Shanghai postpones university entrance exams
Due to the ongoing corona lockdown, the annual university entrance exam in Shanghai has been postponed by a month. Vice Mayor Chen Qun announced at a press conference that more than 50,000 young people are to complete the three-day test marathon in early July. The so-called “Gaokao” is considered the most important test in the life of every Chinese person, as it largely determines their professional career. The announcement of the exam postponement dashed hopes that everyday life in China’s most important economic metropolis would soon return to normal.
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At that time, the situation in Shanghai was even better: on June 7, 2021, security guards will check prospective students who want to take the university entrance exam.
Reuters
Corona cases are declining in Germany
The Robert Koch Institute reports 72,252 new infections within 24 hours. That is 15,046 fewer cases than on Saturday a week ago, when 87,298 corona infections were reported. The nationwide seven-day incidence drops to 544 from 553.2 the previous day.
184 more people have died in connection with the corona virus. This increases the number of reported deaths to 136,523.
Mass testing and public transport restrictions in Beijing
Beijing is launching a new round of corona mass tests and has closed more bus lines and subway stations. This is how China’s capital wants to avert the fate of Shanghai, where millions of residents have been trapped for over a month.
The draconian measures in Shanghai have sparked frustration and protests among the 25 million residents. The number of corona cases in Shanghai has fallen for eight days in a row. The virus outbreak is under control, according to the city.
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In Beijing, people have to trot to the mass test.
Reuters
Police are investigating Labor leader Keir Starmer
After Boris Johnson’s “Partygate” comes “Beergate”: Because of a social gathering during lockdown times, opposition leader Keir Starmer now has to face the police investigation. County Durham Police said they have received “significant new information” and are investigating whether lockdown rules were broken at the time. Previously, the authority had not considered investigations necessary.
It’s about an evening in April 2021 when restaurants were closed and strict contact restrictions applied – with exceptions for work meetings. Footage of the socializing at a Labor office in Durham appeared in various media outlets. In particular, the conservative “Daily Mail” carried extensive pieces for days on the so-titled “Beergate” incident. One said food had been ordered for 30 people.
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Opposition leader Keir Starmer is now also being investigated by the police.
key stone
China postpones Asian Games
The Asian Games in China are being postponed due to the ongoing spread of the corona virus. As reported by the Asian Olympic Council (OCA), a decision was made together with the local organizers to postpone the competitions. The reason given was the corona virus situation in China.
The Asian Games were supposed to be held in September in the eastern Chinese metropolis of Hangzhou. A new date has not yet been announced.
5713 reports of serious vaccine side effects
The Swiss drug authority Swissmedic received 5713 reports of serious side effects after Covid 19 vaccinations by Tuesday. It evaluated a total of 15,228 reports. 62.5 percent classified it as not serious, 37.5 percent as serious.
For the side effects classified as serious, the average age of those affected was 52.8 years, as Swissmedic announced on Friday. The most common complaints were fever, headache, fatigue, chills, nausea and dizziness. These reactions predominate even in the cases classified as non-serious.
In 210 of the severe cases, a fatality resulted at a variable time interval from vaccination. The average age of the deceased was 79.4 years. According to Swissmedic, a more detailed analysis of the deaths revealed other more probable causes of death, despite a certain temporal proximity to the vaccination.
66.8 percent of those suffering from side effects were between 18 and 64 years old (mean 50.2 years). 20 percent were over 65 and 1.2 percent between 12 and 17 years old. 62.2 percent of the reports concerned women and 35 percent men. Age and gender were missing in some reports.
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Keystone / Archive
Good, but with room for improvement: the cantons’ pandemic balance sheet
The cantons have presented their final report on cooperation with the federal government during the pandemic. In general, the interaction between the federal government and the cantons was good, they state. In the future, however, there will need to be greater involvement of all affected policy areas, better processes and legal bases.
The exchange between the Federal Council and the cantonal governments is essential when it comes to coherent crisis management throughout Switzerland. This dialogue must be intensified and also more institutionalized, writes the Conference of Cantonal Governments (KdK). In crisis situations, there is a need for a permanent, cross-departmental federal crisis management team that involves the cantons.
The KdK also sees potential for improvement in communication. She also sees a need to catch up on the legal basis. The question of the financial consequences or the question of financing measures was often neglected.
The conference of cantonal governments does not want to do without consultation on planned measures. This must also be ensured under great time pressure and improved accordingly.
US restricts access to Johnson and Johnson vaccine
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has restricted access to Johnson and Johnson’s (J&J) Covid vaccine. In the future, only adults who cannot or do not want to receive the more effective mRNA vaccines from Biontech-Pfizer or Moderna should receive the vaccine, the FDA said.
The reason for the change in the emergency approval of the vaccine is the increased risk of severe blood clots. For the same reason, the FDA had already recommended in December to be treated preferentially with the mRNA vaccines. The vaccine hardly plays a role in the USA anyway. They make up only three percent of all injected vaccine doses.
People should continue to receive the vaccine if they are at risk of a severe allergic reaction to the mRNA vaccines. Even if access to the other two vaccines is limited, doctors can continue to vaccinate the J&J vaccine.
EMA expects Omicron vaccines to be approved by September
According to the European Medicines Agency (EMA), vaccines against the highly contagious omicron variant of the coronavirus could be approved by the end of September at the latest.
The greatest opportunities are for appropriately adapted mRNA vaccines from the companies Moderna and Biontech, said the EMA director for vaccination strategy, Marco Cavaleri, at a press conference by the authority in Amsterdam.
The necessary clinical studies are in progress. The EMA also examines preparations from other manufacturers. However, it is “no secret” that the adaptations of mRNA vaccines from Moderna and Biontech to Omikron are already quite advanced. He did not give details of the study data collected so far.
WHO: Almost 15 million deaths due to corona pandemic
According to estimates by the World Health Organization (WHO), the corona pandemic cost the lives of around 14.9 million people worldwide in 2020 and 2021.
The number includes both those who died from corona infections and people with other diseases or injuries who could not be treated in time due to the overload of the health systems, as the WHO announced. According to reports from WHO member countries, the number of deaths among those infected with corona is now slightly more than 6.2 million worldwide.
The WHO is calling for more investment in healthcare so that future vital treatments do not have to be postponed in times of crisis such as a pandemic.
Obwalden: Another Corona hardship program for companies
Obwalden continues to provide financial support to companies struggling with the consequences of the corona pandemic. The government has approved the implementation regulations for a second hardship program.
The second hardship program applies to the second half of 2021 and the first quarter of 2022. From May 9th to June 5th, companies particularly affected by the pandemic can submit their applications for support contributions, as the government announced.
A total of almost six million francs from the first regular hardship program is still available for the second hardship program. The federal government pays 70 percent and the canton 30 percent. In addition, two million francs from the Federal Council reserve could be used for the second half of 2021.
Corona tests: Canton of Bern and federal government at odds over assumption of costs
The federal government would like the cantons to bear the costs for corona tests from January 2023. The canton of Bern does not agree with this.
Currently and for the time being, broad testing of the population is no longer of great importance, writes the government council. If more tests had to be carried out again due to the epidemiological situation, the federal government should finance them.
The canton of Bern also rejects an extension of the provisions for the SwissCovid app, as it writes in its response to the federal government regarding the message on changing the Covid 19 law. The benefit of this application was very modest. It should therefore definitely be discontinued.
On the other hand, he agrees that the federal government wants to cautiously maintain certain legal bases in connection with the corona pandemic. However, the proposed extension until June 30, 2024 goes too far for the government council. In his statement, he initially agrees to an extension until the summer of 2023.
Germany: Incidence continues to fall
The German Robert Koch Institute (RKI) reported 96,167 new infections within 24 hours on Thursday. That is 33,937 fewer cases than on Thursday last week.
The nationwide seven-day incidence drops to 566.8 from 591.8 the previous day. 183 other people died in connection with the virus. This increases the number of reported deaths to 136,125.
