Headlines
• World Bank upgrades global growth forecast to 5.6% for 2021
• All adults aged over 25 able to book vaccines in the UK
• Uttar Pradesh begins to relax curfew
• China approves Sinovac for children aged over 3
• New York to lift restrictions when 70% of adults have had one dose
World news
• The latest UK deaths figures are 3% below the five-year average, according to the Office for National Statistics. The number of deaths registered in the UK in the week ending 28 May was 10,977 - 106 involved Covid-19, nine fewer than the previous week.
• The Uttar Pradesh government today relaxed its curfew in all 75 districts of the state from 7am to 7pm, for five days. However, the night curfew – 7pm to 7am and weekend curfew (for entire days) – will continue. According to guidelines announced by the state government, districts with fewer than 600 active cases of the disease can get relaxations.
• Czech children and schoolteachers will no longer have to wear masks in classrooms from this morning. Masks are still required in the rest of school.
• All adults aged 25 to 29 in England who have not yet had a vaccine will be able to book their first dose from today.
• Only 24% of pubs in the UK have a high level of faith they will still be in business at the end of the summer, compared with 44% for all types of company according to the ONS.
• The World Bank has raised its global growth forecast to 5.6% for 2021, marking the strongest recovery from a recession in 80 years, due to US stimulus spending and faster growth in China but held back by “highly unequal” access to vaccines.
• Licensed cannabis stores in the US state of Washington are now able to offer free marijuana cigarettes to adults who get vaccinated on the premises.
• New York governor Andrew Cuomo has announced that the state’s remaining restrictions will be lifted when 70% of residents have had at least one vaccine dose.
• The Czech Republic has announced it will reopen its borders to EU and Serbian citizens on 21 June.
• Visitors to Portugal must now quarantine for 10 days on return to England.
• China has approved the emergency use of its Sinovac vaccine for children aged 3 and above.
• The Tokyo 2020 Olympics organising committee has announced that there will be restrictions on the movement of media using GPS tracking during the Games.
• Vietnam has started asking for public donations to buy vaccines.
• UNICEF has urged rich members of the G7 to start donating vaccines to poor countries now, instead of waiting to donate leftovers all at once, saying many nations don’t have capacity to roll out large amounts in one go.
• Malawi has destroyed almost 20,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, while South Sudan said it would safely dispose of 59,000 doses and hand back another 72,000 to the global Covax scheme for poorer countries.
