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 France seeks quick resumption of AstraZeneca shots
France expressed hope European medical experts would clear up
questions over the safety of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 shot on
Thursday, as experts warned the decision by major European states to
stop using it posed a greater risk to public health.
In a coordinated step, Germany, France and Italy suspended the use
of AstraZeneca's vaccine on Monday pending the outcome of an
investigation by the bloc's medicines regulator into isolated cases
of bleeding, blood clots and low platelet counts.
They were joined by Sweden and Latvia on Tuesday, bringing to more
than a dozen the number of EU countries that have acted since
reports first emerged of thromboembolisms affecting people after
they got the AstraZeneca shot.
German cases growing exponentially again
Coronavirus infections are rising exponentially in Germany, an
expert at the Robert Koch Institute for infectious diseases said on
Tuesday.
The number of cases per 100,000 reported on Tuesday was 83.7, up
from 68 a week ago, and the RKI has said that metric could reach 200
by the middle of next month.
"We are exactly on the flank of the third wave. That can no longer
be disputed. And at this point we have eased the restrictions and
that is speeding up the exponential growth," Dirk Brockmann, an
epidemiologist at the RKI, told Germany's ARD television.
India widens curbs
India reported 24,492 new cases on Tuesday, the sixth straight day
of more than 20,000 infections, as curbs to try to stop the spread
were expanded in parts of the country that have recorded a surge.
Total cases have now risen to 11.41 million, the highest in the
world after the United States and Brazil. Deaths increased by 131 to
158,856 in the past 24 hours, data from the health ministry showed.
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 The government has blamed
crowding and a general reluctance to wear masks
for the spike, ruling out mutations of the virus
as a factor, unlike in the West.
Daytime karaoke sessions spread virus in Japan
A rash of Japanese coronavirus clusters linked to daytime karaoke
sessions by the elderly, including several linked to 93 cases in one
prefecture, prompted a stern warning on Tuesday and calls for
caution from authorities.
The recent clusters, which are spread across the country, come as
the Tokyo metropolitan area is nearing the planned end of a state of
emergency aimed at curbing the latest wave of cases.
At least 215 people have recently tested positive in cases linked to
daytime karaoke sessions, a pursuit especially popular with the
retired and elderly.
Manila orders anyone younger than 18 to stay indoors
The Philippine capital Manila will widen a ban on minors leaving
their residences to include youths of up to 18-years old for two
weeks starting on Wednesday, tightening restrictions in a bid to
tackle a new surge of infections.
Only those aged 18-65 years old will be allowed out of their homes,
the Metro Manila Development Authority said in a statement, citing
an agreement among mayors.
The Philippines late last year started easing one of the world's
longest and strictest lockdowns though a rule that anyone under 15
must stay indoors in Manila remained in place.
(Compiled by Linda Noakes; editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise)
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