These are the latest developments in the coronavirus crisis:
– AstraZeneca troubles
The EU’s drug regulator says European countries can keep using AstraZeneca’s vaccine during an investigation into cases of blood clots that prompted Denmark, Norway and Iceland to suspend jabs, and Italy to halt a batch of the vaccines.
– EU clears J&J vaccine
The EU authorises the use of US pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson’s one-shot coronavirus vaccine, and says it could vaccinate up to 200 million people with the jab this year.
– Biden’s ‘hope’ address
US President Joe Biden will give his first primetime television address to deliver a message of “hope” after Congress passed his $1.9 trillion pandemic relief plan.
– Pfizer 97 percent effective
Pfizer/BioNTech’s coronavirus vaccine offers more protection than earlier thought with effectiveness in preventing symptomatic disease reaching 97 percent, according to real-world evidence in Israel published by the pharmaceutical companies.
– France eases travel curbs
France eases travel restrictions for seven countries outside the EU, including Britain, saying trips to and from them would no longer need to be justified by essential reasons.
– Greek tourism hopes
Greece hopes to reopen for tourists in mid-May, thanks to an acceleration of its vaccination programme, a government official says.
– Famine threat
Over 30 million people in more than three dozen countries are “just one step away” from a declaration of famine and the Covid-19 pandemic and climate change are increasing the threat, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says.
– Chinese jabs for Olympics
Competitors at this year’s Tokyo Olympics and the 2022 Beijing Winter Games will be offered coronavirus vaccines bought from China, Olympic chief Thomas Bach announces.
– Ex presidents urge vaccination
All the surviving former US presidents except Donald Trump — namely Jimmy Carter, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama — urge Americans in a video to get vaccinated against Covid-19.
– Cycling race hit The Paris
Nice cycling race will not finish in Nice as planned on Sunday and will be diverted because of a local coronavirus weekend lockdown in the Riviera resort, authorities say.
– 2.6 million dead
At least 2,621,295 people have died of coronavirus around the world since the outbreak began in December 2019, an AFP tally from official sources showed on Thursday.
The US is the worst-affected country with 529,263 deaths followed by Brazil (270,656), Mexico (192,488), India (158,189 and Britain (124,987).
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