Italy Vaccinations Accelerate; EU Mulls Covid Pass: Virus Update Bloomberg 1 hr ago
(Bloomberg)
Italy’s vaccination campaign is gathering speed. The country is considering the possibility of letting citizens get second shots while on holiday, a step that would also help its battered tourism industry get back on its feet.
A sharp decline in Covid-19 cases in Turkey is also offering a glimmer of hope for its summer tourist season.
The European Union may adopt a Covid health document that would allow people to prove they’ve been vaccinated, tested or recovered from the virus to speed travel and facilitate larger public gatherings, a French official said.
Singapore Closes Schools; Amazon Aids India: Virus Update Bloomberg 1 hr ago
(Bloomberg)
Singapore plans to close public schools this week and move to home-based learning, as a spike in unlinked cases poses the biggest challenge since last year in the city’s efforts to tackle the pandemic.
Amazon.com Inc. and one of India’s largest renewable energy companies are boosting supplies of oxygen concentrators to the country in desperate need of the life-saving medical equipment as a brutal second wave of Covid-19 infections sweeps through its towns and cities.
The U.S.’s rolling one-week average of new virus cases fell to the lowest level since June.
South Africa registered 2,585 new Covid-19 cases, bringing the cumulative total to 1,613,728. A further 27 Covid-19-related deaths were reported, taking total deaths to 55,210.
Vaccinations accelerate in Italy, while the EU mulls a COVID-19 travel pass
Bloomberg
Italy’s vaccination campaign is gathering speed. The country is considering the possibility of letting citizens receive second shots while on holiday.
Europe’s third-largest economy has accelerated its vaccination campaign, with more than 500,000 shots given per day. This means most second doses are scheduled for August, when most Italians are on holiday.
While regional and national authorities debate the logistics of such a step, allowing shots away from home would boost the country’s battered tourism industry.
COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective even after the first dose, according to a large-scale study by the Italian National Institute of Health.
France Sends Second Boat to Jersey in Fish Row: Brexit Update Bloomberg 36 mins ago Joe Mayes
(Bloomberg) The U.K. and French navies dispatched military patrol vessels to the isle of Jersey amid a deepening row over post-Brexit fishing rights.
The two British patrol ships were deployed Wednesday night ahead of a potential blockade by French fishermen as a precautionary measure, the U.K. said. France said it sent two vessels Thursday morning to guarantee the safety of everyone at sea.
The deployment of the ships is a sign of the ongoing frictions between the two NATO allies, caused by Britain’s exit from the European Union. Negotiations over fish were one of the most contentious elements of the post-Brexit accord. France on Tuesday threatened to cut off power to Jersey to protest a lack of fishing licenses. Previously, Paris said it would limit access for U.K. financial services companies into the EU if its fishermen aren’t treated fairly.