June 1 (Reuters) – Here’s what you need to know about the coronavirus right now:
Coronavirus variants get new names
Coronavirus variants with clunky, alphanumeric names have now been assigned the letters of the Greek alphabet in a bid to simplify discussion and pronunciation while avoiding stigma.
The four coronavirus variants considered of concern by the U.N. agency and known generally by the public as the UK, South Africa, Brazil and India variants have now been given the letters Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta according to the order of their detection. Read more
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Peru’s pandemic death toll now worst in the world per capita
Peru on Monday almost tripled its official COVID-19 death toll to 180,764, following a government review, making it the country with the worst death rate per capita, according to Johns Hopkins University data. With its updated death toll, Peru now stands at more than 500 COVID-19 deaths per 100,000 people.
Peru has been among the hardest-hit Latin America countries during the COVID-19 pandemic, with its hospitals overcrowded with patients and demand for oxygen outstripping availability. Experts had long warned that the true death toll was being undercounted in official statistics.
Vietnam wants to produce COVID-19 vaccines to supply COVAX
Vietnam is seeking to buy COVID-19 vaccine production technology and wants to build a plant to supply the COVAX programme, its health ministry said on Tuesday, as the country tries to step up vaccinations to stem a new outbreak of infections.
The country of about 98 million people has so far received 2.9 million doses, including 2.6 million doses via COVAX, but is lagging many neighbours in its vaccination drive.
‘Time has come’ for pandemic treaty – WHO’s Tedros
The head of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, called on Monday for launching negotiations this year on an international treaty to boost pandemic preparedness, as part of sweeping reforms envisioned by member states.
The ministers from the WHO’s 194 member states are to meet from Nov. 29 to decide whether to launch negotiations on the pandemic treaty.
Long lines and confusion as Venezuela begins vaccination
Hundreds of senior citizens and health workers stood in long lines on Monday to get vaccinated against the coronavirus as part of Venezuela’s inoculation campaign, which has been held up by payment problems and political disputes.
The campaign that officially began over the weekend is using vaccines provided by Russia and China. Reuters data shows that only 1.1% of the population has received at least one vaccine shot so far.
Read more – Russia says Sputnik V can be used as a single-shot vaccine
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