Here are the latest developments in the coronavirus crisis.
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Possible but not certain Covid-19 vaccine rolled out this year - Oxford developer
The University of Oxford's possible Covid-19 vaccine could be rolled out by the end of the year but there is no certainty that will happen, the lead developer of the vaccine said on Tuesday.
The experimental vaccine, which has been licensed to AstraZeneca, produced an immune response in early-stage clinical trials, data showed on Monday, preserving hopes it could be in use by the end of the year.
"The end of the year target for getting vaccine rollout, it's a possibility but there's absolutely no certainty about that because we need three things to happen," Sarah Gilbert told BBC Radio.
She said it needed to be shown to work in late-stage trials, there needed to be large quantities manufactured and regulators had to agree quickly to license it for emergency use.
"All of these three things have to happen and come together before we can start seeing large numbers of people vaccinated," she said.
The Oxford scientists had eyed a million doses of the potential vaccine to be produced by September.
Although the deal with AstraZeneca has provided manufacturing capacity to do that, the lower prevalence of the novel coronavirus in Britain has complicated the process of proving its efficacy.
Late-stage trials are under way in Brazil and South Africa and are due to start in the United States.
- Reuters
British ministers hold first face-to-face cabinet in months
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was holding his first face-to-face cabinet meeting of top ministers since 17 March on Tuesday, underlining his push to encourage others to go back to work and boost an economy hurt by the coronavirus crisis.
The weekly cabinet meeting inside Johnson's Downing Street office was ditched when the Covid-19 crisis threatened to run out of control.
Johnson, his health minister and other top officials all caught the virus early in the pandemic.
But in recent weeks, Johnson has called on people to return to their workplaces, concerned that the economy, already poised for recession, could be crushed over the long term by a lockdown that has kept millions at home for several months.
Supplied with hand sanitiser and individual bottles of water, ministers were asked to attend a socially-distanced meeting in a larger room inside the foreign office rather than the traditional cabinet room in Downing Street.
- Reuters
Philippines reports two new coronavirus deaths, 1 951 infections
The Philippines' health ministry on Tuesday reported two more novel coronavirus deaths and 1 951 additional infections.
In a bulletin, the ministry said total deaths had increased to 1 837, while confirmed cases had reached 70 764.
President Rodrigo Duterte has threatened to arrest anyone not wearing a face mask or breaching social distancing guidelines amid a sharp rise in infections and deaths since a lockdown was eased in June.
- Reuters
Delhi virus cases dip but more Indian states lock down
New Delhi recorded fewer than 1 000 coronavirus cases for the first time in seven weeks on Tuesday, even as more Indian states imposed restrictions to halt the spread of the pandemic.
India last week became the third country after the United States and Brazil to hit one million cases but many experts say that with testing rates low, the true number could be much higher.
More than 28 000 people have died, with the western state of Maharashtra, home to Mumbai and its teeming slums, suffering the highest death toll followed by the national capital Delhi and Tamil Nadu in the south.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government imposed one of the world's strictest lockdowns in late March, but it has been steadily eased in recent months to lessen the devastating economic impact.
But, independently from the federal government, individual states have been tightening restrictions as case numbers have soared - including in Bangalore, Bihar and parts of Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
On Monday authorities in the eastern state of West Bengal, home to about 90 million people, imposed a strict lockdown two days a week beginning on Thursday.
"The state government feels that the efforts to break the chain of Covid-19 spread have to be initiated in a strong manner," the state's home secretary Alapan Bandopadhyay said.
All government and private offices will be closed and there will be no public transport. Private vehicles will be allowed for essential needs only.
The small north-eastern state of Sikkim, bordering Tibet, on Monday also ordered a lockdown until 27 July.
- AFP
Indonesia reports 1 655 new coronavirus infections, 81 deaths
Indonesia on Tuesday reported 1 655 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total number of infections to 89 869, according to official data released by the government.
The number of fatalities due to Covid-19 rose by 81 on Tuesday to reach a total of 4 320, the data showed, while 48 466 people have recovered from the virus.
- Reuters
Hong Kong reports 61 new coronavirus cases, mostly local transmissions
Hong Kong reported 61 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday, including 58 that were locally transmitted, adding to a slew of new cases which have hit the global financial hub over the past two weeks.
Hong Kong tightened social distancing measures in July after a rise in locally transmitted cases and as authorities warned about a third wave of infections.
Since late January over 2 000 people have been infected in Hong Kong, 14 of whom have died.
- Reuters
Russia reports fewer than 6 000 new coronavirus cases
Russia reported 5 842 new cases of the novel coronavirus on Tuesday, pushing its total infection tally to 783 328, the fourth largest in the world.
The country's coronavirus response centre said 153 people had died in the past 24 hours, bringing Russia's overall death toll from the virus to 12 580.
- Reuters
LinkedIn cuts 960 jobs as pandemic puts the brakes on corporate hiring
Microsoft Corp's professional networking site LinkedIn said on Tuesday it would cut about 960 jobs, or 6% of its global workforce, as the coronavirus pandemic is having a sustained impact on demand for its recruitment products.
California-based LinkedIn helps employers assess a candidate's suitability for a role and employees use the platform to find new job.
Jobs will be cut across sales and hiring divisions of the group globally. Announcing the plan in a message posted on LinkedIn's website, Chief Executive Ryan Roslansky said the company would provide at least 10 weeks of severance pay as well as health insurance for a year for US employees, and will hire for newly-created roles from laid-off staff.
"I want you to know these are the only layoffs we are planning," Roslansky said in his message.
Affected staff, who have not yet been told, would be able to keep company-issued cellphones, laptops, and recently purchased equipment to help them work from home while making career transitions, he said.
As lockdowns to contain the coronavirus have hit businesses around the world, LinkedIn's business has been hit as companies lay off staff or sharply curtail hiring.
LinkedIn said employees affected by its job cuts will be informed this week and they will start receiving invitations in the next few hours to meetings to learn more about next steps.
- Reuters
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