May 12 coronavirus news

The Covid-19 variant, B.1.617, first identified in India in October has been now found in 44 nations, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

The United Kingdom is the country outside of India that has reported the largest number of cases of the variant, WHO said Wednesday in its weekly epidemiological update.

On Monday, WHO classified it as a variant of concern, a label that indicates that the identified variant may show, among other indicators, evidence of increased transmissibility or evidence of increased severity.

The UK is set to remove most social distancing restrictions on May 17.

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The United States Embassy in Nepal has issued a Level 4 "Do Not Travel" notice for the country amid the spread of Covid-19.

"The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a Level 4 Travel Health Notice for Nepal due to COVID-19, indicating a very high level of COVID-19 in the country," the embassy said in a travel advisory Wednesday.

Commercial flights are not departing Nepal and the government has extended the flight suspension through May 31.

The embassy said its services are closed during Kathmandu's lockdown, which is currently in effect until May 27.

Pope Francis told a crowd gathered outside the Vatican on Wednesday that he was happy to see them "face to face," in his first public audience since November last year.

The papal's weekly audiences with the public had been suspended due to Covid-19 restrictions.

A sparse crowd of approximately 300 faithful, wearing masks, sat outside in the Vatican’s San Damaso courtyard.

The public had their temperatures taken and passed through metal detectors before entering the courtyard.

Pope Francis did not wear a mask. He stopped to talk, shake hands and sign autographs with the crowd when entering the courtyard.

The Vatican first suspended papal audiences with the public in March last year due to Covid-19 restrictions, briefly resuming them again in September, before a surge in cases forced another closure in November.

India’s total tally of coronavirus cases has crossed the 23 million mark, as the country recorded 348,421 new cases on Wednesday, according to figures released by the health ministry.

The total number of Covid-19 cases currently stands at 23,340,938.

The country also reported a record death toll of 4,205 on Wednesday. This is the highest for India since the start of the pandemic, and takes the overall death toll to 254,197.

The number of deaths reported each day in the country have been consistently above 3,000 on a daily basis, since April 28.

The ongoing second wave has led at least 24 states and union territories -- out of a possible 36 -- to impose some form of restrictions. At least 21 of these are under complete lockdown, according to CNN data compiled from state governments.

The majority of Nepal is now under full or partial Covid-19 lockdown, according to the country's Ministry of Home Affairs.

Only five districts remain open out of a total of 77 with 64 under full and eight under partial lockdown, the ministry reported.

Districts under full lockdown have asked both public and private vehicles to stay off the roads. All academic institutions and businesses are closed except those related to essential services. 

Most districts have allowed grocery stores to open for limited hours.

The Covid-19 measures are enforced by the chief district officers from their respective districts. The central government had previously given authority to districts to impose full or partial lockdown.

Oxygen supply: Nepal's Supreme Court urged the government to set up a task force to direct the distribution of oxygen cylinders and other life-saving equipment amid rising Covid-19 infections. 

In an interim order on Tuesday, the court said no Nepali should be deprived of medical treatment due to a shortage of life-saving equipment, such as oxygen cylinders, medicine, and well-equipped hospital beds. 

It said the government has the responsibility to ensure the timely supply of these equipment to save lives, and that they should form a task force to ensure "efficient coordination" in their distribution.

Some context: Nepal had seen case numbers begin to fall in February, with newly identified cases hovering between 50 to 100 each day. But infections erupted in mid-April as neighboring India's second wave picked up speed.

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Coronavirus vaccines can likely go into younger teens’ arms as soon as Thursday, US Food and Drug Administration officials said Monday.

The FDA extended emergency use authorization of Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine to kids ages 12 to 15 on Monday. 

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices has scheduled an emergency meeting for Wednesday. It’s expected to vote to recommend use of the vaccine. After that, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky is expected to give her final approval, after which states can give the go-ahead to administer the vaccine to the new age group.

States regulate medical practice but things should move quickly, said Dr. Peter Marks, director of FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, the arm of the FDA that regulates vaccines.

“Thursday, right,” added FDA Acting Commissioner Dr. Janet Woodcock.