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China reported 3,393 new Covid-19 cases Sunday, the National Health Commission said, more than double the previous day, as the country faces its gravest virus outbreak in two years. A nationwide surge in cases has seen authorities close schools in Shanghai and lock down several northeastern cities, as almost 19 provinces battle local outbreaks of the Omicron and Delta variants. The city of Jilin has been partially locked down, with hundreds of neighbourhoods sealed up, […]
Airlines and airports called Friday for an end to pandemic measures for European domestic flights as most countries in the region begin to relax requirements to present proof of vaccination and wear masks. “Covid-19, and specifically the Omicron variant, is now pervasive throughout all of Europe, and population immunity is at such levels that the risk of hospitalisation or death has dramatically reduced, especially for vaccinated people,” said joint statement from ACI Europe and IATA. […]
SHANGHAI, China (AFP) — A northeastern Chinese city of nine million people was ordered to lock down on Friday, as authorities scramble to halt a fresh Covid-19 outbreak that has pushed nationwide case counts to their highest in two years. Changchun, the capital of Jilin province and an important industrial base, has ordered residents to work from home. One person will be allowed out every two days to buy “daily necessities”, and said it would […]
by Holmes CHAN Agence France-Presse HONG KONG, China (AFP) – Nearly three-quarters of Hong Kong’s refugees are struggling to put food on the table, according to a survey released Friday, as fears over the city’s plans to control its worst-ever coronavirus outbreak spark bouts of panic-buying. Mixed messages from authorities about a planned lockdown and mass testing of all 7.4 million city residents have led to a frenzied stripping of supermarket shelves, sending food prices […]
by Robin MILLARD Agence France Presse GENEVA, Switzerland (AFP) — Friday marks two years to the day since the World Health Organization first described Covid-19 as a pandemic, shaking countries into action as the disease ripped around the planet. The once-in-a-century pandemic has turned the world upside down, claiming more than six million lives and infecting at least 450 million people. But the WHO voiced its frustration at people marking the second anniversary of […]
by Julia ZAPPEI VIENNA, Austria (AFP) — Austria said Wednesday it is suspending mandatory Covid-19 vaccinations for all adults saying the pandemic no longer poses the same danger, just weeks after the law took effect in an EU first. The Alpine nation of nine million people was among few countries in the world to make jabs against the coronavirus compulsory for all adults. The law took effect in February and called for fines up to […]
by Xinqi SU HONG KONG, China (AFP) — Hong Kong’s leader said Wednesday that mandatory coronavirus testing was no longer a priority after plans for mass screening of all 7.4 million residents and an accompanying citywide lockdown triggered panic. Wednesday’s announcement by Carrie Lam comes after weeks of uncertainty and mixed messages from the government, fuelling panic-buying sprees by residents snapping up vegetables, canned goods, frozen foods, and even over-the-counter medicine such as paracetamol, and […]
PARIS, France (AFP) — Over six million people have died worldwide from Covid-19 since the pandemic began, according to a tally from official sources compiled by AFP on Tuesday. A total of 6,001,585 people have succumbed to the virus, AFP counted at 0900 GMT. The milestone comes as the number of infections and deaths continues to plummet in most regions of the world, except in Asia, where Hong Kong is suffering its worst-ever outbreak, […]
HONG KONG, China (AFP) — One of Hong Kong’s top coronavirus experts on Thursday joined a growing chorus of criticism over plans to test the entire city, saying doing so during its worst-ever outbreak would have little impact. The Asian financial hub is registering tens of thousands of new cases each day, overwhelming hospitals and shattering the city’s zero-Covid strategy. China has ordered local officials to stamp out the current wave even as studies […]
by Nina LARSON Agence France-Presse GENEVA, Switzerland (AFP) – The Covid pandemic has taken a dire toll on mental health, the WHO said Wednesday, indicating that cases of anxiety and depression had swelled by over 25 percent globally. In a fresh scientific brief, the World Health Organization also found that the Covid-19 crisis had in many cases significantly impeded access to mental health services and raised concerns about increases in suicidal behaviour. The brief, which […]
68.8M more individuals receive first doses, 10.2 million booster doses given so far (Eagle News) – The Philippines has already fully vaccinated 63.2 million people, while 68.8 million have already received their first doses of the Covid-19 vaccines, Malacanang said on Tuesday, March 1, as the country marked the first year of its mass vaccination campaign to defeat the pandemic. March 1 was also the start of de-escalation of Metro Manila and 38 other areas […]
BEIJING, China (AFP) — China could move away from its zero-Covid strategy “in the near future” and co-exist with the virus, a top Chinese scientist said in a possible sign that the country’s leadership is rethinking its strict approach. The country where the coronavirus was first detected in 2019 is now one of the last places still hewing to a zero-tolerance approach, responding to small outbreaks with snap lockdowns and cutting off most international […]
