Covid-19: Top developments worldwide March 29

Shanghai, China’s most populous city, Tuesday again tightened the first phase of a two-stage Covid-19 lockdown, asking some residents to stay indoors unless they are getting tested as the number of daily cases rose beyond 4,400.
Here are the latest updates from around the world.

➡️ UK police issue first 20 fines over lockdown gatherings in Downing Street
British police said Tuesday they would be recommending an initial 20 fixed penalty notices are issued over breaches of coronavirus lockdown rules at gatherings in Prime Miner Boris Johnson’s offices and residence. Police are investigating 12 gatherings held at Downing Street and the Cabinet Office after an internal inquiry found Johnson’s staff had enjoyed alcohol-fuelled parties, with the British leader attending a few of the events himself.
➡️ BTS member Jungkook tests Covid-19 positive
BTS member Jungkook has tested positive for the novel coronavirus after arriving in Las Vegas for the Grammy Awards, the management agency of the South Korean music group said Tuesday. Jungkook’s diagnosis comes almost a week after fellow member J-Hope tested Covid-19 positive and is under quarantine at home in South Korea.
➡️ US eases Covid-19 travel advisory for India
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and State Department eased government Covid-19 travel ratings for India and some other countries on Monday. The CDC said had changed its Covid-19 travel recommendation for India to “Level 1: Low” from “Level 3: High,” which urges unvaccinated Americans to avoid travel to those locations.
➡️ Omicron ‘stealth’ Covid-19 variant BA.2 now dominant globally
A sub-variant of the highly transmissible Omicron version of coronavirus known as BA.2 is now dominant worldwide, prompting surges in many countries in Europe and Asia and raising concern over the potential for a new wave in the United States.
➡️ Germany speaks out against Covid-19 vaccine patent waiver
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Monday he did not agree with a planned intellectual property waiver for Covid-19 vaccines as patents are a crucial way of encouraging companies to continue pushing ahead with new research. The waiver drafted the United States, European Union, India and South Africa earlier in March would need formal approval from the WTO’s 164 member countries, including Germany, before being  adopted.
➡️ France sees highest daily jump in Covid-19 hospitalisations since Feb 1
French health authorities said on Monday the number of patients hospitalised for Covid-19 over the past 24 hours jumped 467 to 21,073, the highest daily rise since February 1. On a week-on-week basis, the hospitalisations figure is up 1.8% and it has been now increasing for the fifth day running, after a steady decline since early February.
➡️ China reports 1,293 new Covid cases for March 28 vs 1,275 a day earlier
China reported 1,293 confirmed coronavirus cases for March 28, the national health authority said on Tuesday, compared with 1,275 a day earlier. Of the new cases, 1,228 were locally transmitted, the National Health Commission said, versus 1,219 a day earlier.
➡️ Shanghai tightens Covid lockdown on second day of curbs
Shanghai, China’s most populous city, on Tuesday again tightened the first phase of a two-stage Covid-19 lockdown, asking some residents to stay indoors unless they are getting tested as the number of daily cases rose beyond 4,400. China’s financial hub, home to 26 million people, is in its second day of a lockdown local authorities are carrying out splitting the city roughly along the Huangpu River, dividing the horic centre from the eastern business and industrial drict of Pudong to allow for staggered testing.
➡️ UK study to test Pfizer’s Covid pill in hospitalised patients
Pfizer’s oral Covid-19 therapy will be evaluated as a potential treatment for patients hospitalised with the illness in a major British trial, scients said on Monday, as cases rise in some parts of the world. The world’s largest randomised study of potential medicines for Covid-19, dubbed the RECOVERY trial, will assess Paxlovid across hospitals in Britain, which has already approved the drug for early-stage treatment.
➡️ Brazil health regulator says time to ease Covid travel restrictions
Brazilian health regulator Anvisa recommended on Monday that Covid-19 travel restrictions be eased due to a drop in cases and deaths, requiring only full vaccination and doing away with quarantine for unvaccinated travellers. People entering the country who have not been vaccinated will still need to show proof of a negative Covid-19 test result, but quarantining will be eliminated immediately.
(Compiled from Reuters reports)