MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 08th March, 2021) The death toll from the coronavirus infection in the world topped 2.59 million, over 116 million cases of infection were detected, according to the US-based Johns Hopkins University, which tracks and compiles data from Federal and local authorities, media and other sources.
Belarus will launch the industrial production of Sputnik V, a Russian vaccine against COVID-19, in late March, and a trial batch is already undergoing examination in Russia, Belarusian Deputy Health Minister Dmitry Cherednichenko said.
Austria has halted inoculations with a batch of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine doses after one vaccinated woman died and another developed pulmonary embolism. According to BASG, a 49-year-old woman died due to severe coagulation disorders, while a 35-year-old woman with pulmonary embolism was already recovering. Both women received their COVID-19 vaccine doses from the same AstraZeneca batch at a health center in the Zwettl district in the Lower Austria state.
North Macedonia has authorized the use of the Russian-made Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine. The Balkan country already received the first shipment. The health minister and the Russian ambassador visited the Skopje International Airport to welcome the plane.
China is open to discussing the protocols of the mutual recognition of COVID-19 vaccines with other countries in defiance of attempts to politicize or nationalize this issue, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said. He described vaccines as a "powerful weapon in the fight against the coronavirus that carries the hope of saving lives and must benefit the whole of the world and humanity."
The South African Police Service (SAPS) on Sunday warned that fake COVID-19 vaccines are available on the black market and told citizens to stay alert and not put themselves at health risk. Earlier this week, Interpol said that South Africa had seized fake coronavirus vaccines. The SAPS later disclosed details about the police operation that led to the arrest of four smugglers of counterfeit COVID-19 jabs at a warehouse in the northern Guateng province. According to the police, fake vaccines and masks worth nearly $400,000 were seized in mid-November.
Sri Lanka has received the first shipment of COVID-19 vaccines through the international COVAX facility ran by the World Health Organization. The first delivery to the South Asian island country included 264,000 doses of the Astra Zeneca/Oxford vaccine produced by the Serum Institute of India. By May, Sri Lanka is expected to receive 1,440,000 doses.
Japan's Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare could approve the country's second coronavirus vaccine after Pfizer's as early as in May or June, Minister Norihisa Tamura said on Sunday.
Scientists at the US food and Drug Administration (FDA) are strongly against administering only single doses of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, as their efficacy has only been proven if people get two shots, The Wall Street Journal reported. In February, some scientists and lawmakers suggested using a one-dose regimen for all coronavirus vaccines approved in the US, after certain preliminary studies showed that a single shot could be enough for some people.
Israel is entering the third stage of lockdown lifting and is reopening restaurants, theaters and other venues for those vaccinated against COVID-19.� People with the so-called "green passports" (those who have been vaccinated) are now allowed inside restaurants, while those who have not been vaccinated can sit outside with certain limitations. Theaters, stadiums and event halls are also reopening with some restrictions. Cultural, sports and public events are now allowed provided that no more than 500 people are in attendance if the event is held indoors, or no more than 750 people if the event is held outdoors.
China plans to introduce health certificates for international travelers and vaccinate citizens abroad in a bid to overcome the travel and work disruptions caused by the pandemic, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said. This measure is within a set of "concrete actions" which the ministry expects to reassure citizens abroad that "our mission is to serve the people and we will leave no one behind" and that "diplomats will not stand back until the #pandemic is completely defeated."
