The following is the latest development of the coronavirus crisis:
Dutch “partial blockade”
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte will announce new restrictions, which reportedly include the first “partial lockdown” in Western Europe in the autumn, as the number of cases has reached a record level.
Norway is reintroducing virus containment measures and authorizing cities and towns to use health passes while trying to prevent a surge in cases.
Mauritius, an island paradise in the Indian Ocean, has implemented a large number of new antiviral measures, because despite its high vaccination rate, it still faces an increase in cases.
The head of the country’s health agency said that the German should avoid large gatherings when the number of infections hit a record high, adding that he would not attend the New Year’s party.
According to a new study in The Lancet, Covaxin is the first Covid-19 vaccine developed in India. It is “very effective” and has no safety issues.
The European Union’s drug regulatory agency has approved two antibody therapies. This is the first breakthrough therapy it has approved to help infected people stop showing symptoms of disease.
In the so-called world first, Israel held a “war exercise” in case a new and deadly variant of Covid-19 broke out.
Nigerian President Mohamedu Buhari urged developed countries to rapidly increase the supply of vaccines to Africa and developing countries, saying that the current delivery speed “still has many shortcomings.”
British pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca (AstraZeneca) sold its Covid vaccine at cost, and the company said it suffered a loss in the third quarter.
The death toll exceeds 5 million
According to official sources compiled by Agence France-Presse on Friday, Covid-19 has caused at least 5,078,208 deaths since its outbreak in China in December 2019.
The United States has the highest number of deaths related to the new crown virus with 759,677, followed by Brazil with 610,224, India with 462,690, Mexico with 290,630, and Russia with 252,926.
The country with the largest number of new deaths is Russia with 1,235, followed by the United States with 815, and Ukraine with 750.
Taking into account the excess mortality associated with Covid-19, the World Health Organization estimates that the overall death toll may be two to three times higher.
