COVID digest: Japan says Olympics can be 'safe'

Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato said on Thursday that the Japanese government is making every effort to control the spread of coronavirus and will be in "close contact" with Olympic stakeholders around the world about the measures being taken.

"Careful anti-infection measures are a crucial part of being able to deliver a safe and secure event," he told a news conference.

Kato's comments come as Japan on Thursday extended a state of emergency across much of the country, including Tokyo, until June 25, as COVID case numbers continue to rise amid a sluggish vaccine rollout.

Opinion polls show the majority of Japanese are opposed to holding the Games, which are set to begin on July 23.

On Tuesday, the United States advised against travel to Japan due to coronavirus.

After the announcement from Washington, Kato said, "There is no change to the US position supporting the Japanese government's determination to achieve the games,'' adding that US officials assured Japan that the travel warning is not related to the participation of the US Olympic team.

Here's a roundup of other major developments around the world.

Europe 

The number of new COVID cases in Germany continues to drop, as just over 6,300 infections were reported nationwide by the Robert Koch Institute of public health over the past 24 hours. The number is around 5,900 fewer cases than were recorded a week earlier.

The seven-day incidence rate, which measures the number of new cases among a population of 100,000, also dropped to 41 from 46.8 the day before. It is the first time since October the rate has dropped below 50. 

Meanwhile, Chancellor Angela Merkel and the leaders of Germany's 16 federal states met on Thursday to discuss the country's vaccine drive. Issues under discussion include how to go about vaccinating children and teenagers and ensuring the equitable distribution of doses among states. 

At the meeting, leaders established that children in Germany above the age of 12 can be vaccinated against coronavirus from June 7. The decision is dependent on the EMA approving the BioNTech/Pfizer shot for the age group, with a ruling expected on Friday.

So far, the shot has only been allowed for people over 16.

Merkel reaffirmed the goal "that every citizen will be offered a vaccination by the end of the summer," but she said it would take time to implement the policy. She added that children with pre-existing conditions would likely be vaccinated as a priority. 

The vaccine summit meeting comes as the German Health Ministry said it expects a reduction in delivery of the BioNTech/Pfizer vaccine in the first half of June from 5.1 million doses per week to between 4.6 and 4.1 million doses. However, the Health Ministry said it doesn't expect the temporary dip to affect availability at vaccination centers. 

Slovakia has begun a limited rollout of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine after approving the use of 200,000 doses on Wednesday. Slovakia is now the second EU country after Hungary to use the vaccine, which has not yet been approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA).

Health Minister Vladimir Lengvarsky said that Slovakia would use more of the vaccine pending EMA approval.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Thursday that fast-spreading coronavirus variants could delay plans to completely lift remaining social restrictions in the UK planned for June 21.

"We may need to wait," Johnson said, while Health Secretary Matt Hancock said it was "too early now to say'' whether restrictions could be fully lifted.

Earlier in May, much of the UK eased coronavirus restrictions, allowing bars and restaurants allowed indoor service, while lifting many social distancing rules. 

Cyprus announced it will ease restrictions on June 10, including lifting a seven-month long curfew and opening nightclubs. The country aims to vaccinate 65% of the population with at least one dose by the end of June. 

"With 51% of our fellow citizens vaccinated with the first dose of a vaccine, and 25% of the population fully vaccinated, our country is among the leaders in the European Union," said Health Minister Constantinos Ioannou. Cyprus has reported over 72,000 cases and 357 deaths since the start of the pandemic. 

Sweden will ease some of its restrictions from June 1 as new cases have fallen sharply in recent weeks, the government said as it
presented a roadmap to open up society.

Sweden has been an outlier in the fight against the pandemic and has opted against full lockdowns, instead relying on mostly voluntary measures. It has been hit by a severe third wave of the virus but new cases and the number of people being admitted to intensive care are declining quickly.

"We are beginning to glimpse the beginning of the end," Prime Minister Lofven told a news conference.

Asia/Oceania 

The Australian city of Melbourne, along with the rest of Victoria state, have mandated a seven-day lockdown after a COVID cluster emerged in the city with at least 26 new infections. 

The Melbourne cluster was traced back to a traveler from India who became infected with a more contagious virus variant while in hotel quarantine earlier this month. The man had not been diagnosed until returning to Melbourne. 

This is the fourth time Australia's second-biggest city has been placed under a lockdown since the pandemic began, including harsh restrictions put in place for almost four months last year.

Indonesia has resumed use of a batch of AstraZeneca's COVID vaccine after it was suspended following the post-inoculation death of a young man. 

Drug regulators said an investigation showed no connection between the death and the vaccine batch. 

Authorities in Hong Kong have cited coronavirus restrictions for a second year in a row to ban a annual vigil in the city held to commemorate the bloody 1989 Tiananmen Square protest crackdown in Beijing. 

Organizers had said they would comply with social-distancing measures, but authorities refused to permit the vigil.

Last year, thousands of people turned up for the vigil to defy its first-ever ban in 31 years.  

Americas

Silicon Valley-based big tech firm Facebook said it will no longer remove claims that COVID is human-made or manufactured "in light of ongoing investigations into the origin of COVID-19 and in consultation with public health experts."

Since the start of the pandemic, Facebook has been changing what it allows on the topic and what it bans. In February, it announced a host of new claims it would be prohibiting, including that COVID was created in a Chinese lab. Other claims it added at the time included the false notion that vaccines are not effective or are toxic. 

"We're continuing to work with health experts to keep pace with the evolving nature of the pandemic and regularly update our policies as new facts and trends emerge," said Guy Rosen, Facebook's vice president of integrity.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau voiced his support for US President Joe Biden's efforts to investigate the origin of the virus. 

"We support the call by the United states and others to better understand the origins of COVID-19," Trudeau told reporters.

"I know there are a lot of theories out there, but we need to make sure we're getting to a full and complete airing of the facts to actually understand what happened and how to make sure it never happens again," he added.

Global 

French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi and Britain's GlaxoSmithKline have announced the start of a final trials for their COVID vaccine, which was held backafter disappointing initial studies last year. 

The phase 3 clinical trial will include 35,000 adult volunteers at sites in the US, Asia, Africa and Latin America, the firms said. The late-stage trial comes after positive results were reported from interim human trials earlier in May.

The companies hope to launch the vaccine by the end of 2021.

wmr/rt (Reuters, dpa, AFP, AP)