- The UK has cancelled quarantine requirements for EU and US travelers.
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that in 66.6% of counties in the United States, people should wear masks indoors.
- The Canadian province of Alberta is removing the isolation requirements for close contacts of Covid-19 cases.
The delta outbreak in Sydney, Australia’s largest city, increased by 239 cases on Thursday, the highest single-day increase since the pandemic began, forcing the authorities to increase the power of the police to close businesses that do not comply with the lockdown measures.
Read | Australian Prime Minister Morrison says vaccination alone will not end Sydney’s Covid-19 lockdown
Europe
* The UK will allow vaccinated tourists from the European Union and the United States to arrive without the need to quarantine from next week.
* For the second time, Norway has postponed the final step of the planned reopening of the economy from the pandemic blockade.
* The European Union has signed a contract with GlaxoSmithKline to provide up to 220,000 treatments for Covid-19, the research antibody therapy Sotovezumab.
Asia Pacific
* The New Zealand Health Regulatory Agency has temporarily approved the AstraZeneca vaccine for individuals 18 years of age and older.
* Cambodia will implement a lockdown in the eight provinces bordering Thailand at midnight on Thursday to prevent the spread of the delta virus.
* Isolation and the absence of family and friends have affected the mental health of Tokyo Olympic athletes, and some people are struggling to cope with the challenges brought about by the pandemic.
America
* US President Joe Biden is expected to announce that approximately 2 million federal civilian workers will need to be vaccinated or undergo facial testing, social distancing, mask requirements and travel restrictions.
* The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated that the Covid-19 transmission rate in 66.6% of the U.S. counties is high enough to guarantee indoor shelter.
* The Canadian province of Alberta stated that it will abolish the isolation requirements for close contacts of Covid-19 cases, while neighboring British Columbia will resume mask requirements for its central region.
Middle East and Africa
* Iran will be the first country outside of Cuba to start producing Cuban vaccines on an industrial scale.
* Zimbabwe has authorized the emergency use of Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine.
Medical development
* The US Food and Drug Administration has extended the shelf life of Johnson & Johnson vaccines from four and a half months to six months.
* Emergent Biosolutions said it would resume production of Johnson & Johnson’s vaccines at its troubled Baltimore plant, which ceased operations in April after finding that millions of doses of vaccine were contaminated.
Economic impact
* Asian stock markets were calm on Thursday, as the Fed hinted that it was not eager to cut stimulus measures, but sentiment was fragile as investors waited and saw whether Beijing could stop the recent bloodshed in Chinese stocks.
* The US economy may gain momentum in the second quarter, and its growth rate may be the second fastest in 38 years, thanks to large-scale government assistance and vaccination.
* The Reserve Bank of Australia may revoke its decision to cut the bond purchase plan at its monthly meeting next week.
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