COVID-19

The federal government says “emergency brake” measures to combat rising case numbers are to be legally mandated in all federal states, replacing a patchwork system. The change must now be passed by parliament. On Tuesday, Cabinet members approved legal changes to grant the federal government more power to enforce coronavirus regulations in German states. The changes to the German Infection Protection Act must …

The European Medicines Agency says blood clotting should be listed as a “very rare” side effect of the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine. But the EU regulator says the benefits of the jab outweigh the risks. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) on Wednesday said blood-clotting should be listed as a “very rare” side effect of taking the AstraZeneca COVID vaccine. But the EU regulator said the …

Facebook Inc has announced that it had started adding labels to posts that discussed the safety of Covid-19 vaccines and would soon label all posts about the vaccines. The social media giant would as well as launch a tool to help people find available vaccine sites nearby. The social media company, which has been criticised by lawmakers and researchers for …

The fight against the coronavirus has affected a great many aspects of our lives and the pandemic has had an undeniably disproportionate impact on people with a migration background. We have here sources of empowering information for Africans living in Germany, ranging from practical advice on prevention, treatment and vaccination to travel protocols and specific support measures for migrant entrepreneurs. …

By Dr Michael Nnaji*, Berlin Charité Hospital The age of freedom that the internet ushered in has led, in my opinion, to a widespread abuse of the medium in recent times about the Covid-19 pandemic, as ideological battles rage between advocates of a rational, science-based approach and the “gut thinkers”. As the saying goes: in war the first casualty is …

Across Europe, the pandemic has had a disproportionate negative impact on people with a migration background, not only in terms of health but also jobs, education, language training and other integration measures. Because immigrants live in overcrowded housing conditions and are concentrated in jobs where physical distancing is difficult, among other reasons, they are at much higher risk of coronavirus …

The coronavirus vaccine made by Johnson & Johnson can now also be used in the European Union. The vaccine was approved by the EU Commission on Thursday, as President Ursula von der Leyen announced on Twitter. “More safe and effective vaccines are coming to the market.,” von der Leyen wrote. It is the fourth vaccine against covid-19 approved in the …

The BILD-Zeitung’s report has thrown open the debate on the fact that the pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on the migrant populations across Europe

Chancellor Angela Merkel and the Premiers of the 16 federal states decided on Wednesday (3 March) to extend the shutdown until 28 March. In the same breadth, a plan for the easing of the restrictions was announced. “The daily reporting figures show that the efforts of the last few months have paid off and lower incidences have been achieved. This …

“We continue to work with health authorities around the world to ensure high visibility access to trusted and accurate public health information on our service, including about COVID-19 vaccines”

Nigeria has received nearly four million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, courtesy of the COVAX Facility, a partnership between CEPI, Gavi, UNICEF and WHO. The United Nations (UN) in Nigeria made this known in a statement issued on Tuesday (2 March). According to the statement, Nigeria on Tuesday received 3.94 million doses of the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine, manufactured by the Serum …

The World Health Organization (WHO) has delivered its first Covid-19 doses to Ghana under a programme to ensure low-income countries do not wait for years to start inoculating their populations. Ghana became the first country to receive the vaccines through the COVAX program on Wednesday, a joint statement issued by UNICEF Ghana and WHO Ghana said. An aircraft carrying 600,000 …

Online claims of coronavirus vaccines being lethal are rife following a string of deaths in care homes that vaccinated residents. Jordan Wildon of the German international broadcaster DW looks into cases around the world and what was behind them. With coronavirus vaccine distribution well underway around the world, all eyes are on those who have already received the jabs. For …

The World Health Organization (WHO) has approved the first vaccine for its COVAX program, aimed at ensuring equitable access to vaccines in Low- and middle-income countries. On Monday, the UN health agency issued emergency approval for the AstraZeneca vaccine, with deliveries expected to commence by March. The approval comes after a study in South Africa indicates that the AstraZeneca vaccine …

Since 14 December, travellers returning home and those entering Germany from a risk area (Risikogebiet) have to be mandatorily tested for the coronavirus infection prior to entry or immediately thereafter. Those entering from a risk area must present a negative coronavirus test within 48 hours of entry. In addition, they must undergo a ten-day quarantine, which can be shortened after …

Highly contagious variants of the coronavirus from Brazil and South Africa are spreading in Austria, France and the Czech Republic and causing concerns Germany. Entry checks will be stricter as from Sunday at German borders with neighbouring countries due to new travel restrictions introduced by government to check the spread of the more dangerous coronavirus mutations.  Federal Interior Minister Horst …

According to the resolution of the Corona Summit, a meeting between Chancellor Angela Merkel and the premiers of the 16 federal states on the management of the pandemic, on Wednesday the lockdown measures in force will be extended in principle until 7 March. Among the key other decisions made at the meeting was that individual federal states should decide on …

The federal and state governments have agreed to extend the existing shutdown measures in Germany. On Wednesday, Chancellor Angela Merkel and the premiers of the 16 federal states reached decisions on the further course of the pandemic’s management. Highlights of the resolution of the Corona Summit at a glance: Lockdown extended until 7 March Corona infection numbers are falling, but …

Germany’s governing grand coalition has agreed on further aid to families and businesses because of the corona pandemic. The decision was made by the coalition committee of CDU/CSU and SPD on Wednesday (3 February), after a meeting in the office of the chancellor in Berlin. The meeting, at which the new CDU leader Armin Laschet also took part for the …

To slow down the spread of particularly contagious coronavirus mutations, the federal government has drastically restricted entry from Portugal, Ireland, Great Britain, South Africa and Brazil into Germany beginning from Saturday (30 January). According to the new ordinance passed by the federal cabinet, airlines, rail, bus and shipping companies are in principle no longer allowed to transport passengers from these …