INTERNATIONAL
FACTBOX-Latest on the worldwide spread of the coronavirus
France declared a mandatory quarantine period for people coming from Britain due to the increasing prevalence there of a highly contagious coronavirus variant first detected in India. REUTERSpic
PRESIDENT Joe Biden ordered aides to find answers to the origin of the COVID-19 virus, saying U.S. intelligence agencies are pursuing rival theories potentially including the possibility of a laboratory accident in China.
DEATHS AND INFECTIONS
EUROPE
* France declared a mandatory quarantine period for people coming from Britain, due to the increasing prevalence there of a highly contagious coronavirus variant first detected in India.
* An eight-week decline in Spain's coronavirus infection rate has begun to tail off.
* The infection rate in Germany has fallen below 50 per 100,000 people for the first time since October.
AMERICAS
* Almost half of the more than 3.4 million COVID-19 deaths reported so far in the world have occurred in the Americas, but the real numbers may be higher, the Pan American Health Organization warned.
* Canada's latest COVID-19 hotspot of Manitoba was planning to fly additional critically ill patients to other provinces as infections multiply.
* The U.S. Centers for Disease Control said it had approved one cruise ship from Royal Caribbean to resume sailing in June, more than a year after U.S. cruising was suspended because of the pandemic.
ASIA-PACIFIC
* Australia's second-most populous state of Victoria will enter a one-week COVID-19 lockdown forcing its near seven million residents to remain home except for essential business as authorities struggle to contain a highly-infectious outbreak.
* Japan has assured the United States that it will keep in close contact about coronavirus concerns ahead of the Tokyo Olympics, the White House said.
* The Philippines will allow the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for emergency use in children aged 12-15.
* Taiwan directly accused China for the first time on Wednesday of blocking a deal with Germany's BioNTech for vaccines.
MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA
* Qatar said leisure and education centres and restaurants can reopen at limited capacity as of Friday.
MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS
* The U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave an emergency use authorization to the antibody treatment developed by Vir Biotechnology and GlaxoSmithKline for treating mild-to-moderate COVID-19 in people aged 12 and older.
* Two COVID-19 vaccines from China's Sinopharm showed more than 70% efficacy against symptomatic cases, a study showed.
* Sanofi and GlaxoSmithKline said they were launching the Phase III trial for their experimental COVID-19 vaccine.
* India's Zydus Cadila has sought regulatory approval for clinical trials of its antibody cocktail to treat mild COVID-19.
ECONOMIC IMPACT
* Asian shares retreated from two-week highs on Thursday and China started on the backfoot on fears central banks were closer to considering winding back their emergency stimulus while the dollar held at a one-week top.
* Earnings at China's industrial firms grew at a slower pace in April, with high commodity prices and weaker performance in the consumer goods sector limiting overall profitability from manufacturing.
DEATHS AND INFECTIONS
EUROPE
* France declared a mandatory quarantine period for people coming from Britain, due to the increasing prevalence there of a highly contagious coronavirus variant first detected in India.
* An eight-week decline in Spain's coronavirus infection rate has begun to tail off.
* The infection rate in Germany has fallen below 50 per 100,000 people for the first time since October.
AMERICAS
* Almost half of the more than 3.4 million COVID-19 deaths reported so far in the world have occurred in the Americas, but the real numbers may be higher, the Pan American Health Organization warned.
* Canada's latest COVID-19 hotspot of Manitoba was planning to fly additional critically ill patients to other provinces as infections multiply.
* The U.S. Centers for Disease Control said it had approved one cruise ship from Royal Caribbean to resume sailing in June, more than a year after U.S. cruising was suspended because of the pandemic.
ASIA-PACIFIC
* Australia's second-most populous state of Victoria will enter a one-week COVID-19 lockdown forcing its near seven million residents to remain home except for essential business as authorities struggle to contain a highly-infectious outbreak.
* Japan has assured the United States that it will keep in close contact about coronavirus concerns ahead of the Tokyo Olympics, the White House said.
* The Philippines will allow the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for emergency use in children aged 12-15.
* Taiwan directly accused China for the first time on Wednesday of blocking a deal with Germany's BioNTech for vaccines.
MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA
* Qatar said leisure and education centres and restaurants can reopen at limited capacity as of Friday.
MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS
* The U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave an emergency use authorization to the antibody treatment developed by Vir Biotechnology and GlaxoSmithKline for treating mild-to-moderate COVID-19 in people aged 12 and older.
* Two COVID-19 vaccines from China's Sinopharm showed more than 70% efficacy against symptomatic cases, a study showed.
* Sanofi and GlaxoSmithKline said they were launching the Phase III trial for their experimental COVID-19 vaccine.
* India's Zydus Cadila has sought regulatory approval for clinical trials of its antibody cocktail to treat mild COVID-19.
ECONOMIC IMPACT
* Asian shares retreated from two-week highs on Thursday and China started on the backfoot on fears central banks were closer to considering winding back their emergency stimulus while the dollar held at a one-week top.
* Earnings at China's industrial firms grew at a slower pace in April, with high commodity prices and weaker performance in the consumer goods sector limiting overall profitability from manufacturing.
#COVID-19
#Pfizer-BioNTech
#Sinopharm
#Olympics
#Britain
#United States
#Joe Biden
#Japan
#Taiwan
#Tokyo
#English News