A senior government health official said the new variant had been detected in 206 samples taken in Maharashtra, which is home to India’s financial capital of Mumbai.It was also found in nine samples in the capital New Delhi.The variant has two mutations to the spike protein that the virus uses to penetrate human cells and cause infection.It’s not yet clear whether the mutation would make it more transmissible, and officials said it had not been detected in large enough numbers to be connected to recent surges.“Though [variants of concern] and a new double mutant variant have been found in India, these have not been detected in numbers sufficient to either establish or direct relationship or explain the rapid increase in cases in some states,” health officials said in a statement.“Genomic sequencing and epidemiological studies are continuing to further analyse the situation.”India has so far recorded more than 11.7 million COVID-19 cases — the third-most infected nation behind the United States and Brazil — and over 160,000 deaths, one of the lowest mortality rates among the worst-hit countries.Authorities thought they had seen the worst of the pandemic and in January launched the huge inoculation drive on the back of being the world’s biggest vaccine maker.But a jump in infections — above 40,000 a day after falling to below 9,000 in February — and a slower-than-expected vaccination rollout is setting off alarm bells.India kicked off its vaccination drive with healthcare and frontline workers, before expanding it to include over-60s and over-45s with serious illnesses. From April 1, everyone over 45 will also be eligible.More than 50 million shots have been administered and about three million a day are being added, but at this rate the target will not be met.AstraZenecaHONG KONG SUSPENDS PFIZER VACCINEHong Kong abruptly halted the rollout of the Pfizer vaccine after frontline workers reported multiple cases of defective packaging.The government made a sudden announcement on Wednesday that all bookings at community vaccination centres for COVID-19 jabs would be cancelled. But officials played down health concerns, saying it was a precautionary measure.“Fosun Pharma [the agent distributing BioNTech in mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau] has told us that they have no reason to believe the doses now pose safety risks. But they found some packaging defects, so they need to investigate it,” Secretary for Food and Health, Professor Sophia Chan Siu-chee said, according to the South China Morning Post.It’s understood defective caps on vials in the recent batch prompted the move.Prof Chan said all vials identified with issues had been disposed of and none had been administered to the public.“Because of this situation, we made such reports to Fosun and requested them to follow up with the manufacturer,” she said.“The manufacturer, after receiving our reports, this morning notified Hong Kong in written form that they could not see any problems related to the safety of batch 210102. But they need to conduct a thorough investigation. For the sake of caution, they requested Hong Kong to suspend the use of this batch.”Separately, authorities in the Chinese territory kicked a clinic out of its vaccination program for reportedly recommending the German-made Pfizer/BioNTech shot to patients over the one from China’s Sinovac.ASTRAZENECA’S NEW WOESThe EU said on Wednesday (local time) it would adopt tougher export rules to prevent what it sees as an unfair one-way flow of vaccines out of the bloc.“Open roads should run in both directions,” European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said.The measure could limit vaccine exports to countries like Britain which produce some of their own vaccines but do not in turn send doses to the EU.Brussels has accused the former EU member of laying claim to AstraZeneca vaccines produced at a plant in the Netherlands, and says the UK-based company has fallen short on deliveries promised to the EU.It comes as Boris Johnson warned Brussels not to push ahead with plans to try and blockade vaccines – or pharma giants will leave Europe and relocate.According to The Sun, the British Prime Minister made a last minute plea ahead of an EU-wide meeting on Thursday (local time) on whether to slap restrictions on jabs to help the bloc’s fledgling rollout.Brussels has repeatedly complained that it has exported 10 million jabs to Britain, mostly of the Pfizer jab, without receiving any in reply.The EU also insist that the UK’s contract with AstraZeneca, which gives Britain first dibs on the vaccine, amounts to a “de facto export ban”.They will hold a crunch meeting to discuss the plans across the EU on Thursday (local time).But Mr Johnson made a last-minute warning to them today not to go ahead – saying pharma giants like AstraZeneca would simply flee and set up in another country.He told British MPs on the liaison committee: “I don’t think that blockades of either vaccines or of medicines are a sensible thing, and I think that the long term damage done by blockades can be very big.“I would just gently point out to anybody considering a blockade or interruption of supply chains … that companies may look at such actions and draw conclusions about whether it is suitable to make future investments in countries where arbitrary blockades are introduced.”Meanwhile, UK’s vaccine rollout has seen 28.3 million people – more than half the country’s adults – have at least one dose of the jab.Despite criticism from Brussels, British officials insist the UK plays a crucial role in providing the continent with raw materials and has ploughed millions into developing new shots.The tussle has added to AstraZeneca’s woes after several countries suspended its vaccine over blood clot fears.The World Health Organisation and the European Medicines Agency have both said the jab is safe and effective and dismissed feared links with clots.In a fresh controversy, the British-Swedish firm this week published results from its US trials showing the vaccine to be 79 per cent effective in preventing COVID-19.But a day later the US National Institute for Allergies and Infectious Diseases raised concerns that the results were outdated.The firm backed its shot on Tuesday, saying a review found the interim results it had announced were “consistent”, and that it would release new analysis and data “within 48 hours”.And there were more vaccine troubles on Wednesday (local time) when Hong Kong and Macau suspended the Pfizer/BioNTech jab over what authorities said were packaging problems.Health officials did not explain what exactly was wrong with them, but insisted there were no safety issues.‘LIKE A WAR’As rich nations have accelerated their vaccine drives, fears are growing about supplies for the rest of the world.“I am deeply concerned that many low-income countries have not yet received a single #COVID-19 vaccine dose,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres tweeted on Wednesday (local time).“Vaccines must be a global public good. The world must unite to make this a reality.” The pandemic has taken a turn for the worse in many nations, with known infections worldwide approaching 124 million.Hard-hit Brazil’s daily death toll crossed 3000 for the first time, as the South American nation’s healthcare infrastructure was pushed to the brink by an explosion of cases.Supplies of medical oxygen for COVID-19 patients have fallen to “worrying” levels in six of Brazil’s 27 states, officials said.The warning raised fears of a repeat of horrific scenes in the northern city of Manaus in January, when oxygen shortages left dozens of COVID-19 patients to suffocate to death.“You have no idea what it is to see families running around to find oxygen canisters, the fights outside places selling oxygen,” Manaus-based doctor Adele Benzaken told reporters.“It was like a war — the chaos of a bombing, when people are running around desperately without knowing what to do.” NED-3467 Travel BubblesMERKEL BACKTRACKS ON EASTER LOCKDOWNIt comes as Germany on Wednesday (local time) backtracked on its plan to impose a strict Easter weekend shutdown after public outcry, as the EU said it would tighten vaccine export controls in a bid to ramp up its stuttering inoculation campaign.Inoculations across the EU remain stubbornly behind hard-hit countries outside the bloc, which has blamed production and supply problems on its slow rollout.The melee over vaccines comes as several countries battle third waves of the virus, with some governments looking to impose new antivirus measures despite widespread lockdown fatigue more than a year into the pandemic.Germany on Wednesday said it would scrap plans to close most shops in the country over Easter from April 1 to 5 after facing stinging criticism of the plan.The government instead asked people to stay home over the holiday and Chancellor Angela Merkel issued a mea culpa after reversing the measures.“This mistake is mine alone,” Ms Merkel said. “The whole process has caused additional uncertainty, for which I ask all citizens to forgive me.”Elsewhere on the continent, Belgium said it would bring in a new partial lockdown for four weeks, closing schools and limiting access to non-essential shops as it sought to quell a third wave.The pandemic “is a big lesson in humility for politicians, for everyone,” Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said in announcing the measures.Poland meanwhile recorded its highest daily infections with nearly 30,000 new cases, while the Netherlands extended coronavirus restrictions until April 20.And Norway said it would roll out new restrictions this week, including banning alcohol sales at bars and restaurants.Vaccines are seen as the way out of the pandemic that has now killed more than 2.7 million people around the world and plunged the global economy into a recession not seen in decades.More than 479 vaccine doses have now been administered globally, mainly in wealthier countries with Israel, the United States and Britain leading the pack.But with demand far outstripping supply, countries are scrambling to secure much-needed jabs, with just a handful of vaccines approved around the world. ASTRAZENECA TO RELEASE MORE DATA ON TRIALSMeanwhile, UK-based pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca said it would release further data “within 48 hours” on US trials of its COVID-19 vaccine, after health officials raised concerns about the initial information disclosed.The company pushed back against a statement from the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) which said that “outdated information” may have been used to conclude that its vaccine was highly effective against COVID.“We have reviewed the preliminary assessment of the primary analysis and the results were consistent with the interim analysis,” AstraZeneca said in a statement.“We intend to issue results of the primary analysis within 48 hours,” it added. The US health agency’s evaluation comes after AstraZeneca said on Monday that stage three US trials of the vaccine had shown it was 79 per cent effective.It follows controversy over the vaccine’s rollout in Europe. France, Germany and a number of other nations said last week they would resume using the jab after its introduction was suspended over potential links to blood clots among recipients.Global health experts as well as AstraZeneca insist the vaccine is safe. ROYALS PAY TRIBUTE ON ‘NATIONAL DAY OF REFLECTION’Senior royals were among those who paid tribute to frontline workers and those who lost their lives to COVID during Britain’s “National Day of Reflection” on Tuesday (local time).The day marked the anniversary of the UK’s first coronavirus lockdown. Since then, there have been 4.3 million cases detected and 126,000 deaths.The Queen sent a bunch of spring flowers to St Bartholomew’s Hospital in London where her husband, Prince Philip, was recently treated for a non-COVID-related condition.A message accompanied the blooms that read: “As we look forward to a brighter future together, today we pause to reflect on the grief and loss that continues to be felt by so many people and families, and pay tribute to the immeasurable service of those who have supported us all over the last year.”In a video message, Prince Charles encouraged Brits to ‘take a moment together to remember those who have been lost’.“In their memory, let us resolve to work for a future inspired by our highest values that have been displayed so clearly by the people of this country through this most challenging of times,” he said.Prince William, Kate Middleton and the UK parliament were among those who observed a minute’s silence to pay their respects.The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge also visited a vaccination centre at Westminster Abbey where they lit a candle and laid daffodils to remember those who have lost their lives to the virus.A government minister said the country will open 35 mass vaccination centres “in the coming days”.It comes as COVID-19 reinfections are growing fast in the Czech Republic, which currently has the world’s highest per capita death rate from the disease.Ukraine has logged a record number of new deaths, with 333 fatalities over the past 24 hours, as authorities warn of a “very difficult period” ahead.COVID-19 World Numbers
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