Health News Roundup: India posts lowest daily rise in COVID-19 cases in 45-days; Blinken says U.S. and India united in tackling COVID-19 and more

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Search for origin of COVID-19 'poisoned by politics', says WHO expert

The World Health Organization's (WHO) top emergency expert said on Friday the search for the origin of the coronavirus was being "poisoned by politics", days after U.S. President Joe Biden ordered aides to find answers. Since the virus outbreak that emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in December 2019, scientists have been trying to solve the puzzle of where the virus originated.

Indian city's death data suggests official tally of COVID fatalities is too low

At least seven crematoriums and graveyards in India's western city of Surat saw a more than three-fold rise in the number of cremations and burials last month compared with a year ago, suggesting many more COVID-19 fatalities than an official tally. The data, gathered from site visits and logs reviewed by Reuters, shows the facilities buried or cremated more than 6,520 bodies in April 2021, up from about 1,980 in April 2020, in the early part of the first wave of coronavirus infections.

U.S. health agency eases masking guidance for summer camps where all are vaccinated

The top U.S. health agency on Friday relaxed guidance for mask-wearing at summer camps, saying that camps do not need to require children to wear masks or physically distance if all participants have been fully vaccinated. The new guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention settles a question that has been top of mind for the parents of tens of millions of children who attend camp each summer in the United States.

India posts lowest daily rise in COVID-19 cases in 45-days

India reported on Saturday 173,790 new coronavirus infections during the previous 24 hours, its lowest daily rise in 45 days, while deaths rose by 3,617. The South Asian nation's tally of infections now stands at 27.7 million, with the death toll at 322,512, health ministry data showed.

IFC and development groups to help fund vaccine production in Africa

Global development groups including International Finance Corp (IFC) said they will explore helping African producers such as Aspen Pharmacare Holdings Ltd boost vaccine manufacturing in Africa, which received relatively few COVID-19 immunizations produced by rich nations. The news comes after the European Union last week promised 1 billion euros ($1.22 billion) to build vaccination manufacturing hubs in Africa. France's President Emmanuel Macron also promised on Friday to help the continent produce more vaccines locally.

U.S. agency says employers can mandate COVID-19 vaccination

U.S. companies can mandate that employees in a workplace must be vaccinated against COVID-19, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) said on Friday. The EEOC, in a statement posted on its website explaining its updated guidance, said employees can be required to be vaccinated as long as employers comply with the reasonable accommodation provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act and other laws.

India COVID-19 variant exhibits resistance; antibody drug shows promise

The following is a roundup of some of the latest scientific studies on the novel coronavirus and efforts to find treatments and vaccines for COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus. India variant shows resistance to antibody drugs, vaccines

EU clears Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for adolescents

The European Commission on Friday authorized Pfizer and partner BioNTech SE's COVID-19 vaccine for use in children as young as 12, paving the way for a broader roll-out in the bloc after similar clearances in the United States and Canada. The decision comes after European Medicines Agency (EMA) backed the use of the vaccine in 12- to 15-year olds earlier in the day.

Kosovo buys first coronavirus vaccines as it speeds up rollout

Kosovo said on Friday it agreed to buy 1.2 million Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccines, the first shots bought by the government as it works to speed up inoculations. Kosovo so far has received around 180,000 vaccines, mostly from an EU-funded program.

Blinken says U.S. and India united in tackling COVID-19

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Friday the United States and India are united in trying to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic together and Washington is determined to help India with its coronavirus crisis. Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, who has spent the past week in the United States seeking help amid a devastating second wave of infections at home, told reporters while standing with Blinken at a State Department meeting that India is grateful to Washington for strong support and solidarity.

(With inputs from agencies.)