Health News Roundup: Thailand introduced new entry regulations as China reopens border; China reports three COVID deaths for Jan 8 and more

The COVID-19 antiviral drug is currently covered by the country's broad healthcare insurance scheme under temporary measures the regulator introduced in March last year as outbreaks rose. 'Life is moving forward': China declares new COVID phase China braced for a "new phase" in its battle against COVID-19 on Monday and financial markets strengthened after Beijing dropped pandemic border controls in the latest easing of curbs that has let the virus loose on its 1.4 billion population.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Thailand introduced new entry regulations as China reopens border

Thailand will require international travelers to show proof they are fully vaccinated for COVID before flying to Thailand, according to the country's aviation regulator, as it prepares for more tourists after China reopened its border on Sunday. The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) said in a statement on Saturday that starting early Monday, all foreign arrivals sta

China reports three COVID deaths for Jan 8

China reported three new COVID-19 deaths for Jan. 8, compared with two deaths a day earlier, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention said on Monday. The official death toll now stands at 5,272.

rting early on Monday must prove they are vaccinated or provide a letter certifying that they have recovered from COVID within six months.

SK Bioscience chief says unlikely China will source vaccines from it - FT

SK Bioscience Co Ltd chief executive Jaeyong Ahn said in a Financial Times interview that it is unlikely that the vaccine maker can supply COVID-19 vaccines to China amid its recent outbreak due to Beijing's "national pride". Ahn said that it was "unrealistic" to supply COVID vaccines to China, as the country insists on using its own, the newspaper quoted him as saying.

China says talks to include Paxlovid in its health insurance drug list fail

China will not include Pfizer Inc's Paxlovid in an update to its list of medicines covered by basic medical insurance schemes as the U.S. firm quoted a high price for the COVID-19 drug, China's Healthcare Security Administration (NHSA) said on Sunday. The COVID-19 antiviral drug is currently covered by the country's broad healthcare insurance scheme under temporary measures the regulator introduced in March last year as outbreaks rose.

'Life is moving forward': China declares new COVID phase

China braced for a "new phase" in its battle against COVID-19 on Monday and financial markets strengthened after Beijing dropped pandemic border controls in the latest easing of curbs that has let the virus loose on its 1.4 billion population. Sunday's reopening is one of the last steps in China's dismantling of its "zero-COVID" regime, which began last month after historic protests against curbs that kept the virus at bay for three years but caused widespread mental agony and severe damage to the world's second-largest economy.

Eisai, Biogen get U.S. FDA approval for Alzheimer's drug, apply for full approval

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday approved the Alzheimer's drug lecanemab developed by Eisai Co Ltd and Biogen Inc for patients in the earliest stages of the mind-wasting disease. Eisai and Biogen said on Saturday the Japanese drugmaker had applied for full FDA approval of the drug.

(With inputs from agencies.)