Coronavirus Global Updates, Feb 16 :::: US Cases Hit 4-Month Low; WHO Clears Astra Shot; SA registers 1,102 new cases

Tue Feb 16 11:23:59 CAT 2021

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Coronavirus Global Updates, Feb 16 :::: US Cases Hit 4-Month Low; WHO Clears
Astra Shot; SA registers 1,102 new cases

 <https://www.nicozdiamond.co.zw/>  

Zimbabwe COVID19 Update

COVID-19 update: As at 14 February 2021, Zimbabwe had 35 172 confirmed
cases, including 30 601 recoveries and 1 400 deaths

South Africa registered a further 1,102 new Covid-19 cases on Sunday,
bringing the cumulative total to 1,492,909. A further 195 Covid-19-related
deaths were reported, bringing the total to 48,094 deaths.

The US recorded the lowest daily number of new coronavirus infections since
25 October, before a holiday season surge sent case numbers soaring.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is hoping to draw up plans to lift national
pandemic
<https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-02-15/u-k-s-johnson-aims-to-ea
se-lockdown-with-schools-back-first> restrictions on socialising, shopping
and travelling to work, including possible target dates for when the curbs
will be eased.

Germany tightened its borders to halt more infectious variants spreading,
prompting Austria's government to warn against "excessive" steps. Austria
won't reopen restaurants, bars, and cafes before the Easter holiday. In
Italy, a health ministry adviser called for a new lockdown, citing the rise
in virus cases linked to new strains.

New Zealand imposed a three-day shutdown on Auckland with the discovery of
several local cases, bringing a
<https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-02-14/new-zealand-gets-pandemi
c-reality-check-as-auckland-locked-down> halt to the country's summer of
unrestricted movement.

WHO clears Astra vaccine for emergency use 

The World Health Organisation cleared AstraZeneca Plc's Covid-19 vaccine for
emergency use, adding its official approval to a shot that's expected to
speed up inoculations in developing countries.

The WHO validated two versions of the vaccine, produced with SK Bioscience
of South Korea and the Serum Institute of India.

The formal approval follows a recommendation by the WHO Strategic Advisory
Group of Experts on Immunisation to allow the vaccine to be administered to
all adults over 18. That guidance differs from the approach taken by some
European Union countries that have restricted its use in the elderly, citing
insufficient trial data.

No deaths in Ireland - first time since 21 December

Ireland reported its first day without Covid-19 deaths in nearly two months,
amid what officials called "very considerable progress" in suppressing the
virus. There were 821 new cases on Monday, with no deaths, the first day
without fatalities since 21 December.

The virus is "going in the right direction, but we're not there yet," Deputy
Chief Medical Officer Ronan Glynn told reporters in Dublin.

Johnson aims to ease UK lockdown

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is hoping to draw up plans to lift national
pandemic restrictions on socialising, shopping and travelling to work,
including possible target dates for when the curbs will be eased.

"We want this lockdown to be the last," he said at a news conference from 10
Downing Street on Monday. "We want progress to be cautious but
irreversible."

Johnson has confirmed his priority will be to try to reopen schools from 8
March, but no decision has yet been made on whether all age groups will
return to classrooms at the same time. He said he would unveil the earliest
potential dates for removing restrictions from other sectors, "if we
possibly can".

EU in talks for more Moderna doses

The European Union may secure an extra 150 million doses of the Covid-19
vaccine produced by Moderna as the bloc seeks to accelerate inoculations,
according to an EU official familiar with the matter.

The deal being arranged by the European Commission would bring to 310
million the total number of vaccine doses from Moderna for EU countries. The
deliveries of the additional 150 million doses would be for the third
quarter, according to the official, who added that negotiations are quite
advanced.

US reports fewest cases since October

The US recorded 65,336 new infections on Sunday, the lowest daily number
since 25 October, before a holiday surge sent case numbers soaring,
according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University and Bloomberg.

UK cases drop

The UK reported 9,765 new cases of coronavirus, compared with a 7-day
average of 13,200, the government said. The last time the UK reported fewer
than 10,000 new cases was on 2 October.

Austria extends hospitality shutdown

Austria won't reopen restaurants, bars and cafes before the Easter holiday
as new mutations from the UK and South Africa render the situation
"volatile," Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said.

Decisions about easing will be made in two weeks at the earliest, he said.

Portuguese premier gets jab

Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa was given his first vaccine dose in
Lisbon on Monday, the premier's office said. Some leaders in Western Europe
have shied away from being inoculated for fear of being accused of jumping
the queue. Portugal aims to have 70% of its adult population vaccinated by
the end of the summer.

UK's reopening agenda

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson will lay out plans to lift curbs, including
where possible target dates for when the restrictions will be eased. The
premier will detail his "road map" for ending lockdown in a statement on 22
February.

"What we want to see is progress that is cautious and irreversible," Johnson
said in a pooled interview with broadcasters. Johnson said his priority
remained to reopen schools from 8 March.

German border worries

Travel restrictions at Germany's border with the Czech Republic risk
severing automotive supply lines that could spark a wave of production
stoppages, according to Germany's VDA automaker association. BMW AG and
Volkswagen AG operate plants in Bavaria and Saxony that depend on car parts
particularly from the Czech Republic. Traffic lines appeared at some border
crossings, according to local media reports.

>From Sunday, only German citizens and residents in the country are allowed
to enter Germany from the Czech Republic and Austria's Tyrol region, two
zones where more infectious variants of coronavirus are widespread. Austrian
Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg cautioned Germany against
"excessive" steps.

On Monday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman left open the
possibility of further border closures with neighbouring countries as a last
resort to combat the pandemic.

Danish vaccinations accelerate

All adult Danes can be vaccinated by June 27, a week earlier than previous
estimates, because Pfizer can deliver more doses than expected, the nation's
health authority said. So far, about 4% of the population has received a
first jab and just under 3% have received both shots.

Malaysia makes progress

Malaysia added 2,176 new coronavirus cases on Monday, the smallest number
since 5 January. The country also expects the first batch of vaccines this
week, Federal Territories Minister Annuar Musa said.

EU to fast-track approval for adapted vaccine

European Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides announced fast-track approval
procedures for coronavirus vaccines that need to be adapted to protect
against Covid-19 mutations, Germany's Augsburger Allgemeine newspaper
reported on Sunday, citing an interview.

"We have now decided that a vaccine that has been reworked by the
manufacturer on the basis of the previous vaccine to combat new mutations no
longer has to go through the entire approval process," the paper quoted
Kyriakides as saying.

Italy health adviser calls for new lockdown

Italian health ministry adviser Walter Ricciardi called over the weekend for
a new lockdown, citing the rise in virus cases linked to new strains. The
government of incoming Prime Minister Mario Draghi was forced to make a
last-minute U-turn on the planned opening of ski lifts on Monday throughout
the country, ruling that they will remain closed until at least 5 March.
Politicians in the mountainous north denounced the decision, calling for an
immediate shakeup of the country's health-management team.

Thailand to get first vaccines by end of month

Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha said the nation's first batch of
Covid-19 vaccines would arrive in the last week of the month. The 200,000
shots from Sinovac Biotech should be approved by the nation's Food and Drug
Administration in time for the first vaccinations, which are expected to
begin about three days after receiving the doses.

Thailand on Monday reported 143 new cases, which took the nation's total
infections to 24,714. It also had two new fatalities, resulting in 82 total
deaths.

South Africa to start vaccine rollout on 17 February

South African healthcare workers will receive the first doses after
regulators approved the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, Business Day reported,
citing Glenda Gray, president of the country's Medical Research Council.

About 80,000 doses of J&J's vaccine, which come from stock made for clinical
trials, are expected to arrive from Belgium on Tuesday, according to
Business Day. The rollout was hamstrung when the government failed to
quickly secure doses and was then delayed further because some vaccines
showed muted efficacy against a locally found variant.

Australia, New Zealand get vaccines

Australia's first vaccines arrived in Sydney, with more than 142,000 doses
of the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine landing at Sydney airport, Health
Minister Greg Hunt told reporters in Canberra. The nation is on track for
the most vulnerable Australians to start receiving the vaccine from 22
February.

In New Zealand, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the first batch of shots
had arrived, with about 60,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine delivered in
Auckland. The inoculation of border workers will begin on 20 February, while
a wider rollout to the general population won't take place until the second
half.

Japan to begin vaccinations on Wednesday

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said Japan will begin vaccinations from
Wednesday on medical personnel after the shot from Pfizer was approved over
the weekend. The government has agreed to buy enough Pfizer doses for 72
million people this year, and the first batch arrived on Friday.

Suga told a parliamentary committee Japan needed to ensure that infections
were falling before cancelling a state of emergency in effect for 10 regions
including Tokyo and Osaka.

NZ has a reality check as Auckland locks down

New Zealand's summer of unrestricted movement and social interaction has
been brought to an abrupt halt by three new community cases of Covid-19.

After an emergency cabinet meeting on Sunday, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern
placed largest city Auckland into a snap, three-day lockdown and reimposed
physical distancing requirements for the rest of the country while
authorities raced to find the source of the new infections. Genomic
sequencing shows them to be the more virulent UK strain of the virus, the
Ministry of Health said on Monday. DM

COVID-19 Caseload In Arunachal Pradesh Climbs To 16,833

Arunachal Pradesh's COVID-19 caseload rose to 16,833 after one more person
tested positive for the virus, a senior health department official said on
Tuesday. The northeastern state now has only three active cases following
the recovery of 16,774 people, he said. Fifty-six people have died due to
the contagion.

No New COVID-19 Case In Andamans For Second Consecutive Day

The union territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands did not report any fresh
COVID-19 case in the last two days, a health department official said on
Tuesday. The coronavirus tally in the union territory remained at 5,009,
while 4,938 patients have recovered from the disease so far, he said.

Telangana Logs 129 Fresh COVID-19 Cases

Telangana recorded 129 fresh COVID-19 cases, taking the tally to 2,96,802
while one death pushed the toll to 1,619, the government said on Tuesday.
Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) accounted for the most number
of cases with 23, followed by Rangareddy with nine a government bulletin
said on Tuesday providing details as of 8 pm on February 15.

Younger People Half As Likely As Adults To Catch COVID-19, Study Says

People under the age of 20 are about half as likely to be infected with
COVID-19 as adults, and they are also less likely to transmit the disease to
others, according to a new modelling study.Previous studies have found
differences in symptoms and the clinical course of COVID-19 in children
compared to adults.

COVID-19 News: Over 9,000 Coronavirus Cases In 24 Hours

India's tally of COVID-19 cases rose to 1,09,25,710 with 9,121 new
infections being reported in a day, while the daily deaths were recorded
below100 for the tenth time this month, according to the Union Health
Ministry data updated on Tuesday. The death count increased to 1,55,813 with
81 daily new fatalities, the data updated at 8 am showed.

Malaysia To Get First Batch Of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccines On February
21

Malaysia will get its first batch of COVID-19 vaccines produced by U.S. and
German drugmakers Pfizer and BioNTech on Feb. 21, and kick off its
inoculation drive five days after that, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said
on Tuesday. Muhyiddin said he will be the first to receive a dose of the
vaccine when the campaign starts on Feb. 26.

Syringe Shortage Hampers Japan's COVID-19 Vaccination Roll Out

Japan is scrambling to secure special syringes to maximise the number of
COVID-19 vaccine shots used from each vial, but manufacturers are struggling
to ramp up production quickly, raising fears that millions of doses could go
waste. Japan, with a population of 126 million, last month signed a contract
with Pfizer Inc to procure 144 million doses of its vaccine, or enough for
72 million people, with the vaccination campaign set to start on Wednesday.

South Korea To Buy More COVID-19 Vaccines For 23 Million People

South Korea has arranged to buy coronavirus vaccines for 23 million more
people, its prime minister said on Tuesday, a day after authorities decided
to scale back initial vaccination plans, citing delays and efficacy
concerns. The deals include vaccines from Novavax Inc for 20 million people
and Pfizer products for 3 million, bringing the total number of people to be
covered to 79 million, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said.

"Not One Death Reported Due To COVID-19 Vaccination": Harsh Vardhan

Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Monday said no death had been
reported due to COVID-19 vaccination and no new cases of COVID-19 have been
reported in 188 districts of the country in the last seven days. Addressing
a press conference, Mr Vardhan said India had created a crisis created by
COVID-19 into an opportunity and boosted health infrastructure.

Canada adds over 1K new coronavirus cases, 18 new deaths on holiday Monday

*          

*          

Canada added 1,157 new cases of the novel coronavirus and 18 new fatalities,
as Canadians across much of the country celebrated Family Day on Monday.

The new cases bring the total number of infections in the country to
826,671, however, several regions did not release any new COVID-19 data due
to the holiday.

To date, the virus has claimed 21,311 lives in Canada.

In a series of tweets on Monday, Canada's Chief Public Health Officer Dr.
Theresa Tam noted that the new variants of the coronavirus have now been
detected in every province in Canada, but said Canadians should "rejoice"
that the number of cases and deaths has decreased compared to the last seven
days.

Meanwhile, the country continues the effort to vaccinate those most
vulnerable to the disease.

According to Health Canada, as of Feb. 11, a total of 1,443,400 doses of the
approved vaccines had been distributed across the country.

To date, approximately 1.7 per cent of the Canadian population has been
vaccinated against the virus.

The new cases and deaths also come as new rules were implemented for those
seeking to enter into Canada through the country's shared land border with
the U.S.

Now, anyone looking to drive into Canada will have to provide a negative
COVID-19 test which was taken within 72 hours.

Travellers can also offer proof of a positive test result between 14 and 90
days before they arrive, which is long enough for the illness to have
passed, but not so long that immunity might have waned.

What's more, beginning Feb. 22, travellers arriving at the Canada-U.S.
border must also take a COVID-19 test when they arrive.

Hundreds of new cases in the provinces

In Quebec, 728 new cases were detected, for a total of 277,518. 

Health officials said another 15 people have died after testing positive for
COVID-19, pushing the provincial death toll to 10,229. 

Meanwhile, in Saskatchewan, 143 new cases mean, to date, 26,693 have
contracted the coronavirus.

However, the province did not report any new deaths on Monday, meaning the
total number of fatalities remained at 354. 

In Atlantic Canada, nine new cases of the virus were detected.

Newfoundland and Labrador health officials said seven more people have
contracted COVID-19, while Nova Scotia and New Brunswick each reported one
new infection.

Health officials in New Brunswick also confirmed one more person has died,
pushing the total number of fatalities in the province to 23.

Provincial authorities in Alberta said 251 more people have contracted the
disease and two more have died after testing positive for COVID-19.

To date 129,075 people in Alberta have fallen ill and 1,782 have died.

Seven new cases were detected in Nunavut on Monday, pushing the total number
of infections in the territory to 318.

Meanwhile, the Yukon added one new infection, bringing the total case load
in the territory to 72.

No new cases of COVID-19 or fatalities linked to the virus were reported in
the Northwest Territories.

Ontario, British Columbia, Manitoba and Prince Edward Island did not release
any new COVID-19 data on Monday.

Global cases top 109 million

Globally, the virus has infected more than 109,000,000 people.

According to the latest tally from Johns Hopkins University, a total of
109,076,584 people have contracted the virus to date.

Since COVID-19 was first detected in Wuhan, China in late 2019, a total of
2,405,804 people have died.

The United States remained the world's viral epicentre on Monday, with over
27.6 million infections and more than 486,000 fatalities.

India has seen the second-highest number of cases having reported more than
10.9 million confirmed COVID-19 infections.

To date, the coronavirus has claimed 155,732 lives in India.

INVESTORS DIARY 2021

Company

Event

Venue

Date & Time

Companies under Cautionary

ART

PPC

Dairibord

Starafrica

Fidelity

Turnall

Medtech

Zimre

Nampak Zimbabwe

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