Coronavirus: Latest Global Developments

Paris, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 14th Feb, 2021 ) :Here are the latest developments in the coronavirus crisis: - US voices 'concerns' about WHO findings - The United States has "deep concerns" about the early findings of an expert investigation into the origins of the coronavirus in China and is asking Beijing for more information, national security advisor Jake Sullivan said.

"It is imperative that this report be independent, with expert findings free from intervention or alteration by the Chinese government," he added.

- WHO experts want 'more data' from China - WHO experts told AFP in an interview they had not received access to enough raw data while in China probing the pandemic's origins, saying more was needed to detect possible early Covid cases.

"We want more data. We have asked for more data," said Peter Ben Embarek, who headed WHO's expert mission to Wuhan.

- No end to pandemic without fair access to vaccine - Developing new Covid-19 vaccines will not end the pandemic unless all countries receive doses in a fast and fair manner, disease experts warned.

As several nations consider implementing vaccine passports when international travel resumes, the authors of a letter published in the Lancet medical journal said vaccine stockpiling in wealthier countries would only prolong the global health emergency.

- Peru: record number of hospitalisations - Peru, which is facing a second wave of Covid-19 infections, has registered a record number of hospitalised cases, the health ministry said.

In the past 24 hours, 213 new admissions were reported, bringing the total to 14,333. The previous record of 14,181 hospitalisations was reached on August 17.

The number of infections and deaths has quadrupled from their level at the end of December.

On Friday, the country's health minister resigned amid claims that former president Martin Vizcarra was inoculated before the vaccine was available to the public.

- Iran warns of a fourth wave - Iranian President Hassan Rouhani warned of a "fourth wave" of the virus as cases rise in certain areas of the middle Eastern country hardest hit by the pandemic.

He said some cities in the southwestern province of Khuzestan were now "red" -- the highest on Iran's colour-coded risk level -- after weeks of low alert levels across the country.

Iran has lost close to 59,000 lives out of more than 1.5 million cases of Covid infection.

- Protests erupt in Cyprus - Cypriot police used water cannon and tear gas in rare clashes with protesters as hundreds demonstrated against government corruption and coronavirus restrictions.

Organisers and protesters voiced anger over official's response to the pandemic, which has battered the Cypriot economy and triggered stringent lockdown restrictions.

- Open crowds banned as Melbourne begins lockdown - Australia's second-largest city of Melbourne went from welcoming thousands of fans for its Grand Slam tennis tournament to deserted city streets overnight, as millions began a five-day coronavirus lockdown.

- Nearly 2.4 million deaths -The virus has caused almost 2.4 million deaths since the outbreak emerged in China in December 2019, according to a tally from official sources compiled by AFP on Saturday.

The United States is the worst-affected country with 480,902 deaths followed by Brazil with 237,489, Mexico with 172,557, India with 155,550 and the UK with 116,287.