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A summary of today’s developments:
Live map: Global spread of coronavirus
Source: Johns Hopkins University
Virus lockdowns around the world
Fresh lockdowns and curfews were imposed on tens of millions of people from India to Argentina on Saturday, as Covid-19 infections surged again and vaccine roll-outs were hampered by shortages and scares over side effects.
In India, the worst-hit state of Maharashtra was running out of vaccines as the health system buckled under the weight of the contagion, which has killed 2.9 million people worldwide.
Stay-at-home orders were also set to come into force for the eight million inhabitants of Bogota, as the Colombian capital battled a third wave of infections, adding to curfews already covering seven million across four other major cities.
Elsewhere in South America, Argentina entered a night-time curfew Friday running from midnight to 06:00 am every day until April 30. Both Argentina and Colombia have recorded about 2.5 million coronavirus cases, numbers surpassed only by Brazil in the region.
All of France is subject to restrictions of some form, while the German government’s attempts to curb movement and commerce have been stymied by several states refusing to go along with the proposals.
Now Berlin is changing the rules to centralise power, adjustments likely to usher in night-time curfews and some school closures in especially hard-hit areas.
Pakistan approves Sinovac vaccine
Amid the ongoing third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) has approved China’s Sinovac vaccine against the virus for emergency use, the National Institute of Health in Islamabad announced.
According to a statement released by DRAP, the CoronaVac vaccine developed by Chinese pharmaceutical company Sinovac has been given emergency use authorisation for people aged 18 and above, Xinhua news agency reported.
#Pakistan approves China’s Sinovac vaccine for emergency use https://t.co/mGS5XEbQXi
— Khaleej Times (@khaleejtimes) April 10, 2021
The statement said the authorisation will be reviewed every quarter keeping in view data regarding safety, efficacy and quality of the vaccine.
It is the third Chinese Covid-19 vaccine to be approved by the country after Sinopharm and CanSino vaccines.
India reports a record 145,384 cases
India reported a record 145,384 new Covid-19 cases, health ministry data showed on Saturday, as the country grappled with a overwhelming second-wave of infections.
Covid-19: #India reports a record 145,384 cases; #Mumbai in #lockdown https://t.co/RWy7TmRCqA
— Khaleej Times (@khaleejtimes) April 10, 2021
A five-month high 794 deaths brought the toll to 168,436.
India’s overall caseload was 13.21 million, the third-highest globally, behind the United States and Brazil.
Only vaccinated worshippers allowed to enter Prophet’s Mosque
Saudi Arabia announced on Saturday that only Covid-vaccinated or immune worshippers were allowed to enter the Prophet’s Mosque in the holy city of Madinah.
#Ramadan2021: Only vaccinated worshippers allowed to enter Prophet’s Mosque https://t.co/juWfAqpdYr
— Khaleej Times (@khaleejtimes) April 10, 2021
According to Arab News, an official from the Ministry of Interior confirmed that the rule came in line with the Kingdom’s efforts to prevent the spread of Covid among worshippers during the Holy Month of Ramadan.
Mumbai in lockdown
India’s most coronavirus-hit state Maharashtra went into a weekend lockdown on Saturday as the country battles exploding infection numbers and vaccine shortages.
Having let its guard down with mass religious festivals, political rallies and spectators at cricket matches, the world’s second most populous nation has added more than a million new infections since late March.
Covid-19: #Mumbai in lockdown as #Indian vaccines run short https://t.co/22df0MeHOc
— Khaleej Times (@khaleejtimes) April 10, 2021
After a lockdown a year ago caused widespread misery and hit the economy for six, the central government is desperate to avoid a hugely unpopular second shutdown.
Covid-19: #Mumbai in lockdown as #Indian vaccines run short https://t.co/22df0MeHOc
— Khaleej Times (@khaleejtimes) April 10, 2021
Cases, deaths rise across the world
Hospitals in Turkey and Poland are filling up fast. Pakistan is restricting domestic travel to bring a surge in coronavirus infections under control. Even Thailand, which has weathered the pandemic far better than many nations, is now struggling to contain a new Covid-19 surge.
#Covid-19: Cases, deaths rise across the world https://t.co/geAtciJH2V
— Khaleej Times (@khaleejtimes) April 10, 2021
Even countries where vaccine rollouts are finally getting some momentum, infections, hospitalisations and deaths are surging. And that leaves even bleaker prospects for much of the world, where large-scale vaccination programmes remain a more distant prospect.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Friday that it’s very concerned as infection rates are rising in all of the world’s regions, driven by new virus variants and too many nations and people coming out of lockdown too soon.
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