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 Australia to lift outbound travel ban for vaccinated residents from
next week
All fully-vaccinated Australian citizens and permanent residents
will be able to leave the country without a special exemption from
Nov. 1, authorities said on Wednesday, as Australia eases
coronavirus restrictions amid a rise in vaccination rates.
Thousands of fully-vaccinated residents living abroad are also
expected to return after Sydney and Melbourne ended quarantine rules
for inoculated travelers from Nov. 1. Other cities, mostly
virus-free, are expected to ease their border rules once they reach
higher vaccination rates.
U.S. FDA advisers back Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine for children
An expert panel on Tuesday voted overwhelmingly to recommend the
U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorize the Pfizer Inc and
BioNTech SE COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 to 11, saying the
benefits of the shot outweigh the risks.
An authorization for that age group would be an important regulatory
step toward reaching about 28 million children for inoculation, most
of them back in school for in-person learning. Data from the
American Academy of Pediatrics shows that more than 500 U.S.
children have died from COVID-19.
Beijing marks 100 days to Winter Olympics amid COVID
With 100 days until the start of the Winter Olympics, Beijing is
promising a "simple and safe" 2022 Games - although preparations are
anything but simple as China readies to host thousands of athletes
and personnel while battling COVID-19 flare-ups.
Unke the Tokyo Games, which were delayed by a year and faced
speculation they would be cancelled, there has been little doubt the
Beijing Winter Olympics will take place - no matter what - as an
increasingly assertive China seizes the opportunity to demonstrate
soft power.
No unvaccinated players at Australian Open, says state premier
Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews said his government will not apply
for travel permits to allow unvaccinated tennis players to compete
at the Australian Open in the state after Prime Minister Scott
Morrison indicated they would be allowed into the country.
[to top of second column] |
 Morrison said earlier on
Wednesday that unvaccinated players would be
free to compete at the Grand Slam after
undergoing a two-week COVID-19 quarantine
provided that Victoria, which hosts the
tournament in Melbourne, applied for permits for
them. Andrews said his state would make no such
applications, saying tennis players should be
held to the same standard as everyone else at
the event. Vaccinated but stuck:
Indians await WHO nod for homegrown shot
Millions of Indians have taken Covaxin and many have complained of
travel struggles as the vaccine has not been recognised for
international travel by several countries.
WHO Chief Scientist Soumya Swaminathan said after a meeting on
Tuesday that its independent experts had sought "additional
clarifications" from Covaxin maker Bharat Biotech for a final
assessment on Nov. 3. The global agency has been deliberating on
data supplied by Bharat Biotech since early July but has said it
cannot "cut corners" in making a decision.
Skills shortage bites as Australia reopens
After two years of stop-start COVID-19 lockdowns Australia is ready
to party, but venues from restaurants to sporting stadiums are
facing a difficult summer after a huge exodus of holiday workers and
foreign students.
Strict border closures have left a gaping hole in the market for
casual workers, with hospitality-focused firms being forced to turn
down some jobs even as the economy opens up. The labour shortages
are hitting hardest at public-facing businesses, those already most
affected by months of rolling lockdowns in the two biggest cities of
Sydney and Melbourne.
(Compiled by Karishma Singh; Editing by Stephen Coates)
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