Coronavirus: Melbourne to emerge from strict lockdown
June 9, 2021
The Australian city of Melbourne is set to exit a strict two-week coronavirus-linked lockdown on Thursday, but not without certain restrictions on gatherings and travel, which are expected to remain for another week.
"This is a good day," Victoria state Acting Premier James Merlino said in Melbourne on Wednesday. "But we know this isn't over yet and until we have widespread vaccination across Victoria and the country, the virus will still be with us."
Residents of Australia’s second-largest city were forced to stay home, except for essential business, during two weeks of a strict lockdown. After the restrictions are eased, they cannot travel beyond 25 kilometers (15.5 miles) of their homes.
There will also be a total ban on house gatherings and masks will remain mandatory indoors.
Melbourne is the capital of Victoria, the state that has seen four lockdowns since the pandemic began. It has accounted for over 90% of the country’s virus-linked death toll.
Global
World Trade Organization member states are looking at a proposal to ease patents and intellectual property protections for coronavirus vaccines to help developing countries combat the virus.
A revised proposal, presented by India and South Africa, is on the table for a WTO panel's two-day meeting after the Biden administration backed the idea. Several wealthy nations and pharmaceutical companies oppose the proposal.
Eight Asia-Pacific cities, led by Auckland, New Zealand, have made it to the top 10 of the Economist Intelligence Unit's annual ranking of the world’s most liveable cities, helped in no small part by more effective pandemic responses in the region.
However, European cities saw a marked fall down the ranks, primarily because of prolonged lockdowns and significant pressure on healthcare infrastructure.
"Cities across the world are now much less liveable than they were before the pandemic began, and we’ve seen that regions such as Europe have been hit particularly hard," the EIU said in a statement.
Asia-Pacific
China’s southern city of Guangzhou has ramped up coronavirus restrictions and ordered the closure of cinemas, theaters, nightclubs and similar indoor entertainment venues to contain the country's latest increase in virus cases.
The city has recorded more than 100 cases of local transmission since May 21, prompting authorities to isolate many neighborhoods and keep residents from leaving the city unless absolutely necessary.
Indonesia has reported its highest daily number of infections in more than three months. More than 7,000 new cases were recorded in the past 24 hours.
Americas
Brazil is set to receive the first batch of 3 million doses of the single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine in the next few days, according to Health Minister Marcelo Queiroga. The export of vaccines still requires authorization by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
"Of course, if the FDA's decision is delayed, these 3 million doses may no longer be useful for us, due to the short time," Queiroga said as he testified before a Senate commission of inquiry. The batch of vaccines will expire on June 27 but the health minister said Brazil will administer the shots "very fast" under Brazil’s inoculation campaign.
Brazil had secured a deal to secure 38 million vaccines developed by J&J's Janssen subsidiary but the first batch’s arrival has come ahead of schedule.
The United States has eased travel warnings for a number of countries, including 2021 Olympics host Japan, Germany, France, Canada and Mexico. The State Department has revised its warning to ask Americans to reconsider travel but ended the blanket advice not to go at all.
The State Department has also given a clean bill of health to 11 countries, where Americans can travel while exercising the regular precautions that were in place before the pandemic. These include Ghana, Senegal, Singapore and South Korea. The sole European nation on the list is Malta.
The US is currently off-track to meet President Joe Biden’s target of at least partially vaccinating 70% of Americans by July 4. The delay has been attributed to vaccine hesitancy and a lack of urgency to get the jab.
The country’s top infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci said he still hopes the goal will be met "and if we don't, we're going to continue to keep pushing."
The Justice Department announced an American pharmacist in the state of Wisconsin, Steve Brandenburg, 46, has pled guilty and will serve three years for purposefully removing vials of the Moderna vaccine from refrigeration as they must be kept at a certain temperature to be effective.
Brandenburg was also ordered to pay a fine of $83,800 (€68,700) to the hospital that had employed him. Fifty seven people had received doses of the Moderna vaccine he tampered with.
Europe
The EU endorsed a planned travel certificate, allowing people greater freedom of movement within the 27 nation bloc, on Wednesday. Tourist dependent economies such as Greece have led the drive to get the new system in place, which perrmits travel without quarantine or additional coronavirus testing, ahead of the usually busy summer travel season.
Russia is reporting its highest daily number of new infections in months. The country reported 10,407 new cases, its highest daily figure since March.
France is set to relax coronavirus restrictions on Wednesday, allowing residents to enjoy indoor dining and stay out until 11:00 pm for the first time in months.
In the latest phase of lockdown relaxation, the overnight curfew has been pushed from 9:00 pm as the country ramps up vaccinations amid falling cases. Diners can finally go inside cafes and restaurants after terrace dining resumed last month.
According to the government’s plans, the curfew will end on June 3, barring any complications. Masks remain obligatory even outdoors.
Germany has recorded 3,254 new infections, taking the country’s total virus caseload to 3,705,942, according to data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases. The death toll has risen by 107 to 89,491.
see/aw (Reuters, AFP, AP, dpa)