WHO Endorses AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 Vaccine Following Suspensions

India, the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer, will use its capacity to make U.S. vaccines, which will be financed by the U.S. and Japan. Australia will provide financing, training and logistical support for vaccine distribution.

India reported more than 23,000 new COVID-19 cases Friday.

In Italy, most residents face new restrictions beginning Monday as the government tries to stop a rising number of cases.

Also read: Indonesia Receives 1 Million Doses of AstraZeneca's Covid-19 Vaccine

The restrictions include the closure of schools and nonessential shops in more than half of the country, including the capital, Rome, and the financial center, Milan.

Greek officials said they would extend COVID-19 restrictions in Athens to March 22, rather than March 16 as previously planned. Schools and nonessential shops have been closed in the city, along with other "red zone" areas, since last month.

In France, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases rose above 4 million on Friday as the health ministry reported more than 25,000 new infections.

In the United States, deaths from COVID-19 have fallen in the last week to about 1,400 per day. That is down from the 2,000 daily deaths in recent weeks and the January peak of about 4,500 deaths per day.

A new poll by Reuters/Ipsos, a global company conducting surveys and research, showed that a majority of Americans supported workplace and travel restrictions for those who are not vaccinated against COVID-19.

Also read: Indonesia Issues Emergency Use Authorization to AstraZeneca's Covid-19 Vaccine

The poll found that 62% of Americans believed unvaccinated people should not be allowed to travel on airplanes, while 60% of Americans said they wanted to work for an employer “who requires everyone to get a coronavirus vaccine before returning to the office.”

Another poll released Friday, this one from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, a research organization and news agency partnership, found that Black and Hispanic Americans were more likely than white Americans to have experienced a loss of income due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Overall, 62% of Hispanic Americans and 54% of Black Americans have lost some form of household income during the pandemic, including job losses, pay cuts, cuts in hours and unpaid leave, compared with 45% of white Americans, the poll found.

The Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center reported 119 million global COVID-19 cases Friday. The United States, with 29.3 million infections, had more cases than anywhere else in the world. Brazil was next with 11.36 million, and India was third with 11.31 million.