COVID-19 Update: April 21, 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic continues with its rising trend. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), global new cases have been rising for nearly two consecutive months, reaching a total of 141 million reported cases and causing more than 3 million deaths. India, the US and Brazil have experienced high caseloads, accounting for around 40% of last week’s total infections worldwide.
 
The vaccination efforts so far have allowed more than 900 million vaccine doses across 156 countries to be administered, with an estimated rate of 16.1 million jabs per day. So far, the number of doses given is enough to immunize around 5% of the global population. However, the distribution has been rather unequal, with the world’s wealthiest economies accounting for nearly 40% of the global vaccinations.
 
In a recent summit organized by the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that “Vaccine equity is the challenge of our time”, however, the “dramatic” inequity in vaccine coverage, among others, have led to an alarming spike in new cases and deaths. Moreover, the WHO chief urged countries possessing large quantities of vaccines to make immediate donations to COVAX.

In a recent speech at the Financing for Development (FfD) Forum, the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General António Guterres said that “An enormous push at the highest political level” is needed to address the challenges posed by COVID-19. Mr. Guterres indicated that an equitable global response to recover from the pandemic was needed, such as closing the funding gap of the UN-backed vaccine initiative, COVAX, and actions aimed to address the debt crises.

A recent publication by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) reported that investment flows from the private sectors to developing and transition economies in sectors relevant for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), fell by one-third in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
 
Compared to developed economies, the decline in SDG-relevant investment was much larger in developing and transition economies, most notably in infrastructure development and in the food and agriculture sector.

According to a press release published by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) on April 13, the UNECE Task Force set up under the Transport, Health and Environment Pan-European Programme (THE PEP), has developed a set of key recommendations for green and healthy sustainable transport to assist Member States in the post-COVID-19 recovery. The recommendations range from supporting active mobility, by improving infrastructures and promoting activities such as cycling, to increasing investment for eco-friendly public transports.

In a recent press release, the WHO Chief Dr. Ghebreyesus reportedly said that the COVID-19 pandemic is “a long way from over”. The remark came after a further increase in infections worldwide was reported by the agency. However, the WHO Chief added that the pandemic could be brought under control in a few months with more consistent public health measures and a more equitable vaccination program.
 
Under the ongoing COVAX vaccination program, the WHO recently announced that more than 38 million doses of AstraZeneca, Pfizer-BioNTech and COVISHIELD COVID-19 vaccines have been transported globally so far. According to its latest supply forecast, COVAX expects to deliver at least 2 billion doses of vaccines in 2021.
 
On April 12, the WHO and partners published an interim guidance with proposals for a ban on sales of live wild mammals in traditional food markets, also known as “wet markets”, in efforts to prevent the emergence of new deadly diseases, such as COVID-19.
 
In addition to halting sales of wild animals, the guidelines also call for governments to enforce stricter food safety, hygiene and environmental standards in traditional food markets to reduce transmission of zoonotic diseases. 

On April 12, the World Trade Organization (WTO) has issued a call for proposals for this year’s Public Forum, “Trade beyond COVID-19: Building Resilience”, which is expected to be held from 28 to 30 September 2021. The Forum will revolve around the effects of the pandemic on trade and how countries can build resilience against future crises.
 
Following a recent meeting with the United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai, the WTO Director-General Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said that a sustainable and inclusive economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic could only be achieved with equitable access to vaccines, especially in developing and least-developed countries.

Australia keeps maintaining a low number of new cases, thanks to rapid response to emerging new clusters of infections and strict quarantine measures imposed on arrivals. The country’s vaccination campaign, however, has recently suffered a setback due to the decision to restrict the inoculations of the AstraZeneca vaccine to people aged 50 or more. The new recommendation followed after European regulators indicated the possibility of links between the AstraZeneca shot and reports of rare cases of blood clots. Moreover, last week the Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said that plans to provide at least one vaccine dose to all the country’s population by year-end will inevitably be postponed.

The country is still reporting a very high number of new cases and record deaths, topping more than 4,000 casualties on April 10. According to a recent news release from Reuters, the populous state of Sao Paulo has warned that its healthcare system is on the verge of collapsing, due to shortages of medications and a very high occupancy rate of the hospital’s intensive care units.
 
Moreover, research conducted by the public health institute Fiocruz into the variants circulating in Brazil found that the P1 coronavirus variant (commonly known as the Brazil variant) is still mutating. The researchers believe this could make the virus more resistant to vaccines.

China is currently ramping up its vaccination efforts: according to Associated Press, the Government has recently announced that it’s aiming to reach the goal of vaccinating 560 million people by June.
 
On April 19, a news release published by Reuters reported that Chinese researchers are testing the mixing of COVID-19 vaccine doses with the aim of boosting their efficacy. Moreover, the Chinese pharmaceutical company CanSino has recently announced it is starting clinical trials for a new COVID-19 vaccine that can be administered by inhalation. 

On April 16, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) published its latest weekly situation report. Based on the data collected by the agency, the 14-day case notification rate for the EU/EEA was 464 per 100,000 population, slightly decreasing compared to last week. Hospitalizations have been increasing in most EU/EEA countries, while the mortality rate has been stable in the past six weeks. However, recent increases have been observed in nine countries (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Finland, Germany, Poland and Slovakia).
 
On April 9, the European Council approved additional funding from the EU budget, amounting to €121.5 million, to address urgent needs related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The funds, drawn from the Solidarity and Emergency Aid Reserve, will support actions such as the development of new assays to better detect coronavirus variants and improved monitoring. These funds will also support preparatory work for digital green certificates to facilitate free movement during the COVID-19 pandemic.
 
On April 12, the European Commission announced its proposition to exempt from Value Added Tax (VAT) goods and services made available by the European Commission, EU bodies and agencies to Member States and citizens during times of crisis.
 
“The COVID-19 pandemic has taught us that these kinds of crises are multifaceted and have a wide-ranging impact on our societies. A rapid and efficient response is essential, and we need to provide the best response now in order to prepare for the future. Today's proposal supports the EU's goal to react to crises and emergencies in the EU. It will also ensure that the financial impact of EU-level relief efforts to fight the pandemic and support the recovery is maximized,” said the EU Commissioner for the Economy Paolo Gentiloni.
 
According to a recent press release, the European Council agreed on a mandate for negotiations with the European Parliament on the proposal for a Digital Green Certificate. This certificate would facilitate free movement during the pandemic by providing proof that a person has either been vaccinated against COVID-19, received a negative test result or recovered from the disease. Two legislations have been proposed, one concerning EU citizens, the other applying to third-country nationals legally staying or legally residing in the territory of a Member State.

Currently under lockdown, France reported an average of more than 30,000 daily infections last week. The country plans to vaccinate the majority of the adults by the end of summer. On April 9, the French national health authority announced that people below 55 who received their first AstraZeneca dose of the COVID-19 vaccine will receive a different vaccine for their second dose.
 
On April 14, Euronews reported that France has suspended all flights to and from Brazil, citing the decision to suspend as an attempt to limit the introduction of the Brazil coronavirus variant. 

On April 12, Germany surpassed 3 million reported COVID-19 cases. With more than 100,000 weekly new infections and high numbers of hospitalizations, the German Health Minister Jens Spahn recently urged federal states to impose further restrictions to try to slow down a third wave of the coronavirus.
 
Following the country’s decision to no longer offer the AstraZeneca vaccine to people aged under 60, people in the younger age group who had already received a first AstraZeneca dose will be offered either the Pfizer/BioNTech or the Moderna jabs for their second dose.

According to Reuters, the Italian Health Minister Roberto Speranza recently announced that the country will aim to vaccinate every person above 60 years of age by the end of June. The announcement was made after Italy suspended the inoculation of the newly received doses of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine on April 14, following reports of blood clotting events in the US. 

On April 13, the number of COVID-19 vaccine jabs administered in the Netherlands reached 4 million. So far, more than 21% of the adult population has received at least one dose of the vaccine. New cases and deaths around the country are slowly falling compared to the last weeks, following a steep surge last March.
 
The Dutch Government recently announced it had suspended the administration of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, pending the outcome of the European Medicine Agency’s (EMA) investigation. 

Following the Easter holidays, new COVID-19 cases are increasing in several of Spain’s autonomous communities. According to the latest Health Ministry report, the 14-day cumulative number of coronavirus cases per 100,000 inhabitants now stands at 199, well above the “maximum risk” threshold set by the Government. In most communities, coronavirus restrictions are currently the same as before Easter (such as perimetral lockdowns and nighttime curfews).
 
Despite this, Spain’s vaccination program is ramping up: nearly all of the people aged over 80 have received at least one vaccine dose. Moreover, around 24% of people in the 60-to-79 age group have received at least one dose as well. Nearly 8% of the country’s population is now fully vaccinated against COVID-19. 

With a record 200,000 new COVID-19 cases reported on April 14, India continues its upward trend in infections, bringing the total tally at 14 million. In New Delhi, weekend lockdowns allow only essential shops to be open, while in Mumbai a new set of lockdown measures determined the closure of most business, public spaces and curbs the movement of people for at least 15 days.
 
On April 19, New Delhi entered into a week-long lockdown, after reporting more than 25,000 new infections and 191 deaths in one day. According to the newspaper Die Welle, the measure is being introduced as hospitals in the Indian capital start to run out of beds and oxygen supplies. 

According to a recent press release, the governors of Tokyo, Kyoto and Okinawa have taken tougher measures in an attempt to curb a fresh surge of infections. The new measures, including shorter operating hours for the hospitality sector, should stay in place until May. 

On April 12, South Korea announced that it plans to begin local production of the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Novavax in June. The government reportedly indicated it would support local production of coronavirus vaccines by providing Korean pharmaceutical companies 68.7 billion won ($61.1 million). 

On April 14, Turkey entered into a two weeks “partial” lockdown, coinciding with the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan. The measures, imposed after a recent surge in new infections and deaths, include longer curfew hours, travel restrictions and restaurants being able to serve on a “takeaway” only basis. 

Throughout March and most of April, UK’s COVID-19 daily cases have been staying well below 10,000. Nearly 40 million  AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccine doses have already been administered. Since April 14, England also began the rollout of the Moderna jab, offering an alternative to the AstraZeneca vaccine for under-30s. 

In the US, the 7-day average of new cases showed an increase of infections since the end of March. Hospitalizations have also been rising recently, with more than 45,000 patients in hospitals around the country. However, the vaccination campaign is rapidly progressing, with more than 23% of the population now fully vaccinated.
 
On April 13, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) called for a pause on the use of Johnson & Johnson’s coronavirus vaccine following reports of a rare blood clotting disorder emerging in six women.
 
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