Coronavirus: Latest global developments

Here are the latest developments in the coronavirus crisis: -

 Wooing tourists 

Greece says it is giving priority to its island residents for vaccinations against Covid-19 ahead of a planned May 14 launch to its tourism season.  And France launches a multi-million euro campaign to woo mainly European tourists. 

New AstraZeneca 
suspensions 

Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and other Brazilian states suspend immunisation of pregnant women with the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine on the advice of the national health regulator after a reported death.  And Slovakia suspends first doses of the vaccine after signalling it is investigating the case of a vaccinated patient who died from a blood clot. 

EU sues AstraZeneca  

Brussels is suing the British-Swedish pharma giant to force it to deliver the 90 million vaccine doses it promised the bloc before July. 

Indian PM to stay away from G7 

 Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not attend in person the G7 summit in the UK, where he is an invitee, as his country reels from a massive wave of coronavirus cases. 

Belgian reopening   

Belgium says it will allow indoor drinking, dining and entertainment venues for audiences of up to 200 people to reopen from June 9. 

Antibodies last eight months 

Antibodies against coronavirus remained in the blood of patients with Covid-19 for at least eight months after they were infected, Italian researchers say. 

Three doses too many 

A 23-year-old woman who was mistakenly injected with too many shots of the Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine was given four, rather than six doses as previously reported, Italian health authorities say. 

Berlusconi back in hospital 

Former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi has been readmitted to hospital in Milan suffering from the after-effects of Covid-19, a Forza Italia source says.  

3.3 million dead 

The pandemic has killed at least 3,306,037 people worldwide since the virus first emerged in late 2019, according to an AFP compilation of official data. 

The US is the worst-affected country with 582,153 deaths, followed by Brazil with 423,229, India 249,922, Mexico 219,089 and Britain 127,609.  AFP