Coronavirus live news: India deaths in record rise; Japan mulls longer lockdown – reports
India deaths rise by 3,780 and cases up by 382,000; Tokyo could stay in lockdown less than three months before Olympics; more vaccine doses for poorer countries tops G7 agenda on final day of summit
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The birth rate in the United States has seen its biggest fall for nearly 50 years, according to government data, with the economic uncertainty of the pandemic believed to have contributed to a fall in pregnancies.
A study by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that the rate of births per woman fell to 1.6 last year, which is well below the 2.1 required for a generation to replace itself.
Related: US birth rate sees biggest fall for nearly 50 years
On a lighter note, a town in Japan has used Covid relief funds to pay for a statue of a giant squid.
The creatures are considered a delicacy in Noto on Japan’s west coast and local officials believe the 13-metre long sculpture will boost tourism in the region.
Read the original article at The Guardian