Tokyo Olympics to test athletes daily

Athletes participating in the upcoming Tokyo Olympics will face a strict set of rules for the duration of the Games in an effort to curb the possible spread of the coronavirus, organizers announced on Wednesday.

Under the updated playbook, athletes will be tested daily for COVID-19. Games participants will also be barred from using public transportation and will not be permitted to eat at local restaurants or go to shops.

The rules were agreed by the International Olympics Committee (IOC), the Paralympic Committee and Japanese organizers.

The parties, however, postponed a decision about allowing domestic spectators. They will now decide in June how many people will be allowed to enter the venues. The deliberations come amid concerns about the spread of more contagious coronavirus variants.

After being postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Tokyo Summer Games are set to start on July 23.

Here is the latest coronavirus-related news from around the world.

World

The World Health Organization (WHO) put out a call for $7 (€5.79) donations to buy vaccine doses for those in need around the world.

The WHO estimates a donation of $7 would cover the cost of purchasing and delivering a coronavirus vaccine dose to a person in a lower-income country.

The "Go Give One" campaign aims to boost funds for COVAX, the international coronavirus vaccine sharing program. COVAX hopes to secure 2 billion doses for lower-income countries by the end of this year.

Europe

Portugal will end its state of emergency on Friday as the country continues to ease lockdown restrictions, President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa announced.

The state of emergency was implemented in mid-January when Portugal was experiencing the world's worst increase in COVID-19 infections.

After having had one of the world's worst increase in cases, Portugal is now considered a case study of how to successfully curb infections. The country started to leave lockdown in mid-March with many nonessential services now open, albeit under strict rules.

A United Kingdom survey of nearly 5,000 people showed an increase in concern over the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, but still a strong belief in vaccines overall. Almost one in four Britons surveyed believed the AstraZeneca vaccine caused blood clots, up from 13% last month.

"The blood clot scare has affected how some of the [UK] public view the AstraZeneca vaccine — but has not reduced confidence in vaccines overall," concluded Bobby Duffy, director of King's College London's Policy Institute which co-led the study.

"In fact, the trend has been towards increased commitment to get vaccinated — and quickly — as the rollout has progressed so well, with no sign of serious widespread problems."

A study by Public Health England (PHE) has found that said one dose of the BioNTech-Pfizer or AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine reduces the chances of spreading the virus to other household members by up to 50%, even if they get infected after receiving the shot.

"This is terrific news — we already know vaccines save lives and this study is the most comprehensive real-world data showing they also cut transmission of this deadly virus," said British Health Secretary Matt Hancock.

"It further reinforces that vaccines are the best way out of this pandemic as they protect you and they may prevent you from unknowingly infecting someone in your household," he added.

The Netherlands lifted several coronavirus restrictions on Wednesday after four months of strict lockdown. People will be able to go out at night again as the nightly curfew comes to an end and some stores and restaurant terraces may open under certain conditions.

Health experts have opposed the easing of restrictions as infections are still high, with the seven-day infection rate standing at 220 per 100,000 people. The government has pushed ahead with the hope that vaccinations will bring cases down. So far, some 5 million out of 17 million people have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine shot.

Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki also announced plans to lift restrictions, saying that shopping centers may reopen from May 4, with hotels and outdoor dining opening again from May 8. 

Polish Health Minister Adam Niedzielski added that from May 15, people in Poland will not have to wear masks outdoors so long as they maintain a safe distance.

The Italian parliament overwhelmingly backed the government's coronavirus aid spending plan on Tuesday, days before the EU deadline on April 30. Prime Minister Mario Draghi's plan to rebuild post-pandemic as well as to address underlying structural issues is based on the €222 billion ($268 billion) allocated by the EU's recovery fund — of which Italy is the biggest recipient.

Germany's Robert Koch Institute (RKI) reported 22,231 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, along with 312 deaths.

Asia

Coronavirus deaths in India have passed the 200,000 milestone as the country battles the world's worst outbreak of the virus. Officials reported 3,293 deaths in the past 24 hours on Wednesday, the first time that the daily death toll was above 3,000.

South Korea said on Wednesday that it will provide India with oxygen concentrators, COVID-19 diagnostic kits and other aid items while also arranging irregular flights to bring South Korea nationals back from India. Those returning would have to undergo three coronavirus tests and also be placed under quarantine.

Americas

The Canadian province of Quebec reported its first death from a rare blood clot of a patient who received the AstraZeneca vaccine.

The country has reported at least five cases of blood clots, but public health officials have maintained that the benefits of the vaccine significantly outweigh the potential risks. Quebec Public Health Director Horacio Arruda said the patient's death will not change the province's vaccination strategy.

Mexico's pandemic death toll has passed 345,000, but most states have not seen a rebound in cases. The announcement comes as the government announced plans to begin vaccinating people between 50 and 59 years old. Previously only front-line health care personnel, teachers and people over 60 were eligible for vaccines.

There have been 16.7 million doses administered. Mexico has a population of 126 million.

United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai has discussed increasing COVID-19 vaccine production with drugmaker Novavax, Tai's office said in a statement.

Tai and Novavax Executive Vice President John Trizzino also discussed a proposal before the World Trade Organization to waive certain intellectual property rights in response to the pandemic. Novavax's vaccine is not currently authorized for use in the US.

The pandemic has for the second straight year caused organizers to cancel the Burning Man festival in-person event. 

The festival, which began in 1986, annually attracts tens of thousands and is traditionally held in the desert location of Black Rock City, Nevada, each summer. It is best known for its concluding event, in which a large wooden symbol of a man is ignited.

Organizers said they "have decided to set our sights on Black Rock City 2022."

As with the 2020 event, they announced a "Virtual Burning Man," which will begin on August 21. There will be no charge to participate online, although donations are encouraged to help organizers make up for the festival's two years of lost revenue.

Africa

Tunisia's hospitals are buckling under the strain of a new surge in coronavirus infections. Health workers warned that hospital beds are full and that the demand for oxygen is growing.

Each day, around 90 to 110 new patients need to be hospitalized, but the country has only around 500 intensive care beds, a government scientific adviser warned last week.

Botswana's president, Mokgweetsi Masisi, has gone into self-quarantine after a staff member tested positive for COVID-19. Due to the quarantine, Masisi will miss a summit of a division of the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

The president's press secretary said the self-quarantine was "out of [an] abundance of caution."

Oceania

Australia's government says athletes and support staff will be given priority for COVID-19 vaccines. They will be vaccinated at the same time as health care workers, Indigenous people over 55, and elderly older than 70.

The vaccination program will include about 2,000 people, including at least 450 athletes. The athletes and supporters could be vaccinated as early as next week.

rs, ab, kbd/nm (AP, Reuters, AFP)