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May
'Human catastrophe' as India's COVID-19 surge spreads to Nepal
Written by Nur Yasmin
Nepal is being overwhelmed by a COVID-19 surge as India's outbreak spreads across South Asia, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said on Wednesday.
“We need to act now and we need to act fast to have any hope of containing this human catastrophe. This virus has no respect for borders and these variants are running rampant across Asia," said Alexander Matheou, Asia Pacific director for the Geneva-based agency representing the global humanitarian network.
Nepal is now recording 57 times as many cases as a month ago, with 44% of tests now coming back positive, the statement said. Nepalese towns near the Indian border could not cope with the growing number of people needing treatment, while only 1% of the country's population was fully vaccinated.
"What is happening in India right now is a horrifying preview of Nepal’s future if we cannot contain this latest COVID surge that is claiming more lives by the minute," said Netra Prasad Timsina, chair of the Nepal Red Cross.
"It is beyond distressing to see that people cannot say goodbye to their loved ones as cremations are taking place at record levels due to these new COVID variants, which are striking down people of all ages in Nepal."
The statement noted that other neighbours of India were also in the firing line as the outbreak spreads. Hospital intensive care units in Pakistan and Bangladesh were full or close to capacity, it said. (Reuters)
May
Australia's most populous state reports first COVID-19 case in more than a month
Written by Nur Yasmin
Australia's most populous state reported its first locally acquired coronavirus infection in more than a month on Wednesday, with health authorities working to track down the source and the variant involved.
The first local infection in southeastern New South Wales since March 31 strengthens prospects for a resumption of social distancing curbs, many of which had been eased as cases dwindled.
Although Australia has largely eradicated COVID-19, a man in his 50s with no known links to hotels used to quarantine people who have arrived from overseas tested positive on Tuesday, the state's health ministry said in a statement.
The unidentified man visited several spots in the eastern suburbs of Sydney, the state capital and Australia's biggest city, the ministry said.
Testing showed a higher viral load than typically seen in infected people, potentially increasing the chance that the man has spread the disease, the ministry said. He is considered to have been infectious since April 30.
"That gives us some cause for concern," the state's chief health officer, Kerry Chant, told reporters in Sydney, adding that all those who had been in close contact with the man had been told to self-isolate and get tested.
Authorities are investigating whether the case is genetically linked to anyone in the quarantine system or cases in other states, Chant said.
They are also checking which virus variant is involved.
Australia's hardline approach to rein in COVID-19, with measures including snap lockdowns, border controls and swift contact tracing has kept its tally of infections at just over 29,800, with 910 deaths since the pandemic began.
However, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has drawn wide criticism for a decision to block all travel for two weeks from India, which is battling a massive second wave of COVID-19 infections.
Anger surged after the government vowed on Saturday to punish attempts to enter from India with jail terms of up to five years and fines.
For more than a year, Australia has allowed only citizens and permanent residents to return, though they must spend two weeks in strict quarantine.
Morrison defended the ban on Wednesday, saying it had prevented hotel quarantine sites from being overrun.
"This was a necessary step to ensure that we could help more Australian citizens and residents get home, safely, in a way that did not risk a third wave in Australia," Morrison told a televised news briefing in the northeastern state of Queensland.
Academics and lawyers have questioned the validity of the India ban, despite the government's assertion that it was temporary, and on Wednesday a legal challenge was launched.
Lawyers for Gary Newman, a 73-year-old who has been stuck in India since he travelled there in March 2020, will argue that Australia's conservative government does not have the constitutional power to block people returning from India.
No ruling was given, with Justice Stephen Burley agreeing to set a hearing date within 48 hours.
"This decision that the government has made ... is invalid," Newman's lawyer told the Australian Broadcasting Corp after a short administrative hearing. "It sets an extraordinary and appalling precedent and that needs to be challenged."
Luke Beck, an associate law professor at Monash University, told Reuters it would be difficult to win a case based on interpretations of the Australian constitution since the constitution "does not expressly list any special citizenship rights". (Reuters)
May
S.Korea says AstraZeneca, Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines 87% effective after first shot
Written by Nur Yasmin
One dose of COVID-19 vaccines from AstraZeneca Plc (AZN.L) and Pfizer (PFE.N) was 86.6% effective in preventing infections among people aged 60 and older, real world data released by South Korea showed on Wednesday.
Data by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) showed the Pfizer vaccine, jointly developed by BioNTech , was 89.7% effective in preventing infection at least two weeks after a first dose was given, while the AstraZeneca shot was 86.0% effective.
Its analysis is based on more than 3.5 million people in South Korea aged 60 and older for two months from Feb. 26 and included 521,133 people who received a first dose of either Pfizer or AstraZeneca shot.
There were 1,237 COVID-19 cases in the data and only 29 were from the vaccinated group, the KDCA said.
"It is shown that both vaccines provide a high protection against the disease after the first dose. (People) should get full vaccinations according to recommended schedule, as the protection rate will go up further after a second dose," it said.
The findings come as South Korea seeks to drum up participation in its immunisation drive after reports about potential safety issues discouraged some people from getting vaccinated. read more
"Around 95% of people who died from the coronavirus in our country were senior citizens aged 60 or older, and the vaccines will sharply lower risks for those people," health ministry official Yoon Tae-ho told a briefing on Wednesday.
Yoon said the possibility of side effects including blood clotting are "extremely low" and they are mostly curable.
South Korea has so far vaccinated 6.7% of its 52 million strong population, but has set an ambitious target of giving shots to 70% of its people by September and reaching herd immunity by November.
Starting on Wednesday, South Koreans who are fully vaccinated and show a negative COVID-19 test and no symptoms will be exempted from the two-week mandatory quarantine upon their return from overseas travel, to encourages more vaccinations.
The KDCA reported 676 new COVID-19 cases as of midnight on Tuesday, bringing the country's total infections to 124,945, with 1,847 deaths. (Reuters)
May
New Zealand parliament says Uyghur rights abuses taking place in China
Written by Nur YasminNew Zealand's parliament unanimously declared on Wednesday that severe human rights abuses were taking place against Uyghur people in China's Xinjiang region, spurring the Chinese embassy to decry the move as interference in internal affairs.
All parties discussed and supported a motion by New Zealand's smaller ACT Party, but only after it was revised to drop the word "genocide" from the text.
In parliament, ACT's deputy leader, Brooke van Velden, said she had to insert the phrase "severe human rights abuses" in order to secure the approval of the ruling Labour Party, led by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.
"Our conscience demands that if we believe there is a genocide, we should say so," Van Velden added.
China, which denies all accusations of rights abuses in the far western region, expressed "strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition" to the motion, its embassy in Wellington said in a statement. read more
"Using Xinjiang-related issues to pressure China is futile and will only undermine mutual trust between the two sides," it added, calling the move gross interference in internal affairs.
New Zealand's Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta defended the government's decision not to use the term "genocide", saying it had raised concerns several times with China, but had not formally designated the situation as constituting a genocide.
"This is not due to a lack of concern," added Mahuta. "Genocide is the gravest of international crimes and a formal legal determination should only be reached following a rigorous assessment on the basis of international law."
She added that New Zealand, in concert with other governments, would keep up its calls for China to provide meaningful and unfettered access to the United Nations and other independent observers to ascertain the situation.
Nations such as the United States and Canada have declared China's actions in Xinjiang as genocide, but Australia's parliament stopped short of a similar move this year. (Reuters)
May
New Zealand PM Ardern plans summer wedding - media reports
Written by Nur Yasmin
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern plans to get married during summer but did not disclose the date, local media reported on Wednesday.
Ardern told Coast Radio that she and her partner television host Clarke Gayford have "finally got a date" for the wedding, New Zealand Herald said in a report.
"That doesn't mean we've told anyone yet, so I feel like we should probably put some invites out," Ardern was quoted as saying by the report.
Ardern, 40, got engaged to Gayford, 44, during the Easter holidays in 2019 and they have a two-year-old daughter.
The wedding being planned in summer, which runs from December to February in the southern hemisphere, might not be celebrated in the traditional way as Ardern admitted she "feels a bit too old to have a bridal party", media reports quoted her as saying.
There is "nothing further to add over what has been reported this morning", a spokesman in the prime minister's office told Reuters.
Ardern became New Zealand's youngest prime minister when she took office in 2017 and is one of the few elected leaders to hold office while pregnant.
She returned to power last October delivering the biggest election victory for her centre-left Labour Party in half a century largely due to her government's decisive response to contain the COVID-19 outbreak. (Reuters)
May
Australia opens new Pacific embassies as Chinese influence grows
Written by Nur Yasmin
Australia opened embassies in the Marshall Islands and French Polynesia on Tuesday as Canberra accelerates its efforts to counter growing competition from China for influence in the Pacific.
"Australia is committed to continuing to work closely with our Pacific partners for a region that is prosperous and secure," a joint statement from Foreign Minister Marise Payne and Minister for the Pacific Zed Seselja read.
Australia now has 19 embassies in the Pacific, including new ones opened in the last three years in Tuvalu, the Cook Islands, Palau and Niue. It claims to have the largest diplomatic presence in the Pacific of any country. (Reuters)
May
UK and India agree on roadmap to combat climate change by 2030
Written by Nur Yasmin
Britain said on Tuesday it had agreed with India on plans to combat climate change by 2030, including protecting forests and working together on the clean energy transition, as it prepares to host the COP26 UN Climate Summit later this year.
“The UK and India share a longstanding partnership and I am greatly encouraged by the steps we have taken today to bolster our joint efforts on tackling climate change,” said COP26 President-Designate Alok Sharma. (Reuters)
May
UK and U.S. agree on importance of global COVID vaccine rollout to end pandemic
Written by Nur Yasmin
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken agreed on the need for a global rollout of COVID-19 vaccines to end the pandemic, Downing Street said on Tuesday after the pair met in London.
"The Prime Minister and Secretary Blinken agreed that the global roll out of vaccines will be key to defeating the coronavirus pandemic," Johnson's office said in a statement.
"They underlined the importance of G7 work in this area, including efforts to increase international manufacturing capability." (Reuters)
May
Pfizer sees robust COVID-19 vaccine demand for years, $26 bln in 2021 sales
Written by Nur Yasmin
Pfizer Inc (PFE.N) on Tuesday raised its forecast for 2021 COVID-19 vaccine sales by more than 70% to $26 billion and said demand from governments around the world fighting to halt the pandemic could contribute to its growth for years to come.
The company said it expects to file for full U.S. approval of the vaccine in May for people over the age of 16, as it is now only authorized for emergency use. It also expects to hear soon from U.S. regulators on expansion of the vaccine's emergency use authorization (EUA) for children ages 12-15.
Revenue from the vaccine - developed with German partner BioNTech SE - is expected to account for more than one third of Pfizer's sales this year.
The forecast is based on contracts to deliver 1.6 billion vaccine doses this year. The company expects to sign more deals for this year and is in supply talks with several countries for 2022 and beyond.
"Based on what we've seen, we believe that a durable demand for our COVID-19 vaccine – similar to that of the flu vaccines – is a likely outcome," Chief Executive Albert Bourla said.
The two-shot vaccine was Pfizer's top-selling product in the first quarter. Expenses and profit from the vaccine are split 50-50 between Pfizer and BioNTech.
Given persistent infections globally and ongoing discussions with governments, Mizuho analyst Vamil Divan said the 2021 forecast could increase further and spill over to future years.
Daily vaccination rates for adults in the United States are off more than 25% since hitting a peak in mid-April. Authorization in children would expand the vaccine-eligible population by millions of people.
Pfizer said it expects to have safety and efficacy data for children ages 2-to-11 in September, when it plans to ask for further expansion of the EUA for that age group.
The company has also filed new data with U.S. regulators that would allow the vaccine to be stored at standard refrigerator temperatures for up to four weeks, up from five days currently.
Pfizer and BioNTech aim to produce up to 2.5 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses this year, 900 million of which are not yet included in the New York-based drugmaker's sales forecast.
If Pfizer sells that number of doses at similar prices, the vaccine's sales in 2021 could be more than 50% above the projected $26 billion.
Moderna Inc (MRNA.O) has forecast $18.4 billion in 2021 sales of its similar COVID-19 vaccine.
Pfizer expects to profit from the vaccine, while some drugmakers including Johnson & Johnson (JNJ.N) have said their vaccine will be sold on a not-for-profit basis until the end of the pandemic.
Pfizer aims to manufacture at least 3 billion doses of the vaccine next year. It also expects to have safety and immunogenicity data from a third booster dose of the vaccine in July.
Pfizer and BioNTech have published data showing impressive durability for their vaccine at least six months after vaccination. Still, Bourla said he believes regular boosters will be needed to maintain high levels of immunity, and governments around the world have started signing deals for the shots.
The COVID-19 vaccine generated $3.5 billion in revenue in the first quarter, exceeding analysts' estimates of $3.28 billion, according to Refinitiv data.
Total revenue for the quarter of $14.6 billion, topped analysts' forecasts of $13.5 billion.
It plans to boost R&D spending to fuel drug discovery using the messenger RNA technology in the COVID-19 vaccine. The company is developing two flu vaccines that are expected to enter clinical trials in the third quarter.
Pfizer shares were down slightly in afternoon trading. (Reuters)
May
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to attend Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore
Written by Nur Yasmin
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will attend the Shangri-La Dialogue Asian security summit due to be held in Singapore next month, organisers said, after the annual meeting was cancelled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
This year's event, which is being arranged by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), is scheduled to take place from June 4–5.
"It marks the Secretary's first trip to Southeast Asia, and as well as delivering his on-the-record speech, he will also conduct bilateral and multilateral meetings on the sidelines of the summit," IISS said in an emailed statement.
The Shangri-La Dialogue has typically attracted top level military officials, diplomats and weapons makers from around the globe since its launch in 2002.
In his first significant policy speech, Austin said this week that the United States needs to prepare for a potential future conflict bearing little resemblance to "the old wars" that have long consumed the Pentagon.
Austin called for harnessing technological advances and better integrating military operations globally to "understand faster, decide faster and act faster." read more
Singapore is also aiming to host the World Economic Forum's annual summit in August after it was moved from its usual home in the Swiss ski resort of Davos over virus safety fears. (Reuters)