China has become the first country in the world to launch a program to issue so-called vaccine passports. Opponents of the idea argue that it will give Beijing total control over its citizens.
Paris and the surrounding area are struggling to contain the spread of new strains of coronavirus, but officials are not rushing to impose a local lockdown.
A member of the German parliament who made a good profit selling masks during the pandemic resigned from his position on ethical grounds, although he conducted his business within the law.
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According to Johns Hopkins University, 117.2 million people worldwide were infected and 2.6 million died during the pandemic.
In the United States, where the epidemiologic situation remains most severe, people who have received both doses of the vaccine have been allowed to congregate in small groups indoors. Wearing masks in public places remains mandatory. These are the first small relaxations approved by the Joe Biden administration. Previously, a number of states had lifted most of the restrictions, but decisions were made at the local level.
Meanwhile, scientists at Texas Medical University claim, based on laboratory research, that Pfizer’s vaccine neutralizes the “Brazilian” strain of the coronavirus. Blood taken from people vaccinated by Pfizer neutralized the engineered version of the virus, which has the same spike protein mutations as the P.1 strain, known as the Brazilian strain.
Russia has signed the first contract for the production of the “Sputnik V” vaccine on the territory of the European Union. Starting in July, the Italian-Swiss pharmaceutical company Adienne, based in Lombardy in northern Italy, will be responsible for this.
The European Medicines Agency has not yet approved the use of “Sputnik V” in the EU, but some countries have already started using the Russian vaccine. Yesterday, the representative of the agency, Krista Wirtzumer-Hoch, warned the bloc countries against rash decisions, comparing the Russian drug to “Russian roulette”. The manufacturers of “Sputnik V” demanded an apology from her, calling such comments politically motivated, which negatively affects the approval process of the drug by European partners.
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French Health Minister Jerome Salomon said hospitals in Paris and its suburbs were operating at maximum capacity due to the spread of new strains of the virus that have not yet been contained. However, authorities will not impose a regional lockdown. About one-sixth of the entire population of France lives in Paris and the capital region. Yesterday, the Ministry of Health ordered hospitals to reduce scheduled treatments and procedures by 40% to free up space and staff for COVID patients in critical condition.
In rural areas of Sweden, grocery stores, many of which were forced to close due to the pandemic, have reopened, but they are operating according to a completely new principle. There are no salespeople or service personnel in them, and some sales outlets are the size of a construction trailer. Accordingly, the assortment consists only of essential goods. You can enter at any time by opening the door through the owner company’s special application. Then the buyer scans the barcodes of his purchases and the money is deducted in advance from the registered credit card.
The Swedes offer a solution for rural residents who often have to travel far from home to shop. The startup was founded in Stockholm in 2018, when many rural shops began to close due to unprofitability. The coronavirus pandemic spurred the founders to finish the development as soon as possible. In the next phase, the self-service stores will be tested in remote areas of Asian countries.
Nikolas Löbel, a member of the German Bundestag from the ruling Christian Democratic Union (CDU), has resigned his seat after it was revealed that his company earned around a quarter of a million euros from the procurement and sale of medical masks at the height of the pandemic. There is no talk of the illegality of the transactions, but the attention of the establishment and the public has been drawn to the ethical aspect of the issue. The sale of the masks took place in the state of Baden-Württemberg, which is Löbel’s constituency.
In one week, regional elections will be held in which Löbel should be re-elected. A similar situation has arisen with another member of the German parliament from the Christian Social Union in Bavaria (CSU), a partner of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in the ruling coalition. German sociologists say that representatives of the CDU/CSU have significantly worsened their local positions against the backdrop of the pandemic. In September this year, Germany will hold parliamentary elections, and the success of the current coalition is not at all obvious. Angela Merkel, who has led the country for more than 15 years, is expected to step down after the elections.
China is the first country in the world to launch a vaccine passport program. This document can be downloaded from a special digital platform by any vaccinated resident of China and presented for international travel. The introduction of such passports has long been discussed in many countries around the world. Proponents of the initiative believe it will help speed the opening of international borders and restore the global economy. Opponents predict that such passports will be the first step toward total government control over its citizens.
Israel has launched a vaccination program for Palestinians who have the right to work in Israeli territories. According to various human rights organizations, this is not enough and the Israeli authorities should take full responsibility for vaccinating residents of the Palestinian Authority.