BBC News Coronavirus

North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un attends a national meeting on measures against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Pyongyang, North Korea, in this undated photo released on August 10, 2022 by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). KCNA via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. REUTERS IS UNABLE TO INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THIS IMAGE. NO THIRD PARTY SALES. SOUTH KOREA OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN SOUTH KOREA.

Kim Jong-un 'suffered fever' during Covid outbreak

The sister of North Korea's leader also blames South Korea for causing her country's outbreak.

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North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un attends a national meeting on measures against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Pyongyang, North Korea, in this undated photo released on August 10, 2022 by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). KCNA via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. REUTERS IS UNABLE TO INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THIS IMAGE. NO THIRD PARTY SALES. SOUTH KOREA OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN SOUTH KOREA.

Kim Jong-un 'suffered fever' during Covid outbreak

The sister of North Korea's leader also blames South Korea for causing her country's outbreak.

North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un attends a national meeting on measures against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Pyongyang, North Korea, in this undated photo released on August 10, 2022 by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). KCNA via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. REUTERS IS UNABLE TO INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THIS IMAGE. NO THIRD PARTY SALES. SOUTH KOREA OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN SOUTH KOREA.

Kim Jong-un 'suffered fever' during Covid outbreak

The sister of North Korea's leader also blames South Korea for causing her country's outbreak.

A staged photo of a person using the Australian government's coronavirus tracking app on a phone

Australian Covid app branded expensive 'failure'

The health minister urges people to delete the contact-tracing app, which identified just two infections.

people in masks

Hong Kong shortens Covid hotel quarantine

Hotel quarantine is to be followed by four days of "medical surveillance" at home or any hotel.

Beach at Sanya

Thousands stranded as 'China's Hawaii' locks down

Over 80,000 tourists in the resort known as "China's Hawaii" face new restrictions and cancelled flights.

A sign depicting a scene of medical products transportation is displayed in Pyongyang

North Korea claims to have recovered from Covid

There is widespread scepticism over North Korea's claim to have the world's lowest Covid death rate.

picture of people socialising indoors

Covid infections continuing to fall around the UK

The number of people with the virus has fallen by more than half a million in a week, statistics show.

A happy couple at Tongariro Alpine Crossing, a popular tourist attraction in New Zealand.

New Zealand fully reopens borders after Covid

The country shut its borders in March 2020, a move that majorly impacted the tourism industry.

A staged photo of a person using the Australian government's coronavirus tracking app on a phone

Australian Covid app branded expensive 'failure'

The health minister urges people to delete the contact-tracing app, which identified just two infections.

people in masks

Hong Kong shortens Covid hotel quarantine

Hotel quarantine is to be followed by four days of "medical surveillance" at home or any hotel.

Beach at Sanya

Thousands stranded as 'China's Hawaii' locks down

Over 80,000 tourists in the resort known as "China's Hawaii" face new restrictions and cancelled flights.

A sign depicting a scene of medical products transportation is displayed in Pyongyang
picture of people socialising indoors
A happy couple at Tongariro Alpine Crossing, a popular tourist attraction in New Zealand.

Latest Updates

  6. Zero demand forces vaccine maker to halt Covid line

    Vumani Mkhize

    BBC Africa Business

    A medic with a vaccine
    Copyright: Reuters
    Image caption: Aspen Pharmacare says it will focus on anaesthetics instead

    A South African firm says it will stop making coronavirus vaccines at the end of the month because it hasn't received a single order.

    Aspen Pharmacare's announcement was followed by reassurance from the Africa Centres for Disease Control that it was "doing everything to ensure that those buying vaccines are buying them from Africa".

    In March, Aspen signed a deal with Johnson & Johnson to produce 450 million doses per year of its own branded version of a Covid-19 vaccine called Aspenovax.

    At the time Aspen’s deal with Johnson & Johnson was called "a game-changer" in providing equitable vaccines to the continent.

    The African Union has a target for 60% of all vaccines administered on the continent to be produced locally by 2040. But with only a fifth of Africans vaccinated, that demand has not materialised.

    Aspen says it will now be forced to re-purpose some of its production lines to make anaesthetics.

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