UK reopens, but wary of B.1.617 variant
LONDON/SINGAPORE: Most of Britain took a major step towards normalcy on Monday as Covid-19 restrictions were eased, despite concerns over the spread of the more transmissible B.1.617 variant that was first detected in India.
Across England, Wales and most of Scotland, full indoor hospitality in pubs, restaurants and cafes returned, and cinemas, theatres and sports venues were to open their doors for the first time in months. But easing will not come until May 24 for Northern Ireland.
People can go on holiday abroad to selected countries. Groups of people can also meet inside private houses with some restrictions. In a tweet on Monday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson told the public, “Please be cautious about the risks to your loved ones. Remember that close contact, such as hugging is a direct way of transmitting this disease.”
Singapore shuts schools
Singapore will close schools from Wednesday as authorities warned new strains such as the one first detected in India were affecting more children.
Taiwan also shut schools in the capital Taipei to control an outbreak, and the island banned all foreigners from entry or transit for a month unless they had a residency card.
There’s proof virus came from Wuhan lab: Pompeo
Former US secretary of state Mike Pompeo has claimed evidence suggests that the coronavirus originated from a lab in Wuhan, and that the risk of bioweapons and bio-terror arising from the region is “very real”.
Pompeo reportedly told Fox News that the Chinese Communist Party had “covered up” the origin of Covid-19 and that evidence continues to mount despite their efforts to deny access to the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
“We worked to get every bit of evidence that we could, we tried to deliver this to the CDC, tried to work with the Chinese. They covered it up terribly,” Pompeo said, according to an ANI report.
He also reportedly said the combination of circumstantial evidence and China’s intense effort to deny any information relating to the lab suggested to him that the coronavirus originated in that Wuhan lab. “I haven’t seen a shred of evidence to suggest anything to the contrary,” Pompeo said.
Meanwhile, the Unicef’s executive director Henrietta Fore has asked G7 countries to donate supplies to the Covax vaccinesharing scheme as an emergency measure to address a severe shortfall caused by disruption to Indian vaccine exports.