Taiwan proposes $7.5 bln in spending as domestic COVID-19 cases rise
Taiwan’s government proposed on Thursday an extraT$210 billion ($7.52 billion) in spending to help the economy deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, as it reported 13 new domestic cases amid a rare spike in infections that has spooked the stock market.
Australia’s Victoria on alert after first COVID-19 case in two months
Australia’s second most populous state reported a locally acquired COVID-19 case for the first time in more than two months on Tuesday, sending authorities scrambling to find the source of the infection amid concern about a new outbreak.
South Africa warns of ‘vaccine apartheid’ if rich countries hog shots
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa receives the Johnson and Johnson coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccination at the Khayelitsha Hospital near Cape Town, South Africa, February 17, 2021.
India’s COVID-19 cases dip from peak, calls for shutdown mount
Calls grew for India to impose a nationwide lockdown as new coronavirus cases and deaths held close to record highs on Monday, increasing pressure on the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The 366,161 new infections and 3,754 deaths reported by the health ministry were off a little from recent peaks, taking India’s tally to […]
‘Freedom’ fiestas: Spaniards celebrate end of COVID curfew
Exhilarated Spaniards danced in streets, chanted “freedom” and partied on beaches overnight as a COVID-19 curfew ended across most of the nation. In scenes akin to New Year’s Eve celebrations, hundreds of mainly young people gathered in Madrid’s Puerta del Sol square to applaud the clock striking midnight while in Barcelona revellers headed to the […]
New Zealand to resume Australia “travel bubble” as Sydney COVID threat eases
New Zealand will lift its partial suspension of a “travel bubble” with Australia from midnight on Sunday as fears of a COVID-19 outbreak in Sydney eased. New Zealand had blocked travel to and from New South Wales, Australia’s most populous state, on Thursday after a couple in Sydney with no links to high risk professions […]
Gandhi warns ‘explosive’ COVID wave threatens India and the world
India’s main opposition leader Rahul Gandhi warned on Friday that unless the deadly second COVID-19 wave sweeping the country was brought under control it would decimate India as well as threaten the rest of the world. In a letter, Gandhi implored Prime Minister Narendra Modi to prepare for another national lockdown, accelerate a country-wide vaccination […]
Thailand says foreigners to get COVID-19 vaccines amid access concern
Thailand confirmed on Thursday that it plans to include 3 million foreigners living in the country in its mass vaccination programme to protect the entire population, amid concerns over the scope of vaccine access. “Anybody living in Thailand, whether they be Thai or foreign, if they want they vaccine, they can get it,” head of […]
Russia considers supplying 1 million vaccine shots to Armenia – RIA
Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday that Russia was considering supplying 1 million shots of the Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine to Armenia, the RIA new agency reported. Russia had already sent 15,000 doses of the vaccine to the former Soviet republic last month, Lavrov was quoted as saying at a meeting with his […]
U.S. reverses stance, backs giving poorer countries access to COVID vaccine patents
President Joe Biden on Wednesday threw his support behind waiving intellectual property rights for COVID-19 vaccines, bowing to mounting pressure from Democratic lawmakers and more than 100 other countries, but angering pharmaceutical companies.
