Wellington, New Zealand | XINHUA | New Zealand’s successful management of COVID-19 pandemic means quarantine-free travel between New Zealand and Australia will start on April 19, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced Tuesday. The conditions for starting to open up quarantine free travel with Australia have been met, Ardern told a …
Read More »COVID-19: Ketchup packs shortage hits market
Washington, US | THE INDEPENDENT | The COVID-19 pandemic has created a new normal, seeing greater demand for takeaway meals, and ketchup packets to go with french fries in particular. The Wall Street Journal has reported a shortage in the US, with Kraft Heinz, which makes most of the …
Read More »70 arrested in Kagadi bars on Easter night
Kagadi, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | At least 70 people are in police custody at Kagadi central police station for allegedly flouting the COVID-19 guidelines. The suspects were picked from various bars during an operation conducted by police and Uganda Peoples Defense Forces-UPDF soldiers in the district on Sunday night. Some …
Read More »Global trade frictions severe in 2020: report
Beijing, China | Xinhua | Global trade frictions were severe last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic and also the consequent economic decline, said a report from China’s trade promotion body. The global economic and trade measures index, introduced by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, was on …
Read More »Baby born in Spain with COVID-19 antibodies
Madrid, Spain | XINHUA | A boy born last week on the Spanish island of Ibiza has become the first newborn in Spain with COVID-19 antibodies, after his mother received the vaccine in the third trimester of her pregnancy, according to local media reports. A sample from the baby’s umbilical …
Read More »WHO warns slow vaccine roll-out prolonging COVID-19 pandemic
Roll-out of these vaccines is unacceptably slow according to Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe Copenhagen, Denmark | Xinhua | As the European region currently fights a resurgence of COVID-19 transmissions, the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Europe on Thursday called upon the governments in the region …
Read More »Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine shows 100 pct efficacy in teenagers
Pfizer-BioNTech says its COVID vaccine 100% effective in teens Berlin, Germany | Xinhua | German biotechnology company BioNTech and U.S. company Pfizer said on Wednesday that their COVID-19 vaccine was 100-percent efficient in children aged between 12 and 15. The BNT162b2 vaccine was “well tolerated” and elicited robust antibody responses that …
Read More »300 health workers in Bundibugyo get Covid-19 jab
Bundibugyo, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | 300 health workers have so far been vaccinated against Covid-19 in Bundibugyo district. The vaccination centres are Bundibugyo hospital, Nyahuka HCIV, Butama, Ntandi and Kikyo HCIIIs. Dr Christopher Kiyita, the district health officer, says that 600 health workers in public and private health facilities across …
Read More »Insurance industry seeks to accommodate post Covid-19 risks
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The insurance industry is adjusting its operational and business modules to cater for the new challenges facing the industry, the economy and social life, after unprecedented developments like COVID-19 over the last one year. The industry says this is a response to concerns that losses …
Read More »World Bank forecasts sub-Saharan African economy to grow by 2.3 to 3.4 pct in 2021
Nairobi, Kenya | Xinhua | Sub-Saharan African economies are projected to grow between 2.3 and 3.4 percent in 2021 depending on the policy measures adopted by countries in the region and the international community, the World Bank said in a report released on Wednesday. According to Africa’s Pulse report, the growth …
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