China weighs exit from ‘zero COVID’ and the risks involved
Even as authorities lock down cities in China’s worst outbreak in two years , they are looking for an exit from what has been a successful but onerous COVID-19 prevention Continue Reading
Pandemic restrictions slow crude discharging at northeast China port, impacting refiners
Highlights Panjin North Asphalt Fuel cuts throughput amid feedstock shortage Ports, refineries in eastern China operating normally Restrictions aimed at containing a COVID-19 outbreak in northeast China have impacted crude Continue Reading
With a Flurry of High-Profile Coronavirus Cases, Washington Is Again on Edge
A flurry of high-profile coronavirus cases in the nation’s capital — including in people who have been around President Biden — has raised new questions about the trajectory of the Continue Reading
WHO says global rise in COVID cases is ‘tip of the iceberg’
Figures showing a global rise in COVID-19 cases could herald a much bigger problem as some countries also report a drop in testing rates, the WHO said on Tuesday, warning Continue Reading
New Lockdowns In China Could Derail Oil Demand Growth
The Chinese zero-COVID policy has been spooking the oil market several times over the past two years. China locked down all 17.5 million residents in the business hub Shenzhen. Chinese Continue Reading
China’s Shenzhen city says will allow firms to resume work in an orderly manner
Shenzhen city in China, a key technology and manufacturing hub that had halted operations of companies to tackle rising COVID-19 cases, will allow them to resume work and production in Continue Reading
U.S. experts bracing for another coronavirus surge
A surge in coronavirus infections in Western Europe has experts and health authorities on alert for another wave of the pandemic in the United States, even as most of the country has done Continue Reading
Covid-19 Live Updates: Cases, Vaccines and the Latest News
As the Asia-Pacific region struggles with its first Omicron surge, it appears that Europe may be heading for a second jump, just as countries on both continents have rapidly lifted Continue Reading
COVID curbs bite at Chinese ports, threatening global supply chains
The queues of container ships outside major Chinese ports are lengthening by the day as COVID-19 outbreaks in manufacturing export hubs threaten to unleash a fresh wave of global supply Continue Reading
Chinese province bordering North Korea, Russia in ‘last ditch’ COVID battle
China’s Jilin province was “in a last ditch battle” against COVID-19, according to a senior Communist Party official, as the northeastern region bordering North Korea and Russia accounted for three-quarters Continue Reading
Analysis: China’s COVID governance under pressure as Omicron spreads
China’s public health governance is expected to come under acute pressure in coming weeks as the biggest wave of COVID-19 cases since the 2020 Wuhan outbreak stretches medical resources, tests Continue Reading
China’s soaring COVID case load raises concerns about costs of containment
China posted a steep jump in daily COVID-19 infections on Tuesday, with new cases more than doubling from a day earlier to hit a two-year high, raising concerns about the Continue Reading
Lockdowns Spread Across China as Race to Contain Covid-19 Outbreak Intensifies
Fallout from China’s race to halt its worsening coronavirus outbreak is growing as authorities order lockdowns and other restrictions across more of the country. All 24 million residents of northeastern Jilin province, Continue Reading
Hong Kong leader says no plans to tighten COVID social distancing measures
Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said on Monday there were no current plans to further tighten strict social distancing measures as authorities battle to contain a deepening coronavirus outbreak which Continue Reading
China records more local COVID cases this year than in whole of 2021
Residents line up at a makeshift nucleic acid testing site during a mass testing for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Chaoyang district of Beijing, China March 14, 2022. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang Continue Reading
China Locks Down World’s Second-Tallest Building in Covid Fight
Shanghai Tower, center, right, in the Lujiazui Financial District of Shanghai. Bloomberg News Shanghai Tower was locked down Monday, trapping workers and visitors inside as authorities race to contain a Continue Reading
China daily local COVID cases hit two-year high of over 1,500
Mainland China reported more than 1,500 new local COVID-19 infections on Saturday, the most since the initial nationwide outbreak at the start of 2020, as the Omicron variant prompts cities Continue Reading
China’s local symptomatic COVID cases nearly double; curbs start to bite
Residents line up for nucleic acid testing at a residential compound following new cases of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Wuhan, Hubei province, China February 22, 2022. China Daily via Continue Reading
Shanghai Suspends Classes as Cases Surge in China: Virus Update
Healthcare workers transfer the body of a deceased patient into a mortuary at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Hong Kong on March 8. Bloomberg News Shanghai suspended in-person classes for Continue Reading
China Looking to Divert Flights From Shanghai as Covid Surges
A healthcare worker at a Covid-19 testing facility in Shanghai, China, on March 10. Bloomberg News China has discussed diverting international flights away from Shanghai to other cities, as the Continue Reading
China locks down city of 9 million amid new spike in cases
China on Friday ordered a lockdown of the 9 million residents of the northeastern city of Changchun amid a new spike in COVID-19 cases in the area attributed to the Continue Reading
China struggles to rein in biggest virus outbreak since Wuhan
Mainland China is struggling to contain its biggest coronavirus outbreak since the pandemic erupted in Wuhan two years ago, as the Omicron variant tests President Xi Jinping’s zero-tolerance strategy and Continue Reading
Hong Kong’s Covid Crackdown Empties Stores and Sets Off Exodus
As the government in Hong Kong struggles to contain the city’s worst Covid outbreak ever, some residents have panicked. They have emptied supermarket shelves of vegetables and meat. They have Continue Reading
Hong Kong’s covid outbreak has spiraled out of control, and the elderly are dying in droves
There are no funeral ceremonies for some of the hundreds of elderly Hong Kong residents dying every day of covid. Their bodies are instead sealed in plastic bags and then Continue Reading
China Looking to Reduce Social Cost of Covid Zero, Official Says
China is looking for ways to reduce the “social costs” of its strict Covid Zero strategy, an official said on Thursday, in a sign that Beijing is looking to adjust Continue Reading
How Will China Relax Its Zero-Covid Grip? With Bubbles, Drugs and New Messaging
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Hong Kong residents empty supermarkets ahead of city-wide lockdown
Hong Kong residents braced for a city-wide lockdown, emptying supermarkets and pharmacies, even as leader Carrie Lam called for calm on Tuesday and appealed for the public not to worry Continue Reading
Got a Covid Booster? You Probably Won’t Need Another for a Long Time
As people across the world grapple with the prospect of living with the coronavirus for the foreseeable future, one question looms large: How soon before they need yet another shot? Continue Reading
China locks down southern city as omicron variant surges
Residents wearing face masks to help protect from the coronavirus ride an electric scooter along a street decorated with red lanterns in Beijing, Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2022. China has ordered Continue Reading
China locks down city on Vietnam border as COVID cases rise
People wearing protective masks ride bicycles, as the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic continues, in Beijing, China January 30, 2022. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu BEIJING, Feb 7 (Reuters) – Authorities in China’s southwestern Continue Reading
Omicron arrives in Iraq
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases is increasing again in Iraq as the omicron variant spreads and vaccination rates remain low, but the new strain’s milder symptoms are relieving pressure Continue Reading
Beijing Olympics says growing COVID cases are ‘within controllable range’
The COVID-19 situation at the Beijing Winter Olympics is within the “expected controllable range”, despite increasing positive cases being detected, a senior official at China’s Olympics Pandemic Prevention and Control Continue Reading
Beijing seals off more residential areas, reports 12 cases
Beijing officials said Sunday they had sealed off several residential communities north of the city center after two cases of COVID-19 were found. The Chinese capital is on high alert Continue Reading
Russia’s daily COVID-19 count soars above 110,000
Russia has confirmed 11,404,617 cases of coronavirus and 328,770 deaths, according to the national coronavirus information center. Russia’s total excess fatality count since the start of the coronavirus pandemic is Continue Reading
China lifts COVID lockdown in Xi’an, tests 2M in Beijing
Chinese authorities lifted a monthlong lockdown on the northern city of Xi’an and its 13 million residents Monday as infections subside ahead of the opening of the Winter Olympics in Continue Reading
Beijing introduces more COVID measures as cases mount before Olympics
Beijing’s city government on Sunday introduced new measures to contain a recent outbreak of COVID-19, as China’s capital continued to report new local cases of the virus less than two Continue Reading
First flights leave Chinese city Xi’an as travel curbs ease
The first commercial airline flights in one month took off Saturday from Xi’an in western China as the government eased travel curbs imposed after a coronavirus outbreak ahead of next Continue Reading
U.S. studies highlight the need for COVID boosters to fight Omicron
Three U.S. studies show that the third dose of an mRNA vaccine is key to fighting the Omicron coronavirus variant, providing 90% protection against hospitalization due to COVID-19, the U.S. Continue Reading
Sputnik V shows higher Omicron-antibody levels than Pfizer in preliminary study
A small preliminary laboratory study has shown that levels of Omicron-neutralising antibodies of people vaccinated with Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine did not decline as much as of those who had Continue Reading
Coronavirus spreading like never before in Americas, health agency says
COVID-19 infections are reaching new peaks in the Americas with 7.2 million new cases and more than 15,000 COVID-related deaths in the last week, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Continue Reading
Betting Omicron has peaked, PM Johnson drops COVID rules in England
LONDON, Jan 19 (Reuters) – British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the end of COVID-19 measures including mandatory face masks in England as he looks to live with the virus Continue Reading
Europe considers new COVID-19 strategy: accepting the virus
When the coronavirus pandemic was first declared, Spaniards were ordered to stay home for more than three months. For weeks, they were not allowed outside even for exercise . Children Continue Reading
Japan widens COVID-19 curbs as Omicron drives record infections
Japan on Wednesday widened COVID-19 curbs to the capital Tokyo and a dozen regions covering half the population as the Omicron variant of coronavirus drove record new infections. Already in Continue Reading
Germany surpasses 100,000 daily COVID-19 cases for first time
Germany reported 112,323 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, a fresh single-day record as the health minister said the peak had not been reached and compulsory vaccination should be introduced by Continue Reading
French COVID hospitalisations see biggest jump since Nov 2020
The number of people with COVID-19 in French hospitals rose by 888 to 25,775, the health ministry said on Monday, the biggest one-day increase since early November 2020 – before Continue Reading
China Faces Mounting Economic Damage From Its Covid-Zero Policy
In 2021, China managed to stamp out scattered Covid outbreaks while still delivering annual economic growth in the neighborhood of 8%. It helped that, even as the country kept its Continue Reading
Chinese city of Dalian finds Omicron case from Tianjin
The northeastern Chinese city of Dalian detected one COVID-19 infection of the highly transmissible Omicron variant of the coronavirus, state television said in a report late on Wednesday. The virus Continue Reading
Omicron Spreads in China; Germany Cases at Record: Virus Update
China detected omicron in a second major port city, deepening concern of a wider outbreak at Beijing’s doorstep and raising the prospect that more foreign businesses might follow Toyota Motor Continue Reading
Omicron Puts China’s Zero-Covid Strategy to Its Toughest Test
Over the past two years, China has used some of the strictest measures anywhere to keep Covid-19 out and long succeeded in holding numbers down. But as Omicron poses the Continue Reading
China locks down third city, raising affected to 20 million
A third Chinese city has locked down its residents because of a COVID-19 outbreak, raising the number confined to their homes in China to about 20 million people. It wasn’t Continue Reading