Coronavirus - 21 June

Headlines

• In India, all adults are now eligible for a free vaccine
• Dongguan, Guangdong begins mass testing
• Tokyo Olympic venues to be limited to 50% capacity, up to a maximum of 10,000
• Masks no longer required to be worn outdoors in France
• 30 day extension to non-essential travel ban between US, Canada and Mexico

World news

• Latest UK figures show there are 1,316 people in hospital with Covid, well below the peak of nearly 40,000 in January.

• The major manufacturing city of Dongguan in Guangdong province has launched mass testing today. Residents have been told not to leave, except for essential reasons, with those leaving being required to show a negative test result within 48 hours of departure.

• Every adult in India is now eligible for a free vaccine paid for by the federal government, as of today. Previously, states and the private sector had to procure vaccines themselves and provide them to younger adults.

• Hong Kong has announced that from the end of the month it is shortening hotel quarantine for arrivals from 21 to seven days.

• National Rail has launched a new digital flexi-ticket in England, which be used on any eight days in a 28-day period, without requiring the days of travel to be selected in advance. The tickets are paperless, so travellers have to use a smartphone or smartcard.

• Venues for the Tokyo Olympics are to be limited to half their usual capacity, up to a maximum of 10,000 spectators, organisers have announced.

• A member of Uganda’s Olympic team has tested positive for coronavirus and been denied entry into Japan, in the first detected infection among the athletes arriving for the Tokyo Games.

• GSK and Vir Biotechnology have said final results from a late-stage study of their monoclonal antibody confirmed it significantly reduced hospitalisation and death among high-risk patients when given early in the disease.

• A total of 1,008,472 vaccination appointments were booked on Friday and Saturday in England after vaccinations opened to all over-18s.

• Wales’ football fans will be unable to travel to Amsterdam for the next round of Euro 2020 in the Netherlands, Wales’ health minister has said.

• Mandatory mask-wearing outdoors is being lifted and a nightly curfew is ending in France today.

• US land borders with Canada and Mexico are to remain closed to non-essential travel until at least 21 July, a 30-day extension by the US Homeland Security Department.

• New Zealand is approving the Pfizer vaccine for 12-15-year-olds, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced.