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A28 WORLD NEWS
Monday 29 June 2020
Brazil signs deal to produce experimental virus vaccine

By DANIEL CARVALHO and Tuesday that the vaccine
MAURICIO SAVARESE maker has the capacity to
Associated Press produce 2 billion doses in
BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) — The its first batch, which is ex-
Brazilian government an- pected by the end of the
nounced on Saturday an year, but said that much
agreement with Oxford of the global production
University and pharmaceu- was already purchased.On
tical company AstraZene- May 21, the United States
ca to produce a promising announced a deal for at
coronavirus vaccine that is least 300 million doses of
undergoing tests. the Oxford shot and com-
Brazilian Health Ministry au- mitted up to $1.2 billion to
thorities said at a news con- the effort. On June 13, As-
ference that the country traZeneca agreed to sup-
will pay $127 million and re- ply up to 400 million doses
ceive material to produce of the experimental vac-
30.4 million doses in two cine to European Union
batches in December and nations. Other negotiations
January, which would al- are ongoing with Russia
low it to quickly start inocu- and Japan, among other
lation efforts if the vaccine countries, the company's
is certified to be safe and CEO said this month.
effective. Welington Goncalves, right, sits next to his colleague as they wait to refill their tanks during a Another experimental vac-
They said the total deal is disinfection to help contain the spread of the new coronavirus in an area occupied by squatters cine in development by
in a poor region of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Friday, June 26, 2020.
for 100 million vaccines for Associated Press Chinese company Sino-
a country of about 210 mil- vac Biotech will be tested
lion residents. It will be pro- details. The Brazilian government British researchers started in Brazil in July, accord-
duced by local vaccine Fiocruz said in statement said the first to get the Ox- testing the experimental ing to the Sao Paulo state
maker Fiocruz. that it still had to reach a ford shot would be high-risk shot in May aiming to im- government. Sinovac has
Vijay Rangarajan, the Brit- deal with AstraZeneca for groups such as the elderly, munize more than 10,000 a deal with the state's Insti-
ish ambassador, said on the transfer of technology people with comorbidities people, including older tuto Butantan to produce
Twitter that "the 30 million of the vaccine if it works. and health and security people and children. The it. Some 9,000 Brazilians are
doses will be available in "After the production (of professionals. vaccine is one of about a expected to participate.
Brazil" and Fiocruz will "pre- the shots), it will still be nec- Arnaldo Correia de Me- dozen in the early stages of The World Health Organi-
pare for local production," essary (to follow) phases of deiros, secretary of health human testing. zation's chief scientist, Sou-
without making reference registry and validation be- surveillance, said distribu- Brazil, where coronavirus in- mya Swaminathan, said
to the promised additional fore a possible distribution," tion will be fast because of fections are still on the rise, Friday that AstraZeneca's
70 million doses. The British it said. Brazil's public health care counts more than 1 million experimental vaccine is
Embassy said in a state- Fiocruz added it will be system. "This country has confirmed cases and more probably the world's lead-
ment that "the 70 million possibly responsible for pro- extensive experience in ex- than 55,900 fatalities. ing candidate and most
will come in a second mo- ducing the vaccine for the tremely fast vaccination", The British ambassador told advanced in terms of
ment," without giving more rest of Latin America. he said. The Associated Press on development.q

South Africa’s surge of virus cases expected to rise rapidly

confirmed cases, Health increases. COVID-19, 80% are in gen-
Minister Zwelini Mkhize said After two months of a strict eral wards and about 15%
in a statement. He warned lockdown, South Africa at of them are getting high
this number is expected to the beginning of June be- flow oxygen treatment.
rise quickly. gan lifting restrictions to About 11% of those hospi-
"We are seeing a rapid rise allow economic activity, talized have severe cases
in the cumulative number as the shutdown had dra- and are in intensive care
of positive COVID-19 cas- matically increased un- and of those more than
es indicating that, as we employment and hunger, 58% are on ventilation,
had expected, we are ap- in a country rated as the Mkhize said.
proaching a surge during world's most unequal. He said that the steroid
the ... months of July and The current rise in infec- dexamethasone is being
August," Mkhize said in a tions has come from peo- given to the most critically

In this Friday June 19, 2020, a woman wearing a face mask statement. ple who "moved back ill patients.
passes a coronavirus billboard carrying a message in a bid to "It is anticipated that while into the workplace. It was He said that South Africa
prevent the spread of the virus. every province will un- therefore inevitable that has built several field hos-
Associated Press fortunately witness an in- there would be cluster out- pitals, including in con-
crease in their numbers, breaks as infections spilled vention centers, a car
By ANDREW MELDRUM weeks and press the coun- areas where there is high over from communities manufacturing plant and
Associated Press try's hospitals to the limit, economic activity will ex- into places of congrega- by building large tented
JOHANNESBURG (AP) the health minister said perience an exponential tion such as mines, facto- structures.
— South Africa's current Sunday night. rise," said Mkhize, saying ries, taxis and buses," Mkh- The field hospitals have in-
surge of COVID-19 cases is More than 4,300 people that the cities of Johan- ize said. creased the hospital bed
expected to dramatically have been hospitalized out nesburg, Cape Town and Of the more than 4,300 capacity for COVID-19 to
increase in the coming of South Africa's 138,000 Durban will see the biggest people hospitalized for 27,000, Mkhize said. q