JUST IN | INSACOG confirms BA.4 & BA.5 variants of Covid-19 in India.
SII seeks permission for Phase-3 trial of Covovax as booster dose in children aged 2 to 18 years
The Serum Institute of India (SII) has sought permission from the country's drug regulator to conduct Phase-3 trial to evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of its Covid-19 vaccine Covovax as a booster dose in children aged two to 18 years, official sources said on Sunday.
The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) had granted permission in March for conducting Phase-3 clinical trial of Covovax as a booster dose in adults.
In an application, SII Director for Government and Regulatory Affairs Prakash Kumar Singh has sought permission to conduct the Phase-3, observer-blinded, randomised, controlled study in children aged two to 18 years in India who have already received primary vaccination against Covid-19 with Covovax at least six months ago.
Oman ends all Covid protective measures
Oman announced on Sunday the lifting of all measures that had been taken to prevent the spread of Covid-19, in all venues and for all activities, state TV reported, citing a statement from the government committee dealing with the pandemic.
There have been 389,943 infections and 4,260 coronavirus-related deaths reported in the sultanate since the pandemic began, according to Reuters data.
Fiji receives over 119,000 tourists since opening borders
Fiji has received more than 119,000 international tourists since the island nation reopened its borders in December last year, Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama announced on Sunday.
Bainimarama said Fiji received over 46,000 visitors in April, bringing the total arrivals this year to more than 95,000, Xinhua news agency quoted the Prime Minister as saying.
Meanwhile, Fiji's Permanent Secretary for Trade and Tourism Shaheen Ali said that the April figures show 61 per cent of arrivals at pre-Covid levels.
According to the government, Fiji is expected to receive 447,000 tourists this year.
The tourism industry, which accounts for about 35 per cent of Fiji's gross domestic product and employs approximately 150,000 people directly and indirectly, is the backbone of the island nation's economy and the biggest foreign exchange earner.
The country received more than 800,000 visitors per year before the pandemic. - IANS.
Shanghai partly resumes public transport in patchy reopening
Shanghai partially restarted public transport Sunday, signaling a gradual reopening after nearly two months sealed off from the outside world.
China's largest city has been almost entirely locked down since April, when it became the epicentre of the country's worst coronavirus outbreak since the early days of the pandemic.
Unlike other major economies, Beijing has dug in its heels on a zero-Covid approach of stamping out clusters as they emerge, though this has become increasingly difficult with the infectious Omicron variant. - AFP.
India logged 2,226 new coronavirus infections taking the total tally of Covid-19 cases to 4,31,36,371, while the active cases dipped to 14,955, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Sunday.
Ukraine war, pandemic push to colour WHO international meet
The Ukraine war looms large as the World Health Organisation opens its main annual assembly Sunday, threatening to overshadow efforts on other health crises and a reform push aimed at preventing future pandemics.
N Korea reports 'positive trend' in Covid fight as fever cases dip
For the first time in nearly 10 days North Korea's daily "fever" cases dropped below 200,000, state media said on Sunday, reporting "a positive trend" after measures were taken to control the country's first acknowledged Covid-19 outbreak.
The Covid wave, declared on May 12, has fuelled concerns over a lack of vaccines, inadequate medical infrastructure and a potential food crisis in the country of 25 million. It has refused most outside help, kept its borders shut and allows no independent confirmation of official data. (Reuters)
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