US restarts Johnson & Johnson vaccinations, New Zealand excludes Western Australia from bubble, EU pledges vaccine drive
Hospitals in India have launched desperate appeals for oxygen as the Covid crisis spiralled, while Japan issued a state of emergency in some areas just three months before the Olympics are due to open.
India on Saturday reported 346,786 new infections in the past day, setting a world record for a third consecutive day, while deaths rose by 2,624 – the highest daily rate for India so far.
With governments rushing to accelerate vaccine campaigns, good news emerged on Friday when US regulators approved the restart of Johnson & Johnson vaccinations halted over blood clotting concerns; and the EU said it would have enough jabs by the end of July to inoculate 70% of adults.
The announcement from Brussels came as Europe’s medicines regulator said the benefits of the controversy-plagued AstraZeneca vaccine increased with age – and reiterated that it should be used despite links to rare blood clots.
In India healthcare facilities sounded the alarm on oxygen supplies for patients on ventilator support.
“SOS – less than an hour’s oxygen supplies at Max Smart Hospital & Max Hospital Saket,” one of the biggest private hospital chains in Delhi said online.