Coronavirus live news: Japan confirms new Covid strain; rich countries stockpiling 1bn extra vaccine shots




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Summary




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Japan finds new strain, immigration centre reports infections




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Rich nations stockpiling one billion more shots than needed

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As the race to administer Covid-19 inoculations has ramped up this year, so have efforts to use the vaccines as instruments of influence. India entered the fray in February by giving away millions of doses to its neighbours in south Asia, where it has been competing for diplomatic sway with China.

Beijing has announced a flurry of free doses over recent weeks to 13 countries, and say it plans to provide vaccines to 38 more. Moscow has capitalised on delays in the EU’s programme to sell its own vaccine to Hungary – even though the Russian formulation still awaits the bloc’s regulatory approval:




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Hong Kong to start vaccinations next week




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Africa’s death toll passes 100,000




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Israeli study finds Pfizer vaccine 85% effective after first shot




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Australian family tests positive to Covid a day after state emerges from lockdown

Three members of a family from the Australian state of Victoria, two of whom quarantined at the Melbourne airport Holiday Inn, have tested positive to coronavirus a day after the state’s five-day lockdown was lifted.

Health authorities were confident the new cases, which came after two days of zero cases in Victoria, will not spark further infections as they were isolating at home during their infectious period.

Health minister Martin Foley said the cases involved two parents and a child, two of whom were classified as primary close contacts because they had been in quarantine on the third floor of the quarantine hotel at Tullamarine. The other family member was deemed a secondary contact: