LONDON — Well being officers in Britain have recognized six circumstances of a extremely contagious coronavirus pressure first recognized within the Brazilian metropolis of Manaus — together with one in an individual who has not been traced.
Scientists say the variant is extra transmissible and could also be extra proof against present vaccines than the unique virus, and might be able to infect individuals who have beforehand had COVID-19.
Direct flights from Brazil to the U.Okay. have been halted, however the newly recognized circumstances have been linked to individuals who got here to the U.Okay. from Brazil via different European cities in early February.
The arrivals got here days earlier than the U.Okay. imposed a 10-day resort quarantine on individuals arriving from high-risk international locations, together with Brazil.
Three of the circumstances of the variant are in Scotland and two in southwest England. The sixth particular person has not been recognized as a result of they didn’t accurately fill in a type with their contact particulars. Public Well being England mentioned it was working to seek out the individual and is conducting native mass testing to see whether or not the variant has unfold in the neighborhood.
— Calls develop for pharmaceutical corporations to share vaccine know-how and know-how extra broadly to satisfy world shortfall
— Well being specialists are urging Pope Francis to rethink his March journey to Iraq, which is experiencing a surge of coronavirus circumstances
— India is increasing its vaccination drive to older individuals and people with medical circumstances that put them in danger
— Within the U.S., fraud overwhelms some pandemic unemployment assist applications
— Optimism abounds as Main League Baseball begins a ceremony of spring that features followers
— Observe AP’s pandemic protection at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic, https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-vaccine and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak
HERE’S WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING:
BERLIN — Hairdressers throughout Germany are reopening for enterprise after a 2 ½ month closure, one other cautious step because the nation balances a want to loosen restrictions with concern concerning the influence of extra contagious coronavirus variants.
Monday’s transfer got here after many elementary college students returned to highschool every week in the past. It follows a choice Feb. 10 by Chancellor Angela Merkel and Germany’s 16 state governors. They’ll meet on Wednesday to determine proceed with the remainder of Germany’s coronavirus restrictions, which at current run till March 7.
Some states are also permitting companies reminiscent of flower retailers and {hardware} shops to open. Most retailers have been closed nationwide since Dec. 16. Eating places, bars, sports activities and leisure amenities have been closed since Nov. 2 and accommodations allowed solely to accommodate enterprise vacationers.
Germany is anticipated to stay cautious as a result of a decline in an infection figures has stalled, and even been reversed in some areas, as a extra contagious variant first found in Britain spreads.
On Monday, Germany’s illness management heart reported 4,732 new coronavirus circumstances over the previous 24 hours, in contrast with 4,369 every week earlier. One other 60 deaths have been reported, bringing the overall to 70,105.
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines launched a vaccination marketing campaign Monday to comprise one in all Southeast Asia’s worst coronavirus outbreaks however faces provide issues and public resistance, which it hopes to ease by inoculating high officers.
Cupboard officers, together with well being staff and navy and police personnel, have been among the many first to be vaccinated in six hospitals after 600,000 doses donated by China have been obtained Sunday.
The Philippines has reported greater than 576,000 infections, together with 12,318 deaths, the second-highest totals in Southeast Asia after Indonesia.
Except for China’s donated vaccine from Sinovac Biotech Ltd., the federal government has individually ordered 25 million doses from the China-based firm however no date has been set for the deliveries. Well being Secretary Francisco Duque III mentioned the supply of an preliminary 525,600 doses of AstraZeneca’s vaccine that was initially scheduled for Monday can be delayed by every week as a consequence of provide issues.
The federal government has been negotiating to safe a minimum of 148 million doses from Western and Asian corporations to vaccinate about 70 million Filipinos without cost in a large marketing campaign funded by international and home loans.
WASHINGTON — Almost 4 million doses of the latest COVID-19 vaccine are being delivered to U.S. states for injections beginning on Tuesday.
The White Home mentioned your complete stockpile of the newly authorized single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine will exit instantly. J&J will ship about 16 million extra doses by the top of March and 100 million whole by the top of June, however the distribution can be backloaded.
Although the brand new shot is simpler to manage and requires just one dose, the administration shouldn’t be altering its distribution plans.
The White Home is encouraging Individuals to take the primary dose out there to them, no matter producer.
Advisers to the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention voted overwhelmingly Sunday to advocate the vaccine for adults 18 years outdated and up. It provides to the vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna that have been approved in December.
SALT LAKE CITY — Utah is canceling about 7,200 coronavirus vaccine appointments after an error within the state well being division’s registration web site allowed individuals with out qualifying circumstances to register for the photographs.
Division spokesman Tom Hudachko mentioned that the error allowed residents who will not be 65 or older or who don’t have an underlying medical situation to enroll.
Utah has administered greater than 680,000 vaccine doses and estimates that 10% of its 3.2 million inhabitants has been totally vaccinated.
ATHENS, Greece — Greek well being authorities have introduced that 70 specialised intensive care items will likely be added to Athens hospitals as excessive hospitalization charges have practically stuffed the out there ones.
The Athens space together with a number of others throughout the nation are underneath lockdown till March 8, with most retailers closed, colleges working on distance studying and a 9 p.m. curfew, however many specialists discuss of extending this for a minimum of one other week.
On Sunday, authorities introduced 1,269 new COVID-19 circumstances, together with 36 deaths. This brings the variety of confirmed circumstances for the reason that begin of the pandemic to 191,100, with 6,504 deaths. There are 391 sufferers on ventilators in ICUs, near a file excessive.
RIO DE JANEIRO — Brazil’s capital has entered a two-week lockdown, becoming a member of a number of states in adopting measures to cut back the unfold of COVID-19 as intensive care beds start to fill in some vital cities.
At the very least eight Brazilian states adopted curfews over the previous week as a result of rise in circumstances and deaths from COVID-19. Thursday was Brazil’s deadliest day for the reason that starting of the pandemic, with 1,541 deaths confirmed from the virus. To this point 254,000 individuals have died total.
Brasilia Gov. Ibaneis Rocha decreed the overall closure of bars, eating places, procuring malls and colleges till March 15 and prohibited gatherings of individuals. Sale of alcoholic drinks was prohibited after 8 p.m.
Within the federal district, 85% of hospital beds have been occupied on Sunday, in line with the native well being ministry.
President Jair Bolsonaro once more criticized such measures, saying on his Twitter account: “The individuals need to work.” He threatened on Friday to chop off federal emergency pandemic help to states resorting to lockdowns.
ROME — Whereas new COVID-19 circumstances surge in Italy’s north, the island of Sardinia has earned coveted ‘’white zone’’ standing, permitting for night eating and consuming at eating places and cafes and the reopening after months of closure of gyms, cinemas and theaters.
Earlier this 12 months, the Italian authorities added ‘’white zone’’ standing to its color-coded system of restrictions on companies and colleges, with “crimson zone” designation carrying the strictest measures.
Beginning on Monday, the area of Sardinia, with an incidence of fewer than 50 circumstances per 100,000 residents, will be capable of enable probably the most liberties since a second wave of coronavirus infections final fall prompted the federal government to tighten restrictions nationwide after easing them throughout summer season.
The Well being Ministry report masking the third week of February reveals nationwide incidence was 145 circumstances per 100,000 inhabitants, and several other areas had far larger incidence.
The Mediterranean island of Sardinia is a well-liked trip vacation spot. Final summer season, crowds at seaside discos and golf equipment there have been a consider an explosion of circumstances in Italy within the final months of 2020.
TEHRAN, Iran — Iran has surpassed 60,000 identified coronavirus-related deaths, the most recent grim milestone for the hardest-hit nation within the Center East.
The Well being Ministry reported 93 new deaths from COVID-19 on Sunday and greater than 8,000 new infections, pushing the overall an infection depend over 1.63 million.
After greater than a 12 months of the pandemic, deaths from COVID-19 lately have declined in Iran as motion restrictions within the capital have set in, together with inter-city journey bans, masks mandates and college closures.
The federal government on Sunday banned incoming vacationers from a listing of 32 international locations, together with Britain and different states in Africa and Latin America, as a consequence of fears of recent virus variants.
Over the 12 months, Iran has struggled with surges that at instances overwhelmed its well being system as authorities resisted a complete lockdown to salvage an economic system crippled by U.S. sanctions.
Iran’s vaccine drive lately has gotten underway, with Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine administered to well being staff this month. An extra 250,000 doses by the Chinese language state-backed pharmaceutical Sinopharm arrived in Iran over the weekend.
BERLIN — The German illness management company is including France’s Moselle area to its listing of areas with a excessive charge of variant coronavirus circumstances, which means vacationers from there’ll face further hurdles when crossing the border into neighboring Germany.
The Robert Koch Institute mentioned Sunday that the restrictions would come into drive at midnight on March 2, placing Moselle on a par with international locations such because the Czech Republic, Portugal and the UK.
Vacationers from these areas should produce a current destructive coronavirus check earlier than crossing the German border. The measure is more likely to have an effect on many individuals who stay on one facet of the frontier and work on the opposite.
The Moselle area in northeastern France consists of town of Metz and borders with the German states of Saarland and Rhineland-Palatinate.
Clement Beaune, the French minister for European affairs, mentioned France regrets the choice and is in negotiations with Germany to attempt to lighten the measures for 16,000 inhabitants of Moselle who work throughout the border.
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