Switzerland drops coronavirus restrictions on grandparents hugging grandchildren aged under 10
Grandparents in Switzerland are now allowed to hug their grandchildren under the age of 10, said the physician behind the country’s coronavirus response.
Daniel Koch, the head of the infectious diseases unit at the Federal Department of Public Health, dropped the restriction after concluding with specialists that children "do not transmit the virus, or if they are infected they are infected by their parents."
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Oxford University is partnering with a vaccine manufacturer, trial results expected in June
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“This is still a development program. We need still to demonstrate that this vaccine works in human populations,” he told BBC Radio. “But the team … have vaccinated several hundred people now and we hope to get some signal about whether it’s working by the middle of June.”
The Oxford University research team is partnering with UK-based global biopharmaceutical company AstraZeneca to develop and manufacture this vaccine on a large scale.
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Germany conducts more coronavirus tests "than ever"
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"We had 860,000 tests last week. We have never had so many in Germany, that is great," Lothar Wieler, the head of the Robert Koch institute (RKI), said Thursday. "This is exactly what we want and what we need."
"The earlier we identify a person, the earlier we can treat them and stop the chains of infection," Wieler added.
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Europe remains "very much" in grip of pandemic -WHO
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“This virus is unforgiving. We must remain vigilant, persevere and be patient, ready to ramp up measures as and when needed,” Dr Kluger said.
Cumulative cases of Covid-19 have increased by 15% over the past seven days, while deaths have risen by 17% during the same period.
Dr Kluger said: “The situation across our region is not uniform. Every country is mapping out its route to a new normal.
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WHO officials say they are studying the link between rare inflammatory disease and Covid-19 in children
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While there have been rare reports of cases in London and other parts of Europe, "only half of these children tested positive for coronavirus," Adam Finn, professor of pediatrics at the University of Bristol and chairman of the European Technical Advisory Group of Experts advising WHO Europe, said during the briefing.
"This may be a late complication of the infection," Finn said, "But all of this is speculation at this point. The size and exact nature of this problem is only just beginning to emerge."
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Japan to extend state of emergency
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Shinzo Abe told reporters at his office: “I think it will be difficult to return to normalcy from May 7. We have to prepare for some endurance. I’ll seek the opinions of experts how long it needs to be.”
Coronavirus pandemic: Updates from around the world - CNN