Tag: covid

Hong Kong to impose first Covid-19 lockdown on virus-hit district: reports

  HONG KONG, China (AFP) — Thousands of Hong Kongers will be ordered to stay in their homes for the city’s first coronavirus lockdown, local media reported Friday, as authorities battle an outbreak in one of its poorest and most densely packed districts. The order bans anyone from leaving their apartment unless they can show a negative test where cases have surged in recent days, and will last until everyone within the designated area has […]

Covax: the global plan to share Covid vaccines

  by Agnès PEDRERO Agence France Presse GENEVA, Switzerland (AFP) — The Covax programme, bolstered by the new US presidency on Thursday, aims to secure enough Covid-19 vaccines this year for the most vulnerable 20 percent in every country, rich or poor. Top US government scientist Anthony Fauci told the World Health Organization (WHO) that the United States intends to join Covax, the globally-pooled coronavirus vaccine procurement and equitable distribution effort. The move should give […]

First Pfizer vaccine doses to arrive in PHL by February under WHO’s COVAX facility – Galvez

Around 200,000 vaccine doses from COVAX facility to arrive by late February   (Eagle News) – About 200,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines, “most likely Pfizer” will be coming into the country by February based on the COVAX facility of the World Health Organization, according to Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. Answering questions at the Senate hearing, Galvez said that the COVAX facility has pledged a total of 40 million vaccine doses for the Philippines which will […]

Japan PM ‘determined’ to hold Olympics despite cancellation report

  TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Japan’s prime minister said he was “determined” to hold the Tokyo Olympics as organisers on Friday brushed off a report claiming officials think cancellation is inevitable. Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga’s latest insistence that the postponed Games are on track comes after The Times cited an unnamed government source saying Japan has already shifted its focus to hosting in 2032. “I am determined to realise a safe and secure Tokyo Games […]

DOH says PHL cold storage facilities enough for coming COVID-19 vaccines; inspections start

Millions of vaccine doses can be stored in current facilities   (Eagle News) – The Department of Health said that the country will have enough cold chain storage facilities for the expected doses of COVID-19 vaccines expected to arrive starting next month. The storage facilities currently in the country already have the capacity to store millions of doses of vaccines which have a temperature requirement of between 2°C to 8°C, between -15°C to -25°C, and […]

US resumes WHO support, launches $1.9 trillion virus plan

by Nina LARSON with AFP Bureaus Agence France Presse GENEVA, Switzerland (AFP) — The United States on Thursday said it would resume its funding for the UN’s health agency as President Joe Biden shifts towards greater international cooperation in the fight against Covid-19, while also launching a $1.9 trillion plan to tackle the pandemic at home. On his first day in the job, Biden confirmed he had reversed the decision of former president Donald Trump […]

Biden orders masks, travel clampdown in new war on Covid

by Sebastian Smith Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — President Joe Biden on Thursday tightened mask wearing rules and ordered quarantine for people flying into the United States, as he got to work on tackling the coronavirus pandemic on his first full day in power. Signing 10 executive orders in the White House, Biden told the nation that the Covid-19 death toll would likely rise from 400,000 to half a million next month […]

Just in: Five dead in India vaccine plant fire: CEO mourns ‘loss of life’

MUMBAI, India (AFP) — Five people died as a fire tore through a building in the world’s biggest vaccine production hub in western India Thursday, officials said. “Five people have died,” Pune city mayor Murlidhar Mohol told reporters following the fire at the Serum Institute of India. Rescue workers discovered five bodies in the under-construction building after the blaze was brought under control, media reports said, but the company insisted its production of drugs to […]

Galvez meets Sotto, Lacson, Dela Rosa on vaccine deal; confidentiality issue clarified

  (Eagle News) — Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr., had pushed through his meeting with selected senators on Wednesday night, Jan. 20, including Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, to reveal and explain details of the contracts being negotiated for the various COVID-19 vaccines to be delivered to the country. The meeting was also attended by Senators Panfilo Lacson and Ronald dela Rosa. The meeting was in accordance with the directive of President Rodrigo Duterte […]

Partial lockdown in Beijing over Covid-19 outbreak

  BEIJING, China (AFP) — A partial lockdown was imposed on the Chinese capital Wednesday, with 1.6 million residents banned from leaving Beijing, after a handful of cases were detected. Seven cases were reported in the city on Wednesday, including six in southern Daxing district. All 1.6 million residents of Daxing must not leave Beijing unless they have received special permission from the authorities and tested negative for Covid-19 in the past three days, the […]

UK coronavirus strain detected in at least 60 countries: WHO

  GENEVA, Switzerland (AFP) — The UK coronavirus strain has been detected in at least 60 countries, the World Health Organization said Wednesday, 10 more than a week ago. With the global death toll now well past two million, and new variants of the virus causing deep concern, countries across the world are grappling with how to slow infections until vaccines become widely available. The South African strain, which like the UK one is believed […]

One in eight in England have had COVID-19: official data

  LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — An estimated 12 percent of people in England had been infected with coronavirus by December last year, up from nine percent in November, according to official antibody data released Tuesday. One in 10 people in Wales, one in 13 in Northern Ireland and one in 11 in Scotland were also estimated to have caught the virus, according analysis of random blood test results published by the Office for National […]