Factbox – Latest on the worldwide spread of the coronavirus
(Reuters) – President Joe Biden on Thursday will present a six-pronged strategy intended to fight the spread of the highly contagious coronavirus Delta variant and increase U.S. COVID-19 vaccinations, the White House said on Tuesday.
DEATHS AND INFECTIONS
* Eikon users, see COVID-19: MacroVitals here for a case tracker and summary of news
EUROPE
* Spain’s healthcare regulator approved a third dose of COVID-19 vaccines for people with severely compromised immune systems who are likely to have weaker protection from the conventional two-dose inoculation schemes.
* Sweden will push ahead with easing COVID-19 restrictions at the end of this month, removing most curbs and limits on public venues such as restaurants, theatres and stadiums.
ASIA-PACIFIC
* Many top Indian epidemiolgists and social scientists are urging authorities to reopen in-person school classes for all age groups, saying the benefits outweigh the risks especially as poor rural children are missing out on online education.
AMERICAS
* 75% of adults in the United States have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine as of Tuesday morning, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said.
* The CDC has warned against travel to Sri Lanka, Jamaica and Brunei because of the rising number of COVID-19 cases.
MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA
* Saudi Arabia removed the United Arab Emirates, Argentina and South Africa from its entry banned country list and re-allowed citizens to travel to the three countries starting Sept. 8, state TV reported.
* Government workers in Zimbabwe who do not want to be vaccinated against COVID-19 should resign, the country’s justice minister said.
MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS
* Indonesia has approved the vaccines produced by Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies, part of Johnson & Johnson, and by China’s CanSino Biological for emergency use, the country’s food and drug agency said.
* COVID-19 vaccine makers ought to make their approved shots available for trials or risk hobbling the development of more vaccines, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) said.
ECONOMIC IMPACT
* U.S. shares were mixed and global equities retreated from record highs on Tuesday, as mounting worries over the slowing pace of economic recovery and the impact of the coronavirus Delta variant overtook investors’ hopes the Federal Reserve will delay tapering.[MKTS/GLOB]
* Local officials who want to extend enhanced unemployment benefits can do so, the White House said on Tuesday, a day after the administration and U.S. Congress allowed a program to lapse which had boosted payments during the COVID-19 pandemic.
* Finance minister Rishi Sunak will set out next month how he will squeeze spending across much of Britain’s government after announcing hefty tax rises to fund health and social care on Tuesday.
* France’s economic recovery remains on track despite the latest wave of COVID-19 outbreaks, the national statistics agency said, revising its 2021 outlook marginally higher.
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