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WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AFP) — New Zealand rushed to track the source of a sudden return of the coronavirus Thursday as the number of new cases in its biggest city rose to 17 and officials warned more infections were inevitable. National health chief Ashley Bloomfield said there were 13 new confirmed infections in Auckland, all linked to four family members found on Tuesday, ending the country’s record of 102 days without community transmission. The surge […]
BRASILIA, Brazil (AFP) — The Brazilian state of Parana signed a deal Wednesday to test and produce Russia’s new coronavirus vaccine, though officials stressed they would have to be sure of its safety and effectiveness first. The vaccine would have to receive Brazilian regulatory approval and complete Phase 3 clinical trials, or large-scale testing in humans, before being produced in Brazil, said officials from the southern state. Production, if it goes ahead, would likely only […]
(Eagle News) – The Philippine government has started distribution of free high quality reusable face masks to vulnerable sectors of the community in a kick-off ceremony in Rizal province on Wednesday, July 12. The launching of the Community Distribution of Face Masks is in line with President Rodrigo Duterte’s pledge to distribute free washable face masks to Filipinos, said Department of Trade and Industry Secretary Ramon Lopez. The target is to give at least […]
by Jean-Baptiste OUBRIER LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — Britain’s economy shrank by a fifth in the second quarter, higher than any European neighbour, as the coronavirus pandemic slammed businesses and plunged the country into a record recession. “It is clear that the UK is in the largest recession on record,” the Office for National Statistics said after gross domestic product (GDP) contracted by 20.4 percent in April-June. Britain’s recession — its first since 2009 amid […]
SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — South Korea has opened a high-tech new front in the battle against coronavirus, fortifying bus shelters with temperature-checking doors and ultraviolet disinfection lamps. Ten advanced facilities have been installed in a northeastern district of Seoul, offering protection from monsoon rains, summer heat, and the novel coronavirus. To enter, passengers must stand in front of an automated thermal-imaging camera, and the door will only slide open if their temperature is below […]
MELBOURNE, Australia (AFP) — Australia’s worst-hit state of Victoria appears to be curbing a virus outbreak after a week of tougher restrictions, authorities said Wednesday, with new cases falling in recent days even as fatalities topped records. Victoria state Premier Daniel Andrews announced 410 new cases and 21 fatalities — marking Australia’s deadliest day so far — but said the state “certainly” seemed to be flattening the curve. “If you look at the average over […]
AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AFP) — New Zealand locked down nursing homes nationwide Wednesday after a 102-day streak without the coronavirus ended, as Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the outbreak could force her to postpone next month’s general election. Ardern said authorities were scrambling to trace anyone who had been in contact with four Auckland residents who tested positive Tuesday, ending the dream run in which the virus had been contained at New Zealand’s borders. A […]
by Ivan Couronne WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Although none of the coronavirus vaccines under development has proved its efficacy yet in clinical trials, at least 5.7 billion doses have been pre-ordered around the world. First shipments of a COVID-19 vaccine created by Western laboratories have often been snapped up by the United States. Five vaccines — three Western and two Chinese — are in Phase 3 efficacy trials involving thousands of people. In a […]
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — President Donald Trump on Tuesday announced a $1.5 billion contract with US biotech company Moderna for 100 million doses of an eventual coronavirus vaccine, the sixth such deal reached since May. “I’m pleased to announce that we have reached an agreement with Moderna to manufacture and deliver 100 million doses of their coronavirus vaccine candidate,” Trump said at a White House news conference. “The federal government will own these vaccine […]
MEXICO CITY, Mexico (AFP) — Mexico said Tuesday it had signed deals with three pharmaceutical companies from the United States and China to carry out clinical trials of potential coronavirus vaccines in the hard-hit country. The Latin American nation, which has the world’s third-highest COVID-19 death toll, said that Janssen Pharmaceuticals, part of Johnson & Johnson, CanSino Biologics and Walvax Biotechnology, would begin Phase 3 trials from September. They will join French company Sanofi, which […]
MOSCOW, Russia (AFP) — Moscow has dubbed its new coronavirus vaccine “Sputnik V” after the Soviet satellite, the head of the country’s sovereign wealth fund said Tuesday, after Russia declared itself the first country to develop a vaccine. Kirill Dmitriyev, the head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund which finances the vaccine project, said Phase 3 trials would start on Wednesday and industrial production was expected from September. “We’ve seen considerable interest in the Russian […]
GENEVA, Switzerland (AFP) — The World Health Organization said any WHO stamp of approval on a COVID-19 vaccine candidate would require a rigorous safety data review, after Russia announced Tuesday it had approved a vaccine. President Vladimir Putin said Russia had become the first country to approve a vaccine offering “sustainable immunity” against the new coronavirus. “We are in close contact with the Russian health authorities and discussions are ongoing with respect to possible WHO […]
