Germany to begin first trial of coronavirus vaccine

BERLIN — Germany’s health minister has regulatory approval for the first trial in the country of a vaccine for the coronavirus.

Jens Spahn says the trial will involve 200 people ages 18-55. He cautioned the process of fully testing the vaccine would take months.

Germany’s regulatory authority, the Paul Ehrlich Institute, approved the trial for an RNA-based vaccine being jointly developed by BioNTech and Pfizer. Regulatory approval for trials is also being sought in the United States and China.

Numerous companies are racing to develop a vaccine for the coronavirus that has infected more than 2.5 million people worldwide and caused at least 178,000 deaths in the past four months.

Climate activist urges world acting together

Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg is urging world leaders to act together to cope with crises and to listen to science experts.

The 17-year-old Swede says the climate crisis “may not be as immediate as the corona crisis but we need to tackle this now otherwise it will be irreversible.” She calls the virus outbreak “a tragedy.”

She says world leaders must put differences aside and make decisions that “in the long run may be necessary.”

She spoke during a conversation with Johan Rockstrom, co-director of Germany’s Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, in a live online event to mark the 50th anniversary of Earth Day.

Many large cities are smog-free after shutdowns caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Major cities have seen reductions of deadly particulate matter from the previous year.

Vatican looks to “Phase II”

The Vatican is thinking ahead to a “Phase II” of the coronavirus pandemic and plans to resume normal activities starting early next month.

The Vatican says its secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, met with the Holy See’s top officials on Wednesday to “reflect on a second phase of the COVID-19 emergency.”

Italy, the European epicenter of the pandemic, is planning a gradual reopening of some activity and services starting May 4. In a statement, the Vatican says it would follow suit, deciding on a “gradual reactivation of ordinary services, while keeping in place the health precautions aimed at limiting contagion.”

The Vatican closed its doors to tourists when Italy locked down in early March after recording its first domestic case Feb. 21. The Vatican has registered nine positive tests so far.

Romania to lift travel rules May 15

Romania’s president says people will be allowed to travel freely within the country after May 15, the same day that wearing of masks in closed spaces and public transport will become mandatory.

President Klaus Iohannis says other restrictions, including a ban on large gatherings, will remain in effect. Iohannis is scheduled to meet with education officials to examine how schools can gradually reopen.

A state of emergency because of the pandemic first declared March 16 was later extended until May 15. Romania has reported 9,710 coronavirus cases and 508 deaths.

UK wants 100K tests a day

Acting British Prime Minister Dominic Raab says the government is still targeting 100,000 tests a day for coronavirus by the end of this month — even though it’s more than 80,000 short with just eight days to go.

In the first hybrid prime minister’s questions in the House of Commons with a maximum 50 lawmakers allowed in the legislature, Raab conceded there will need to be an “exponential” increase in tests in coming days.

The most recent daily figures show that only 18,206 tests were conducted, even though the government has ramped up capacity to a potential 40,000.

Raab is filling in for British Prime Minister Boris Johnson while he recovers from COVID-19.

Keir Starmer, the new leader of Britain’s main opposition Labour Party, criticized the government for being slow in putting Britain into lockdown and getting the necessary personal protective equipment for front-line staff.

Vietnam to loosen rules

Vietnam will loosen travel restrictions as the country lifts a nationwide shutdown after no new COVID-19 cases were reported the past week.

The government announced the confinement order will be lifted starting Thursday in most cities and provinces except in the capital Hanoi, which has nearly half of the country’s 268 infections. Vietnam is among a few countries with no reported deaths from the virus.

The government requests people carry on social distancing and bans public gathering of more than 20 people, in-dining restaurants and other nonessential business will remain closed. In several provinces where no infection was reported, schools will be reopened. Students will be scanned for temperature before entering the premises.

“We have basically contained the situation, but we must stay alert and take very careful steps when reopening the country,” deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam said.

Vietnam shut down its border with China in January, stopped international arrivals in mid-March and vigorously carried out contact tracing down to commune level.

Ukraine police probe priests

Police in Ukraine launched criminal cases against priests who defied quarantine regulations and allowed believers inside churches for the Easter services without face masks.

The country’s Interior Ministry says some 130,000 people attended Easter church services on Sunday. It says quarantine regulations were violated in 19 churches across 13 regions.

Five criminal cases have been launched against priests in two parishes of the Moscow-affiliated Orthodox Church in Ukraine. The priests may face up to eight years in prison.

Ukraine has registered 6,592 cases of the coronavirus and 174 deaths. The government ordered a strict lockdown in March, banning all public events, suspending most public transport and urging people to stay home.

S. Africa may use 73K soldiers to help with lockdown

South Africa’s president has told Parliament that he is deploying another 73,000 members of the national defense forces to help enforce a coronavirus lockdown and support other government efforts.

President Cyril Ramaphosa shortly before the lockdown began in late March deployed more than 2,500 troops.

Defense Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula tells local radio station that the dramatic new increase is in part so defense forces can transport and bury bodies and even build mortuaries if South Africa’s death toll rises sharply. The country has the most virus cases in Africa with more than 3,400, including 58 deaths.

“What informs us is what we’ve seen in other countries,” the minister says. “If it doesn’t happen in South Africa, thank god.”

Belgium may relax rules

Belgium says the coronavirus crisis spiked about 10 days ago and he nation is getting into a safer zone but only if it doesn’t drop all the medical precautions used to contain the spread of COVID-19.

Crisis center spokesman Prof. Steven Van Gucht says it was “positive to see that the peak of deaths seems to be behind us. It was around April 12 both for hospitals as for care homes.”

An additional 266 deaths were added to the list on Wednesday, bringing Belgium’s total to 6,262. The count in Belgium is high because it uses different statistical measures compared to most countries. It fully counts deaths in hospitals and care homes and also includes victims who are thought to have died of COVID-19, even if they have not been tested for the virus.

Many among the dead announced Wednesday may have died in the past few days, sometimes going a week back, says Van Gucht.

The government will announce Friday the measures to be relaxed for the nation of 11 million.

India plans law on attacking healthcare staffers

India is planning to bring an ordinance that will make attacks on health care professionals a serious offense with a jail term from six months up to seven years.

Federal minister Prakash Javadekar on Wednesday said the ordinance will be implemented as a law after President Ram Nath Kovind’s sanction.

“There will be absolutely no tolerance to attacks on doctors and healthcare professionals,” said Javadekar.

Once approved, the law will take effect immediately. Under the law, health care professionals will also be extended insurance coverage.

Several health care workers in India have been attacked as they battle to stop the spread of the coronavirus. Doctors have also endured campaigns from their neighbors to force them out of apartments and attacks by violent mobs.

Earlier on Wednesday, Indian Medical Association withdrew their symbolic protest, after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government promised to ensure their safety against rising violence over fears that medical staff in India is spreading the coronavirus.

Indian Medical Association had asked the federal government to enact a law against health care violence.

India has so far reported 19,984 cases of COVID-19 with 640 deaths.

Spain hits 21.7K deaths

Spain saw its death total reach 21,717 cases as its government weathers criticism about how it will let children out of a six-week lockdown.

Spain’s health authorities said Wednesday that 435 more people have died in the last 24 hours. Authorities also reported 4,211 new confirmed infections, taking the total to 208,389 cases since the start of the pandemic.

Yielding to pressure from some parents, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced Sunday that children would be allowed out as of April 27, without specifying the exact rules for the outings.

Sánchez is appearing before Spain’s Parliament Wednesday to ask for a third two-week extension of the state of emergency that has given his government extraordinary powers to confine the country. The main opposition party has conditioned its support on a proper explanation of what children can do next week.

In another sign that the health crisis is becoming manageable, a large makeshift morgue in a Madrid ice rink is closing as the daily toll drops under 500 deaths from a high of 950 three weeks ago.

Only the United States and Italy have more deaths than Spain from the virus, and only the U.S. has more infections.