China’s coronavirus vaccine may be ready for the public as early as November, an official said, while sources told Reuters that U.S. trials of AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine, one of the most advanced in development, remains on hold until at least midweek.
ASIA-PACIFIC
* India’s tally of infections neared 5 million after the world’s second-most populous nation reported 83,809 new cases for its lowest daily jump in a week, the health ministry said on Tuesday.
* South Korea will secure early supply of the novel coronavirus vaccines for 30 million people, or 60% of its population, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun told a cabinet meeting.
* Australia’s second-most populous state Victoria, the country’s Covid-19 epicentre, on Tuesday reported zero deaths from the virus in the past 24 hours, a milestone not recorded for two months.
* Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte vowed to prioritise buying Covid-19 vaccine to be made available by Russia or China, while taking a swipe at pharmaceutical firms of western nations asking for advance payment for their offers.
EUROPE
* Marseille and Bordeaux, two of France’s biggest cities, faced stricter rules for beach gatherings, visiting the elderly in care homes and attendance at outdoor public events.
* A group of scientists sent a formal letter to the Lancet outlining doubts about the accuracy of early data on Russia’s Covid-19 vaccine, one of the authors said, adding further fuel to a dispute surrounding the “Sputnik-V” shot.
MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA
* The United Arab Emirates granted emergency approval for use of a coronavirus vaccine, six weeks after human trials in the Gulf Arab state started.
* Jordan will suspend schools for two weeks from Thursday and close places of worship, restaurants and public markets as part of renewed restrictions after a record spike in cases in the last few days.
AMERICAS
* Seven U.S. states have reported record one-day increases in cases so far this month even as the average daily number of new infections is falling nationally.
* The U.S. State Department eased a travel advisory for Americans considering travel to China or Hong Kong from “Do Not Travel” to “Reconsider Travel,” citing “improved conditions.”
* A U.S. federal judge ruled as unconstitutional some of Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf’s orders to control the Covid-19 outbreak.
MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS
* Eli Lilly and Co said its rheumatoid arthritis drug shortened the time to recovery in hospitalized Covid-19 patients when used along with Gilead Sciences Inc’s remdesivir.
ECONOMIC IMPACT
* Major oil industry producers and traders are forecasting a bleak future for worldwide fuel demand due to the pandemic’s ongoing assault on the global economy.
* China’s industrial output accelerated the most in eight months in August, suggesting the economic recovery is gathering pace.