Health News Roundup: Britain's COVID-19 cases up 53% in the past week; Return to normal? UK PM Johnson outlines end to England's virus restrictions and more

South Korea has quickly distributed the COVID-19 vaccines it has, but has struggled to obtain enough doses in a timely manner amid tight global supplies, particularly in Asia. Factbox-England ends lockdown: No facemasks, no distancing, no WFH order British Prime Minister Boris Johnson set out plans on Monday for the final step in easing England's COVID-19 lockdown, including the removal of laws governing social distancing and face coverings, and an end to official advice to work from home. Johnson said he expected the lifting of restrictions to go ahead on July 19.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Britain's COVID-19 cases up 53% in the past week

Britain has reported 27,334 new cases of COVID-19, government data showed on Monday, meaning the rise in cases between June 29 and July 5 stood at just over 53% compared with the previous seven days. A further nine people were reported as having died within 28 days of a positive test for COVID-19.

Return to normal? UK PM Johnson outlines end to England's virus restrictions

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson set out plans on Monday to end social and economic COVID-19 restrictions in England in two weeks' time, a test of whether a rapid vaccine rollout offers enough protection from the highly contagious Delta variant. Johnson confirmed the government aimed to end restrictive measures on July 19, with a final decision to be taken next week. He said the step would eliminate formal limits on social contact, the instruction to work from home, and mandates to wear face masks.

Sydney COVID lockdown call looms as new case numbers drop

The premier of Australia's New South Wales (NSW) said on Tuesday she aims to decide within the next 24 hours whether to extend a COVID-19 lockdown in Sydney that is due to end on Friday as new infections dropped in the country's most populous state. Just 18 new locally acquired COVID-19 cases were detected in NSW on Tuesday, half of the previous day's number. But Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the decision would also take into account her administration's determination to make the current lockdown in the city of five million people the last, as it aims to step up vaccinations.

Israel sees drop in Pfizer vaccine protection against infections, still strong in severe illness

Israel reported on Monday a decrease in the effectiveness of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in preventing infections and symptomatic illness but said it remained highly effective in preventing serious illness. The decline coincided with the spread of the Delta variant and the end of social distancing restrictions in Israel.

Japan says to ship 1.1 million more AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines to Taiwan

Japan will ship about 1.1 million more doses of AstraZeneca Plc's COVID-19 vaccine to Taiwan, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said on Tuesday, after previously delivering 1.24 million doses last month. Motegi told a news conference that the vaccines would be shipped on Thursday. In addition, Japan plans to ship 1 million doses each to Thailand, the Philippines, and Vietnam this week, following earlier donations to Indonesia and Malaysia.

Morocco's Sothema to produce China's Sinopharm vaccine

Moroccan pharmaceutical firm Sothema will soon start production of 5 million doses a month of China's Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine in the North African country, state news agency MAP reported on Monday. The announcement was made at a ceremony chaired by King Mohammed VI during which the Moroccan government, Sinopharm and Sothema, whose formal name is Société Thérapeutique Marocaine, also signed deals to produce the vaccine in Morocco, which has a population of about 36 million.

Spain's COVID-19 cases jump as youth infection surges

Coronavirus infections in Spain have risen by 32,607 since Friday, official data showed on Monday, 85% more than the previous weekend's increase as the Delta variant drives a surge among unvaccinated young people. While the nationwide 14-day infection rate reached 204 cases per 100,000 people on Monday, up from 95 cases a week ago, that figure climbed to 640 cases among 20-29-year-olds, the data showed.

Israel, South Korea agree on COVID-19 vaccine swap

Israel will deliver about 700,000 expiring doses of Pfizer-BioNTech's coronavirus vaccine to South Korea later this month, and South Korea will give Israel back the same number, already on order from Pfizer, in September and October. South Korea has quickly distributed the COVID-19 vaccines it has but has struggled to obtain enough doses in a timely manner amid tight global supplies, particularly in Asia.

Factbox-England ends lockdown: No facemasks, no distancing, no WFH order

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson set out plans on Monday for the final step in easing England's COVID-19 lockdown, including the removal of laws governing social distancing and face coverings, and an end to official advice to work from home.

Johnson said he expected the lifting of restrictions to go ahead on July 19. He said a final decision would be announced on July 12. Some elements, including education and travel policy, will be announced later this week.

Ivory Coast sends mobile clinics to speed up COVID vaccinations

Ivory Coast began sending mobile clinics on Monday to markets and other busy areas in its main city Abidjan in an effort to turbocharge the vaccination campaign against COVID-19.

After administering fewer than 800,000 doses since vaccinations began in March - enough for a single dose for just 3% of the population - Ivorian health authorities are now aiming to inoculate a million people in Abidjan over the next 10 days.