Coronavirus live: US intends to join Covax, Fauci tells WHO; warning German borders may need to close
United States to join the facility aiming to deliver vaccines to poor countries; Germany may need to close borders, says Merkel’s chief of staff
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Germany has offered Russia support in Moscow’s development of its Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine, chancellor Angela Merkel said in the press conference which we covered part of earlier (see 12.55pm).
AFP reports:
Russian authorities said Wednesday they have applied for registration of the Sputnik V in the European Union. “Beyond all the political differences that are currently large, we can nevertheless work together in a pandemic, in a humanitarian area,” Merkel told journalists.
On Moscow’s application to the European Medicines Agency (EMA), the German leader said she has “offered that our Paul Ehrlich Institute … support Russia on it”. The Paul Ehrlich Institute is Germany’s medicine regulatory body. “And if this vaccine is approved by the EMA, then we can talk about joint production or also about usage,” Merkel said.
Authorities in Lebanon have extended a nationwide lockdown by a week until 8 February amid a steep rise in coronavirus deaths and infections that has overwhelmed the health care system.
AP reports:
Despite increasing the number of hospital beds in the country of nearly 6 million, doctors and nurses have struggled to keep pace with patients flooding their facilities. Intensive care unit bed occupancy has been rising, hitting 91% late Wednesday, according to the World Health Organization.
Registered daily infections have hovered around 5,000 since the holiday season, up from nearly 1,000 in November. The death toll has surpassed 2,000 with new deaths of between 40 and 60 a day in the past week.
Read the original article at The Guardian