New Delhi: The Covid-19 pandemic continues to wreak havoc in the world. The latest count being more than 12 crore cases and more than 27 lakh deaths.
Lobby groups in Germany Tuesday said that the country’s decision to extend the coronavirus lockdown and close stores around Easter could lead to businesses inching closer to bankruptcy. Russian President Vladimir Putin got his first dose of coronavirus vaccine on Tuesday and, even after imposing one of the strictest lockdowns in the world, the Philippines has emerged as a Covid-19 hotspot. ThePrint highlights some of the important stories from around the world.
German businesses fear lockdown will fuel bankruptcies
Lobby groups in Germany Tuesday said that the country’s decision to extend the coronavirus lockdown and close stores around Easter could lead to businesses inching closer to bankruptcy, reports Reuters.
On Tuesday, Chancellor Angela Merkel had announced that the country would extend its lockdown until 18 April.
The HDE association of retailers revealed that 54 per cent of fashion stores faced “the danger of insolvency after 100 days of lockdown”. The German tourism association was also ‘disappointed’ at this development, saying it was “incomprehensible for vacations to the Mediterranean to be permitted while self-catered domestic trips were barred”, the report said.
Germany has recorded 26,89,205 cases of Covid-19 and 75,708 deaths.
Also read: As cases surge, Modi govt tells Serum, Bharat Biotech to boost Covid vaccine manufacturing
Philippines President’s Covid response under ‘hot fire’
Even after imposing one of the strictest lockdowns in the world, the Philippines has emerged as a Covid-19 hotspot, reports The Straits Times.
The country recorded close to 8,000 daily infections over the weekend which brought the weekly average to about 6,000 per day. This was the worst infection rate seen in the last year.
This is a “reflection of the government’s erratic and often wrongheaded approach to the pandemic,” said the report. It also noted that there has been a rapid spread of Covid-19 variants while the rollout of vaccines has been ‘snail-paced’.
Philippines has recorded 6,77,653 cases of Covid-19 and 12,992 deaths.
After delay, Putin finally gets Russian Covid-19 vaccine
Russian President Vladimir Putin got his first dose of coronavirus vaccine Tuesday. He received one of Russia’s three domestically developed vaccine, reports The Moscow Times.
Previously, Putin’s delay in being vaccinated had ‘raised eyebrows’ even though he had boasted about Sputnik V’s efficacy. “The procedure happened off camera despite speculation that the Russian president would broadcast it live to ease public distrust in Russia’s vaccine,” said the report. A Kremlin spokesperson said, this was because Putin didn’t “like it”.
Russia has recorded 44,74,610 cases of Covid-19 and 95,818 deaths.
Also read: Covid vaccine for all above age of 45 years from 1 April, says Prakash Javadekar
New Zealand scientists warn border workers may be spreading Covid-19
Scientists in New Zealand advise that border workers need to keep getting tested frequently in order to counter the risk of them spreading Covid-19, reports the NZ Herald.
This recommendation stemmed from a modelling study which highlighted the fact that, while vaccines might prevent or reduce Covid-19 symptoms, they couldn’t always stop transmission. One scenario researchers modelled, “in which a vaccine slashed transmission by just half, vaccinating border workers could actually boost the risk of a significant community outbreak”, the newspaper said.
The report added that this was because the “vaccine could hide the symptoms of the virus, and it could spread unnoticed to other people before it was eventually picked up by the worker’s next test”.
New Zealand has recorded 2,470 cases of Covid-19 and 26 deaths.
What else we are reading:
Vaccination must for transport, gym workers in Saudi Arabia: Arab News
NHS hit by Covid disruption as cancer referrals plunge: The Guardian
Also read: India’s rising virus cases risk denting economic recovery