World Coronavirus Dispatch: Streets erupt with joy as Spain lifts curbs

Tokyo's Olympic Stadium holds test event, Dubai business growth back to pre-Covid levels and other pandemic-related news across the globe

Dubai business growth back to pre-Covid path as vaccines pay off

Business activity in Dubai rose to the highest level since late 2019 after a rebound in tourism and rapid distribution of coronavirus vaccines. The private sector, excluding oil, grew for a fifth-straight month in April, according to IHS Markit. Its Purchasing Managers’ Index for the Middle East’s main business hub rose to 53.5 from 51 in March. In the overall United Arab Emirates, of which Dubai is a part, business conditions have also been improving. Inoculation efforts in the Arab world’s second-largest economy and a recovery in oil prices have led to a rebound following last year’s downturn. Read here

Let's look at the global statistics

Global infections: 158,337,422

Global deaths: 3,293,153

Nations with most cases: US (32,707,797), India (22,662,575), Brazil (15,184,790), France (5,838,294), Turkey (5,031,332).

Source: John Hopkins Coronavirus Research Center 

Unused shots pile up with people unwilling to get shots

Hong Kong's vaccination process is very smooth as compared to several other places in the world and people were even given a choice between a Chinese vaccine and Pfizer shot, something many nations have refused to do. Despite these and several other things going in their favour for Hong Kong's vaccination drive, people are unwilling to get the jabs. Only 11.6 per cent of a population of 7.5 million has been vaccinated as against 39.7 per cent in UK and Singapore at 19.4 per cent. In Hong Kong, so many shots are languishing that the government has warned people that some will expire in September. Read here

Spanish streets erupt in celebration as emergency ends

Street parties broke out in Madrid and many other Spanish cities to celebrate the end of a nationwide state of emergency and the lifting of curfews in most regions of the country. The partying, however, immediately raised concerns over whether such behaviour could trigger another uptick in coronavirus cases. In October last year, to curtail a second wave of Covid-19, the central government declared a state of emergency which lasted till Sunday. Thousands of people, mostly young, took over main squares of Madrid. Wild celebrations also occurred in Barcelona and Seville. Read here

Tokyo’s Olympic Stadium holds test event with 420 athletes

Hundreds of athletes participated in a test event at Tokyo’s Olympic Stadium as organisers fine-tuned operations and Covid countermeasures with less than three months to go before the Tokyo Games. No spectators were present in the stadium, where the opening and closing ceremonies will be held, as Tokyo remains under a state of emergency because of a rise in coronavirus cases. Opinion surveys have shown most Japanese people oppose holding the Games this summer because of worries about the pandemic. Read here