Healthcare

Tokyo’s daily COVID cases cross 30,000 for first time in pandemic

TOKYO, July 21 (Reuters) - New coronavirus cases in Japan's capital hit a record on Thursday, surging past 30,000 for the first time since the pandemic began, spurring officials to call for…

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Italy registers 86,067 new Covid cases, 157 more deaths

Italy has registered 86,067 new COVID-19 cases and 157 coronavirus deaths in the last 24-hour period, the health ministry revealed on Wednesday. That compares to 120,683 new cases and 176…

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U.S. CDC recommends Novavax COVID vaccine for adults

(Reuters) - The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended use of Novavax Inc's COVID-19 vaccine for individuals aged 18 and above. CDC director Rochelle Walensky said the decision "expanded…

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AstraZeneca gets EU backing for targeted breast cancer therapies

Pharma giant AstraZeneca said that two of its existing therapies were recommended for treating patients with some forms of high-risk breast cancers in the European Union, in a boost to…

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Few excess effects of COVID-19 booster, flu shot together

People who get a flu shot at the same time as a COVID-19 mRNA vaccine booster are only slightly more likely to report side effects than people who get the…

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Shanghai enforces new COVID testing, some areas in China extend lockdowns

Several large Chinese cities including Shanghai are rolling out new mass testing or extending lockdowns on millions of residents to counter new clusters of COVID-19 infections, with some measures being…

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Explainer: What is the COVID BA.5 variant and why is it reinfecting so many people?

LONDON, (Reuters) - BA.5, part of the Omicron family, is the latest coronavirus variant to cause widespread waves of infection globally. According to the World Health Organization's most recent report,…

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Fewer U.S. police officers died in first half of 2022, report finds

(Reuters) - Roughly 30% fewer police and other law enforcement officers in the United States have died in the line of duty so far in 2022 compared with 2021, attributed…

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Earlier Omicron infection may protect against BA.4/BA.5

Young and middle-aged adults who were infected with earlier versions of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus are likely to have "strong" protection against reinfection with the currently dominant Omicron…

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Germans fear infections again as cases rise

The share of people in Germany who are worried about the threat of COVID-19 has increased to 40%, according to a poll published Friday by German broadcaster ZDF. The growing…

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UK weekly COVID-19 infections rise, booster jab programme announced

An estimated 3.5 million people in Britain had COVID-19 in the latest week of available data, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said, up nearly 30% on the 2.7 million…

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Warning COVID becoming ‘too clever’

COVID infections are surging because the virus is constantly evolving and becoming "too clever", the WHO's special envoy on the virus has told Sky News. Dr David Nabarro has urged…

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Australia gov’t faces pressure to reinstate COVID quarantine pay amid fresh wave

SYDNEY, July 15 (Reuters) - Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has called a snap meeting of federal and state leaders next week as he faces pressure to reinstate compensation pay for casual…

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Pandemic behind ‘largest backslide in childhood vaccination in a generation’ – U.N

LONDON, July 15 (Reuters) - Around 25 million children around the world missed out on routine vaccinations that protect against life-threatening diseases last year, as the knock-on effects of the pandemic continue…

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COVID cases down in Americas but Omicron subvariants driving new infections -PAHO

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) warned of the growing number of COVID-19 cases caused by the highly infectious BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron subvariants of the coronavirus even as overall…

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Fresh COVID wave sweeps Asia, NZ warns of pressure on hospitals

WELLINGTON/TOKYO, July 14 (Reuters) - A new wave of coronavirus infections is rapidly spreading through Asia, prompting warnings for residents from New Zealand to Japan to take precautions to slow the outbreak…

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UPDATED: Adapted, two-strain vaccines to lift COVID protection – EU official

FRANKFURT/LONDON, July 13 (Reuters) - Adapted versions of established mRNA COVID-19 vaccines that address two variants in one shot will soon offer people better protection than vaccines that are now available, a…

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WHO says COVID-19 remains a global health emergency

The World Health Organization said that COVID-19 remains a global emergency, nearly 2-1/2 years after it was first declared. The Emergency Committee, made up of independent experts, said in a…

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Moderna to advance two Omicron vaccine candidates against newer variants

Moderna Inc said on Monday it was advancing two Omicron vaccine candidates for the fall, one designed against the BA.1 variant and another against the BA.4 and BA.5. Vaccine makers including Moderna and rival…

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Shanghai identifies new COVID Omicron subvariant

The city of Shanghai has discovered a COVID-19 case involving a new subvariant Omicron BA.5.2.1, an official told a briefing over the weekend, signalling the complications China faces to keep…

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Shanghai braces for more mass COVID testing amid fresh curbs across China

BEIJING, July 11 (Reuters) - Multiple Chinese cities are adopting fresh COVID-19 curbs, from business halts to lockdowns, to rein in new infections, with the commercial hub of Shanghai bracing for another…

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Latest on the worldwide spread of the coronavirus

July 11 (Reuters) - Multiple Chinese cities are adopting fresh COVID-19 curbs to rein in new infections, with the commercial hub of Shanghai bracing for another mass testing campaign after…

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UPDATED: EU backs second COVID booster for over-60s, before variant-adapted vaccines are ready

BRUSSELS/LONDON, July 11 (Reuters) - European Union health agencies on Monday recommended a second COVID-19 booster for everyone over 60, as well as medically vulnerable people, amid a new rise in infections…

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New wave of Omicron mutations spreading across Europe, EU Medicines Agency warns

A new wave of Covid-19 is sweeping across Europe driven by Omicron mutations, an EU Medicines Agency official has warned. Head of vaccines at the agency, Marco Cavaleri, has said…

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Italy lost more jobs than EU partners during COVID crisis – ISTAT

ROME, July 8 (Reuters) - Italy's labour market was hit harder than those of most of its European Union peers during the COVID-19 crisis of 2020 and 2021, widening the employment gap…

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Latest on the worldwide spread of the coronavirus

July 8 (Reuters) - China is reducing scrutiny of citizens' travel history for COVID-19 monitoring, requiring that a mandatory mobile app show the previous seven days of travel, down from 14. ASIA-PACIFIC…

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Italy’s COVID-19 incidence soars

Italy's COVID-19 incidence soared to 1,071 cases for every 100,000 inhabitants in the July 1-7 period, according to the latest weekly coronavirus monitoring report of the health ministry and the…

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Australia expands fourth COVID dose rollout amid fresh Omicron threat

SYDNEY, July 7 (Reuters) - Australia said on Thursday it would expand the rollout of the fourth dose of COVID-19 vaccines from next week as it battles a steady rise…

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China fights COVID flare-ups on multiple fronts including Shanghai

SHANGHAI/BEIJING, July 6 (Reuters) - China is fighting COVID-19 flare-ups on multiple fronts across the country including an emerging cluster in Shanghai, spurring mass testing drives and fresh restrictions, as pressures mount…

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Cyprus brings back face masks a month after scrapping them

NICOSIA, July 6 (Reuters) - Cyprus ordered the reintroduction of face masks to combat COVID-19 on Wednesday, just over a month after scrapping the requirement, as infections spiked again. The…

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Italy daily COVID cases exceed 100,000 for first time since February

Italy reported 132,274 COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, health ministry official figures showed, surpassing 100,000 for the first time since Feb. 8. Italy, whose death tally since the beginning of the…

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Hong Kong lawmaker who met China’s Xi tests positive for COVID

HONG KONG, July 4 (Reuters) - A Hong Kong lawmaker who met President Xi Jinping during a rare visit by the Chinese leader to the territory last week said he…

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Eastern China cities tighten COVID curbs as new clusters emerge

BEIJING (Reuters) - Cities in eastern China tightened COVID-19 curbs as coronavirus clusters emerge, posing a new threat to China's economic recovery under the government's strict zero-COVID policy. Wuxi, a manufacturing hub…

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Germany’s Scholz sees no COVID-related school closures, lockdowns

BERLIN, July 3 (Reuters) - Germany will not shut schools and non-essential businesses again if the COVID-19 infection rate rises again later this year but protective masks would play a bigger role,…

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Facemasks, and working from home for vunerable to remain in private sector in Italy

The mandatory use of COVID facemasks and remote working for the vunerable categories of Italian society are to remain in the private sector according to a draft revision of COVID…

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North Korea blames ‘alien things’ near border with South for COVID outbreak

North Korea claimed on Friday that the country's first COVID-19 outbreak began with patients touching "alien things" near the border with South Korea, apparently shifting blame to the neighbour for…

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France’s new wave of COVID infections expected to peak end-July -scientist

PARIS, June 30 (Reuters) - A new wave in France of COVID-19 infections fuelled by emerging variants of the disease should peak towards end-July, the French government's top scientific adviser Jean-Francois Delfraissy…

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Searches for overseas flights surge after China shortens quarantine

BEIJING, June 29 (Reuters) - Online searches for air tickets on international routes with China surged after Beijing unexpectedly said it would slash COVID-19 quarantine norms, travel platforms said on Wednesday, a…

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Pfizer, Moderna to be ready with BA.1-specific COVID boosters

(Reuters) - Pfizer Inc and Moderna Inc said they will be ready with COVID-19 vaccines designed to combat the BA.1 Omicron variant that was dominant last winter earlier than those designed to target currently…

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France asks citizens to wear masks again in public transport

French people should start wearing masks again in crowded areas, especially in public transport, as France has to deal with a new wave of COVID-19 infections fuelled by new variants of the…

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Shanghai will gradually resume dining-in at restaurants from June 29

BEIJING, June 26 (Reuters) - Shanghai will gradually resume dining-in at restaurants from June 29 in low-risk areas and areas without any community-level spread of COVID-19 during the previous week，a Shanghai government…

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Research reveals children’s screen time has increased by 90 minutes a day

Children aged between six and 10 increased their screen time by nearly an hour and a half every day during the pandemic, according to new research. Adults increased their time…

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Beijing to reopen schools, Shanghai declares victory over COVID

HANGHAI/BEIJING, June 25 (Reuters) - Beijing on Saturday said it would allow primary and secondary schools to resume in-person classes and Shanghai's top party boss declared victory over COVID-19 after the city…

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Moderna booster candidate shows strong response against Omicron subvariants

June 22 (Reuters) - Moderna Inc said on Wednesday its bivalent COVID-19 booster candidate showed strong neutralizing antibody response against the fast-spreading Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5. The company plans to submit applications…

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France is facing a new COVID-19 wave – French vaccination chief

PARIS, June 22 (Reuters) - France is facing a new wave of COVID-19 infections fuelled by new variants of the disease, French vaccination chief Alain Fischer said on Wednesday, as daily new…

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Italy reports 62,704 new COVID-19 cases, 62 more victims

There have been 62,704 new cases of COVID-19 in Italy in the last 24 hours, and 62 more victims of the virus, the health ministry said Tuesday. That compares to…

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Denmark to offer fourth COVID vaccine dose to people over 50 years

COPENHAGEN, June 22 (Reuters) - Denmark plans to offer a fourth COVID-19 vaccine dose in the autumn to those who are over 50 years old, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said…

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Macau shuts most businesses amid COVID outbreak, casinos stay open

HONG KONG, June 20 (Reuters) - The world's biggest gambling hub Macau began its second day of mass COVID-19 testing on Monday after dozens of locally transmitted cases were discovered over the…

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Early Omicron infection unlikely to protect against current variants

NEW YORK, June 17 (Reuters) - People infected with the earliest version of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, first identified in South Africa in November, may be vulnerable to reinfection with…

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German health minister pushes fourth COVID shot ahead of autumn wave

BERLIN, June 17 (Reuters) - There will not be another attempt to make COVID-19 vaccinations compulsory, said German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach, while making the case for more people to…

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UK study shows Omicron less likely to cause long COVID

LONDON, (Reuters) - The Omicron variant of coronavirus is less likely to cause long COVID than previous variants, according to the first peer-reviewed study of its kind from the United Kingdom. Researchers…

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Thailand eases entry rules for tourists, scraps mask policy

BANGKOK, June 17 (Reuters) - Thailand announced on Friday it would abandon its much-criticised pre-registration process for foreign visitors and no longer require face masks to be worn in public,…

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Beijing declares initial COVID victory as bar-linked surge eases

BEIJING, June 16 (Reuters) - The city of Beijing on Thursday declared an initial victory in its latest battle with COVID-19 after testing millions of people and quarantining thousands in the past…

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Facemasks on public transport in Italy extended to September

The obligation to wear anti-COVID facemasks on public transport in Italy has been extended until September, a cabinet meeting decided. There may be a possible partial lifting of the obligation…

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U.S. FDA advisers back COVID vaccines for children as young as 6 months

(Reuters) - Advisers to the U.S Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday unanimously recommended the agency authorize COVID-19 vaccines from Moderna Inc MRNA.O and Pfizer Inc PFE.N/BioNTech for millions of the youngest American children. The…

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Fauci, face of U.S. battle against COVID-19, tests positive

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Dr. Anthony Fauci, a public health official who became the face of U.S. government efforts to contain the coronavirus pandemic, tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday, the National Institutes…

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Canada to suspend vaccine mandates for domestic travel, civil service

OTTAWA, (Reuters) - Canada will suspend its requirement to be vaccinated against COVID-19 for domestic travel and to work in the civil service from June 20, the federal government said, after provinces lifted most health…

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