|
 India sets record for new COVID cases
India recorded the world's highest daily tally of 314,835 new
COVID-19 infections on Thursday as a second wave of the pandemic
raised new fears about the ability of crumbling health services to
cope.
Health officials across northern and western India including the
capital, New Delhi, said they were in crisis, with most hospitals
full and running out of oxygen.
Some doctors were advising patients to stay at home, while a
crematorium in the eastern city of Muzaffarpur said it was being
overwhelmed with bodies and grieving families had to wait their
turn.
Singapore quarantines over 1,100 migrant workers
Singapore is quarantining more than 1,100 migrant workers after
about a dozen COVID-19 cases were found in a dormitory and was
investigating the possibility of re-infections among those who had
recovered from the virus.
The bulk of Singapore's more than 60,000 cases occurred in
dormitories that house tens of thousands of mainly South Asian
low-wage workers, triggering lockdowns of the premises last year.
U.S. adds 116 countries to its 'Do Not Travel' list
The U.S. State Department has added at least 116 countries this week
to its "Level Four: Do Not Travel" advisory list, putting the UK,
Canada, France, Israel, Mexico, Germany and others on the list,
citing a "very high level of COVID-19."
On Monday, the State Department said it would boost the number of
countries receiving its highest advisory rating to about 80% of
countries worldwide.
Before Tuesday, the State Department listed 34 out of about 200
countries as "Do Not Travel." The State Department now lists 150
countries at Level Four.
[to top of second column] |
EU preparing case against AstraZeneca
The European Commission is working on legal proceedings against
AstraZeneca after the drugmaker cut COVID-19 vaccine deliveries to
the European Union, according to sources familiar with the matter.
An EU official involved in talks with vaccine makers told Reuters on
Thursday that a story by Politico on the matter was correct. "EU
states have to decide if they (will) participate. It is about
fulfilment of deliveries by the end of the second quarter."
The Anglo-Swedish drugmaker has been under fire in the trading bloc
for cutting supplies several times to levels much lower than
promised, and potential legal action had been discussed previously.
Tokyo Motor Show cancelled
Tokyo will not host its motor show this year, organizers said on
Thursday, underscoring Japan's struggle to contain both a resurgent
outbreak and the widening economic fall-out.
The cancellation comes as the government is expected to issue a
third state of emergency for Tokyo and a number of other prefectures
that could last for about two weeks, according to media reports.
The halting of the auto show, a marquee event of the country's most
important industry, is also likely to raise more questions about the
government's insistence that the delayed Tokyo Olympics will go
ahead this summer.
(Compiled by Linda Noakes; editing by John Stonestreet)
[© 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 |
