March 1 (Reuters) - Here's what you need to know about the
coronavirus right now:
EU audits Indian vaccine maker
Europe's drug regulator is auditing the manufacturing site
of the Serum Institute of India (SII), a source with knowledge
of the matter said, a necessary step before AstraZeneca (NASDAQ:AZN)'s
COVID-19 vaccine made there can be exported to the bloc.
SII, the world's largest vaccine manufacturer, is producing
the AstraZeneca vaccine, developed with Oxford University, for
dozens of poor and middle-income countries.
The precise reason for the audit of SII's manufacturing
processes and facilities was not clear, but a green light would
mean the drug could be exported to the European Union, the
source said. Philippines starts vaccinations
The Philippines kicked off its vaccination programme on
Monday, with health workers the first to be inoculated in a
delayed campaign as the country tries to secure supplies to
address one of Asia's most stubborn coronavirus epidemics.
Healthcare workers in six government hospitals in the
capital region received Sinovac Biotech vaccines donated by
China on Sunday, the only doses the Philippines has received so
far.
The Philippines has reported 576,352 COVID-19 cases overall,
including some with the more infectious British coronavirus
variant. It has recorded 12,318 deaths. Modi takes home-grown shot
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was inoculated with the
first dose of a home-grown coronavirus vaccine on Monday,
kicking off an expansion of the country's immunisation campaign
that began in mid-January with healthcare workers.
People above 60, and those who are 45 or more and suffering
from certain medical conditions, are now eligible for the
vaccinations.
India, which has reported the highest number of COVID-19
cases in the world after the United States, has so far
vaccinated more than 12 million health and front-line workers.
U.S. eyes Tuesday deliveries of J&J vaccine
Initial deliveries of the newly approved Johnson & Johnson
vaccine should start on Tuesday, senior Biden administration
officials said on Sunday, saying they hoped to boost lagging
vaccination rates among minorities.
The officials acknowledged that vaccination rates among
Black and brown Americans were "not where we ultimately want
them to be", but said measures had been put in place to boost
those numbers, and sought to assure minorities that the vaccines
were safe.
"Even though we know the data are not complete, we do see
these early patterns that suggest Black and brown Americans
largely are getting vaccinated at rates lower than the
representation in the general population," said one of the
officials. Lockdown tests New Zealanders' patience
The mayor of Auckland called for residents to be prioritised
for vaccines after New Zealand's biggest city was thrown into
its fourth lockdown over the weekend.
The seven-day lockdown imposed by Prime Minister Jacinda
Ardern on a city of 2 million was prompted by just a single new
case, reinforcing the New Zealand leader's strict "go hard, go
early" response throughout the crisis.
Auckland Mayor Phil Goff said the city would lose an
estimated 200 jobs and more than NZ$30 million ($21.7 million)
per day under the level 3 restrictions.