Morning headlines – February 1st 2021

Coronavirus and vaccines

• More vaccines from AstraZeneca. AstraZeneca will deliver more an additional 9 million anti-Covid vaccine doses to the EU. Also, the deliveries will start a week earlier than previously announced. The news was announced by the European Commission’s president, Ursula von der Leyen.
• The number of people who need ICU assistances is now below 1000. In Romania, the number of people who need ICU assistance is now below 1000, specifically 997. Yesterday, 71 people have died due to the virus.
• More than 102 million cases. Globally, the number of COVID-19 cases has reached 102 million cases, says the WHO.
• A WHO team is investigating the Wuhan market. For the first times since the pandemic has started, the China authorities have allowed the WHO experts to investigate the Wuhan market, says Mediafax.

Global military and political events

• The US condemns Russia. The Joseph Biden administration has condemned, on Sunday, the actions of the Russian authorities against the participants at opposition protests, where they have arrested more than 5.000 people, says the Politico.com website. “The United States condemns the constant use of harsh tactics against peaceful protesters and journalists, in the second running week”, has stated Antony Blinken, the US State Secretary.
• Navalny, nominated for the Nobel Prize for Peace. The Russian dissident Aleksey Navalny, the WHO and the climate change militant Greta Thunberg are nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize this year. From members of the parliaments in the entire world to former winners, all can propose candidates. The 2021 laureate will be announced in October.
• Military coup in Myanmar. A military coup is now taking place in Myanmar, where the military has announced that it is taking over the country’s leadership for a year, according to many local media sources. Also, the internet is being stopped there at the moment.
• Terrorist attack in Somalia. At least 17 people have died, on Sunday, in an attack over a hotel in the centre of the Somali capital, Mogadishu, says DPA.

Romania’s security and defence

• Protests in the capital. Members of the SANITAS National Federation Council are protesting, on Monday, between 12am and 1pm, in front of the Government, for the rights of the medical system employees, says Agerpress.
• The parliament holds a reunion today. The Senate and the Chamber of Deputies are starting, on Monday, the first ordinary parliamentary session of the year, says Mediafax.