Residents of Mumbai are forced to wait in long queues to be vaccinated against COVID-19. There is a shortage of the vaccine, even though India is the largest producer. The situation in India continues to deteriorate, with city parking lots being earmarked for crematoriums. Masks for fully vaccinated people are lifted in the USA. Pfizer, the vaccine manufacturer, promises a COVID pill by the end of the year. Some European countries introduce relaxations for foreigners to save the summer season. This and other news about the situation in different parts of the world – in our review.
The total number of infections and deaths worldwide continues to rise, although the situation is improving in some countries. According to Johns Hopkins University, the number of people infected last year is approaching 149 million, with more than 3 million deaths. The world’s attention continues to be focused on India, where the death toll from Covid-19 has surpassed 200,000. In the past 24 hours, an additional 3,293 infected people have died in the country and 360,000 new cases of the disease have been detected. However, experts believe that the numbers are actually higher because it is impossible to keep accurate statistics in a country of 1.3 billion people with limited administrative resources.
In India, there is a catastrophic shortage of oxygen for COVID patients. It has come to the point where city parking lots are being designated under crematoriums. The international community has criticized the Narendra Modi government for not taking strong enough measures to contain the situation. For example, in March in India, the largest religious festival Kumbh Mela, which gathered about 150 million pilgrims (this is more than the population of Russia), was not banned. Even on the last day of the festival, when the situation in India became threatening, about 25,000 people participated in the celebrations. Delhi is now discussing the possibility of imposing a lockdown in the 150 most affected regions. But even against the backdrop of an epidemiological catastrophe in the country, the decision will be advisory.
The women in the photo were lucky, they got beds and oxygen masks in the hospital. Hundreds of Indian citizens are dying without any help. One of the world’s largest mass immunization campaigns is under way in India. Authorities hope to vaccinate 250 million people by June, but only 1.6% of the population has received both doses of the vaccine. The country claims to have a shortage of vaccines, despite being the largest producer. Britain, Ireland, Germany, Singapore and Australia have sent humanitarian aid to India, including respirators, ventilators, supplies of concentrated oxygen and personal protective equipment. The United States has agreed to procure millions of doses of AstraZeneca’s vaccine for India. The United States plans to lift the requirement that vaccinated people wear masks outdoors. President Joe Biden said the move is further confirmation that the country has made impressive progress in the fight against the virus. “We still have a long way to go in this fight, there is a lot to accomplish in May and June to celebrate the 4th of July (United States Independence Day), but progress is evident,” he said.
The Burning Man Festival will not be held for the second year in a row. Meanwhile, the famous Burning Man festival is cancelled for the second year in a row. The event is held annually in the Nevada desert and begins on the last Monday in August and lasts for eight days. Usually thousands of people from all over the world gather for the festival, but last year it took place in a digital format. The organizers’ decision to cancel it again has sparked a negative reaction within the Burning Man fan community. Today, the European Parliament will adopt its position on the so-called digital green certificates, which will make it easier for those who have been vaccinated or recovered from the virus to move within the bloc. Negotiations will then take place with EU governments, with an agreement expected as early as May. Vaccine passports have already become commonplace in France and Denmark, but they do not offer advantages for travel to other EU countries.
The “Green Certificate” is downloaded to the phone and serves as a passport for travel within the European Union. This week, the EU will also make a final decision on the fate of 1.8 billion doses of Pfizer’s vaccine. Recently, the concept of “vaccine diplomacy” has become popular among politicians, with individual representatives or whole countries seeking to strengthen their position on the international stage in the fight against Covid-19. In this case, we are talking about the European Union’s intention to resell or provide a large quantity of Pfizer drugs as humanitarian aid to countries in need. This includes not only poor countries, but also those who are willing to pay but are forced to wait in line for the distribution of the drugs. The German-American pharmaceutical company Pfizer-BioNTech continues its development and promises to launch a Covid-19 tablet by the end of the year.
According to the company’s CEO, Albert Burly, the drug will be used at the first signs of the disease. Following clinical trials, the development will be submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for review. We explain quickly, simply, and clearly what happened, why it matters, and what’s next. The number of offers should remain: episodes. The end of the story: Podcast Advertising Spanish authorities plan to open the country to foreigners in June by introducing a digital health certificate system. Similar plans are under discussion in Croatia and Portugal. Greece has lifted the mandatory quarantine for arrivals from seven countries as of Monday. Authorities in the country, whose economy is almost entirely dependent on tourism, are trying to save this year’s summer season at all costs. However, epidemiologists warn that the price may be too high and are urging the authorities to at least relax the screening measures for foreigners. Negotiations between Britain and the EU on the opening of borders and conditions for travel during the summer holidays will begin in Brussels in the coming days. In-depth studies of post-vaccination Covid-19 infectivity conducted in the United Kingdom have shown that in the event of a post-vaccination infection, just one dose of the vaccine reduces the risk of transmitting the virus to family members by half on average. According to the scientists, these results prove once again that vaccination is very important in the fight against the spread of infection. The UK is leading the way among European countries in terms of the pace at which its population is being vaccinated. According to the Department of Health, more than 33.8 million adult Britons have received at least the first dose, and one in four is fully vaccinated. Experts urge that the effectiveness of the campaign be judged on the basis of the latest statistical data: not long ago, Britain was among the top five countries in the world with the highest number of infected people, and now it has slipped to 7th place.
Cyprus is particularly popular with tourists from Great Britain, Israel and Russia. As of May 10, Cyprus will grant free entry to citizens of 65 countries who have completed the full course of vaccination. The only documentation required is proof that they have received both doses of the vaccine. Last year, traveling to the island meant passing additional tests in a tight timeframe, incurring additional expenses, and filling out voluminous entry forms. Cyprus’ economy is also based on tourism, and the country’s authorities are eager to save the season. Unlike Greece, however, the country has set strict entry requirements, which epidemiologists say is a safer strategy.