More than 130 civil society groups, mostly from developing countries, are calling on the World Trade Organization (WTO) to cancel a ministerial conference next week and instead focus on approving an intellectual property waiver for Covid-19 vaccines.
The groups, organized under a loose coalition called “Our world is not for sale”, said in a letter to WTO members that the “vaccine apartheid” caused by WTO intellectual property rules needs to be resolved first.
Otherwise, the meeting would “lack any pretext of legitimacy”, especially if some ministers may not be able to travel to Geneva, it said.
The group’s coordinator, Deborah James, admitted a postponement was unlikely, but said some developing countries are calling for a derogation to take precedence over other WTO priorities, including fisheries and agriculture negotiations.
Institutions, including Friends of the Earth International, the Global Alliance for Tax Justice, and the East African Trade Union Confederation, went further in calling for a postponement than a statement earlier this week from 15 other prominent activist groups who are looking for an agreement on the Avoiding vaccines urged Geneva.
Amnesty International, Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders), Human Rights Watch, Public Citizen and eleven others called on US President Joe Biden to personally request a vaccine exemption under the WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of International Property Rights (TRIPS) push.
France announces booster vaccinations for all adults
France is expected to announce that it will provide all adults with Covid-19 booster syringes, as well as stricter rules for wearing masks and stricter health passport controls to contain a new wave of infections, French media reported.
Health Minister Olivier Veran will hold a press conference this afternoon.
The delay between full vaccination and a booster vaccination would be reduced from six to five months, and PCR tests for unvaccinated individuals will only be valid for one day, said BFM and Le Figaro.
Booster shots are gradually becoming a requirement for a valid health pass, which in France is required for entry into restaurants, cafes, cinemas and museums, among other things.
Looting and fires break out during the Covid protests in Martinique, France
Protesters looted shops and erected burning barricades on the French Caribbean island of Martinique overnight, France Info reported, as demonstrations against Covid-19 intensified.
France Info released a video of protesters attacking a shopping center and running away with goods, as well as videos of protesters setting burning barricades on streets.
In the French Caribbean islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe, riots broke out last week due to anger over measures of the coronavirus protocol, such as B. Measures to Increase Vaccination in the Islands.
The Caribbean has been hit by a new wave of coronavirus infections in recent weeks, resulting in lockdowns, flight cancellations and overwhelming hospitals just as tourism began to show signs of recovery.
Debris has disappeared after a protest in Fort-de-France, Martinique earlier this week
Covid-19 cases rise 23% in America
New Covid-19 cases rose 23% last week in America, mostly in North America, where both the United States and Canada are reporting higher infection rates, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) said, warning the region is in danger of relapse could be like in Europe.
In Central America, on the other hand, new infections have decreased by 37%.
In South America, almost every country except Brazil, Suriname and Venezuela reports an increasing incidence of coronavirus.
The biggest jumps were in Ecuador and Paraguay, said PAHO.
Singapore and Malaysia open land borders
Singapore and Malaysia will set up a quarantine-free itinerary for people vaccinated against Covid-19 next week at their land border crossing, one of the busiest in the world, the two countries said.
The overland travel route in the first phase is for citizens, permanent residents or holders of long-term passports in the country they are entering so that people can visit families across the border, the Singapore Prime Minister’s office said in a statement.
The track is gradually being expanded.
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https://www.rte.ie/news/coronavirus/2021/1125/1263024-coronavirus-global/