What you need to know about the coronavirus right now

Celltrion

14/06/2021 06:02

June 14 (Reuters) - Here's what you need to know about the
coronavirus right now:
    
    UK's Johnson set to announce delay to end of restrictions
    British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to announce
on Monday that the end of COVID-19 restrictions will be delayed
following concern about the rapid rise of infections of the
Delta variant of the coronavirus.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL5N2NV0AP
    Johnson has refused to deny suggestions in the British media
that the end of lockdown would be delayed by up to a month,
saying in recent days there was "serious concern" about rising
infections and hospitalisations. In recent weeks there has been
a fast growth again in the number of new cases caused by the
Delta variant, first discovered in India, which health officials
believe to be 60% more transmissible than the previous dominant
strain and scientists warn could trigger a third wave of
infections.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL2N2NU03A
    
    Social distancing and sex in the Olympic village
    Tokyo Olympic organisers plan to give away about 150,000
condoms at next month's Games, but are telling athletes to take
them home rather than use them in the Olympic village where
social distancing rules and coronavirus measures are the top
priority. Athletes have been told to keep their distance from
each other, meaning fewer opportunities to mingle and more. 
    Dining has become another issue. Organisers were originally
planning to feed residents of the village in vast dining halls –
the largest one with a capacity to seat 4,500 people at once.
But now, the organisers will ask athletes to dine alone,
maintain social distancing with others, and wipe down surfaces
after eating.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL2N2NT0C2
    
    Celltrion says trial shows antibody treatment to be safe and
effective
    South Korean drugmaker Celltrion Inc  068270.KS  announced
on Monday positive results for its experimental antibody
COVID-19 treatment that it said was safe and reduced the
treatment period by nearly five days in Phase 3 global clinical
trials.
    The treatment slowed severe symptoms of COVID-19 in more
than 70% of patients, including the high-risk group with
underlying conditions. It also cut the recovery period by 4.9
days, the company said.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL3N2NW01V
    
    Virus outbreaks at Thai factories
    A series of coronavirus outbreaks in over 130 Thai
factories, including those supplying international brands, with
more than 7,100 cases across 11 provinces, is raising concerns
that the export sector could be hit hard, threatening to further
undermine an economy as it struggles to recover from the
pandemic's crippling blow to the crucial tourism industry.
    The government has been trying to contain the outbreak with
a "bubble and seal" policy, which takes effect when 10% of
factory workers are infected. The confirmed cases are then sent
for treatment while the remainder are kept at the factory for 28
days. Workers at factories and in construction camps who live on
site - many of them low-wage migrant workers - have been unable
to leave their workplace, even if they are not infected. The
policy differs from other workplaces affected by the
coronavirus.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL3N2NK26X
    
    South Korea to exempt some people vaccinated overseas from
quarantine
    South Korea will exempt some travellers who have received
their COVID-19 vaccine shots overseas from its mandatory
two-week quarantine starting July 1, health authorities said on
Sunday.
    Exempt travellers will need to fill out an application, and
still need to be tested before and after arriving in South
Korea. Some travellers from countries with major outbreaks or
variants will not be allowed to skip the quarantine, said Son
Young-rae, an official with the Central Disaster Management
Headquarters.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL2N2NV03M
    
    
    
    

 (Compiled by Karishma Singh; Editing by Jacqueline Wong)
 ((Karishma.Singh@thomsonreuters.com;))