schema:articleBody
| - These are the latest developments in the coronavirus crisis: The OECD ups its global growth forecast sharply for 2021 as vaccines and a huge US stimulus programme greatly improve economic prospects. The Paris-based Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development says it now expects the global economy to grow by 5.6 percent, an increase of 1.4 percentage points from its December prediction. An Italian-Swiss pharmaceutical company has agreed to produce Russia's Sputnik V vaccine in Italy, the first such deal in the European Union, with the vaccine to be produced from July in the northern Lombardy region. The Russian makers of Sputnik V demand an apology from the EU's medicines regulator after a senior official warns member states against hastily authorising the jab, comparing emergency rollouts to "Russian roulette". Beijing has launched a health certificate programme for Chinese international travellers, leading the world in plans for so-called virus passports, the foreign ministry says. The digital certificate, which shows vaccination status and virus test results, is available for Chinese citizens via social media platform WeChat. The seven emergency "Nightingale" field hospitals set up in England to treat patients with Covid-19 are to close due to the fall in patient numbers, the government says. The starting ceremony for this month's Olympic torch relay will likely be held without spectators, a Japanese newspaper reports, but fans will still be able to line the route. At least 2,600,802 people have died of coronavirus around the world since the outbreak began in December 2019, an AFP tally from official sources showed on Tuesday. The United States is the worst-affected country with 525,816 deaths followed by Brazil (266,398), Mexico (190,923), India (157,930) and Britain (124,566). burs-eab/fg/tgb
|