Masks will no longer be legally required in health and social care as all rules end on Monday.
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North Korea fighting Covid with tea and salt water
As Covid spreads in North Korea, state media urges the use of traditional medicine against the virus.
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North Korea fighting Covid with tea and salt water
As Covid spreads in North Korea, state media urges the use of traditional medicine against the virus.

Why the WHO is questioning China's Covid policy
The WHO thinks China's current Covid policy is not sustainable - but China seems determined to stay the course.

Over a million Covid cases feared in North Korea
The military has been ordered to intervene as a wave of Covid cases sweeps the unvaccinated country.

N Korea has confirmed Covid: What's likely to happen?
North Korea is uniquely vulnerable to the virus, and the options to control its spread are limited.

China unemployment rate near pandemic peak
Evidence of China's economic slowdown came as authorities unveiled plans to lift Shanghai's lockdown.

Why is Shanghai in a lockdown?
Shanghai announced that it would "open up" soon, but many worry that a de facto lockdown will continue.

United States passes one million Covid deaths
It's the highest total in the world - but the WHO thinks the true death toll may be higher elsewhere.
Featured Contents

North Korea fighting Covid with tea and salt water
As Covid spreads in North Korea, state media urges the use of traditional medicine against the virus.

Why the WHO is questioning China's Covid policy
The WHO thinks China's current Covid policy is not sustainable - but China seems determined to stay the course.

Over a million Covid cases feared in North Korea
The military has been ordered to intervene as a wave of Covid cases sweeps the unvaccinated country.

N Korea has confirmed Covid: What's likely to happen?
North Korea is uniquely vulnerable to the virus, and the options to control its spread are limited.

China unemployment rate near pandemic peak
Evidence of China's economic slowdown came as authorities unveiled plans to lift Shanghai's lockdown.

Why is Shanghai in a lockdown?
Shanghai announced that it would "open up" soon, but many worry that a de facto lockdown will continue.

United States passes one million Covid deaths
It's the highest total in the world - but the WHO thinks the true death toll may be higher elsewhere.

Why the WHO is questioning China's Covid policy
The WHO thinks China's current Covid policy is not sustainable - but China seems determined to stay the course.

Over a million Covid cases feared in North Korea
The military has been ordered to intervene as a wave of Covid cases sweeps the unvaccinated country.

N Korea has confirmed Covid: What's likely to happen?
North Korea is uniquely vulnerable to the virus, and the options to control its spread are limited.
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Video caption: Met Police chief on claims of Boris Johnson at more parties The Metropolitan Police's acting chief rejects a London Assembly member's claim that police failed to act on other Partygate claims agianst the PM.
Africa's Covid vaccine maker blames WHO for failure
Sara Adam
Africa business journalist, BBC News
Copyright: AFPImage caption: Aspen has a licensing deal to package and sell the Johnson & Johnson vaccine across Africa Africa's largest production line for Covid-19 vaccines will be adapted to produce other drugs because of a lack of demand.
The vaccines were being made at a factory near Cape Town owned by South African pharmaceuticals business Aspen Pharmacare.
In March last year, Aspen struck a deal with US pharmaceuticals giant Johnson & Johnson to package and distribute its vaccine across Africa.
According to Dr Stavros Nicolau, a senior director at Aspen, the agreement assumed there would be demand for the vaccines from the World Health Organization (WHO).
But it never materialised, he told the BBC.
Keeping the production line going would no longer be sustainable, and the equipment would be used to make anaesthetics instead, he explained.
He said Aspen would only produce Covid-19 vaccines on an emergency basis.
The African Union has a target for 60% of all vaccines administered on the continent to be produced locally by 2040. Currently the figure is just 1%.
Dr Nicolau said that at the height of the pandemic, there had been calls globally for Africa to produce more of its own vaccines.
But he insisted this could only happen if producers had support from international agencies, such as the WHO.
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