New Delhi: The coronavirus pandemic continues to rage around the globe, with the latest count being more than 11 crore cases and 26 lakh deaths.
Japan’s Tokyo, which accounts for 30 per cent of the nation’s population, is seeing a rise in Covid-19 cases, while Papua New Guinea is facing a shortage of ICU beds due to a surge in cases. Meanwhile, a recent poll has found that at least one in five Americans has lost a close one due to the pandemic.
ThePrint brings you the most important global stories on the coronavirus pandemic and why they matter.
Thailand delays Oxford vaccine rollout amid blood clot reports
After reports that the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine is possibly linked to an increased risk of blood clots, Thailand has delayed its rollout of the vaccine, reports The Guardian.
The country was scheduled to start the rollout Friday and Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha was expected to get the first shot. The decision comes after several European countries including Denmark, Norway, Austria and Iceland suspended the vaccine a day before.
“Vaccine injection for Thais must be safe, we do not have to be in a hurry,” Piyasakol Sakolsatayadorn, an adviser for Thailand’s Covid-19 vaccine committee said.
Thailand has registered 85 deaths and total 26,679 cases of coronavirus so far.
Also read: Covid Olympics in Japan may lack much more than spectators
Canadian panel rethinks advice on giving AstraZeneca vaccine to people 65 and above
In Canada, the expert panel that advises on which people to prioritise for vaccination, is reconsidering its position that the Astra-Zeneca vaccine should not be given to Canadians who are 65 years old and above, Globe and Mail reported.
The committee members had met this week to review new data about the effectiveness of the vaccine in seniors. Dropping age restrictions on the vaccine would put the committee in line with several countries that have already done so, as well as Health Canada regulators who from the beginning authorised the vaccine for adults 18 and above in February. The committee’s initial statement on the vaccine was made based on data available before 1 March, which it deemed insufficient to provide a recommendation for those in the older age group.
Canada has reported 8,99,757 cases and 22,371 deaths due to the virus so far.
Hospital beds running out in Papua New Guinea as Covid cases surge
Papua New Guinea (PNG) is facing an exponential increase in the spread of Covid-19 with countrywide reports of community transmission, resulting in low availability of ICU beds in the country, Al Jazeera reported. The country reported 1,741 cases and 21 deaths this week which is nearly double the number of cases reported one month earlier and more than double the deaths reported two weeks earlier.
The country has the sixth-lowest Covid-19 testing rate in the world which raises more concerns. The rejection of Covid-19 safety protocols recommended by the government and the World Health Organization (WHO) is also thought to be contributing to the spread of the second wave in the country.
The country has so far registered 1,819 cases and 21 deaths.
Also read: Scientists oppose placebo trials for Covid vaccines, call them ‘unethical, inappropriate’
One in five Americans have lost someone in the pandemic
About one in five Americans say they have lost a relative or close friend to the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a poll, reported LA Times.
A new poll by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research illustrates the division between “heartache and hope” as the country gets ready to get back to normalcy.
The poll highlighted that the public’s worry about the virus has dropped to its lowest point since the fall. Only three in 10 Americans are very worried about themselves or a family member becoming infected with the virus, which was four out of 10 in recent months. People of colour were hit the hardest by the pandemic, the poll reveals. About 30 per cent of Black Americans and Latinos knew a relative or close friend who had died from the virus, compared with 15 per cent of white people.
US tops the chart with the highest number of active Covid cases — 8,591,627, and 5,43,721 deaths.
Tokyo area Covid numbers show rise
Japan’s Health Ministry said that the number of coronavirus cases in the Greater Tokyo area is showing signs of increase, The Straits Times reported.
The Japanese government, last week, extended the emergency declaration for Tokyo and three neighbouring districts by 14 days, saying Covid-19 cases hadn’t fallen far enough. The Health Minister of Japan Norihisa Tamura said that a decision on whether the state of emergency could be lifted in the Tokyo area, which accounts for about 30 per cent of Japan’s population, would be made after hearing the views of experts.
The seven-day average of new cases in Tokyo has been stuck in the mid-to high 200s since late February, while the daily tally exceeded 300 for the second straight day Thursday.
Japan registered 4,43,001 cases and 8,402 deaths due to the virus.
What else are we reading:
Israeli real-world data on Pfizer vaccine shows high Covid protection: The Guardian
Brazil hits new daily Covid deaths record as crisis escalates: Al Jazeera
Also read: Denmark suspends AstraZeneca shot on blood clot concerns, EU regulator says no evidence found