Hairdressers across Germany are re-opening their businesses after a 2 ½ month shutdown, another precaution as the country balances a desire to ease restrictions with concerns about the impact of a more contagious variant of the coronavirus.
BERLIN – Hairdressers across Germany are re-opening their businesses after a 2 ½ month shutdown, another cautionary move as the country balances a desire to ease restrictions with concerns about the impact of a more contagious variant of the coronavirus.
Monday’s move came after many elementary school students returned to school a week ago. This follows a February 10 decision by Chancellor Angela Merkel and 16 German state governors. They will meet on Wednesday to decide how to proceed with restrictions on Germany’s other coronavirus, which currently run until March 7.
Some states also allow businesses such as flower shops and hardware stores to open. Most shops have been closed nationwide since December 16. The restaurant, bar, sports and recreational facilities have been closed since November 2 and the hotel is only allowed to accommodate business travelers.
Germany is expected to remain cautious as the decline in infection rates has stalled, and even reversed in some areas, as the more infectious variant first spotted in Britain spreads.
On Monday, Germany’s disease control center reported 4,732 new coronavirus cases over the past 24 hours, compared with 4,369 cases a week earlier. Another 60 deaths were reported, bringing the total to 70,105.
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THE VIRUS OUTBREAK:
– Calls are growing for pharmaceutical companies to share vaccines knowledge and technology more broadly to meet global deficiencies
– India is expanding the push for vaccination to the elderly and people with medical conditions that put them at risk
– Optimism abounds as the Premier League Baseball starting a spring ritual that includes fans
– Follow AP pandemic coverage on https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic, https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-vaccine and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak
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HERE WHAT ELSE HAPPENED:
MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines launched a vaccination campaign on Monday to contain one of Southeast Asia’s worst coronavirus outbreaks but is facing supply problems and public resistance, which high-ranking officials hope to resolve.
Cabinet officials, along with health officials and military and police personnel, were among the first to be vaccinated at six hospitals after 600,000 doses donated by China were received Sunday.
The Philippines has reported more than 576,000 infections, including 12,318 deaths, the second highest number in Southeast Asia after Indonesia.
In addition to the Chinese-donated vaccine from Sinovac Biotech Ltd., the government has ordered 25 million doses separately from the China-based company but no date has yet been set for delivery. Health Minister Francisco Duque III said the delivery of 525,600 initial doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine originally scheduled for Monday would be delayed for a week due to supply problems.
The government has negotiated to get at least 148 million doses from Western and Asian companies to vaccinate some 70 million Filipinos for free in a massive campaign funded by foreign and domestic loans.
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WASHINGTON – Nearly 4 million doses of the newest COVID-19 vaccine were sent to US states for injection starting Tuesday.
The White House said all supplies of the newly approved single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine would soon run out. J&J will provide about 16 million more doses by the end of March and a total of 100 million by the end of June, but the distribution will be delayed.
Although the new injection was easier to administer and required only one dose, the administration did not change its distribution plans.
The White House encourages Americans to take the first dose available to them, regardless of the manufacturer.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisers voted heavily on Sunday to recommend vaccines for adults 18 years and over. This adds to the vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna that were passed in December.