Colombo, June 18 (IANS) Sri Lankan authorities have announced that the highly transmissible B.1.617.2 or Delta variant has been detected for the first time from the community in capital Colombo.
The Latest: Pakistan counts 201 dead in highest 1-day toll
by The Associated Press
Last Updated Apr 28, 2021 at 12:17 am PDT
A man wearing a face mask as a precaution against the coronavirus looks at his smartphone near a banner reading Mandatory mask wearing at a park in Goyang, South Korea, Wednesday, April 28, 2021. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
ISLAMABAD Pakistani authorities on Wednesday reported 201 deaths from coronavirus, the country’s highest single-day toll of the pandemic.
According to National Command and Control Center, 5,292 new cases of infection were reported in the past 24 hours.
Since last year, Pakistan has reported 17,530 deaths from COVID-19 among 810,231 cases.
The Latest: Guidelines ease, CDC head cautiously optimistic
By The Associated PressApril 28, 2021 GMT
WASHINGTON Top U.S. infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci says it’s likely as coronavirus cases go down, guidelines aimed at protecting people against the spread will be loosened.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has eased its guidelines on the wearing of masks outdoors, saying fully vaccinated Americans don’t need to cover their faces anymore unless they are in a large crowd of strangers.
Fauci told NBC’s “Today” show on Wednesday as cases decrease, “you are definitely going to see the CDC come back and be more flexible.” Fauci says, “They’re going to be pulling back on some of the restrictions guarantee it.”
The Latest: Pakistan counts 201 dead in highest 1-day toll
By The Associated PressApril 28, 2021 GMT
ISLAMABAD Pakistani authorities on Wednesday reported 201 deaths from coronavirus, the country’s highest single-day toll of the pandemic.
According to National Command and Control Center, 5,292 new cases of infection were reported in the past 24 hours.
Since last year, Pakistan has reported 17,530 deaths from COVID-19 among 810,231 cases.
The current surge has forced the government of Prime Minister Imran Khan to deploy troops to help ensure people follow social distancing rules in cities hard hit by coronavirus cases.
Pakistan is planning a lockdown in the worst-hit cities in the first week of May. Khan has resisted demands for a nationwide lockdown, citing its economic impact, but he has also warned that he will be forced to impose a lockdown if people do not stop violating social distancing rules.
BRUSSELS The European Union’s executive branch says the first hearing in its legal case against coronavirus vaccine-maker AstraZeneca will take place in a Brussels court on May 26. The European Commission says it’s taking the British-Swedish firm to court for failing to respect the vaccine delivery commitments in its contract with the 27-nation bloc. AstraZeneca’s contract with the EU, which the Commission signed on behalf of the member countries last August, foresaw an initial 300 million doses for distribution among member countries.