effective in final stage clinical trials in Brazil, says officials
SAO PAULO, Brazil (AFP) — Chinese-developed Covid-19 vaccine CoronaVac showed at least 78-percent effectiveness in final-stage clinical trials in Brazil, officials announced Thursday, saying they would apply for emergency approval from the Brazilian regulatory agency to begin a vaccination campaign. “This is a historic day, a day of hope,” Sao Paulo state Governor Joao Doria told a news conference announcing the results. He said his state’s vaccination campaign would begin on January 25, though […]
Palace says first COVID-19 vaccines set to arrive in February will be 65k doses from Sinovac
Roque says PHL to get a total of 25 million vaccine doses from Sinovac in 2021 (Eagle News) – Malacanang said that the first COVID-19 vaccine doses to arrive next month would be coming from Sinovac, a Chinese biopharmaceutical company that produces vaccines against infectious diseases. In a media briefing, Palace spokesperson Harry Roque said that at least 65,000 doses of Sinovac’s vaccines will be arriving in the country by February, which means that 65,000 […]
Over half a million under lockdown as Beijing outbreak spreads
BEIJING, China (AFP) — More than half a million people were placed under lockdown in Beijing on Monday as the government imposed strict measures to stamp out a handful of Covid-19 cases. China has largely brought the virus under control, but is tackling a number of local infections with lockdowns and mass testing. Authorities are keen to stem any outbreak in the capital — home to over 20 million people — particularly ahead of […]
China says WHO coronavirus experts to visit from Thursday
BEIJING, China (AFP) — Ten World Health Organization scientists will visit China from Thursday to probe the origins of Covid-19, authorities said, more than a year after the pandemic began and amid accusations, Beijing delayed the investigation. The WHO team “will conduct joint research cooperation on the origins of covid 19 with Chinese scientists,” the National Health Commission said in a statement. The long-awaited mission — which has been under discussion since last year — […]
Beijing freezes as temperature hits five decade lows
BEIJING, China (AFP) — Temperatures in the Chinese capital plunged to their lowest for more than five decades on Thursday, as Beijing was hit by gale-force winds and bitter conditions. On Thursday morning the mercury dropped to minus 19.6 degrees Celsius (minus 3.3 Fahrenheit), breaking a previous cold weather record set in 1969. The cold reading was the lowest since 1966, when temperatures in the city fell to minus 27.4 degrees Celsius (minus 17.3 Fahrenheit). […]
Chinese vaccine 78% effective in Brazil tests: officials
SAO PAULO, Brazil (AFP) — Chinese-developed Covid-19 vaccine CoronaVac showed at least 78-percent effectiveness in final-stage clinical trials in Brazil, officials announced Thursday, saying they would apply for emergency approval from the Brazilian regulatory agency to begin a vaccination campaign. “This is a historic day, a day of hope,” Sao Paulo state Governor Joao Doria told a news conference announcing the results. He said his state’s vaccination campaign would begin on January 25, though that […]
China reports highest Covid-19 figures since July
BEIJING, China (AFP) — China reported 63 new Covid-19 infections on Thursday — the highest single-day tally since July — as authorities try to stamp out an outbreak of the virus in a city of 11 million near Beijing. The virus first emerged in central China in late 2019, but since then authorities have largely brought the situation under control through travel restrictions, strict lockdowns and mass testing. But a recent outbreak in northern Hebei […]
WHO virus mission blunted as China refuses team entry
by Beiyi Seow and Jing Xuan Teng BEIJING, China (AFP) — An expert mission to China to probe the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic was in disarray Wednesday after Beijing denied entry to the World Health Organization team at the last minute despite months of painstaking negotiations. Ten experts were due to arrive in China this week for the delicate, highly politicized task of establishing how and where the virus jumped from animals to humans. […]
China moves to stamp out virus outbreak in city of 11 million
BEIJING, China (AFP) — Travel has been restricted to a northern Chinese city of 11 million people and schools closed as authorities Wednesday moved to snuff out a cluster of Covid-19 after dozens were infected. Ten major highways leading into the city of Shijiazhuang, around 300 kilometers (200 miles) south of Beijing, have been closed and a bus terminus was closed in an attempt to prevent the virus from spreading beyond the city in Hebei […]
Beijing vaccinates thousands in Covid-19 jab drive
BEIJING, China (AFP) — Thousands of people were lining up in Beijing to receive a Covid-19 vaccine as China races to innoculate millions before the Chinese New Year mass travel season in February. More than 73,000 people in the Chinese capital have received the first dose of the vaccine over the last couple of days, state media reported Sunday, including community workers and bus drivers. Health authorities on New Year’s Eve granted “conditional” approval to […]
Egypt approves Chinese Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine
CAIRO, Egypt (AFP) — Egypt has approved the use of a Covid-19 vaccine developed by Chinese pharma giant Sinopharm with its rollout to start later in January, the health minister said. “The Egyptian pharmaceutical authority approved on Saturday the Chinese Sinopharm vaccine,” Hala Zayed said late Saturday, on the local MBC Masr channel. The first batch of the vaccine was delivered in December, with further doses expected this month. “The second shipment of this vaccine […]





