BEIRUT, Feb 11 (Reuters) &#8211; As Lebanon grapples with surging coronavirus infections and a financial crisis that has crushed its economy, migrant workers often cannot find the care they need if they test positive.
Desperate workers from Africa and Asia are turning to charities and aid organisations.
There are hundreds of thousands of migrant workers in Lebanon but rights groups say its labour laws do not provide adequate protection or health cover.
Hospitals are running out of capacity to treat critically ill patients as a result of a spike in infections since the Christmas and New Year holidays. Lebanon has registered 328,016 cases and 3,803 deaths.
&#8220;Because of the economic crisis and because of the outbreak of the COVID pandemic as well, there&#8217;s been a decrease in the quality of life of migrant workers and they find themselves certainly in a more dire situation,&#8221; said Médecins Sans Frontières field coordinator Maya Trad.
She and her colleagues have set up a helpline that directs callers to mental health, medical or social support.
Migrant workers who test positive can quarantine at a centre in southern Lebanon, or will be sent to public hospitals where MSF makes sure they are given care.
The Siblin Isolation Centre, run in partnership with the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, helps curb transmission of the virus in communities where people cannot isolate, MSF says.
For one migrant worker, the experience left her grateful and touched.
&#8220;I felt that I had found my place, their human interaction is great,&#8221; she said after recovering. &#8220;I left in tears. I wanted to stay in that place.&#8221;
But now she plans to fly home.
&#8220;There&#8217;s nothing left in Lebanon &#8230; and everything is getting worse,&#8221; she said, asking to remain anonymous. (Reporting by Imad Creidi; Writing by Yara Abi Nader and Ayat Basma; Editing by Giles Elgood)
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Aid groups offer Lebanon’s migrant workers a virus lifeline

(Refiles to add time reference in paragraph 6)
ABUJA, Feb 11 (Reuters) &#8211; Nigeria&#8217;s information minister called on activists to drop plans for a protest in the commercial capital Lagos over the reopening of the site where demonstrators against police brutality were shot last year, saying it risked being &#8220;hijacked by hoodlums&#8221;.
Protesters were shot on Oct. 20 by people witnesses said were soldiers at the toll gate in the affluent Lekki district of Lagos. Rights group Amnesty International said soldiers and police killed at least 12 protesters in Lekki and another district. The military and police have denied involvement.
Nationwide protests against police brutality were largely peaceful until the Oct. 20 shooting, which spawned some of the worst civil unrest since the 1999 return to civilian rule in Africa&#8217;s most populous country.
A judicial commission in Lagos is looking into the allegations that the army and police opened fire on protesters on Oct. 20. Social media campaigners said a demonstration would be held at the toll gate on Saturday in protest at its reopening before the commission had completed its investigation.
In response, Information Minister Lai Mohammed said the planned rally could turn violent because of &#8220;hoodlums&#8221;.
&#8220;We therefore strongly warn those who are planning to re-occupy Lekki Toll Gate on Saturday to desist,&#8221; Mohammed told a news conference on Thursday in the capital Abuja.
&#8220;While peaceful protests are the constitutional rights of Nigerians, violent protests are not. At this time, the chances that any peaceful protest will be hijacked are very high.&#8221;
Violence would not be tolerated, he said, adding: &#8220;The security agents are ready for any eventuality.&#8221;
The unrest in October led to the deaths of six soldiers, 37 policemen and 57 civilians, as well as the destruction of 269 private and public properties, Mohammed said. (Reporting by Felix Onuah Writing by Alexis Akwagyiram Editing by Mark Heinrich)
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Nigerian government warns against protest at Lekki shooting site

* Liquidity in gold market light due to Lunar New Year holiday
* CME raises platinum futures margins by 10%
* Platinum set to reach $1,300/oz by end-2021 -Citi (Adds analyst comments, details and updates prices)
By Asha Sistla
Feb 11 (Reuters) &#8211; Platinum prices rose to their highest in more than six years on Thursday, extending a solid run on market hopes that an economic recovery would boost demand from the automobile sector.
Platinum rose 1.3% to $1,257.51 an ounce by 1043 GMT, having earlier jumped as much as 2.2% to its highest since January 2015. Palladium also firmed 0.2% to $2,361.04 per ounce, not far from a near three-week high hit on Wednesday.
Both metals are used by automakers in catalytic converters to clean car exhaust fumes.
&#8220;The market has been looking beyond the pandemic &#8211; to a recovery in the auto sector, which will eventually happen,&#8221; said StoneX analyst Rhona O&#8217;Connell.
The market will draw support from potential demand for fuel cells, with the Johnson Matthey report also talking about increased loadings, particularly for diesel vehicles, O&#8217;Connell said.

Platinum may see a third consecutive annual deficit in 2021, specialist materials firm Johnson Matthey said in a report released on Wednesday.
Potential concerns about mining production in South Africa still remain, even as fuel cell vehicles are set to become mainstream, with Hyundai Motor Group hiking their demand for platinum-based fuel cell stacks, O&#8217;Connell said.
Citi Research analysts said they expected platinum prices to &#8220;grind higher through 2021 to $1,300 an ounce by the end of the year,&#8221; on a rebound in industrial and investment demand.
Meanwhile, the CME Group raised margins for platinum futures by 10%. This is a typical move by exchanges to mitigate risks as price volatility increases.
Spot gold edged 0.1% lower to $1,841.28 per ounce. U.S. gold futures were trading flat at $1,842.90.
Spot silver rose 0.5% to $27.13 an ounce.
&#8220;Low liquidity due to Chinese new year holiday is weighing on prices,&#8221; said DailyFX strategist Margaret Yang.
Investors also kept a close watch on developments on the passage of a $1.9 trillion U.S. stimulus bill.
(Reporting by Asha Sistla and Sumita Layek in Bengaluru, additional reporting by Nakul Iyer; Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips)
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PRECIOUS-Platinum at over 6-year peak as markets bet on auto recovery

RABAT, Feb 11 (Reuters) &#8211; Morocco will receive a second batch of 4 million doses of the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine on Thursday, having began Africa’s first national vaccination campaign two weeks ago, health ministry sources said.
The shipment of AstraZeneca vaccines manufacturd by India&#8217;s Serum Institute is expected to arrive at Casablanca airport on Thursday afternoon.
“This new batch would enable a steady continuation of Morocco’s national vaccination campaign,” said Said Afif, a member of the health ministry’s scientific committee.
The latest batch of AstraZeneca vaccines follows 2 million doses received last month and 500,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Sinopharm.
By Wednesday Morocco had vaccinated 746,116 people and reported 476,689 coronavirus infections and 8,436 deaths.
The country has ordered enough vaccine for 33 million people and aims to inoculate 80% of the population. (Reporting by Ahmed Eljechtimi Editing by David Goodman)
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Morocco to receive 4 mln doses of AstraZeneca vaccine from India

WHO AFRICA DIRECTOR MOETI SAYS INTERACTION WITH COUNTRIES NEIGHBOURING SOUTH AFRICA PARTICULARLY INTENSE
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WHO AFRICA DIRECTOR MOETI SAYS INTERACTION WITH COUNTRIES NEIGHBOURING SOUTH AFRICA PARTICULARLY INTENSE

* MSCI EMFX index hovers at over 1-month high
* South African rand rises before state of the nation speech
* Turkish lira hovers near 6-month high
By Ambar Warrick
Feb 11 (Reuters) &#8211; Most emerging market currencies hovered near multi-week highs on Thursday after benign U.S. inflation supported risk-driven assets, while stocks touched a record high.
South Africa&#8217;s rand led gains across currencies in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, rising 0.3% ahead of President Cyril Ramaphosa&#8217;s State of the Nation address.
Investors will be watching for clues on more government support as Ramaphosa&#8217;s address comes against a backdrop of a COVID-19-hit economy and a stalled vaccination program.
However, relatively higher yields have shielded the rand from weakness in the economy. The currency, trading near a more than one-month high, also stands to gain from stronger exports to Beijing, as a row between China and Australia looks to potentially shift Chinese buyers to South Africa.
Most other EMEA currencies rose on a weaker dollar and U.S. treasury yields after a moderate U.S. inflation growth implied the Federal Reserve would have little impetus to consider tightening policy in the near-term.
The MSCI&#8217;s index of EM currencies rose 0.1% after hitting its highest level since early-January on Wednesday.
Fed chair Jerome Powell on Wednesday reiterated the bank would keep policy accommodative until the United States reached full employment.
&#8220;The Fed, ECB and other major central banks intend to keep monetary policy as loose as possible to stimulate recovery&#8230; various countries also continue making progress on vaccinating the population,&#8221; said Piotr Matys, senior EM FX strategist at Rabobank.
&#8220;Recovery will be driven by a rebound in consumer spending, supported by record-low interest rates.&#8221;
Speculation over tapering by the Fed had pushed up U.S. yields this year, pressuring EM currencies and bonds, and keeping most of them trading down for the year.
But expectations of more liquidity in the market supported EM equities, as the MSCI&#8217;s index rose 0.2% to a record high with Asian stocks contributing the most to gains, although most bourses in EMEA retreated slightly from recent gains.

Russia&#8217;s rouble rose 0.2%, trading near a three-week high. While a surge in oil prices has benefited the currency, concerns over political unrest in the country kept gains limited.
Turkey&#8217;s lira rose 0.2%, sticking near six-month highs, on continued optimism over tight monetary policy in the country.
Sentiment in Turkey improved after the central bank vowed to combat overheated inflation and rebuild the country&#8217;s severely depleted currency reserves.
Most central European currencies rose slightly to the euro, while stocks in the region gained.
For GRAPHIC on emerging market FX performance in 2021, see http://tmsnrt.rs/2egbfVh For GRAPHIC on MSCI emerging index performance in 2021, see https://tmsnrt.rs/2OusNdX

For TOP NEWS across emerging markets
For CENTRAL EUROPE market report, see
For TURKISH market report, see
For RUSSIAN market report, see
(Reporting by Ambar Warrick in Bengaluru; Editing by Amy Caren Daniel)
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EMERGING MARKETS-Currencies stable, stocks ride U.S. inflation outlook to record high

DUBLIN, Feb 11 (Reuters) &#8211; Travellers arriving to Ireland from Austria, the United Arab Emirates and sub-Saharan African countries are to be subject to a 14-day mandatory quarantine, Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin said.
A total of 20 countries will join Brazil and South Africa on a list subject to travel restrictions due to the presence of variants of the coronavirus, Martin told Newstalk Radio.
Arrivals from the countries will be allowed to quarantine at any address until a system of mandatory hotel quarantines is introduced in the coming weeks, the government has said. (Reporting by Conor Humphries; Editing by Alison Williams)
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Ireland to impose mandatory quarantine on Austria, UAE arrivals

AFRICA CDC SAYS BESIDES SOUTH AFRICA, HAVEN&#8217;T SEEN EVIDENCE THAT COUNTRIES ARE BEING OVERWHELMED BY 501Y.V2 VARIANT
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AFRICA CDC SAYS BESIDES SOUTH AFRICA, HAVEN’T SEEN EVIDENCE THAT COUNTRIES ARE BEING OVERWHELMED BY 501Y.V2 VARIANT

AFRICA CDC SAYS 7 MLN DOSES WILL TARGET HEALTHCARE WORKERS
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AFRICA CDC SAYS 7 MLN DOSES WILL TARGET HEALTHCARE WORKERS

AFRICA CDC&#8217;S NKENGASONG SAYS: FOR COUNTRIES THAT HAVE REPORTED CIRCULATION OF 501Y.V2 VARIANT, THEY SHOULD ACCELERATE PREPAREDNESS TO INTRODUCE ALL VACCINES THAT HAVE RECEIVED EMERGENCY USE AUTHORISATION
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AFRICA CDC’S NKENGASONG SAYS: FOR COUNTRIES THAT HAVE REPORTED CIRCULATION OF 501Y.V2 VARIANT, THEY SHOULD ACCELERATE PREPAREDNESS TO INTRODUCE ALL VACCINES THAT HAVE RECEIVED EMERGENCY USE AUTHORISATION

LISBON, Feb 10 (Reuters) &#8211; The first two cases of the new Brazilian variant of the coronavirus were detected in Portugal on Wednesday, broadcaster SIC said, two weeks after all flights to and from the South American nation were suspended.
SIC reported that both cases of the Brazilian variant were detected in the Lisbon area and had already been reported to health authorities by Unilabs, a private diagnostics provider performing most coronavirus tests in Portugal.
The country&#8217;s public health research institute Ricardo Jorge will analyse Unilab&#8217;s samples, SIC said. Unilabs was not immediately available for comment.
Flights between Portugal and Brazil were suspended on Jan. 29 until Feb. 14 in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19 variants.
Only humanitarian and repatriation flights are allowed, with travellers required to provide a negative COVID-19 test taken 72 hours in advance of boarding and quarantine for 14 days upon arrival back in Portugal.
The Brazilian variant shares some characteristics with highly transmissible mutations first detected in Britain and South Africa, both of which were already present in Portugal.
Portugal fared better than other nations in Europe in the first wave of the pandemic, but 2021 brought a devastating surge in infections and deaths, in part blamed on the rapid spread of the UK variant.
More than 14,700 people have died of COVID-19 in the country so far, with cumulative infections since the start of the pandemic at nearly 775,000.
(Reporting by Catarina Demony; Editing by Victoria Waldersee and Bill Berkrot)
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Portugal detects first cases of Brazilian COVID-19 variant, SIC TV says

PARIS, Feb 10 (Reuters) &#8211; Raymond Domenech has been sacked as Nantes coach after six weeks in charge following a string of poor results, French media reported on Wednesday.
The former France coach, who was back in a club coaching role for the first time in 27 years, was named as Christian Gourcuff’s replacement on Dec. 27. He will be replaced by Antoine Kombouare, French sports daily L&#8217;Equipe reported.
&#8220;I don&#8217;t know anything about his future,&#8221; assistant coach Patrice Collot told a news conference after a 4-2 home defeat by RC Lens in a French Cup last 64 game.
The result extended Nantes&#8217;s winless run to 16 games, eight under Domenech who was not present at the news conference after testing positive for COVID-19 on Monday.
Nantes, third bottom of Ligue 1, did not respond to a request for comment.
Domenech was appointed France coach in 2004 and led the team to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. The players went on strike after striker Nicolas Anelka was kicked out of the squad for insulting his coach whose contract was not renewed after the tournament. (Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Ed Osmond)
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Soccer-Coach Domenech sacked by Nantes – reports

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1110" height="740" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/GettyImages-1229611954-1110x740.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-392210" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/GettyImages-1229611954-1110x740.jpg 1110w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/GettyImages-1229611954-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/GettyImages-1229611954-820x547.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/GettyImages-1229611954-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/GettyImages-1229611954-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/GettyImages-1229611954-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1110px) 100vw, 1110px" /><figcaption>BRAZIL &#8211; 2020/11/13: In this photo illustration a medical syringe is seen with Johnson and Johnson company logo displayed on a screen in the background. (Photo Illustration by Rafael Henrique/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>



CAPE TOWN, Feb 10 (Reuters) &#8211; South Africa aims to immunise between 350,000 and 500,000 health workers with Johnson &amp; Johnson&#8217;s COVID-19 vaccine in an &#8220;implementation study&#8221; to further evaluate the shot, the president of the country&#8217;s Medical Research Council said.



Glenda Gray, co-lead investigator on the local leg of a J&amp;J global trial, told Reuters South Africa expected to get batches of around 80,000 doses every seven to 14 days for the study, once it is approved.



The implementation study would be aimed at further evaluating J&amp;J&#8217;s vaccine in the field and would be akin to a phase IIIb study, Gray said. J&amp;J&#8217;s vaccine has already been tested in the global phase III trial involving more than 40,000 participants including over 6,000 in South Africa.



Gray&#8217;s comments come days after the government paused the rollout of 1 million doses of AstraZeneca&#8217;s vaccine and switched to the J&amp;J shot to start protecting its health workers.



That decision was based on a small clinical trial that showed the AstraZeneca jab provided minimal protection against mild to moderate illness from the more contagious 501Y.V2 virus variant that is now dominant in the country. The government said on Wednesday it was considering selling or swapping AstraZeneca shots it had ordered.



Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said earlier on Wednesday that the J&amp;J implementation study would &#8220;provide valuable information about the pandemic in the post-vaccination community and thus, ensure early identification of breakthrough infections should they occur amongst vaccinated health workers&#8221;.



Gray said: &#8220;We will get 80,000 (doses) every 7 to 14 days and then based on our ability to roll them out we will redeploy them.&#8221;



She added that a critical next step was for J&amp;J to get emergency use authorisation (EUA) in the United States for its vaccine. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is expected to meet on Feb. 26 to discuss J&amp;J&#8217;s EUA request.



&#8220;Once the FDA has approved it, there&#8217;s a cascading process that goes to other countries,&#8221; Gray said.



&#8220;South Africa has a bilateral agreement with the U.S. FDA and they could accept the EUA from another agency. Alternatively, South Africa could wait until there is a formal process directly with J&amp;J and (medicines regulator) SAHPRA.&#8221;



(Reporting by Wendell Roelf; Editing by Alexander Winning and Alison Williams)



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In this photo illustration a medical syringe is seen with

S.Africa aims to immunise 500,000 health workers in J&J study, scientist says

LONDON, Feb 10 (Reuters) &#8211; British Prime Minister Boris Johnson welcomed the news that the World Health Organization recommended on Wednesday the Oxford-AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine for use globally by all adults after some countries have questioned its efficacy.
Earlier this week, South Africa said it would put on hold the use of AstraZeneca&#8217;s COVID-19 shot in its vaccination programme after data showed it gave minimal protection against mild-to-moderate infection caused by the country&#8217;s dominant coronavirus variant.
&#8220;It was good to see the World Health Organization today confirm its support for the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine for use in everyone over the age of 18, and obviously over the age of 65,&#8221; Johnson told a press conference.
(Reporting by William James, Writing by Andrew MacAskill, Editing by Paul Sandle)
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UK PM Johnson welcomes WHO support for AstraZeneca vaccine

Feb 10 (Reuters) &#8211; The benefits of the COVID-19 vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University outweigh any risks and the shot should recommended for use, including in people aged 65 and older, a World Health Organization panel said on Wednesday.
In interim recommendations on the shot, the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunisation (SAGE) panel said the vaccine should be given in two doses, with an interval of around 8 to 12 weeks between the first and second doses.
SAGE also said that even where questions have been raised about the vaccine&#8217;s efficacy against a South African variant of the coronavirus, &#8220;there is no reason not to recommend its use&#8221;.
South Africa this week paused its rollout of the AstraZeneca vaccine after data from a small trial showed it did not protect against mild to moderate illness from the 501Y.V2 variant of the coronavirus now dominant in the country. (Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay, John Miller and Kate Kelland)
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WHO expert panel recommends wide use of AstraZeneca COVID vaccine

DUBLIN, Feb 10 (Reuters) &#8211; Ireland&#8217;s government is considering increasing fines for residents who break current COVID-19 restrictions to travel aboard on holiday to 2,000 euros ($2,426.00) from 500 euros, Prime Minister Micheál Martin said on Wednesday.
Non-essential travel oversees is a breach the top level of COVID-19 regulations that limit people to exercising within 5 kilometres of their homes, except for travelling for work, education or other essential purposes.
While passenger numbers are down 97% year-on-year, the government said two-thirds of Irish arrivals at airports are returning holiday-makers, which an official in Martin&#8217;s department described as &#8220;a very concerning statistic&#8221;.
&#8220;There&#8217;s a sense 500 euros is not a sufficient disincentive to travel abroad, that will be increased and the government is considering increasing that to 2,000 euros to act as a significant deterrent,&#8221; Martin told parliament.
Ireland is in the process of introducing a 14-day quarantine in hotels for all people arriving from Brazil and South Africa, and for anyone arriving without evidence of a negative coronavirus test.
Concerns over highly-infectious variants have also led Britain to seek increased penalties for those breaking movement restrictions. ($1 = 0.8244 euros) (Reporting by Padraic Halpin; editing by Barbara Lewis)
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Ireland may fine residents 2,000 euros for holidaying abroad

* Executive proposal part of new rules for migration
* Tougher stance could also persuade states to take in migrants (Updates with more details from document, background)
By Robin Emmott
BRUSSELS, Feb 10 (Reuters) &#8211; The European Commission has proposed speedier deportations of migrants who do not meet asylum requirements, according to a document sent to EU states on Wednesday that envisages &#8220;effective enforcement&#8221; of removal decisions.
The proposal, which was also made public, says while deportations would be voluntary, the EU would help home countries better reintegrate migrants in a move it hopes would encourage more people to make the return journey. The Commission could also potentially fine EU governments that do not meet proposed new deportation rules.
Tuesday&#8217;s 12-page proposal is part of a broader Commission plan launched last September to overhaul broken migration rules to resolve years of bitterness among EU states and provide a better welcome for refugees fleeing the Middle East and Africa.
In 2015, more than a million people made it to EU shores, overwhelming security and welfare networks, and inflaming far-right sentiment.
&#8220;The Commission will pursue a better-functioning common EU system of returns,&#8221; said the document, dated Feb. 10, using EU terminology for deportations.
The document signals quicker deportations, referring to &#8220;implementation of the return procedures, such as the issuance of return decisions and their effective enforcement&#8221;.
The Commission hopes that by increasing the number of deportations, it can convince EU governments to open up more legal pathways to those granted asylum and provide them with access to schools, healthcare, housing and jobs.
The proposal said it was unrealistic that the EU, a wealthy bloc of almost 500 million people, could take in all migrants. The document said that in 2019 only 30% of those applying for asylum for the first time were recognised needing protection.
However, EU states return home just a third of those who are due to be deported and few are willing to go voluntarily, although the Commission noted that the COVID-19 pandemic had made sending people back harder.
&#8220;Even though travel restrictions remain in place across the globe, asylum and return procedures should continue,&#8221; the Commission said, listing a lack of resources in EU states, long appeal processes and migrants who try to hide from authorities as obstacles to speedier deportations.
After years of focusing on agreeing an EU relocating system to house asylum seekers across the bloc, the focus on deportations aims to show EU governments that only those in need of help would be given it, and that states should assist them.
Feuds over where to locate people have caused tensions between the Mediterranean-shore countries where they mainly arrive, the reluctant eastern states, and the richer northern states where many of the newcomers aspire to live.
However, the Commission proposal, which must be agreed by all 27 EU governments, aims to create a voluntary system, meaning that migrants are helped to reintegrate into their home countries with money and other support from the EU.
&#8220;The Commission will adopt a voluntary return and reintegration strategy,&#8221; the document said, adding that the bloc could broaden its aid and counselling programmes for returnees. &#8220;Voluntary returns combined with effective reintegration strategies increase the acceptance and success rates of these operations.&#8221; (Reporting by Robin Emmott, Editing by William Maclean)
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News

Aid groups offer Lebanon’s migrant workers a virus lifeline

Nigerian government warns against protest at Lekki shooting site

PRECIOUS-Platinum at over 6-year peak as markets bet on auto recovery

Morocco to receive 4 mln doses of AstraZeneca vaccine from India

WHO AFRICA DIRECTOR MOETI SAYS INTERACTION WITH COUNTRIES NEIGHBOURING SOUTH AFRICA PARTICULARLY INTENSE

EMERGING MARKETS-Currencies stable, stocks ride U.S. inflation outlook to record high

Ireland to impose mandatory quarantine on Austria, UAE arrivals

AFRICA CDC SAYS BESIDES SOUTH AFRICA, HAVEN’T SEEN EVIDENCE THAT COUNTRIES ARE BEING OVERWHELMED BY 501Y.V2 VARIANT

AFRICA CDC SAYS 7 MLN DOSES WILL TARGET HEALTHCARE WORKERS

AFRICA CDC’S NKENGASONG SAYS: FOR COUNTRIES THAT HAVE REPORTED CIRCULATION OF 501Y.V2 VARIANT, THEY SHOULD ACCELERATE PREPAREDNESS TO INTRODUCE ALL VACCINES THAT HAVE RECEIVED EMERGENCY USE AUTHORISATION

Portugal detects first cases of Brazilian COVID-19 variant, SIC TV says

Soccer-Coach Domenech sacked by Nantes – reports

S.Africa aims to immunise 500,000 health workers in J&J study, scientist says

UK PM Johnson welcomes WHO support for AstraZeneca vaccine

WHO expert panel recommends wide use of AstraZeneca COVID vaccine

Ireland may fine residents 2,000 euros for holidaying abroad

EU Commission proposes increasing migrant deportations, document says

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Aid groups offer Lebanon’s migrant workers a virus lifeline

Nigerian government warns against protest at Lekki shooting site

PRECIOUS-Platinum at over 6-year peak as markets bet on auto recovery

Morocco to receive 4 mln doses of AstraZeneca vaccine from India

WHO AFRICA DIRECTOR MOETI SAYS INTERACTION WITH COUNTRIES NEIGHBOURING SOUTH AFRICA PARTICULARLY INTENSE

EMERGING MARKETS-Currencies stable, stocks ride U.S. inflation outlook to record high

Ireland to impose mandatory quarantine on Austria, UAE arrivals

AFRICA CDC SAYS BESIDES SOUTH AFRICA, HAVEN’T SEEN EVIDENCE THAT COUNTRIES ARE BEING OVERWHELMED BY 501Y.V2 VARIANT

AFRICA CDC SAYS 7 MLN DOSES WILL TARGET HEALTHCARE WORKERS

AFRICA CDC’S NKENGASONG SAYS: FOR COUNTRIES THAT HAVE REPORTED CIRCULATION OF 501Y.V2 VARIANT, THEY SHOULD ACCELERATE PREPAREDNESS TO INTRODUCE ALL VACCINES THAT HAVE RECEIVED EMERGENCY USE AUTHORISATION

Portugal detects first cases of Brazilian COVID-19 variant, SIC TV says

Soccer-Coach Domenech sacked by Nantes – reports

S.Africa aims to immunise 500,000 health workers in J&J study, scientist says

UK PM Johnson welcomes WHO support for AstraZeneca vaccine

WHO expert panel recommends wide use of AstraZeneca COVID vaccine

Ireland may fine residents 2,000 euros for holidaying abroad

EU Commission proposes increasing migrant deportations, document says

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