MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 19th April, 2021) The death toll from the coronavirus infection in the world topped 3 million and over 140 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.
The United States still has the highest case count in the world, with over 31.6 million, including over 567,000 fatalities.
South Africa's health watchdog SAPHRA has recommended resuming the rollout of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, days after it was paused over blot clotting concerns. It recommended informing people about possible adverse effects prior to the vaccination and monitoring those injected with the J&J shot if they are deemed at high risk of a blood clotting disorder.
Ukraine will start a mass vaccination campaign as soon as it amasses 1 million doses, the deputy health minister told a state news channel on Sunday. Ukraine began immunizing priority groups in February after receiving 500,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine.
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has held telephone talks with Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla asking him for additional coronavirus vaccine shipments. The talks were held on Saturday - the last day of Suga's three-day visit to the US. Suga said that more deliveries were needed in order to have enough doses by September. Bourla expressed readiness to ensure steady vaccine deliveries to Japan and to hold more talks on additional shipments.
Japan will have enough coronavirus vaccines to provide them to everyone older than 16 by the end of September, Administrative Affairs Minister Taro Kono said on Sunday, in the wake of successful talks between Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and Pfizer CEO.
French President Emmanuel Macron does not believe that the Russia's Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine can currently contribute to accelerating the vaccination pace in the EU as the Russian drug has yet to obtain approval from the European health regulator. This comes amid domestic calls to let people receive the Russian vaccine amid a lagging vaccination rate in Europe.
Experts from the Brazilian Health Regulatory Agency Anvisa departed to Russia on Friday to inspect the production of the Sputnik V vaccine. Three Anvisa inspectors will visit the enterprises of the Russian pharmaceutical company Generium in Vladimir, and two other experts will go to the city of Ufa to check the production of the vaccine by the UfaVITA laboratory owned by Russian Pharmstandard firm.
Slovenia may purchase Russia's Sputnik V vaccine against COVID-19 before the approval of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and start using the drug right after the vaccine receives EU authorization, a spokesman for the country's National Institute of Public Health (NJIZ) said on Saturday.
Guatemala will limit entry into the country for people who have visited the United Kingdom, Brazil or South Africa within two prior weeks due to the new mutated strains of COVID-19 that were originally detected in those countries, President Alejandro Giammattei has said. On Friday, the government introduced new restrictions to stem the spread of the disease, which will last through the end of April.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Sunday that the country is in "no hurry" to proceed with the reopening of its borders, but international travel may still resume in the second half of the year. The prime minister also added that if vaccinated Australians are wishing to leave the country they may be able to do so only for "essential" purposes in the second half of the year. Those returning to the country will require to isolate at home upon arrival.
About 200 people gathered on Sunday at Museum Square (Museumplein) in central Amsterdam to protest against the government's restrictions imposed to curb the spread of coronavirus in the country, a Sputnik correspondent reported from the scene. Protesters chanted slogans calling on the authorities to lift the restrictions so that people could again "drink coffee together" and "return to normal life." The demonstration lasted for three hours and ended without clashes with law enforcement forces.
The Ministry of Health of Israel has canceled the mandatory wearing of face masks in the open air amid a drop in coronavirus infection rates. The ministry advised to wear face coverings at large outdoor gatherings and stressed that mask wearing is still obligatory indoors.
