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March
Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido says he tested positive for COVID-19
Written by nuke
Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido
Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido said on Saturday that he has tested positive for the coronavirus and has mild symptoms.
Guaido said on his Twitter account that he is in isolation and expressed concern about the number of infections in the country.
“I want to express my solidarity with the thousands of Venezuelans suffering during the pandemic,” Guaido wrote on Twitter. “Today we all have a relative or acquaintance affected by COVID-19.”
Dozens of countries have backed Guaido as interim president of Venezuela following Maduro’s re-election in 2018 in a vote Western governments called a sham.
The opposition leader added that he considered the arrival of COVID-19 vaccines to Venezuela urgent.
Venezuela has received 700,000 doses, of which 500,000 were donated by China’s Sinopharm and the rest are Russia’s Sputnik V. Opposition leaders are separately negotiating to buy vaccines via the COVAX program using funds frozen in the United States.
Venezuela’s official figures as of Saturday showed 155,663 cases of coronavirus and 1,555 deaths, though opposition critics say the actual figure is likely higher due to limited testing//Reuters
March
Spectacular: 5,000 pack Barcelona rock concert after COVID tests
Written by nuke
Spectacular: 5,000 pack Barcelona rock concert after COVID tests - US news
Music fans in Barcelona hugged, danced and sang along at a sold-out rock concert on Saturday night after taking rapid COVID-19 tests in a trial that could revive the live music industry in Spain and beyond.
Some 5,000 fans at the show for Spanish indie band Love of Lesbian had to wear masks but social distancing was not required in the Palau Sant Jordi arena.
“It was spectacular. We felt safe at all times. We were in the front row and it was something we’d missed a lot,” said publicist Salvador, 29, after the show. “We are very proud to have had the chance to take part in this. We hope it’ll be the first of many.”
In surreal scenes after a year of social distancing, fans danced up close to one another, but the sea of faces covered in masks showed that things were not quite back to normal.
Health controls at the entrance delayed the start of the concert, but could not dampen the celebratory spirit.
“Welcome to one of the most exciting concerts of our lives!” lead singer Santi Balmes told the crowd to a roar of cheers.
The government-approved concert served as a test for whether similar events will be able to start up again.
“It will be safer to be in the Palau Sant Jordi than walking down the street,” concert co-organiser Jordi Herreruela told Reuters earlier on Saturday.
Pre-concert testing at three Barcelona locations was carried out by 80 nurses wearing full personal protective equipment. Some people winced as nurses swabbed their noses.
By midday, three out of 2,400 people already screened had tested positive and one had come into contact with a positive case, said Dr. Josep Maria Libre, a doctor who oversaw the testing. They were unable to attend the concert and would get a refund.
Attendees received their antigen test results in 10 to 15 minutes via an app on their phones. The test and a mask were included in the ticket price.
“I believe today we have made one thing a reality which is to show the world that culture is safe,” said Ramon, a 49-year-old fan//Reuters
March
French COVID-19 patient numbers rise again, adding to pressure for new lockdown
Written by nuke
French COVID-19 patient numbers rise again, adding to pressure for new lockdown - medical express
The number of patients with coronavirus in French intensive care units rose on Saturday to a new high for this year, increasing the pressure to impose new restrictions that President Emmanuel Macron says will probably be needed. France had 4,791 ICU patients being treated for COVID-19, up from 4,766 on Friday, health ministry data showed.
The numbers are approaching a peak recorded in mid-November during the second wave of the virus, although last spring, when France imposed its first lockdown, saw a peak of more than 7,000.
Doctors say intensive care units in the worst-hit regions could become overwhelmed.
The government’s commitment to keeping schools open has been called into question due to rising case numbers among students and opposition from teachers, who are threatening to walk out.
Spain said on Saturday it would require people arriving by land from France to show a negative coronavirus test result.
Macron this week defended his decision not to impose a third full lockdown, but said further restrictions would probably be needed.
Three additional regions, including the Rhone department around Lyon, on Saturday joined other regions including Paris in closing non-essential stores and restricting travel. Police were out in Paris, Nice and other cities enforcing the rules.
The government is also trying to speed up a stuttering vaccination campaign.
France expects to receive 3 million doses of vaccines this week, rising to 4 million a week in a month’s time, junior industry minister Agnes Pannier-Runacher told Europe 1 radio.
As of Saturday, more than 7.7 million people had received a first dose of vaccine, the health ministry said.
France’s COVID-19 death toll, at almost 95,000, is the eighth-highest in the world//Reuters
March
Beijing enveloped in hazardous sandstorm, second time in 2 weeks
Written by nuke
A general view of the city shrouded in smog after a sandstorm, in central Beijing, China - CNBC
The Chinese capital Beijing woke on Sunday (Mar 28) morning shrouded in thick dust carrying extremely high levels of hazardous particles, as a second sandstorm in two weeks hit the city due to winds from drought-hit Mongolia and northwestern China.
Visibility in the city was reduced, with the tops of some skyscrapers obscured by the sandstorm, and pedestrians were forced to cover their eyes as gusts of dust swept through the streets.
The China Meteorological Administration issued a yellow alert on Friday, warning that a sandstorm was spreading from Mongolia into northern Chinese provinces including Inner Mongolia, Shanxi, Liaoning and Hebei, which surrounds Beijing.
The meteorological office said the recent sandstorms to hit Beijing originated from Mongolia, where relatively warmer temperature this spring and reduced rain resulted in larger areas of bare earth, creating favourable conditions for sandstorms.Beijing might face more sandstorms in April due to the unfavourable weather this year, the meteorological office said//CNA
March
16 protesters killed in Myanmar as junta puts on show of force for Armed Forces Day
Written by nuke
Myanmar on Mar 27, 2021 shows an annual parade put on by the military to mark Armed Forces Day in Naypyidaw - Bangkok post
Myanmar's security forces shot and killed at least 16 protesters on Saturday, news reports and witnesses said, as the leader of the ruling junta said the military will protect the people and strive for democracy.
"Today is a day of shame for the armed forces," Dr. Sasa, a spokesman for CRPH, an anti-junta group set up by deposed lawmakers, told an online forum.
"The military generals are celebrating Armed Forces Day after they just killed more than 300 innocent civilians," he said, giving an estimate of the toll since protests first erupted weeks ago.
At least four people were killed when security forces opened fire at a crowd protesting outside a police station in Yangon's Dala suburb in the early hours of Saturday, Myanmar Now reported. At least 10 people were wounded, the news portal said.
Three people, including a young man who plays in a local under-21 football team, were shot and killed in a protest in the Insein district of the city, a neighbour told Reuters. Four people were killed in Lashio town in the east, and four in separate incidents in the Bago region, near Yangon, according to media outlets. One person was killed in Hopin town in the northeast.
The country has been in turmoil since the generals ousted and detained civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi in February, triggering a major uprising demanding a return to democracy.
Violent morning crackdowns by security forces thwarted some plans for fresh protests that had been called in some cities to coincide with the parade in the capital Naypyidaw.
As troops carried torches and flags while marching alongside army vehicles, junta leader General Min Aung Hlaing again defended the coup and pledged to yield power after new elections.
But he also issued another threat to the anti-coup movement that has gripped the country since he took charge, warning that acts of "terrorism which can be harmful to state tranquility and security" were unacceptable.
"The democracy we desire would be an undisciplined one if they pay no respect to and violate the law," he said.
Armed Forces Day, which commemorates the start of local resistance to the Japanese occupation during World War II, usually accompanies a military parade attended by foreign officers and diplomats.
But the junta has struggled to achieve international recognition since taking control of Myanmar and said that only eight international delegations attended Saturday's event, including China and Russia.
Russia's deputy defence minister Alexander Fomin attended the parade, having met senior junta leaders a day earlier.
"Russia is a true friend," Min Aung Hlaing said.
Fears have swirled that the day could become a flashpoint for more unrest.
Security forces cracked down on demonstrators in commercial hub Yangon before dawn, while police and troops opened fire on a rally by university students in the northeastern city of Lashio.
"The army and the police just came and shot them. They did not give any warning to protesters and they used real bullets," local journalist Mai Kaung Saing told AFP.
But protesters elsewhere returned to the streets, including in the second-largest city Mandalay, where crowds carried Aung San Suu Kyi's party flag and flashed the three-finger salute that has been adopted as a symbol of resistance to military rule//CNA
March
Police arrest 10 people at violent protest in Bristol
Written by nuke
Police officers hold their shields as demonstrators take part in a protest against a newly proposed policing bill, in Bristol, on Mar 26, 2021 - Walesonline
Ten people were arrested in the city of Bristol in southwest England on Friday (Mar 26) after protests over a new policing Bill turned violent with people throwing glass bottles and bricks at officers, police said in a statement.
Thousands of demonstrators converged on the city centre, ignoring COVID-19 restrictions, to protest against a government Bill going through parliament that would give police new powers to restrict street protests.
"Ten people were arrested for offences including violent disorder, assaulting an emergency worker and possession of Class A drugs," the local Avon and Somerset Police Superintendent Mark Runacres said in the statement.
"Items, including glass bottles and bricks were thrown at officers, fireworks were launched at our mounted section while one of our horses was also covered with paint," Runacres added.
The new policing Bill would give police new powers to impose time and noise limits on street protests, which has angered activists, particularly since a heavy-handed police response to a London vigil for murder victim Sarah Everard on Mar 13 caused widespread outrage and criticism of the police.
A police officer has been charged with Everard's kidnap and murder, and the case has unleashed an outpouring of grief and rage over the issue of violence against women and girls.The Bill pre-dated the Everard case and covers a wide range of policy areas as well as the policing of protests. However, the two became connected in many people's minds because, by coincidence, the Bill was up for debate in parliament two days after the London vigil//CNA
March
Germany warns third coronavirus wave could be the worst so far
Written by nuke
Germany warns third coronavirus wave could be the worst so far - Reuters
Germany’s third wave of the coronavirus could be the worst so far and 100,000 new daily infections is not out of the question, the head of the Robert Koch Institute for infectious diseases(RKI) said on Friday.
The number of new confirmed infections in Germany has jumped in recent weeks, driven by a more transmissible variant known as B117 and moves to ease some lockdown measures.
“There are clear signals that this wave will be worse than the first two waves,” RKI’s Lothar Wieler said, as he urged people to stay at home over Easter. “We have some very difficult weeks ahead of us.”
The RKI later issued COVID-19 travel warnings for various neighbouring countries including France, Austria, Denmark and the Czech Republic.
People arriving from those countries must now provide a negative test less than 48 hours old at the German border. They must then go into a 10-day quarantine, which can be shortened by a second negative test after 5 days.
Health Minister Jens Spahn said Germany was in the final stages of the “pandemic marathon”, but the country’s health system could reach its limit in April.
The number of new confirmed cases in Germany rose by 21,573 on Friday, while the death toll increased by 183.
Spahn said a requirement for all airline passengers entering Germany to provide a negative test would come into force at midnight on Monday.
He called on local authorities to take a more flexible approach to vaccination, for example by offering unused doses to anyone aged over 70 at the weekend and by reducing stocks more quickly.
Frustration has grown over the sluggish vaccine roll-out. Around 10% of Germans have received at least a first dose, but this is far lower than the United States, Britain or Israel//Reuters
March
Vaccine leader Chile wrestles with rising COVID-19 infection rate
Written by nuke
A soldier checks a checkpoint in the Chilean capital Santiago as the country imposes a Covid-19 lockdown -- despite encouraging vaccination rates AFP/MARTIN BERNETTI
Chile is a world leader in its coronavirus vaccination programme and has already given at least one dose to almost a third of its population.
By Thursday the narrow South American nation, hemmed in by the Andes mountains and the Pacific Ocean, had given more than six million people a single dose and 3.1 million both doses, including most over-70s.
And yet that same day, the government put more than 80 per cent of the country's 19 million people in lockdown.
With new virus variants, believed to be more contagious, spreading across the continent, cases have been soaring in Chile despite its vaccination drive.
On Thursday it passed 7,000 new cases in the previous 24 hours: The second highest daily figure recorded.
"They are phenomena that run on totally different tracks," Darwin Acuna, the president of Chile's society of intensive medicine, told AFP about the seeming disconnect between high vaccination and contagion rates.
President Sebastian Pinera has urged the country to make "a last effort" and authorities expect the vaccination push to start bearing fruit next month.
Health Minister Enrique Paris said the lockdown "is tough but necessary", particularly in the Santiago metropolitan area - the most populous in Chile.
The country has recorded more than 950,000 infections and over 22,500 deaths from COVID-19.
Chile began vaccinating health care workers on Dec 24 and from Feb 3 it started with the general population, initially the over 90s.
But a general relaxation of attitudes in the country due to the vaccination campaign and summer holidays, as well as the arrival of new virus variants, pushed a new wave of infection.
"You cannot yet see the effect of the vaccine on the most at-risk people, because for the most at-risk people they have only just had the second dose," said Acuna.
He expects to see "a real effect on the requirement of ICU beds for the most at-risk people" in mid April.
Health care authorities say they have noticed a difference in the identity of those occupying ICU beds since the first wave of the pandemic: patients are younger and sicker.
The government's goal is to immunize 15 million people by Jun 30, achieving coveted "herd immunity," when a sufficiently large proportion of the population is resistant to a pathogen that it has nowhere to spread.
By Thursday, authorities had given almost 6.1 million people a first dose of either the Chinese CoronaVac or Pfizer shots//CNA
March
President Biden invites 40 world leaders to climate summit, including Singapore’s PM Lee
Written by nuke
US President Joe Biden speaks during a news conference in the East Room of the White House, Thursday, Mar 25, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
President Joe Biden on Friday (Mar 26) invited 40 world leaders, including Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, to attend the Leaders Summit on Climate next month, the White House announced.
It will be held virtually Apr 22 and 23.
"The Leaders Summit on Climate will underscore the urgency – and the economic benefits – of stronger climate action. It will be a key milestone on the road to the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) this November in Glasgow," the White House said in a press release.
President Joe Biden is including rivals Vladimir Putin of Russia and Xi Jinping of China among the invitees to the first big climate talks of his administration, an event the US hopes will help shape, speed up and deepen global efforts to cut climate-wrecking fossil fuel pollution, administration officials told The Associated Press.
Other world leaders include Indonesia's President Joko Widodo, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and Jacinda Ardern, the Prime Minister of New Zealand.
Biden is seeking to revive a US-convened forum of the world’s major economies on climate that George W Bush and Barack Obama both used and Donald Trump let languish. Leaders of some of the world’s top climate-change sufferers, do-gooders and backsliders round out some of the rest of the 40 invitations being delivered Friday.
Hosting the summit will fulfil a campaign pledge and executive order by Biden, and the administration is timing the event with its own upcoming announcement of what’s a much tougher US target for revamping the US economy to sharply cut emissions from coal, natural gas and oil.The session will test Biden’s pledge to make climate change a priority among competing political, economic, policy and pandemic problems. It also will pose a very public - and potentially embarrassing or empowering - test of whether US leaders, and Biden in particular, can still drive global decision-making after the Trump administration withdrew globally and shook up longstanding alliances.
The Biden administration intentionally looked beyond its international partners for the talks, an administration official said.
“It’s a list of the key players and it’s about having some of the tough conversations and the important conversations,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss US plans for the event. “Given how important … this issue is to the entire world, we have to be willing to talk about it and we have to be willing to talk about it at the high levels.”The Biden administration hopes the stage provided by next month’s Earth Day climate summit - planned to be all virtual because of COVID-19 and all publicly viewable on livestream, including breakout conversations - will encourage other international leaders to use it as a platform to announce their own countries’ tougher emission targets or other commitments, ahead of November’s UN global climate talks in Glasgow//CNA
March
Butantan seeks trials of Brazilian COVID-19 vaccine
Written by Nur Yasmin
Jakarta. Brazil’s Butantan biomedical institute will seek approval on Friday to begin human trials for a potential COVID-19 vaccine, officials said, making it the first shot developed in the country to reach clinical testing.
Sao Paulo Governor Joao Doria said the goal was to begin inoculations with the vaccine in July, an aggressive timeline even by the standards of the recent race for new COVID-19 shots.
Butantan aims to produce 40 million doses of the new vaccine this year, called Butanvac, starting in May, officials said, aiming to help a sputtering national immunization program, which has done little to stop Brazil’s raging coronavirus outbreak.
Doria told a news conference that Butanvac production will not interfere with the the state-funded institute’s partnership to produce and distibute a COVID-19 shot developed by China’s Sinovac Biotech Ltd.
Butantan officials said the new vaccine had been designed to protect against the contagious P1 variant of the coronavirus, which emerged in the Amazon region last year and is fueling to a deadly second wave of cases overwhelming the country’s hospitals.
Butantan plans to test the vaccine on 1,800 volunteers over two phases, two people familiar with the matter told Reuters ahead of the official announcement. The Butanvac milestone was first reported by Brazilian newspaper Folha de S. Paulo.
Vietnam and Thailand are also part of the consortium developing the vaccine, Folha reported.
Butantan has already delivered 27.8 million doses of the Sinovac vaccine, called CoronaVac, to the Brazilian government, which is the current centerpiece of the national immunization plan. (Reuters)