An aerial view taken on March 5, 2020 shows the white-tiled area surrounding the Kaaba, inside Mecca's Grand Mosque empty of worshippers. Saudi Arabia's health ministry has ruled that only people who have been vaccinated will be allowed to attend the Hajj this year, Saudi newspaper Okaz reported.
In 2020, the kingdom dramatically reduced the number of pilgrims to around 1,000 to help prevent the spread of the virus, after barring Muslims abroad from the rite for the first time in modern times.President Joe Biden said that the US expects to take delivery of enough vaccines for all adults by the end of May, two months earlier than anticipated, as his administration announced that drugmaker Merck & Co. will help produce rival Johnson & Johnson’s newly approved shot.
While the continent's most populous country Nigeria received almost four million jabs, sub-Saharan Africa's largest nation by area DRC got 1.7 million, Angola welcomed more than 600,000 doses and The Gambia was expected to take roughly 30,000. However, there are still critical hurdles for African countries like Nigeria and DRC, with sketchy infrastructure and an array of security challenges.The Palestinian Authority confirmed that it diverted some vaccination doses meant for medical workers to VIPs as critics charged but said this involved a small fraction of inoculations.
The ministry statement followed criticism from several Palestinian human rights and civil society groups, who urged an investigation into the vaccination programme, saying it was not transparent.Texas Governor Greg Abbott lifted a state mask mandate and said he was authorising businesses restricted because of the pandemic to open "100 percent."
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Indian ministers jabbed with as yet unproven Bharat Biotech vaccine. Other Covid19 updates: 🇺🇸 US, Asia allies plan jab strategy to counter China 🇺🇦 Ukraine grapples with case surges 🇩🇪 Germany's Merkel poised to agree to ease curbs Read more:
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