10, July 2020
UK declines participating in EU Covid-19 vaccine scheme over concerns of delays 0
The British government has decided not to join a European Union coronavirus vaccine scheme because of concerns there could be costly delays in securing the vaccines, The Telegraph reported Thursday, citing sources.
The European Commission is expected to be notified on Friday, the report said.
UK business minister Alok Sharma is believed to have withdrawn from the plan after failing to get “sufficient assurance” that the UK would receive the number of vaccines it needs on time, the report added.
The officials believed that signing up to the scheme could delay the rollout of a successful vaccine in the UK by up to six months as talks on distribution took place, the report said, citing government sources.
The decision comes a week after officials in London and Brussels said Britain was in discussions with the EU about whether it would join a plan by the bloc to secure supplies of potential vaccines against COVID-19.
(REUTERS)
10, July 2020
Yaounde reports over 980 cholera cases, 45 deaths since beginning of 2020 0
A cholera outbreak has sickened at least 983 people and killed at least 45 in Cameroon since January, health authorities said Thursday.
The cases and deaths were recorded in four of the 10 Cameroonian regions, authorities said, warning that cases could increase in the rainy season from March through September.
According to the state-run newspaper Cameroon Tribune, the Littoral Region, where the country’s commercial capital Douala is located, has reported 563 cases so far, the highest caseload among the regions, while the capital Yaounde is the least affected with just three cases.
The South Region has confirmed 344 cases over the past six months, followed by the Southwest Region with 73 cases. The statistics do not include those from the country’s northern regions, where cholera is a common occurrence as a result of floods during the rainy season.
Health officials have blamed the outbreak for difficulties to access portable water sources, non-compliance with hygiene measures and the absence of latrines especially in rural areas.
Authorities are working to launch a nationwide hygiene campaign and a mass vaccination campaign to help contain the spread of the disease.
Source: Xinhaunet