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Covid-19 wrap: Italy PM, wife get AstraZeneca jab, Mali approves Sputnik V, Syria president recovers

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Keeping you up to date on the latest novel coronavirus (Covid-19) news from around the world.

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Coronavirus toll at 10:00 (GMT) Tuesday

Paris – The novel coronavirus has killed at least 2 792 586 people since the outbreak emerged in China in December 2019, according to a tally from official sources compiled by AFP at 10:00 (GMT) on Tuesday.

At least 127 546 270 cases of coronavirus have been registered.

The vast majority have recovered, though some have continued to experience symptoms weeks or even months later.

These figures are based on daily tolls provided by health authorities in each country and exclude later re-evaluations by statistical organisations, as has happened in Russia, Spain and Britain.

On Monday, 7 501 new deaths and 459 625 new cases were recorded worldwide.

Based on latest reports, the countries with the most new deaths were Brazil with 1 660, followed by the United States with 586 and Poland with 460.

The United States is the worst-affected country with 550 036 deaths from 30 331 798 cases.

After the US, the hardest-hit countries are Brazil with 313 866 deaths from 12 573 615 cases, Mexico with 201 826 deaths from 2 227 842 cases, India with 162 114 deaths from 12 095 855 cases, and the United Kingdom with 126 615 deaths from 4 337 696 cases.

 - AFP


Italy's Draghi and wife receive AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine

ROME – Prime Minister Mario Draghi and his wife Maria Serenella Cappello received their first doses of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine on Tuesday as Italy looks to ramp up its vaccination campaign.

Italy was one of a number of European countries that earlier this month paused usage of the AstraZeneca shots following reports of about 30 cases of rare brain blood clots in people who had recently had a jab.

Most countries resumed administering it after the European Union's drug watchdog said the benefits outweighed the risks.

Draghi and his wife, who are both 73, received their jabs at a large vaccination centre set up at Rome's main railway station, the prime minister's office said in a brief statement.

According to latest data, Italy, which has a population of some 60 million, has fully vaccinated 3.04 million people, while another 3.6 million have had their first shot only.

The country is administering around 250 000 vaccines a day, but Draghi has said this number would double in April.

 - REUTERS


Syrian president and wife recover from Covid-19

DAMASCUS – Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his wife Asma have recovered from Covid-19 and have tested negative for the disease, the Syrian presidency said on Tuesday.

"After the end of the quarantine period, symptoms of Covid-19 and negative PCR results, President Bashar al-Assad and Mrs Asma al-Assad have resumed their work normally," the presidency said in a statement.

The Syrian presidency had announced that Assad and his wife, who announced her recovery from breast cancer in 2019, had tested positive on 8 March.

Syria has seen a sharp rise in infections since mid-February, a member of the government's coronavirus advisory committee told Reuters last week as the country kicked off its vaccination campaign.

 - REUTERS


Germany's vaccine regulator reports 31 cases of blood disorder after AstraZeneca shot

BERLIN – Germany's vaccine regulator said on Tuesday it has recorded 31 cases of a rare blood clot in the brain, nine of which resulted in deaths, after people received a Covid-19 vaccine from AstraZeneca.

The Paul Ehrlich Institute (PEI) said it has now registered 31 cases of clots in the cerebral veins – known as sinus vein thrombosis, or CSVT – and that in 19 of these there was a deficiency of blood platelets or thrombocytepenia.

In nine cases, the affected people died. With the exception of two cases, all reports concerned women between the ages of 20 and 63. The two men were 36 and 57 years old.

 - REUTERS


Mali approves Russia's Sputnik V vaccine - Russian sovereign wealth fund

MOSCOW – Mali has approved the use of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine against Covid-19, the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) said on Tuesday.

RDIF, which has actively promoted the vaccine abroad, said the shot had so far been approved for use in 58 countries.

 - REUTERS


UK wants to vaccinate all adults before sharing vaccine with other countries

LONDON – Britain will focus on vaccinating the whole of its adult population before it can provide any surplus shots to other countries such as its close neighbour Ireland, British business minister Kwasi Kwarteng said on Tuesday.

More than 30 million Britons have received their first Covid-19 shots in the fastest vaccine rollout in Europe, with the aim of offering shots to all adults by the end of July.

However, Britain has found itself involved in a public spat with the European Union, where the vaccination programme has been much slower, over the supply of doses.

"I think our focus has to be to try and keep Britain safe, we want to work cooperatively as well with other countries, but the main priority is to get the vaccine rollout," Kwarteng told Sky News.

He said Britain was working with European nations to try to ensure their populations were vaccinated, and that it was not "a competitive situation".

 - REUTERS


Ireland may add United States, France to hotel quarantine list - newspaper

DUBLIN – The Irish government has been advised to add 43 countries including the United States, France, Germany and Italy to a list of jurisdictions subject to 12-day hotel quarantine on arrival, the Irish Independent newspaper reported on Friday.

The newspaper said that the Department of Health's Travel Expert Advisory Group had recommended the additions. The department of health did not immediately respond to an e-mailed request for comment.

 - REUTERS


Japanese health minister apologises for staff breaking Covid-19 protocols

TOKYO – Japan's health minister apologised on Tuesday after media reported ministry employees had gathered at a restaurant late at night in Tokyo in violation of the government's Covid-19 contagion protocols.

Norihisa Tamura confirmed that 23 ministry employees ate dinner together on 24 March and that he would investigate the matter quickly, Kyodo reported.

Tokyo and three surrounding prefectures emerged from a state of emergency over Covid-19 infections on 21 March, but the government has continued to ask restaurants to close early at 21:00 and for the public to limit gatherings.

According to a separate report in the Yomiuri Newspaper, the health ministry staffers gathered for a farewell party at a pub in the Ginza district of Tokyo, with some staying until midnight.

 - REUTERS


India records 56 211 new cases of the coronavirus

MUMBAI – India recorded 56 211 new cases of coronavirus, a slight dip from the country's record-breaking tallies over the last three days, data from the health ministry showed on Tuesday.

The country's tally dipped below the 60 000 mark after three days, a Reuters tally showed, with its richest state, Maharashtra, accounting for more than 31 000 of the 56 211 cases reported in the last 24 hours. Deaths in the last 24 hours stood at 271, and 162 114 have died so far in the pandemic, the health ministry said.

Authorities in Maharashtra were considering whether to impose stricter curbs starting Thursday to contain the rapid spread of the virus, but opposition parties and industrialists have opposed a lockdown.

"The people a lockdown hurts most are the poor, migrant workers & small businesses. The original lockdowns were essentially to buy time to build up hospital/health infrastructure. Let’s focus on resurrecting that & on avoiding mortality," industrialist Anand Mahindra, who heads Mahindra, India's autos-to-technology conglomerate, said on Twitter on Monday.

 - REUTERS


Germany's confirmed coronavirus cases rise by 9 549 - RKI

BERLIN – The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 9 549 to 2 791 822, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Tuesday.

The reported death toll rose by 180 to 76 093, the tally showed.

 - REUTERS


Brazil registers 1 660 new Covid-19 deaths - health ministry

BRASILIA – Brazil recorded 1 660 deaths from Covid-19 in the past 24 hours and 38 927 additional confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus, the Health Ministry said on Monday.

Brazil's official death toll now stands at 313 866, according to ministry data, and the total number of cases stands at 12 573 615.

 - REUTERS


Russia reports 8 277 new coronavirus cases, 409 deaths

MOSCOW – Russia on Tuesday reported 8 277 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, including 1 291 in Moscow, taking the national tally to 4 536 820.

The country also reported another 409 deaths, raising the official toll to 98 442.

 - REUTERS


Mexico reports 1 292 new coronavirus cases, 203 more deaths

MEXICO CITY – Mexico on Monday reported 1 292 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 and 203 more fatalities, bringing the country's total to 2 227 842 infections and 201 826 deaths, according to health ministry data.

The government says the real case numbers are likely significantly higher and separate data published recently by the health ministry suggested the actual death toll from coronavirus may be at least 60% above the confirmed figure.

 - REUTERS


Australia's Queensland reports 8 new community Covid-19 cases

SYDNEY – Australia's Queensland state reported eight new locally-acquired Covid-19 cases on Tuesday, a day after announcing a snap three-day lockdown in Brisbane, the state capital, to contain a fresh coronavirus cluster.

About 2 million people in Brisbane are required to stay home until Thursday afternoon except for essential work, healthcare, grocery shopping or exercise.

Four new locally transmitted Covid-19 cases were reported on Monday.

 - REUTERS


China reports 8 new Covid-19 cases vs 15 a day earlier

BEIJING – China reported eight new Covid-19 cases on 29 March, down from 15 cases a day earlier, the national health authority said on Tuesday.

The National Health Commission said in a statement that all of the new cases were imported infections originating from overseas. The number of new asymptomatic cases, which China does not classify as confirmed cases, fell to six from 18 a day earlier.

The total number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in Mainland China now stands at 90 190, while the death toll remained unchanged at 4 636.

 - REUTERS


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