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PHOTO : BUSINESS WORLD 

European Union nations, Britain and EU partners have agreed on a blueprint for a COVID-19 vaccination plan envisaging inoculation of at least 40% of their populations, a step that may set back the World Health Organization’s own vaccine blueprint.  As quoted by reuters.com (26/8), the EU target for early vaccinations is twice as high as the goal set by the WHO, which is aiming to buy vaccines initially for 20% of the world’s most vulnerable people through a global procurement scheme. The EU estimates that the share of its population in need of initial vaccination, should a shot be developed, would be at least 40%, effectively reducing the availability of possible doses for less developed countries. There is so far no approved Covid-19 vaccine, except one authorized in Russia before large-scale trials. The supply of the vaccines that might be successful is expected to be limited for a long period as production capacities are limited//Reuters

PHOTO : GREEK CITY TIMES

Norway said on Wednesday (27/8) that it will impose a 10-day quarantine on all people arriving from Germany and Liechtenstein from Aug. 29 due to rising numbers of Covid-19 cases in those countries. As quoted by reuters.com ( 27/8), the Norwegian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that similar restrictions will also be imposed on those coming from two additional regions in Sweden. To try to prevent a domestic resurgence of the coronavirus, Norway quarantines all travellers from countries with more than 20 confirmed new Covid-19 cases per 100,000 populations during the past two weeks//Reuters

PHOTO : NBCLA

Young people are driving the spread of the coronavirus in the Americas, the head of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Dr. Carissa F. Etienne said on Tuesday, noting that both deaths and caseloads have doubled in the region over the past six weeks. Briefing reporters on a webcast, Dr. Carissa Etienne chastised governments that have rushed economic re-openings despite data that shows a worsening pandemic. The Pan American Health Organization is the Washington-based Americas arm of the UN World Health Organization. Since July, coronavirus cases in the Americas have more than doubled to about 12 million confirmed infections, while deaths have shot up by roughly the same rate to some 450,000.  The vast majority of reported COVID-19 cases in the Americas have been among those between the ages of 19 and 59, but that almost 70% of deaths have been among individuals who are 60 years old or older. She further said, overall, governments should base their re-opening decisions on the best available data and expand testing and contract tracing programs to better identify and control spikes in cases//JP

photo : msn.com

Estonian Prime Minister Juri Ratas has invited US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to attend the Three Seas Initiative summit to be held in Tallinn on October 19-20, Estonian Public Broadcasting portal ERR reported. The Three Seas Initiative brings together Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Croatia, Austria, Slovenia, Bulgaria and Romania. Its stated goal is to strengthen cooperation, primarily for the development of infrastructures in the energy, transport and digital sectors, which will positively affect economic growth, cohesion and security of the EU. Earlier, Estonian media reported that US President Donald Trump could come to the summit in Tallinn, as the United States was showing interest in the initiative, seeing in it new opportunities for relations with Europe. According to Ratas, due to presidential elections to be held in the United States this year, Donald Trump is unlikely to come to Tallinn. He also said it was not yet clear whether the summit would be held in Tallinn or by means of a video conference//Sputnik