UAE, China launch project to jointly produce vaccines

Imran asks people to avoid restaurants, weddings; UAE reports 2,128 new cases, 4 deaths; Maharashtra imposes night curfew, considers total lockdown as virus cases jump; Paris hospitals nearly overwhelmed by coronavirus.

Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and the Chinese Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, have launched “Life Sciences and Vaccine Manufacturing in the UAE” — a joint project by the UAE’s Group 42 and China’s CNBG (Sinopharm), to initiate the first COVID-19 vaccine production line in the UAE.

“The UAE and China today inaugurated a new chapter in their historic and distinguished relations, under the title “Strategic Partnership for Humanity,” said Sheikh Abdullah in statements marking the launch.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday appealed to the nation to avoid going to “super spreader” events such as weddings and places such as restaurants, as the country battles an intensifying third wave of the coronavirus pandemic.

His comments came during a video message aired on television channels. “I exercised precaution for a whole year. I never went to any wedding or even to a restaurant to eat. I practiced social distancing and kept my mask on for the most part,” the premier said, as he began his video message.

“So I was safe. I was among those who remained safe in the first two waves, he said.