Photographer: Octavio Jones / Getty Images
Photographer: Octavio Jones / Getty Images
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The AstraZeneca Plc-Oxford University vaccine has shown limited efficacy against mild disease caused by the South African version of Covid-19, according to early data in a low-phase study.
New cases in the US continued to show a declining trend. Although deaths remain high, the average daily increase in infections decreased by 20% compared to the previous week. New cases in Brazil fell for the third week in a row.
China has dominated a northern explosion, with only one new infection in Jilin Province. Australia has extended tests to quarantined travelers to stop the virus from leaking into the community. Zimbabwe is in talks with Russia to buy a supply of the Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine, state media reported on Sunday.
Key developments:
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Zimbabwe discusses vaccine with Russia: (18:35 HK)
Zimbabwe is in talks with Russia to buy a supply of the Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine, state media reported on Sunday. “We are working on ways,” Anastasia Samoylenko, an official at the Russian embassy, told the Sunday Mail. No further details were provided on the quantities of vaccine and when deliveries for the South African nation can begin.
On Thursday, President Emmerson Mnangagwa said the country, which has been in a tight deadlock since January 5, would now adopt vaccines as a “second preventive measure”.
Hong Kong worries about Lunar New Year (18.10 HK)
Hong Kong health officials have expressed concern about large family gatherings and public holiday markets ahead of the Lunar New Year festival in the coming days, as it reported 27 new cases of coronavirus on Sunday. “It’s a source of concern for us, because with all the festivities, we know that people will want to get together, meet relatives or spend time in New Year’s markets,” said Chuang Shuk-kwan, head of the branch. communicable diseases of the Department of Health, told reporters.
UK government plans to vaccinate some at work (17:45 HK)
UK ministers are considering proposals to vaccinate millions of people in front-line positions – including teachers and emergency services – under the age of 50 at work in the spring, the Telegraph reported, citing unidentified government sources.
According to the plan, delivery drivers, supermarket workers and food processing factories would jump in front of the queue for jobs, according to the newspaper. Prison staff, police officers and even jurors can also be a priority.
French Minister of Industry “Agnostic” for Russian vaccine (16:45 HK)
French Industry Minister Agnes Pannier-Runacher said she was “agnostic” about the Russian coup, adding that any jab “that is ready and safe and effective is welcome in Europe”. During an interview with France Info TV on Sunday, Pannier-Runacher also said that the circulation of viruses in France is relatively low compared to other European countries.
“We have a series of stabilized cases, on a high plateau, but it is stabilized, so we are lucky that we do not have to enter another blockade.” France also intends to meet its target of vaccinating the “vulnerable” population by June, amounting to about 15 million, she added.
Indonesia approves Sinovac vaccine for the elderly (12:50 pm HK)
Indonesia has approved Covid-19 Sinovac Biotech Ltd. vaccine in China for use in the elderly and could start vaccinations between March and April, according to the health ministry.
Indonesia began a mass inoculation attempt on January 13 with a Sinovac vaccine. More than 777,000 people received the first blow and about 137,000 had a second blow, according to official data. The government plans to vaccinate 181.5 million people by March 2022.
Malaysia hosts migrant workers in hotels (11:45 am HK)
The Malaysian government has launched a plan to temporarily house migrant workers in nearly empty hotels across the country to address the worsening spread of Covid-19 cases due to workplace groups.
The program will indirectly help hotel operators injured by the pandemic, the tourism ministry said. Overcrowded conditions in employees’ homes have been a key source of infections, boosting record cases and putting pressure on Malaysia’s health system. The nation has over 1.5 million documented migrant workers, of whom 91% live in an accommodation unit that does not meet minimum housing standards, according to the Ministry of Human Resources.
Withdrawal of Covax from Thailand (9:35 am HK)
The Thai government will not purchase Covid-19 vaccines through the Covax program supported by the World Health Organization, for the time being, because the conditions are too strict. The move could jeopardize the country from receiving delayed vaccines at higher prices.
Under the program, Thailand would be charged extra for the reservation and would have limitations on producers and delivery period. Covax also requires a minimum purchase of 10% of a country’s population for a quick order, with conditions and costs, said Nakorn Premsri, director of the National Vaccine Institute in Thailand.
China Restricted Outbreak (8:42 am HK)
China has only reported one new local case in Jilin province, as the country is bringing under control a recurrence of coronavirus in its northern regions. Outstanding cases in the country totaled 1,176 since yesterday, the National Health Commission said.
Australian state quarantines tests (7:48 am HK)
Australia’s most populous state has tightened rules on testing Covid-19 quarantine in an attempt to stop the virus from leaking into the community. Travelers returning abroad to New South Wales must now be tested two days after completing their 14-day hotel quarantine, NSW Health said in a statement.
Kentucky passes 4,000 deaths (7:02 am HK)
Kentucky has reported 49 new deaths, up from 4,000 since the beginning of the pandemic. “Despite falling cases, we are still losing people at an alarming rate,” Governor Andy Beshear wrote on Twitter. “This is why we disguise ourselves and follow the guidelines. We must protect ourselves against the loss of those we love. ” Cases and hospitalizations have steadily declined in Kentucky over the past month, while deaths have dropped only slightly.
Astra vaccine shows less effect against the South African variant (5:46 pm NY)
AstraZeneca Plc’s Covid-19 vaccine has shown limited efficacy against the mild disease caused by the variant first identified in South Africa, according to early data in a low-phase study.
The effectiveness against severe cases of Covid-19, hospitalization and death has not yet been determined, “given that the subjects were predominantly healthy young adults,” an AstraZeneca spokesman said in a statement.
None of the study participants died or were hospitalized, according to the Financial Times, which first reported the results of the study.
The first vaccine target in the UK can be reached earlier (17:42 NY)
The plan to launch vaccines in the UK, which aims to inoculate nine priority groups by early May, is going so well that the target could be reached by April, the Sunday Telegraph reported, citing unidentified government sources.
Ministers also discuss plan for traveling teams to go to work to help vaccinate people aged under 50, the report says. The government is further assessing whether to strike the most at risk or put emergency workers and teachers at the forefront.
Australians to have evidence of vaccination on phones, says SMH (5:24 pm NY)
Australians will be able to access Covid-19 vaccination certificates from their mobile phones, allowing them access to hospitals and high-risk areas and possibly crossing state borders, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.
The plans are being considered by federal cabinet ministers before Australians start firing later this month, the newspaper reported.
Weekly cases in Brazil, slow deaths (17:20 NY)
New cases in Brazil fell for the third week in a row, with 50,630 infections reported on Saturday, the Ministry of Health the data show. Although the cuts show a slowdown in the nation’s second wave, cases remain as high as they did last summer. The total number of cases is almost 9.5 million, the largest after the USA and India.
Deaths remain at about the same level as last summer, although the number has fallen weekly. Another 978 casualties were reported on Saturday, for a total of 231,012, the highest after the US
London Mosque Seeks to Overcome Vaccine Distrust (16:43 NY)
A mosque in London has become a vaccination center to overcome mistrust among Muslims about inoculation, Press Association reported. An official at the London Muslim Center said only three of the 200 people recently contacted to receive the vaccine showed up for the AstraZeneca shot.
“We tell people that it is wise for you to get the vaccine, because not only are you helping yourself, but you are helping the community and not only,” said mosque official Asad Jaman.
Tips for the Covid-Year Super Bowl (3:18 pm NY)
The Super Bowl may not be a real vacation, but public health experts treat it like others in the last year: a time when Covid-19 could spread, now at a time when infections are finally falling out. new.
“Enjoy the Super Bowl, but don’t do it with a lot of people in your house,” Dr. Anthony Fauci told MSNBC on Friday. “It’s a perfect setup to have a mini-superspreader event in your home. Don’t do that. ”
The pace of weekly cases in the US increases by 20%; Deaths Steady (8:18 am NY)
The U.S. added 131,747 new cases on Friday, up from the previous day, but in line with the general downward trend in new infections, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University and Bloomberg. The number brings the daily average, measured over a week, to 126,283. This is a 20% decrease from the previous week’s average.
The nation added 3,625 new deaths on Friday, a substantial decrease from the previous day’s 5,054, which was one of the highest recorded. The number is higher than the weekly average of 3,247. Data shows that average daily deaths remained virtually unchanged this week.
– With the assistance of Helen Robertson and Iain Marlow