New Delhi: The Covid-19 pandemic continues to wreak havoc across the world. The latest count being more than 12 crore cases and over 27 lakh deaths.
On Wednesday, Hong Kong became the first jurisdiction to pause mass vaccination using Germany-based BioNTech coronavirus shots. As third wave slowly grips Europe, there are concerns among health experts in France that the country isn’t doing enough to contain the increase in infections. Health officials in Chile extended lockdown in the capital Santiago to combat the second wave of coronavirus cases.
ThePrint highlights some of the important stories from around the world.
BioNTech shots put on hold in Hong Kong after defects found
On Wednesday, Hong Kong became the first jurisdiction to pause mass vaccination using Germany-based BioNTech coronavirus shots, reports Asia Times.
There were ‘deviations’ observed in the vial seal of doses received from Germany, the report said.
“About 57 cases involving hairline cracks in bottles, loose capping and liquid squirting out after opening have been reported in Hong Kong, after the city added the BioNTech product to its expanded roll-out since 3 March,” added the report. These sealing defects could contribute to the contents of the dose being contaminated.
Hong Kong has reported 11,429 cases of Covid-19 and 204 deaths.
Also read: What is double mutation & why it’s the latest buzzword as India sees a Covid surge
Experts fear France ‘not doing enough’ to control increase in cases
Amid a third wave slowly gripping Europe, there are concerns among health experts in France that the country isn’t doing enough to contain the increase in infections, particularly among younger people, reports The Guardian.
After 45,000 new Covid-19 cases were detected in the past 24 hours, the French health minister, Olivier Véran, on Thursday banned outdoor gatherings of more than six people, report said.
The government has also shut down non-essential shops.
Solen Kernéis, an infectious disease specialist at Bichat hospital in Paris, said, “I understand the strategy of wanting to do gradual measures, but with the situation we are in I’m not sure that they are going to slow down the epidemic.”
France has recorded 44,24,087 cases of Covid-19 and 93,378 deaths.
Chile locks down capital city despite world’s fastest vaccination rate
On Thursday, health officials in Chile extended the lockdown in the capital, Santiago, in order to combat the second wave of coronavirus cases. This came even after the country has witnessed the world’s fastest per capita vaccination campaign, reports Reuters.
In the last few weeks, coronavirus infections in the country have been rising bringing hospitals “to the verge of collapse”.
“Officials say cases spiked alongside the arrival of more contagious variants of the virus and a relaxation of sanitary measures during the successful vaccination program,” said the report.
Chile has recorded 9,47,783 cases of Covid-19 and 22,402 deaths.
Also read: States claim dearth of Covid vaccines, Centre says ‘no such fear, have ordered more doses’
NGOs petition court to ask Israel to provide vaccines for Palestinians
Six NGOs have petitioned the High Court of Justice to ask Israel to offer vaccines to Palestine to inoculate its entire population, reports The Jerusalem Post.
In a petition submitted Thursday, the NGOs stated, “Evidently, the Palestinian Authority has an insufficient number of vaccines, whereas in what is practically the same area, the population of Israeli citizens and residents is almost fully vaccinated, apart from those who decline it.”
The report noted that Israel doesn’t have a legal obligation to vaccinate Palestinians since it has transferred this responsibility to the Palestinian Authority under the 1993 and 1995 Oslo Accords. Israel had made the decision to vaccinate its own population first and then the Palestinians.
Palestinian Authority has started to inoculate its population by seeking the help of WHO-affiliated programmes which will help them vaccinate 20 per cent of their population.
Palestine has recorded 2,32,038 cases of Covid-19 and 2,521 deaths.
What else we are reading:
Bahrain converts underused shopping mall to vaccine centre: Reuters
Covid curfew and clock change threaten to call time on Spain’s drive-in cinemas: The Guardian
Also read: Second Covid wave could last up to end of May, see 25 lakh cases: SBI report