MTS World News and Latest on Covid Update: 7/5/2021
Latest on the worldwide spread of the coronavirus
**Moderna CEO expects more Covid variants to emerge in coming months: ‘This virus is not going away’*
**A variant of COVID-19 first diagnosed in India has been detected in Kenya, days after the same variant was detected in neighbouring Uganda.*
*France is delaying a European Union order for 1.8 billion doses of the BioNTech/Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine planned for the next two years, Germany's Die Welt daily newspaper reported on Friday, citing EU diplomats.
*The European Commission wants to speed up EU approval of experimental COVID-19 drugs, according to a document released by the EU executive, with the aim of having at least three new medicines authorised by October.
*People under the age of 40 in Britain will be offered an alternative to the Oxford/AstraZeneca (AZN.L) COVID-19 vaccine following concerns of rare blood clots, The Daily Telegraph and The Independent newspapers reported.
*The governors of two more U.S. states said they were lifting most restrictions that were put in place to combat the spread of the coronavirus after sharp drops in infection rates and deaths.
*The COVID-19 pandemic has caused nearly 6.9 million deaths across the world, more than double the number officially recorded, a new analysis from the University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation estimated.
*India reported another record daily rise in coronavirus cases on Friday, bringing total new cases for the week to 1.57 million, as the country's vaccination rate falls dramatically due to a lack of supplies and transport problems.
*Japan's government is set to extend a state of emergency in Tokyo and three other areas by about three weeks until the end of May to curb a surge in novel coronavirus cases just months before the start of the Tokyo Olympics.
Japan may approve the use of coronavirus vaccines developed by AstraZeneca Plc (AZN.L) and Moderna Inc (MRNA.O) as early as May 20, the Nikkei reported.
* Australia will lift a ban on its citizens returning from COVID-ravaged India next week, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said, as state officials reported that an outbreak in Sydney appeared to be contained.
Australia's international borders might not fully reopen until the middle or second half of 2022, Trade Minister Dan Tehan said on Friday, in a blow to airlines and the tourism sector.
*Data showed German companies increased their exports for the eleventh month in a row in March, with growth coming in at 1.2%, twice the rate economists had forecast.*
*China’s trade with the U.S. and Australia grew in April despite tensions*
*Wide gaps as Iran nuclear deal talks set to resume in Vienna*
U.S., Iranian and European officials said on Thursday there were wide gaps between Washington and Tehran on resuming compliance with the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, though a U.S. official said an accord was possible within weeks if Iran decided it wanted one.
Reference: Reuters, CNBC
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