8th Feb 2022 https://nfind.uk/lockdown_exit/index.php/newsletter=596 lockdown_exit

Lockdown Exit

Bloomberg An Oxford scientist who worked on the AstraZeneca vaccine says he thinks scientists and politicians probably killed hundreds of thousands of people by damaging the reputation of the jab. Speaking to the BBC Professor Sir John Bell said They have damaged the reputation of the vaccine in a way that echoes around the rest of the world. I think bad behaviour from scientists and from politicians has probably killed hundreds of thousands of people and that they cannot be proud of. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-02-07/astrazeneca-azn-vaccine-critics-over-blood-clots-likely-caused-harm-scientist 7th Feb 2022

Lockdown Exit

Reuters Thailand will have talks on bilateral travel bubble arrangements with China and Malaysia later this month an official said on Monday as part of efforts to bolster a steady recovery in its crucial tourism sector. Thailand received a record of nearly 40 million foreign visitors in 2019 more than a quarter of those from China but total arrivals slumped to about 0.5 of that last year due to weaker external demand and tight quarantine and entry requirements. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/thailand-seek-travel-bubbles-with-china-malaysia-2022-02-07/ 7th Feb 2022

Lockdown Exit

Reuters Investors on Tuesday hope to learn Pfizer Incs plans for what could be a onceinageneration cash infusion from COVID19 treatments and vaccines in 2022 with some looking for the drugmaker to spend on deals. Pfizers 2021 sales are expected to top 80 billion its highest ever annual figure according to Chief Executive Albert Bourla. Analysts expect revenue to top 100 billion in 2022 as production of Pfizers oral antiviral treatment Paxlovid picks up. The 173yearold U.S. drugmaker expects 2021 sales of 36 billion and another 29 billion in 2022 just for its COVID19 vaccine developed with Germanys BioNTech SE . https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/pfizers-covid-cash-pile-opens-opportunities-deals-2022-02-07/ 7th Feb 2022

Lockdown Exit

Al Jazeera English Indonesia will tighten social restrictions in Jakarta and Bali as well as in two other cities on Java island in a bid to contain a spike in coronavirus infections according to a senior cabinet minister. The measures announced on Monday include caps on attendance in some indoor venues and came as the transport ministry clarified that overseas tourists would still be able to enter the country through the capital Jakarta. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/2/7/indonesia-bans-arrivals-at-jakarta-airport-as-covid-surges 7th Feb 2022

Lockdown Exit

Al Jazeera English on MSN.com About 79 percent of those vaccinated in Indonesia have received the Sinovac shot. While all vaccines have been shown to be less effective against Omicron ... Indonesias deadly second wave in a report published by Al Jazeera a month before the peak ... https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/can-sinovac-protect-indonesia-from-the-omicron-wave/ar-AATxMND 7th Feb 2022

Lockdown Exit

The Associated Press Australia will open its borders to all vaccinated tourists and business travelers from Feb. 21 in a further relaxation of pandemic restrictions announced Monday. Australia imposed some of the worlds toughest travel restrictions on its citizens and permanent residents in March 2020 to prevent them from bringing COVID19 home. When the border restrictions were relaxed in November in response to an increasing vaccination rate among the Australian population international students and skilled migrants were prioritized over tourists in being welcomed back to Australia. https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-travel-business-scott-morrison-46d5f0548f947ae289d9c709a5ba4d9d 7th Feb 2022

Lockdown Exit

The Associated Press South Korea will no longer use GPS monitoring to enforce quarantines and will also end daily checkup calls to lowrisk coronavirus patients as a fastdeveloping omicron surge overwhelms health and government workers. The speed of transmissions has made it impossible to maintain a tight and proactive medical response Jeong Eunkyeong the countrys top infectious disease expert said Monday. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency reported 38691 new cases of the virus a ninefold increase from the levels seen in midJanuary when omicron became the countrys dominant strain. Jeong said the country may see daily jumps of 130000 or 170000 by late February. https://apnews.com/3bce9e476cbfc8b69c8c09f4e5cbaca5 7th Feb 2022

Lockdown Exit

ABC.Net.au With the countdown now on in Australia until the international border reopens to everyone for the first time since 2020 no doubt some people are starting to make travel plans. The only rule thats different this time around is you need to be fully vaccinated against COVID19. Vaccines used in other countries can be quite different to the ones in Australia and only certain jabs are recognised by the government for entry into the country. Heres which ones will get you past passport control. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-02-07/covid-vaccines-international-travel-order-reopening/100811310 7th Feb 2022

Lockdown Exit

Reuters Australia said on Monday it will reopen its borders to vaccinated travellers this month ending two years of misery for the tourism sector reviving migration and injecting billions of dollars into the world No. 13 economy. The move effectively calls time on the last main component of Australias response to the COVID19 pandemic which it has attributed to relatively low death and infection rates. The other core strategy stopstart lockdowns was shelved for good in December. The country had taken steps in recent months to relax border controls like allowing in skilled migrants and quarantinefree travel arrangements travel bubbles with select countries like New Zealand. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/australia-fully-reopen-borders-vaccinated-travellers-feb-21-2022-02-07/ 7th Feb 2022

Lockdown Exit

Associated Press Australia will open its borders to all vaccinated tourists and business travelers from Feb. 21 in a further relaxation of pandemic restrictions announced Monday. Australia imposed some of the worlds toughest travel restrictions on its citizens and permanent residents in March 2020 to prevent them from bringing COVID19 home. When the border restrictions were relaxed in November in response to an increasing vaccination rate among the Australian population international students and skilled migrants were prioritized over tourists in being welcomed back to Australia. https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-travel-business-scott-morrison-46d5f0548f947ae289d9c709a5ba4d9d 7th Feb 2022

Exit Strategies

Reuters on MSN.com Ireland will celebrate St. Patricks Day with a parade through the streets of Dublin for the first time in three years next month and organisers hope the greenfestooned festivities will energise a tourism sector hammered by a tough lockdown regime. The March 17 public holiday celebrated in towns and villages across the country was one of the first big events to be cancelled in 2020 shortly before the economy was shutdown for the first time to slow the spread of the coronavirus. The government dropped almost all COVID19 curbs last month backed by one of Europes highest uptake of booster vaccines. The remaining restrictions such as maskwearing are set to end later this month. Our national day sends the message out loud and clear Ireland is open again for tourism and we cannot wait to roll out the green carpet and welcome visitors from near and far Tourism Minister Catherine Martin said in a statement. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/irelands-st-patricks-day-parade-returns-after-three-year-covid-absence/ar-AATyHkX 7th Feb 2022

Exit Strategies

Reuters Campaigning for the Philippines general election gets underway officially on Tuesday with COVID19 curtailing the traditional fanfare and big rallies and turning the focus to social media as the key battleground for the May 9 contest. As with the 2016 polls that catapulted Rodrigo Duterte to the presidency social media will be crucial in the threemonth election buildup while platforms will be under pressure to combat the rampant misinformation that has intensified in the Philippines in recent years driving hate campaigns and deepening social divisions. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/philippines-shifts-election-battle-social-media-covid-19-curbs-campaigning-2022-02-07/ 7th Feb 2022

Exit Strategies

The Independent Indias government has approved Russias singleshot Sputnik Light vaccine making it the ninth Covid19 jab available in the country. In a statement shared on Twitter Indias federal health minister Mansukh Mandaviya said DCGI Drugs Controller General of India has granted emergency use permission to Singledose Sputnik Light Covid19 vaccine in India. This is the 9th Covid19 vaccine in the country. This will further strengthen the nations collective fight against the pandemic he added. https://www.independent.co.uk/asia/india/sputnik-light-india-russia-covid-vaccine-b2009151.html 7th Feb 2022

Exit Strategies

Al Jazeera As a third wave of the pandemic begins to take hold across Indonesia there are questions over its use of Chinas Sinovac after a series of studies suggesting the most commonly used COVID19 vaccine in the Southeast Asian nation is no match for the Omicron variant of coronavirus. On Friday the country recorded 32211 new confirmed cases of COVID19 the highest official number since the Delta wave began to fade in midAugust. The positivity rate for individuals tested reached 10.29 percent on the same day pushing Indonesia well beyond the 5 percent threshold the WHO uses to identify countries that have lost control of the virus. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/2/7/can-sinovac-protect-indonesia-from-the-omicron-wave 7th Feb 2022

Exit Strategies

Reuters Nigeria has received 2 million doses of Johnson Johnsons COVID19 vaccine from Finland Greece and Slovenia with more EU donations set to arrive in the coming weeks government officials said on Monday. The delivery is part of a donation pledge by the European Union to African countries via the COVAX initiative launched by the World Health Organization in 2020 to distribute vaccines to some of the worlds poorest people. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/nigeria-receives-2-million-doses-jj-covid-vaccine-eu-countries-2022-02-07/ 7th Feb 2022

Exit Strategies

Reuters Ironman Captain America puppeteers and performers on stilts entertained children at a vaccination centre in the Philippines on Monday part of a drive to boost its COVID19 inoculation campaign among its youngest citizens. Artists made swords and models from balloons as superheroes posed for pictures with children age 5 to 11 after they received their shots in the capital Manila. The Philippines has vaccinated about half of its 110million population but many areas outside urban centres are still lagging far behind complicating efforts to suppress fresh outbreaks of the novel coronavirus. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/with-superheroes-puppets-philippines-boosts-child-vaccination-drive-2022-02-07/ 7th Feb 2022

Exit Strategies

Associated Press New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy will end a statewide mask mandate to protect against COVID19 in schools and child care centers his office said Monday. The requirement goes into effect March 7 and comes as New Jerseys caseload drops after an spike around the holidays fueled by the omicron variant. The governor is expected to announce the development at a news conference Monday when he is set to also answer questions. Its not clear for example if individual school districts could continue to require a mandate. https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-education-new-jersey-ce67cdfe4373407645fbfb5223051dcd 7th Feb 2022

Exit Strategies

Associated Press The German government is working on plans to relax coronavirus restrictions after the peak in new cases has passed likely by the end of February. Unlike some of its European neighbors Germany still has many pandemic restrictions in place that exclude unvaccinated people from restaurants public venues and some stores. Perspectives for opening are being developed government spokeswoman Christiane Hoffmann told reporters Monday in Berlin. She said the measures would be discussed at a meeting of federal and state officials on Feb. 16 but would only take effect when authorities can be sure that Germanys health system wont be overwhelmed. https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-health-europe-germany-375ad66193aaafcec756093348ff33cd 7th Feb 2022

Exit Strategies

Associated Press South Korea will no longer use GPS monitoring to enforce quarantines and will also end daily checkup calls to lowrisk coronavirus patients as a fastdeveloping omicron surge overwhelms health and government workers. The speed of transmissions has made it impossible to maintain a tight and proactive medical response Jeong Eunkyeong the countrys top infectious disease expert said Monday. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency reported 38691 new cases of the virus a ninefold increase from the levels seen in midJanuary when omicron became the countrys dominant strain. https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-technology-health-business-pandemics-3bce9e476cbfc8b69c8c09f4e5cbaca5 7th Feb 2022

Exit Strategies

Reuters Hong Kong residents crowded supermarkets and neighbourhood fresh food markets on Monday to stock up on vegetables noodles and other necessities after a record number of COVID19 infections in the city and transport disruptions at the border with mainland China. The city of 7.5 million people reported a record 614 coronavirus cases on Monday in the biggest test yet for the Chinese territorys zeroCOVID strategy. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/hong-kong-residents-raid-supermarket-shelves-covid-surge-disrupts-supplies-2022-02-07/ 7th Feb 2022

Partisan Exits

The Associated Press New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy will end a statewide mask mandate to protect against COVID19 in schools and child care centers his office said Monday. The requirement goes into effect March 7 and comes as New Jerseys caseload drops after an spike around the holidays fueled by the omicron variant. The governor is expected to announce the development at a news conference Monday when he is set to also answer questions. Its not clear for example if individual school districts could continue to require a mandate. New Jersey was one of just a dozen states with mask mandates in schools according to the nonpartisan National Academy for State Health Policy. https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-education-new-jersey-ce67cdfe4373407645fbfb5223051dcd 7th Feb 2022

Partisan Exits

The Associated Press The mayor of Canadas capital declared a state of emergency Sunday and a former U.S. ambassador to Canada said groups in the U.S. must stop interfering in the domestic affairs of Americas neighbor as protesters opposed to COVID19 restrictions continued to paralyze Ottawas downtown. Mayor Jim Watson said the declaration highlights the need for support from other jurisdictions and levels of government. It gives the city some additional powers around procurement and how it delivers services which could help purchase equipment required by frontline workers and first responders. Thousands of protesters descended in Ottawa again on the weekend joining a hundred who remained since last weekend. Residents of Ottawa are furious at the nonstop blaring of horns traffic disruption and harassment and fear no end is in sight after the police chief called it a siege that he could not manage. https://apnews.com/e9295f9f379ffdb114b6c063f5c77a98 7th Feb 2022

Partisan Exits

BBC News The mayor of Canadas capital Ottawa has declared a state of emergency in response to more than a week of truckers protests against Covid restrictions. Jim Watson said the city was losing this battle and completely out of control. He added the protests posed a threat to residents safety. There have also been reports of racial attacks. Ottawas centre has been paralysed with vehicles and tents blocking roads. The Freedom Convoy was sparked by the introduction last month of a new rule that all truckers must be vaccinated to cross the USCanada border but the protests have morphed into broader challenges to Covid health restrictions. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-60281088 7th Feb 2022

Partisan Exits

The Guardian In Australia antivaccine protesters hopes of presenting a list of grievances to federal politicians may be scuppered by federal parliaments Covid safety rules with the prime minister not planning to meet a delegation supported by former Liberal MP Craig Kelly. Kelly the United Australia party leader confirmed his party was providing free food to the protesters and considering bankrolling a 10000 sound system for future rallies. Coalition MPs Gerard Rennick and George Christensen said they planned to join the antimandate protesters this week while One Nations Malcolm Roberts gave a speech on parliaments front lawn on Monday. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/feb/07/australian-parliaments-covid-rules-could-block-anti-vaccine-protesters-entry 7th Feb 2022

Partisan Exits

Reuters As the protest against the Canadian governments health measures and vaccine mandates entered an eleventh day on Monday police have threatened to clamp down after facing criticism for lack of action that has crippled the national capital. The Freedom Convoy consisting largely of truckers began as a movement against a Canadian vaccine requirement for crossborder drivers. But it has since evolved into a rallying point against Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus strict measures to fight the pandemic. https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/canada-police-seen-getting-tough-trucker-protests-continue-2022-02-07/ 7th Feb 2022

Partisan Exits

Reuters Elal 36 said a sense of spiritual duty helped her continue carrying out the common endoflife ritual despite exhaustion and fear especially when she herself fell ill with COVID19 last year. According to the ritual ghassals pray while washing the body before placing it in a white shroud ahead of burial. Corpses arrive from hospitals or homes to a washing cabin called a ghassilhane where men wash male bodies and women wash female bodies. https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/turkeys-ritual-corpse-washers-say-faith-overcame-covid-fears-2022-02-07/ 7th Feb 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

The Wall Street Journal Drugmaker Shionogi Co. said it plans to seek approval this month to sell its Covid19 treatment pill in Japan after the company found that in human trials the pill had strong virusfighting ability compared with Pfizer Inc.s Paxlovid. Shionogi acknowledged that studies of its drug are much smaller than Pfizers and have yet to prove effectiveness in preventing serious Covid19 cases. Pfizer said its finalstage trial which included more than 2000 patients showed Paxlovid cut the risk of hospitalization or death by 89 if patients took the pill within three days of diagnosis. Still Shionogi said it believed its trials to date covering about 400 mostly Japanese patients would offer sufficient evidence to seek approval in Japan where the Pfizer drug is expected to be approved shortly but is likely to be in limited supply. Shionogi said its trial found the pill codenamed S217622 neutralized the virus quickly and didnt cause serious or lasting side effects. I think this is excellent data said Shionogis chief executive Isao Teshirogi. https://www.wsj.com/articles/covid-19-pill-competing-with-pfizers-looks-for-quick-approval-in-japan-11644232232 7th Feb 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

iNews Leading fertility specialists are urging women having IVF to get vaccinated citing overwhelming evidence that the vaccine is safe for those trying to conceive. IVF doctors told i mixed messages and a lack of public messaging at the start of the vaccine rollout had caused concern and anxiety for some patients hoping to get pregnant. The British Fertility Society BFS and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists RCOG say women having IVF should get vaccinated with research showing that vaccines do not affect fertility or ovarian reserve. https://inews.co.uk/news/covid-vaccine-women-ivf-doctors-jabs-dont-harm-fertility-1438708 7th Feb 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

The Wall Street Journal Drugmaker Shionogi Co. said it plans to seek approval this month to sell its Covid19 treatment pill in Japan after the company found that in human trials the pill had strong virusfighting ability compared with Pfizer Inc.s Paxlovid. Shionogi acknowledged that studies of its drug are much smaller than Pfizers and have yet to prove effectiveness in preventing serious Covid19 cases. Pfizer said its finalstage trial which included more than 2000 patients showed Paxlovid cut the risk of hospitalization or death by 89 if patients took the pill within three days of diagnosis. Still Shionogi said it believed its trials to date covering about 400 mostly Japanese patients would offer sufficient evidence to seek approval in Japan where the Pfizer drug is expected to be approved shortly but is likely to be in limited supply. Shionogi said its trial found the pill codenamed S217622 neutralized the virus quickly and didnt cause serious or lasting side effects. https://www.wsj.com/articles/covid-19-pill-competing-with-pfizers-looks-for-quick-approval-in-japan-11644232232 7th Feb 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

Pharmaceutical Technology The University of Oxford in the UK has announced the launch of a research partnership to analyse the repurposing of existing antiviral drugs for the treatment of Covid19. Funded by the Medical Research Council and led by Queens University Belfast this 2.16m 1.6m project will have specialists from Queens the University of Liverpool and the University of Oxford. As part of the project the team will quickly detect the new combination of drugs that could effectively treat Covid19 by using a dataguided approach. Antiviral therapies are specifically utilised for treating viral infections by destroying or preventing the virus growth. In the initial stage this project will analyse 138 drugs with recognised antiviral activity against the SARSCoV2 virus. https://www.pharmaceutical-technology.com/news/oxford-repurposed-antiviral-covid/ 7th Feb 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

CNBC Africa The mRNAbased COVID19 vaccine produced at the World Health Organizationbacked vaccine hub in South Africa could take up to three years to get approval if companies do not share their technology and data a WHO official said on Friday. The WHObacked tech transfer hub in South Africa was set up in June to give poorer nations the knowhow to produce COVID19 vaccines after market leaders of the mRNA COVID vaccine Pfizer BioNTech and Moderna declined a WHO request to share their technology and expertise. Martin Friede coordinator of the WHO Initiative for Vaccine Research said if companies with approved COVID vaccines or late stage clinical data shared their technology and data with the consortium the vaccine produced in South Africa could be approved in 12 to 18 months. https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2022/approval-of-covid-vaccine-made-in-south-africa-could-take-3-years-who-says/ 7th Feb 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

Reuters South Africas health regulator said on Monday it had approved a COVID19 vaccine from Chinas Sinopharm although a senior health official said the government was not planning to procure doses for now. South Africa the country worsthit by the pandemic in Africa in terms of reported COVID19 infections and deaths has used the PfizerBioNTech and Johnson Johnson shots in its vaccination campaig https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/safricas-health-regulator-registers-sinopharm-covid-vaccine-2022-02-07/ 7th Feb 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

Reuters Restoring normal population mobility to COVIDzero regions like China will cause ome 2 million deaths in a year and the key to controlling the virus is developing vaccines that are better at preventing infection Chinese researchers said. Chinas zeroCOVID restrictions have come under growing scrutiny in recent weeks as it hosts the Winter Olympics in Beijing while using sweeping restrictions to try to prevent the spread of the more infectious Omicron variant https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/easing-curbs-covid-zero-regions-could-cause-2-mln-deaths-year-china-study-2022-02-07/ 7th Feb 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

Reuters Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Monday the government would consider granting conditional early approval for the oral COVID19 treatment being developed by Shionogi Co Ltd as the firm prepares to start a latestage global trial. Shionogi Chief Executive Isao Teshirogi told reporters that the company could file in Japan for early approval of the drug as soon as next week and that it could deliver enough doses for 1 million people by the end of March. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/japan-considers-allowing-shionogis-covid-oral-tablets-this-spring-mainichi-2022-02-06/ 7th Feb 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

ABC News Five people with COVID19 have died in South Australia taking the total number of deaths in the state since the start of the pandemic to 133. The victims are a man in his 70s a woman and two men in their 80s and a man in his 90s. Our thoughts are with the family and friends of those people who have sadly passed Premier Steven Marshall said. There were 1147 positive cases of coronavirus in the past 24 hours to midnight the lowest total this year. There are currently 14635 active cases in the state the lowest number since January 1. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-02-07/five-new-covid-19-deaths-in-sa-as-cases-fall/100809600 7th Feb 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters The Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics Organising Committee said on Monday that 24 new COVID19 cases were detected among gamesrelated personnel on Feb. 6. Eleven of the cases were found among new airport arrivals according to a notice on the Beijing 2022 official website. Thirteen others were among those already in the closed loop bubble that separates all event personnel from the public five of whom were classified as either an athlete or team official the notice said. https://www.reuters.com/world/china/beijing-olympics-organiser-says-24-new-covid-cases-amongst-games-related-2022-02-07/ 7th Feb 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters Hong Kong residents crowded supermarkets and neighbourhood fresh food markets on Monday to stock up on vegetables noodles and other necessities after a record number of COVID19 infections in the city and transport disruptions at the border with mainland China. The city of 7.5 million people reported a record 614 coronavirus cases on Monday in the biggest test yet for the Chinese territorys zeroCOVID strategy https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/hong-kong-residents-raid-supermarket-shelves-covid-surge-disrupts-supplies-2022-02-07/ 7th Feb 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters Indonesia will tighten social restrictions in Jakarta and Bali as well as in two other cities on Java island in a bid to contain a spike in coronavirus infections a senior cabinet minister said on Monday. Separately the transport ministry clarified that overseas tourists would still be able to enter the country through the capital Jakarta after the ministry indicated otherwise in a statement issued on Sunday. It earlier said foreign tourists and Indonesians returning from holidays abroad would be temporarily banned from flying into Jakarta as a further precaution against COVID19. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/indonesia-bans-foreign-tourist-arrivals-jakarta-airport-covid-19-spikes-2022-02-07/ 7th Feb 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters Britain reported 54095 COVID19 cases and 75 deaths in its daily official data on Sunday with the sevenday figure for both falling compared with the week before. In the last week infection numbers were down 5 while deaths fell by 7 on the seven days before. https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/britain-reports-covid-cases-deaths-fell-last-week-2022-02-06/ 7th Feb 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters Hong Kong reported a record 614 new COVID19 cases on Monday health authorities said in the biggest test yet for the citys zeroCOVID strategy as it grapples to contain a growing outbreak. The global financial hub which is following mainland Chinas strategy of suppressing all coronavirus outbreaks as soon as possible has seen cases soar since January with over 2000 infections compared with just two in December. In addition to the confirmed infections there were more than 600 other preliminary positive cases on Monday authorities said. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/hong-kongs-zero-covid-strategy-under-pressure-cases-soar-2022-02-07/ 7th Feb 2022

New Lockdown

Rappler Authorities in Chinas southwestern city of Baise ordered residents to stay at home from Monday February 7 and avoid unnecessary travel as they enforced curbs that are among the toughest in the nations toolbox to fight rising local infections of COVID19. The outbreak in Baise which has a population of about 3.6 million and borders Vietnam is tiny by global standards but the curbs including a ban on nonessential trips in and out follow a national guideline to quickly contain any flareups.The effort takes on extra urgency during the staging of the Winter Olympics which began on Friday and run until February 20 as well as a busy travel season for the Lunar New Year holiday. https://www.rappler.com/world/asia-pacific/china-baise-city-lockdown-covid-19-cases-february-2022/ 7th Feb 2022