|
 Australia's COVID-19 response team holds urgent meeting
Australia's COVID-19 response committee is due to hold an emergency
meeting on Monday as outbreaks of the highly contagious Delta
variant across the country prompted a lockdown in Sydney and renewed
restrictions elsewhere.
More than 20 million Australians, or around 80% of the population,
are now under some form of lockdown or COVID-related restrictions as
officials grapple with flare-ups in almost every state or territory.
New Zealand is considering making masks compulsory at high alert
levels as well as compulsory scanning of QR codes to boost contact
tracing in efforts to reduce the risk of coronavirus spreading,
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Monday.
South Africa to tighten restrictions
South Africa will tighten COVID-19 restrictions for 14 days as
current containment measures are insufficient to cope with the speed
and scale of new infections, President Cyril Ramaphosa said on
Sunday.
The country, the worst-hit on the African continent in terms of
recorded cases and deaths, is in the grip of a "third wave" of
infections.
It recorded almost 18,000 new cases on Saturday, approaching the
peak of daily infections seen in a second wave in January, and local
scientists say the Delta coronavirus variant first identified in
India seems to be spreading fast.
Health minister leads push for stricter curbs in Indonesia
Indonesia's health minister is leading a push for stricter controls
as coronavirus cases surge to unprecedented levels, according to
sources familiar with government discussions.
Infections in Indonesia have tripled in the past month, overwhelming
hospitals in the capital Jakarta and other centres on the heavily
populated island of Java.
[to top of second column] |
 On Sunday, the country posted
its fifth record daily high for COVID-19 cases
in the past week, with 21,342 people confirmed
as positive, equivalent to over a quarter of
those tested.
Taiwan's cases fall to month-and-a-half low
Taiwan reported on Monday its lowest daily rise
in domestic COVID-19 infections in 1-1/2 months
as the island's outbreak stabilises, although
the government remains wary about a cluster of
the Delta variant. Taiwan has
been battling a rare spike in community transmissions after months
of relative safety, with curbs imposed last month on gatherings to
limit its spread.
Health Minister Chen Shih-chung told a daily news briefing that new
domestic cases stood at 60, down from 88 the previous day.
Spain tightens rules on Balearic Islands access for Britons
Spain will demand a negative COVID-19 test or proof of vaccination
from British tourists who want to enter Mallorca, Ibiza and other
Balearic Islands, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Monday.
"What we are going to do is apply to British tourists who go to the
Balearic Islands the same requirements we make of other European
citizens," Sanchez told Cadena SER radio.
Passengers arriving in Portugal from Britain must quarantine for 14
days from Monday if they are not fully vaccinated, the Portuguese
government said in a statement late on Sunday.
(Compiled by Linda Noakes; Editing by Jan Harvey)
[© 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
 |
