China's financial centre of Shanghai started easing its lockdown in some areas today despite reporting a record of more than 25,000 new Covid-19 infections, as authorities sought to get the city moving again after more than two weeks.
Pressure has been mounting on authorities in China's most populous city, and one of its wealthiest, from residents growing increasingly frustrated as the curbs dragged on, leaving some struggling to find enough food and medicine.
City officials announced this morning that they were grouping residential units into three risk categories as a step towards allowing "appropriate activity" by those in neighbourhoods with no positive cases during a two-week stretch, adding that district authorities would publish further details.
Among the first districts to release lists were the industrial area of Jinshan on Shanghai's southwestern edge and the central area of Jing'an, which posted the names of residential sites still in high- and medium-risk categories.
While videos published by local media showed that most residents in areas earmarked for easing were still locked in and waiting to be notified of next steps by their neighbourhood committees, they also showed some people trickling out from their homes onto the streets.
"It's good to be out finally, although there's nowhere to go," a resident who gave her surname as Qin said.
The step provides some relief for many cooped up for more than three weeks in the battle against China's biggest outbreak since the coronavirus was first found in central Wuhan in late 2019.
City official Gu Honghui said Shanghai was divided into 7,624 areas that were still sealed off, with a group of 2,460 now subject to "controls" after a week of no new infections, and 7,565 "prevention areas" to be opened after two weeks without a positive case.
Those in "prevention areas" who move around their neighbourhoods must observe social distancing and could be sealed off again if there are new infections, Mr Gu added.
New York City Mayor Adams tests positive for Covid-19
New York City Mayor Eric Adams has tested positive for Covid-19 after waking up with a "raspy voice," his only symptom, a spokesperson said, becoming one of the latest high-profile Gridiron dinner attendees to come down with the virus.
Mr Adams, 61, will cancel all his public events for the remainder of the week and will immediately begin taking anti-viral medications, the spokesperson, Fabien Levy, said in a statement.
"While he is isolating, he will continue to serve New Yorkers by working remotely," the statement said.
Mr Adams yesterday marked his first 100 days in office leading the nation's most populous city, once the epicentre of the pandemic in the United States.
He was in Washington last weekend to hold a series of meetings and to attend the Gridiron Club dinner on Saturday.
The event, usually a highlight of the Washington social calendar, has been blamed in recent days for a rash of Covid-19 positive test results among high-ranking officials and politicians, including Attorney General Merrick Garland and Democratic Representatives Adam Schiff and Joaquin Castro.
In all, 67 people who attended the event have tested positive, the Washington Post reported on Saturday.
US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi also tested positive for Covid-19 and was currently asymptomatic, her spokesman said on Thursday. She did not attend the event.
President Joe Biden tested negative on Wednesday night, the White House said.
Taiwan orders Pfizer's Covid-19 pill as infections rise
Taiwan has ordered 700,000 units of Pfizer anti-viral Covid-19 pill Paxlovid, its health minister said, amid a steady increase in the number of infections as the government pledges to gradually reopen its borders.
Taiwan has kept the pandemic well under control thanks to strict and early control measures.
But daily infections have been rising in recent weeks, with 439 new cases reported today, the second highest daily increase this year.
The government is on alert even though the numbers remain comparatively low and health ministry data shows 99.6% of those infected so far this year showed mild or no symptoms.
Health Minister Chen Shih-chung said the pills ordered would be enough to cover 3% of Taiwan's population, with half of them due to arrive in the second quarter this year.
Since the beginning of this year, Taiwan has reported 3,976 domestic cases, with only 13 people classified as being seriously ill and just two deaths.
Taiwan has maintained mandatory mask wearing and almost 80% of the population have had two vaccine shots while more than 50%have had three.
It is gradually relaxing quarantine rules for all arrivals on the island, but most foreigners apart from residents are still barred from entry.
Britain's Queen Elizabeth 'tired and exhausted' after Covid
Britain's Queen Elizabeth said Covid-19 had left "one very tired and exhausted" as she talked to health workers and a former patient about her own experience of "this horrible pandemic".
The 95-year-old monarch tested positive for Covid in February and was described as having had mild, cold-like symptoms. She later returned to light duties.
The queen, who is patron of the Royal London Hospital, spoke on a video call to National Health Service workers at the hospital who had helped to build and run a 155-bed unit to cope with a surge in patients needing help with their breathing.
Her conversation with staff came as she marked the official opening of the hospital's Queen Elizabeth Unit.
"It's amazing, isn't it, what can be done, when needs be?" she said in comments released by Buckingham Palace late yesterday.
The queen also spoke to Asef Hussain, who had been seriously ill with Covid-19 and who lost family members to the virus.
"It does leave one very tired and exhausted doesn't it, this horrible pandemic?" she said to him.
The queen asked how the patients had coped without being able to see family members. "It obviously was a very frightening experience," she said.
Queen Elizabeth, who turns 96 later this month, has cut back on engagements since being hospitalised for a night last October for an unspecified illness.
Dozens of UK flights axed as airlines struggle with staff shortages
Dozens of UK flights were cancelled today as airlines continue to struggle with staff shortages.
British Airways axed at least 64 domestic or European flights to or from Heathrow.
Affected UK routes were between the west London airport and Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Manchester and Newcastle.
Among the international routes affected were services to and from Berlin, Dublin, Geneva, Paris and Stockholm.
British Airways said passengers were given advanced warning of the cancellations.
The airline decided last month it would reduce its schedule until the end of May to limit the need to cancel flights at short notice due to staff shortages.
It has focused on routes with multiple daily flights, meaning passengers can be offered alternative departures on the same day they booked.
EasyJet cancelled at least 25 flights to or from Gatwick, affecting routes between the West Sussex airport and Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Glasgow and Milan.
The low-cost carrier said cancellations are being made "in advance to give customers the ability to rebook on to alternative flights".
There has been a surge in demand for flights as many families have travelled abroad for the school Easter holidays, which are the first since the UK's coronavirus restrictions for international travellers were dropped.
Airlines have been keen to attract as many bookings as possible after suffering huge losses due to the virus crisis but are struggling to cope with staff shortages.
The issue is partly caused by difficulties finding new recruits and getting their security checks processed after thousands of jobs were cut during the pandemic.
There are also high levels of coronavirus-related staff absences.
Travellers using Birmingham, Heathrow and Manchester airports have reported long queues.
