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The American pharmaceutical company Moderna wants to be the first company to apply for the approval of a corona vaccine in the EU. Moderna announced on the same day that the application should be sent to the European Medicines Agency Ema on Monday. At the same time, an emergency approval request must also be submitted to the US drug agency.
According to the pharmaceutical company, if approval is granted, the vaccine could be shipped to the EU from December. This means that vaccination against the corona virus is getting closer and closer in Germany. Last week, the president of the EU Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, announced that a framework contract had been concluded for up to 160 million doses of vaccine.
Advance approval is possible through the so-called ongoing review process. Manufacturers can send data on the efficacy and safety of the vaccine to authorities prior to actual application if a vaccine is urgently needed.
As Moderna announced, the vaccine is 94.1 percent effective. The company is based on data from tests involving more than 30,000 people in the United States. Efficacy was similar in all age groups.
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US expert Fauci warns of worsening crown situation in December
In the United States, according to renowned immunologist Anthony Fauci, the corona pandemic is expected to worsen by the end of the year. It is not too late to take countermeasures, but due to the holidays and more travel, a further increase in new infections can be expected, Fauci told NBC television on Sunday. “Unfortunately, what we hope for in the coming weeks of December is that we could have a new wave, in addition to the one we are already in,” Fauci said.
Experts like Fauci had already anticipated a surge in infections across the country ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday last Thursday due to many trips and family gatherings. The same applies to the upcoming Christmas holidays, Fauci said. The prominent immunologist is also a member of the White House crown task force.
The U.S. Centers for Disease CDC recently reported more than 143,000 new confirmed infections within 24 hours, another 1,210 people died. In the country of around 330 million people, more than 13 million known infections have been recorded since the start of the pandemic and more than 265,000 people have died. No other country in the world has so many known infections and deaths. According to the Ministry of Health, around 90,000 people across the country are currently being treated in hospitals for the Covid-19 disease caused by the virus.
U-turn in New York: elementary schools may reopen
Despite the increase in the corona number, public elementary schools in the East Coast metropolis of New York should be able to reopen as of December 7. Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Sunday. Work is still being done on how the opening of the upper levels of schools should be carried out, the mayor said. “We are confident that we can keep the schools safe.”
New York schools had already closed completely in the spring. New York was one of the first school districts to reopen classes in September. De Blasio announced in the summer that schools would close again if three percent of all coronavirus tests in the city were positive over a seven-day period. That happened in mid-November, so he ordered the shutdown. De Blasio emphasized that we are now deviating from this fixed number.
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Belgium criticizes planned German Christmas easing
Belgian Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke has criticized the planned relaxation of Corona’s rules during Christmas in Germany. “If there is something the virus likes, then it is fixed, especially with the change of participants, we must absolutely avoid it,” Vandenbroucke said Friday night, according to the Belgian news agency. “That is why I believe that our neighboring countries are not doing what is appropriate.”
Prime Minister Alexander De Croo had advised against traveling to red zones abroad and announced checks at the Belgian borders to see if travelers had completed the required form. Then, random checks should be carried out to determine if the required quarantine time is being respected. “We see that the numbers are developing well in our country,” De Croo said. “The last thing we want is to bring the virus back to Belgium.”
Despite the drop in the crown number, Belgium had decided to maintain strict contact restrictions until at least mid-January and also during Christmas. Households can only invite one other person. Only single people can host two friends or relatives at the same time on vacation, the so-called Contact hug. In Germany, up to ten people must be allowed to celebrate together at Christmas, in addition to children.
Sometimes tiny Belgium had the highest number of corona cases per capita in Europe and thus imposed strict requirements in early November. On Friday, the government and the regions agreed to a minor easing: starting Tuesday, all stores will be allowed to reopen, instead of just grocery stores and stores with basic goods. Museums and swimming pools are also allowed to reopen. Bars, cinemas and event rooms will be closed, as will hair salons and other physical contact stores. A national ban on firecrackers applies during the New Year.
Ireland eases crown measures
Ireland faces a relaxation of the strict Crown requirements. The government said many stores and facilities could reopen next Tuesday. These included hair salons, gyms, cinemas, museums, and galleries. Religious services could also be held again. Restaurants and pubs serving food are likely to reopen from December 4, but bars serving only drinks will remain closed.
Further relaxation is anticipated for the Christmas season: between December 18 and January 6, trips and gatherings of up to three households should be possible again.
For six weeks, Ireland had strict closure measures and many stores and establishments were closed. Residents were also restricted to a five-kilometer radius around their place of residence. Prime Minister Micheál Martin admitted that many of his compatriots had to endure great hardships. But the nation’s “victims” had an effect and would have reduced the infection rate to one of the lowest levels in Europe. Ireland, with a population of nearly five million, has already reported more than 2,000 coronavirus-related deaths.
