Covid-19: Top developments worldwide March 29

Here are the latest updates from around the world.

➡️ US eases Covid-19 travel advisory for India

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and State Department eased government Covid-19 travel ratings for India and some other countries on Monday. The CDC said had changed its Covid-19 travel recommendation for India to “Level 1: Low” from “Level 3: High,” which urges unvaccinated Americans to avoid travel to those locations.

➡️ Omicron ‘stealth’ Covid-19 variant BA.2 now dominant globally

A sub-variant of the highly transmissible Omicron version of coronavirus known as BA.2 is now dominant worldwide, prompting surges in many countries in Europe and Asia and raising concern over the potential for a new wave in the United States.

➡️ Germany speaks out against Covid-19 vaccine patent waiver

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Monday he did not agree with a planned intellectual property waiver for Covid-19 vaccines as patents are a crucial way of encouraging companies to continue pushing ahead with new research. The waiver drafted by the United States, European Union, India and South Africa earlier in March would need formal approval from the WTO’s 164 member countries, including Germany, before being  adopted.

➡️ France sees highest daily jump in Covid-19 hospitalisations since Feb 1

French health authorities said on Monday the number of patients hospitalised for Covid-19 over the past 24 hours jumped by 467 to 21,073, the highest daily rise since February 1. On a week-on-week basis, the hospitalisations figure is up 1.8% and it has been now increasing for the fifth day running, after a steady decline since early February.

➡️ China reports 1,293 new Covid cases for March 28 vs 1,275 a day earlier

China reported 1,293 confirmed coronavirus cases for March 28, the national health authority said on Tuesday, compared with 1,275 a day earlier. Of the new cases, 1,228 were locally transmitted, the National Health Commission said, versus 1,219 a day earlier.

➡️ Shanghai tightens Covid lockdown on second day of curbs

Shanghai, China’s most populous city, on Tuesday again tightened the first phase of a two-stage Covid-19 lockdown, asking some residents to stay indoors unless they are getting tested as the number of daily cases rose beyond 4,400. China’s financial hub, home to 26 million people, is in its second day of a lockdown local authorities are carrying out by splitting the city roughly along the Huangpu River, dividing the historic centre from the eastern business and industrial district of Pudong to allow for staggered testing.

➡️ UK study to test Pfizer’s Covid pill in hospitalised patients

Pfizer’s oral Covid-19 therapy will be evaluated as a potential treatment for patients hospitalised with the illness in a major British trial, scientists said on Monday, as cases rise in some parts of the world. The world’s largest randomised study of potential medicines for Covid-19, dubbed the RECOVERY trial, will assess Paxlovid across hospitals in Britain, which has already approved the drug for early-stage treatment.

➡️ Brazil health regulator says time to ease Covid travel restrictions

Brazilian health regulator Anvisa recommended on Monday that Covid-19 travel restrictions be eased due to a drop in cases and deaths, requiring only full vaccination and doing away with quarantine for unvaccinated travellers. People entering the country who have not been vaccinated will still need to show proof of a negative Covid-19 test result, but quarantining will be eliminated immediately.

(Compiled from Reuters reports)