MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 04th July, 2020) There have been some discussions about the mutations of the virus and what it means for the people while the race for the vaccine continues. Meanwhile, the UK is easing some of the restrictions � pubs will open on Saturday and dinner parties will be back.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told the Journal of the American Medical Association on Thursday that the coronavirus could be mutating and becoming more infectious. Fauci clarified that this was yet to be confirmed, however, and cited a recent study.
The study published in the journal Cell suggests that the new mutations makes it easier for the virus to infect people but does not appear to cause a more serious sickness in them.
Maria Van Kerkhove, the COVID-19 technical lead at the World Health Organization, said that the mutation was not a new one. The D614G mutations was first discovered in February and there has not been any proof so far that it makes the virus stronger, the WHo epidemiologist said.
The US Senate has confirmed Army General Gustave Perna to be the chief operating officer on the Trump administration's vaccine development team, also known as Operation Warp Speed. January 2021 is the target date for making the vaccine available.
India's Bharat Biotech International Limited (BBIL) is going to launch its COVID-19 vaccine for public health use by August 15, the state-run Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has said in a statement.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson held a press conference ahead of the relaxation of the coronavirus restrictions on Saturday.
Starting on July 4, the people in the UK will be able to go pubs and restaurants. The establishment will have to keep the record of visitors for the health care professionals in case they need to trace contacts of someone who has the coronavirus. Hairdressers and barbers will also reopen.
Visits to other people's homes can now resume. As with the restaurants, a distance of one meter-plus is advisable (one meter equals 3.2 feet).
Wedding ceremonies with no more than 30 people present will be allowed.
According to Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden, gyms could reopen in mid-July.
