Health News Roundup: Juul ban put on hold as FDA starts additional review; Cyprus brings back face masks a month after scrapping them and more

From July 11, people wishing to enter venues such as libraries, cinemas and gyms would need to be vaccinated unless they have issues that render them unsuitable for the product, a city official told a news briefing. China allows AstraZeneca's COVID preventive drug in southern city AstraZeneca Plc's antibody cocktail for COVID-19 prevention has been cleared for use in a medical tourism zone in China's southern province of Hainan ahead of national approval, local media said on Tuesday.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Juul ban put on hold as FDA starts additional review

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has put on hold its ban on sales of Juul Labs Inc's e-cigarettes, with the health agency saying late on Tuesday that it would do an additional review of the company's marketing application. Juul had won a temporary reprieve a couple of weeks ago after a U.S. federal appeals court stayed the FDA's ban, following an appeal from the company for an emergency review of the regulator's order.

Cyprus brings back face masks a month after scrapping them

Cyprus ordered the reintroduction of face masks to combat COVID-19 on Wednesday, just over a month after scrapping the requirement, as infections spiked again. The requirement to wear a face mask in indoor areas comes into effect on Friday, Health Minister Michalis Hadjipantela said.

COVID and bust: China's private health system hurt by tough coronavirus controls

On March 24, a court in the central Chinese city of Fuyang announced that a $1.5 billion hospital built just four years earlier had filed for bankruptcy because it was unable to pay its debts. For most of the last two years, the Fuyang Minsheng Hospital had been fully involved in mass coronavirus vaccination and testing programs in the city, training almost 100 staff to perform throat swabs and setting up mobile vaccination facilities to go to schools and workplaces, at the order of city officials.

China battles karaoke COVID cluster in Shanghai among other outbreaks

China is fighting nascent COVID-19 flare-ups across the country with mass testing and fresh restrictions, including in weary Shanghai where new cases have been linked to a building that houses a karaoke lounge that was operating illegally. Pressure is mounting on officials to avert a wider spread and disruptions similar to the painful and costly isolation that Shanghai, China's most populous city, suffered in April and May. Those business disruptions rippled across the global economy.

Omicron sub-variants BA.4, BA.5 make up 70% of COVID variants in U.S. - CDC

The fast-spreading BA.4 and BA.5 sub-lineages of Omicron are estimated to make up a combined 70.1% of the coronavirus variants in the United States as of July 2, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Tuesday. BA.4 and BA.5 made up 52% of U.S. variants for the week of June 25. They were added to the World Health Organization's monitoring list in March and designated as variants of concern by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.

Macau locks down landmark Lisboa hotel after COVID cases found

Macau has locked down one of the city's most famous hotels, the Grand Lisboa, after more than a dozen COVID-19 cases were found there on Tuesday, with infections spreading rapidly in the world's biggest gambling hub. At least 16 other buildings across the special Chinese administrative region are also under restrictions with no one allowed to exit or enter.

FDA decision on Eisai, Biogen Alzheimer's drug due in January

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration will expedite its review of Eisai Co Ltd's and Biogen Inc's experimental Alzheimer's drug lecanemab, with a decision due by Jan 6, 2023, the companies said on Tuesday. Lecanemab, like the partners' previous drug Aduhelm, is an antibody designed to remove sticky deposits of a protein called amyloid-beta from the brains of people with early Alzheimer’s, a disease that leads to memory loss and the inability to care for oneself.

Israel allows COVID vaccine for children under five

The Israeli Health Ministry on Wednesday gave the green light for the vaccination of children between the ages of 6 months to five years against COVID-19. The Health Ministry said the vaccine was particularly recommended for those who were at high risk due to a chronic illness or medical treatment that weaken their immune system.

Beijing city mandates COVID vaccinations, relax curbs on domestic travelers

Beijing said on Wednesday that people eligible for COVID-19 vaccinations will have to take the shot before they enter crowded venues, in the Chinese capital's first such mandate for the general public as it faces new sporadic cases. From July 11, people wishing to enter venues such as libraries, cinemas and gyms would need to be vaccinated unless they have issues that render them unsuitable for the product, a city official told a news briefing.

China allows AstraZeneca's COVID preventive drug in the southern city

AstraZeneca Plc's antibody cocktail for COVID-19 prevention has been cleared for use in a medical tourism zone in China's southern province of Hainan ahead of national approval, local media said on Tuesday. China allows early use of new medical products in the special zone in Qionghai city as a part of several preferential policies granted to the area to promote medical services to visitors from both home and abroad.

(With inputs from agencies.)