Below is a roundup of current health news briefs.
Xi says COVID control is entering a new phase as cases rise after reopening
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday called for more effort and unity as the country enters a “new phase” in its approach to fighting the pandemic, in his first comments to the public on COVID-19 since his government changed hands. course three weeks ago and relaxed. its rigorous policy of mass blocking and testing. China’s abrupt shift earlier this month from the “zero-COVID” policy it had maintained for nearly three years has led to infections spreading across the country unchecked. It has also sparked a further drop in economic activity and international concern, with Britain and France becoming the latest countries to impose restrictions on travelers from China.
Asia celebrates the New Year as the world begins to herald 2022
Australia celebrated its first unrestricted New Year’s Eve after two years of COVID disruptions, as the world began to say goodbye to a year marked for many by the war in Ukraine, economic tensions and the effects of global warming. Revelers celebrated across Asia, from China to the Philippines to Thailand.
France to impose mandatory COVID tests for travelers from China
France will require travelers from China to provide a negative COVID-19 test result less than 48 hours before departure, the health and transport ministries said on Friday. The test will be mandatory on all flights from China, including flights with layovers. Travelers on planes arriving from China will also be required to wear masks.
UK to require negative COVID tests for arrivals from China
The UK said on Friday that passengers arriving in Britain from China will require a negative COVID-19 test after a spike in infections in China. From January 5, Chinese travelers will be required to show a negative COVID-19 test carried out no more than two days before departure, the UK Department of Health and Social Care said in a statement.
WHO urges China to regularly share specific data on COVID situation
The World Health Organization once again on Friday urged Chinese health officials to regularly share specific and real-time information on the COVID-19 situation in the country, as it continues to assess the latest surge in infections. The agency has asked Chinese officials to share more genetic sequencing data, as well as data on hospitalizations, deaths and vaccinations.
Pandemic restrictions are linked to the early start of the winter flu season in Europe
Pandemic restrictions that hampered the circulation of viruses other than COVID-19 could be behind the unusually early rise in respiratory infections in Europe this winter that the holiday break could prolong, scientists say. In addition to COVID-19, regulations to curb movement and social interaction limited the transmission of viruses that typically cause most infections during the colder winter months, including influenza and RSV (respiratory syncytial virus).
Exclusive-Drugmakers to raise prices on at least 350 drugs in the US in January
Drugmakers including Pfizer Inc, GlaxoSmithKline PLC, Bristol Myers Squibb, AstraZeneca PLC and Sanofi SA plan to increase prices in the United States for more than 350 unique drugs in early January, according to data analyzed by drug research firm medical care 3 Axis Advisors. The increases are expected to come as the pharmaceutical industry prepares for the Biden Administration’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which allows the government’s Medicare health program to negotiate prices directly from some drugs as of 2026. The industry is also dealing with inflation and the supply chain. restrictions that have led to higher manufacturing costs.
India monitors pharmaceutical exports to China amid COVID-19 surge: source
India’s Ministry of Commerce has been asked to monitor exports of medical products and equipment to China to ensure domestic availability for any COVID-19 surge, according to a source familiar with the matter. India’s Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya called on pharmaceutical companies and senior government officials to review drug availability and control their stocks and prices at a meeting on Thursday, the source told Reuters.
EU urges more controls for COVID variants given surge in China
The European Union should immediately consider expanding genomic sequencing of COVID-19 infections and monitoring wastewater, including from airports, to detect new variants given the rise of the virus in China, the bloc’s health chief said. . In a letter to the health ministers of the 27-member EU, Stella Kyriakides said the bloc should be “very vigilant” as China lifted travel restrictions on January 8, as reliable epidemiological and test data for China they were quite scarce.
Philippines to strengthen COVID monitoring for travelers from China
The Philippines sees a need to step up monitoring and implementation of border control for people entering, especially from China, which is experiencing a record rise in COVID-19 cases, the Manila Ministry of Health said on Saturday. In an “extremely urgent” memo, the Health Ministry ordered all ports of entry to increase surveillance for all respiratory symptoms in all travelers from China and report intercepted symptomatic passengers.
(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is automatically generated from a syndicated feed.)
