Coronavirus digest: Pakistan PM Khan tests positive

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has tested positive for the coronavirus two days after he received his first vaccine dose, officials in Islamabad have said.

Faisal Sultan, Khan's special assistant on health, said the prime minister has quarantined himself at his private home in the country's capital city.

The government said the vaccine had not been effective because Khan had received it so recently, and it was only the first of two required doses.

There has been a spike in COVID-19 cases in the capital and in eastern and northern Pakistan.

Authorities on Saturday reported daily totals of 42 new deaths and 3,876 new coronavirus infections.

Overall, the virus has killed close to 14,000 people in Pakistan and infected more than 623,000.

Europe

The Germany-based scientist behind one of the first coronavirus vaccines says Europe should be able to end lockdowns for good by this autumn. Ugur Sahin told the Welt am Sonntag newspaper that 70% of Germans would be vaccinated by that time.

The number of confirmed cases in Germany increased  by 13,733 to 2,659,516, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Sunday. Fatalities rose by 99 to 74,664, the tally showed.

Police in the United Kingdom arrested 36 people after thousands turned out in London to protest against ongoing coronavirus lockdown restrictions.

The Metropolitan Police Service said most of those taken into custody had breached months-old virus regulations that outlaw leaving home except for a limited number of reasons.

Americas

Mexico says it has registered 5,729 new confirmed coronavirus infections and 608 additional fatalities, the country's Health Ministry said on Sunday.

It brings its total to 2,193,639 cases and 197,827 deaths, although the government believes the real number of infected people is likely significantly higher than the confirmed cases.

Paraguay has reached its full capacity of intensive care beds, according to Leticia Pintos, general director of the country's health service.

The South American country has just 655 beds across all of its hospitals, she was quoted as saying.

Officials are now planning to open new emergency clinics in military barracks as a means of easing the strain on its healthcare system.

The news comes after opposition lawmakers lost a bid on Wednesday to impeach President Mario Abdo over the government's handling of the coronavirus pandemic in the country of 7 million inhabitants.

Infections reached 192,599 and deaths 3,695 as of Saturday, official data shows.

jf/sri (AFP, AP, Reuters)