(Reuters) – The United States crossed the grim milestone of 600,000 COVID-19 deaths, according to a Reuters tally, as slowing vaccination rates threaten the Biden administration target of having 70% of U.S. adults receive at least one shot and 160 million fully inoculated by July 4.
DEATHS AND INFECTIONS
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EUROPE
* Prime Minister Boris Johnson delayed his plans to lift remaining COVID-19 curbs by a month, warning that thousands of more people might die if he did nothing because of the rapid spread of the more infectious Delta variant.
* COVID-19 vaccines made by Pfizer and AstraZeneca offer high protection of more than 90% against hospitalisation from the Delta coronavirus variant, a new analysis by Public Health England showed.
ASIA-PACIFIC
* Olympics organisers prepared to unveil their latest “playbook” of rules to control COVID-19 infections as Japan’s government pondered whether to extend a state of emergency and senior Olympics official John Coates arrived in Tokyo.
* Australia’s Victoria state reported two new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 in the state capital Melbourne, both linked to an existing cluster that prompted renewed social distancing measures in the city.
* India reported on Tuesday 60,471 new COVID-19 infections over the past 24 hours, the lowest since March 31.
AMERICAS
* Fully vaccinated visitors to Walt Disney Co’s U.S. theme parks will not be required to wear face masks in most areas starting on Tuesday.
* Chilean health authorities said they would extend a COVID-19 emergency through September to allow the government to impose restrictions.
* Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro asked Pfizer Inc to bring forward planned delivery of COVID-19 vaccines, a government source said.
MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA
* Africa will get priority treatment for the Group of Seven’s pledged 870 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine, a senior World Health Organization adviser said on Monday.
* Johnson & Johnson will export more ready-to-administer COVID-19 vaccines to South Africa beyond the 300,000 doses already pledged, CEO of Aspen Pharmacare said.
MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS
* Novavax Inc said its COVID-19 vaccine was more than 90% effective, including against a variety of concerning variants of the coronavirus in a large, late-stage U.S.-based clinical trial.
* The Delta variant doubles the risk of hospitalisation compared with the previously dominant variant in Britain, but two doses of vaccine still provide strong protection, a Scottish study found.
ECONOMIC IMPACT
* Asian shares tracked Wall Street higher, though investors looked to a much-anticipated Federal Reserve policy meeting to see if the central bank would signal any change to the U.S. monetary policy outlook. [MKTS/GLOB]
* The European Union began selling the first bond backing its recovery fund, according to a lead manager, a crucial step in financing member states’ economic recovery.
(Compiled by Krishna Chandra Eluri and Aditya Soni; edited by Arun Koyyur and Subhranshu Sahu)
