Coronavirus briefs
New variants of the disease that are more infectious than the original strain were reported in Brazil and Ohio. Two cabinet ministers in Malawi died after contracting covid-19 as a second wave of the pandemic sweeps across sub-Saharan Africa. Hospitals in South Africa’s major cities have been overwhelmed, leading the government to close 20 border crossings. London’s mayor, Sadiq Khan, declared a “major incident”. The death toll from covid in the city passed 10,000; 7,600 are being treated in hospital. British police toughened the use of new powers targeting a “stubborn number of people” wilfully flouting the rules. Andrew Cuomo, the governor of New York, promised to increase vaccination rates in his state, but also warned that “We simply cannot stay closed until the vaccine hits critical mass…We will have nothing left to…
