(Reuters) – COVID-19 vaccines this fall are likely to be based on the Omicron variant of the coronavirus rather than the original strain, although some experts suggest they may only offer significant benefits for older and immunocompromised people.
DEATHS AND INFECTIONS
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ASIA-PACIFIC
* Several Chinese cities have scrapped or relaxed their COVID-19 testing mandates after China emerged from its worst regional outbreaks, with officials told not to cause too much disruption to people’s lives while staying vigilant about the virus.
* Almost a month since Shanghai lifted its strict COVID-19 lockdowns, fashion retailers are stuck with piles of unsold stock as cautious consumers stay away from the commercial hub’s glitzy shopping districts.
EUROPE
* The European Union said on Friday it would issue another 50 billion euros ($52.7 billion) of long-term debt in the second half of 2022 to back its coronavirus recovery fund.
* England international cricketer Jonny May has tested positive for COVID-19 ahead of the team’s three-test tour in Australia, the team said.
AMERICAS
* Latin America has one of the worst records of school closures globally, according to a World Bank report, which shows children there faced almost 60 weeks of fully or partially closed schools between March 2020 and March this year.
AFRICA & MIDDLE EAST
* Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said he had tested positive for COVID-19 and was in self-isolation.
MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS
* Late-stage data on an experimental COVID-19 vaccine from Sanofi and GSK has showed the shot confers protection against the Omicron variant of the virus, the companies said.
* French drugmaker Valneva’s COVID-19 vaccine has received marketing authorisation from the European Commission for use as a primary vaccination in people from 18 to 50 years of age, the company said.
* The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it had recommended Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine for children and adolescents aged 6 to 17, allowing a rollout of the shots to begin for that age group.
ECONOMIC IMPACT
* H&M has shut its flagship Shanghai store, its latest closure in China where consumer demand has slumped amid COVID-19 lockdowns and the fast-fashion retailer has borne the brunt of a backlash against companies that refuse to use Xinjiang cotton.
* There’s still a lot of life left in the traditional bank note, printing company Koenig & Bauer Banknote Solutions said, with coronavirus and the war in Ukraine driving up demand for paper money despite competition from other forms of payment.
* There is a “real risk” of multiple famines this year, U.N. chief Antonio Guterres said and urged ministers meeting on food security to take practical steps to stabilise food markets and reduce commodity price volatility.
(Compiled by Valentine Baldassari, Uttaresh.V and Vinay Dwivedi; Edited by Anil D’Silva and Shounak Dasgupta)
