NEW DELHI — India’s Federal Government on Wednesday said there was no shortage of COVID-19 vaccines with states, pledging to continuously replenish supplies to the states. The comments were made by senior federal Health ministry official Rajesh Bhushan during a meeting to review the COVID-19 vaccination drive and preparations for the third phase scheduled for April 1. From April 1, people who are 45-years-old or older will be vaccinated. “There is no shortage of vaccines...
BENIN — The University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) says it has vaccinated 2,200 of its staff since it commenced COVID-19 vaccination on Mach 23. Prof. Darlington Obaseki, the Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the hospital, disclosed this on Tuesday in Benin, while receiving the Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Mr. Clem Agba, who was on an assessment visit to the institution. Obaseki noted that a total test of 7,369 had been...
No less than Nigerians who have received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine has exceeded 350,000, says the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA). The information on the nationwide vaccination was published by the agency on Friday in a tweet. Nigeria commenced vaccination on March 5, after receiving 3.9 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine through the United Nations-led COVAX facility. According to the NPHCDA, as of Friday, 374,585 persons have been given...
ADDIS ABABA — The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Africa has reached 4,154,938 as of Friday, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said. The Africa CDC, the specialised healthcare agency of the African Union (AU), said the death toll related to the pandemic stood at 111,318, while 3,723,621 patients across the continent have recovered from the disease. South Africa has lost 52,535 lives to COVID-19, the most among African countries,...
ISLAMABAD — Pakistan on Wednesday announced that it would keep its educational institutions closed for two more weeks in densely populated areas to bring down steadily rising Coronavirus infections. “All educational institutions will remain closed until April 11 in all districts where positivity and infection rate is high. “The health of students, teachers, and staff is our primary consideration,” Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood announced. A two-week shutdown was initially announced on March 15. Virus hotspots...
BERLIN — German Chancellor Angela Merkel has overturned a decision on extra coronavirus measures to be imposed over Easter after widespread criticism, participants in a meeting of federal and state leaders say. Merkel told participants that an agreement hammered out in overnight talks earlier this week stipulating that most shops will be shut and gatherings will be more limited from April 1-5 would not be implemented. Criticism of the agreement had centred on the fact...
WARSAW — Poland reported 29,978 new daily coronavirus (COVID-19) infections on Wednesday, higher than at any time during the pandemic, data from the Health Ministry showed. Another 575 people died of COVID-19, bringing the overall death toll to 50,340. The situation in Poland is worse than during the previous peak of the pandemic in autumn, as more people need to be admitted to hospital despite a comparable number of new cases, Health Minister Adam Niedzielski,...
BANGKOK (Thailand), No fewer than 400 illegal migrants tested COVID-19 positive and have been transferred to a field hospital in Bangkok on Tuesday. The migrants, who tested positive were detained in their cells in Bang Khen district before being transferred to the field hospital at the Royal Thai Police sports club, the Bangkok Post reports. The stadium of the police’s Welfare Division on Vibhavadi Rangsit Road is converted into a field hospital to treat new...
The AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine is 79 percent effective at preventing symptomatic COVID-19 and is safe for use, a recent study conducted by experts from Columbia University and the University of Rochester in the United States of America has shown. Over the past few weeks, there has been growing concern about the safety of the vaccine. Several European and African countries have suspended vaccination with the use of the AstraZeneca doses over a possible link to...
Countries have been advised to continue administering the Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine despite concerns about safety. The World Health Organisation (WHO), said the benefit of the AstraZeneca vaccine outweighs its risks, and on that note recommended that countries continue to administer the doses. Presently, 10 European countries and some African countries have suspended vaccination with the doses due to suspicions of a possible link to blood clots. In a statement released on Wednesday, WHO indicated that...
