(Reuters) – Here’s what you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic right now:
Shanghai to extend lockdown of 26 million people
Shanghai will remain under lockdown as it reviews results of an exercise to test all of its 26 million residents for COVID-19, authorities said on Monday.
The city began its two-stage lockdown on March 28, initially in Shanghai’s eastern districts and later expanded to cover the whole city.
The curbs, which have massively disrupted daily life and business operations in China’s financial hub, were initially scheduled to end at 5 a.m. local time (9 p.m. GMT) on Tuesday.
The country sent the military and thousands of healthcare workers into Shanghai to help carry out tests on Monday, in one of the country’s biggest-ever public health responses.
Western diplomats have expressed concern about separating children from their parents as part of COVID curbs – a situation that has arisen in Shanghai as the government tries to stamp out the spread of the virus.
CanSinoBIO’s mRNA vaccine candidate cleared for trials in China
Chinese vaccine developer CanSino Biologics said on Monday its potential COVID-19 vaccine using the messenger RNA technology has been approved by China’s medical products regulator to enter clinical trials.
Taiwan says new COVID cases won’t affect re-opening plans
A recent rise in Taiwan’s domestic COVID-19 cases will not affect plans to gradually re-open as hardly any of the new infections have caused serious illness, Premier Su Tseng-chang said on Sunday.
Unlike large parts of the rest of the world, Taiwan has kept the pandemic well under control due to strict and early control measures, including an efficient contact and tracing system and largely closing its borders.
U.S. poor died at much higher rate from COVID than rich – report
Americans living in poorer counties died during the pandemic at almost twice the rate of those in rich counties, a study released Monday by the Poor People’s Campaign showed.
The study, based on income and death data from over 3,200 U.S. counties, shows an even bigger gap during the Delta variant that made up the U.S.’s fourth coronavirus wave, when people living in the lowest income counties died at five times the rate of those in the highest income counties.
Sweden to offer fourth jab to people aged 65 and above
Sweden will give a fourth shot of COVID-19 vaccine to people aged 65 and above to boost their defences against the disease, the health agency said on Monday.
Surging COVID cases force easyJet to cancel UK flights
A renewed surge of COVID-19 in Britain has forced airlines including easyJet to cancel hundreds of flights in recent days as staff sickness levels soar.
England dropped all its coronavirus restrictions earlier this year, including a legal requirement to self-isolate when testing positive and the need to wear masks in public places.
Indonesia greets Ramadan with mass prayer as curbs ease
The world’s largest Muslim-majority nation of Indonesia welcomed the start of the holy fasting month of Ramadan with a mass prayer at Jakarta’s grand mosque on Saturday, with plateauing coronavirus cases allowing for eased restrictions this year.
Thousands gathered after dusk at Istiqlal mosque in the Indonesian capital to join the Tarawih prayer, donning masks and using check-in apps to take part in the event.
(Compiled by Linda Noakes, Editing by William Maclean)
