https://sputnikglobe.com/20210329/live-updates-germany-registers-9872-new-covid-19-cases-1082477314.html

Live Updates: Russian Health Ministry Receives Documents for Registration of Sputnik Light Vaccine

Sputnik International

The global death toll from the coronavirus has topped 2.78 million and almost 127 million cases of the infection have been detected, according to Baltimore... 29.03.2021, Sputnik International

2021-03-29T04:38+0000

2021-03-29T13:24+0000

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global covid-19 cases spike to highest level post-lockdown, newsfeed

In this handout photo released by Russian Direct Investment Fund, a view shows a fridge with packages of Russian Sputnik-Light one-dose vaccine against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) developed by the Gamaleya Scientific Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology during clinical trials, in Moscow, Russia. - Sputnik International

Live Updates: Russian Health Ministry Receives Documents for Registration of Sputnik Light Vaccine

04:38 GMT 29.03.2021 (Updated: 13:24 GMT 29.03.2021)

The global death toll from the coronavirus has topped 2.78 million and almost 127 million cases of the infection have been detected, according to Baltimore, Maryland's Johns Hopkins University.

Currently, among the most affected nations are the US (30 million infected, 549,000 deaths), Brazil (12.5 million cases and a death toll of over 312,000) and India (11.9 million cases, 161,000 fatalities).

While the Joe Biden administration is reportedly working to develop 'vaccine passports' for Americans, similar documents will be available in the European Union within the next two to three months in digital or paper form, the EU commissioner in charge of vaccines, Thierry Breton, said.

Follow Sputnik’s feed to find out more.

Table of contents

03:28 GMT 30.03.2021

Germany Registers Over 9,500 New COVID-19 Cases, Total Number Reaches Almost 2.8 Million, Robert Koch Institute Says

02:01 GMT 30.03.2021

Mexican Health Ministry Says Distributed Over 7 Million Doses of COVID-19 Vaccines

21:27 GMT 29.03.2021

Canada Advisory Committee Recommends Pausing AstraZeneca Vaccine Shots

21:06 GMT 29.03.2021

Paraguay Receives 100,000 Doses of India's Covaxin, Health Ministry Says

20:22 GMT 29.03.2021

Biden Says 90% of Adults in US Will Be Eligible for COVID-19 Vaccines by April 19

20:12 GMT 29.03.2021

Morocco Suspends Air Traffic With France, Spain Over COVID-19

20:08 GMT 29.03.2021

Biden Urges US States to Halt Their Efforts to Reopen From COVID-19 Lockdowns

19:35 GMT 29.03.2021

Germany's Lower Saxony Imposes Curfew Amid 3rd Wave of COVID-19 - Reports

19:24 GMT 29.03.2021

New Yorkers Aged 16+ to Be Vaccinated From April 6, Governor Says

18:53 GMT 29.03.2021

Turkey to Bring Back Weekend Curfews After Virus Deaths Rise, Erdogan Says

18:51 GMT 29.03.2021

UN Chief in Meeting With Blinken Calls for Boosting Cooperation on COVID-19, Climate

18:35 GMT 29.03.2021

Venezuela Receives Third Batch of Russian Sputnik V COVID Vaccine

17:56 GMT 29.03.2021

Brazilian Foreign Minister Reportedly Resigns Over Vaccine Shortage Criticism

17:32 GMT 29.03.2021

CDC Head Says Has Feeling of ‘Impending Doom’ as Coronavirus Cases, Deaths Increase in US

17:31 GMT 29.03.2021

Canada Advisory Committee to Recommend Pausing AstraZeneca Vaccine Inoculations, Report Says

17:13 GMT 29.03.2021

UK to Have No Shortage of Pfizer Vaccines for 2nd Round of Shots in April, PM Says

17:12 GMT 29.03.2021

Turkish President Erdogan Announces Tighter COVID Measures Amid Rising Number of Cases

17:08 GMT 29.03.2021

France Reports 360 New COVID-Related Fatalities, Bringing Death Toll to 94,956

16:24 GMT 29.03.2021

WHO Experts Say ‘Unlikely’ SARS-CoV-2 Coronavirus Originated in Wuhan Lab, Draft Report Shows

16:22 GMT 29.03.2021

Johnson & Johnson Reaches Deal to Supply Up to 400Mln Coronavirus Vaccines to Africa

16:21 GMT 29.03.2021

Johnson&Johnson Says Will Start Delivering Coronavirus Vaccine to Europe on 19 Apr

16:18 GMT 29.03.2021

A Deal Reached With GlaxoSmithKline to Bottle More COVID Vaccine Doses, UK PM Says

15:47 GMT 29.03.2021

UK to Immunise Adults First Before Sharing COVID-19 Vaccines, Johnson's Spokesperson Says

15:47 GMT 29.03.2021

Italy COVID Emergency Official Says Ready to Use All Legal Means to Reach Vaccine Targets

15:34 GMT 29.03.2021

Italy Reports Over 12,000 New COVID-19 Cases, 417 More Deaths

15:21 GMT 29.03.2021

Pakistani President Alvi Tests Positive for Coronavirus

15:22 GMT 29.03.2021

30.44Mln People In UK Inoculated With First Dose of COVID-19 Vaccine, Gov’t Says

13:23 GMT 29.03.2021

All Possibilities Open to Battle COVID-19 in France, Finance Minister Says

12:54 GMT 29.03.2021

Russian Health Ministry Receives Documents for Registration of Sputnik Light Vaccine

10:13 GMT 29.03.2021

Pakistan's Punjab Mulls Full Lockdown in Capital of Lahore Over COVID-19 Surge

08:42 GMT 29.03.2021

Russian Direct Investment Fund Agrees on Production of Over 60Mn Sputnik V Doses in China

08:28 GMT 29.03.2021

Russia Registers 8,711 COVID-19 Cases in Past 24 Hours

08:28 GMT 29.03.2021

Outdoor Meetings, Sports Resume in England as UK Gov’t Further Eases COVID-19 Lockdown

08:08 GMT 29.03.2021

Islamabad Bans Wedding Ceremonies, Religious Gatherings Under COVID-19 Restrictions

08:00 GMT 29.03.2021

Australia’s Brisbane Enters 3-Day Lockdown Over 7 Locally Transmitted Cases

07:21 GMT 29.03.2021

Armenia Detects 424 New COVID-19 Cases

07:01 GMT 29.03.2021

Iranian Vaccine Against COVID-19 Will Be Available for Locals Within Two Months, Ambassador Says

06:59 GMT 29.03.2021

Japan's ANA Carrier Holds Pilot Test of COVID-19 Digital Health Passport

05:52 GMT 29.03.2021

China Hits COVID-19 Vaccination Milestone of 100Mln Shots, Health Commission Says

05:29 GMT 29.03.2021

India Detects 68,020 New COVID-19 Cases

04:46 GMT 29.03.2021

New Abu Dhabi Plant to Manufacture COVID-19 Vaccine From China's Sinopharm

04:39 GMT 29.03.2021

Germany Registers 9,872 New COVID-19 Cases

New firstOld first

03:25 GMT 30.03.2021

02:00 GMT 30.03.2021

MEXICO CITY (Sputnik) - Mexico's Secretariat of Health said in a statement it had distributed more than seven million doses of coronavirus vaccines out of 12 million doses purchased from various manufacturers.

“We have so far applied more than seven million doses - 7,018,449, most of them the first doses of vaccines,” Mexican Deputy Health Secretary Hugo Lopez-Gatell said during a press conference broadcast on the agency's Twitter blog.

21:26 GMT 29.03.2021

TORONTO (Sputnik) - Canada’s National Advisory Committee on Immunizations (NACI) is recommending a pause in inoculating Canadians under the age of 55 with the Oxford-AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine citing safety concerns.

“NACI recommends that AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine should not be used in adults under 55 years of age at this time while the safety signal of Vaccine-Induced Prothrombotic Immune Thrombocytopenia (VIPIT) following vaccination with AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine is investigated further,” NACI said in a statement on Monday.

The updated guidance comes as European researchers have purported that an autoimmune response to AstraZeneca’s vaccine is behind the blood clots that have forced the suspension of inoculation with the vaccine in several European Union countries.

Despite the advisory committee’s warning, Canadian federal health regulators indicated to reporters that they don’t plan on changing the current federal guidance that says the AstraZeneca vaccine is safe and effective for adults over the age of 18.

“There hasn’t been enough data to show that we should make a change to the way that the vaccine is used or changes to the labeling,” Health Canada Chief Medical Advisor Supriya Sharma.

21:06 GMT 29.03.2021

BUENOS AIRES (Sputnik) - Paraguay on Monday received the shipment of 100,000 doses of India's first domestically-produced COVID-19 vaccine Covaxin, the country's Health Ministry said.

"Paraguay receives 100,000 doses of Covaxin vaccine from India. We guarantee the continued immunization against COVID-19. Thanks to India for its support," the ministry said in a statement.

20:21 GMT 29.03.2021

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - US President Joe Biden said on Monday that 90 percent of the adults in the United States will be eligible for coronavirus vaccines by April 19.

"At least 90 percent of all adults in this country will be eligible to be vaccinated by April 19, just three weeks from now, because we have the vaccines," Biden said during a press briefing. "The final 10 percent will be eligible no later than May 1."

Moreover, those eligible will find themselves within 5 miles of the nearest vaccination location, he said.

Biden called on all US states and territories to reinstate the face mask mandate and added that businesses should also require people to wear masks.

20:12 GMT 29.03.2021

RABAT (Sputnik) - Morocco is suspending flights to France and Spain due to a surge in COVID-19 cases, the kingdom's government said in a statement on Monday.

The North African country also extended the curfew and other restrictive measures by two weeks. According to the government, the decision was made in accordance with the Scientific and Technical Committee’s recommendations and will enter into force on Tuesday. The ban on flights will remain in place until further notice.

20:07 GMT 29.03.2021

A woman holds plastic flowers as the motorcade of U.S. President Joe Biden drives past following a visits to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S., March 19, 2021. - Sputnik International, 1920

Biden Tells US States to Pause Their Rush to Reopen From COVID-19

29 March 2021, 20:05 GMT

19:35 GMT 29.03.2021

BERLIN (Sputnik) - Authorities of the German state of Lower Saxony are introducing curfews in most regions amid the surge in COVID-19 cases, NDR public broadcaster reported on Monday.

According to the media outlet, Lower Saxony's eight municipalities will impose the restriction. Curfew in Hanover, the capital of the state, will come into force on Thursday and will last 12 days. Residents are instructed to stay at home from 10.00 p.m. to 5.00 a.m. (20:00 to 03:00 GMT). The exceptions will be made for people who need to travel for work, receive medical or psychological assistance, attend religious events and visit relatives who require care.

Regions of Cloppenburg and Emsland are also imposing a night curfew in Lower Saxony from Wednesday, which will start an hour earlier — from 9.00 p.m. In Emsland's Papenburg district, a week-long curfew will be introduced on Sunday, and the Peine district on Tuesday. Several other regions are considering the possibility of introducing a curfew.

19:23 GMT 29.03.2021

NEW YORK (Sputnik) - New York state will start vaccinating from next week all residents aged 16 and above for the COVID-19, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced on Monday.

"Starting Tuesday, April 6 at 8am, all New Yorkers age 16+ will be eligible to schedule and receive the COVID-19 vaccines," Cuomo said in a tweet.

Over the next 24 hours, vaccination appointments will be opened to those aged 30 and above, he said.

New York state has some 19.5 million people, according to a 2019 census. According to the state’s official website, more than 15 percent of its people have received full vaccination - meaning the two-shot Pfizer or Moderna or the one-shot Johnson & Johnson - for COVID-19.

18:53 GMT 29.03.2021

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday announced the return of nightly curfews in the majority of provinces over the weekend.

"A rise in coronavirus deaths led us to reconsider the existing safety measures. Fifty-eight provinces, home to 80 percent of the population, were again deemed high-risk areas. A curfew will be reimposed on Saturday and Sunday," he told a news briefing.

Turkey's daily death toll broke the 150 mark last Thursday for the first time in two months. It reported more than 30,000 daily infections on Saturday, the highest number since December.

Ankara, Istanbul, Antalya and Izmir are among high-risk cities. A curfew will continue on weekdays from 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. Restaurants and cafes will be allowed to operate at a 50 percent capacity during regular times and offer takeaways during curfews.

18:51 GMT 29.03.2021

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres proposed during a meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday strengthening cooperation between the United Nations and the United States on coronavirus vaccinations, climate action and promotion of peace processes across the globe.

On Tuesday, Blinken undertook his first virtual visit to the United Nations, during which he chaired the UN Security Council meeting on the humanitarian situation in Syria and met with UN General Assembly President Volkan Bozkir.

"Cooperation between the United Nations and the United States is indeed critical for our common work," Guterres said. "The commitment and contribution of the United States are essential to resolve the many serious global challenges we face - starting with the COVID-19 pandemic."

Guterres said the United States can play a crucial role in the global vaccination plan that seeks help to end the coronavirus pandemic everywhere.

"I have proposed that the G20 should establish an emergency task force to develop and coordinate such a plan but there is no way that this can work without an effective American leadership," Guterres said.

Guterres also took note of the United States’ return to the Paris Climate Agreement and expressed hope the US leadership could dramatically advance adaptation strategies in climate action.

The UN Secretary-General further said the United Nations and the United States will work to achieve lasting peace agreements in conflict settings, including in Afghanistan, Yemen and Syria, and restart the Middle East peace process.

"We need a new movement for peace, from war zones to people’s homes," Guterres said.

Blinken responded by saying there is a wide range of issues on the shared agenda, including the situations in Ethiopia, Myanmar, the advancement of human rights as well as the COVID-19 response.

18:34 GMT 29.03.2021

The plane carrying a new batch of the Russian coronavirus vaccine Sputnik V arrived at the Simon Bolivar International Airport in Caracas, a Sputnik correspondent reported from the scene.

Venezuelan authorities are planning to start vaccination of the elderly population using Sputnik V, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said earlier.

The first batch of the Russian vaccine for testing was shipped to the South American country in October 2020, and the regular deliveries of the vaccine began in early February. The first two batches with different Sputnik V components were used to vaccinate medical personnel.

17:56 GMT 29.03.2021

Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro and Foreign Minister Ernesto Araujo wait before a family photo at the 11th BRICS leaders summit, in Brazilia, Brazil. - Sputnik International, 1920

Brazil's Foreign Minister Reportedly Tenders Resignation

29 March 2021, 15:28 GMT

17:31 GMT 29.03.2021

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Rochelle Walensky said she feels scared about the possibility of an "impending doom" in the United States after a new increase in the number of novel coronavirus cases and related deaths over the past week.

"I’m gonna lose the script and I’m gonna reflect on the recurring feeling I have of impending doom," Walensky said. "Deaths which typically lying behind cases and hospitalizations, have now started to rise, increasing nearly 3 percent to a seven-day average of approximately 1000 deaths per day."

Walensky said the number of cases in the United States surpassed 30 million while the daily average number of cases increased from 54,030 to 59,773. Hospital admissions are also on the rise, from 4,621 to 4,816 admissions per day, she added.

The trajectory of the pandemic in the United States is similar to countries in Europe, including Germany, Italy, and France, which have also experienced recently a spike in the number of coronavirus cases.

17:30 GMT 29.03.2021

Canada’s National Advisory Committee on Immunizations (NACI) is recommending a pause on immunizing Canadians under the age of 55 with the Oxford-AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine citing safety concerns, state broadcaster CBC reported on Monday.

The new guidance is expected to be released later in the afternoon, the report said.

17:13 GMT 29.03.2021

The United Kingdom will have enough Pfizer vaccines to offer Brits a second round of shots against the coronavirus in April, Prime Minister Boris Johnson promised on Monday.

"There isn't any need to worry about a shortage of Pfizer for the second dose, as far as we can see it at the moment," he said at a briefing.

A memo sent out by the National Health Service in mid-March warned health providers that problems in the international supply chain would mean that second doses would have to be prioritized over first ones in April.

"We're going to continue to roll that out and supply that. April is going to be the second-dose month and it's very important that everyone gets their second dose," Johnson said.

The holdup in deliveries of the US-German vaccine is expected to delay the rollout of the first dose of the two-shot vaccine among those under 50 until May.

According to official figures, as for Sunday, 30.1 million people in the United Kingdom — 57 percent of all adults — had received at least one dose of either the Pfizer/BioNTech or AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccines since the immunization campaign started in December 2020, and a total of 3.5 million of them have been given their second dose.

17:12 GMT 29.03.2021

17:01 GMT 29.03.2021

16:22 GMT 29.03.2021

A World Health Organization (WHO) expert mission has concluded that it is "extremely unlikely" the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus that causes COVID-19 originated in a Wuhan laboratory, according to a draft copy of their report obtained by Sputnik.

"Introduction through a laboratory incident was considered to be an extremely unlikely pathway," the report read.

The first cases of COVID-19 were reported in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December 2019, and the experts also concluded that there appeared to be "no unusual clustering" of pneumonia cases in the weeks and months preceding the initial outbreak.

The WHO experts, who visited key sites in Wuhan earlier this year, said that direct animal-to-human transfer was a "possible-to-likely" pathway, with transfer through an immediate host considered to be a "likely to very likely" pathway.

The full report is set to be published on Tuesday, with a press conference expected at 14:00 GMT.

16:21 GMT 29.03.2021

Johnson & Johnson has reached a deal with the African Vaccine Acquisition Trust to provide at least 220 million coronavirus vaccines to the African Union and a total of up to 400 million doses if states on that continent need more, the company said in a statement said on Monday.

Under the deal, Johnson & Johnson unit Janssen Pharmaceutica will commence the supply of the vaccines from the third quarter of 2021 and the African Union has “the potential to order an additional 180 million doses, for a combined total of up to 400 million doses through 2022,” the statement said.

Johnson & Johnson pointed out it was committed to ensuring equitable global access to its single-shot COVID-19 vaccine candidate under not-for-profit emergency pandemic use, citing its agreements with the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunizations (Gavi) and the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX).

The company also said it expects to enter into an advance purchase agreement with Gavi to provide up to 500 million doses of its coronavirus vaccine to the COVAX program through 2022.

16:20 GMT 29.03.2021

16:15 GMT 29.03.2021

Prime minister Boris Johnson has announced an agreement has been reached with pharmaceutical firm GlaxoSmithKline to bottle and finish more vaccine doses in the northeast adding to the UK supply

For more on this and other news visit https://t.co/8OWd2TvLrt
— Sky News Breaking (@SkyNewsBreak) March 29, 2021

15:47 GMT 29.03.2021

The UK government will not be sharing surplus COVID-19 vaccines with other counties until all its adult population have been offered the jab, Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s spokesperson said on Monday, playing down recent media reports that the United Kingdom would be offering Ireland 3.7 million vaccine doses soon.

“Our first priority is to protect the British public. The vaccine rollout is continuing to that end. We don’t currently have a surplus of vaccines but we will consider how they are best allocated as they become available,” the spokesperson told reporters during a press briefing at number 10 Downing Street.

The official reaffirmed that the government’s plan is to ensure that all people over 50 years of age in the UK are offered their first dose by April 15, and to all adults above 18 — accounting for 52.7 million of the country’s 66.7 million population — by the end of July.

According to official figures, as for Sunday, 30.1 million people — 57 percent of all adults — had received at least one dose of either the Pfizer/BioNTech or AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccines since the immunization campaign started in December 2020, and a total of 3.5 million of them have been given their second dose.

The UK has ordered over 400 million vaccine doses and charity organizations such as Save the Children and the Wellcome Trust have been urging the government to start donating its vaccine surplus to poorer countries.

15:46 GMT 29.03.2021

Italy's COVID-19 emergency commissioner Francesco Paolo Figliuolo said on Monday that he was ready to use all legal means to reach the national coronavirus vaccination targets.

"The regional governments have their health models. What interests me is that they achieve their (target) numbers ... I am willing to do anything that is within the realm of legality to reach the numbers," Figliuolo was quoted by Italian Ansa news agency as saying.

The official noted that around 3 million COVID-19 vaccine doses were expected to be delivered to Italy before the end of March.

"That will take us to a total of 14.17 million doses since the start of the campaign, compared to the initial estimate of 15.6 million. But that is more than had been forecast with the (delivery) delays of the (pharmaceutical) companies," he added.

The Italian authorities have set an objective to vaccinate at least 80 percent of its 60-million population and achieve herd immunity by early fall. The country has so far administered over 9.4 million vaccine doses and fully vaccinated 3 million people.

On Friday, authorities of Italy's southern region of Campania announced that they had reached an agreement with the Russian Direct Investment Fund to purchase about two million doses of Sputnik V vaccine. The deal cannot enter into force until the vaccine is authorized by European and Italian medical regulators.

15:30 GMT 29.03.2021

15:20 GMT 29.03.2021

Pakistan's President Arif Alvi said on Monday that he had tested positive for COVID-19 after receiving the first dose of a coronavirus vaccine and reminded citizens that antibodies do not develop right after getting a shot.

"I have tested positive for Covid-19. May Allah have mercy on all Covid affectees. Had 1st dose of vaccine، but antibodies start developing after 2nd dose that was due in a week. Please continue to be careful," Alvi said on Twitter.

The news comes a week after Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan said he tested positive for COVID-19, two days after he had been inoculated with the Chinese Sinopharm vaccine.

Pakistan launched the COVID-19 vaccination campaign in early February, two days after receiving 500,000 Sinopharm vaccine doses from China. Pakistan has also approved the use of the UK-Swedish AstraZeneca vaccine and Russia's Sputnik V.

Pakistan has so far confirmed over 659,000 cases of COVID-19, including 14,200 fatalities and 598,000 recoveries.

15:19 GMT 29.03.2021

13:22 GMT 29.03.2021

France has all options on the table to protect its citizens amid a third wave of the COVID-19, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire told France Info radio on Monday.

"All options are on the table to guarantee the health security of the French," Le Maire said.

France has seen a sudden surge in daily COVID-19 infection cases having recorded over 37,000 additional cases on Sunday and 131 new deaths. Amid the new surge, the list of shops closed or authorized to open will remain unchanged, Le Maire said.

In addition, the minister reassured French that their savings held in banks will not be taxed as that would be "deeply unfair and totally inefficient, because it would prevent economic recovery."

12:51 GMT 29.03.2021

The Russian Health Ministry on Monday received documents for registration of single-dose COVID-19 vaccine Sputnik light, according to the ministry's registry of medicines.

"Sputnik Light Vector vaccine for the prevention of coronavirus infection caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Date of registration of the incoming application: 03/29/2021," the registry said.

The Sputnik Light vaccine was developed by the Gamaleya Center, which also developed the Sputnik V vaccine.

10:12 GMT 29.03.2021

The government of the Pakistani province of Punjab is considering different measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, including a complete lockdown in the capital of Lahore, which is currently witnessing the worst surge in infections, Firdous Ashiq Awan, the prime minister's adviser on information, said on Monday.

According to the latest government data, the province has confirmed 2,309 new cases over the past day, with 1,478 of them reported in Lahore. Meanwhile, the Lahore administration has filed 96 cases over violations of government restrictions.

"A decision will be taken today whether to impose a complete lockdown or not. Punjab CM [Chief Minister] Usman Buzdar would make an announcement," the official said, as cited by the Geo TV broadcaster, adding that the situation is worsening in the capital, as people ignore the restrictions currently in place.

The province is currently in the grip of the third wave of the pandemic, with the UK variant of the virus dominating most cases. Over the weekend, Punjab registered the highest-ever daily tally of 2,823 cases, beating the previous record high of 2,705 confirmed in July. So far, the number of those infected stands at 215,227.

08:41 GMT 29.03.2021

A medical worker demonstrates ampoules containing the Russian Sputnik V (Gam-COVID-Vac) vaccine at the El Menza Sports Palace in Tunisia, which has been converted into a hospital. - Sputnik International, 1920

Russian Direct Investment Fund Agrees on Production of Over 60Mn Sputnik V Doses in China

29 March 2021, 08:38 GMT

08:28 GMT 29.03.2021

Russia registered 8,711 new COVID-19 cases over the past 24 hours, down from 9,088 the day before, taking the overall tally to 4,528,543 , the coronavirus response centre said on Monday.

"Over the past day, 8,711 coronavirus cases were confirmed across 84 Russian regions, including 1,144 cases (13.1 percent) without clinical symptoms," the centre said, adding that the cumulative case count has now reached 4,528,543 , with the rate of increase falling to 0,19 percent.

Moscow confirmed 1,612 new coronavirus cases over the given period, down from 1,878 the day before. The Russian capital was followed by St. Petersburg with 697 new cases, down from 701 the day before, and the Moscow Region with 595 new cases, down from 610 on Sunday.

No new cases were confirmed in the Nenets Autonomous Region.

The response centre reported 293 COVID-19 fatalities, down from 336 the day before, raising the country's death toll to 98,033.

Total recoveries increased by 7,280 over the given period, down from 8,630 the day before, and reached 4,146,408.

08:27 GMT 29.03.2021

The stay-at-home COVID-19 order has been lifted in England as part of the UK government’s roadmap out of the lockdown, allowing outdoor sports facilities including swimming pools, tennis courts and golf courses to reopen and two households or groups of up to six people to meet in parks and private gardens from Monday.

But confirming the further easing of the third lockdown that was imposed in England in January, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson struck a cautious note urging people to keep the remaining restrictions in mind.

“Despite today's easements, everyone must continue to stick to the rules, remember hands, face, space, and come forward for a vaccine when called,” Johnson said in a video released by his office at number 10 Downing Street.

He reminded that people should continue to work from home when possible, minimize travel outside their area of residence and that overseas holidays are still forbidden because coronavirus cases are again surging in Europe and virus variants could threaten the UK’s vaccine campaign.

“We must remain cautious with cases rising across Europe and new variants threatening our vaccine rollout,” the prime minister stressed.

The UK government is counting on the vaccination campaign, which has seen over 30 million people — equal to 57 percent of the country’s adult population — being administered their first dose of either the Pfizer/BioNTech or the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccines, and the steady decrease in COVID-19 cases and deaths to end the lockdown for good in June.

As part of the gradual easing of the restrictions that started in England with the reopening of schools on March 8, shops, beauty parlours, gyms and the hospitality business will be allowed to reopen from 12 April, while pubs, restaurants are expected to resume indoor services from 17 May, and by 17 June all limits on social contact should be lifted.

08:08 GMT 29.03.2021

The Islamabad Office of the District Magistrate has announced new restrictions on wedding ceremonies and practically all kinds of mass events over COVID-19 in Pakistan’s capital territory effective 1 April.

"All kinds of wedding ceremonies (both indoor and outdoor) are hereby banned w.e.f. 1st April, 2021. It is also further clarified that all kinds of indoor and outdoor events, gatherings, indoor and outdoor festivals, sports tournaments, culture activities, social activities, religious gatherings etc are also banned," the Sunday notification read.

The ban is based on the 1958 Epidemic Diseases Control Act, a 24 March order of the District Magistrate Office, and the guidelines of the National Command Operation Center.

Restrictions were already in place in Islamabad and other Pakistani regions with high infection rates since mid-month. A ban on non-essential movement and other restrictions were due to expire on 11 April.

Pakistan has registered over 659,000 COVID-19 cases, of which about 598,000 people were cured and 14,256 died, as of Monday.

07:59 GMT 29.03.2021

Australia’s southeastern city of Brisbane is going into a three-day lockdown from Monday after detecting seven locally transmitted cases over the past days.

Earlier in the day, Brisbane, the capital and the largest city of the Queensland state, confirmed another four community transmission cases, pushing the overall tally of such infections detected over the past week to seven. Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said that Monday’s cases were the highly-infectious UK strain.

"Greater Brisbane is entering a three-day lockdown. This is to stop the spread of #COVID19 after 7 locally acquired cases identified in the community," the Queensland health department reported.

People are banned from leaving home unless for essential reasons to do things like buy food, work or study if they cannot do it remotely, and exercise in local area.

Schools will close from Tuesday until 19 April, except for vulnerable children and children of essential workers.

07:21 GMT 29.03.2021

07:01 GMT 29.03.2021

Customers wait as a pharmacist prepares medicines at a pharmacy in western Tehran, Iran, Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020. - Sputnik International, 1920

Iranian Vaccine Against COVID-19 Will Be Available for Locals Within Two Months, Ambassador Says

29 March 2021, 06:47 GMT

06:59 GMT 29.03.2021

Japan's All Nippon Airways (ANA) carrier has conducted the first testing of CommonPass, an app indicating a passenger's COVID-19 status, on its Tokyo-New York route as part of measures to simplify the travel process amid the pandemic, media reported on Monday.

According to the Kyodo news agency, smartphones of New York-bound passengers were checked by ANA staffers at check-in counters at the Haneda airport to confirm negative COVID -19 test results.

CommonPass, one of a number of digital health passports being tested across the world, was developed by The Commons Project Foundation. The app allows travelers to document and share their COVID-19 testing status and vaccination history to expedite the processing of international travel while protecting user privacy.

Earlier in March, Singapore Airlines tested a similar app — the Travel Pass app developed by the International Air Transport Association — on its flight to London.

05:52 GMT 29.03.2021

In this April 11, 2020, photo released by Xinhua News Agency, a staff member tests samples of a potential COVID-19 vaccine at a production plant of SinoPharm in Beijing. - Sputnik International, 1920

China Hits COVID-19 Vaccination Milestone of 100Mln Shots, Health Commission Says

29 March 2021, 05:52 GMT

05:28 GMT 29.03.2021

04:45 GMT 29.03.2021

04:39 GMT 29.03.2021