Coronavirus: Latest Global Developments

A health worker takes a nucleic acid sample for the COVID-19 coronavirus at the arriving passengers’ terminal at the Zhuhai train station in Zhuhai, in southern China's Guangdong province on 27 September, 2021. (AFP Photo)

Here are the latest developments in the coronavirus crisis:

Kremlin Blames Russians 

The Kremlin concedes its coronavirus vaccination drive is struggling and blames Russians for not getting inoculated as deaths and cases hit new records, adding 1,064 fatalities. "We're in a worse situation than a whole series of European countries when it comes to vaccinations," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

"With the sudden rise of more aggressive variants, more people are falling ill. That's the reality," he said.

Officials have warned that the worst is yet to come, with only 35 percent of the population fully vaccinated.

Kiev Reimposes Curbs 

The capital Kiev moves to reimpose tough restrictions after Ukraine sees a record number of COVID deaths for a second day in a row, at 614. Authorities warned that the worst was yet to come.

"Dear friends, we are now just approaching this peak," said Oleksiy Danylov, the head of the national security and defence council.

"This is a very scary situation," he told reporters on Friday.

Pfizer For Kids 

Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine is more than 90 percent effective in preventing symptomatic forms of the disease in children aged 5 to 11, the company says. The new data was published on the website of the Food and Drug Administration, which has called an advisory panel of independent experts to meet Tuesday to vote on whether to green light the shot.

The analysis was based on around 2,250 trial participants, randomized to receive either the vaccine or a placebo, with data accruing until 8 October. Most positive cases occurred when the Delta variant was dominant in the United States (US) and globally.

Mass Testing In China

Beijing is to test tens of thousands of people after four new cases are found in a suburban district, as a new outbreak prompts school closures and flight cancellations across the country. China has maintained a staunch zero-COVID strategy with strict border closures, lengthy quarantines and targeted lockdowns.

But the world's most populous nation is now scrambling to tamp down dozens of infections across several provinces. The latest flare-up has prompted the grounding of hundreds of flights, the closure of scenic areas and schools and a flurry of stay-home orders in affected housing compounds.

Friday Prayers In Tehran 

Iran allows people to attend prayers at the University of Tehran, the main weekly service in the capital, for the first time in nearly 20 months. Hundreds of worshippers attended the prayers, wearing masks and respecting social distancing as workers sprayed disinfectant, an AFP photographer said. Iran, the Middle East nation hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic, gradually closed mosques following the announcement of the first cases of COVID-19 in February 2020.

Bollywood Cinemas Reopen

Cinemas begin re-opening in movie-mad Mumbai, the home of Bollywood, with theatres there pinning their hopes on blockbuster releases from next month to pull the crowds back in. The pandemic torpedoed the industry worldwide but films have a special place in Indian culture, with stars enjoying almost divine status and people often queuing to watch the same movie multiple times.

Lockdowns and a devastating surge in coronavirus cases in April and May kept Indians away from the silver screen, putting dozens of small cinemas out of business and squeezing production firms hard.

Greek Tourism Suffering 

The number of foreign tourists arriving in Greece has rebounded strongly this year, central bank data shows, but the key tourism sector still remains far below pre-pandemic levels. Foreign tourists seeking sun and sand are the driver of Greece's tourism industry, which accounts for a fifth of the overall economy, but pandemic travel restrictions kept most away in 2020 and battered the sector.

Greek central bank data showed that the number of tourist arrivals has jumped 80 percent this year to over 8.6 million.

England-India Cricket

England will play the coronavirus-delayed final match of their 2021 Test series against India in July next year, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announces. The match was due to take place last month at Old Trafford but the tourists said they were unable to field a team due to concerns about the spread of Covid-19 within their camp.

Due to fixture complexities in next season's English cricket schedule, the finale of the five-match series, which India lead 2-1, will now take place at Birmingham's Edgbaston ground from July 1 following an agreement between the ECB and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

Over 4.9 Million Dead  

The coronavirus has killed at least 4,926,579 people since the outbreak emerged in China in December 2019, according to a tally from official sources compiled by AFP on Friday. 

The US has suffered the most COVID-related deaths with 733,218, followed by Brazil with 604,679, India 453,042, Mexico 285,669 and Russia 228,453.

The countries with the most new deaths were the US with 1,812, followed by Russia with 1,064 and Ukraine with 614.

Taking into account excess mortality directly and indirectly linked to COVID-19, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates the overall death toll could be two to three times higher. – AFP