A large part of the population is likely to be offered a third vaccine dose in 2022, while Greece's health minister announced that the country may start giving boosters for vulnerable groups in September.
The China's outbreak continued to spread with additional infections in numerous areas including Wuhan, where the pandemic first appeared. The capital city of Beijing will ban train passengers from 23 regions that are considered high risk, and the Haidian district is a region where many tech companies are recommended that people work from home.
Also, Hong Kong will allow vaccinated tourist from all but 10 sites to enter the city next week, a major relaxation of some of the world's tightest border curbs.
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The Chinese capital city will ban train passengers from 23 regions considered to be at high risk for the virus, including Zhengzhou, Nanjing, Yangzhou, Shenyang and Dalian, according to a local government briefing.
A large part of Sweden's population is likely to get a vaccine next year, according to the Public Health Agency, with some risk groups potentially getting their shots in the autumn this year.
The agency also said vaccinations in coming years are likely to be made using one or two mRNA vaccines and, potentially, an adjuvant protein-based vaccine as a complement. It estimated that the possibility of accessing shots will be good for the foreseeable future.
Next week, Greece will start to administer third doses for the vulnerable groups, the elderly or if they have compromised immune systems, with new vaccine regimen coming soon, when the vaccination commission gives the green light, said Health Minister Vasilis Kikilias.
The Beijing district, where a Covid case was reported Monday and where many Chinese tech companies are based, has recommended that people work at home and have asked scenic spots to limit visitors to 60% of their capacity, the district said in its official WeChat account Tuesday.
Vietnam's health minister is expected to approve H-Matrix remdesivir as a Covid 19 treatment, VnExpress reported, citing Deputy Health Minister Nguyen Truong Son.
The United Kingdom pm Boris Johnson has blocked the establishment of a controversial Amber Watchlist for foreign countries, the Telegraph reported.
The extra category in the government's travel traffic-light system would have left popular vacation spots under threat of imminently turning red, forcing even the fully vaccinated to quarantine in hotels on their return.
China reported 61 confirmed cases and 23 suspected infections on Tuesday, as the outbreak carried out with a flight from Moscow continues to spread around the country. Cases were discovered in several regions and in Beijing, where local authorities discouraged people from travelling.
Wuhan has reported eight infections, the first cluster in the city since China brought the initial outbreak there under control through a strict lockdown more than a year ago. Given the amount of attention Wang Zhonglin attracts both in China and abroad, the importance of Covid response cannot be overemphasized, Hubei Governor Wuhan said in a statement posted on the provincial government's website late Monday night. Wuhan will conduct citywide testing.
China's financial hub Shanghai also detected one case - a worker handling foreign cargo at Shanghai's airport. Authorities have identified 43 close contacts.
South Vietnam's seafood production has slumped to 40% - 50% of pre-pandemic times with about 70% of companies in the sector temporarily closed because of spiking infections, according to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers. The association predicted seafood production for the region could drop further sinking to 30% of pre-pandemic levels.
Hong Kong's condensed risk designation system for overseas travel will take effect on aug. 9, splitting countries into high, medium and low risk The changes mean residents will be able to return from high-risk areas like U.K., India and the Philippines.
The United States and Singapore are among the countries labeled as low risk, while Australia and New Zealand are the only ones labeled as medium risk.
The creation of special drawing rights - called reserve assets - is the first since the $250 billion issued just after the global financial crisis in 2009 with IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva calling it as a shot in the arm for the world that will help boost global economic stability.
Peter Marks, senior manager of U.S. Food and Drug Administration division reviewing Pfizer Inc.'s application for full approval of its vaccine, said an interview that the agency is moving with urgency to reach a decision on the matter.
I hope not to disappoint the president, Marks said when asked if he will meet President Joe Biden's schedule for approval by September or October. 'Everyone here understands the need to do this with the same care and rigor we always do, and also with speed and urgency, given that we're in the middle of a global pandemic.
Marks said the U.S. is experiencing a'very real fourth wave' and also spoke about how FDA will decide whether booster shots are needed.
A jump in Lagos, Nigeria - largest city is a 'worrying trend' and steps need to be taken to reverse rising infection rates, said Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Governor of Covid - 19 deaths over the past week.
The negative rate of those tested has risen eightfold to 8.9% over the past month and six people are dying on average every day in isolation centres in the city, he said in a statement on Monday. 'The situation at hand should rightfully alarm all of us, said he.
Governor John Bel Edwards reinstated an indoor mask mandate for everyone in the state 5 and older.
'Louisiana is currently in the worst surge of the Covid - 19 Pandemic in terms of case growth rate, percent positivity and hospitalizations, the Democratic governor said in a statement. The new mask mandate will remain in effect until at least Sept. 1.
It accounted for two reported cases of Covid 19 even though Lindsey Graham was vaccinated, so knowing that he was at least the third member of Congress to report an infection would be positive.
The Republican of South Carolina said in a statement that he began having flu-like symptoms on Saturday and to quarantine for 10 days.
San Francisco and its surrounding counties are reinstating mask requirements in indoor public spaces for all individuals, regardless of vaccination status, after a spike in covid - 19 cases in recent weeks.
Seven counties in Silicon Valley adopted the new orders, including the San Mateo and Santa Clara division of Berkeley'" along with the city of Berkeley. The mandate takes effect Tuesday at 12: 01 a.m. health officials said in a statement Monday.
Facebook Inc., which was headquartered in Menlo Park, said separately on Monday that it would require all people working at its U.S. campuses to wear masks.
The Philippines plans to tighten rules in bigger cities this month to avert a likely fourth coronavirus wave as the delta variant spreads. Curbs include halving markets at 8 p.m. and closing in-office attendance, Planning Minister Asad Umar said at a news conference Monday. People who work in private hospitals, nursing homes and jails must be vaccinated or face mandatory Covid - 19 testing, Governor Phil Murphy announced.
Full compliance is required by Sept. 7, Murphy said at a press briefing Monday. He urged private employers to implement tougher standards, he said.
Seventy percent of the U.S. population have received at least one dose of Covid - 19 vaccine, a key milestone in the fight against pandemic that the country hit nearly a month later than President Joe Biden had hoped.
After falling dramatically since April, the pace of U.S. vaccinations has recently accelerated due to the rapid spread of delta variant of coronavirus. The U.S. was averaging more than 72,000 new infections a day in a delta-fueled resurgence of the virus as of Friday, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.