This handout picture taken and released on Feb 12, 2021 by World Health Organization (WHO) shows WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus delivering remarks during a press conference on Feb 12, 2021 in Geneva. (CHRISTOPHER BLACK/WHO/AFP)
BRASILIA / MEXICO CITY / ATHENS / LONDON / BUDAPEST / RIGA / ALGIERS / RABAT / OTTAWA / WASHINGTON / HAVANA / SANTIAGO / RIO DE JANEIRO / ADDIS ABABA / QUITO – The World Health Organization urged rich countries on Friday to reconsider plans to vaccinate children and instead donate COVID-19 shots to the COVAX scheme for poorer countries.
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also said the second year of the pandemic was set to be more deadly than the first, with India a huge concern.
“I understand why some countries want to vaccinate their children and adolescents, but right now I urge them to reconsider and to instead donate vaccines to #COVAX,” he told a virtual meeting in Geneva.
The World Health Organization on Friday said local conditions needed to be taken into account if a country is planning to allow vaccinated people not to wear masks in public.
"In the instance of a country that wishes to take away a mask mandate … that should only be done in the context of considering both the intensity of transmission in the area and the level of vaccine coverage," WHO's top emergency expert, Mike Ryan, told a virtual briefing in Geneva.
More coronavirus variants are bound to be detected, a World Health Organization expert said on Friday, but now "we know what to do". "I would like fear (of variants) to be turned into something productive, something of strength," Maria van Kerkhove, WHO technical lead for COVID-19, told the virtual briefing.
The newest variant, the Indian B.1.617 variant, has been detected in cases in eight countries of the Americas, including Canada and the United States.
Ireland
Ireland's health service operator shut down all its IT systems on Friday to protect it from what it described as a significant ransomware attack but said its coronavirus vaccination program was unaffected.
The head of the Health Service Executive (HSE) said it took the step as a precaution to protect as much information as possible and that it was assessing how the attack would affect other services.
"It's a very sophisticated attack, not just the standard attack. It is impacting all of our national and local systems that would be involved in all of our core services," HSE Chief Executive Paul Reid told national broadcaster RTE.
"The vaccination program continues thankfully, it's a separate system."
Reid said the attack was largely affecting information stored on central servers and not hospital equipment.
Ransomware attacks typically involve the infection of computers with malicious software, often downloaded by clicking on seemingly innocuous links in emails or other website pop-ups. Users are left locked out of their systems, with the demand of a ransom to be paid to restore computer functions.
Italy
Italy will lift quarantine restrictions for arrivals from the EU, UK, Israel and other Schengen area countries from May 16, a health ministry official said.
Travelers from those countries with a negative Covid test won’t be subject to quarantine.
Portugal
Portugal will allow British tourists to enter the country from May 17, following Britain's go-ahead last week for its holidaymakers to travel to the southern European nation from that date, Lusa news agency reported on Friday.
Citing a foreign ministry source, the state news agency said tourists would be required to present negative PCR test upon arrival in Portugal taken 72 hours before departure. An official government announcement is expected later today.
Lithuania
Lithuania will donate 200,000 COVID-19 vaccine shots to its eastern European neighbours including 100,000 to Ukraine, the government said on Friday. "Action is the real solidarity," Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said, announcing that AstraZeneca vaccines would be donated.
The shots will go to so-called EU Eastern Partnership countries, including 15,000 to Georgia and 11,000 to Moldova, the government said. Distribution of the remaining 74,000 doses will be decided later. The Eastern Partnership also includes Belarus, Azerbaijan and Armenia.
Germany
Germany plans to classify Britain as a coronavirus risk region due to the emergence there of a highly infectious virus variant first detected in India, government sources said on Friday.
Germany’s pandemic restrictions could ease further in the coming days after the national contagion rate fell below a key level for the first time in nearly two months.
On Friday, infections dropped to 96.5 per 100,000 people over the past seven days, the first time the figure was below 100 since March 20, according to the RKI public-health institute. The incidence rate had peaked at nearly 170 in late April.
Germany vaccinated 1.35 million people on May 12 in a new daily record, Health Minister Jens Spahn said.
Almost 2 percent of the German population was vaccinated on May 12 and 13, taking the total of those who have received at least one dose to 35.9 percent.
Some German states have already begun easing restrictions, and others are likely to follow in the coming days, if infections remain at this level.
Chancellor Angela Merkel’s controversial lockdown law, which mandated tougher restrictions for most of the country, allows curbs to be loosened if the incidence rate falls below 100 for five consecutive days.
With infections falling and immunizations accelerating, German authorities have become increasingly optimistic that Europe’s largest economy can relax limits on movement, including reopening outdoor dining and easing restrictions on non-essential stores. The country has already widened privileges for people who have been fully vaccinated or recovered from COVID-19.
Sweden
Sweden, which has shunned lockdowns throughout the pandemic, has registered 9,192 new coronavirus cases since Wednesday, health agency statistics showed on Friday.
The country of 10 million inhabitants registered 8 new deaths, taking the total to 14,275. The deaths registered have occurred over several days and sometimes weeks. Sweden's death rate per capita is many times higher than that of its Nordic neighbours' but lower than in most European countries that opted for lockdowns.
Latvia
The Latvian government on Thursday decided to ease entry rules for travelers who have been immunized against COVID-19, according to information posted on the government's website.
Under the new provisions, drafted by the Health Ministry, vaccinated persons arriving from member states of the European Union (EU) and the European Economic Area (EEA), as well as Switzerland and the United Kingdom will not be required to self-isolate on arriving in Latvia.
However, to be exempt from self-isolation, travelers will have to present documentary proof of their immunization against the coronavirus with vaccines approved for use by regulators such as the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the World Health Organization (WHO).
Self-isolation will remain mandatory for arrivals from countries that are not members of the EU or EEA in order to prevent new, more dangerous virus strains from reaching Latvia, the government said.
Global tally
Coronavirus cases worldwide surpassed 161.22 million while the global death toll topped 3.34 million, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
Canada
The Canadian provinces of Quebec and New Brunswick will no longer offer first doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, but will offer second doses using current supplies and future deliveries, the provinces said on Thursday.
Most provinces made similar announcements on Monday and Tuesday, mainly citing concerns about supply, though officials in Ontario, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick said the move was also based on a rise in the incidence of rare blood clots linked to first doses of the vaccine.
Officials have said that people who received the AstraZeneca vaccine may be offered a second dose of another vaccine, an approach that is being studied in the United Kingdom and has been allowed in Germany since early April.
Meanwhile, Ontario, Canada's most populous province, announced on Thursday to extend the provincewide stay-home-order against COVID-19 for two more weeks till early June.
The order, which was set to expire next Thursday, will now expire on June 2.
Under the stay-at-home order, all non-essential businesses must remain closed and residents are required to remain indoors unless leaving their residence for an essential purpose.
Ontario reported 2,759 new cases of COVID-19 and additional 31 deaths on Thursday, the fourth day in which case numbers have fallen below the 3,000 mark.
Greece
Greece kicked off the formal start of its tourist season, announcing a multi-million euro promotional campaign on Thursday aimed at saving its most important economic sector from a second summer lost to the coronavirus.
Tourists from countries in the European Union as well as others including Britain, the United States and Israel, will be allowed to visit as long as they have been vaccinated or can show negative COVID-19 test results.
Travelers returning to Germany and Britain still have to quarantine, meaning visitor numbers from two of Greece's key markets are likely to be limited for the moment.
Greece came through the first wave of the pandemic last year in comparatively better shape than many other European countries despite a health service weakened by years of under investment during the financial crisis.
US
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Thursday advised that fully vaccinated people do not need to wear masks outdoors and can avoid wearing them indoors in most places, updated guidance the agency said will allow life to begin to return to normal.
The CDC, which hopes the guidance will prod more Americans to get vaccinated, also said fully immunized people will not need to physically distance in most places.
CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said the new guidance was based on a sharp reduction in cases, expansion of vaccines to younger people and vaccine efficacy against coronavirus variants.
About 59 percent of American adults have received at least one shot, while 45 percent have received both.
Anthony Fauci, head of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said in a MSNBC interview that he expects all children will be eligible for a Covid-19 vaccine by the end of the year.
Meanwhile, the Biden administration's requirements that people wear masks on US airplanes, public transport, airports and ride-hailing vehicles are not expected to be lifted anytime soon, despite an easing in the rules for mask-wearing elsewhere.
The CDC announced on Thursday that it was easing its guidance for fully vaccinated people, saying they do not need to wear masks outdoors and can avoid wearing them indoors in most places.
But it said workers and travelers should still follow federal requirements to wear masks in transit and in airports and train stations.
Mexico
Mexico's health ministry on Thursday reported 3,632 newly confirmed coronavirus cases and 311 more deaths, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 2,375,115 and fatalities to 219,901.
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A health worker screens visitors for COVID-19 symptoms at the Tembisa Hospital in Tembisam, South Africa, on March 1, 2021. (GUILLEM SARTORIO / AFP)
Africa
African countries have acquired 38.03 million COVID-19 vaccines so far, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) disclosed on Thursday.
The Africa CDC, the specialized healthcare agency of the 55-member African Union, said 22.4 million COVID-19 doses have been administered, out of the over 38.03 million acquired by member states.
This figure corresponds to a coverage rate of 1.48 percent at the continental level, with 0.40 percent of the population having received a full vaccine regimen, according to the Africa CDC.
According to the Africa CDC, African countries have used close to 58.87 percent of the vaccine supply available.
As of Thursday noon, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Africa has reached 4,660,304 as the death toll from the pandemic stands at 125,404 while 4,219,117 patients across the continent have recovered from the disease, according to the agency.
Algeria
Algeria on Thursday reported 207 new COVID-19 cases, raising the total number of confirmed cases in the North African country to 124,889.
The death toll from the virus rose to 3,355 after five new fatalities were added, said the Algerian Ministry of Health in a statement.
Earlier in the day, Algerian Health Minister Abderrahmane Benbouzid announced that the government will allow Algerians stranded abroad and foreigners to enter Algeria under strict conditions, TSA news website reported.
He said anyone who enters the country has to show PCR and antibody tests with negative results.
Slovakia
Slovakia is ending a state of emergency as the coronavirus pandemic has receded, Prime Minister Eduard Heger said on Friday.
Heger cautioned that the struggle against the pandemic was not over, called for people to continue behaving responsibly, and said vaccination was the key to overcoming COVID-19.
Georgia
Georgia on Friday reported 1,390 new COVID-19 cases, taking its total to 327,831, according to the country's center for disease control.
Data from the National Center for Disease Control and Public Health showed that 1,070 more patients have recovered in the past 24 hours, taking the total number of recoveries to 307,334.
Meanwhile, 18 people have died over the past day, raising the death toll to 4,397.
Morocco
Morocco's COVID-19 tally rose to 514,432 on Thursday as 238 new cases were registered during the past 24 hours.
The death toll rose to 9,091 with three new fatalities during the last 24 hours, while 212 people are in intensive care units, according to a statement by the Ministry of Health.
Meanwhile, 5,994,379 people have received so far the first vaccine shot against COVID-19 in the country, and 4,441,667 people have received the second dose.
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Cuba
Cuba surpassed 120,000 accumulated COVID-19 cases on Thursday, after reporting 1,186 infections in one day and bringing the total to 120,561, the Ministry of Public Health said, adding that there were also another 10 deaths, to total 778.
Of the new infections reported, 48 were imported cases, the ministry's national director of hygiene and epidemiology Francisco Duran said.
Meanwhile, new variants of the coronavirus believed to have entered Cuba in recent months have been linked to higher transmission rates, more severe cases of disease and an increase in deaths in the Caribbean country, the official daily Granma said on Thursday.
Public Health Minister Jose Angel Portal said coronavirus variants first identified in the United Kingdom, South Africa and Brazil have been circulating in Cuba, and all three are suspected of being more infectious and possibly more lethal and resistant to current vaccines, according to the daily.
Chile
Chile's Health Ministry reported on Thursday 6,181 new COVID-19 cases and 136 more deaths in the past 24 hours, for a total of 1,266,601 cases and 27,520 deaths.
Cases have decreased by 15 percent in the last 14 days in the country, according to Health Minister Enrique Paris.
However, in the Santiago Metropolitan Region, infections have increased by 6 percent, he noted.
Currently, the government has confirmed a slight decrease in cases, however, experts have called for caution due to the resumption of commercial activities and school classes in certain municipalities where quarantines have been lifted.
The Netherlands
Dutch tourists who visit Spain's Balearic and Canary Islands will no longer have to take a coronavirus test on their way home, the Dutch ambassador in Spain said on Friday, as his country updates the list of destinations deemed safe.
"I am pleased to announce that from tomorrow Dutch tourism will be open to the Balearic and Canary Islands," ambassador Jan Versteeg said on Twitter.
The Dutch government will on Saturday revise its travel advice list. The Balearic islands, with 52 cases per 100,000 people over 14 days, and the Canary islands, with 86 cases, are well below the Spanish national incidence of 166 cases.
Brazil
Brazil's pandemic death toll rose to 430,417 on Thursday, after 2,383 more people died from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, said the Health Ministry.
Tests detected 74,592 new cases, taking the national count to 15,433,989, said the ministry.
Local media reported that as of Wednesday, 55.8 million people had been vaccinated against COVID-19 in Brazil with 37.19 million having received the first dose and 18.65 million fully vaccinated.
Meanwhile, Brazil's Fiocruz biomedical institute said on Thursday it would interrupt production of the AstraZeneca vaccine for certain days next week due to a lack of ingredients, until new supplies arrive on May 22.
Ethiopia
Ethiopia registered 593 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, taking the nationwide tally to 264,960 as of Thursday evening, according to the country's Ministry of Health.
The ministry said 13 new deaths were reported, bringing the death toll to 3,951, the ministry said.
According to the ministry, Ethiopia currently has 45,273 active COVID-19 cases, of whom 653 are under severe health conditions.
Ecuador
Ecuador reported on Thursday 1,151 new COVID-19 infections and 86 more deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the caseload to 405,783 and death toll to 14,193, the Ministry of Public Health said.
Another 5,249 deaths are considered to be COVID-19 related, but not verified, according to the ministry.
Since April 23, 16 provinces in Ecuador that were registering a growing number of infections have been under a state of emergency decreed by the government to curb the rise in cases and avoid the collapse of the health system.
UK
Prime Minister Boris Johnson expects an easing of Britain's COVID-19 lockdown to go ahead on Monday, his spokesman said, after concerns were raised over the spread of a coronavirus variant first detected in India.
"We've announced the changes that are taking place on Monday and the prime minister said yesterday himself he expects they will go ahead," the spokesman said, adding that a five-week period before the next planned step in the easing of restrictions would be a time to assess any new data closely.
The prevalence of COVID-19 infections in England has fallen for a fifth straight week, Britain's Office for National Statistics (ONS) said on Friday ahead of a planned further easing of restrictions next week.
The ONS said that an estimated 1 in 1,340 people in England had COVID-19 in the week ending May 8, compared to 1 in 1,180 a week earlier.
UK ministers may bring forward second vaccine doses for millions of people after Johnson said he’s “anxious” about the spread of a COVID-19 variant from India.
Cases of the new B.1.617.2 strain of COVID-19 have risen to 1,313 from 520 over the past week, Public Health England said Thursday, assessing the strain to be “at least as transmissible” as the so-called Kent variant that took hold in December, precipitating the UK’s third lockdown in January.
“We are anxious about it, it has been spreading,” Johnson said in a pooled broadcast interview. “There’s a range of things we could do, we’re ruling nothing out.”
Johnson’s comments raise the prospect the government may be forced to slow down its roadmap to open the economy from the country’s third coronavirus lockdown. That could put him into conflict with members of his own Conservative Party, who have already been agitating for a faster reopening amid a vaccination program that’s one of the most advanced in the world.
Meanwhile, another 2,657 people in Britain have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases in the country to 4,444,631, according to official figures released Thursday.
The country also reported another 11 coronavirus-related deaths. The total number of coronavirus-related deaths in Britain now stands at 127,651. These figures only include the deaths of people who died within 28 days of their first positive test.
Hungary
Hungary started the vaccination program of 16-18 year-old teenagers on Thursday, as the Hungarian government was working on new easing measures.
"According to the plans, the vaccination of teenagers between 16 to 18 years of age started on Thursday at the vaccination points of designated hospitals," the Hungarian government informed on its official site.
"We will reach 5 million vaccinated people in the week of May 24," Gergely Gulyas, the head of the Prime Minister's Office, said at a press conference on Thursday, adding that at its session next week Wednesday, the government would review the next step of easing measures.
Gulyas also said that the government was in talks with several countries on mutual recognition of vaccination certificates. Such deals have been already signed with some countries, such as Croatia, Montenegro, Serbia, Slovenia and Turkey.
Meanwhile, first-dose vaccinations in Hungary could potentially reach 6 million out of the total population of almost 10 million people based on the number of those registered, Premier Viktor Orban said in an interview on state broadcaster Kossuth Radio.
First inoculations would likely reach 5 million before the end of May, Orban said. Hungary has the second highest vaccinations ratio in the European Union.
France
French health authorities reported 19,461 new confirmed COVID-19 infections on Thursday, representing a weekly rise of less than 2 percent for the first time in almost a year.
The country reported 131 new deaths from COVID-19 on Thursday for an overall toll of 107,205, the eighth highest in the world.
The gliding seven-day average of new deaths fell further to 200, the lowest since Oct 26, from a 2021 high of 450 in early February.
After exiting its third lockdown at the start of the month, France is hoping to lift its last anti-COVID-19 measures at the start of July.
