Coronavirus: Latest global developments
Khan says he is "not prepared to stand by and put Londoners, and our city's recovery, at risk".
PARIS (AFP) - Here are the latest developments in the coronavirus crisis:
Australia: Sydney extends lockdown
Sydney’s five million residents will be in coronavirus lockdown for at least another two weeks, the New South Wales state premier announces.
Australia’s biggest city is already in its third week of partial lockdown, as authorities struggle to contain a fast-spreading outbreak of the Delta variant.
Britain: London mayor’s mask call
London Mayor Sadiq Khan says face masks should remain compulsory on public transport in the British capital after all virus curbs are removed in England from July 19.
Khan says he is “not prepared to stand by and put Londoners, and our city’s recovery, at risk”.
The decision to end all Covid-19 curbs in England has sparked concern among scientists who have warned it has been made too quickly and could lead to a dramatic rise in infections.
Scotland keeps masks
Scotland will partially ease some of its coronavirus restrictions from next week, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon says, but unlike in England, insists face coverings should remain for the foreseeable future.
Malta: No ban on unvaccinated travellers
Malta reverses its plan to ban unvaccinated travellers just hours before it is due to come into effect Wednesday, with those without coronavirus jabs able now to quarantine.
The Mediterranean island nation last week said it would become the first European country to announce such a ban.
But that drew criticism from the European Commission as it risked undermining an EU-wide Covid travel certificate.
US coalition urges jab requirement for health workers
Hospitals and other healthcare facilities should require their employees to be vaccinated against Covid-19, says a coalition of seven US organisations representing medical professionals.
Despite having among the highest supplies of vaccines in the world, the United States is struggling to convince the vaccine-hesitant -- including many health workers -- to get a shot.
Star power
Teen pop sensation Olivia Rodrigo will meet US President Joe Biden at the White House on Wednesday and will record videos there about the importance of young people getting vaccinated, the White House says.
Singapore: cruise cut short by Covid
An ocean liner on a “cruise to nowhere” is forced to return to Singapore earlier than scheduled after a coronavirus case was detected on board, according to reports.
Bangladesh lockdown
Bangladesh will lift its coronavirus lockdown for its second-biggest religious festival, the Eid al-Adha, from July 20-22, the government says, even as new infections soar to record levels.
France: rush to vaccinate
The French government defends a decision to impose Covid tests for unvaccinated people who want to eat in restaurants or take long-distance trips, which prompted a surge in bookings for jabs.
Prime Minister Jean Castex announces that France on Tuesday administered a record number of daily injections at 792,339 by 6:00 pm.
Germany: No mandatory jabs
Germany is not planning to follow France and other countries in introducing compulsory Covid-19 vaccinations for parts of the population, Chancellor Angela Merkel says.
$345 billion hit
Commonwealth countries lost up to $345 billion in trade last year as the pandemic triggered a global economic slump, according to a report published by the Commonwealth Trade Review.
Four million dead
The pandemic has killed at least 4,046,528 people since the virus first emerged in December 2019, according to an AFP compilation of official data.
The United States is the worst-affected country with 607,523 deaths, followed by Brazil with 534,233, India with 410,784, Mexico with 235,058, and Peru with 194,488.
The WHO says up to three times more people have died directly or indirectly due to the pandemic than official figures suggest.
