Pages

Saturday, March 20, 2021

Coronavirus live: England sets daily jabs record; Von der Leyen issues fresh warning to AstraZeneca

Israel approves new coronavirus regulations for cultural and sporting events; cases in India at four-month high * Protesters opposing Covid regulations clash with police in German city * Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan tests positive for Covid * China’s first local Covid case since February had been vaccinated – state media 5.40pm GMT The BRAZILIAN GOVERNMENT has been in talks with the US about potentially importing excess Covid-19 vaccines since 13 March, the foreign ministry tweeted. On Friday, the White House announced plans to “loan” 4m doses of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine to Canada and Mexico, but reportedly has no plans for doses to be loaned to other countries. _The White House has no plans to loan doses to other countries, according to an administration official._ _Brazil is facing the second-deadliest outbreak of coronavirus after the United States, that has worsened with a new wave in recent weeks pushing the hospital system to the brink of collapse._ Since March 13, the Brazilian Government, through Itamaraty and the Embassy in Washington, in coordination with the Ministry of Health, has been negotiating with the US Government to make it possible for Brazil to import vaccines from the surplus available in the United States. 5.21pm GMT Next month, GREECE will begin distributing FREE COVID-19 TESTS that will allow residents to do it themselves and reduce pressure on the healthcare system, which has faced a rise in new positive cases. The Greek government has announced that people with a social security number will be eligible for four test kits per month, which will be distributed at pharmacies. _ It is a new tool in the country’s battle against the pandemic. The tests will allow better epidemiological monitoring, and of course prevention,” the prime minister’s office said in a statement. _ _The government said the do-it-yourself test kits have an accuracy rate of about 95%-99%. They are easier to do than rapid tests, needing nasal and saliva samples instead of the nasopharyngeal sample used in rapid tests._ Continue reading...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.theguardian.com