COVID-19 Updates
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Shanghai pledges tax cuts, government subsidies for ailing small businesses as city sharpens focus on economic recovery in 2023
Shanghai Mayor Gong Zheng on Sunday said more economic sweeteners, such as tax cuts and government subsidies, are now in the works to address the problems faced by the city’s…
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‘People aren’t taking this seriously’: experts say US Covid surge is big risk
Fewer precautions, recent holidays and subvariants have driven rise but boosters, masks and other precautions are still effective In the fourth year of the pandemic, Covid-19 is once again spreading…
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UK pest-control firm made £9m from ‘VIP lane’ PPE deal during pandemic
PestFix had assets of £18,000 and 16 staff but won contracts worth £344m after being put on government’s high-priority supplier list A pest control supplies firm has disclosed it made…
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Hong Kong must prioritise economic recovery following border reopening
While the border closure put travel opportunities on hold, it also stalled plans for Hong Kong to build closer links with the Greater Bay Area. The challenge now is to…
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When Minnie Mouse entertained Benito Mussolini: disease contact tracing in Hong Kong for STDs in the 1900s, and how it worked better than Covid-19 tracking app
Hong Kong’s Covid contact tracing was ineffective, but a pre-digital mechanism for nipping sexually transmitted diseases in the bud worked for British servicemen in the city a century ago. Read…
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Immunity debt: does it really exist?
Some claim the rise in winter infections has been caused by the reduction of seasonal bugs during lockdowns. But experts are sceptical about these oversimplified explanations The deaths of at…
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Nearly 60,000 people have died of Covid in China in past five weeks
Death toll only of those who died in hospital and true figure likely to be higher, although officials say peak has passed in most areas Almost 60,000 people have died…
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Boris Johnson’s Partygate testimony to be shown in full on live TV
Former PM’s comeback plans are under threat as MPs stage televised interrogation over claims he misled parliament Boris Johnson’s loyal band of supporters continue to believe he is the only…
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Self-assessment: tips for filing your UK tax return to avoid risk of a £100 fine
As HMRC’s deadline looms, here’s a guide to cutting your bill by taking advantage of the various reliefs If you are among the 12.2 million people required to file a…