COVID digest: BioNTech unveils mobile vaccine units

German pharmaceutical company BioNTech on Wednesday introduced what it is calling "scalable vaccine production" with a new innovation called "BioNTainers."

These are mobile units developed by the company, designed to manufacture and improve the supply of vaccines in Africa.

Twelve containers that make up the mobile lab are split into two modules with one for the production of mRNA and the other for the vaccine serum. The filling of the vials is conducted by local pharmaceutical partners.

The company is looking to ship the facilities to Rwanda, Senegal and possibly South Africa in a process it says will be closely coordinated with the African Union (AU).

DW correspondent Christine Mhundwa was in Marburg for the unveiling of BioNTech's mobile facility, and said that its a significant step in getting the continent to produce more medicines.

"The presidents of Ghana, of Senegal and Rwanda visited the BioNTech facility here in the German city of Marburg, and they said they were pleased with what they saw," Mhundwa said. 

Rwanda's President Paul Kagame said Rwanda welcomed the initiative: "BioNTech's innovative modular production system opens up a new horizon for global vaccine equity. Rwanda looks forward to initiating mRNA vaccine manufacturing in the near future, in collaboration with BioNTech and our partners in Africa, Europe, and beyond.”

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has also given the project her full support. "mRNA vaccines made in Africa, for Africa, with world-class technology. This initiative is a real trailblazer in our global fight against the pandemic," von der Leyen said.

Just under 12 percent of people on the African continent have been fully vaccinated.

The first "BioNTainer" is expected to arrive in the second half of 2022.

Here are the latest major developments on coronavirus from around the world.

Europe

Germany on Wednesday announced plans to end most of the COVID-19 restrictionsby March 20. The plan has been backed by Chancellor Olaf Scholz and state governors.

Restrictions will be gradually lifted over three stages. The decision follows an announcement from Health Minister Karl Lauterbach that the omicron wave has peaked and the rate of infections has started to fall.

Switzerland and Austria will also be dropping most of their COVID-19 restrictions. From Thursday there will only be an obligation to self-isolate for five days following a positive test, and for people to wear masks on public transport and in healthcare facilities in Switzerland.

Austria will see most restrictions dropped on March 5. The Alpine neighbors will join other EU states like the UK, Netherlands, Denmark and Norway who have also dropped most of their COVID-19 measures.

In the Netherlands, a government report published on Wednesday has found that the country was not properly prepared for the global pandemic.

The Dutch Safety Board (OVV) said that government's response was ad hoc and had to be improvised in the early stages of the crisis.

Nursing homes were largely left to fend for themselves, with the report calling what happened a "silent catastrophe" due to a lack of masks and protective clothing.

"Protective equipment was mainly provided to hospitals ... but not to nursing homes," the report said.

A ban on visits to nursing homes was also found to have had "major social and psychological consequences."

The United Kingdom's vaccine advisory committee on Wednesday said that children between the ages of five and 11 should be offered COVID-19 vaccines.

Health secretary Sajid Javid said that he would accept the advice for England.

"The main purpose of offering vaccination to 5-11 year olds is to increase their protection against severe illness in advance of a potential future wave of COVID-19," said Wei Shen Lim, Chair of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).

Asia

South Korea has decided to start distributing free COVID-19 rapid test kits to schools and nursing homes as the country battles record infections driven by the omicron variant.

On Wednesday 90,443 cases were reported, eclipsing the previous daily record of more than 33,000 cases.

While omicron hasn't brought serious illlness or death when compared to the delta variant, it has caused hospital admissions to creep up.

China's President Xi Jinping has given instructions to Hong Kong to take "all necessary measures" to deal with a COVID-19 outbreak, according to local media.

Hong Kong is in the midst of its worst outbreak since the pandemic began, with hospitals buckling, as the territory records more than 1000 cases a day.

"The government will, in accordance with the important instruction of President Xi Jinping, assume the main responsibility to... adopt all necessary measures to safeguard the lives and health of Hong Kong people," Hong Kong's leader Carrie Lam stated in a press release Wednesday.

Americas

Health officials in the United States said that they are preparing for what comes after the omicron wave.

"We're moving toward a time when COVID isn't a crisis, but is something we can protect against and treat. The president and our COVID team are actively planning for the future," White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Jeff Zients told members of the media.

A number of states have started easing restrictions as infections begin to drop.

Authorities are now considering guidance on revised measures including when to wear face masks.

kb/wd (AP, AFP, dpa, Reuters)