Tag: Virus

Malaysia imposes lockdown as Southeast Asia battles virus surge

by M. Jegathesan KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AFP) — Malaysia imposed a tough nationwide lockdown on Tuesday to battle a worsening coronavirus outbreak, as countries across Southeast Asia struggled with a resurgence in cases driven by infectious variants. Much of the region escaped the pandemic’s first wave last year relatively unscathed by rapidly closing borders and introducing curbs. But countries from Thailand to Vietnam are being hammered by fresh surges, with efforts to quell outbreaks hampered […]

Continue Reading →

France opens Covid jabs for all adults in race against variants

by Juliette COLLEN PARIS, France (AFP) — France on Monday opened up Covid-19 vaccines to all adults, a week before Germany, as Europe races to avoid another wave of infections caused by new virus variants. So far, 25.4 million people have received a first shot of a vaccine, representing about 38 percent of the population and nearly one in two adults. Until now, people over 50, workers in professions particularly exposed to the virus and […]

Continue Reading →

China limits travel in most populous province over Covid-19 cases

BEIJING, China (AFP) — Chinese authorities imposed fresh travel limits, cancelled flights and tested thousands of residents in Guangdong Monday after the Indian variant of the coronavirus was reported in the country’s most populous province. Travellers leaving Guangzhou — the capital of the southern province home to 100 million people — must show negative Covid-19 test results from the past 72 hours, starting from 10:00 pm on Monday, the city said in an announcement late […]

Continue Reading →

Singapore to vaccinate schoolchildren against Covid

SINGAPORE, Singapore (AFP) — Singapore will start vaccinating schoolchildren against the coronavirus soon, the prime minister said Monday, after officials warned that new strains were affecting youngsters more. The city-state recently tightened curbs following a slight uptick in cases, after months of reporting barely any local transmissions. This included closing schools amid signs that new variants, such as the one first detected in India, were affecting children in greater numbers. In a televised speech, Prime […]

Continue Reading →

WHO switches to Greek alphabet for virus variant names

by Robin MILLARD GENEVA, Switzerland (AFP) — Covid-19 variants are to be known by letters of the Greek alphabet to avoid stigmatizing nations where they were first detected, the World Health Organization announced Monday. The new system applies to variants of concern — the most troubling of which four are in circulation — and the second-level variants of interest being tracked. “They will not replace existing scientific names, but are aimed to help in public […]

Continue Reading →

Vietnam to suspend incoming int’l flights to Hanoi over new Covid variant from June 1 to 7

  HANOI, Vietnam (AFP) — The international airport of Vietnam’s capital will suspend inbound flights from abroad beginning Tuesday, the country’s aviation body announced, as it grapples with a fresh wave of virus outbreaks. A “temporary suspension of receiving international flights” will begin at Hanoi’s Noi Bai International Airport from June 1 at midnight until June 7, the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam said in a statement on Monday. Vietnam’s health minister said over the […]

Continue Reading →

Vietnam discovers new hybrid virus variant – combination of Indian and British strains

  HANOI, Vietnam (AFP) — Vietnam has discovered a new Covid-19 variant which spreads quickly by air and is a combination of the Indian and British strains, health officials confirmed Saturday. The country is struggling to deal with fresh outbreaks across more than half of its territory, including industrial zones and big cities such as Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. More than 6,800 cases including 47 deaths have been reported in Vietnam, with the […]

Continue Reading →

50k add’l SputnikV doses delivered; 3.4-M doses from Pfizer, Moderna, Sinovac expected this June

Palace: no serious adverse events reported from those given COVID vaccines so far   (Eagle News) – The Philippines received 50,000 more doses of Sputnik V vaccines on Sunday night, May 30, bringing to 80,000 the total doses of the Russian-made vaccine in the country. Malacanang said that the new Sputnik vaccine doses would be given to “centers of gravity” or areas with high concentration of COVID-19 cases. “Ang latest vaccine naman na ito ay […]

Continue Reading →

NCR active cases down to 2.2 percent as fewer cases reported, but Visayas, Mindanao cases rise

Shift to a lower quarantine protocol, possibly GCQ, seen in Metro Manila for June   (Eagle News) – The number of COVID-19 cases continued to increase on Sunday, May 30, with the highest rise in cases occurring in the Visayas and Mindanao regions. New cases added on Sunday were 7,058, bringing the total active cases nationwide to 53,757. This represents 4.4 percent of the total cases of 1,223,627. This is the third straight day that […]

Continue Reading →

Tokyo Olympics fans to need vaccination or virus test: report

TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Tokyo Olympics fans may have to be vaccinated or test negative for the coronavirus before being allowed into venues, a Japanese newspaper report said Monday. Cheering, eating, high-fives and drinking alcohol would also be banned under controls now being considered, the Yomiuri Shimbun daily said, citing unnamed government officials. Organizers are set to decide in June how many spectators — if any — will be allowed to attend the pandemic-postponed Games. […]

Continue Reading →

UK approves single shot Johnson & Johnson Covid vaccine

LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — Britain on Friday approved the use of a fourth Covid vaccine, hoping to boost a countrywide inoculation drive to allow its economy to reopen fully despite concerns about a new variant. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) approved the single-shot Johnson & Johnson jab, after previously backing the Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Moderna shots. Prime Minister Boris Johnson called it “very welcome news and another boost to our hugely […]

Continue Reading →

South Africa steps up virus curbs against third wave

PRETORIA, South Africa (AFP) — President Cyril Ramaphosa announced Sunday that South Africa would re-impose stricter measures against Covid-19 fearing the whole country will soon face a third wave of the pandemic. Four of the nation’s nine provinces, including Gauteng which boasts Johannesburg and Pretoria and has the biggest population, are already battling a third wave of infections, Ramaphosa said. “It may only be a matter of time before the country as a whole will […]

Continue Reading →
1 … 104 105 106 107 108 … 384