Advertisement

EU asks US for Oxford vaccine doses

Travellers would consider carrying proof - REUTERS/Toby Melville
Travellers would consider carrying proof - REUTERS/Toby Melville
Coronavirus Article Bar with counter ..
Coronavirus Article Bar with counter ..

05:40 PM

A year lost: We want to hear about your 12 months in lockdown

As we approach a year since the UK was first placed under Covid restrictions, we want to hear how the pandemic has changed your life.

Schools and shops have been closed and loved ones have been kept apart. The toll that lockdown has taken on the nation's mental health has also been widely reported, with the UK's restrictions leading to an 'unprecedented crisis' in mental health.

While some have undoubtedly struggled in lockdown, others have transformed their health, moved away from home and revolutionised the way they work.

How has lockdown changed your life and do you think some of those changes will be permanent? What has surprised you most about lockdown life? Have there been any unexpected positives?

And if you could relive the past year under the same restrictions, what would you do differently?

Share your story here for the chance to have your response published on the Telegraph's website.


05:22 PM

France reports more than 23,300 new cases

France has reported 23,306 new confirmed Covid-19 cases, down from 23,507 on Friday.

The French health ministry reported 170 new Covid-19 deaths, taking the total to 88,444. The number of people in intensive care rose by nine to 3,689.


04:58 PM

Italy reports 307 coronavirus deaths

Italy has reported 307 coronavirus-related deaths against 297 the day before.

Some 355,024 tests for Covid-19 were carried out in the past day.

Italy has registered 99,578 deaths linked to Covid-19 since its outbreak began in February last year, the second-highest toll in Europe after Britain and the seventh-highest in the world.


04:39 PM

Duchess speaks out for front line workers

The Duchess of Cambridge has said it is "sad, almost" how it has taken a pandemic for the public to "really back and support all those working on the front line".

Kate's comments are part of a BBC programme featuring the royal family celebrating the Commonwealth which will be screened on Sunday

In an extract from the programme, Kate and William chat in a video call with Dr Zolelwa Sifumba, from South Africa, an advocate for the rights of healthcare workers on the front line.

The duchess tells the medic: "Here in the UK there's been masses of public recognition of the amazing work the front line are doing and it's sad, almost, that it's taken the pandemic for the public to really back and support all those working on the front line."

William says: "We, Catherine and I, have spoken to a lot of healthcare workers in UK and around the world over the last year - we hear your worries and your concerns and thank you for your time chatting to us about it."


04:23 PM

UK death toll rises by 158

The Government said a further 158 people had died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19 as of Saturday, bringing the UK total to 124,419.

The Government also said that, as of 9am on Saturday, there had been a further 6,040 lab-confirmed cases in the UK.

It brings the total to 4,213,343.


04:00 PM

England jabs nears 20 million

A total of 19,258,271 Covid-19 vaccinations took place in England between December 8 and March 5, according to provisional NHS England data, including first and second doses, which is a rise of 422,916 on the previous day's figures.

Of this number, 18,491,771 were the first dose of a vaccine, a rise of 385,681 on the previous day, while 766,500 were a second dose, an increase of 37,235.

NHS England data shows a total of 2,333,627 jabs were given to people in London between December 8 and March 5, including 2,229,397 first doses and 104,230 second doses.

This compares with 3,603,903 first doses and 134,215 second doses given to people in the Midlands, a total of 3,738,118.


03:37 PM

Swedish police break up coronavirus demonstration in Stockholm

Swedish police have started to disperse hundreds of opponents of coronavirus restrictions who staged a protest in the capital Stockholm in defiance of a ban on large gatherings.

Police blocked a bridge in the centre of the city and said on their website they were in dialogue with organisers to persuade demonstrators to disperse.

TV images showed police shoving some protesters, while the police said one officer had been slightly injured and taken to hospital.

"Police have taken the decision to break up the non- authorised gathering which is ongoing," Stockholm police said on their website.


03:20 PM

EU to talk to US on Monday to secure vaccine materials

The EU will open talks with Washington Monday to ensure its supply of US-made materials for coronavirus vaccines, a source has told AFP.

Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton, Brussels' pointman on vaccine production, will confer with White House Covid-19 coordinator Jeffrey Zients, the source familiar with the talks told the news agency.

The EU and US want to "work together in a coordinated way to avoid bottlenecks" for European vaccine producers, the source said.

Among the restricted goods under discussion are bags fitted to the manufacturers' vats, as well as vials, syringes and so-called "nanolipid particles" used to encapsulate some messenger RNA vaccines.

All vaccine materials require specific authorisations from Washington to export.

"The idea isn't to relitigate" the rules but to "ease and speed up... administrative procedures," the European source said.

"We're taking action in advance. When the time comes that vaccine production in Europe steps up sharply, we want to be sure that all the materials will be there," the source added.


02:53 PM

Boris Johnson to tout Britain’s vaccine success on India visit

Ben Riley-Smith, our Political Editor, has more:

Boris Johnson is planning a springtime trip to India to tout Britain’s vaccine success and push for progress on deepening trade relations after Brexit.

The visit will be the Prime Minister’s first official overseas trip in a year after the Covid-19 pandemic has kept him at home.

Mr Johnson had initially planned his Indian tour in January but that was cancelled as the emergence of Covid variants sent the country into lockdown again before Christmas.

The visit will happen before the G7 meeting of world leaders in Cornwall in June, with Mr Johnson possibly flying out as early as next month.

You can read his full story here.


02:34 PM

Finland postpones elections as coronavirus cases surge

Finland will postpone municipal elections due next month until mid-June as a surge in coronavirus cases raises concerns about low turnout and a possible spike in infections after polling day, its justice minister has said.

Finland is among the European countries least affected by the pandemic, but authorities are on alert due to the recent increase in cases and the appearance of new variants - especially in and around the capital, Helsinki.

The municipal election that had been scheduled for April 18 will now be held on June 13, said Anna-Maja Henriksson, warning that the poll's legitimacy could be compromised if too many people stayed home instead of voting.

"The risk that the elections will fail is too big," she told a news conference.

In Finland, there are 309 municipalities run by councils that tax residents and govern basic services such as healthcare and education.


02:12 PM

England's death toll rises by 185

A further 185 people who tested positive for coronavirus have died in hospital in England, bringing the total number of confirmed deaths reported in hospitals to 84,276,

NHS England said on Saturday. Patients were aged between 42 and 96. All except six, aged between 54 and 84, had known underlying health conditions.

The deaths were between December 31 and March 5.

There were 40 other deaths reported with no positive Covid-19 test result.


02:12 PM

Wales nears one million first dose vaccinations

Public Health Wales said a total of 983,419 first doses of the Covid-19 vaccine had now been given in Wales, an increase of 16,377 from the previous day.

The agency said 168,163 second doses had also been given, an increase of 13,344.


01:56 PM

Portugal to quarantine passengers on indirect flights from UK and Brazil

Passengers flying indirectly to Portugal from Britain or Brazil must present a negative Covid-19 test taken 72 hours before departure and quarantine for two weeks upon arrival from Sunday onwards, the Portuguese government has announced.

The move is designed to close a loophole which allowed travellers from Britain and Brazil to reach Portugal by stopping over in a country from which travel was authorised.

Direct commercial or private flights to and from Britain and Brazil have been banned since January to limit the spread of Covid-19 variants.

Direct humanitarian and repatriation flights will still be authorised but passengers must present a negative Covid-19 test taken 72 hours before departure and quarantine for 14 days.

The measures are due to be reviewed on March 16.


01:49 PM

Watch: Paraguayan police clash with demonstrators against government's handling of Covid crisis


01:29 PM

UK's first 'real-time' R number shows sharp decline

Calculations show the number is at the lowest rate since last summer, writes Richard Evans.

The UK's first daily calculation of the coronavirus "R rate" in real time shows a sharp fall in the past two weeks, a slight increase in recent days and a marked peak in early October – all missed by the government's official numbers, which are produced only weekly and with data that are weeks out of date.

The calculations, carried out exclusively for the Telegraph by an Italian consultancy, also suggest that the UK's R rate is at its lowest level since at least July last year.

The official R number – which shows how many people each infected person passed the virus onto – published by the government today is between 0.7 and 0.9. However, this number is not calculated in real time and does not represent the state of the epidemic now: instead it represents the situation "over the past few weeks", in the government's words.

The UK's up-to-date R number, based on official infection data, is between 0.78 and 0.92, according to TomorrowData, a Turin-based consultancy that has been calculating Italy's R rate in real time on a daily basis since last summer. Its numbers are in pink in the graph below while the Government's numbers are in blue.

You can read the full analysis here.


01:07 PM

Rangers fans breach lockdown restrictions with Ibrox gathering

Rangers fans have broken coronavirus lockdown rules in Scotland by gathering in numbers outside Ibrox Stadium setting off flares.

Fans were seen crowding around a car entering the ground as police tried to hold them back.

Under coronavirus rules, public gatherings are banned and a maximum of two people from two households are allowed to meet outdoors.

Football games are taking place behind closed doors with no fans in the stadium.

Rangers could win the league title this weekend if they beat St Mirren on Saturday and Celtic drop points against Dundee United on Sunday.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has previously criticised fans for gathering in large numbers.


12:42 PM

From transmission to efficacy, the Pfizer, Oxford and other Covid vaccines compared

The UK has approved three Covid vaccines with two more set to come on stream soon – but how do they all compare? Anne Gulland, our Global Health Security Correspondent explains:

The Oxford/AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines are in use, with the Moderna vaccine gaining approval and set for roll out in the spring. J&J and Novavax have both published phase three data and should be approved soon while the GSK/Sanofi and Valneva jabs are still in development.

Vaccine comparator (as of February 8)
Vaccine comparator (as of February 8)

You can read her full analysis here.


12:12 PM

President Buhari calls for Nigerians to follow his vaccine lead

President Muhammadu Buhari had his first Covid-19 vaccine shot, part of a bid to boost public confidence as Nigeria attempts to inoculate 80 million people this year.

Not all Nigeria's states have functioning airports, rail networks are limited, and authorities also have to overcome public distrust around the vaccines.

"As a demonstration of leadership and faith in the safety and efficacy of the vaccines, I have received my first jab and I wish to commend it to all eligible Nigerians to do the same so that we can be protected from the virus," Buhari said.

"The vaccine offers hope for a safe country free of coronavirus," the 78-year-old president added after he was vaccinated live on Nigerian television.


11:49 AM

Hungary reports record high cases

Hungary reported a new record daily high of 7,269 coronavirus cases, a jump of 14 per cent from Friday after tough new lockdown measures were imposed this week to curb a rapid spike in Covid-19.

The central European country of 10 million is grappling with some of the highest infection and death rates in the world and Prime Minister Viktor Orban's government on Thursday closed all schools and most shops in response.


11:26 AM

Covid vaccine side-effects up to three times more common in those who have had virus

Sarah Knapton, our Science Editor, has the full story:

Vaccine side-effects are seen up to three times more often in people who have previously been infected with coronavirus, new figures show.

The latest data from the King's College ZOE app, which has logged details from more than 700,000 vaccinations, found those with a prior infection were far more likely to report side-effects than people who have not had the virus.

The difference between the two was particularly pronounced among those who had been given the Pfizer jab.

More severe side-effects are often a sign of better immunity, and emerging research suggests just one dose of vaccine gives a similar protective effect to two doses in people who have had a previous infection.

Experts have now started to question whether people with prior immunity from a natural infection need a second dose at all.

You can read the full story here.


10:57 AM

Travel permits to stop Easter holidays abroad

Passengers must prove they are on essential business as holiday destinations rush to welcome back Britons who have received jab

People seeking to leave Britain from Monday will have to show a new permit proving they are travelling for essential reasons in a move to stop Easter holidays.

The crackdown ­– enforced by on-the-spot fines and the threat of criminal action – came as holiday destinations including Cyprus, Seychelles, Greece and the Spanish islands rushed to open to vaccinated Britons.

There is concern in Whitehall over increasing levels of rule-breaking, particularly among the 40 per cent of the adult population who have now been vaccinated, amid growing questions about the need to continue abiding by lockdown restrictions. Holidays in the UK or abroad are currently illegal.

Ministers have banned Easter holidays in the UK, with most family gatherings also outlawed until mid-April. The new permits appear designed to stop those considering foreign getaways until at least the middle of May.

You can read the full story here.


10:41 AM

Court staff vote to strike over Covid safety

Staff in two courts in England have voted to take strike action over coronavirus safety concerns.

Members of the Public and Commercial Services union at Liverpool Law Courts and Snaresbrook Crown Court in London backed industrial action.

The union has been calling for courts to be closed, and reopened with regular testing of staff and increased safety measures.

PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: "This vote for strike action is an indictment of management's refusal to take Covid in the workplace seriously.

"Court staff have been working incredibly hard in this pandemic keeping the justice system running, but they feel deeply let down and are worried for their safety."

A Courts and Tribunal Service spokesman said: "All our courts are Covid-secure and meet strict Public Health England standards - there is no evidence of heightened transmission in our estate.

"It is regrettable a small proportion of our workforce voted for action, risking unnecessary disruption, but we remain focused on delivering justice safely and continue to engage with unions."


10:40 AM

Britons invited to start booking summer holidays to Greece

Greece wants to make summer holidays 'as hassle-free' as possible, the tourism minister has told the Telegraph.

Nick Squires and Yannis-Orestis Papadimitriou have the full story:

For lockdown-weary Britons dreaming of grilled octopus, dishes of taramasalata and all the other delights that a Hellenic summer holiday can offer, it is an encouraging step as Greece prepares to open up for what it hopes will be a busy tourism season.

Once the country’s tiniest islands have been vaccinated, larger destinations such as Mykonos, Santorini and Corfu will be targeted.

“If you’re going to send a medical team to an island with a small population, it makes sense to vaccinate not just the elderly and vulnerable, but everyone,” said Harry Theoharis, the Greek tourism minister.

“We’re vaccinating everyone on islands that have a population of less than 1,000 inhabitants.

“My advice to British tourists, and my promise, is that we will open up to our beloved friends from the UK. We will try to make it as smooth and hassle-free as possible. They can book flights and start choosing the places where they want to go.”

You can read the full story here.

The picturesque seaside village Avlemonas or Avlemon in Kythera island, Greece. - PitK / Alamy Stock Photo 
The picturesque seaside village Avlemonas or Avlemon in Kythera island, Greece. - PitK / Alamy Stock Photo

10:20 AM

Ireland approaching half a million vaccinations

Ireland is expected to reach the milestone of half a million coronavirus jabs administered this weekend.

Micheal Martin hailed progress in the pandemic.

Speaking in a video posted on Twitter, the Taoiseach said he was inspired by recent visits to vaccination centres where thousands of front line healthcare workers are receiving the inoculation.

He said government and the HSE is doing everything it can to secure supplies and to give those vaccines to people as quickly as possible.

"Over the coming days we will have administered half a million doses since the first vaccination was given to Dubliner Annie Lynch 63 days ago," he said.


10:06 AM

Saudi Arabia to lift most coronavirus-related curbs

Saudi Arabia will end most coronavirus-related restrictions on Sunday, including resuming indoor dining, reopening cinemas and resuming entertainment activities and events, the state news agency SPA has said.

Some activities will remain banned, including weddings and corporate meetings. Social gatherings will continue to be limited to a maximum of 20 people, SPA said, citing an interior ministry source.


09:53 AM

EU asks US to export AZ vaccine to them

The European Union will urge the United States to permit the export of millions of doses of AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine to Europe, underlining Brussels' scramble to bridge supply shortfalls, the Financial Times reported on Saturday.

The EU also wants Washington to ensure the free flow of shipments of crucial vaccine ingredients needed in European production, according to the FT.

"We trust that we can work together with the U.S. to ensure that vaccines produced or bottled in the U.S. for the fulfilment of vaccine producers' contractual obligations with the EU will be fully honoured,” the newspaper quoted the European Commission as saying.


09:23 AM

Possibility that Brazil variant could become dominant, says Nervtag member

Professor Ravindra Gupta, a member of the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (Nervtag), said it is "always a possibility" that the Manaus P1 variant could become dominant in the UK but it is "unlikely at the moment because, first of all, we have low rates of transmission and we have a virus that has a transmission advantage".

He added: "On the other hand, once many of us have been vaccinated, the shift for evolutionary paths for the virus will become to avoid immunity rather than just to transmit rapidly, it will be a combination of both."

Prof Gupta said: "We need to have redesigned our vaccines for the coming year with some of the key mutations present in those vaccines so actually we can prevent transmission of those variants if they were to take off in the coming months."

He added it was "inevitable that the list (of mutations) will grow because in many areas of the world transmission is still significant and transmission equals chronic infections".

"On the other hand, we can take comfort in the fact that the virus is doing very similar things across all of these variants, so there are some very common themes coming along and very common mutations, so that helps us to design the next generation of vaccines", he told Times Radio.


09:09 AM

'This lockdown has been a success' says ONS

Professor Sir Ian Diamond, head of the Office for National Statistics (ONS), said the lockdown had been a "success" but the country was "still not out of the woods".

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme there had been "very strong reductions everywhere", although in the North East and East of England the decline had "flattened off, potentially", unlike in the South West and South East which have continued with a decline in cases.

The UK's national statistician added: "I think this lockdown has been a success but at the same time, while we have seen major reductions, we are still relatively high.

"I'm in very much the view that we should do everything we can not to blow it nationally.

"We have done fantastically well in the last couple of months but we are not completely out of the woods yet."

He added that it was "very difficult" to work out the difference between the lockdown impact and the effect the vaccine was having, but it was clear both were working in reducing the numbers.


09:00 AM

Testing twice a week is a 'big ask' for children and families

Professor Sheila Bird said the recommendation to ask school pupils to produce tests twice a week when they return to classrooms should be reviewed to ensure consent is continued.

The statistician told the Today programme: "The Royal Statistical Society warns that pupils and families' willingness to take part is likely to decrease over time.

"There is initial interest and curiosity, but twice a week is a big ask of children and families, and the additional benefit from doing this twice a week versus once a week is modest and it has to be offset against the implications for the consent rate and the willingness to continue to do it."


08:53 AM

False positives on lateral flow tests 'very likely'

Professor Sheila Bird, a member of the Royal Statistical Society, said every positive quick-result test of a school pupil should be checked with a PCR test to ensure it was accurate.

Asked on BBC Radio 4's Today programme about the likelihood of a false positive reading from a lateral flow test, she said: "Very likely.

"In the present circumstances when infection incidence is low, the false positive rate with lateral flow tests remains to be absolutely determined in the context of schools but may be between one and three per 1,000 children.

"So to differentiate a false positive from a true positive is to do that PCR confirmation."


08:50 AM

Russia reports 11,022 new Covid-19 cases

Russia has reported 11,022 new Covid-19 cases, including 1,820 in Moscow, taking the national case tally to 4,312,181 since the pandemic began.

The government's coronavirus taskforce said that 441 people had died in the last 24 hours, bringing the Russian death toll to 88,726.


07:54 AM

Disease expert urges parents to be vigilant

Infectious disease expert Dr Mike Tildelsey said parents need to keep social distancing and following other rules while dropping their children off at school.

"Just because you're not in the home with your young children don't use it as an excuse to go out and mix with other people that you otherwise wouldn't have done," he said.

"It's possible with schools open we can keep the R number below one but if we are going to achieve that we all need to keep following all the other rules."

Dr Tildelsey said that falling Covid-19 rates were most likely due to lockdown measures and that the impact of vaccinations "hopefully is yet to come".

He said: "I think most of the reason the numbers are going in the right direction now is still due to lockdown.

"I think we haven't quite seen the impact of vaccinations, probably start to come in round about now and having a little bit of an effect, but most of the effect thus far actually is probably the fact we have been under severe restrictions since the start of January."


07:49 AM

'We need to get this balancing act correct'

An infectious disease expert has said the "next few weeks are going to be crucial" for keeping coronavirus infections down as schools reopen.

Dr Mike Tildesley, a member of the Government's SPI-M modelling advisory panel, told Times Radio that children going back to classrooms would cause a rise in the reproductive number - or R value - of the virus while more vaccinations would cause it to reduce.

"We do need to get this balancing act correct and we need to open up at the rate of vaccinations and keep the R number in check, as it were," he said.

"Definitely things are moving in the right direction, but the next few weeks are going to be crucial for us to monitor what happens when schools open.

"Hopefully we can keep everything down and most importantly we can prevent seeing a rise in hospitalisations."


07:23 AM

Protests in Paraguay over government's Covid response

Police officers try to disperse demonstrators protesting against the government - NATHALIA AGUILAR/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

Protestors angry about the Paraguay government's handling of the coronavirus crisis clashed with police late on Friday, with shops ransacked and cars set on fire.

Police fired tear gas and rubber bullets as clashes in the centre of the capital Asuncion left around 20 people injured.

Stones are thrown at riot police during a protest against the government - Jorge Saenz/AP
Stones are thrown at riot police during a protest against the government - Jorge Saenz/AP

Protestors rallied earlier outside the Congress building to demand the resignation of President Mario Abdo Benitez.

Health Minister Julio Mazzoleni, who has been under attack from lawmakers, including some from the ruling party, and by health worker unions, submitted his resignation, which he made public on Friday after a meeting with the president.

The coronavirus epidemic is expanding in Paraguay and officials admit the threat is grave. There are 165,811 cases, with 3,278 deaths.


06:45 AM

Pandemic means parade changes for Sydney Mardi Gras

The 43rd Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade is at Sydney Cricket Ground because of the pandemic - James D. Morgan/Getty Images

Sydney's famous annual Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras went ahead today, but in a different format due to coronavirus restrictions.

It is being held at the Sydney Cricket Ground, where people can socially distance in their seats rather than on the traditional route down Oxford Street.

Up to 23,000 spectators will be allowed in the stands while the performers will be on the pitch.

Face masks will be mandatory for participants and there will be temperature checks and screening at entry points.


06:33 AM

Travel permits to stop Easter holidays abroad

People seeking to leave Britain from Monday will have to show a new permit proving they are travelling for essential reasons in a move to stop Easter holidays.

The crackdown ­– enforced by on-the-spot fines and the threat of criminal action – came as holiday destinations including Cyprus, Seychelles, Greece and the Spanish islands rushed to open to vaccinated Britons.

Holidays in the UK or abroad are currently illegal.

The new permits appear designed to stop those considering foreign getaways until at least the middle of May.

Read the full story here.


06:21 AM

More than 3 million Covid cases in Italy

An elderly resident of the Villa Sacra Famiglia nursing home in Rome kisses her grandson's hand through a plastic screen in a so-called "Hug Room" - TIZIANA FABI/AFP

Italy has surpassed three million confirmed coronavirus cases - the third straight day this week that daily new caseloads exceeded 20,000 cases.

With the 24,036 new confirmed infections registered by the Health Ministry, Italy has reached 3,023,129 cases. The actual total is widely considered higher because testing wasn't extensive early in the pandemic.

The virus variant first found in the UK is potentially fuelling the increase, along with another variant, detected in Brazil.

Italy registered 297 more deaths, raising the confirmed death toll to 99,271. About 3.5 million people have received at least one dose of a Covid vaccine.


06:07 AM

NY movie theatres come back to life

A sign with a welcome message for moviegoers on the Village East movie theatre in New York on Friday - JUSTIN LANE/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

After growing cobwebs for nearly a year, movie theatres in New York City are reopening, returning film titles to Manhattan signs that had for the past 12 months had messages like "wear a mask" and "we'll be back soon".

As of Friday, cinemas in the city are operating at only 25pc capacity, with a maximum of 50 people in each auditorium.

As in other places, mask wearing is mandatory, seats are blocked out and air filters have been upgraded.

For a theatrical business that has been punished by the pandemic, the resumption of moviegoing in New York is a crucial first step in a revival.


05:01 AM

PM to tout Britain’s vaccine success on India visit

Boris Johnson is planning a springtime trip to India to tout Britain’s vaccine success and push for progress on deepening trade relations after Brexit.

The visit will be the Prime Minister’s first official overseas trip in a year after the Covid-19 pandemic kept him at home.

A visit would allow Mr Johnson to put the spotlight on an area of major UK success in the fight against the pandemic – the vaccine rollout.

Read the full story here.


04:25 AM

Mexican experts recommend Indian vaccine's approval

A technical committee of experts in Mexico has given a unanimous favourable opinion on approving the Covaxin vaccine made by the Indian pharmaceutical company Bharat Biotech.

The report by the committee for new molecules will be sent to the federal medical safety commission's approval board, which usually follows such recommendations.

The interim results from the vaccine manufacturer's late stage trials shows its Covid-19 vaccine to be about 81pc effective in preventing illness from coronavirus.

The vaccine was controversially approved by India in January without waiting for trials to confirm that the vaccine was effective.

Bharat Biotech has already signed an agreement with Brazil to supply 20 million doses of the vaccine by September.

Elderly residents line up during the early morning to receive the Sputnik V vaccine in Xochimilco on the outskirts of Mexico City - REUTERS/Edgard Garrido
Elderly residents line up during the early morning to receive the Sputnik V vaccine in Xochimilco on the outskirts of Mexico City - REUTERS/Edgard Garrido

It will be the sixth vaccine approved for use in Mexico, which has received relatively small amounts of each.

Mexico has administered only about 2.7 million doses of all vaccines - a tiny amount given the country's population of 126 million.

Residents wait for their Sputnik V vaccine in Xochimilco - REUTERS/Edgard Garrido
Residents wait for their Sputnik V vaccine in Xochimilco - REUTERS/Edgard Garrido

04:14 AM

US theme parks could reopen as early as April 1

California health officials have set new rules that will allow Disneyland and other theme parks, stadiums and outdoor entertainment venues to reopen as early as April 1, after a closure of nearly a year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

But the return of Mickey Mouse to the "Happiest Place on Earth" and live spectators to the Californian ball parks of America's favourite pastime still come with major caveats.

Theme and amusement parks would be permitted to restart on April 1 with severely limited capacity, but only if the counties where they operate are removed from the "purple" tier of California's colour-coded Covid restrictions, the system's most stringent classification.

Masks and other safety measures would still be required, and the parks initially would be open only to state residents. Attendance would range from 15-35pc of normal capacity.


03:01 AM

Today's top stories