New Delhi: The novel coronavirus pandemic continues to devastate countries across the world — the latest count being over 4.1 crore cases and more than 11 lakh deaths.
Spain’s regional and national authorities are in conflict over coronavirus lockdown rules. A €5 million grant has been offered in France for the trial of a “miracle molecule” that is effective against Covid-19. And hundreds of ultra-orthodox schools defy Covid-19 lockdown guidelines in Israel.
ThePrint brings you the most important global stories on the coronavirus pandemic and why they matter.
€5m grant offered for ‘miracle molecule’ Covid trial in France
Luxury goods company LMVH has granted €5 million to a medical institute in Lille to conduct research on a new molecule drug that is “particularly effective against Covid-19”, reports The Connexion.
This drug was offered as a treatment against coronavirus in late September. According to local media reports, the drug is believed to be called Clofoctol. However, the medical institute in Lille has “neither confirmed nor denied” its name.
France has recorded 9,30,745 cases of Covid-19 and 33,885 deaths.
Spain’s regional & national authorities split over lockdown
Spain’s government on 9 October had to declare an emergency and impose a lockdown in Madrid and eight surrounding towns. This came after the regional government posed a legal challenge to these lockdown restrictions, reports The Guardian.
Madrid’s regional government is headed by Isabel Diaz Ayuso from the conservative People’s Party. “Ayuso, who insisted that her administration was bringing the epidemiological situation under control, has argued that the partial lockdown would inflict further damage on Madrid’s already battered economy,” noted the report.
Spain has recorded 10,29,668 cases of Covid-19 and 34,210 deaths.
Russia expects Sputnik V vaccine’s registration in Brazil in December & production by January
Director of the Russian Direct investment Fund (RDIF), Kirill Dmitriev, is expecting that Russia will register the Sputnik V vaccine in Brazil in December, reports Folha De S. Paulo.
The Gamaleya Institute in Russia is developing the vaccine which is currently in phase 3 of clinical trials.
“The Russian vaccine will be produced in the country in partnership with the pharmaceutical company Uniao Quimica. The Bahia government already purchased 50 million doses to be delivered directly from the Russian institute,” says the report.
Brazil has recorded 52,74,817 cases of Covid-19 and 1,54,888 deaths.
Also read: People don’t want to hear Fauci and ‘all these idiots’ any more, Trump tells his staff
Hundreds of Orthodox schools open, defying Israel’s Covid guidelines
On Sunday, hundreds of ultra-Orthodox schools, catering to students belonging to Haredi Jewish community, opened, flouting Israel’s Covid-19 rules, reports The Jerusalem Post.
The report quotes Professor Dan Avnon, the Leon Blum Chair in Political Science at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, who said, “For them to have tens of thousands of young men risk their lives in order to study Torah is a more health way of living than forfeiting study of Torah in the community in order to try to do away with what the state thinks is the best way of eliminating the virus. They think that they are doing something that promotes health.”
Israel has recorded 3,06,162 cases of Covid-19 and 2,278 deaths.
Saudi Arabia ranked first in Arab world for issuing Covid-19 scientific papers
Saudi Arabia was recognised as the first country in the Arab world for issuing scientific papers on Covid-19, reports Arab News.
“King Salman chaired a virtual session of the cabinet which reviewed various aspects related to the fight against the spread of the virus. The Kingdom ranked 25th globally and 2nd in the Middle East for clinical research and studies on the virus, the cabinet was told,” the report explained.
Saudi Arabia has recorded 3,42,968 cases of Covid-19 and 5,217 deaths.
Covid-19 driving sales for vending machines in Hong Kong
With the pandemic having forced retail stores to shut down, vending machines in Hong Kong are witnessing a boom in sales, reports the South China Morning Post.
These machines have recorded a spike in the sale of instant meals, lunchboxes and face masks.
“Some shopping mall and office landlords are slashing the rent they charge operators to install their machines in prominent areas, because they enable transactions without physical contact and draw traffic,” says the report.
Hong Kong has recorded 5,262 cases of Covid-19 and 105 deaths.
What else are we reading:
Coronavirus: it will be the biggest, fastest vaccine distribution plan ever — but can it work?: South China Morning Post
‘On the brink of disaster’: Europe’s Covid fight takes a turn for the worse: The Guardian
Also read: London’s iconic trading ring that survived two world wars might succumb to Covid