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by Burcin Gercek and Ozan Kose in Istanbul ANKARA, Turkey (AFP) — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stripped down to a black t-shirt and got vaccinated on Thursday as the nation of 83 million people began rolling out China’s Sinovac jab despite conflicting data about its efficacy. The 66-year-old Turkish leader was whisked into an Ankara hospital by a bevy of security guards before emerging about an hour later to stress the importance of officials […]
by Jürgen HECKER and Joseph SCHMID PARIS, France (AFP) — The French government will impose a daily nationwide curfew at 6 pm starting Saturday to combat a worrying increase in Covid-19 cases, Prime Minister Jean Castex said on Thursday. The measure will remain in force for at least two weeks, Castex told a news conference. Except for emergency services, all services and shops will have to close at that time, he said. “The virus is […]
JERUSALEM, Undefined (AFP) — The number of people inoculated in Israel for coronavirus passed the two million threshold Thursday, with the prime minister saying there was “light at the end of the tunnel”. Israel “will become the first country to emerge from the corona crisis,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu boasted. “We see the light at the end of the tunnel,” he said, all smiles as he watched an Israeli woman become the second millionth to […]
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (AFP) — The African Union said on Wednesday it had secured 270 million doses of anti-Covid vaccine for the continent, in a deal that will benefit countries unable to finance their own immunization campaigns. Under the deal, the vaccines will be supplied by Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson. The doses will complement the vaccines secured via Covax, the globally-pooled vaccine procurement and distribution effort which has struck agreements to secure two […]
by Natalia Cano Agence France-Presse MEXICO CITY, Mexico (AFP) — Mexico’s ban on single-use plastic in its capital, one of the world’s most populous metropolises, has delighted environmentalists but dismayed some businesses struggling to cope with the coronavirus pandemic. Home to around nine million people, Mexico City generates about 13,000 tons of solid waste every day. The new rules, which are being phased in, ban the use of disposable plastic items such as cutlery, plates, […]
BEIJING, China (AFP) — China reported a death from Covid-19 on Thursday — its first in eight months — as the country battles to contain a resurgence in cases and prepares for the arrival of an expert team from the WHO. China had largely brought the virus under control after strict lockdowns, mass testing and travel restrictions, but recent weeks have seen numbers climbing again, especially in the north. Another 138 infections were reported […]
MADRID, Spain (AFP) — Spain registered a record daily number of coronavirus cases on Wednesday, with nearly 39,000 new infections over the past 24 hours, the health ministry said. A total of 38,869 new cases were recorded since Tuesday and 195 deaths. The data showed Spain was in a situation of “very high risk, extreme risk”, said Carolina Darias, minister for territorial policy and civil service. The numbers bring the total number of infections in […]
by Paul RICARD PARIS, France (AFP) — As the British coronavirus variant occupies countries’ pandemic plans due to its increased transmissibility, other mutations to the Sars-CoV-2 are provoking concern among scientists who are scrambling to work out if they will still respond to vaccines. In particular, one mutation, known as E484K, detected initially in South Africa and on subsequent variants in Brazil and Japan, has raised alarm among researchers. Ravi Gupta, professor of microbiology at […]
LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — Britain will make appointments for coronavirus vaccinations available 24 hours-a-day “as soon as we can”, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Wednesday, reversing his opposition to the idea. Johnson had just days ago brushed off calls from the main opposition Labour party for night-time opening of vaccine centers, arguing there was “no clamour” for it. But the government has come under increasing pressure to speed up its vaccination program, and is […]
MOSCOW, Russia (AFP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday tasked officials with launching mass coronavirus vaccinations from next week, touting Russia’s homemade jab as the world’s best. “I ask you to begin the mass vaccination of the entire population next week,” Putin told officials at a televised government meeting. “The Russian vaccine is the best in the world,” he said. Russia in August registered Sputnik V — named after the Soviet-era satellite — months […]
by Robin MILLARD Agence France Presse GENEVA, Switzerland (AFP) — The coronavirus mutation first found in Britain has now spread to 50 territories, according to the World Health Organization, while a similar South African-identified strain has now been found in 20. The UN body also noted a third new coronavirus “variant of concern” found in Japan may impact upon immune response and needs further investigation. “The more the SARS-CoV-2 virus spreads, the more opportunities it […]
TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Japan is set to expand a coronavirus state of emergency on Wednesday to seven more regions including the major cities of Osaka and Kyoto, as infections surge nationwide. While the country’s outbreak remains comparatively small, with around 4,100 deaths overall, there has been a sharp spike in cases this winter and medics say hospitals are under heavy strain in the worst-affected areas. The month-long emergency measure — which unlike strict lockdowns […]
