Brazil Crops 300,000 Deaths; Eases Singapore Rules: Virus Update

(Bloomberg) – U.S. Covid-19 cases exceeded 30 million, according to data from Johns Hopkins University, and at least three other states expanded vaccine eligibility for anyone 16 and older. The European Union and the UK signaled a meltdown of friendship over vaccine sharing, just hours after the bloc reduced their long-term public battle with stricter restrictions on the export of shots.

Singapore will rest on measures to allow more people to return to offices and allow larger gatherings. BioNTech SE said it began an investigation after issues with the packaging for vaccine filters forced Hong Kong and Macau to ban vaccines with company photographs.

Brazil delivered 300,000 deaths from Covid-19, the second largest in the world, and Nissan fired workers at its industrial plant in Resende. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has unveiled plans for a tight Easter closure.

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Nissan is cooling all employees at its business center in Resende between March 26 and April 9, according to an email statement from Nissan Brasil, with production expected to resume April 12. The move aims to ensure employee safety and adjust the company to the current situation while promising business continuity, the Japanese automaker said .

The removal of coronavirus-related controls from African countries and the emergence of more susceptible changes led to a second wave of more severe diseases than the first, according to a study published in the journal Lancet.

While swift and coordinated government responses seemed to limit the impact of Covid-19 in earlier Africa on the pandemic, daily infections were about 30% higher during the second wave thereafter. the continent as lockout measures were reduced and basic health protocols were adhered to, he said.

Brazil became just the second country to exceed the 300,000 death mark from Covid-19 while the virus was still ravaging and gaining traction over hospitals.

It took just two and a half months for Brazil to go from 200,000 to 300,000 deaths, compared to five months between 100,000 and 200,000 deaths, showing the reality in which the virus and its P.1 variant are spreading.

The Ministry of Health reported an additional 2,009 deaths Wednesday, bringing the charge to 300,685. New confirmed cases jumped 89,992 in the last 24 hours, to 12.2 million in total. The two highest sums in the world are after the US

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is firmly committed to a gradual return to offshore operations, lowering industry expectations for a speedy restart.

The Cruise Lines International Association, the main lobbying group for tour companies including Carnival Corp., issued a statement earlier Wednesday urging the CDC to release the order and agree to allow US sailings resumed by July. But in an email response to questions, the CDC said the Framework for a General Address Order, or CSO, is still in effect.

“Returning to passenger trips is a step-by-step way to reduce the risk of Covid-19 emissions,” the CDC said. “Details for the next phase of the CSO are currently under inter-agency review.”

Louisiana, Idaho and Utah joined the growing list of U.S. states allowing anyone age 16 and older to receive coronavirus vaccines in the coming weeks.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte warned officials not to skip the vaccine queue, saying the country is in danger of dosing dispensed doses from the Covax facility with the support of a Group Global Health if health workers do not get priority. Five mayors and the son of a local celebrity may face charges for being placed ahead of priority groups, Duterte said in a televised briefing late Wednesday.

Iceland, whose treatment of the pandemic is considered one of the best in the world, is putting tougher social measures on the rise in diseases linked to the British variety. . The new restrictions, which will run for three weeks, include the closure of schools and universities.

Cyprus will open its borders starting April 1 for visitors from the U.S., Russia and Ukraine, the tourism ministry said Wednesday. All passengers who have been tested and confirmed will be exempt from Covid and have not been in close contact with a proven case to remain quarantined, he said. Cyprus on Tuesday said it will reopen borders in April for those coming from Israel, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, and visitors from the UK can come from May 1.

Belgian federal and provincial governments tightened virus restrictions for the first time since late October, closing schools a week ahead of the two-week Easter break, and ordering hairdressers and beauty salons to close again for four weeks. starting Saturday.

Belgium is refusing to move away from stricter locking measures that were implemented twice last year, however, allowing unnecessary retailers to remain open when they are appointed and without pushing the boundaries of domestic movements.

Chancellor Angela Merkel has apologized to the German people after they made a rare public apology for inciting major criticism with plans for a five-day Easter closure.

Merkel accepted the suggestion, saying it was a “mistake” after a video conference quickly organized by the heads of 16 German states about 33 hours after they announced the move. She defended one of the toughest measures in Germany since the spread of the pandemic but said there was not enough time to implement it properly.

Seven out of 10 patients in the hospital with Covid-19 had not recovered five months after discharge, and one in five had reached the threshold for a new disability, according to a study across the UK on 1,077 patients with the National Institute for Health Research Leicester Biomedical Research Center.

The most common persistent symptoms included muscle pain, fatigue, and lack of sleep quality, and a quarter had anxiety and depression. Levels of inflammation signal, known as C-reactive protein, increased in all cases but fewer persistent symptoms, according to a report.

BioNTech temporarily suspended vaccinations in Hong Kong and Macau and began an investigation following reports of issues with the main packaging material for single-batch filters, the company said.

The probe covers batch handling at the vaccination centers, throughout the supply chain and during repackaging, as well as batch filling and completion time. At this stage, there is no reason to believe that there is a safety risk to the public, the company said.

Singapore will allow more people to return to offices and allow larger gatherings for various activities as the virus situation improves.

The government ‘s position will shift from working from home as a matter of routine to a more flexible approach, where up to 75% of workers can be at work starting April 5, up from 50% now, the health ministry said Wednesday. The size limits for live concerts, conferences and sporting events will increase to 750 people starting on April 24, if they implement a pre-event test.