|
 NZ temporarily suspends entry to travellers from India
New Zealand on Thursday temporarily suspended entry for all
travellers from India, including its own citizens, for about two
weeks following a high number of positive coronavirus cases arriving
from the South Asian country.
The move comes after New Zealand recorded 23 new positive
coronavirus cases at its border on Thursday, of which 17 were from
India. The suspension will start from 1600 local time on April 11
and will be in place until April 28.
AstraZeneca rollout to continue in Australia
Australia has no current plans to change the rollout of the
AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on
Thursday, after Europe's drug regulator found possible links between
rare blood clots and the vaccine.
Australian authorities have ordered an urgent inquiry into findings
from Europe's drug regulator with Morrison expecting updates later
on Thursday from the medicines regulator and the immunisation
advisory group.
Mixed guidance in the EU on AstraZeneca shot
European Union health ministers failed on Wednesday to agree a
common guidance on the use of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine,
despite calls for coordination across member states to combat public
hesitancy over taking the shot.
Italy and Spain recommended on Wednesday that it only be used on
those over 60 and Britain that people under 30 should get an
alternative, due to possible links between the vaccine and very rare
cases of blood clots.
[to top of second column] |
 If approved by EU, Germany
wants to buy Sputnik vaccine
Germany is about to start bilateral negotiations
with Russia to obtain its Sputnik V COVID-19
vaccine, a source told Reuters on Wednesday,
adding that any final agreement depended on
Russia providing key data to the European
Medicines Agency (EMA). In the preliminary
talks, Germany first wants to determine which
quantities Russia can deliver and when, the
source said.
 In any case,
Germany will only buy the Russian vaccine once it has been approved
by EMA and for this it is paramount that Russia provides the
necessary data, the source added.
After detecting UK variant, Thailand braces for infections
Thailand has detected at least 24 cases of the coronavirus variant
B.1.1.7 first identified in Britain, a government health expert said
on Wednesday, its first known domestic transmission of the highly
contagious variant. The UK variant was found in a cluster of 24
visitors to entertainment venues in Bangkok, which were detected at
the weekend. Nearly 200 such venues have been closed for two weeks.
Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha instructed authorities to
prepare field hospitals in anticipation of a spike in infections.
Ten of his ministers and dozens of lawmakers were self-isolating on
Wednesday due to exposure to positive cases.
(Compiled by Karishma Singh)
[© 2021 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2021 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content |
