COVID-19

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 …

The UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, received his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine on Thursday in New York, a UN statement said. “I was fortunate and grateful to get the first dose of my COVID-19 vaccine today,” Guterres said after getting his shot. “We must get to work to make sure the vaccine is available to everyone, everywhere. Our world …

At the conference of Germany’s federal and state governments on 19 January, it was decided that it’s compulsory to wear medical or FFP2 masks on public transport (bus, train, tram) and while shopping. Lufthansa has also announced its adoption of the new regulation aboard its flights from 1 February. What are medical and FFP2 masks? Where can I get them? …

German carrier Lufthansa has announced that its onboard mask policy will become stricter from 1 February. The airline will no longer permit what it calls “everyday masks”. “We are adapting the policy to wear face masks while travelling. From 1 February 2021, only the following types of face masks will be permitted on flights to and from Germany: FFP2, KN95 …

Because of the stricter coronavirus containment measures in force requiring medical masks to be worn on public transport and while shopping, the federal government wants to support those in need: Hartz IV recipients are to receive ten free FFP2 masks each Around five million recipients of basic benefits (Hartz IV) are to receive ten FFP2 masks each, Social Minister Hubertus …

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Tuesday urged the world’s wealthiest countries to stop “hoarding” vaccines and called for an end to “vaccine nationalism.” In remarks delivered at the World Economic Forum’s virtual Davos Agenda event, Ramaphosa cautioned that some countries had ordered more supplies of vaccines than they needed, and that this was counterproductive to the global recovery effort. …

In view of the Corona pandemic, a broad alliance of 36 trade unions and social associations is demanding an increase in the standard rates of Hartz IV and basic old-age security to at least 600 euros as well as immediate additional assistance for poor people. The signatories of the letter to the federal government, calling for increased social support for …

According to a new report of the global news agency Reuters, Africa’s coronavirus case fatality rate stands at 2.5%, higher than the global level of 2.2%, a trend that is alarming experts. Earlier in the pandemic, Africa’s death rate had been below the global average, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) head John Nkengasong is quoted as …

The European Commission announced on Tuesday (19 January) its plan to accelerate the roll-out of vaccination across the EU. The Commission wants to see at least 80 percent of health and social care professionals and 80 percent of people over 80 years old vaccinated by March. But member states should also have vaccinated at least 70 percent of the adult …