Reuters Health News Summary

There were no new local COVID-19 cases recorded on Sunday, health officials said, marking a full week of no community transmissions across the country. Reopening England's schools is step towards normality, PM Johnson says The reopening of England's schools to all pupils on Monday will mark the first step back towards normality, and is only possible because of the efforts of the public to bring COVID-19 infection rates down, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said.


Reuters | Updated: 07-03-2021 10:29 IST | Created: 07-03-2021 10:29 IST
Reuters Health News Summary

Preliminary data from a study conducted at the University of Oxford indicates that the COVID-19 vaccine developed by AstraZeneca PLC is effective against the P1, or Brazilian, variant, a source with knowledge of the study told Reuters on Friday. The data indicates that the vaccine will not need to be modified in order to protect against the variant, which is believed to have originated in the Amazonian city of Manaus, said the source, who requested anonymity as the results have not yet been made public. U.S. scientists doubtful of one-shot regimen for Pfizer, Moderna COVID vaccines: WSJ

U.S. scientists are skeptical of a one-shot regimen for Pfizer Inc and Moderna Inc COVID-19 vaccines, saying there isn't enough evidence that a single dose provides long-term protection, the Wall Street Journal reported https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-scientists-skeptical-of-one-shot-regimen-for-pfizer-moderna-covid-vaccines-11615064919?mod=latest_headlines. "It is essential that these vaccines be used as authorized by FDA in order to prevent Covid-19 and related hospitalizations and death," Peter Marks, director of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, told the Journal.

Night and day in South America: Buenos Aires welcomes nightlife, new lockdowns in Brazil In Buenos Aires on Friday night the doors of the Colón Theater reopened for the first time in a year since being shut because of the coronavirus pandemic, a sign of how the capital of Argentina is slowly letting its hair down once again. In neighboring Brazil, however, Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro have gone in the opposition direction, both announcing tighter restrictions this week, a reflection of how the two regional powerhouses are on completely different tracks battling the virus.

Mexico reports 6,561 new COVID-19 cases, 779 more deaths Mexico's health ministry on Saturday reported 6,561 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the country and 779 fatalities, bringing its total to 2,125,866 infections and 190,357 deaths. Officials have been frustrated by bottlenecks in the vaccine supply and raised concerns that wealthy countries are hoarding vaccines against COVID-19.

Chile donates 40,000 doses of Sinovac vaccine to Ecuador and Paraguay Ecuador and Paraguay have both received some 20,000 doses of the Sinovac coronavirus vaccine from Chile, the governments of the recipient countries said on Saturday. The donation of a total 40,000 doses provided a stark example of the disparities in South American countries' inoculation campaigns.

Abbott's test to distinguish coronavirus and flu viruses gets U.S. authorization Abbott Laboratories said on Friday the U.S. health regulator has granted emergency use authorization for its molecular test to detect and distinguish the coronavirus and two types of flu viruses with a single test. The test, Alinity m Resp-4-Plex, can be conducted with one nasal swab sample and can differentiate the coronavirus, flu A, flu B and another respiratory virus called respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), the company said.

NHS England invites people aged 56 to 59 to book COVID-19 vaccinations in coming week NHS England has invited people aged 56 to 59 to book COVID-19 vaccinations in the coming week, with letters to 850,000 people in that age bracket landing on doorsteps from Saturday and another 850,000 due to land Monday. "The latest invites have been sent after more than eight in 10 people aged 65 to 69 took up the offer of a jab", the National Health Service said in an emailed statement on Sunday.

New Zealand's Auckland emerges from lockdown, Australia starts AstraZeneca vaccinations Auckland, New Zealand's biggest city, emerged on Sunday from a strict weeklong lockdown imposed after a community cluster of the more contagious British coronavirus variant. There were no new local COVID-19 cases recorded on Sunday, health officials said, marking a full week of no community transmissions across the country.

Reopening England's schools is step towards normality, PM Johnson says The reopening of England's schools to all pupils on Monday will mark the first step back towards normality, and is only possible because of the efforts of the public to bring COVID-19 infection rates down, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said. Johnson has announced a roadmap for lifting lockdown measures that sees schools open first, followed in later stages by the gradual easing of restrictions on mixing with other people and the re-opening of non-essential shops and other venues.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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