(RNS) When U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai announced Wednesday (May 5) that the White House would back efforts to suspend intellectual property rights for COVID-19 vaccines, it was a victory for Vatican officials and U.S. Catholic groups that had long supported loosening vaccine patents to help expand production of the life-saving shots.
The decision came after a months-long campaign to convince the White House of the wisdom of the move spearheaded by Asian and African nations but aided by the Vatican and U.S. Catholic groups.
And as negotiations continue at the World Trade Organization on what the waivers will look like, President Joe Biden, the second Catholic president in U.S. history, may end up leaning further on Pope Francis and his team at the Vatican.
From Sunday, those who are fully immunized against COVID-19 are exempt from many restrictions in Germany. The WHO has warned that a variant spreading in India may be dodging vaccine protection. Follow DW for the latest.
Germany to loosen COVID restrictions for vaccinated people
Here s a roundup of some of the other major COVID-related stories around the world on Sunday.
Europe
Germany has recorded 12,656 more cases, taking the overall number of infections to 3,520,329, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for Infectious Diseases showed on Sunday. The reported death toll rose by 127 to 84,775, the tally showed.
The seven-day incidence rate continued dropping, now at 118.6 cases per 100,000 people per week, down from 146.5 the previous week.
Spain has lifted a state of emergency in place since October to fight the pandemic, allowing Spaniards to travel between regions for the first time in months.
Coronavirus digest: Spain ends state of emergency | News | DW dw.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from dw.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
A world of art at our fingertips: How COVID-19 accelerated the digitization of culture
One of the positive effects of the pandemic has been the acceleration of the digitization of cultural treasures as museums and concert halls scrambled to put centuries of human achievement online. Here are some of the artworks and performances you can now enjoy from home.
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